Author: Trafficblast

MLB The Show 21 is heading to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on April 20. You read that right, this year marks the first time the previously PlayStation-exclusive franchise is branching out and appearing on Xbox consoles as well. The game will be available in a standard edition and a collector’s edition, but the collector’s edition won’t be announced until February 3. The standard edition is available for preorder now (see it at Best Buy).

Note that, unlike many games released during this transition period between console generations, there is no upgrade path between previous-gen and next-gen consoles. Sony says to wait for details about the collector’s edition to arrive on February 3 to learn more about it.

Preorder MLB The Show 21

Best Buy

• Get it for PS4 – $59.99
• Get it for PS5 – $69.99
• Get it for Xbox One – $59.99
• Get it for Xbox Series X – $69.99

PlayStation Store

• Get it for PS4 – $59.99
• Get it for PS5 – $69.99

Microsoft Store

• Get it for Xbox One – $59.99
• Get it for Xbox Series X|S – $69.99

You’ll notice that the pricing is in line with that of Sony’s previous cross-generation games: the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game will cost $59.99, while the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will cost $69.99

MLB The Show 21 Preorder Bonus

Preorder a digital copy of the game from the Microsoft Store or PlayStation Store, and you’ll receive the following digital items:

PS4 and Xbox One

• 10 The Show Packs

PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

• 10 The Show Packs
• 5,000 Stubs

What’s New in MLB The Show 21?

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For starters, the cover athlete this time around is Fernando “El Nino” Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres.

In addition to appearing on Xbox platforms for the first time, MLB The Show 21 will feature cross-platform multiplayer, so you can play against anyone, regardless of what console they’re using. It also supports “cross progression,” which lets you pick up where you left off on another platform, even if it’s a different console generation.

As for what new features MLB The Show 21 will have, we don’t have much to go on. The game’s official description says it will offer modes for players of all skill levels. It will include Road to the Show and Diamond Dynasty. You’ll also be able to play as new Legends. The development team says additional information will be presented in six “Feature Premier” streams, the first of which will arrive in March. So stay tuned.

Other Preorder Guides

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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Apex Legends Season 8 launches on February 2, and it’s bringing a brand new battle pass to the game, along with the grenade-oriented new character Fuse. A new trailer shows off some of the loot you can claim as part of that new battle pass, and fans of Lifeline and Bangalore aren’t going to be disappointed.

If you’re in it for the skins, the two main attractions here are the Lifeline Legendary skin Bad to the Bone and the Bangalore Legendary skin Radical Action. Those unlock at level 25 and 50 respectively. The DMR X-1 Reactive Longbow is the reward for hauling it all the way to level 100, so if you’re big on sniper rifles, you can start counting levels.

Other rewards in the pass include new music packs, loading screens, quips, and the fan-favorite skydive emotes. Wraith’s portal dive and Pathfinder’s bird swing are both shown off in the trailer, and they’re particularly amusing. Season 8 will also add a new lever-action rifle called the 30-30 Repeater, as well as nerfing Wraith and buffing Rampart. Check out the full patch notes if you want more details.

Originally scheduled as a day-one PS5 launch exclusive, Lucid Games’ Destruction AllStars was pushed into February for a planned debut as a PlayStation Plus game. And ss Lucid and Sony XDEV team members tell IGN, the delay was in part to properly allow for that PS Plus launch, with the added benefit of making some adjustments that might have needed to wait for post-launch updates.

“It made sense [to delay and go to PS Plus] just as a predominantly online multiplayer game. It absolutely made sense to go out to that widest audience possible. And what better way to do that than to the PlayStation Plus audience,” XDEV Senior Producer John MacLaughlin told IGN in an interview ahead of AllStars’ launch. MacLaughlin also noted that the developers have taken that time to prep their backend and servers accordingly to handle the potentially larger audience.

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And AllStars Game Director Colin Berry noted how the move was something the Lucid and XDEV teams were eager to pursue. When it became a reality, it meant the team could prep for a launch that gives this new franchise its “best possible chance to succeed.”

