Month: March 2021

The fourth boss you’ll take on in Valheim is Moder, the frost dragon queen of the Mountain biome. Moder is a huge enemy that fights on the ground and can take to the skies, but the terrain on which you face the boss can give you an advantage. It’s possible to defeat Moder all by yourself if you bring the right gear and carefully manage the fight. Here’s everything you need to know to beat Moder.

To take on Moder, you’ll first need to clear the way to the Mountain biome by taking down Eikthyr in the Meadow, The Elder in the Black Forest, and Bonemass in the Swamp. You’ll also need the ability to withstand the cold, so it’s highly recommended that you mine and craft some Wolf armor ahead of this battle–at least the Wolf Cuirass or the Wolf Cape, which will give you automatic Frost resistance. We’ve outlined exactly what gear you should have below, which will give you the best chance of defeating Moder even if you can’t bring a squad of other Vikings to help you.

We’ve got lots more Valheim coverage, check out our complete Valheim armor guide, as well as our guide for finding Iron and crafting Iron gear and for finding Silver and crafting Wolf armor, for venturing through the Swamp biome, and for taking down the Elder boss.

How To Find Moder

Moder is located in the Mountain biome, but you won’t find it just waiting for you when you climb up just any cliffs. Like the other bosses, you’ll need to summon Moder with a sacrifice at a specific location–but first, you need to get that location marked on your map. You can get Moder’s location from special rune stones you’ll find in the Mountain biome, which are usually secreted in ruins around the area. Look for stone towers and decrepit fortifications

Interacting with the rune stones will mark Moder’s altar for you, where you can summon the boss. You’ll need to sacrifice three Dragon Eggs at the altar to bring the dragon into your game world to defeat it. These are best sourced from around Moder’s altar, especially if Moder is located on a different mountain from the one you’re currently exploring. Dragon Eggs are very heavy (they weigh about 200 pounds each), and like metal, they can’t be teleported. It’s best to just find some near the altar and drag them up to the boss than to try to bring them from farther away.

What You’ll Need To Fight Moder

Armor: Wolf Armor (Upgraded If Possible)

A great deal of the fight against Moder is about withstanding its attacks. To do that, you’ll need to be able to block and absorb a fair amount of damage. First and foremost, you could outfit yourself completely with Wolf armor so that even if you take a few hits from Moder, you won’t be killed right away. Check out our Wolf armor guide to see what you need and how to make it. If you’ve got the resources, it’s worth it to upgrade your Wolf armor to at least Level 2–this isn’t essential, but if you’re soloing the boss, you’ll want all the damage resistance you can get.

Ranged Weapons: Draugr Fang Bow, Poison Arrows

Because Moder can fly, a lot of this fight will rely on your bow. You’ll want the best bow you can get, which at this point is the Draugr Fang. Craft it with 20 Silver, 2 Deer Hides, 10 Ancient Bark, 5 Guck. The last two items you can source from the Swamp biome; cut down a couple of Ancient Trees and you’ll have the bark you need, and cut Guck from the big green pustules stuck to Swamp trees. If you can afford to upgrade the bow, do so, since you’ll be fighting Moder for a while and your Draugr Fang’s durability is likely to become an issue. Moder is weak to fire, so Fire arrows are a good bet. We found Poison arrows were also very effective, maybe even more so than Fire arrows. Soloing the boss, we needed around 170 Poison arrows, so make sure you have a lot.

Melee Weapons: Silver Sword, Silver Shield

Moder won’t always be in the air; the dragon also likes to land near you to hit you with melee attacks. This is actually good news, since fighting up close allows you to give your bow a break and you’ll do more damage with melee strikes than with arrows. Bring your favorite, strongest weapon; we recommend the Silver Sword since it should be among the strongest you can craft at this point.

