That statement reads: “The All Elite Wrestling family is heartbroken. In an industry filled with good people, Jon Huber was exceptionally respected and beloved in every way — a fierce and captivating talent, a thoughtful mentor and simply a very kind soul that starkly contradicted his persona as Brodie Lee. Jon’s love for his wife Amanda, and children Brodie and Norman, was evident to all of us who were fortunate enough to spend time with him, and we send our love and support to his beautiful family, today and always. Jon’s popularity among his peers and influence on the wrestling world was worldwide and transcended AEW, so this loss will be felt by many for a long time. We were privileged at AEW to call Jon Huber a brother, a friend and one of our own.”
Huber, who joined AEW just this past year after a multi-year stint in WWE as Luke Harper, a member of Bray Wyatt’s Wyatt Family stable, was last seen on AEW TV in October when he lost the TNT Championship to Cody Rhodes. Here is Cody’s tweet, remembering the man who friends knew as “Big Rig”…
Huber’s wife posted the following on Instagram, citing the cause of death as “a non Covid related lung issue.”
“I never wanted to write out those words. My heart is broken. The world saw him as the amazing @brodielee (fka Luke Harper) but he was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet. No words can express the love I feel or how broken I am right now. He passed surrounded by love ones after a hard fought battle with a non Covid related lung issue. The @mayoclinic is literally the best team of doctors and nurses in the world who surrounded me with constant love.”
In WWE, Huber was a former Intercontinental Champion and a three-time former tag team champion.
Many more from the wrestling world have passed along their love and condolences to the Huber family while remembering Jon as a one-of-a-kind man.
WWE is saddened to learn that Jon Huber, known to WWE fans as Luke Harper, passed away today at age 41. WWE extends its condolences to Huber’s family, friends and fans.https://t.co/hZnBguE4Mj
I’m devastated by the loss of Jon Huber, known to fans as Mr. Brodie Lee, formerly Luke Harper. Jon was a great man. His family came first, his loving wife Amanda & their sons Brodie + Nolan. He loved wrestling & was great at it, he loved you fans. Please keep him in your hearts.
I hope you all get to know someone like Jon. He was the biggest family man & someone who made me laugh daily. I’ll miss him every day for the rest of my life. I love you, Brodie, and I thank you so much for loving me.
Gutted to hear about Jon passing away. He saved me from a broken neck. He would get so mad when I pulled up a chair for him to sit in and referred to him as ‘Taker-sir.’
“You’re gonna get me heat, kid.”
Condolences to his family and peers that loved him dearly. #RIPBrodieLee
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
With 2020 just about wrapped up and all its best games recognized in our annual Best Of awards, the team at GameSpot would like to help you anticipate what lies ahead by accurately predicting the future (or attempting to). 2021 is looking to be an exciting proving ground for new-generation consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as they both enter the next phase after their recent launches. Will the year bring fantastic games and experiences that will push the new hardware toward exciting new heights? Or will we still have to wait a while before the heavy investment we made this past holiday season becomes worth it? And let’s not forget; Nintendo just might use this year to release the long-rumored upgrade to the Switch–we think as much, at least. Whatever may happen, time will tell (or we will in our predictions)!
In GameSpot’s annual prediction series, we’ve put our brains together to determine what could happen next year in the world of games. While our accuracy in predicting the future isn’t always on the mark, it still won’t stop us from speculating.
Below you can find our gaming predictions for 2021. No matter how plausible or absurd these predictions might be, these are what we believe will come true in some form next year.
Since we do this every year, you should check out our feature covering our 2020 predictions to see just how correct (and painfully incorrect) we were. Otherwise, be sure to look to our Most Anticipated 2021 hub, which contains features detailing the biggest games to play next year.
What do you predict will happen in games next year? Let us know in the comments below.
Halo Infinite Will Actually Release, And It Will Be Great
After years of development and a big delay, Halo Infinite will finally release in 2021, and it’s going to be great. I’m calling it now. After the struggles of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 343 Industries is understandably taking its time to make sure Halo Infinite starts out strong.
It’s a bummer the game didn’t release as a launch title for the Series X as was expected, but I am in full support of the team taking the time it needs to really nail it. This must be an especially tall task as the teams work from home during the pandemic.
The developer update for Halo Infinite released in December provided some excellent insight and depth on what 343 is spending its time on, including improving the graphics and ensuring fans that the free-to-play multiplayer element won’t be a pay-to-win catastrophe riddled with excessive microtransactions. It all sounds very positive, and I am very excited to see the fruits of the team’s labor in 2021.
