Author: Trafficblast

Pokemon Go Makes It A Little Easier To Get Mega Energy

Mega Evolutions made their debut in Pokemon Go back in August, and since then, developer Niantic has been fine-tuning the feature to make it easier for more players to enjoy. Last month, the studio outlined a slate of changes it planned to implement in the game soon, and now some of those adjustments have gone live.

Most notably, you can now earn Mega Energy by walking with a Buddy Pokemon, provided you’ve previously Mega-Evolved a Pokemon in your Buddy’s evolutionary line. Before this, the only way to obtain Mega Energy was either by participating in Mega Raid Battles or completing certain Research tasks, so this change gives you a handy new option for collecting the energy.

That isn’t the only change that has been implemented. Players can now also earn extra Candy when they have an active Mega-Evolved Pokemon and catch another monster of the same type. You can read more about the changes on the official Pokemon website.

In other news, Pokemon Go recently added the ability to directly transfer monsters to the Pokemon Home service. The feature is currently available for players who are at least level 24, but Niantic is gradually rolling it out to new users. We broke down the whole process in our guide on how to transfer from Pokemon Go to Pokemon Home. Players who bring a monster over from the mobile game will also receive a Gigantamax-capable Melmetal as a free present in Pokemon Home.

Niantic still has a number of November events in store for the game. This month, the studio is holding two Community Days, the first of which features Electabuzz and takes place this Sunday, November 15. The Legendary Pokemon Lugia is also appearing in Raids until November 16, when it’ll be replaced by the Swords of Justice: Terrakion, Cobalion, and Virizion.

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“No Threat Identified” At Evacuated Ubisoft Montreal Office, Following Police Operation

A police tactical intervention team is involved in an operation at Ubisoft Montreal headquarters. Although it was originally reported as a hostage situation by news outlets, official statements from authorities have not indicated that is the case. A tweet from the Montreal police says that it is responding to a 911 call and advises people to stay away from the area, but notes that no injuries have been reported thus far.

In the most recent statement, Montreal police said, “No threat has been identified for now. We are currently evacuating the building.”

Ubisoft has employees working both from home and from the office. Eric Pope, community developer on Hyper Scape, said he was on a call with employees who had to “leave abruptly.” Pope also pointed out seeing his team on the roof via the news, supporting the report that some employees fled through the roof exit. Another employee on Twitter said, “team here is safe,” but colleagues in another building are “still stuck.” Subsequent news footage showed people being evacuated from the building and loaded into a bus by police.

Montreal police have requested that civilians stay clear of the area near the corner of Saint-Laurent and St-Viateur.

Ubisoft issued a statement to GameSpot: “We are aware of the situation and working with local authorities.”

This story is developing.

McFarlane’s Newest DC Multiverse Figures Are Some Of Its Best Yet

McFarlane Toys has had the DC license for almost a year now, with some of its biggest releases to come at the beginning of 2021. This fall gave us the likes of Azrael from the White Knight Universe and Dark Nights: Metal Batman, which are quite impressive. It’s good to see McFarlane take advantage of the slew of new characters in the past five years, even if they are just different Batman variations and give fans a slice of something new.

For the rest of 2020 and early January, fans are going to be able to get Flash and Batman-Earth 52 two-pack, Flashpoint Batman, and Jason Todd as the Red Hood. McFarlane Toys provided Gamespot with some of the recent releases, and some sneak peeks at what’s to come.

$39

This two-pack recently released and is just one of the two-packs in these upcoming waves. The Flash packaged here does some slight variations from his single pack version: he has a very angry face and is lacking the Speed Force effects. Both figures have the same level of articulation except in one spot: the waist. With the Flash, his lightning belt takes away that particular point of movement. Red Death’s costume, however, removes that detail and is able to actually turn his waist.

The real star here is Red Death. No question. Originally, It seemed McFarlane Toys just heavily altered a Flash figure, but no, even the body sculpt is different. Red is exponentially more shredded than Barry, but he does have the same thigh molding as you can see Flash’s ribbing underneath his razor piping décor. Red’s legs have a completely different molding to be more true to his comic book form and have a more sheen finish compared to Barry’s flatter yellows.

