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Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 2 Battle Pass: New Operator, Weapons, And More Are Coming

It’s a huge week for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, as Season 2 kicks off on February 25. A new Battle Pass will be available, too, and now Activision has released a trailer for it and announced what players can expect in terms of unlocks across its 100 tiers. All of the details are laid out on Activision’s website and we’ve rounded up the key points here.

New Operator

Everyone who buys the Season 2 Battle Pass gets instant access to a new Operator–his name is Kapano “Naga” Vang. He’s aligned with the Warsaw Pact and is an ally of the Black Ops Cold War villain Perseus. He comes with a “Viper” skin, while players can complete his missions to get XP rewards, extra cosmetic items, and four Legendary skins–Cobalt, Ashen Scale, Crimson Code, and Rattlesnake. You can get a closer look at him in the trailer below.

Other Perks

Everyone who buys the Season 2 Battle Pass gets 10% increase on XP throughout the entire season, while they also receive the Wellington Safari Watch and a new “Survivor” skin for the Operator Park.

More Weapons

The Season 2 Battle Pass includes the FARA 83 assault rifle (tier 15) and the LC10 SMG (tier 31) that you can unlock simply by progressing through the tiers, or by spending money. The new FARA 83 rifle has better effective damage range and bullet velocity compared to similar rifles, while the LC10 SMG is a more well-rounded SMG with 34-round magazines.

The LC10
The LC10

More Skins

Season 2’s Battle Pass also comes with a new Renegade skin for Adler (tier 20), the Coyote Dust skin for Powers (tier 70), and the Tactical Roll finishing move (tier 19).

New Music

Additional music tracks are also available in Season 2’s Battle Pass, including Black Ops II Mixtape (tier 44), Rock Pack II (tier 72) and Pop Pack (tier 94). “Some things are best left to be listened to, although we know how much you want to know more, more, more about these packs. All we can say for now is that when Season Two starts, hurry to unlock these two War Track packs; they’re waiting there for you,” Activision said.

New Weapon Blueprints

Similar to previous Battle Passes, this new one includes 20 weapon blueprints, including 11 of the Legendary variety and one Ultra rare weapon. The three Legendary blueprints that Activision announced include the Glade Ripper LMG (tier 21), the First Mate SMG (tier 27), and the Dragon Idol SMG (tier 55).

As for the Ultra rare weapon blueprint, this is the Vulture Exo. It’s unlocked at tier 95, and the cool thing about it is that it changes appearance based on the number of kills you have in a match. As an example, Activision said this weapon initially glows green with a skeleton of a bird wrapped around it, and the color of the energy changes from blue to orange and then red depending on how well you’re doing.

Tier 100 Rewards

For those who make it all the way to tier 100, they will unlock a variety of extra-special items, including the Warlord skin for Naga and a special mission, along with the Poison Dart Legendary SMG blueprint. Additionally, everyone who buys the Season 2 Battle Pass or makes it all the way through the 100 tiers will get 1,300 COD Points, which is enough to buy the next Battle Pass for the inevitable Season 3.

How To Buy

The Season 2 Battle Pass will be available for 1,000 Call of Duty Points or you can get the Battle Pass Bundle for 2,4000 Call of Duty Points. This includes the Battle Pass and 20 instant tier skips, which gets you the FARA 83 assault rifle and the Tactical Roll finishing move right away.

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More To Come

Outside of the new Battle Pass, Season 2 will offer additional DLC bundles for purchase. In the second week of Season 2, Activision will release the Maxis Operator bundle that comes with Samantha Maxis as a playable character, as well as two weapon blueprints. These include the Ultra-rare Z-74u SMG and the Legendary Neutralizer shotgun. The bundle also comes with the “Maim and Tame” finishing move, two emblems, a calling card, two stickers, and a charm.

Head to Activision’s website to see a full rundown of the Season 2 Battle Pass and what to expect.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Xbox Games With Gold for March 2021 Announced

Xbox Games with Gold for March 2021 will include Xbox One titles Warface: Breakout and Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse as well as the 2008 XBLA release of Metal Slug 3 and the Xbox 360 title Port Royale 3.

Warface: Breakout will be available all month from March 1 to March 31. Metal Slug 3 will also become available on March 1 but will leave on March 15.

Starting March 16, Port Royale 3 will be available for free until March 31 and Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse will be free until April 15, according to Xbox Wire.