I am particularly excited to see what 343 has in store for multiplayer, which is the bread and butter of the Halo franchise. The recent Halo Infinite map tease was certainly exciting, promising a gorgeous art style and incredible graphics. Master Chief has saved the universe countless times, and I’m not going to bet against him now. — Eddie Makuch, Associate Editor
Nintendo Will Celebrate Mother 3’s 15th Anniversary By Finally Localizing It In The West
2020 may not have been the best year, but that won’t stop me from continuing a time-honored tradition. Like last year, I was wrong about Mother 3 coming to Nintendo Switch in 2020. While it might be wise of me to give up hope at this point, I know that doing so would dishonor my former boss, Justin Haywald, who I imagine, like me, is just as disappointed that we’ve still not seen the third entry in Nintendo’s cult-favorite RPG series come to the West. Cumulatively, we’ve spentfouryearsnow predicting that Nintendo would fulfill our wishes and release Mother 3, but no such luck.
In the past, I often justified a potential release based on how Nintendo was moving toward making its classic catalog more readily accessible via its online service. I even thought it might follow suit with other Japanese companies, like Square Enix and Sega, which have been re-releasing classic games on modern platforms. But this year, I think I’ve finally found a firm basis on which Nintendo could yet give us Mother 3.
You need only look at the particular way Nintendo has been celebrating classic games in 2020. In September, the company launched Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection of that series’ 3D entries, to commemorate Mario’s 35th anniversary. And on Fire Emblem’s 30th anniversary, it localized and re-released the first Fire Emblem game, making it available to play in English for the first time. Both are limited-time releases, which seems like some strategic way to ensure an influx of sales right at launch rather than the celebratory reasoning that Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser claimed it’s all about. Regardless, Nintendo has become increasingly open to highlighting its classic games in different ways than just throwing them onto the Nintendo Switch Online service.
What makes 2021 special is the fact that it’s the 15th anniversary of Mother 3’s Japanese release. As you can imagine, Nintendo’s recent behavior could very well leave room for the company to localize the game as a limited-time celebratory release. Compared to previous years that Justin and I have spent predicting this game would come, this is perhaps the most likely year for it to really happen. Seriously, I’m getting goosebumps writing about this. Like, what if Mother 3 gets released this way and gets a slick physical collector’s edition along the lines of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade Of Light? It’d be a dream come true.
Of course, time will tell, and in about a year, I might be just as disappointed as I have been for the past two years, predicting this in Justin’s stead. It’s hard to say because Mother 3 is still a problematic game, mostly due to characters and scenes that could be deemed too controversial for Nintendo to be associated with in this day and age. Even so, a smart localization could recontextualize and fix these parts, even if doing so may result in cut content or changes from the original intent. But no matter what happens, I won’t give up hope. I’ve already come this far, after all. — Matt Espineli, Editor
Persona 3 Will Get A Modern Port
This is perhaps just wishful thinking on my part, as someone who had their save erased before completing the game. Nevertheless, I think there is some sound logic in this prediction: Atlus will bring Persona 3 to modern platforms.
Thanks to Persona 4 Golden and especially Persona 5, the series’ popularity has never been greater. And whereas the earlier games in the series adhered more to the Shin Megami Tensei foundation, Persona 3 is where the franchise more closely began to resemble what it is today. And yet, it remains available only on PS2 and PSP, which hardly makes it widely available today.
There have been signs of expanding Persona’s availability: Persona 4 Golden came to PC, and Persona 5 Strikers will come to Switch and PC in addition to the more expected platform of PS4. Persona 3 has not been forgotten, as its characters were a part of Persona Q and Q2, and were revisited for Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight in 2018. But now it’s time to let more recent fans see where they came from without lugging out a PSP, Vita, PS2, or back-compat PS3.
The best-case scenario would be a Golden/Royal-style update for Persona 3 (in addition to what Persona 3 FES did for the original), but a port to modern platforms with some minor quality-of-life improvements would still be much appreciated by fans. The wait for Persona 6 will no doubt be a long one, and being able to re-experience (or newly discover) Persona 3 would make a lot of sense to keep fans engaged. — Chris Pereira. Senior Editor
BioWare Will Reveal The New Mass Effect Connects To Andromeda
Seeing a trailer for a brand-new Mass Effect game during The Game Awards 2020 was a welcome surprise. Given that it’s just a teaser, it’s very unlikely this new game is coming in 2021. However, I predict that next year, BioWare will confirm how this new game relates to the rest of the franchise.
Though The Game Awards teaser zooms in on the Milky Way Galaxy, it initially showcases two different galaxies, something that BioWare project lead Michael Gamble said was “intentional” and that both were shown “for a reason.” Additionally, the trailer features a line that goes, “Ark 6 is away. Godspeed.” The Arks were the massive ships used to travel to Andromeda, though importantly, only five were sent prior to the events of Mass Effect 3.
