Filming on The Matrix 4 has begun in San Francisco, and videos and images from the set have emerged that provide the first look at Keanu Reeves in the upcoming action film.
In one scene, Reeves is seen blocking his eyes from the sun as he stares into the distance. A camera moves in before a director calls cut. Check out the video below, and another image further down.
Reeves returns in The Matrix 4 to play Neo once more. He’s joined by Carrie-Anne Moss, who reprises her role as Trinity, and Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe. Among the new cast members for the movie are Priyanka Chopra, Jonathan Groff, and Neil Patrick Harris.
Lana Wachowski returns to direct The Matrix 4. It comes to theatres on May 21, 2021–which is also the release date for another Reeves-starring action sequel, John Wick: Chapter 4.
The first Matrix movie brought in $463.5 million worldwide, and it spawned two sequels: 2003’s Matrix Reloaded–grossing $742.1 million worldwide–and Matrix Revolutions–taking in $427.3 million worldwide. For more, check out The Matrix Sequels’ 34 Dumbest Moments to relive the weirdness.
Online retailer Amazon has rolled out a very good deal on the Xbox One X. The store is currently selling multiple different Xbox One X models for only $350 USD. The system normally retails for $500 USD, so this is a markdown of $150 USD.
The 1TB Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, NBA 2K20, and multiple Gears 5 bundles are available. The Limited Edition Gears 5 bundle comes with a specially designed console featuring the Crimson Omen symbol and a matching controller, as well as copies of Gears 5, Gears of War 4, Gears of War 3, Gears of War 2, and the remastered version of the original Gears of War.
These Xbox One X deals–some of which are also available directly through Microsoft, Target, and Best Buy–arrive ahead of the Xbox Series X launch later this year. That console won’t have exclusive games right away, and it will also work with the Xbox One controllers you may already have.
Rod Fergusson, head of Gears of War developer The Coalition, has announced he is leaving the studio to join Blizzard. Fergusson has been instrumental in the Gears of War franchise from its inception, having worked on the very first entry in the franchise and every follow-up since.
In a tweet, Fergusson confirmed he is joining Blizzard in March to oversee the Diablo franchise. He also thanked his former co-workers at The Coalition and Xbox. “Leaving is bittersweet as I love our Gears family, the fans, and everyone at The Coalition and Xbox,” he said. “Thank you, it has been an honor and a privilege to work with you all.”
I began working on Gears of War over 15 years ago and since then, it has been the joy of my life. But now it’s time for a new adventure. I leave Gears in the great hands of The Coalition and can’t wait for everyone to play Gears Tactics on April 28. pic.twitter.com/Az5w0B631i
Fergusson has had a rather storied career in video game development, in between working on Gears titles. In 2011 he left Epic Games and joined Irrational Games in 2012 as executive vice president of development. He is often credited with helping BioShock Infinite‘s development get back on track and reach the finish line. He also worked as a studio head at 2K and manager at Black Tusk, which became The Coalition.
The Coalition’s latest entry in the series was Gears 5, which has received favorable reviews. The game began pushing the franchise in new directions both narratively and in terms of design. Most notably, it introduced semi-open world areas, as well as vehicle-based exploration. Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 also shifted the focus away from Marcus, Dom, and other franchise staple characters to a new generation of characters. These two games have laid a strong foundation for the future, should The Coalition and Xbox pursue it. The next game in the Gears of War universe is set to be Gears Tactics, which releases on April 28.
GameSpot recently featured Fergusson on an episode of Audio Logs, in which he broke down the journey of the franchise’s most unlikely hero: Jack. You can watch that above.
A new month has arrived, and that means there’s a new batch of Field Research tasks in Pokemon Go. As usual, February’s Field Research tasks can be obtained by spinning the Photo Disc at PokeStops, and completing them will earn you rewards, which can range from helpful items like Berries and Poke Balls to encounters with certain Pokemon.
On top of those rewards, the first Field Research task you complete each day will also net you a stamp. Each time you collect seven stamps, you’ll achieve a Research Breakthrough, which will earn you additional rewards, including an encounter with a special Pokemon. Last month’s Research Breakthrough reward was Lapras that knew Ice Beam or Ice Shard, but this month, you’ll have a chance to catch a new Gen 5 Pokemon instead: Woobat.