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Warface: Breakout was released in 2020. It’s a tactical first-person shooter and a spin-off of the free-to-play game Warface, which recently made its way to Nintendo Switch with cross-play coming in the future.

Metal Slug 3 is the classic run-and-gun shooter first released in arcades in 2000. It was ported to the original Xbox with additional game modes, but that’s not the version available. The port available for free in March was released in 2008 on Xbox Live Arcade.

According to IGN’s review of the XBLA Metal Slug 3 port, visuals were improved over the original Xbox port but the extra game modes did not carry over. Even worse, blood was also censored in this port. The blood can be restored by setting the language on the Xbox 360 to Japanese. It’s not known if that trick works on Xbox One or Series X.

Another version of Metal Slug 3 was released in 2017 for Xbox One, which lets players choose between different versions of the game. Unfortunately, the 2008 port is the version that Xbox Wire links to in the Games with Gold announcement.

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Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse is a twin-stick shooter released in 2018. Gamers take control of mechs to wipe out a llama apocalypse with four-player co-op. IGN Africa’s review of VALA said the game has “a severe lack of variety, poor pacing of the action, and enough mild annoyances that add up to major irritations.”

Finally, Port Royale 3 is a pirate simulator set in 17th Century Caribbean. IGN’s preview of the game said, “The relatively slow pace and simulation-based approach might keep action gamers at arm’s length, but we were impressed by how many different ways there are to leave your mark on Port Royale 3’s many sandy shores.”

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Xbox Gold members still have time to pick up some of February’s titles, including Gears 5, a remastered version of the original Resident Evil and Lost Planet 2.

For anybody looking for new games to play on Series X, then look at IGN’s guide to the best games on Xbox Series X|S.

Microsoft was in hot water in January when they increased the price of Xbox Live only to revert back after a day of social media outrage. As a bonus, Microsoft said that all free-to-play games no longer require Xbox Live.

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Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Best Buy 24-Hour Flash Sale Live Now With Deals On 4K TVs, AirPods Pro, And More

Hot off a big weekend sale, Best Buy isn’t slowing down with the deals this week. The retailer just kicked off a 24-hour flash sale, offering markdowns on 4K TVs, home audio equipment, wireless earbuds, smart devices, and more. You have through the end of today to take advantage of any flash deals.

Though video games aren’t directly featured in the flash sale, it’s worth calling out a few of the game deals available at Best Buy right now before we get into the non-gaming deals, as there’s some good stuff on offer. PS4’s The Last of Us Part 2 is sticking to its Black Friday price of $30, while the Switch ports of BioShock: The Collection and XCOM 2 Collection are $20 each (note that you’ll need a microSD card for these due to file size). PS5 owners can snag Mortal Kombat 11’s Ultimate Edition for $10 off, offering the enhanced next-gen version of the game along with MK11: Aftermath and both Kombat Packs. For some hectic couch co-op fun, you can also snag Overcooked: All You Can Eat for $35 on both PS5 and Xbox Series X. This awesome collection gets you both Overcooked games with all of their DLC and some new levels and chefs; plus, online multiplayer has been added to the first Overcooked game.

You can check out some of the highlights from today’s flash sale below, or see the full 24-hour sale at Best Buy.

$160 (was $260)

If you’re looking to improve the audio experience in your TV room, a soundbar is a great way to do so. This Samsung soundbar connects via Bluetooth to your TV to provide a rich surround-sound experience, and the included wireless subwoofer provides deep bass. It’s on sale for $160 today only.

$300 (was $450)

These days, most people are looking to add a 4K TV to their living room, but prices can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. If you’re looking for a solid TV on the budget end of the spectrum, this Westinghouse 58-inch LED 4K TV is equipped with the Roku interface, one of our favorites for streaming Netflix, Disney+, and more. It’s also HDR-compatible and has three HDMI inputs for connecting consoles and more. While this TV doesn’t feature HDMI 2.1 to support a 4K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, it’ll still work just fine for games on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

$180 (was $250)

Even when they’re on sale, AirPods Pro tend to stick above the $200 mark, but you can grab a refurbished pair for $180 today at Best Buy. These are Geek Squad certified refurbished, meaning they’ve been thoroughly cleaned and tested to work and will come in Apple’s original box. AirPods Pro feature active noise-canceling, three ear tip sizes to choose from, and are resistant to sweat and water, making them a very handy accessory for Apple device owners.

