Month: March 2020

League of Legends developer Riot Games is branching out with multiple new projects, one of which is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter called Valorant. The game remains some time away from official release, but Riot has now announced there will be a closed beta testing period for the game.

This closed beta test will begin on April 7, and you can sign up right now. The beta, at least the first stage of it, will be limited to the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia, and Turkey. More regions could be supported later, but Riot said this is “pending developments with the current COVID-19 pandemic.”

It sounds like you will need a Twitch account to access the beta. To become eligible for the beta, you need to follow the instructions laid out below.

How To Sign Up For Valorant Closed Beta

• Register for a Riot account (do that here)
• Link your Riot account to your Twitch account (sign up for a Twitch account here)
• Watch Valorant streams on Twitch to find out how to gain access to the closed beta. More details on the specific streams will be announced later.

Valorant is a 5v5 multiplayer shooter that gives off Overwatch vibes, for sure. Gunplay is a big part of Valorant, while each character–called an “Agent”–will have special powers and abilities, too. You can check out some Alpha gameplay in the video above.

In addition to Valorant, Riot is working on a digital card game called Legends of Runeterra, in addition to ongoing support for League of Legends.

Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you have to be bored out of your mind. Fortunately for you, today’s spotlight deals offer you a way to read digital comics and books, play games, watch movies, and score delicious meals from the comfort of your home and while conserving your emergency fund.

Marvel’s The Infinity Gauntlet Digital Comic Collection (Issues #1-#6) for $2.64

Each issue normally sells for $1.99, and even if you were to sign up for ComiXology Unlimited, you would only be able to access issues #1-3 for free. If you thought the Infinity War movies were good, you should read the spectacular source material. You can choose to download the comics to your Kindle or ComiXology app.

• Get it on Amazon for $2.64

ComiXology Free Trial Extended to 60 Days

Normally 30 Days

The 60-day extension (normally $30) has never, ever happened before. ComiXology is Amazon’s digital comic platform and is the largest digital retailer of American comics. The site hosts 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Here’s your chance to access all of it, totally free, for 30 60 days. If you’re an avid comic reader, you might want to consider continuing on afterwards, since it’s only $5.99/month. You can even sign in with your Amazon account.

• Get a 60-Day Free Trial to ComiXology

Onward Is Coming to Disney+ on April 3

Sign up for a 7-day free trial now and you’ll be able to watch the recently released Pixar’s Onward movie before the trial expires. In the interim, you can binge watch other big hits like Frozen 2, The Lion King, Aladdin, and every episode of The Mandalorian Season One. If you want to keep the subscription afterwards, it’s only $6.99 per month (or better yet, get a  $69.99 annual subscription). Or sign up for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ all for $12.99/month.

• Watch Pixar’s Onward with a Disney+ Free Trial

Get 2 Months of Kindle Unlimited for Free

Normally 30 Days

Make your life stuck at home (and for many of you, with kids) a lot easier. Kindle Unlimited is a great way to keep yourself at home and still get access to a virtual library of over 1 million Kindle eBooks and over 20,000 digital comics This deal is typically for new subscribers only, but there have been reports that it has worked for people who have previously subscribed for Kindle Unlimited but are not current members. Check out this very awesome Harry Potter “Kindle in Motion” book with animated art, free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

• Get 2 Months of Free Kindle Unlimited on Amazon

$20 Family Meal at Panda Express

This is a superb deal considering Family Meals start at $33. A Family Meal includes 3 large entrees and 2 large sides, which should amply feed 4-6 people.

• Score a $20 Family Meal at Panda Express

Sling Blue Free Trial Extended to 14 Days (Includes CNN, MSNBC, Food Network, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and More)

Normally 7 Days

Keep up with live news updates for free. Sling Blue gives you access to CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and Fox News. You’ll also get access to HGTV, Food Network, A&E, Bravo, TNT, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, The Discovery Channel, Nick Jr, and more. The Sling Blue service normally costs $30/month but it still might be worth it for all the great shows.