That line is also very reminiscent to what Nexus Control says to Ryder when taking off in the Tempest for the first time in Andromeda, another “intentional” choice according to Gamble. But this new game will likely connect to the original Mass Effect trilogy as well, given that the asari in the trailer looks a lot like Liara and Gamble confirms that the hunk of metal that she’s climbing in the trailer is a Reaper.
All of this makes me think that in 2021, we will learn that BioWare is developing a game that acts as a follow-up to both Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda. I’d love to see a game in which a sixth Ark is constructed and used by the survivors of the war against the Reapers to leave the Milky Way in order to find a new home, or a game where Liara, as an asari, manages to live long enough to see some of the Andromeda Initiative return to the Milky Way. — Jordan Ramée, Associate Editor
Metal Gear Solid Will Be Remade
Maybe it’s because I’m still riding the high of Bluepoint’s fantastic Demon’s Souls remake, but I’ve got it in my head that Metal Gear Solidhas to be next. Konami’s iconic action franchise is currently languishing in the dusty intellectual property vaults and Sony is more aggressive about delivering exclusive games that stoke nostalgia and give owners of its platforms a sense of PlayStation pride. What could be more effective at doing that than a remake of Metal Gear Solid, one of the games that defined the first PlayStation and a franchise that would drive people to purchase PS5?
A full remake handled by an outside studio would also work in Konami’s favour too, as it can reap the benefits of a brand-new Metal Gear Solid without having to commit astronomical budgets to its development all on its own. If Sony is willing to foot some of the bill and even help out with the heavy lifting, why not take advantage?
Better still, series creator Hideo Kojima, who is now making games at his own independent studio, can be brought in to advise on the project and give it his seal of approval. Fans of the franchise will no doubt demand it, and since Kojima already has a close working relationship with Sony as a result of Death Stranding, it’s definitely within the realm of possibility to get him involved.
The other major benefit for Konami is that it rebuilds some good will. Whether for the right or wrong reasons, the very public bust up between Kojima and Konami soured a lot of fans of the franchise on Konami. And when it followed up with the very questionable Metal Gear Survive, they were incensed. That ill-will has lingered, but what better way to have people warm to the company again than to give their blessing to the remake of Metal Gear Solid? And if Bluepoint, a studio that has a proven track record of doing remakes right, is on the job, it’s sure to help old wounds heal. It feels like the time is right for Snake to make his triumphant return. — Tamoor Hussain, Managing Editor
Nintendo Will Hold A 35th Anniversary Celebration For Zelda
Nintendo celebrated Super Mario’s 35th anniversary this year with multiple game releases and events, and I fully expect the Legend of Zelda series to get similar treatment next year. After all, 2021 marks the franchise’s 35th anniversary, and as one of the company’s marquee properties, Nintendo will likely celebrate the milestone in a big way.
Given what a sales success Super Mario 3D All-Stars has been, it seems like a safe bet that Nintendo will release some sort of Legend of Zelda collection for Switch as part of the anniversary celebration. The collection will likely include the series’ two N64 installments, Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and perhaps even the rumored Switch port of Skyward Sword. The anniversary would also be the perfect occasion to finally bring over Wii U’s HD remasters of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, although I would not be surprised if Nintendo chooses to re-release each of those games individually.
We’ll also likely see some Zelda-themed events in other Switch games next year as part of the anniversary celebration. Since Mario-themed furniture is on the way to Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Mario’s anniversary, I fully expect the game to receive Zelda furniture as well. That seems inevitable considering that Zelda items have appeared in every previous Animal Crossing title to date. This would also be a great opportunity to introduce Zelda villagers to New Horizons. New Leaf players could use Zelda Amiibo figures to invite Ganon, Epona, Medli, and Wolf Link to live in their towns, and introducing a similar means to get them in New Horizons would be a fun way to celebrate Zelda’s anniversary.
Of course, there’s also the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel. However, as fitting as it would be to see that released during the series’ 35th anniversary, I think it would be more realistic to expect the game to launch in 2022, especially considering that the COVID-19 pandemic has likely slowed down its development. That’s one prediction I’d be happy to get wrong, however. — Kevin Knezevic, Associate Editor
Final Fantasy XIVFinallyComes To Xbox
It feels like every time I interview Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida, I have to ask him about any updates for Switch or Xbox ports of the game. Square Enix’s wildly successful (and unrivaled) MMORPG continues to thrive on PC and PlayStation systems, and the latest word from the team said that they’ve exceeded 20 million players worldwide. And with every other Final Fantasy available on Xbox (barring the NES/SNES entries), it feels like FFXIV is a void waiting to be filled.