$200 (was $350)

Interestingly, today’s Best Buy flash sale includes deals on a bunch of game room equipment. One that caught our eye is this 5-in-1 combo table, which can be set up to play billiards, air hockey, foosball, ping pong, and basketball. This is a 48-inch table, so it’s a lot smaller than the tables on which you’d normally play some of these games, but it could work really well in small spaces or for kids.

$250, comes with free Ecobee Switch+ Smart Light Switch

Best Buy is giving away a free Ecobee Switch+ smart light switch ($80 value) when you buy a smart thermostat today. The Ecobee smart themostat features voice control and automatically detects whether you’re in the room, adjusting the temperature for comfort when you’re present and reducing the energy use when you’re away, which can help lower your energy bills. You can also control the thermostat from anywhere using the Ecobee app. Meanwhile, the smart light switch is compatible with Amazon Alexa, letting you control the lights, set a timer, play music, and more. It would also work well as a night light or for outdoor lighting.

$300 (was $400)

Those who like to take their camera on the go may be interested in this GoPro bundle from Best Buy, which has slashed $100 off the price today. The bundle gets you everything you need to take clear photos and capture 4K video clips, including a spare rechargeable battery, a SanDisk 32GB microSD card, a head strap, a mini extension pole/tripod, and, of course, the GoPro Hero 8 HD camera.

Star Trek And Battlestar Galactica’s Ron Moore Wants To Make A Star Wars TV Show

Sci-fi veteran Ron Moore–who is known for his work on Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Outlander–is now working at Disney and has some ideas for a Star Wars show.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Moore said he “would love” to be able to work on a Star Wars TV show under his new eight-figure deal with Disney. He cautioned that it might be some time before it happens because Disney is quite busy with the 10 Star Wars TV shows that the company announced back in December.

Still, Moore said he hopes to be able to do it someday. As fans may recall, Moore was working on a live-action Star Wars TV show with George Lucas many years ago, but it fell apart.

“I would love to do something in that franchise. It was fun to go work on the abortive live-action show that I did way back when,” he said of this project. “I got a tremendous amount of thrill of writing lines for Darth Vader in one episode and it would be fun to do that again. It’s just not the first piece of development I’m doing over there but hopefully I’ll be allowed to do that at some point.”

Moore said he does not currently have a “fully formed” pitch that he could bring to Disney for a new Star Wars show, but he said he has “a couple of notions in the back of my head.”

“Ideas and arenas that I think would be fun to poke around the corners of the Star Wars universe, yes,” he said.

Next up for Moore is an intriguing-sounding Magic Kingdom TV universe for Disney+. Moore is also working on an adaptation of Swiss Family Robinson for Disney+ with Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) as part of his deal with Disney.

As for the other Star Wars TV shows in the works, these include live-action programs such as Rangers of the New Republic, Ahsoka, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lando, The Acolyte, The Book of Boba Fett, as well as animated shows like The Bad Batch, Visions, and Droid Story. Check out GameSpot’s extended coverage to find out more about the 10 new Star Wars shows.

Tom Holland Is A Big Fan Of WandaVision — “I Am Obsessed”

Marvel’s WandaVision has lots of fans, and among them is Spider-Man actor Tom Holland. He told Collider that he is “obsessed” with the Disney+ TV show. The show is stuffed with secrets and mysteries, and this puts him in a tricky position because he’s currently filming the next Spider-Man movie and has Marvel boss Kevin Feige nearby to ask about his theories.

But he can’t, or won’t, do this because, well, Feige probably wouldn’t tell him anyway given Holland’s propensity for spoiling Marvel secrets.

“It’s so difficult because obviously I’m on a Marvel set at the moment. So all of the producers are there, and I could just go up to Kevin Feige and be like, ‘So what happens? What’s going on?'” Holland said. “It’s really difficult for me to not ask the questions I want the answers to, but I’m loving it. And I think, honestly, it’s for me, my favorite Marvel thing I’ve seen, because it really makes you think about, ‘What am I watching? What’s going to happen? Where are they going to take this?'”

Holland went on to say that he enjoys how new WandaVision episodes come out every week instead of all at once. “I think it requires the caliber and the quality of the show to be better because you need to keep people engaged for a longer period of time. So I’m loving it. I’m absolutely loving it,” he said.

We’ll see Holland next in the Apple TV+ film Cherry, which was directed by Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo and debuts in March. The movie tells the story of a former soldier with an addiction to pain pills who robs banks and commits crimes to pay for his habit.

