Author: Trafficblast

Another Hearthstone expansion is on its way next month, and Blizzard has announced a pretty big promotion to lay the groundwork for it. Starting on Monday, March 26, every daily quest you complete will grant you not just your usual gold reward, but also a card pack.

According to the official blog, you’ll get a randomized reward pack from one of four expansions: Journey to Un’Goro, Knights of the Frozen Throne, Kobolds & Catacombs, or the upcoming Witchwood. The first three are all from the current season, so they won’t rotate out of Standard in a few weeks like some older sets. The Witchwood packs will sit in your collection and can’t be opened until the expansion launches.

The promotion starts on March 26 at 11:59 PM PT and lasts until April 9 at 11:59 PM PT. That’s 14 free packs in all–potentially 16, if you let a couple of daily quests stack up in your quest log first. This is on top of the launch bonus, which will give players three more packs and one random Class Legendary. Meanwhile, you’ll still be getting your normal gold rewards, which can be cashed in for packs or Arena runs on their own. One minor caveat from Blizzard is that the “Play a Friend” quest will be disabled during this period, likely since it already gives the gold reward to both participating players.

Blizzard has progressively gotten more generous with its freebies, as feedback has increasingly noted the high cost of entry for new players. The pre-order for Witchwood gives 70 packs instead of the usual 50, and the studio introduced a change last year that keeps players from opening duplicate Legendary cards. Currently it’s giving away three Kobolds & Catacombs packs as part of a StarCraft anniversary promotion.

The promotion dates may hint at a Witchwood release date on or near April 10, as Blizzard has already said the set is launching in mid-April. A Hearthstone stream is also planned for Monday at 11 AM PT, which will reveal more cards from the new set. Check out our thoughts on some of the ones that have already been revealed.

A new trailer for this year’s R-rated superhero movie Deadpool 2 is coming tomorrow, March 22, Fox has reportedly announced. We do not know exactly when it’ll hit, but ScreenRant reminds us that the first teaser and the first full trailer arrived at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. It’s possible Fox will stick with that schedule, though with Deadpool, nothing is certain.

There is no word yet about what the trailer will contain, but you can expect some humor, hijinks, action, and fourth wall-breaking moments. We’ll post the trailer on GameSpot as soon as it arrives.

Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, plus Morena Baccarin, TJ Miller, and Brianna Hildebrand. David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) is directing, replacing Tim Miller, who reportedly clashed with Reynolds over the direction of the movie.

The marketing campaign for the movie has been as unconventional as you’d expect. The most recent promo focused on Cable, but while it started like a generic superhero trailer, it then went in a very different direction. There’s also been this Flashdance-inspired poster, heartwarming magazine covers, and bizarre painting class videos.

Earlier this month, a report claimed Deadpool 2 underwent reshoots–a normal, expected part of the filmmaking process–to add more scenes with Cable (Josh Brolin) and Domino (Zazi Beetz). Deadpool 2 hits theaters on May 18.

Fortnite is eating away at PUBG, it seems. Research company SuperData has released a report that claims Fortnite is bigger these days than the game that inspired it in terms of viewers and revenue.

In the last week of February, Fortnite had 14 million unique viewers on Twitch (this was before the Drake-Ninja mega-stream), while PUBG had 8.7 million at the time, according to the report. By comparison, PUBG was leading during the last week of January, when it had 8.5 million unique viewers compared to 6.1 million for Fortnite.

In terms of revenue, SuperData’s calculations say Fortnite made $126 million during February on PC, while PUBG pulled in $103 million. It is unclear how SuperData collected its data. Fortnite’s Save the World mode starts at $40, while its Battle Royale mode–the one that is no doubt significantly more popular–is free. Battle Royale makes money from add-ons virtual currency that you can use to buy cosmetics or the seasonal battle passes. PUBG, meanwhile, costs $30 upfront and also allows you to spend money on various extras. Thus, any comparison between the two popular games would never be perfect.

According to SuperData, Fortnite is more popular than PUBG right now because it is more accessible due in part to its business model (free) and its cartoon-style visuals. Working against PUBG, the firm said, is that cheating is still a problem, which has reportedly pushed the developer to allocate resources to address those problems.

Looking ahead, SuperData predicted that the Battle Royale genre will only get more popular, with further competition in the space. Some of gaming’s biggest publishers might get involved, SuperData speculated. For what it’s worth, Call of Duty publisher Activision is reportedly tracking the battle royale genre, while Red Dead Redemption parent publisher Take-Two is doing the same.

Even if Fortnite is growing in popularity and competition is ramping up, that doesn’t mean PUBG is in danger of falling off the map anytime soon. After all, it is popular on a level never seen before in gaming. The game had more than 2.4 million concurrent players on Steam today, according to Valve’s public data. While that is down from its peak, it is still almost four times as many players as the second most-popular game on Steam, CS: GO (528,000 peak concurrent users today).