His bladed features all have the same glossy finish, which is a nice texture break from this more matted finish with the dark maroon base. Red’s head sculpt came out nicely too, with a solid paint job helping those colors pop. The FlashBat symbol has a semi-metallic finish, but it could have used a stronger finish.

$20

Thomas Wayne makes his action figure debut, sort of. While there was a Real Action Heroes 1:6 scale released a few years ago, this is something more accessible for collectors and fans. Also, it’s one incredible upgrade.

The head sculpt is pretty standard and has the silhouette of a Batman, but the added wrinkles and the paint job really set this one apart. The cowl has a semi-gloss finish with the red eyes having a full gloss finish and catches light easily. The stubble for his beard is a nice touch that shows his age without going overboard. His cape has a matte feel to it, but almost a sandy look on the outside, so it can capture some light and you can see the folds and drapes of it. On the inside, it’s definitely a flatter color which brings out the red more of his costume.

His bat symbol spans across his chest. It’s really striking up against the gunmetal grey of his bodysuit. The gauntlets are chunkier than the standard fair of other Batmen and have dings and cracks that indicate battle damage. The guns he comes with have a scratchy paint detail instead of an all-black direction.

The boots, much like his gauntlets, have battle damage in the sculpt. There are scrapes, bullet holes, and dents to really show you he’s been through the wringer (which if you’ve read Flashpoint, you’ll understand why). This has been one of the sharpest releases all year long.

Price TBD

Now McFarlane announced the Nightwing with the red crest and Red Hood two-pack already, but the single-packed Red Hood was a bit of a surprise. So, let’s take a look at just Red Hood as the Nightwing, while is a great figure if you’ve missed out on the black and blue version. But it’s simply just that: a repaint.

Red Hood is all-new, built from the ground up, and maybe a candidate for the figure of the year. His chrome-finished helmet captures your attention immediately. His brown jacket as a rubbery feel to it that kind of mimics the feel of leather. It’s soft in comparison to the tactical gear he’s sporting. The high collar does get in the way of his head movements, but nothing too serious. However, the torso can’t turn around easily because of the jacket length. His waist is fine though, but a little difficult to maneuver eventually. Once you get him going though, it gets easier.

His guns use the same mold from the Flashpoint Batman’s but they have a silver metallic paint job as well as small bats on the barrel of the pistol. The rest of Jason’s costume has a matte black look with his bat symbol having a matching texture. The bodysuit sculpt and his padding, all the way down to the details of his boots, feels very realistic with nothing feeling out of place. The holsters have a strip across them tied to his belt and have a satin finish, with his belt buckle having metal plates. The small color breaks really help the design.

The Nightwing and Red Hood two-pack is on pre-order now, with a release date in early January 2021. The single pack Red Hood should be out sometime in December 2020.

Note: Red Hood is not available as a single figure yet, but the two-pack featuring that figure and Nightwing is available on Target for $40.

Best Black Friday 2020 Xbox Series X And Xbox One Deals

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

We’re less than two weeks away from Black Friday 2020, and we’re already seeing a large number of deals that gamers can expect. Retailers like GameStop, Best Buy, and Target have released their Black Friday 2020 ads, and Xbox players can expect quite a few games and accessories on sale during the big sale week. There are also a number of deals on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the subscription service that gets you Game Pass for console and PC, Xbox Live Gold, EA Access, and more for one monthly cost. Keep in mind these deals aren’t live just yet–the key start dates to know are below.

  • GameStop: Online deals for Xbox games begin November 25 at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT. You can shop deals in-store starting November 27. GameStop’s Black Friday sale ends November 29.
  • Best Buy: Online deals run from November 22 to November 29. You can head to your local Best Buy store to shop for deals November 27-29.
  • Walmart: November 25-29
  • Target: November 22-28

If you’re still looking to buy the Xbox Series X or S, some retailers will have stock on Black Friday. GameStop will have a limited number of Series X and S units available in stores, while Walmart will restock online sometime during the event.