As for WandaVision, you can check out GameSpot’s breakdown of everything that happened in WandaVision Episode 7.

Netflix True Crime Doc Murder Among The Mormons Releases First Trailer

Netflix has announced Murder Among the Mormons, an upcoming three-part true-crime documentary series that provides the “the first comprehensive look at one of the most shocking crimes to have ever taken place among the Mormon community and the criminal mastermind behind it all.” The limited series doc hits Netflix on March 3.

Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and Tyler Measom (An Honest Liar), the film examines a run of three bombings in 1985 that killed two people, severely injured another, “and shocked Salt Lake City.” Of the original events, the official synopsis explains that “the murders send further shockwaves through the community when a trove of early Mormon letters and diaries are found destroyed in the vehicle of the third victim… [these documents] threatened to shake the very foundations of Mormonism.”

Murder Among the Mormons is executive produced by Hess and Measom, plus Joe Berlinger (Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich) and Ryan O’Dowd (senior VP of entertainment development at BBC Studios). Of the documentary, O’Dowd recently told The Hollywood Reporter: “For the first time in more than three decades, Murder Among the Mormons illuminates a dark chapter when a series of deadly pipe bombs had a profound impact on an entire community of faith.”

Sony to Offer Ratchet & Clank PS4 Entirely for Free Next Month

Sony is bringing back its Play At Home initiative, offering select games and entertainment for free from March through June.

First up, Ratchet & Clank (2016) will be free for all PlayStation 4 and 5 owners throughout March, including players who do not subscribe to PlayStation Plus. Sony says once you redeem the game, it is yours to keep with no time limit attached.

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Beginning March 25, for a limited time, anime streaming services Funimation and Wakanim will offer extended access for new subscribers in supported countries. For Funimation, the offer is available in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The Wakanim offer is available in most of Western and Northern Europe.

Those are the only offers Sony has currently announced for the second round of the Play At Home initiative. Last April, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey were available for free for a limited time.

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In IGN’s Ratchet & Clank PS4 review, we called the game amazing, saying it is, “a culmination of everything Insomniac has done with the series over the past 14 years.”

The Ratchet & Clank PS4 reboot is free just three months ahead of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s June 11 release date. Developer Insomniac Games says the PS5-exclusive sequel is a great place to start if you’ve never played a Ratchet & Clank game, but it will include deeper connections to previous games.

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The developers say Rift Apart, “showcases what’s possible for games designed around PS5’s ultra-high speed SSD and DualSense wireless controller.”

For more, you can check out our Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart preorder guide. Or, you can learn about the new Ratchet and Clank animated short that is unrelated to Rift Apart.

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Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN’s weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

How to Watch IGN’s Black History Month Charity Stream

With February comes a month-long commemoration of Black History. It’s an essential time of year for raising awareness of important causes and honoring all the spectacular contributions the Black community has made to our society — from science and tech to music, art, and so much more. In honor of that, IGN invites you to celebrate this occasion with us during our Black History Month charity stream. We’ll be hanging out with talented Black creators, entertainers, and friends while raising money for an important cause. If you don’t want to miss out on the fun, here’s everything you need to know to join in.

What Cause Are We Raising Funds For?

During IGN’s Black History Month charity stream, we’ll be raising funds for an organization called Gameheads which features a tech program aimed at diversifying the video game industry through teaching youth of color and youth from low-income households about game design, development, and DevOps.

Check out the Gameheads official website for more information.

Where Can I Watch IGN’s Black History Month Charity Stream?

If you’d like to join us, you can watch our charity stream here, on the IGN homepage, and across all of our main social media channels listed below:

IGN’s Black History Month Charity Stream Schedule

We have two main events planned for our charity stream:

Black Women in Gaming and Entertainment Panel

1:30pm PST | 4:30pm EST | 9:30pm GMT

A panel with incredible women in the industry talking about various topics related to gaming and entertainment.

Hosted by Khalilah Alston
Joined by Special Guests:

  • Jay-Ann Lopez, Founder at Black Girl Gamers
  • Allegra Frank, Senior Editor at Slate
  • Gita Jackson, Staff Writer at Motherboard
  • Jeannail “Cuddle_Core”, Pro Tekken 7 player at EQNXGaming
  • Riana Manuel, Senior Manager and Brand Marketing at G4TV

Among Us Charity Stream

2pm PST | 5pm EST | 10pm GMT

A casual stream playing Among Us and raising funds with some friends!