Fortnite and PUBG are also on console, as well as mobile devices, though SuperData’s report only covers PC.

One of the most fun aspects surrounding any Smash Bros. release is speculating which new characters will appear in the series, and that has only flared up again with the recent announcement of Super Smash Bros. for Switch. However, fans aren’t the only ones hoping their favorite characters make it into the fighter; many other game companies would also like to see their mascots added to the roster. And you can count Microsoft among the companies that would let such a crossover happen with one of its characters.

On Twitter, one fan asked Xbox boss Phil Spencer if Microsoft would still be willing to allow Banjo and Kazooie–the eponymous stars of Rare’s beloved platforming series–to appear in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game. Spencer answered with only a single word: “Yep.”

Of course, Spencer’s succinct reply certainly isn’t confirmation that Banjo will appear in the next Smash Bros. game, or even that the character is being considered for the mascot fighter. Microsoft has said in the past that it would be open to allowing Rare’s iconic bear and bird duo to appear in the series, although nothing has come of it thus far. And given how popular Smash Bros. is–as evidenced by the fan reaction when Smash Bros. Switch was announced–it’s hardly surprising that any company would want to lend its characters for the game.

That said, Banjo and Kazooie certainly wouldn’t be the most surprising addition to the Smash Bros. roster, especially considering the series began on a Nintendo console. Third-party characters have had a larger presence in recent Smash Bros. games, with Street Fighter’s Ryu and Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud among the DLC fighters added to the Wii U and 3DS installments. Snake from Metal Gear Solid was also featured in Wii’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl, although it seems likely that will remain a one-off appearance.

Nintendo hasn’t announced exactly when Super Smash Bros. will launch for Switch aside from sometime this year, or even if the game will be a port or new installment. However, we do know that it will feature at least one newcomer in the form of the Inklings from Splatoon, and Link will sport his appearance from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As for who else could possibly appear in the game, you can look at the 20 characters the GameSpot staff would love to see in Super Smash Bros. for Switch.

Following Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare‘s remaster a couple of years ago, many fans thought that a Modern Warfare 2 remake would be right around the corner. Although nothing has yet to be officially announced, new reports suggest that a MW2 remaster is finally on the way.

First reported by Call of Duty enthusiast site CharlieIntel, then later independently confirmed by Eurogamer, the Modern Warfare 2 remaster is in development and will be significantly cheaper than Modern Warfare Remastered. Both Eurogamer and CharlieIntel assert that MW2 Remastered will cost around $25 / €20, while Modern Warfare Remastered costs $40.

The reports also assert that the game will not feature multiplayer, which is likely the reason for its lower price point. We do not yet know why Activision wouldn’t include multiplayer; one completely speculative reason could be that the publisher hopes to avoid splitting the player base among too many different Call of Duty titles.

The game will apparently launch on April 30, well ahead of Black Ops 4‘s October release for PS4 and Xbox One. Neither Eurogamer nor CharlieIntel have reported whether or not it’ll come to PC. Further, CharlieIntel stated that its sources said that Raven Software, which was responsible for Modern Warfare Remastered, is not working on Modern Warfare 2 Remastered.

Based on a couple days on the open seas, “unpredictable” is the best way I can describe Sea of Thieves. There have been some surprising highs when the game’s potential shone through and made me eager to forge ahead in search of riches and mayhem. There have also been depressing lows that made me dread having to continue. There are some facets I’ve yet to experience; I haven’t completed a raid, nor have I come close to maxing out my reputation with any of the world’s three factions. Needless to say I will press on, but there’s already a lot on my mind despite how shallow the overall experience is.

Presently, my wanna-be pirate avatar is rising through ranks by completing three types of tasks: capturing small animals, digging for treasure, and killing skeletons of legendary captains that have risen from the dead–mostly unremarkable variants of basic skeleton enemies distinguished by their hats and slightly elevated stats. In isolation, these activities are too simple and easy to get excited about, but they provide a purpose and a destination. It’s the unexpected things that happen along the way that you ultimately look forward to.

Those unexpected things could be merely a floating item chest or a message in a bottle with a map for another quest. While not the rule, a message in a bottle can lead to lucrative objectives, which are often accompanied by special enemies that call for unusual tactics. Just last night, one such voyage sent my crew to an island populated with skeletons that could only be seen at night when illuminated by a lantern, and another type that was only vulnerable when splashed with sea water, which caused their metal-encrusted bones to tense up. The variety was appreciated, as was the unusually valuable treasure we found. But even then that joy was fleeting, because all treasure is designed to be converted into gold, and gold can only be used to purchase cosmetic upgrades.