More important than the sword, however, is your shield. Moder does two different melee attacks on the ground, but the damage you’ll take against either is negligible if you can block it with a good shield. The Silver Shield absorbs most of what Moder dishes out, especially if you can upgrade it ahead of the fight, so you should absolutely craft one. Coupled with Silver armor and the Bonemass ability it makes fighting the boss on the ground a breeze.

Food

You’re going to need as much as health as you can get in this fight, but another major consideration is stamina regeneration. The fight with Moder takes place on rough Mountain terrain and you’ll need stamina to be able to cross it and reposition yourself, block Moder’s big attacks, and get your own swings in. You can get high stamina through potions and foods, but your best bet is to get a high Rested bonus before starting the fight.

In general, aim for high-health, long duration foods–if you can source it, Lox Meat is a great for this fight, as are other long-lasting foods like Sausages. We did the fight with Lox Meat, Cooked Meat, Sausages, and Queen’s Jam; you can also get a useful stamina boost out of Carrot Soup.

It’s also a good idea to make some Healing Mead for emergencies. Tasty Mead can also be useful if you’re desperate for stamina, but it halves your health regeneration and therefore should be used very sparingly. stamina Meads are good if you can get them as well, if you find you’re having trouble.

Ability: Bonemass

Since you’ve beaten Bonemass, keep its ability at the ready for fighting Moder. It’ll decrease the damage you take from Moder’s melee attacks, giving you the incentive to get in close. The ability will also help protect you from other enemies if they happen to show up during the fight, which can be a big problem.

Get Your Rested Bonus

It’s hard to overstate how good the Rested bonus is in boss fights. It increases your health and stamina recharge rate significantly, so it’s worth sleeping or sitting by a fire before getting into this fight. While food and mead are good for keeping you alive, the Rested bonus is going to do the most work in keeping you in this fight, and you run the risk of getting yourself killed by unforeseen consequences (like wolves joining the battle) if you can’t recharge stamina fast enough to deal with them.

How To Beat Moder – Boss Fight Strategies

Once you’re geared up, you should be ready to take on the boss. It’s a good idea to have a portal near the battlefield (but not too close) that’ll allow you to escape if you’re in trouble or that can get you to a Forge so you can repair your equipment. It’s very likely that you’ll run down the durability on your bow, so don’t be afraid to duck out of the fight for a second to fix up your stuff. If you can put the portal downhill from Moder’s altar, all the better–you don’t want to be struggling to run up a steep slope while the boss is peppering with ice crystals.

In The Air

Moder moves around the battlefield in two different ways: flying and crawling. When the boss flies, it’s highly mobile and will move around like a drake, circling you before hovering overhead to breathe ice crystals on you from a distance. You can run to avoid the ice crystals (and you should avoid them), but it can be difficult to keep your stamina up if you’re sprinting all over the battlefield. A better option is to take cover behind rocks and structures. This gets risky, though, as Moder does massive damage to rock and buildings, so any cover you hide behind probably won’t last for long.

There’s a caveat to that, however. We were lucky enough to find one of Valheim’s free-standing rune stones near Moder’s altar. These stones, which you can read for lore and tips, can’t be destroyed, making them a perfect cover. We actually were able to avoid pretty much all damage from Moder’s frost breath by just standing close to the runestone and keeping it between us and the boss.

In any event, try to find good places to stand to avoid the incoming frost breath while you hit Moder with your poison arrows. You’re going to want to prioritize avoiding getting hit with the crystals, as they’ll slow you down significantly if they hit you, leaving you open to additional punishment from the boss. The situation can cascade out of control in a hurry, so survey the battlefield ahead of time and make note of where you’ll want to go to avoid getting blasted by projectiles.

On The Ground

When it’s not flying, Moder will drop to the ground and fight you close up. The boss can crawl around on the mountain slopes, but it won’t move very fast or go very far, waiting instead for you to come within range of its attacks.