Hosted by Akeem Lawanson
Joined by Special Guests:

  • Blessing Adeoye Jr., Host/Producer at KindaFunny
  • Echo Kellum, Actor/Comedian, Mr. Incredible from CW’s Arrow
  • Shofu, Musician and Twitch Influencer
  • Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter at Mashable
  • Krystina Arielle, Host at Star Wars The High Republic Show
  • JazzyGuns, YouTube Streamer and Content Creator
  • EbonixSims, Twitch Influencer and Co-Founder of Black Twitch UK

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Xbox Games With Gold Free Games For March 2021 Revealed

February is winding down, so it’s almost time for a new batch of Games with Gold freebies for Xbox Live subscribers. Microsoft has unveiled the four free games joining the Games with Gold program in March: Warface: Breakout, VALA: Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse, Metal Slug 3, and Port Royale 3. Like usual, there are a pair of Xbox One games and two older games that are playable via backwards compatibility.

Warface: Breakout is a tactical first-person shooter that released last year. It’s a spin-off of the MMO Warface based on the Planet the Bomb game mode. The squad-based FPS doesn’t have a ton of content yet, but if you’re a fan of the genre it may be worth checking out. Warface: Breakout is free all throughout March.

The other Xbox One freebie is certainly a silly game, and that’s not all too surprising given its name. VALA: Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse is a top-down mech shooter in which llamas have caused the apocalypse. It features local co-op for up to four players and has a roguelike loop. Each run is different, but yes, llamas stand in your way every time you suit up. Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse will be free from March 16 to April 15.

The pair of backwards-compatible Xbox 360 freebies are arguably stronger than the Xbox One titles this month. You can snag SNK’s classic run-and-gun Metal Slug 3 from March 1 to March 15. In the back half of the month, pirate simulation game Port Royale 3 will be up for grabs.

March’s freebies are fairly underwhelming compared to the current slate. If you haven’t secured February’s Games with Gold freebies, you still have until the end of the month to add Resident Evil, Gears 5, and Lost Planet 2 to your library. Dandara: Trials of Fear edition will be free until March 15, too.

Free Games with Gold for March 2021

  • Warface: Breakout: March 1-31
  • VALA: Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse: March 16-April 15
  • Metal Slug 3: March 1-15
  • Port Royale 3: March 16-31

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Headed To PS5, Xbox Series X, And Nintendo Switch

Activision has formally announced that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch this year.

The PlayStation and Xbox versions arrive on March 26, while the Switch edition doesn’t have a specific release date but is confirmed for 2021.

Activision is promising a “variety of upgrades,” including 120FPS/1080p and 60FPS/4K visuals, along with spatial audio and other enhancements for the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox versions. The Switch edition, meanwhile, won’t have these impressive frame rates and graphics, it seems, but the big appeal is you can play it on the go.

“High-fidelity atmospherics will be added to the next-gen upgrade for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2,” reads a line from its description. “This unique graphical feature will allow players to enjoy the experience of sharper dynamic shadows, reflections and lens flares, as well as enhanced skater textures and more on next-gen consoles.”

People who already bought a digital copy of the game for PS4 or Xbox One–or a disc version on PS4–can upgrade to the same console family with all of your progress at no cost, except in Japan where this will cost 100 Yen. Note that this seemingly only applies to the deluxe edition, and that this offer doesn’t seem to be available for the disc version on Xbox One.

Activision will also sell a “Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle” that costs $10 more. This comes with a new skater, Ripper, along with retro gear for the Create-A-Skater mode, along with retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Rudney Mullen.

You can check out the full upgrade FAQ on Activision’s website if you have questions about your specific situation.

Activision also confirmed in its press release that the social media back-and-forth between Tony Hawk himself and the Twitter accounts for Crash and Nintendo was an intentional marketing ploy.

The announcement of Pro Skater 1 + 2 for new platforms follows the news that Activision is bringing Crash 4 to the same systems also in March.

Pro Skater 1 + 2 originally released in September and it became the fastest game in the entire Tony Hawk series to reach 1 million units sold. The game was developed by Vicarious Visions, which is now making the Diablo II remaster for Blizzard. It’s not immediately clear which studio is handling the next-gen console and Switch ports of Pro Skater 1 and 2.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.