Author: Trafficblast

The battle royale craze pushes ahead, as Scavengers Studio’s battle royale game, Darwin Project, re-launched this week on Xbox One as a free-to-play game. The game originally launched on Xbox One in the Game Preview program as a paid title before this week’s business model switch to entirely free to play. The changes were announced on Xbox Wire.

Those who already paid money are getting compensated, thankfully. The next time you log in you should see Founder’s Pack content in your inventory, including a lot of cosmetic items. This includes two “legendary” sets of items that contain a shirt, pants, armor, helmet, boots, three axes, three bows, and a “full jumpsuit collection.” You also get 10 “fan gifts,” which include other items you can use to customise your look and weapons.

With the switch to free-to-play, the studio also added a in-game store where you can spend currency, Ramen, on cosmetic items. Scavengers Studio stressed that the items it sells are cosmetic only; like Fortnite, the items you can buy do not impact gameplay.

“With our switch to free-to-play, we want to take care to specify that cosmetics in the item shop grant no competitive advantage, and Darwin Project will never become pay-to-win,” the studio explained. “These items are for looking good; only skill helps you win!”

The developer also addressed the business model switch in general, acknowledging that it is a “big change,” while also stressing that it does not impact its longer-term vision for the game.

“Dropping the price tag is a big change, but we remain committed to the same vision that has guided the development for over three years, and that means providing the best experience we can for all Darwin Projectinmates,” the studio said. “We hope that by switching to a free-to-play model, both early adopters and newcomers will be able to get the most out of Darwin Project.”

A third-person, arcade-style shooter, Darwin Project’s spin on the battle royale genre is that there are only 10 players in a match. And one person gets to be the Show Director, who sees the map from above and can help or inhibit players by revealing their location or creating a gravity storm. The game remains in an unfinished state, so you may come across some bugs and other oddities, if that matters to you.

Darwin Project is also on PC for free, but there is no word yet on if it’s coming to PS4 or other systems further down the track. It’s just the latest free-to-play battle royale game on Xbox One, following juggernauts like Fortnite and PUBG. Looking ahead, both Battlefield V and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will have battle royale modes when they release later this year.

While much of the discussion in the battle royale space is on Fortnite these days, PUBG is still growing. The game has now crossed 8 million players on Xbox One, Microsoft announced. The game launched on Xbox One’s Game Preview program back in December, and Microsoft’s Major Nelson said in a blog post that it’s been “one of the most popular games” across Xbox One since then, though he did not share any specifics about that claim.

PUBG is still in an unfinished state on Xbox One, whereas the PC edition launched its 1.0 version back in December. The game is only available on console on Xbox One thanks to a timed exclusivity deal between Microsoft and PUBG Corp. Versions of the game for other popular platforms like PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch could come later.

PUBG has not necessarily sold 8 million copies on Xbox One, however, as Microsoft has offered free play periods for the game over the past few months. Whatever the case, it’s clear the game is supremely popular, so it’s no surprise that Microsoft also announced a new Xbox One X bundle for the game.

Available now at retailers is a PUBG Xbox One X bundle that comes with the 1 TB system and a copy of the game, which is among the titles enhanced for the console. You also get a 1-month Xbox Game Pass trial and a 1-month Xbox Live Gold trial. Everything else you need to get set up, including a wireless controller, is also included in the package. The bundle retails for $500 at retailers, which is the same price as the standard package.

Microsoft also announced a new $300 Xbox One S Minecraft bundle that comes with a code for the game and the Explorer’s Pack that includes various extras. You also get access to Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure, along with a 1-month Xbox Game Pass trial and a 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial. In the US, the system is only available at the Microsoft Store and Walmart.

Are you interested in either bundle? Let us know in the comments below!

For the first time in the history of the NBA 2K franchise, there will be an Australia-specific cover athlete. 2K Sports announced today that Philadelphia Sixers forward Ben Simmons, who was born in Melbourne, will grace the NBA 2K19 cover in Australia, as well as New Zealand.

Alongside an image of Simmons, the cover features words that have special meaning to the athlete, including “Loyalty,” “Family,” “Melbourne,” “Unstoppable,” and “Triple Double.” In a statement, Simmons said it is a “huge honour” to be selected as the first-ever Australian cover star for the NBA 2K series.

“The Aussie fans are super passionate about basketball and specifically NBA 2K, so it’s very cool to be an ambassador for both,” Simmons said.

Simmons, who was also a standout footy player, moved to the United States and played one year of college basketball at LSU before entering the NBA Draft and going as the No. 1 overall pick. He recorded more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists in his first season with the Sixers and earned the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Copies of NBA 2K19 in Australia and New Zealand will come with a double-sided inlay that shows Simmons on one side and global cover star Giannis Antetokounmpo on the other. A 20th Anniversary edition of the game has LeBron James on the cover.

NBA 2K19 will be available September 11 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The 20th Anniversary Edition will launch a few days earlier, on September 7. You can download “The Prelude” starting on August 31 for PS4 and Xbox One, to get a jump on the MyCareer mode. Check out our pre-order guide for all the details.

Every year, one of the most exciting parts about the new Madden instalment is learning about player ratings. We’re still waiting for the full picture, but EA Sports has now announced the first group of 99-rated players for Madden NFL 19, and they include some very big names in the NFL.

The first wave of 99-rated players include New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Denver Broncos’ linebacker Von Miller, and Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. You can click each player’s name to read what EA Sports had to say about its rating determination for each player.

A video that emerged out of E3 2018 back in June has ratings details for many other players across a variety of positions. However, the version of the game shown at E3 last month is not final, so the numbers may not be accurate. PastaPadre has a breakdown of the top-rated Madden 19 players based on that video, and you can read the full post here.

A full rundown of player ratings for each position is expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months before launch in August, so keep checking back for more. And as usual, player ratings will change on a week-by-week basis based on real-world performance once the season begins.

Madden 19 launches in August for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the game is also coming to PC in a move that marks the franchise’s first time back on PC in a decade. In other news, the game will deliver graphical improvements, not the least of which are advancements to how sweat looks.