Yoshida-san’s response has always been akin to waiting for platform holders to give the greenlight, telling me last year his goal is always to “strive to have as many people play FFXIV on multiple platforms.” He continued to say to hold on and that fans would be the first to know, but also noted, “I want to allow people to play with their friends without any cross-platform limitations. I am still in discussion with Microsoft and Nintendo to make this a reality.”
Hell, even Phil Spencer acknowledged the idea at X019 last year as well, saying to press at the event, “I wanted you to know, rest assured that we will be bringing that game [Final Fantasy XIV] to Xbox. We have a great relationship with Yoshida-san and we’re working through what it means to bring [to Xbox] a cross-platform MMO that they’ve run for years.”
Well, FFXIV is poised to have a big year in 2021. A major event is planned in February, and we suspect it’ll come with a reveal of the next expansion and the 5.5 update that will bridge players into the new storylines. It’d also be a great opportunity to usher in a new wave of players that would come from the Xbox platform.
A large part of Square Enix’s games live on Xbox Game Pass, even outside of Final Fantasy–but that does pose the question of how a subscription-based MMORPG would function on Xbox’s platform that’s built around its own subscription model. I’m sure they’d devise a way to pitch it all, but subscribing is a hurdle that some face when trying to get into FFXIV on existing platforms. The game currently has a generous free trial available that lets you access the base game and first expansion for free without a subscription (while removing some features), and maybe that’ll help get folks on board.
It’s been all but confirmed at this point, so it’s a pretty safe prediction to make. I’m just excited for more people to see what all the fuss is about. — Michael Higham, Associate Editor
Stadia Will Find Its Footing
Google’s game-streaming service, Stadia, has had a little over a year on the market, and so far it has sort of stumbled. It’s not that Stadia is weak from a technical standpoint–it’s generally a pretty solid cloud gaming service. But Stadia came out of the gate without much of a value proposition. In 2021, I think Google is poised to change that, at least somewhat.
The main trouble with Stadia right now is that it’s expensive. While you can use a lot of your own devices and your current PC, if you want Stadia to run on your TV, you need the $99 Chromecast and controller bundle. Google offers a $10 a month subscription service, Stadia Pro, that provides access to some games, but it still requires you to purchase the most popular titles at full price.
There just isn’t currently a big value proposition for Stadia–you sink in a lot of money before unlocking the additional convenience of streaming games on your devices without the need for high-end PC hardware. But there’s a pretty easy answer to the question of how to make Staida more appealing: make it all cheaper.
As Microsoft has realized with Xbox Game Pass, the big win with a service like Stadia is not selling hardware or games, but locking in users for long-term subscriptions. Stadia could increase its cache by growing its game library and securing deals to include big titles at launch, much the way Microsoft does. I know I’m making all that sound very easy when securing those deals requires major negotiation and investment, but this is Google–it absolutely has the resources to make its streaming service a major contender.
Especially with expensive new consoles being tough to find, Stadia has a big chance to break through with gamers by coming in cheaper than the other guys. With a year of experience in what not to do under its belt, I think Google will try to make some moves with Stadia in 2021 and find a niche where it might be more successful. — Phil Hornshaw, Editor
Nintendo Will Release A New Switch Model
As surely as the sun rises and sets, Nintendo is working on new hardware, and I predict we’ll see the company release a new Switch model in 2021. This isn’t exactly a bold prediction to make; after all, numerous outlets, including Bloomberg, have reported that Nintendo plans to launch an “upgraded Switch” in 2021, so it seems like a safe bet that will indeed be the case sometime next year.
Of course, Nintendo, for its part, has repeatedly downplayed these rumors, but the company’s denials don’t amount to much. Each time reports of new hardware spring up, Nintendo is quick to shoot them down, only to release said hardware a few months later. You can find plenty of examples of that happening over the past few years, even as recently as 2019, when Nintendo dismissed reports that it was working on a cheaper Switch–just before it officially unveiled the Switch Lite.
Releasing an enhanced Switch next year also makes sense from a business standpoint. With Sony and Microsoft recently ushering in a new generation of consoles, Nintendo will want to do what it can to mitigate the power gap between the Switch and its new rivals, and a more powerful model that supports 4K resolution, as Bloomberg reports, would certainly help accomplish that. Time will tell whether those reports turn out to be true, but given how frequently the company likes to refresh its hardware, I certainly wouldn’t bet against Nintendo releasing a new Switch model next year. — Kevin Knezevic, Associate Editor
WWE is getting into gaming again, outside of Xavier Woods’ UpUpDownDown. On Tuesday, December 29, the company will launch the Superstar Gaming Series on the WWE Network, and it will pit WWE Superstars against celebrities in an assortment of games.
