Author: Trafficblast

Rust: Console Edition Delayed

Developer Double Eleven has announced that the console port of Rust has been delayed. Originally scheduled for an Xbox One and PS4 release in 2020, Double Eleven was faced with new challenges as it transitioned to a work from home environment in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc across the world.

This also led to a lengthy period of silence in which very little was revealed for Rust: Console Edition, with Double Eleven explaining that it lacked anything meaningful to share publicly.

“As a company in 2020, a year that has brought very challenging times for many, we’ve felt very fortunate to be able to keep doing what we love,” the developer explained in a blog post. “We’ve always had some remote workers but moving the entire company home to keep everyone safe has presented challenges as we’ve found new ways to work with each other in the new normal that this year had in store for us.”

The full PC version of Rust was released in 2018 after having spent five years in Steam Early Access, although it didn’t score too well at the time due to its repetitive gameplay resulting in an unfulfilling experience. “Its lack of survival depth and inclination to only reward time served instead of clever play saps whatever life it might have had to give,” critic Alessandro Barbosa said in his Rust review.

When Rust does eventually arrive on the older generation of consoles, it’ll likely also be playable on PS5/Xbox Series X|S through backwards compatibility.

Now Playing: Rust – A Typical Outing Gameplay

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Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Game Re-Releases In January

It’s been a full decade since the raucous Scott Pilgrim vs. The World crashed onto silver screens to rave reviews and disappointing ticket sales. However, as many fans of the movie know well, the game based on the movie was quite successful in its own right, though it was delisted from online gaming services in 2014. Now, we finally have a date for the game’s re-release, and it’s January 14, 2021.

Ubisoft previously confirmed that a re-release of the game was in the works back in September, after original creator Bryan Lee O’Malley and the film’s director Edgar Wright both publicly called for its restoration. The release date was shared on the official Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Facebook page, and the game was originally scheduled for holiday 2020.

This Complete Edition will be a remaster of the original game that includes both of its DLC packs, which added Knives Chau and Wallace Wells as playable characters. The game will cost $15, and will be available for PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a love letter to old-school beat ’em ups, particularly the NES classic River City Ransom. Since the game’s release, other River City-inspired beat ’em ups have been released, particularly the acclaimed River City Girls. The Scott Pilgrim game is also notable for its soundtrack, which was performed and composed by popular chiptune band Anamanaguchi.

Now Playing: Scott Pilgrim The Game Returns, Prince Of Persia Remake, Immortals Fenyx Rising | Save State

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Call Of Duty: Warzone Exploit Allows You To Create Unlimited Juggernaut Suits

Activate a Juggernaut suit in Call of Duty: Warzone and you’ll transform into an almost unstoppable titan armed with a minigun that can shred through players. Originally available within Warzone in limited-time events, Juggernaut suits were added to regular modes within the game at the start of Season 6. Players have now uncovered a way to spawn an unlimited number of Juggernaut suits by precisely exploiting a killstreak.

YouTuber Cable711 detailed the duplication method, which involves unlocking one of the suits through a special Easter egg in Warzone’s subway system. With a Juggernaut suit and a killstreak in your inventory, you can create Juggernaut canisters on the ground by activating the suit power-up and a killstreak at the same time.

It requires deft timing, but if done correctly you’ll be able to spawn several suit canisters.

Throw one of the canisters, and a Juggernaut suit will be parachuted to your location for use inside of the game. Cable711 managed to create around 14 of these canisters within a matter of minutes and also noted that the exploit can be triggered anywhere else in the Warzone map provided that you have the items and timing necessary to pull it off. Players have already begun streamlining the process for obtaining duplicate Juggernaut killstreaks, which has resulted in a substantial increase in the armored behemoths roaming around the Warzone map. Activision has yet to reveal if a fix for the exploit is in development.

In other Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone news, the Season 1 content drop that was scheduled for a December 10 release date has been delayed to December 16. Warzone will continue to exist alongside Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer and will receive several Cold War elements, such as 30 weapons, different Blueprint versions, a brand-new map, and a new mode.

Now Playing: Call Of Duty: Warzone Video Review

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GTA 5’s New Cayo Perico Heist Update Adds Social Space With Real DJs, Dancing, And More

Grand Theft Auto V‘s latest update to the Online mode is a big one. The Cayo Perico Heist is GTA Online’s biggest ever expansion, and it’s launching on December 15. Rockstar Games has now announced a few more details about it, beginning with its new social space, The Music Locker.

The Music Locker is a literal underground music club that is located beneath the Diamond Casino and Resort. Real-life DJs will perform “residencies” at the club, including Moodymann, Keinemusik, and Palms Trax.

In addition to stopping by to catch a set, players can experience new gameplay features like the ability to dance with a partner. There is also a set of new dance moves. No word yet on if you can take part in a dance-off, but we sure hope that’s included.

Everyone can visit The Music Locker for free, but you need to own a Penthouse at the Diamond Casino and Resort to get into the VIP section. It’s not immediately clear what awaits players there.