Moder has a frost breath attack it’ll use when it’s grounded, which comes out as a constant jet straight in front of it, rather than a bombardment of crystals. When it rears up to breathe frost at you, strafe sideways past it to avoid getting hit. Once you’ve closed the range, Moder will give up trying to freeze you and just swing at you with its wings, or try to take a bite out of you. Both these attacks can be blocked with your shield, although you’ll probably get pushed back a fair distance. You’ll avoid damage almost completely if you block, though, allowing you to stay in close on the boss and hack away with your sword with little or no risk.

If you’re not equipped for a close-range fight, you can do just as well hanging back and firing away with your bow, provided you have the arrows and either a backup bow or the ability to repair it when it breaks. This might even be the safer strategy, as Moder will often just hang out on the ground and not really do anything if you stay out of its range. That’ll give you the opportunity to just lay into it with arrows at your leisure.

Beware Of Wolves

The biggest threat during this boss fight might not be the boss itself, but the other enemies that make the mountains their home. Wolves in particular are extremely deadly in Valheim because they’re very strong and very fast. Fighting a wolf can run down your stamina in a hurry, leaving you open to attack. Wolves bite so fast that they can rip you apart before you can recharge enough to fight them off. If you see or hear any wolves, it’s best to disengage from Moder and try to take the wolves out as quickly as possible. If you can get them with your bow at range, all the better, but prioritize them in all cases.

Run If You Have To

You can’t go wrong by setting up for a boss fight like this one by placing a portal relatively close to the boss’s altar. If things get bad, just run for it. You can make it through the portal to return to your base and use that opportunity to heal up, repair your gear, or even just sit by a fire for a second and restore your Rested bonus.

While bosses heal over time (or at least Bonemass does), don’t be afraid of leaving Moder in the middle of the fight. The boss will still be waiting for you when you return, and if you’re not gone for very long, it’ll still be as hurt as when you left it. When trying to solo the boss fight, don’t be afraid to cut and run and then return when you’re a little better prepared.

What You Get For Beating Moder

When the boss is finally defeated, you’ll get a few key new items. First, you’ll collect the Moder Trophy, which you can take back to the altar where you first started in Valheim to claim a new power. Moder’s ability makes it so you have a tailwind as long as it’s active while you’re sailing, which can make exploration out on the high seas much easier to handle.

You’ll also claim 10 Dragon Tears from Moder, which you can use to create a new crafting station called the Artisan Table. With it, you’ll be able to create three new crafting stations that let you process materials you get from the Plains biome, including Dark Metal, which you’ll use to make your next tier of armor and weapons.

Now Playing: Valheim First-Person Mod Gameplay

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NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock lost $914 million in 2020. The numbers come via a filing by parent company Comcast with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

As reported by Variety, Peacock made $118 million for NBCUniversal in 2020. However, the company spent $989 million in what is termed “eliminations.” These are payments from within the company for Peacock to license movies and shows from other divisions. The filing by Comcast was made as part of its new method of reporting its results to the SEC, dividing its business into media, studios, and theme parks.

While $914 million is obviously a high figure, a loss is to be expected for a new service in its first year. Comcast executives previously told investors that they will be investing more than $2 billion into Peacock over its first two years, and expected the service to break even by 2025.

In January, it was reported that the service had hit 33 million sign-ups, although it is not known how many of these were paid subscriptions, as Peacock also offers an ad-supported free tier. By comparison, Netflix recently surpassed 200 million accounts, while Disney+ now has 100 million subscribers.

Peacock is likely to add many more subscribers this month, as it becomes the exclusive streaming home for WWE content. WrestleMania, WWE Icons, and Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions will be exclusive to Peacock in the US from March 18, as will historical WWE events. This new agreement will mean the shut down of the WWE Network.

The PS5 may be hard to find, but its controller remains readily available at retailers, and now’s the first time you can snag it at a discount. Right now, you can get the PS5 DualSense controller for only $60 at Woot, down from its regular price of $70. This deal comes less than four months after the console’s release and is a good chance to stock up on a couple extras for multiplayer.

