The Mandalorian often sends its characters, Din Djarin and The Child, down side quest after side quest without revealing much about the core story–namely, the mysteries surrounding the character that has come to be known among fans as “Baby Yoda.” That changed this week when Mando encountered a character who Star Wars fans know well–the Jedi (depending who you ask) Ahsoka Tano (played for the first time in live action by Rosario Dawson, as the rumors claimed)–and she finally dropped some major revelations about Baby Yoda.
Chief among them: Baby Yoda’s name, which Ahsoka revealed is “Grogu.” Let that sink in before you keep reading. “Grogu.” Say it out loud a few times. Really chew on it. There you go. Yeah. OK.
In addition to The Child’s name, Ahsoka revealed that Grogu was in training at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant before the fall of the Jedi Order. He was taken from the Temple, and his memory becomes dark after that, according to Ahsoka. But at the very least, this explains why Grogu is proficient with The Force, though the Jedi pointed out that he’s been suppressing his abilities to keep a low profile.
It may be hard to imagine a literal baby being trained in the ways of the Force, although you have to keep in mind that Grogu is apparently decades old.
David S. Goyer has been attached to some major films over the last 20 years–including the Dark Knight trilogy, Batman v Superman, and Terminator: Dark Fate–but in games, he’s best known for his work on the Call of Duty: Black Ops series. Goyer has story credits on Black Ops and Black Ops II, and he was brought back for Black Ops Cold War, the latest game in the series. Now, in an interview on the official Call of Duty blog, Goyer has explained some of the philosophy behind his work on the series.
Reflecting on the first two Black Ops games, Goyer said that he had been excited to move into games when he was invited to do a script polish for the original. “I think the game was about two thirds of the way finished at that point, and I punched up the script and I made some other suggestions,” he recalls. “It was fascinating for me–it was just a different medium in the way that you convey exposition is entirely different.”
After that, he was asked to be involved in Black Ops II “from the ground up,” and he was able to get some interesting storytelling choices through. “I love the idea that there are multiple endings that can be achieved, depending on the moral choices that I make throughout the game,” “he says. It was something that I was really pleased to see that Treyarch and Raven were continuing on with this new game. I liked the idea that actions have consequences.”
Black Ops II and Black Ops Cold War ended up having the most variable plots in the series, and Cold War is the first time the series has let players create their own protagonist. Goyer says this presented some new challenges. “Every time someone plays, it’s going to be a little different because of that, and characters respond in a slightly different way,” he says. “When we were working on the scripts, we needed to come up with six different responses to something, but that’s part of the fun.”
He believes that letting players make choices like this is one of the things that sets the Black Ops series apart–and also that it allows players to kill or save certain characters depending on their choices. “Yes, we brought back some of the greatest hits characters like Mason and Woods and Hudson, but I think one of the other hallmarks of the franchise is that it’s uncompromising,” he says. “A lot of the missions are rooted in real, deniable operations or things that were exposed with the Freedom of Information Act, and we don’t pull any punches.”
Goyer also looked to real life Black Ops teams and operations for inspiration, and wanted to highlight the diversity of people involved. “There are men and women, agents and assets, from every country and every race that get involved in these operations,” he says. “That was something that we worked hard on in this; to really broaden the palette and broaden the story. So you got characters that have had backgrounds in the Mossad and other kinds of intelligence agencies that are getting involved in the story that, again, bring their own level of authenticity and specificity to the characters.”
The full interview is full of insights, and is worth a read.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game’s campaign earned praise in GameSpot’s 7/10 review. “It’s overall a fun action-movie story that absolutely delivers on the quintessential Black Ops twists and turns, but it ultimately walks back its more interesting and relevant questions–though I was completely invested in the story for the entire duration,” wrote reviewer Kallie Plagge.
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It’s that magical time of the year again, when the deals are plentiful and the prices are just right. Whether it’s a shiny new pair of Apple AirPods, or the stunning Sony1000XM4, we’ve got them here for you plus many more. As Black Friday continues, we’ll surely come across more, so make sure to check back often to see the latest and greatest deals in the audio space.
If you’re serious about PC gaming, you absolutely need to get a great gaming keyboard, preferably mechanical. That added tactile feel makes it way easier to land headshots, select the right spell in the heat of battle, and generally WASD your way to victory in any game. You can also check out all the best Black Friday deals if you need any other goodies.
Plenty of stores have great Black Friday deals on keyboards right now, and we’ve gone and collected the best ones worth browsing over. You can’t go wrong with Logitech, which has an incredible 47% discount on a solid RGB mechanical keyboard. If you don’t care about brand recognition, Rosewill offers a strong 50% discount.