Launching across WWE’s social media platforms as well as on the Free Version of the WWE Network, it all kicks off at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT on Tuesday. The Superstar Gaming Series will feature WWE wrestlers The Miz, Liv Morgan, Adam Cole, Tyler Breeze, Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke and celebrities FaZe Adapt, Nick Eh 30, Lele Pons and Wale.
The show will be hosted by Greg Miller of Kinda Funny Games along with special guest Xavier Woods. And various participants will be playing Among Us for the “Holiday Sus-Fest” and WWE 2K Battlegrounds for the “Holiday Throwdown.”
While the Supserstar Gaming Series kicks off at 8 PM ET, there is a pre-show, in a sense. Beginning at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT, WWE social media platforms will play a marathon of The Best of UpUpDownDown 2020. Hopefully, we’ll get to see some Battle of the Brands as Woods takes on Tyler Breeze in GM Mode, and maybe we’ll see some moments from #DaParty playing Fall Guys, Among Us, and Uno.
Below, you’ll find the full run-down for what’s happening on December 29.
Best of UpUpDownDown 2020 – 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT (WWE social media platforms)
WWE Superstar Gaming Series – 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT (Free version of WWE Network and WWE social media playforms)
Among Us “Holiday Sus-Fest”
WWE 2K Battlegrounds “Holiday Throwdown”
Three grudge matches including:
Ronda Rousey vs Lele Pons
Liv Morgan vs Wale
Fatal 4-Way Main Event: The Miz Vs Ronda Rousey vs FaZe Adapt vs Nick Eh 30
For more details about the event, stay tuned to WWE social platforms for more news leading up to the December 29 event.
One of the major announcements during the PlayStation 5 reveal stream earlier in 2020 was Final Fantasy XVI. With a lengthy trailer that set the mood and showcased a bit of gameplay, there was a lot to parse for the next mainline entry in the storied franchise. Many mainstays of Final Fantasy lore were put front and center, and you can catch glimpses of how this new game is building off of the series’ broader history and its recent past.
In addition to the relatively detailed reveal trailer, Square Enix also launched an official website that contains in-depth looks at FFXVI’s new world and characters to get you started on understanding the backstory. What’s notable about this entry, in particular, is that it’s being developed by Creative Business Unit III–which is the not-so-flashy name for the division behind the incredible MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. It’s promising given that Naoki Yoshida is leading production on FFXVI–he led the team behind the rebirth of FFXIV and continues to direct the MMO, which keeps getting better and is regarded as top-tier in its storytelling. FFXVI itself is being directed by Hiroshi Takai, who has a lengthy history with Final Fantasy and Square Enix, and he was even part of developing FFXIV’s reboot.
There’s been no word on a release date or release window. Director Hiroshi Takai said in a joint statement with Yoshida-san shortly after the game’s reveal, “It may still be some time before we can get it into your hands. However, I promise the wait will be worth it.” This may lead you to believe that a 2021 release is off the table, although word has it that the game has been in development for several years now.
Platforms
Right now, FFXVI is marked as a PS5 console exclusive. It’s the only platform indicated on the official website. It won’t be a cross-generation game either, so PS4 owners will have to move to the new-generation system in order to play it.
Is Final Fantasy XVI Coming To PC Or Xbox?
Final Fantasy XVI will be a limited-time PS5 console exclusive. The reveal trailer stated upfront, “The following content is captured on PC emulating the PS5 experience.” And at the end of the trailer, the game will be “not available on other platforms for a limited time after release on PS5,” with a footnote saying it’ll be available on PC. There’s currently no word on how long the exclusivity will last.
Although the newest game in the franchise, Final Fantasy VII Remake, remains a PlayStation exclusive, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if FFXVI comes to Xbox at some point, given that the rest of the series lives on Xbox platforms.
Trailers
The reveal trailer is titled “Awakening” and offers four minutes of story, cutscenes, and gameplay. It’s chock-full of details that paint a vivid picture of what FFXVI entails. It also features a powerful orchestrated theme with a few Final Fantasy touches like the iconic Crystal Prelude. If we had to take a wild guess, it sounds a bit like composer Masayoshi Soken’s work on FFXIV: Heavensward. You can watch the trailer below.
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Final Fantasy XVI – “Awakening” Reveal Trailer | PS5 Showcase
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From what we can tell from the trailer and official website, there’s conflict between realms (basically nations) in the world of Valisthea, a bunch of political drama, but also a focus on Dominants–these are a few special people who can wield the power of Eikons, which are what summons are called in FFXVI’s world (and in FFXIV).
