Bungie is making a number of changes to Destiny 2 starting in its upcoming season, adjusting how content will be dished out and how you’ll earn rewards when you log in. Starting in the next content season, Bungie is doing away with its weekly bounty system that requires players to sign in and complete certain objectives within a week in order to gain certain rewards, including premium currency.
The latest This Week At Bungie blog runs down how Destiny 2 will change starting with the next content season, which kicks off on February 9. Currently, players can log in each week and pick up weekly bounties from various in-game vendors, which reward experience points and Bright Dust, one of Destiny 2’s premium currencies, upon completion. You only have a week to knock out those bounties once you have them, and if you want to maximize both your XP gains (which controls your climb to rewards on Destiny 2’s season pass) and your Bright Dust gains, you need to play every week.
Bungie is changing out that system for a new one called Seasonal Challenges. New challenges unlock each week through the first 10 weeks of a new season, giving players objectives to chase across a variety of activities. Instead of expiring each week, however, the challenges pile up and last until the end of the season, so you can skip a week or two (or more) and still come back to the game and earn your rewards.
We previously heard about how Bungie is changing its seasonal activities this year to reduce “FOMO,” or fear of missing out, among players who might leave the game and come back after long stretches. In the last two years, Destiny 2’s seasonal model added new activities to the game every few months, but those activities would only persist in the game until the next season started. That ends this year, when new events will kick off with every new season, but they won’t be removed from the game when a new season ends–at least, not until the next expansion is released in November.
The reward changes for seasons are also aimed at combatting FOMO and making it easier for players who aren’t able to log in each week. Bungie also said the seasonal challenge model is meant to give players who only have one character in Destiny 2 equal footing as those who have three. Seasonal challenges cover all characters on an account, so you won’t need to log in with each of three characters every week to complete the same bounties to earn full rewards.
While seasonal challenges will persist throughout a season and some will continue to be available as long as their corresponding seasonal activities are still in the game, you’ll still have to claim your challenges before the end of a given content season. So you won’t be able to get experience or Bright Dust from challenges from the previous season once a new one starts.
While seasonal activities will hang around long-term, there’s at least one thing that won’t be back this year; that’s Crimson Days, Destiny 2’s Valentine’s Day holiday event. The event usually features a special Doubles Crucible mode, in which teams made up of two players take each other on, as well as some Valentine’s-themed rewards. Bungie wrote that the quality of Crimson Days hasn’t been up to its standards in recent years, and so the holiday event is going into its “Content Vault” for the time being.
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As reported by Eurogamer, Capcom is taking down videos online with Resident Evil Village leaks. These aren’t just clips from The Maiden Resident Evil Village demo, but entirely new scenes showcasing encounters with Resident Evil Village’s popular Lady Alcina Dimitrescu.
These leaks, which we won’t detail here, are reportedly from a developer build of Resident Evil Village, likely related to the massive Capcom data hack.
Last November, Capcom was the victim of a massive ransomware attack from a group called the Ragnar Locker hacker group. The hackers claimed to have stolen a trove of information, including files and internal documents and demanded an $11 million bitcoin ransom.
The company’s upcoming release calendar and potentially 390,000 items of personal information were reportedly compromised. Despite this, Capcom has said there was “limited impact” from the attack and that an investigation into damages is ongoing.
That said, fans looking to stay free of Resident Evil Village spoilers should be extra cautious going forward. Leaks for major video games have seemingly increased in recent years as parts of Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us Part 2 were both leaked ahead of the official release dates.
George Clooney has reportedly come aboard to executive produce and possibly star in Buck Rogers, the planned Legendary limited series based on the iconic sci-fi hero.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, George Clooney will executive produce Buck Rogers along with his Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov. The trade cautions, however, that there’s no acting deal set yet for Clooney.
Should the Legendary series prove a success then THR claims an anime off-shoot will follow.
As originally conceived by Philip Francis Nowlan back in 1928, Buck Rogers is a U.S. military pilot who falls into a coma after being exposed to gas and wakes up in the 25th century. A comic strip and pulp fixture, Buck — along with allies Wilma Deering and Dr. Huer — fought cosmic villains such as the Mongols, Killer Kane, and Ardala.
Buck Rogers has previously been portrayed in a 12-part serial by Buster Crabbe and in a short-lived 1950s TV series by three different actors (Earl Hammond, Kem Dibbs, and Robert Pastene). Gil Gerard then played the title role in the 1979-81 TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
Titans began with one Robin and quickly added another, and the second season ended with none. Titans Season 3 is set to remedy that as a third Robin, Tim Drake, joins the cast.
Actor Jay Lycurgo will recur during third season of Titans as Tim Drake, a third Robin who followed in the footsteps of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. According to Variety, HBO describes Drake as a “streetwise kid who’s managed to grow up on the toughest streets without losing his indelible belief in heroism.” He has an easy-going demeanor and a near-genius mind that allows him to excel as a detective.