“It gives us the most people playing it, the most eyes on it, which means we get the most feedback, not just in terms of raw data and analytics, but we get feedback from the player saying, ‘We love this character and we want more of this.’ Or, ‘We like this or this isn’t quite working how we wanted because the balance of this.’”

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And that decision to delay to allow for a launch via PS Plus, which entitles all subscribers of the service to a copy of AllStars, makes a lot of sense when considering there are over 40 million PS Plus subscribers by Sony’s last announced count, which gives this brand new franchise quite the built-in audience. But Berry also explained how the delay did give the team time to make adjustments that will benefit players as they jump right into the car combat action.

“One of the main things that we polished in that time period was, um, the onboarding, the messaging of the game rules to people,” Berry said. “We had a couple of systems in for the tutorial that were working, but we knew it wasn’t quite right. We knew we had plans for post-launch, we’ll do this and we’ll do this. And then suddenly, we don’t have to wait for post-launch now, let’s get all that stuff in.”

Players will be able to see just what awaits them shortly, as Destruction AllStars will be available as a PS5 exclusive on February 2. For more on this week’s PS5 exclusive release, check out the latest on Destruction AllStars’ modes, currency, and more.

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Jonathon Dornbush is IGN’s Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

HBO Max has revealed Batman: The Audio Adventures, which is a comedic take on the Caped Crusader featuring Jeffrey Wright as the voice of the Dark Knight.

This news comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter, which also reports that longtime Saturday Night Live writer, Dennis McNicholas, will write and direct the multi-episode podcast series. It will hit HBO Max sometime in 2021 and is being produced under the Warner Bros. Blue Ribbon Content banner.

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McNicholas’ history with SNL shines through in the cast of this podcast, which is filled with SNL alum amongst others. Alongside Wright, who will voice the titular character, the audio cast includes Rosario Dawson, who has voiced Wonder Woman in previous DC projects and Batgirl/Barbara Gordon in The LEGO Batman Movie, Seth Myers, Jason Sudeikis, Alan Tudyk, Chris Parnell, Melissa Villaseñor, Kenan Thompson, Heidi Gardner, Brooke Shields, Tim Meadows, Fred Armisen, Brent Spiner, John Leguizamo, Ike Barinholtz, Bobby Moynihan, Paul Scheer, Ray Wise, Ben Rodgers, Katie Rich, Pete Schultz, Paula Pell, Toby Huss, and McNicholas as well.

Who these actors are voicing has not yet been announced. Details regarding the plot of Batman: The Audio Adventures are unknown at this time, but it is meant to be a more comedic take on the otherwise very-dark Dark Knight, which is reflected in the SNL-centric cast.

McNicholas is producing the podcast with Angela Petrella and Justice League producer, Jon Berg, will serve as the executive producer. The podcast is expected to launch this year on HBO Max.

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While this will be Wright’s first time stepping into the Batsuit, it’s not his first stroll through Gotham. He’s playing James Gordon in the upcoming Matt Reeves-directed movie, The Batman, which stars Rob Pattinson in the role of a Batman earlier in his career. While waiting for Wright’s Batman podcast, check out the first trailer for The Batman and then watch this video breaking down every clue hidden within that trailer.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

The 2018 God of War is getting a free PS5 upgrade, and it’s coming extremely soon. Starting tomorrow, February 2, you can download the patch for the enhanced version, which gives the game a nice graphical upgrade.

According to a blog, the PS4 Pro lets you choose between performance or resolution. The impending patch will replace that option with one a new default that offers both. It will run at 60 FPS in 4K checkerboard resolution at 2160p. You’ll still have the option to choose “Original Performance Experience” to run the game at 4K with 30 FPS.

God of War was already known for its impressive visuals, and a few of the glimpses of this upgrade look even nicer. The blog shows two images: a colorful forest, and Kratos climbing a mountainside.

God of War is included as part of the PlayStation Plus Collection on PS5. That selection of notable PS4 games is available for all PS5 owners who are also PS Plus members. The collection includes more than 20 games in all, some of which have already gotten graphic upgrade patches for PS5.