Turning Off PS5 Is Different Than PS4: Here’s How To Do It

The PlayStation 5 is out now in most regions and launches on November 19 worldwide. Those upgrading have some new features to look forward to, including the DualSense’s haptics. And while there are quite a few differences, turning off the PS5 console may be a puzzling one.

This is because the PlayStation Button on PlayStation 5 operates differently than it does on PlayStation 4. The DualShock 4’s button, when tapped, takes you to your home screen. This is where you see tiles of your games, with the most-recently played displayed first. Holding the button brings up the quick menu overlay, where you can navigate down to Power to restart the PS4, put it in rest mode, or turn the console off completely. Power can also be accessed through the home screen by navigating to the top icons and scrolling to the right.

To access the quick menu overlay on PlayStation 5, though, you must tap the PS Button on the DualSense–not hold it. Holding the button brings up the home screen where you scroll through your games. You can access Power from the home screen, too. But to reach the quick menu overlay to turn the PS5 off, the DualSense’s PS Button has to be tapped.

Of course, the PS4 and PS5 have physical buttons, so you could get up and simply touch the Power button on both consoles to turn them off. But sometimes the convenience is good.

Now that the PlayStation 5 is out, the consensus is in: It’s a powerful machine that takes up a large amount of space. In our PlayStation 5 review, editor Mat Paget said, “With what we’ve seen so far from the console’s hardware, and games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Astro’s Playroom, this next generation has the potential to be great for PlayStation. And I’m excited to see it.”

Now Playing: PlayStation 5 Video Review

Big Mouth Season 4 Sets Premiere Date, Releases Trailer

Everyone’s favorite puberty-themed cartoon, Netflix’s Big Mouth, has released an official trailer for Season 4 and set a December 4 premiere date. What to expect? Well, the kids are still making their way through the treacherous winding road to sexual maturity and growing up–but this time on summer break they’re sent off to summer camp.

A synopsis gives an overview that shades things in only slightly more than what can be gleaned from the clip: “On the brink of eighth grade, the friends contend with summer camp torments, shady alter egos, new make-out frontiers and Tito the Anxiety Mosquito.” Check the trailer out below.

Instantly recognizable as new guest stars in this Season 4 trailer are John Oliver and Seth Rogen. Josie Totah, Lena Waithe, Quinta Brunson, Sterling K. Brown, Paul Giamatti, Maya Erskine, and Anna Konkle are also expected to make appearances.

As previously announced, comedian Ayo Edebiri will be replacing comedian Jenny Slate as the voice actor playing Missy on the show. Due to the show’s production schedule, Edebiri will be taking over the role on the second-to-last episode of this upcoming season. She also joined the show as a writer, and has been involved in writing Season 5.

In other Big Mouth universe news, comedian John Mulaney, who voices Andrew Glouberman, announced this week that he will be joining Seth Meyers’ Late Night writing staff.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Main Location Is a Huge Historical Coincidence

Ravensthorpe, the Viking settlement that players build and customise in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, is a fictional place invented by Ubisoft’s writers. Except it isn’t all that fictional after all: Ravensthorpe is actually a real place in England, and the developers had no idea until a few months before the game launched.

In AC Valhalla, the fictional settlement of Ravensthorpe is located in the middle of England’s central kingdom, Mercia. “We chose the name Ravensthorpe because Eivor’s clan was the Raven clan, and Thorpe means ‘farmland’… and we set the settlement in the middle of Mercia so it was centrally located on the map,” explained Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Narrative Director, Darby McDevitt, in a thread about the discovery on Reddit.

Ravensthorpe RealThe real Ravensthorpe, meanwhile, is a village in Northamptonshire. It may not have originated as a Viking settlement, but in its position just slightly south east of Coventry, it is pretty much in the middle of England. “We had NO idea that there was a real Ravensthorpe in exactly this location in real life, until a few months ago,” said McDevitt. “Granted there is no river running by the real Ravensthorpe, but a lot can happen in 1000 years. Rivers change courses.”