The Field Research tasks you obtain will be randomly drawn from a larger pool, so there’s no telling which ones you’ll receive. Up to three Field Research tasks can be active at a time, but you can discard any that may be giving you trouble and receive a different task from another PokeStop. You can see the updated list of Pokemon Go’s Field Research tasks–along with the possible rewards they dole out–below, courtesy of The Silph Road.
February is shaping up to be a particularly busy month for Pokemon Go. Niantic has a ton of events lined up for this month, including a Sinnoh celebration that will make it easier to find Gen 4 Pokemon and a new Team Rocket Special Research quest that will lead to a chance to catch Shadow Raikou. This month will also bring a few more Gen 5 Pokemon to the game, including the Legendary Tornadus.
February’s Community Day, meanwhile, is set for Saturday, February 22. This time around, Niantic let players vote on what the featured Pokemon is. The results of the voting will be announced on February 3.
Pokemon Go February 2020 Field Research Tasks
Catching Tasks
Field Research Task
Rewards
Catch 5 Pokemon with Weather boost
Poliwag or Vulpix encounter; 200 Stardust, 3 Razz Berries, 1 Pinap Berry, or 5 Poke Balls
Catch 10 Pokemon with Weather boost
500 Stardust, 6 Razz Berries, 2 Pinap Berries, or 5 Great Balls
Freeze Tag is a team-based elimination mode that challenges players to freeze everyone on the other side to win. Teams can also win by grabbing a neutral flag and taking it to the enemy base. Those who get frozen aren’t immediately out, as players can huddle together to thaw their teammates.
Additionally, frozen players can move very slowly to try to get to cover. Over time, they will thaw, but teammates huddling close by gets it done faster. Once a player becomes thawed, they are granted a short period of invincibility to help get back in the game.
Should the timer expire, the team with the fewest frozen players wins. This new Freeze Tag game mode is available in Halo: MCC through February 18 as part of an event called Winter Contingency.
Everyone who plays five matches during the Winter Contingency event will earn the Focus Rifle nameplate. Play 15 matches and you’ll get the Winter Contingency nameplate.
I’ve played a few Freeze Tag matches, and it’s a doozy of a game mode. It’s fast and frenetic, and completely chaotic. It’s fun for those looking to mix things up, but you may get tired of it after a few rounds and head back to standard Slayer.
Part of what makes Halo: MCC so appealing, even years after release, is because 343 continues to support the game with unique and imaginative updates like this. Here’s to hoping that continues in the future.
It’s a big year for Halo, as 343 will release Halo Infinite as a launch title for the Xbox Series X later this year.
At the Locke & Key: Season 1 premiere fan event in Los Angeles, author Joe Hill, and illustrator Gabriel Rodriguez revealed that there are more comics on the way.
While Hill and Rodriguez already announced plans for a new Locke & Key six-volume series, titled World War Key, back at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, the creators teased another comic that they’re going to announce soon. “And then we have another thing that we’re doing, that we’re really excited about,” Hill told IGN. “We’ve been dreaming about it for years and it’s been a helluva thing trying to pull it together.”
For a look at Locke & Key: Season 1 and everything else coming to Netflix in February 2020, check out the video below:
Rodriguez went on to explain how this new series will connect the original six-volume run to World War Key. “It’s going to be the way we wrap the series of short stories that we’ve been doing in what we call the ‘Golden Age’ for Locke & Key, the stories of Chamberlin Locke and his family,” Rodriguez said. “The book is going to be the doorway that will communicate the first Locke & Key series with World War Key. We’ve been discussing these ideas for four years. And we feel like this is the right time to return to this universe.”
Hill also shared some more details about World War Key in terms of its story. “The very first book takes place during the Revolutionary War and it’s about how the magical keys won the Revolutionary War,” Hill said. “And then the next book, World War Key: Resurrection, leaps forward to the modern-day, [where] we visit some favorite characters from the Locke & Key series, and we see how they’re doing. And we all see the events of the Revolutionary War staining through into the present.”
As the final season of Vikings rages on, beloved characters that once seemed untouchable are suddenly not so safe. Earlier in Season 6, the death of Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) sent shockwaves through the show. Now, with the mid-season finale, fans are saying goodbye to yet another character who’s been on the show since the beginning.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Vikings Season 6 mid-season finale, titled “The Best Laid Plans.” If you’ve yet to watch the episode and don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading now.