The Cayo Perico Heist also introduces more radio stations, updates to existing radio stations, new DJs, and more music. Outside of the music-themed updates, the update adds a new island where players can take part in the daring new heist of the expansion’s name. Notably, this is the first heist that can be played solo, though you also have the opportunity to join up with three other players as in the past.

GTA Online is just the latest big game to get involved with virtual concerts for real-world artists, following in the footsteps of Fortnite, Roblox, and others who have hosted gigs for performers such as Travis Scott, Lil Nas X, and others.

GTA Online continues to be very popular, many years after release. As such, Rockstar is releasing a standalone version of GTA Online in 2021, first on PS5 and then for other platforms. Also coming in 2021 is a new version of GTA 5 made specifically for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Rockstar’s latest game, Red Dead Redemption 2, recently launched a standalone version of its own multiplayer mode.

Now Playing: GTA Online – The Cayo Perico Heist Trailer

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Roald Dahl’s Family Quietly Issues Apology For His Anti-Semitic Remarks

With a new Roald Dahl adaption always seemingly right around the corner–most recently the Anne Hathaway-led reboot of The Witches on HBO Max–the author’s anti-Semitic views are often resurfaced even 30 years after his death, leading critics to question whether his works should continue to be adapted. Now, the author’s estate has quietly issued a statement apologizing for those remarks, as they “stand in marked contrast to the man we knew.”

With the Witches now released on HBO Max after the COVID-19 pandemic canned plans for a theatrical release, the Dahl estate is looking towards future adaptations. The most recently announced is an animated series based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, set to be helmed by New Zealand director Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) for Netflix.

As reported on Deadline, Dahl’s anti-Semitic comments have led to backlash against the author even after his death, with the Royal Mint citing those remarks in its decision to cancel plans for a commemorative Roald Dahl coin.

Dahl spoke about his anti-Semitic views in an interview with the New Statesman in 1983, and later doubled down on those remarks in a 1990 article in The Independent.

The statement on the Roald Dahl official website is the first time the remarks have been acknowledged or addressed by the author’s estate, though the statement was released without fanfare, and requires scrolling through the home page’s “All about Roald” menu to access.

“The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl’s statements,” the apology reads. “Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl’s stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations. We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words.”

Microsoft’s Holiday Ad For 2020 Is All About The Games (And Puppies)

We’ve reached the time of the year when all the big companies start dropping their feel-good holiday ads, and Microsoft’s is all about gaming. While the tech giant does plenty outside the world of games, it seems like it’s particularly proud of the gaming segment of the company this year.

The ad shows a family dog trotting around the house to find their family members playing Halo (on a shiny new Xbox Series S), Minecraft, and Microsoft Flight Simulator–as well as one non-gaming product, Microsoft Teams. The puppy then enters those worlds in a dream, joined by a number of their puppy friends. Check it out for yourself:

While the ad does feature an Xbox Series S, the console is mostly in the background, and the Xbox Series X doesn’t seem to have made an appearance at all. It’s a reminder that Microsoft’s focus in the gaming world extends beyond the “console wars” and further into the realm of software–an ambition only furthered this year by a number of high-profile studio acquisitions.

As some of the comments have pointed out, however, Microsoft’s ad can come across as somewhat sad for the puppy, as their human family doesn’t want to stop gaming to give them attention. If you’re lucky enough to enjoy a brand new Xbox this holidays, or playing lots of Minecraft, just remember to set some time aside for your furry family members too.

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Lord Of The Rings: Viggo Mortensen Reveals A Deleted Scene Where He Was Dressed Like An Elf

Actor Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings film series, has revealed that Peter Jackson filmed another scene with Aragorn and Arwen (Liv Tyler) that aimed to show more of their young love, but it was ultimately cut.

Asked by NME if there was any part of Aragorn’s story that he would have liked to explore more, Mortensen referenced a flashback scene with Aragorn and Arwen. Aragorn was dressed like an elf in this scene, he he was clean-shaven and “prettied up” for the flashback sequence.

“There was a scene that we shot as a sort of memory flashback. It was from the courtship days when he first met Arwen–and we shot it just before we were taking a break so I was clean-shaven and prettied up,” he said. “They’d tried to make me look as young as possible. I had different hair and I was dressed like an elf.”

The scene in question featured Aragorn and Arwen walking through a flowery meadow, meant to further demonstrate the love and the bond between the two characters. Mortensen remarked that this was a “beautiful sequence,” but he agreed that it wasn’t essential to telling the story.

“I’ve never seen it but I enjoyed shooting that scene. It’d be nice to see it actually, it’s not in the extended editions either,” Mortensen said.

The recent 4K re-releases of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit do not contain any new scenes or bonus features, but in 2021, the two packages are being bundled together with extra “bonus content.” Whether or not this includes previously unreleased scenes like the one Mortensen is talking about remains to be seen.

Mortensen came to Lord of the Rings very late. Peter Jackson began filming with a different actor, Stuart Townsend, playing Aragorn, but he was replaced by Mortensen who was whisked away to New Zealand to film the trilogy at the last minute.

Aragorn is now one of Mortensen’s most iconic roles. He has also earned Academy Award nominations for his leading roles in Eastern Promises, Captain Fantastic, and Green Book.