It looks like you’ll go through two separate time frames in FFXVI’s story, which you can see from main character Clive Rosfield’s evolution from a spiffy young man with a fancy haircut to a grizzled veteran with a scruffy beard and mark tattooed on his face later in life. He’s the son of his realm’s archduke, and appears to be able to wield Eikon-related powers in combat but isn’t necessarily a Dominant himself. He’s sworn to protect his brother Joshua, the young boy in the trailer who was fated as a Dominant instead. However, as shown in the trailer, Joshua couldn’t control his Eikon–he summons Phoenix after watching someone presumably important get killed right before his eyes. These events are capped by a battle between Phoenix and Ifrit, which might be the tragedy (stated in the official character profiles) that drives Clive in FFXVI.
Another character you see in the trailer is Jill Warrick. She’s the young girl with grayish hair who accompanies Joshua. She’s said to have a complicated life having come from another realm, essentially adopted by the Rosfields, and acting as a mediary between warring nations. She’s said to be a trusted confidant to both Clive and Joshua.
Throughout the trailer, you see other characters in battle and in conversations about the political turmoil that seems to be fueling the war in Valisthea. You see other iconic Eikons like Shiva and Titan being used on the battlefield. It looks like Eikons, and Dominants by extension, are akin to powerful weapons of war that shift the balance of power between realms in Valisthea. There’s also a fight against an armor-clad lance-wielding Dragoon, said to be an Imperial Viper, which has the characters shook–another series staple.
Another thing to consider is that FFXVI’s world also revolves around what’s called the Mothercrystals, which are said to bless the land with aether (basically magic). But a destructive force called The Blight is also washing over the world. It’s worth keeping in mind that FFXVI’s tagline is, “The legacy of the crystals has shaped our history for long enough.” We’re not sure what it means, but it’s provocative and may have to do with what’s been happening to Valisthea.
What The Logo Can Tell Us
We can always count on artist Yoshitaka Amano to create a new logo for each Final Fantasy that tells us something about the game’s story. In the case of FFXVI’s logo, it features Ifrit and Phoenix face-to-face in a fight, which is a battle that concludes the trailer. With Ifrit as a key opposing force and Phoenix being the Eikon that the Rosfields wield, this seems to be a central conflict that drives the game. It also appears that Eikons are pivotal to how FFXVI’s world operates, more so than previous Final Fantasy games.
Gameplay
From the snippets of gameplay in the trailer, FFXVI takes on an action-RPG style of combat system and looks like it shares similarities to FFXV and FFVII Remake. Clive can cast fireballs, engage in melee range with his sword and warp-like abilities, and use a few powers that look like they’re tied to Eikons (indicated by the stone fist summoned in the fight against a Dragoon).
No UI or HUD elements were shown, so it’s hard to tell if or how it’ll incorporate parts of the series’ iconic ATB (active time battle) system, how spellcasting might work, or even how combat encounters will flow. We’ve also only seen Clive in action, so we’re unsure if there’s a party system or how it would work (if it exists).
Something worth knowing is that Ryota Suzuki, who was a combat designer for Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma, is the battle director for FFXVI, which could result in something quite exciting.
How To Preorder
Relax.
Where To Find More On Final Fantasy XVI
More details about FFXVI’s lore can be found on the game’s official website. It looks to be an ambitious game with an emphasis on worldbuilding and broad narrative scope, and as stated earlier, producer Naoki Yoshida says that more information on the game is coming sometime in 2021. And whenever more FFXVI details are revealed, you can count on GameSpot to have them covered.
From Software is developing the game in collaboration with Game Of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, telling a story where you’re exploring an open world full of different kingdoms that are each ruled by a powerful entity. When you defeat a ruler, you gain their unique power–a system that sounds like (but isn’t confirmed to be) how you can acquire the abilities and weapons of Dark Souls bosses by transfiguring their souls.
When talking to GameSpot, Spencer said, “As somebody who’s played all of Miyazaki’s games over at least the last decade, [Elden Ring] is clearly the most ambitious game that he’s done. I mean, I love his games, but seeing some of the gameplay mechanics stuff that he’s tackling, he and the team are tackling this time, of the setting, working with another creator in terms of story. I love it.”
We hope Elden Ring is coming out in 2021, but From Software hasn’t confirmed a release date yet. So while a 2021 release has not been ruled out, it very well might not be coming out until 2022 or beyond.
Platforms
Elden Ring is scheduled to launch for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. No word on current gen console versions, but we’re betting that the game makes its way to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 at some point.
PC System Specs
From Software hasn’t yet revealed the minimum or recommended PC specs for Elden Ring.
Trailers
We have one single trailer for Elden Ring. It was released during E3 2019, when Elden Ring was first announced. The trailer, embedded below, utilizes imagery and themes seen in Demon’s Souls and the Dark Souls trilogy–which, granted, makes a lot of sense given that From Software likes to pull from the Souls games well when designing its games.