It’s the end of the line for Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). The eldest son of Ragnar Lothbrok met his end at the hands of his brother, the ruthless and vindictive Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen). It’s an emotional moment for the show, but one that has long been in the making.
While the half-brothers were always on uneasy ground with each other, it wasn’t until the end of Season 4, when Bjorn witnessed Ivar kill their brother Sigurd, that their relationship completely unraveled. They then battled over control of Kattegat, the settlement created by their father, throughout Seasons 5 and 6. Ultimately, in their final meeting in “The Best Laid Plans,” Ivar surprised Bjorn mid-battle, running him through with a sword.
It is a powerful moment, as Bjorn realizes what has happened and who is responsible. Then, the scene quickly skewed reality, as we saw Ivar and Bjorn sitting on the same beach they have been fighting on. “I will defeat you,” Bjorn seethed. “The gods abandoned you a long time ago, my brother,” Ivar responded calmly. “There’s no way you can win. Believe me.” In the final moments, the scene alternated between a shot of Bjorn breathing his last breathes and an image of his sword plunged into the sand, seemingly signaling the end of his life.
Speaking to GameSpot, creator Michael Hirst explained how this particular death came together in his mind. “When I was beginning to put together and think about Season 6 and sort of jotting down thoughts about the characters and what might happen to them, I sort of knew which characters would survive. But I felt I knew that Bjorn would die,” he said. “So then it was a question of when, and I talked to Alexander about it.”
For Hirst, the primary goal was to make sure the death of Bjorn didn’t get lost in all of the carnage of Season 6. Instead, he wanted to give Ludwig something he could sink his teeth into as an actor. “I wanted to showcase him. And if I’m bunching up a lot of people dying and a lot of endings of stories and things, I don’t want him as just one of the stories,” Hirst explained. “I want to feature him. I wanted him to have his moment and boy, does he grab this moment. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and wonderful and sort of triumphant.”
Still, viewers have yet to see Bjorn’s final moments. As dead as he may have looked, Hirst revealed, “by the way, he’s not dead yet.” The creator continued, “honestly, Episode 11 will just knock your socks off. It’s so powerful. And it’s just brilliant for Alexander and in a way that’s what I wanted.”
A premiere date for the second half of Vikings Season 6 has yet to be announced. When the series returns, it will begin with Lugwig’s final appearance as Bjorn.
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Now through February 10, Rockstar is giving away a few items, including a free Bounty Hunter license that players can use to begin their journey as a bounty hunter. To help players on their way to tracking down criminals, Rockstar is also giving away 25 tracking arrows and 25 bolas, which are a thrown weapon that snags a target’s legs, bringing them down. These gifts are available through the post office or in your lockbox at camp.
The Breton horse
In addition to these freebies, Rockstar is discounting stable slots by 25 percent, while the Breton, Kladruber, Criollo, and Norfolk Roadster horses are available for 40 percent off. It’s not all about horses, however, as Rockstar is also offering 40 percent off a handful of emotes, including I’m Watching You, Hat Tipping, Look to the Distance, and Hangover.
These offers are available across PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but PlayStation Plus members are getting even more bonuses. Subscribers get three Mash refills for Moonshiners, as well as three trader resupplies. Twitch Prime members, meanwhile, get their own exclusive benefits in the form of a collector’s bag and the polished copper still upgrade for free when they link their Prime accounts to the Rockstar Social Club.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has been and continues to be a massive success. The online component reached a new peak player record in December, and then broke that record again in January 2020.
Today’s spotlight deal is a great introductory offer on the GeForce Now cloud-based game streaming service which just launched today. There are also some great deals on a stellar 4K TV and some powerful Alienware gaming PCs. The Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, which is compatible with the upcoming Xbox, is also back down in price.
GeForce Now Launches Today: Get 3 Free Months of the Founder’s Plan, $4.99/Month Afterwards
We have a much more detailed explanation of what the GeForce Now streaming service is, but in short, GeForce Now is a new service that lets you play your PC games without the need for a gaming PC. Instead, it’s streamed from one of NVIDIA’s servers. This is perfect for people who don’t want to spend money on a fancy gaming rig or for Mac users who don’t normally have access to these games in the first place. Unlike the Stadia, if you already own the PC games, you don’t need to re-buy them. NVIDIA is offering a free 3-month trial of their $4.99/month Founder’s plan, which offers up to 6 hours of uninterrupted gaming at a time, priority access, and RTX features like Ray-Tracing. If you’re unsure about signing up because you think your internet speed might not be up to snuff, this is the perfect time to test it.