The DualSense is a much improved controller over the DualShock 4. It boasts greater battery life, USB-C connection, and an improved speaker. The big difference, however, is the controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, both of which enhance gameplay by adding an appropriate amount of tension or force depending on your in-game actions.

Other additions to the DualSense include a built-in microphone, a larger touchpad, and charging connectors on the bottom of the controller. The latter is a small thing that may not seem like a big deal, but it makes the DualSense charging station accessory a must-have. All you do to charge the controller is place it on the station and then pick it up when you’re ready to game–no fiddling with USB ports.

GameSpot’s PS5 review praised the DualSense controller, noting its excellent use in Astro’s Playroom, a game that’s included with the PS5. I wrote, “As Astro’s little robot feet walk on metal floors, over a sandy beach, or across an icy surface, you feel the difference in impact … But where the DualSense truly impresses is with its adaptive triggers. When Astro comes across weapons like a bow or a minigun, the triggers react in kind to differentiate how it feels to use them. Drawing the bow’s string instills tension into the trigger, while firing the minigun causes it to pop back as each bullet fires.”

Cable network Starz has finally shared a first look at Heels, an upcoming drama about indie wrestlers vying for national attention in small-town Georgia. In a recent tweet from the network, Jack Spade (played by Arrow’s Stephan Amell) and Ace Spade (played by Vikings’s Alexander Ludwig) are introduced via a pair of screenshots. Check them out below.

Admittedly, these are not the most action-packed shots–the wrestling brothers are literally just standing still–but the tweet is a nice bit of vindication for fans who have never lost faith about the show that was first announced way back in 2017. Ace and Jack don’t look thrilled on entering the ring, though that makes sense given the show’s official synopsis: “[Heels] follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals war over their late father’s legacy.” The show will dig into their twisted family dynamics, and also explore “the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town wrestling.”

It’s also worth noting that the digging taking place in this show has a fair amount of authenticity. Amell has worked with WWE at SummerSlam in 2015, worked with Ring of Honor in 2017, and wrestled at the huge indie show All In in 2018.

The show is written by Community and Loki alum Michael Waldron, who executive produces alongside showrunner Mike O’Malley, Julie Yorn, Peter Segal, Chris Donnelly, and Patrick Walmsley.Heels also stars Mary McCormack, Alison Luff, Kelli Berglund, Allen Maldonado, Chris Bauer, Robby Ramos, Trey Tucker, Roxton Garcia, and James Harrison.

No release date has been set for the upcoming series, but the show’s first season is expected to span eight episodes.

When it comes to PC gaming, you’ll most commonly see people rocking setups with monitors no bigger than 27 inches. With how close people usually are to their monitors, this size is a good fit for most spaces. However, it’s hard to deny the appeal of an even larger monitor, especially if your desk allows for that kind of room. The Acer Predator CG437K 43-inch monitor is a beastly gaming display, one that commands attention. It provides a great gaming experience that will be appealing to many PC gamers, though those who are already accustomed to HDR-capable 4K TVs may come away disappointed.

Display and performance

The Predator CG7’s massive size is accompanied by a sharp 4K image that makes the finest details stand out. Whether I was playing on PS5 or PC, games looked clean. For example, the intricate designs of Demon’s Souls armor and enemies are beautifully displayed, while Valheim’s stark and simple art style is immediately eye-catching and shines brilliantly on the CG7’s 4K VA panel.

The CG7’s colors can be quite vibrant, too, though its viewing angles tend to let it down a bit. Facing the monitor straight on provides the best image, with bright colors popping off the screen stunningly. However, if you’re off-center, you may notice darker colors start to wash out. This is the one area of the CG7 I’m disappointed with. The HDR performance is below par, and if you’re accustomed to playing games on a 4K TV with good-quality HDR, you’ll notice a big difference. Blacks are a touch washed out, while brighter scenes tend to feel too bright. It took me a while to tweak the settings to where I was happy, and even then, I was never quite satisfied with the image–I would often just play without HDR entirely.