One of the big issues for me is that no matter how much or how well I play, my character, their equipment, and any ship I sail on will forever remain at a base level of performance and ability. Sea of Thieves offers a lot of gear, but none of it results in a practical benefit. If I don’t scale, how will the game continue to challenge me in meaningful ways? So far, that answer seems to be through cryptic riddles and clues that lead to more treasure. I’ve encountered few interesting examples in roughly ten hours at sea, but I always know in the back of my mind that it will all just result in gold, which can only be used to buy more pretty wearables. The community is all abuzz about becoming legendary pirates, a status symbolized by notably fancy ships. Of course, all the pomp and regalia in the world won’t stop a fresh-but-capable crew from kicking your ass.

With these thoughts in mind, it’s easy to forget that there are plenty of worthwhile moments that emerge outside of the standard gameplay loop. Stumbling into other players may be a surprisingly uncommon occurrence, but it’s nonetheless one that rarely passes without some form of engagement. The first question that enters your mind–do you shoot first–is so far pointless to consider. Very few players seem interested in playing nice at the moment, which could speak to the initial excitement of manning a cannon-packed pirate ship for the first time, or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Sea of Thieves doesn’t give you a compelling reason to play nice. So far, the most I’ve gotten out of running into a friendly pirate was a minute of triggering our instrument emotes and dancing in place. It’s cute, but let’s be honest: it pales in comparison to winning a hard fought battle while coordinating with your trusted crew to load cannons, patch up hull breaches with planks of wood, and maybe even sneaking off your ship to covertly strike your opponents face-to-face on-deck. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to take their treasure, too.

So maybe I’m part of the problem, but I can’t help but reason that guilt away. Until I’m incentivized to be friendly, it will continue to be a pirate’s life for me, pillaging, killing, and profiting, with occasional drunken stupors to make my mates laugh while I trip over my feet and barf uncontrollably under a pale moonlight. It sounds dumb precisely because it is, but what’s better than a moment of shared idiocy among friends?

It’s also worth pointing out how utterly dreary it is to play alone. If I can impart any advice to new players: don’t bother. Not only will you feel incredibly lonely while sailing for minutes on end without sight of ship or shore, it’s too easy to spiral into a series of quick deaths if someone does appear and kills you aboard your ship. Spawn camping is currently a major issue, and the only solution to get out of a cycle of death and rebirth is to manually sink your ship from a menu during your temporary stint in the afterlife. Even then, there are times when you’ll respawn on your ship as it’s in the process of sinking.

My journey is still ramping up, and I’m hoping the rocky start will give way to something more fulfilling. If there’s one thing I appreciate so far, it’s that I can always look forward to a few laughs when playing with my crew of choice. That alone is enough to keep me coming back for now, but I can’t imagine a group of goofs has the lasting appeal a game like Sea of Thieves critically requires.

Whether it’s Ender destroying the world in Ender’s Game or a VR serial killer being unleashed on the world in Virtuosity, virtual reality tech has been a useful storytelling tool for years.

Take a stroll with us as we revisit our 21 favorite VR movies, ranked from worst to best according to our sister site Metacritic. The results may surprise you.

Expectations are high for The Predator, the reboot of the classic sci-fi action franchise which is set to hit theaters in September. Very little from the movie has been revealed so far, but writer Fred Dekker has now confirmed that a teaser trailer will be with us very soon.

Dekker took to his Facebook page to explain that the movie was currently undergoing reshoots in Vancouver, as well as noting that the movie’s “body count is alarming.” Dekker followed his post with the words fans have been wanting to hear for some time: “And yes, a teaser trailer will be coming soon…” Check his post out below:

Last week it was announced that the movie was moving back from an August release to September 14. This is the second time it has shifted release date–it was originally set come out in February. The Predator is directed by Shane Black, who previously made Iron Man 3 and the cop comedy The Nice Guys. It stars Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, Logan), Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu, Key & Peele), Sterling K. Brown (The People v. OJ Simpson), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), Thomas Jane (The Expanse), and Jacob Tremblay (Room).

Although no footage has been revealed yet, a promotional motion poster for the movie was spotted at a licensing expo in London in November. In addition, we’ve seen a similarly-themed poster, plus some behind-the-scenes images.

Specific story details are also under wraps for now, but in an interview last year, Jane did provide some hints as to movie’s plot. The actor explained that the film will focus on a group of “shellshocked” soldiers, who are arrested and are in the process of being transported to an army hospital. However, one of the soldiers is being targeted because he has seen the Predator ships come to earth.

“They’re going to take that bus, drive it down to a ditch and shoot us all just to get rid of this one guy,” Jane said. “But, of course, we take the bus over. We’re all like, ‘Let’s go kill these f***ing Predators ourselves!’ And we’re just crazy enough to believe that this guy really did see a UFO and there’s these aliens out there. So that’s kinda cool!”

Black himself acted in the original Predator from 1987, which starred Schwarzenegger and was directed by John McTiernan. To date there have been four further films, including the direct sequel Predator 2, two Alien vs. Predator movies, and 2010’s Robert Rodriguez-produced Predators.