A gaming headset is one of the first accessories you should grab when you get a new console. Headsets are practically a must for multiplayer games, but they’re also great for every type of game, since they typically pinpoint sounds better than TVs. With the PS5 and Xbox Series X now available, it’s the perfect time to pick up a new gaming headset. Luckily, there are a bunch of solid options on sale for Black Friday 2020. We’ve rounded up a handful of the best Black Friday gaming headset deals below. If you’re interested in any of these headset deals, you’ll probably want to grab it as soon as possible, as we’ve been seeing headsets sell out at multiple retailers already. Plus, see our guide to the best PS5 gaming headsets for 2020 for more options if you’re shopping for that platform.
The Razer Kraken Tournament edition is a fantastic universal gaming headset that’s on sale for an even better price. Normally $100, Amazon is releasing the Kraken for only $55. It boasts 7.1 surround sound and has a noise-canceling mic. The cushions are infused with cooling gel to help them remain comfortable throughout lengthy gaming sessions. The Kraken Tournament edition is compatible with every major platform, including PS5 and Xbox Series X.
SteelSeries makes some of the highest performing and most comfortable gaming headsets on the market today. The Arctis 5 wired headset is no exception. It boasts 7.1 virtual surround sound that pinpoints audio to provide an immersive listening experience. The Arctis 5 also has RGB lighting on the ear cups to give it some extra style points. The Arctis 5 is compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC and is available for $30 off at Best Buy for Black Friday.
Another headset that supports every major platform, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Pro is a great choice for those looking for stellar sound without spending a ton of money. Best Buy has knocked $30 off the price of the Alpha Pro for Black Friday. HyperX’s Alpha series has unique drivers that help differentiate sounds to keep everything crystal clear. The Alpha Pro is compatible with PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
The Astro A40 is one of the best universal headsets around. Not only does it feature studio-quality stereo sound, but it’s extremely comfortable thanks to its soft ear cushions and well-designed headband. The A40 TR is on sale for $30 off at Amazon, dropping it down to a great price for those looking for a top-of-the-line headset for PS5 or Xbox Series X.
PC gamers searching for a great wireless headset can save $50 on the Logitech G935 at Amazon. The G935 has high-quality 50mm drivers and headphone-optimized surround sound with positional audio. It can run for 12 hours on a full charge or 8 hours if you have RGB lighting enabled. The included Logitech G hub software lets you customize sound and lighting settings to your liking.
If you’re a Turtle Beach fan, you can pick up the Recon 200 for only $30 at Amazon. Considering this wired headset with solid sound quality is compatible with both of the new consoles–Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5–this is a really nice deal that’s worth scooping up.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history earlier this year with a record-breaking stream of Among Us, and now she’s gearing up for another round. This time, AOC will play in a stream organized by Jagmeet Singh, leader of the Canadian New Democratic Party.
Singh tweeted out news of the stream, which is set to happen on Friday, November 27 at 4PM PT (7PM ET). Streamers Ryan Letourneau and Hasanabi will also be taking part.
You can digitally RSVP for the stream through the New Democratic Party’s site, and receive a notification when the stream is set to begin. It hasn’t yet been announced whether the stream will be raising funds or raising awareness for any organization or cause, but it seems likely.
This is the first time that Singh has organized a stream, but it’s an increasingly popular way for politicians to connect with constituents, especially this year with so many stuck inside due to COVID-19. Last time, AOC streamed alongside US House Representative Ilhan Omar, and viewers were encouraged to make a voting plan. This stream is, of course, happening on the other side of the US presidential election.
Greedfall has been a big success, and now developer Spiders is looking to upgrade the game for the next generation of consoles. Greedfall will receive an update for PS5 and Xbox Series X, complete with new content.
In a tweet, the official Greedfall account announced that the game is coming to next-gen after selling over 1 million copies. This is a major milestone for the game, which has been so successful that it greatly boosted publisher Focus Interactive’s profits.
GreedFall has sold over one million copies worldwide. Thank you so much for making the journey this incredible 💖! Following our community’s feedback, Teer Fradee is now coming to next-gen consoles and getting new additional content. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/hM4lcoR5Pn
The game, a pirate-centric action RPG, is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The developer previously made The Technomancer.
Whether or not the next-gen version will be available as a free upgrade for existing owners isn’t immediately clear, but that’s been the norm for most games during this transition period. It’s also not clear if Xbox One and PS4 owners will receive this new content, or if it’ll be next-gen specific.
Greedfall earned a 5/10 in GameSpot’s review. “Because Greedfall is so cavalier about its colonialist themes, and because it plays it safe by sticking so closely to the template of open-world RPGs, it doesn’t really feel revelatory in any way,” wrote reviewer Khee Hoon Chan.