• Get a 14-Day Free Trial to Sling Blue

Binge Picard and Star Trek: Discovery with a CBS All-Access 60-Day Free Trial

Normally 7 Days

This is really simple to pull off. Simply apply both codes “GIFT” and “ENJOY” at checkout. With 30 days, you’ll have plenty of time to binge exclusive CBS All Access shows like Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, The Good Fight, and more. Afterwards, you can renew for only $5.99/mo (or $9.99/mo for the ad-free option), or just cancel before your trial ends. The trial normally is for 7 days, and this 1 month extension usually only happens two to three times a year.

• Use codes “GIFT” and “ENJOY” to get a 2 Month Trial to CBS All-Access

$20 Off Street Fighter II: Champion Edition X Replicade Fully Functioning Mini Arcade Cabinet

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This cute little cabinet currently sells for $120 on Amazon, but you can get it for $20 off at StackSocial. This 1:6 scale cabinet is only 12″ tall but you can still play the original Street Fighter II: Champion Edition and Super Street Fighter II Turbo arcade games. In addition to a miniature fight stick control panel on the cabinet itself, the kit also includes a separate USB mini fight stick for 2-player mayhem.

• Get it at StackSocial for $99.99

8BitDo SN30 Bluetooth Gamepad for $23.95

This cute retro controller is inspired by the Game Boy Pocket. It’s compatible with the Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Android, and Raspberry Pi. The built-in 480mAh lithium battery gives it up to 18 hours of playtime between charges. You can get it for $30 on Amazon, or you can get it for 20% less at StackSocial with free shipping.

• Get it at StackSocial for $23.95

Preorder LEGO Technic Dom’s Dodge Charger 1,077 Piece Set for $99.99

This set will be released on April 27, and per LEGO’s strategy, it won’t hit other retailers for a few months. This is already a good price out the gate. It’s under the 10 cents per brick threshold despite the branding. The 15″ long vehicle is based on a 1970s Dodge Charger R/Tcar and features moving pistons, suspension, steering system and air blower.

• Preorder it at the LEGO Shop for $99.99

OnePlus 6T 128GB Unlocked Smartphone for $299.99

This is a late 2018 (November) model that used to be OnePlus’ flagship model. This is an outstanding premium phone with a glass body, 6.4″ 2340×1080 AMOLED display, and a truly all-day battery life. It’s a more recent model so it still houses a powerful Snapdragon 845 CPU with 8GB of memory and 128GB of internal storage. It’s upgradeable to the newest Android 10 and OnePlus’ OxygenOS has one of the most intuitive interfaces of all smartphones.

• Get it at Woot for $299.99

Xbox One X (Factory Refurbished) with Bonus Witcher 3 Game for $229.98 at Dell

This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for an Xbox One X gaming console from a reputable vendor, plus you’re getting an outstanding game. Note that this is a Microsoft refurbished item, which means that it still comes with a 90-day warranty. Note that you do not need to be a Dell member or student to get this deal; simply use guest checkout.

• Get it at Dell for $229.98

The First IPS Monitor With 1ms and 240Hz: Alienware AW2521HF 25″ 1080p Gaming Monitor for $384.99

This is a new monitor from Dell. What makes this monitor stand out from the competition is that this is the first IPS monitor I’ve seen with a 1ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate. Other comparable monitors, including the ones from Dell, have a TN panel. An IPS monitor is superior because it has much wider viewing angles and better color rendition.

• Get it at Dell for $384.99

New Alienware Aurora R9 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming Desktop PC for $1110

For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the Intel vs AMD CPU war, AMD has been giving Intel a run for its money with its flagship processors. The new AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core processor is comparable to the Intel Core i7-9700, both in terms of gaming and workstation performance. It’s paired with an RX 5700 XT video card, which is on par with the RTX 2070. If you want to upgrade the RAM or hard drive, I’d suggest doing it on your own. You’ll save money, and the Aurora R9 allows for toolless access without voiding your warranty.

• Use code “50OFF699” to get it at Dell for $1110

Alienware m17 17″ Intel Core i7-9750H GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Laptop for $1086

This is another $50 price drop from yesterday’s already excellent price. The m17 is the 17″ variant of the new generation of Alienware m-series gaming laptops. Despite the larger screen size, it still clocks in at only 5.8 pounds.

• Use code “50OFF699” to get it at Dell for $1086
• Upgrade to 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD for $1286

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

Riot Games has announced that it is running a closed beta for Valorant, the upcoming PvP FPS from the League of Legends studio.