When it comes to actually playing games on the CG7, it’s a delight. Fast PC games like Rocket League look superb running at 4K and 120Hz (using DisplayPort input), and while there are no HDMI 2.1 ports, 60fps PS5 gameplay looks great as well. Playing shooters like Rainbow Six Siege and Call of Duty: Warzone feels fast and fluid, as responsive as you’d want for shooters. Competitive multiplayer feels viable on the bigger screen thanks to its high refresh rate, FreeSync, and G-Sync compatibility–granted you have the space to accommodate such a big screen. In my normal desk setup, where I use dual 27-inch monitors, the Acer CG7 was a bit too close for my own comfort. It caused some motion sickness due to how close I was to the screen. After finding a good spot for it where I had about five-to-six feet of space between my eyes and the screen, I had no issues.

Build quality

The Acer CG7 is a beast of a monitor. It’s big, heavy, and might be able to serve as a good replacement if Bugs Bunny ever runs out of fridges, safes, and pianos to drop on Yosemite Sam. Its weight and thick chassis also make it quite sturdy, with a solid metal stand that’s as immovable as it is unadjustable. It’s a great monitor if you’re looking to keep it in one place and not move or swivel the screen, but because of this, it almost feels like it would be better used as a small TV for a bedroom.

At its thinnest–the top of the screen–the monitor is about an inch from front to back, but this widens as you move toward the center of the screen, getting as thick as four inches. The bezel around the screen measures in at 0.6 inch. As for its stand, you’re looking at a width of 26.2 inches at its thickest from left to right and 10.5 inches from front to back. These measurements are definitely on the large side, though they’re not too abnormal when it comes to monitors at or around 43-inches. The CG7 is a big boy, for sure, but while most monitors feel fragile, it’s built like a tank.

The CG7 comes with a bounty of ports, too. Three HDMI 2.0 ports work well for consoles and PC, while its two DisplayPort 1.4 ports will help you push that 4K and 120Hz refresh rate limit on PC–the PS5 and Xbox Series X require HDMI 2.1 ports to take advantage of their 4K and 120Hz capabilities. It also has six USB ports, two of which are 2.0, three 3.0, and one type-C. It also features a set of menu buttons easily accessible right under the front of the monitor. It features a number of buttons and a plastic joystick for menu navigation. These controls aren’t intuitive and, like the vast majority of monitors, take some time to get used to.

Acer Predator CG437K specs

Value

If you’re looking at 43-inch monitors, you likely already know you’re going to be breaking the bank to afford one. The Acer Predator CG7 is regularly $1,500, which is on the expensive side–its closest competitor, the Asus ROG Strix XG438Q, is more affordable at $1,100. For the same $1,500 price, you can get a 48-inch LG CX OLED 4K TV, which works surprisingly well as a PC gaming monitor thanks to its FreeSync Premium support, four HDMI 2.1 ports, and 120Hz refresh rate.

The bottom line

There’s no doubt the Acer Predator CG437K monitor is an excellent display for gaming, but it does come with some caveats. Its HDR performance isn’t able to deliver the experience that many games these days are designed to support. It’s also quite expensive, even for a 43-inch monitor. I enjoyed my time with the CG7 and would be inclined to recommend it; however, its regular price makes it a harder sell compared to some of the other options on the market.

The Good:

• Image quality is sharp and striking
• Refresh rate and response time provide an excellent experience with fast-paced games and competitive shooters
• Bright colors shine on the VA display

The Bad:

• HDR performance could be better
• Very expensive

About the author: Mat Paget used the Acer Predator CG437K gaming monitor for one month, testing it with both his PC and PS5. Acer loaned the Predator CG437K for review.

Summer will be here before you know it, and with the arrival of warmer weather and longer days, you might be wondering about E3 2021. The show was canceled in 2020 due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and questions remains about this year’s event.