This deal is sold by reputable Ebay seller pro-distributing and comes with free shipping. Limited quantities are available and, at the time of publication, more than 2,300 customers have already taken advantage of this deal.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a spinoff prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It tells the story 100 years prior to the events of Breath of the Wild, chronicling the Great Calamity that leads to the prolonged period of darkness and ruin across Hyrule.
While Age of Calamity shares the same map as Breath of the Wild, it’s a linear adventure with a standard mission structure. Developed by Koei Tecmo, Age of Calamity follows the tradition of its predecessor Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. Despite the fact that it ties into Breath of the Wild, don’t expect a traditional Zelda experience. Age of Calamity is a hack-and-slash adventure that regularly sees Link and pals fighting off hundreds of enemies at once.
I’ve been playing Age of Calamity since launch and have really enjoyed it so far. Each character has a unique playstyle, and the combat offers a great mix of button-mashing and strategy.
The Amazon Black Friday 2020 sale is here once again, bringing literally thousands of discounts across all of the store’s categories and first-party products. Chances are, you’ll find deals for nearly everything on your wishlist at Amazon this week, so it’s a great opportunity to get your holiday shopping done (and treat yourself too).
Amazon has been offering holiday deals all month, but its Black Friday sale is officially live now, running through this Friday, November 27. This week, you’ll find Black Friday markdowns on PS4 exclusives, Xbox titles, PC accessories, and a ton of other products across gaming, tech, and any category you can think of. Unfortunately, the Switch deals are lacking–you won’t find any great first-party Switch deals here, as they’ve already sold out–but there are still a few Switch game deals to be found. Though Amazon doesn’t tend to beat other stores on pricing, it will usually price-match the best deals available elsewhere. That’s not always the case with this year’s Black Friday game deals–we’re seeing a lot of deals exclusive to GameStop or Walmart, for instance–but for those loyal Amazon Prime shoppers, there are still plenty of great offers to take advantage of.
Here’s a look at some of the best Black Friday 2020 deals at Amazon this year. Keep in mind some of the best deals sold out quickly, and more products will sell out by the time Black Friday is over and done with, so don’t wait too long if something catches your eye.
Ghost of Tsushima was the last PS4 exclusive to release before the PS5’s launch, and this epic samurai adventure is down to $40 for Black Friday. The stealth-action game is set during the Mongol invasion of Japan and follows samurai Jin Sakai as he fights to reclaim his homeland.
Though divisive, The Last of Us Part II was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases of 2020. This post-apocalyptic sequel brings the story of Ellie and Joel to a violent, emotional conclusion, and it’s on sale for just $30 this week.
Captain America and Iron Man may be household names at this point, but this year’s Marvel’s Avengers game put a lesser-known protagonist, Kamala Khan (aka Ms. Marvel), front and center. However, you’ll be able to play as not only Ms. Marvel but also favorites like Black Widow and the Hulk, and more heroes are being added to the game post-launch. Marvel’s Avengers is on sale for $27, which is more than worth it to experience the game’s fantastic single-player campaign.
Ubisoft’s hacker-adventure franchise is back with Watch Dogs Legion, which released in October. Set in a post-Brexit London, Watch Dogs Legion lets you recruit any NPC–yes, anyone–to your team, with each character bringing a unique backstory and skillset. Legion is just $30 this week, and that includes the PS5-specific version of the game as well.
Horizon Zero Dawn was one of the best games of the PS4 console generation, and with Horizon Forbidden West on the way sometime in 2021, now’s a great time to pick it up and see what this post-apocalyptic action game with robot dinosaurs is all about. Several PlayStation hits are going for $10 on Amazon this week, but Horizon is one of the few not included for free in the PlayStation Plus Collection, so it’s worth snagging on sale. This Complete Edition gets you the excellent Frozen Wilds DLC as well.
This is probably one of the most underrated game deals you’ll see this Black Friday. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim released worldwide in September and tells one of the most fascinating, intriguing stories we’ve seen in a video game this year. Combining real-time strategy battles with visual novel-esque adventure segments where you explore different characters’ stories, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games.
Sega’s speedy blue hedgehog is about to celebrate his 30th anniversary next year, so why not celebrate early with the Sonic Mania + Team Sonic Racing double pack? On sale for $30 during Black Friday, the double pack combines two great Sonic games. Sonic Mania delivers a classic Sonic platforming experience with gorgeous pixel graphics, while Team Sonic Racing lets you race as your favorite characters from the series.
If you’re looking for PS Plus deals this Black Friday, you should know this isn’t the best price on PS Plus you can find right now. Over at Ebay, you can buy 12-month PS Plus subscriptions for less than $35. But if you don’t feel comfortable buying from Ebay, Amazon has 12-month subscriptions for $45 during Black Friday. These subscriptions can be stacked, which means current members can take advantage of the discount and save long-term.