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Elden Ring Reveal Trailer | Microsoft Press Conference E3 2019
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No multiplayer details have been revealed for Elden Ring–heck, the game might not even have a multiplayer component.
DLC/Microtransaction Details
Developer From Software has not released any details concerning how (or even whether) Elden Ring will support post-launch content, such as DLC expansions and microtransaction-focused cosmetics.
Preorder
Despite knowing practically nothing about the game, you can already preorder Elden Ring. The Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game are available for preorder at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop for $60 USD. There are currently no bonuses tied to preordering the game.
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A Mars lander may have detected clues to the formation of the red planet billions of years ago.
According to Science Mag, researchers studying NASA’s InSight spacecraft, which landed on the surface of Mars two years ago, have finally been able to detect some hints of boundaries in the rock, tens and hundreds of kilometers below the planet’s crust, which they say is surprisingly thin. The team also found the mantle to be of a cooler temperature than expected despite the planet’s molten iron core.
These new discoveries about Mars’ interior have led the team to believe that the planet once cooled itself through a kind of plate tectonics, following a pattern of “upwelling mantle rock and subducting crust” that resulted in Mars efficiently shedding heat. A scientist, who wasn’t involved in the mission, said these findings may present evidence of “a far more dynamic crust formation in Mars’ early days.”
Ever since NASA’s InSight craft alighted on Mars, the seismometers have been running nonstop to measure and record details of marsquakes to garner more information about the planet’s internal composition and structure. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a quake larger than magnitude 4.5, which means the seismic waves haven’t been travelling as deep below the surface as researchers would want.
However, two moderate quakes, at magnitude 3.7 and 3.3, have been described as “treasure troves” for the mission. Science Mag notes that the waves from these quakes barrelled towards NASA’s lander, which recorded travel times. The offsets hinted at the “thickness of the crust” and suggested “distinct layers within it,” according to Brigitte Knapmeyer-Endrun, a seismologist at the University of Cologne.
InSight’s data revealed that Mars could be made up of two or three layers, with the planet’s crust appearing thinner than Earth’s continental crust. Researchers calculated the outermost shell of the red planet to be just 20 or 37 kilometers thick, with a shallow layer beneath indicating a cooler mantle, encasing a liquid core of about 1800-kilometer radius (more than half the planet’s total diameter).
Over the coming months, the InSight team, led by Bruce Banerdt, principal investigator and geophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will continue its geological study of the red planet in an effort to record more accurate measurements from event detections and gain an even clearer picture of Mars’ multi-layered interior.
Warning: this article contains full spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984!
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2020 may have been a wasteland as far as new movie releases, but there’s some good news on which to end the year. Wonder Woman 1984 is out now in both theaters and on HBO Max. This sequel continues where the 2017 original left off, as Diana Prince battles Maxwell Lord, Cheetah and the most fearsome villain of them all – 1980’s consumer culture.
If the ending of WW84 left you confused or wondering how the movie fits into the larger tapestry that is the DCEU, fear not. We’re here to break down the sequel and explore how it could wind up having a much bigger impact on DC’s movie multiverse than you might think.
After Maxwell Lord brings the world to the brink of total annihilation through the power of unchecked wish-granting, Wonder Woman saves the day by making Max and the rest of the world understand the true cost of this power. Diana is able to restore the world to normal (more or less) by convincing everyone to renounce their wishes.
However, there do seem to be lingering effects from Max Lord’s flirtation with godhood. The world still seems to remember everything that happened, which raises all sorts of difficult questions we’ll touch on in our upcoming “Wonder Woman 1984′s 7 Biggest WTF Questions” piece. And for at least one character, life doesn’t appear to be reverting to normal.
The last we see of Barbara Ann Minerva, she’s seemingly reverted to human form and survived her violent clash with Wonder Woman. However, it’s unclear whether Barbara Ann actually renounced her wish. While she may have lost her secondary set of powers granted by Lord, she may still possess the strength and agility she gained from her original wish. Or perhaps she can switch between her human and feline forms now.
Cheetah’s status quo has always been in flux in the comics, from her powers to the fact that multiple women and men have taken up the mantle. The door is certainly open for Cheetah to remain an antagonist in future Wonder Woman or Justice League sequels. Whether or not she still has powers, we doubt her jealousy of Diana’s gifts has faded.
Which also begs the question – how many other people across the world didn’t rescind their wish? Are there other humans who might now have extraordinary powers thanks to Maxwell Lord? Will Wonder Woman 1984 serve as a backdoor origin story for more DC villains? Only time will tell on that front.