Ravensthorpe ACVIt’s an absurd coincidence, and one that certainly has amused the Reddit users who brought the topic up. Northamptonshire. However, this village isn’t the only place called Ravensthorpe in England; type the name into Wikipedia and you’ll easily find that Ravensthorpe is also a district in West Yorkshire, an area in Peterborough, and a historic manor in North Yorkshire. None of these appear to be Viking/Assassin settlements established by Eivor, though.

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For more on Ubisoft’s latest, check out our Assassin’s Creed Valhalla review, which is one of the best PS5 and Xbox Series X launch games. If you’re playing already, check out our pick of the essential abilities and when you can find them.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Fresh Prince Reunion Sets HBO Max Release Date With New Trailer

The Fresh Prince reunion on HBO Max finally has a release date: November 19. The streaming service tweeted a two-minute trailer for the reunion, which gives a nice solid overview for what to expect and a sense of the tone. Check it out below.

The unscripted reunion was filmed on September 10 and looks to be an informal roundtable on the original set. Returning cast members include Will Smith, Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Alfonso Riberio. Noticeably absent from the list is James Avery–who played family patriarch Philip Banks–who died in 2013. HBO Max is reportedly teasing appearances by additional “special surprise guests.” A fun bit of trivia about the September 10 date–that is literally 30 years after Fresh Prince first premiered on NBC in 1990.

Marcus Raboy (music videos for Ice Cube, Naughty By Nature, and countless artists since 1991) directed the special. Showrunner Rikki Hughes executive produced alongside Miguel Melendez, Lukas Kaiser, and Brad Haugen for Westbrook Media.

The other big Will Smith project on the horizon is Bel-Air, a dramatic re-interpretation of The Fresh Prince. Getting off the ground due to the popularity of a YouTube video imagining what such a series might be like, Smith quickly swooped in to collaborate with filmmaker Morgan Cooper, who created the clip in March 2019. Bel-Air was picked up by Peacock for two seasons.

Next-Gen Launch Week Special: Phil Spencer + Demon’s Souls

It’s PS5 and Xbox Series X/S launch week, and to celebrate, the Generation Next team have a bumper launch special for you to feast your eyes on.

First up, Tamoor interviewed Xbox boss Phil Spencer, so we show some choice cuts from the discussion, including what Halo Infinite’s delay has meant to Xbox, a lack of first-party showpiece games for the Xbox Series X/S, the platform’s presence in the Asian market, and, of course, some Elden Ring chat. We also finally ask Phil what he thinks of the nicknames Big Phil and Phil Sponsors, and he picks his favourite.

But that’s not all! We finally get to spend some time with Bluepoint Games’ Demon’s Souls remake, and Tam shares his early review impressions (spoilers, they’re very positive). Generation Next isn’t going anywhere now that the consoles are out, so keep a look out for it next Friday, and if you’re getting a new console this weekend, enjoy!

Cyberpunk 2077’s Next Night City Wire Stream Is All About Keanu Reeves

November 19 should’ve been a big day for CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, but after a last-minute delay you’ll have to wait a few more weeks to get your hands on the open-world role-playing game. Instead, you can look forward to getting possibly your final glimpse of the game before it hits shelves.

In its fifth entry in the Night City Wire series of streams, CD Projekt Red is diving into the character Johnny Silverhand, played by the breathtaking Keanu Reeves. Given Silverhand’s origins in cyberpunk rock, the stream will also touch on some of the game’s soundtrack and more.

One of the reported reasons for Cyberpunk 2077’s original delay from September to its previous November date was performance on the oldest consoles it supports, with the Xbox One and PS4 versions supposedly needing more work. CD Projekt Red didn’t directly respond to that report, but still hasn’t explicitly shown footage of the game running on those consoles.

Cyberpunk 2077 has a lot going on with its several districts, trio of character prologues, and different styles of play. It’s also dense with existing lore that might be useful to catch up on before launch, which you can easily do with our running Cyberpunk 2077 series of lore deep-dives.

Cyberpunk 2077 launches on December 10 for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Google Stadia. It will be playable on Xbox Series X, Series S, and PS5 through backwards-compatibility, with next-gen specific patches coming later in 2021.

Now Playing: What Cyberpunk’s Delay Means For Next-Gen

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