Valorant’s closed beta will operate in Europe, Canada, the United States, Russia, and Turkey, and may roll out into further territories depending on current developments based on the COVID-19 pandemic. It will begin on April 7.

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Riot is running Valorant’s closed beta in collaboration with Twitch, and you’ll need both a Riot account and Twitch account to take part. You’ll need to link your accounts, and when the closed beta goes live you’ll need to watch Valorant streams highlighted by Twitch. Watching these provides “the opportunity to be entitled for Closed Beta access” according to a press release from Riot. It appears that watching the streams is not a guarantee of access to the beta.

So far there is no word on when or if the beta will transition from a closed to an open format, but many games open up their betas in the weeks or months leading up to full release. Riot intends to launch Valorant this summer, so there is not too long to wait.

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If you’ve not been keeping up with Valorant, it’s a 5v5 character-based shooter from the creators of League of Legends. Set in a new universe based on Earth, it features Counter-Strike style gun play with hero abilities similar to the likes of Overwatch. It will be free-to-play when it launches, and will feature ten different Agents to play as to begin with.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover will be carrying more than 10.9 million names when it launches from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station this summer on its voyage towards Jezero Crater, where it’s expected to land on February 18, 2021.

NASA confirmed on Thursday that 10,932,295 monikers and 155 essays had been etched onto a microchip aboard the rover in response to the ‘Send Your Name to Mars’ campaign, which invited people around the world to submit names and articles to ride aboard the agency’s next rover to the Red Planet.

We are all in this together. Three chips with more than 10.9 million names you all sent in are coming with me to #Mars. https://t.co/Bsv1mqpxlA

I also carry a special message — can you find it? pic.twitter.com/5UNgBWeEET

— NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) March 26, 2020

The successful entries were stencilled by electron beam onto three fingernail-sized silicon chips, which were then attached to an aluminium plate affixed to the centre of the rover’s aft crossbeam at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 16, 2020.

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The chips were joined on the plate by a graphic of the Earth, Sun and Mars. “While commemorating the rover that connects the two worlds, the simple illustration also pays tribute to the elegant line art of the plaques aboard the Pioneer spacecraft and golden records carried by Voyagers 1 and 2,” NASA said in a statement.

According to NASA, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not yet affected the launch schedule of the Mars Perseverance rover. In fact, the team recently started to reconfigure the rover to ride atop the Atlas V rocket ahead of its launch from the facility near to Kennedy Space Center on July 17, 2020.

Upon reaching the Red Planet, the Perseverance rover will reportedly search for signs of past microbial life on the planet, characterize its climate and geology, and collect samples of the rocky terrain to bring back to Earth in an effort to pave the way for human exploration of Mars in the future.

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For other exciting space discoveries and developments, check out the new method MIT engineers have identified to deflect asteroids, read about the mini-moon that was found to be orbiting Earth, and find out more about the sad fate that an asteroid belt may face in six billion years.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Microsoft has explained its decision to once again use AA batteries to power the Xbox Series X controller, saying it provides “flexibility” for players.

According to Microsoft’s Jason Ronald (via Eurogamer), both fan and internal feedback was split on the issue, with half preferring AAs and half preferring a rechargeable internal battery, like those found in Sony’s DualShock controllers. Ronald says the decision to stick with AAs as the default power supply ultimately provides players “flexibility,” as they can use those or purchase a rechargeable battery pack.

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Those in the AA camp generally favor the option for its provided longevity, in terms of both battery and controller life. Fans of internal batteries argue for its convenience — simply plug in and play with no additional cost.

In speaking to Eurogamer, Microsoft also explained its decision to largely keep with the Xbox One controller design, noting players are both happy with and used to it. Though there aren’t many cosmetic differences, the company highlighted a number of changes it made in service to accessibility and performance: the Series X controller is slightly smaller to accommodate more hand sizes, a dedicated button was added to enable convenient game capturing and sharing, and bumpers and triggers now sport a matte finish for improved grip. It also features enhanced Bluetooth capabilities and a more intuitive d-pad.