No new Lord of the Rings movies have been announced, but Amazon is producing a new TV series. Just recently, the TV show added 20 new cast members.

Activision Slams Netflix With Lawsuit Over Poaching Executive

Gaming giant Activision is taking Netflix to court over what the Call of Duty company says is a pattern of unethical and illegal behaviour on the streaming company’s part for poaching executives. This is all related to Spencer Neumann, the former Activision CFO who left the gaming company in 2018 to join Netflix as its top finance executive.

In its lawsuit, which was obtained by Deadline, Activision said, “Netflix unapologetically recruits talent without regard to its ethical and legal obligations. To shape its workforce to its desires, Netflix not only ruthlessly fires its own employees that it deems ‘adequate,’ but is engaged in a years-long campaign of unlawfully poaching executives from Netflix’s competitors regardless of their contractual obligations.”

Activision claims Netflix is disregarding California law, including the Labor Code, with its actions. According to Activision, Netflix “knowingly induced Neumann to breach his employment contract with Activision.”

“Making matters worse, Netflix engaged in its tortious conduct when Activision–with Neumann’s assistance–was negotiating with Netflix over a commercial partnership to distribute Activision’s linear media content,” Activision said. “Netflix then proceeded to induce Neumann to breach his fiduciary obligations to Activision, thereby obtaining yet another an unfair and unethical advantage over Activision, one of Netflix’s competitors.”

Activision’s lawsuit goes on to say that this behavior with Neumann was not an isolated incident. The gaming company says, “Netflix has a demonstrated pattern of caring only about attracting and employing whoever Netflix wants, regardless of whether it violates the law along the way.”

Activision is seeking a permanent injunction for Netflix for soliciting Activision’s employees who are under contract or from inducing them to break their contracts. Activision also wants to be paid compensatory damages, consequential damages, and punitive and/or statutory damages.

The 30th Halo Novel Will Release In March 2021

Since 2001’s Halo: The Fall of Reach, novels set within the Halo universe have released at a rate of over one a year. On March 2, 2021, Halo: Point of Light will release, and this novel will bring the Halo series up to 30 novels.

Halo: Point of Light ends a trilogy that began with Halo: Smoke and Shadow in 2016, then continued with 2019’s Halo: Renegades. All three books were written by Kelly Gay, who also featured in the Halo: Fractures short story compilation (which is separate from the 30 novels). The novel has been announced on Halo Waypoint.

The book, which will pick up in August 2558, is about Rion and the crew aboard Ace of Spades, as they outrun the fallout from previous books. The Office of Naval Intelligence is after them, and the synopsis provided says that they’ll be “unlocking untold secrets and even deadlier threats that have been hidden away for centuries from an unsuspecting universe.

The novel’s cover image has been designed by William “Pixelflare” Cameron; you can check the art out below.

Halo: Point of Light cover image by William Cameron
Halo: Point of Light cover image by William Cameron

The Halo novel series is made up of various standalone adventures, trilogies (Forerunner Saga, Kilo-Five, A Master Chief Story) and young adult novels (Battle Born and Meridian Divide).

The next Halo fan, Halo Infinite, is releasing in 2021 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. Much is still unknown about the game, which was originally scheduled for the Series X/S launch; developer 343 Industries has said that it will be more communicative with fans in the coming months.

Man Dresses Up Like Will Ferrell’s Elf To Meet Biological Father, Who Hadn’t Seen The Movie

A Maine man recreated the scene from Jon Favreau’s modern classic Christmas movie Elf, dressing up like an elf and greeting his biological father with a song when meeting for the first time.

Doug Henning, who is in his 40s, met his biological father, Raul, for the first time recently at Boston’s Logan Airport dressed up like Will Ferrell’s Buddy the elf, but unfortunately for him, his dad hadn’t seen the movie and didn’t get the joke. Still, it sounds like a pleasant encounter in the Boston.com report.

From the report:

“As Raul, Henning’s father, strode toward him at the airport, Henning broke into Buddy’s familiar song about father and son finding each other. He couldn’t get the whole thing out before Raul wrapped him in a hug.

“When he came out of the airport, he probably thought I was a lunatic,” Henning said. “It was a really good way to break the ice.”

In the movie Elf, Buddy grew up on the North Pole in Santa’s village. In this story, Henning was raised by his adoptive parents, but he was interested in learning more about his life, so he used Ancestry.com to get answers.

A cousin eventually sent him an email, and connected him with one of his biological sisters. This sister then put him in touch with his father, who, like James Caan’s character in Elf, did not know he had a son.

Everyone involved got a COVID-19 test, and then Raul got onto a plane to visit Henning in Boston where they had the meet-up. As it happens, Henning had only seen Elf just days before meeting his father; watching the film prompted him to dress up to recreate the scene.

Check out the full story at Boston.com, and be sure to watch the video there, too, as it may warm your heart.

2003’s Elf was a big success at the box office (it earned $223 million at the global box office against a $33 million budget), and it’s always very popular around the holidays, but a sequel was never made. According to Caan, Ferrell and Favreau clashed, and this is one of the reasons why the sequel never got off the ground.