A slew of Razer peripherals are on sale for Black Friday, and one of the best deals available so far is for the popular BlackWidow Elite mechanical gaming keyboard. The version with tactile and clicky green switches is on sale for just $85–its best price ever on Amazon. This is a great keyboard option for PC gamers, featuring an ergonomic wrist pad, programmable macros, and customizable RGB lighting.
One of Razer’s most popular gaming mice, the Razer Viper, features in Amazon’s Black Friday sale as well. The wireless Razer Viper Ultimate features a low-latency wireless connection, an ambidextrous design, and optical mouse switches for greater precision and speed. It’s $50 off this week only.
The Razer Kraken gaming headset comes in multiple shades and styles, but during Black Friday, you can save 30 bucks on the Quartz Pink Kraken headset. While the shade is perfect for those with a pink- or pastel-themed gaming setup, the Kraken is also a fantastic solid gaming headset in its own right, delivering great sound and a comfortable fit for an affordable price.
PowerA makes some of our favorite third-party accessories, and its line of enhanced wireless Switch controllers are great budget alternatives to the pricey Switch Pro Controller. These wireless controllers come in dozens of eye-catching designs, and six of them are on sale for Black Friday. They feature Bluetooth connectivity, button mapping, and a comfortable ergonomic design, but keep in mind they use AA batteries. If you need a backup controller or one to pull out for multiplayer sessions, this is a great option.
The recently released 4th generation Echo Dot is on sale for a new low price this Black Friday. You can get the model with the digital clock for only $39, which is more than $20 off. That’s a stellar deal for a versatile smart speaker that happens to have the best Echo Dot design yet–the spherical shape helps sound travel throughout the room. Alternatively, you can get the same Echo Dot without a clock for $29.
Amazon’s popular Fire TV Stick line is discounted for Black Friday, including the 4K model at just $30. Streaming devices are practically essential nowadays if you don’t have a smart TV, as they offer access to all of your favorite streaming services. The Fire TV Stick 4K happens to be one of the best streaming devices, and you can’t beat this deal.
If you’re looking for a TV to pair with your new PS5 or Xbox Series X, this Samsung model is a fantastic option. The Samsung 55-inch QLED 4K Smart TV has a stunning true 4K picture with HDR. It also has Alexa built-in and features instant and convenient access to streaming services.
Amazon has a really good deal on one of the cooler Marvel Lego sets. Right now, you can save $30 on the Avengers Ultimate Quinjet kit. The 838-piece build comes with six minifigures: Rocket, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and a pair of Chitauri. The ship has multiple shooters as well as a functional cockpit and passenger seat.
While used as storage for a variety of devices including cameras, microSD cards are a particularly vital Nintendo Switch accessory. With an onboard storage capacity of only 32GB, most Switch users are bound to run out of space. That’s where a microSD card comes in. Amazon has SanDisk Ultra 128GB microSD cards discounted to only $15.
Sega’s mini retro console is down to $50 in Amazon’s Black Friday sale, and though this isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen it at, it’s still a solid buy for those who want to replay the classic games of their childhood. The Genesis Mini comes preloaded with 42 games, such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Castlevania: Bloodlines, and includes two wired controllers as well.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a great way to snag some of the most iconic 3D Mario games all on one system. It’s also on sale this Black Friday 2020. Between Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy this collection can provide hours of classic 3D platforming fun and now you can grab it at a discount!
Deals on Super Mario 3D All Stars are available on both Amazon and Walmart. You can snag it for $50 at both retailers. Note that this deal is specifically for the physical version of the game, digital codes are regular price on the Switch eShop. 3D All Stars is a limited-time release, and will only be available to purchase until March 31, 2021. This ties the best price we’ve seen on the collection, so don’t sleep on this deal!
“3D All-Stars presents the three classics in their original, unvarnished forms. Outside of modified controls to better suit the Switch hardware, Nintendo has not altered the content of these games, so they arrive on Switch with all of their original highlights and blemishes intact. As such, the appeal of this collection hinges entirely on the strength of the games themselves, and they have all weathered the test of time with varying degrees of grace,” Kevin Knezevic said in GameSpot’s Super Mario 3D All Stars review. If you’re looking to catch up on some staples of gaming history and culture, this is an easy way to do it.
We’re covering Black Friday 2020 news and deals through Thanksgiving weekend and into Cyber Monday, so keep it locked here. And if you’re looking for even more savings, check out our roundup of the best Black Friday gaming deals available this year, including the best deals for PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X, and Nintendo Switch.