We’ve compiled a rundown of the latest updates on this year’s show.

Is There An E3 This Year?

The short answer is that we don’t know for sure at this point. The ESA, which organizes E3 every year, penciled in E3 2021 for June 15-17 but what format this year’s event takes–if it happens at all–remains to be seen.

The signs are pointing to a digital showcase this year, as the local government of Los Angeles recently announced that the “live” portion of E3 2021 would not go forward.

What Might E3 2021 Look Like?

A pitch deck for E3 2021 leaked, and it mentioned an all-digital event featuring streamed game demos, panel showcases, keynote events, and more, all of which would take place online. The proposal that is reportedly being sent to publishers said the three-day event will feature programming from 10 AM to 10 PM PST each day, with replays available for those who can’t or don’t want to watch live. The programming would include multiple two-hour keynote sessions focused on specific games or publishers, with the potential for Q&A sessions after each.

The ESA also makes mention of a June 14 preview night, additional streams for smaller games, and showcases from a range of publishers, influencers, and media. Some form of a charity drive would be included in the E3 2021 programming schedule, too.

Publishers will need to buy into this new direction from the ESA, which might be the show’s biggest hurdle. At least one major games company mentioned that the ESA is seeking a six-figure sum to be included in E3 2021’s programming.

The ESA confirmed that it is pursuing a digital event in 2021 in a statement to GameSpot, stating that more details will be revealed soon.

“We can confirm that we are transforming the E3 experience for 2021 and will soon share exact details on how we’re bringing the global video game community together,” the statement reads. “We are having great conversations with publishers, developers and companies across the board, and we look forward to sharing details about their involvement soon.”

E3 Has Been Transformed In Recent Years

Even before the pandemic pushed E3 2020 to cancel, the show was undergoing major changes. Sony pulled out of E3 2019 completely, while Microsoft moved its own showcase to a nearby theater that year, opting to only showcase Mixer–which is now shuttered–on the floor.

Before that, Electronic Arts ditched E3 too by hosting its own event, EA Play, away from the Los Angeles Convention Center. On top of that, Geoff Keighley parted ways with E3 to instead host his own announcement series, the Summer Games Fest.

Even if E3 2021 does go forward as a digital event this year, it might not be the only show in town. A recent report said Microsoft and Bethesda, which it now owns, are planning their own distinct events for this summer around the time of E3. Whether or not they are part of E3’s new digital format or their own separate events remains to be seen, however. There is also the possibility that, like in 2020, publishers will host their own showcases on their own time throughout the year instead of all at once during one week in June.

We should know more about E3 2021 in the coming weeks and months, so keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

The Razer Raptor 27 gaming monitor is one of the best 1440p displays out there, and right now, you can snag it at a nice discount at Amazon. The Razer Raptor monitor is $600, down from $700. It’s a pricey monitor, which makes $100 off quite exciting. It’s unclear how long this deal will last, and while Razer products regularly go on sale, we rarely see the Raptor discounted.

$600 (was $700)

The Razer Raptor 27 boasts a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate with its 27-inch IPS panel, which excels at displaying bright colours. That’s paired with a low 4ms response time as well as FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility. All of this together makes for a fantastic experience in both competitive and single-player games.

GameSpot’s Razer Raptor 27 gaming monitor review noted its expensive price but was otherwise impressed by its strong design, build quality, and performance.

“Despite its similarities to cheaper alternatives, the experience afforded by the Razer Raptor 27 is an excellent one, propped up by a design that rivals Apple and specs that can serve the most dedicated of PC gamers,” I wrote. “The Raptor is expensive, but supplementary features like its RGB lighting and cable management help make this monitor unique, and its premium build quality is befitting of its premium price tag.”

It’s been a year since California’s Disneyland Resort, along with the state’s other theme parks, closed its doors at the onset of the COVIDF-19 pandemic. Now, after California issued new guidelines for when they can reopen, Disneyland may be welcoming guests as soon as next month.