Short answer: yes, Wonder Woman 1984 has an after-credits sequence, and it answers a small question you may have been left with while watching the movie as well as features a fan-favorite cameo appearance.
Wonder Woman 1984 features a small but important subplot where Diana dons the golden eagle armor of a fallen Amazonian warrior named Asteria. Asteria held the line for her fellow Amazons when they retreated from the outside world, seemingly sacrificing her life so her sisters could make it safely to Themyscira. Diana tells Steve she spent years searching for Asteria after the events of the original movie. Diana did find Asteria’s armor, but not her body.
WW84 features an end credits scene that ties up the Asteria loose end. We see a cloaked figure who seems to be Diana walking through the street and rescuing a young girl from a falling telephone pole. It turns out this savior isn’t Wonder Woman, but Asteria, played by none other than Wonder Woman TV series star Lynda Carter. Like the Arrowverse before it, the DCEU is paying homage to DC’s live-action movie/TV past by bringing back iconic actors in new cameo roles. It turns out Asteria wasn’t killed saving her sisters, but instead went into hiding and has been protecting the innocent ever since.
The golden eagle armor has it roots in the DC comic book universe. Art by Paul Renaud. (Image Credit: DC)
Sidebar – this armor is directly inspired by an Alex Ross-designed costume introduced in the 1996 graphic novel Kingdom Come, which features older versions of Wonder Woman and her fellow Justice Leaguers struggling to deal with the rise of a newer, more violent generation of heroes. That armor later made its way into the present-day DCU in writer Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman run.
Speaking of which, this isn’t the first time Carter has appeared in a recent live-action DC project. She also played a recurring role on The CW’s Supergirl as President Olivia Marsdin, an alien disguised in human form. Her brief appearance as Asteria is now her third time playing a DC character. HBO Max also just debuted the Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman series two days before WW84’s release, so clearly they’re also hoping everyone is sticking around for the Wonder Woman 1984 mid-credits sequence and understand the reference.
A Bridge to the DC Multiverse?
On the surface, Wonder Woman 1984 seems like a fairly self-contained movie without much bearing on the larger DCEU. That’s more or less been DC’s approach ever since 2018’s Aquaman, and it makes sense for a film specifically set decades before the events of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. However, the ending to WW84 has some intriguing implications for the future of the DCEU. Could the fallout of Maxwell Lord’s failed plot and the surprise Lynda Carter cameo be a small taste of things to come for this shared universe?
As we’ve explored, the movie is purposefully vague as to whether Barbara Ann still has her Cheetah powers. But the possibility is certainly there. And there’s still the question of how many other people across the world refused to give up their wishes. Just how many far-reaching changes have been introduced as a result of WW84? Could these wishes be used as a catalyst for introducing other DC villains? We could see other major Wonder Woman rogues like Doctor Psycho and Giganta or even Batman villains like Deathstroke or Joker having origin stories rooted in the events of WW84. Much like how the Arrowverse relies heavily on the STAR Labs particle accelerator explosion of 2014 as the catalyst for its metahuman characters, WW84 could be the foundation on which countless heroes and villains are built.
We also have to wonder whether Wonder Woman 1984 might work hand-in-hand with 2022’s The Flash in broadening the the DCEU and building to a true big screen DC multiverse. The Flash has long been rumored to be based on 2011’s Flashpoint, a story wherein Barry Allen screws up the DC timeline after travelling back to save his mother. The Flash is reportedly dabbling in the DC movie multiverse with the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman, a move that seems primed to truly open the doors of the multiverse.
WW84’s ending doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense in the larger context of the DCEU, but maybe that’s the point. Warner Bros. is clearly trying to find a different direction for this cinematic universe, one that focuses less on strict continuity between films and more on celebrating multiple incarnations of iconic heroes. That’s why Robert Pattinson is starring in a Batman reboot even as Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s Batmen are both appearing in The Flash. Together, WW84 and The Flash may be part of a concerted effort to change the scope of the DCEU and allow for a much wider assortment of heroes and villains.
And with Carter playing a small role in WW84, we can only hope some future DCEU movie will allow her to reprise her classic version of Diana Prince. If not, what’s the point of a superhero multiverse in the first place?
Since the late ’90s, GameSpot has awarded Game of the Year to the one game each year that stood above the rest. After crowning our Game of the Year 2020, we decided to look back on our history and reflect on every game we decided was the best of the best.
From classics like Diablo and The Sims and blockbuster action titles like Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War, to peaceful meditations like Journey and competitive shooters like Overwatch–our GOTY award is an annual celebration of the diverse experiences video games can offer us.
Here’s every game we’ve awarded Game of the Year in GameSpot’s entire history.