65″ Hisense 65H9F 4K HDR QLED Smart HDTV: The Best 65″ 4K TV Under $1000
There’s a reason why this TV is sold out everywhere except on Amazon. The Hisense 65H9F could easily be a contender for the best 65″ TV under $1,000 and today it’s $200 off. The image quality on this TV compares to models from Samsung, Sony, LG, and Vizio that cost well over $1,000. It boasts the same Quantum LED (QLED) technology as Samsung. It can also fully support HDR content thanks to its full-array LED backlit panel with local area dimming, wide color gamut, and a very high peak brightness.
Alienware Aurora Intel Core i7-9700 8-Core RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming Desktop PC for $1409.99
Use code “AWR8420OFF“
The coupon code just went live today and won’t last more than a few days. This is the least expensive Core i7/RTX 2080 prebuilt gaming desktop you’ll find right now, and Alienware isn’t even considered a budget brand. The RTX 2080 is the new SUPER model that performs about 10% faster than the original (and much faster than the previous king of the hill, the GTX 1080 Ti). It’s also equipped with 8GB of RAM, 256GB solid state drive, and a 1TB hard drive. All of these components can be swapped/upgraded without voiding your warranty.
Alienware Aurora Intel Core i5-9400 6-Core RTX 2060 Gaming Desktop PC for $799.99
Use code “AWR8420OFF“
This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for an Alienware Aurora desktop equipped with an RTX 2060 video card. The desktop-class RTX 2060 video card is actually quite powerful; it’s superior to the GTX 1070 Ti video card and will handle current gen easily at up to 1440p as well as VR headsets like the Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro.
11% Off the Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller, Now $159.99 (Compatible with Upcoming Xbox)
Amazon is offering a Prime exclusive discount of about 11% off, dropping the price from $179 to $160. This is very likely the nicest first party controller you can buy. This professional-grade controller features adjustable tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wraparound textured grips, interchangeable thumbsticks and paddle shapes, and includes a USB Type C cable with charging dock. It boasts up to 40 hours of battery life and can be used for both the Xbox and PC and will supposedly work with the next gen console too.
HORI Officially Licensed Screen Protective Filter for Nintendo Switch
If you haven’t yet put on a screen protector for your Switch, then you’re just asking for trouble. There have been reports of even little things such as docking your Switch causing scratches on the screen. This screen protector is the cheapest we’ve found, and it’s even officially licensed with plenty of positive user reviews. Keep in mind that there’s only one screen protector included, so try not to mess up.
Here’s another chance to score a PS4 Pro console at the same price as on Black Friday. This is brand new with a full 1-year Sony warranty. If you have a 4K TV with HDR or plan to purchase the PSVR headset, then this model is highly recommended over the PS4 Slim. Woot is a legitimate vendor; they are owned and operated by Amazon.
PS Plus membership discounts only happen a few times a year so grab this deal when you can. This membership gives lets you play games online, plus you’ll get the best discounts at the Playstation Store as well as new free games every month. This month, for example, gives you Bioshock: The Collection and The Sims 4.
PlayStation Store Critics Choice Sale Kicks Off Today
There are alot of good deals to be found in this sale, including a nice crop of 2019 AAA releases like Death Stranding, Control, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
At the Locke & Key: Season 1 premiere fan event in Los Angeles, executive producers Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill shared an update on Season 2, and discuss the possibility of even more seasons.
Cuse explained that while Netflix has ordered a writer’s room to get a head start on Season 2 scripts, the producers are still waiting for the green light from Netflix to get production officially underway. Here’s what Cuse had to say when IGN asked him how many seasons it could take to wrap up Locke & Key’s story:
“I think it’s kind of TBD,” Cuse told IGN. “There’s a lot of story. Season 2 is going to be great and we hope that Netflix will officially order the production of Season 2 and not just the [writer’s] room. And I think by the end of Season 2 we’ll have a better idea of how much story we have left and how much we want to do… I think there’s a lot of story left.”