Bob Chapek, CEO of Disney, has revealed that the company’s California theme parks–Disneyland and Disney California Adventure–are hoping to open to the public again in late April. The news comes on the heels of new guidelines issued by the state that could allow theme parks and stadiums to open at 15% capacity beginning on April 1.

“Here in California, we’re encouraged by the positive trends we’re seeing and we’re hopeful they’ll continue to improve and we’ll be able to reopen our parks to guests with limited capacity by late April–we look forward to publicizing an opening date in the coming weeks,” Chapek said during an annual shareholder meeting. “While last week’s announcement stated that theme parks may open starting on April 1, the fact is it will take some time to get them ready for our guests–this includes recalling more than 10,000 furloughed cast and retraining them to be able to operate according to the state of California’s new requirements.”

The opening of the Disneyland Resort will mean that all of Disney’s domestic theme parks will be open for business once more, following the relaunch of Walt Disney World last summer. No dates have been announced for California’s other theme parks. However, Universal Studios Hollywood offered an update to annual pass holders in an email, noting that its upcoming ticketed event, which allows guests into the park to sample food and shop, but with no rides, is meant to “transition us to a full park open.”

While the Disneyland Resort is aiming to open at the end of April, it remains to be seen when the newest attraction, Avengers Campus, will begin welcoming guests. It was previously announced by Disney that the new Marvel-themed land at California Adventures would open sometime in 2021. It was originally scheduled to launch in July 2020.

Just 16 months after launch, Disney+ has surpassed 100 million global paid subscribers. Speaking at an annual shareholders meeting, Disney CEO Bob Chapek indicated that the milestone has “inspired us to be even more ambitious.”

From a numbers and content standpoint, that increased ambition is a new “target of 100+ titles per year,” said Chapek. “This includes Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Our direct-to-consumer business is the company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.”

That 100 million subscriber base is a staggering number, though it should also be pointed out that actual viewer numbers may be higher given the wider popularity Disney+–like all streaming services–has shared logins among friends. Regardless, Disney+ obviously enjoyed a strong launch and has had the benefit of an ever-growing and stronger base of content, including last year’s feather-in-the-cap get of Hamilton. On other fronts, Disney+ is increasingly synonymous with The Mandalorian, WandaVision, and anticipation is high for the next MCU show, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

According to Variety, Chapek indicated that new flexibilities will be coming to Disney+, including an ESPN streaming service embedded into Hulu that later this year will allow non-members to purchase individual pay-per-view events.

In November, Disney+ passed 70 million subscribers. Just as a point of comparison, as of January this year, Netflix has more than 200 million subscribers.

Overwatch has begun a new seasonal event, the Pachimarchi Challenge, which celebrates the game’s very own adorable mascot with some in-game prizes. From now through March 22, you can play to earn a set of special cosmetics, including a new Roadhog epic skin.

Simply logging into the game during the event period will earn you six new sprays, but the big prizes come from racking up wins. Winning three games will net you a player icon, six games will get you a Junkrate emote, and nine games will grant you the grand prize: a Roadhog skin with Pachimari tattooed on his bulbous belly.

Pachimari is a fictional Japanese mascot character, an onion-octopus hybrid that appears in various spots around the Overwatch maps and in animated shorts. It’s a very odd thing to base an entire event around, but it’s hard to deny that the little critter is cute and probably pretty good sauteed.

Overwatch has been regularly updated with new game events featuring skins and other cosmetics, though other features like new maps have slowed while Blizzard works on Overwatch 2. We recently talked with Blizzard’s Jeff Kaplan about the cadence of Overwatch releases, how the fan community is like Helga from Hey Arnold, and his spectacular beard.

Gallery

Overwatch Pachimarchi Challenge

• Win 3 Games – Player Icon
• Win 6 Games – Junkrat Emote
• Win 9 Games – Epic Skin: Roadhog Pachimari
• Login – 6 new sprays

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