For more on Microsoft’s next-gen console — including specs, features, and confirmed games — check out IGN’s Xbox Series X wiki. You can also read up on why Xbox Series X looks like a fridge.

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Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

There’s never been a better time to be an anime fan, with streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Crunchyroll, and Funimation all competing to provide an ever-expanding selection of anime shows and movies for viewers around the world. And now a new player has entered the arena – IGN can exclusively announce the launch of RetroCrush, a new digital streaming service “devoted to streaming classic anime TV and movies, including more than 100 series and 40 features at launch.”

Check out a sizzle reel of some of RetroCrush’s current offerings in the trailer below:

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RetroCrush will be available for free (with ads) from March 30, with apps on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Smart TVs as well as a desktop site at www.retrocrush.tv. What RetroCrush is hoping might differentiate the service from its rivals is a focus on classic anime from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s with a more curated approach, spearheaded by Will Chao and Mary Gibson, with Selin Kilic and John Stack providing acquisitions support.

“What makes this channel exciting is its focus on shows that have exhibited an influence on the creation of the current crop of hit anime series,” said Chao.

Gibson added, “As a longtime anime devotee, I’m always uncovering classic series that are as fun and exciting as many of my current favorites, and we’re eager to share those shows so that other fans can discover them too.”

“Via our distribution partnerships, we are able to provide classic anime fans with a vast library of the best series and films available in the world today,” said David Chu, CEO of Digital Media Rights, the publisher behind the platform. “The launch of RetroCrush further cements our company’s leadership position in the classic anime genre.”

Check out a selection of the titles available at launch, provided by RetroCrush:

● Devil Lady (TV series, 26 episodes) – A supermodel attacked by a monster which brings her inner devil out is recruited by a secret government agency to help them fight the demonic forces that secretly threaten Japan and the world.

● Creamy Mami (TV series, 52 episodes) – In this anime classic, ordinary schoolgirl Yuu Morisawa leads a double life as the magical singer Creamy Mami.

● Magical Emi, the Magical Star (TV series, 38 episodes) – Elementary student Kozuki Mai is eager (but too young) to be a magician and perform in her family’s magic act. But a magical encounter gives her the power to turn into the 18-year-old magician “Magical Emi.”

● Persia, the Magical Fairy (TV series, 48 episodes) – 11-year-old Persia grows up among the animals of the Serengeti in Africa. Returning to Japan with her family, she is summoned to “Lovely Dream,” the land where dreams are born and grow, to help become its protector.

● Pastel Yumi, the Magical Idol (TV series, 25 episodes) – Gifted with a magic cane and pendant by flower fairies, schoolgirl Yumi can now summon anything she draws with the cane into reality. But her mischievous nature has a way of getting her into trouble sometimes.

● Cybersix – A genetically engineered super-soldier, one of the creations of the former Nazi Dr. Von Reichter’s diabolic experiments, rebels against her creator and vow to protect the world from his evil creations.

● Cat’s Eye – The three Kisugi sisters rob art galleries as the smart and mysterious thief “Cat’s Eye” in the hope that their artist father’s works can give them clues about his mysterious vanishing.

● Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer – In this movie sequel to the beloved ’80s anime series, teen alien Lum and her earthling friends find themselves stuck reliving the same day over and over. Directed by Mamoru Oshii (GHOST IN THE SHELL).

● Black Jack: The Movie – A genius (but unlicensed) surgeon specializes in super-powered mutant medical cases, uncovering a dark conspiracy along the way, in this movie adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s legendary manga.

● Golgo 13: The Movie – This action-packed anime tells the story of a hitman who becomes the target of American soldiers and superhuman killers after killing the son of a powerful oil tycoon.

● Arcadia of My Youth – Returning to Earth from the front lines of an interstellar war, Captain Harlock finds that his home has been occupied by an oppressive alien species, The Illumidus Empire.

● Galaxy Express 999 – The adventures of a brave young boy who travels from planet to planet in a determined quest to avenge his mother’s death.

● Space Adventure Cobra – Based on Buichi Terasawa’s 1978 manga Cobra, specifically on Cobra’s involvement with the Royal Sisters, and his fight against Crystal Boy, which was the first major arc of the manga.

What are you looking forward to watching on RetroCrush? Weigh in below.