This is interesting as it both seems to diverge from the comic book version of Drake while feeling pretty similar to Jason Todd as portrayed in Titans Season 2 by Curran Walters. While Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) was the first Robin and has been working through the trauma that came with that, Todd stepped into the role with a chip on his shoulder. As he hid out with Deathstroke’s daughter Rose, Todd tells her of his history of being abused and having to fend for himself while committing petty crimes before Bruce Wayne, adopter of child soldiers, took him in.
The Tim Drake of the comics, meanwhile, grew up wealthy, with often absent archaeologist parents, priming him to be both self-reliant and detail-oriented. How the show will resolve the conflict between the similarities and differences remains to be seen.
Also up in the air is exactly where Tim Drake fits into Batman’s chronology. In Titans, Bruce Wayne is played by 59-year-old Iain Glen, who gives the character a fatherly feel but puts him in his later years as a vigilante. He sent Jason Todd to hang out with the Titans to cool off his rebellious attitude, though Dick Grayson’s habitual lying ended up having the opposite effect, with Todd set to become the vengeful, gun-toting Red Hood in the third season. It doesn’t seem like Drake would have had time to even settle in as Robin #3 before appearing on the show.
Back to the actor, Jay Lycurgo. Interestingly, his time as Tim Drake won’t be his first time witnessing Batman in action. The actor also appears in the trailer for the upcoming Batman movie directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson. We’re willing to bet he’s not playing Tim Drake in that movie, but the DC multiverse makes just about anything possible. The actor also appeared in HBO’s I May Destroy You, making this his third project with WarnerMedia.
Titans Season 3 does not yet have a release date, but it does have a much bigger cast. In addition to Curran’s heel turn toward the Red Hood, the series will includeBarbara Gordon as former Batgirl and current Gotham City Police Commissioner and Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as Scarecrow.
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The Offer is an upcoming ten-episode series that takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the iconic film The Godfather. Now, the Paramount+ series has lost its star. Armie Hammer, who had previously signed on to play Al Ruddy, the producer of the film, has exited the project.
The news comes from Variety as Hammer is alleged to have sent graphic messages to women online, some of which alluded to fantasies about abuse and cannibalism. None of the messages are verified to have been sent by Hammer and, in a statement via Variety, he said, “I’m not responding to these bulls*** claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic. Lionsgate is supporting me in this and I’m grateful to them for that.”
The movie filming in the Dominican Republic is Shotgun Wedding, which he was set to star in alongside Jennifer Lopez. Josh Duhamel (Transformers) is believed to be replacing him in the role.
A replacement has not been found for The Offer. The series was first announced in late 2020 as the rebranding of CBS All Access into Paramount+ was revealed. Among the other shows in the works for the streaming service is a reboot of the VH1 documentary series Behind the Music. No other information about The Offer, including a potential cast or release date, has been announced.
To get ready for the biggest day in football, the NFL and Rocket League are teaming up to bring the Super Bowl LV Celebration event to Rocket League. The event will run from February 2-8 and will introduce a brand-new game mode, Event Challenges, and the return of the NFL Fan Pack.
Gridiron is the new limited-time game mode that transforms Champions Field into a football field for a four versus four match that mimics American football rules with a Rocket League twist. Instead of the regular Rocket League ball, Gridiron will have a replica of an American football which will stick to the top of your car when you touch it, rather than sticking to wherever you made contact like in Spike Rush mode.
Also in keeping with football rules, goals will be worth either three or seven points; goals will be worth seven points if the ball is attached to a player’s car when entering the opponents goals, and three points if the ball is passed or otherwise loose to score. You’ll also be able to jump, though double jumping will cause you to drop the ball; passing by dodging will be enabled as well. Demos will still require Supersonic speed just like in standard modes, and you’ll have to stay within the bounds marked around the Arena or you’ll fumble the ball.
With those rules in mind, players can participate in Event Challenges which can unlock 20,000 XP, the Gridiron Guru player title, and NFL Wheels. These challenges will run the length of the event, as will the NFL Fan Pack’s return to the item shop. The Fan Pack contains Octane decals for all 32 NFL teams and will return to the in-game store’s shelves for 800 credits. You’ll be able to apply your favorite team’s decal to your car and hit the field in style.
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Note: This post contains some light spoilers for Hitman 3, so read on at your own risk.
Thanks to early looks at Hitman 3, we knew its second mission included a full-on murder mystery that takes place in an English manor, nestled right in the middle of your own intentions to commit a murder. What we didn’t know was just how intricate that mystery would be–or how much detail it would include about the family at the center of it all.
Though the last three Hitman games tell a tale of intrigue of their own, that story is mostly relegated to moments in between missions, providing loose reasoning to venture to each of its massive, dense locations. At Thornbridge Manor in Hitman 3, you’re looking to eliminate matriarch Alexa Carlisle because she’s a part of the Illuminati-like organization known as Providence. That’s enough to get you through the mansion’s door, but the story within it is a self-contained glimpse at Alexa and her family, and it mostly exists just to help you learn when you can get a chance to take Alexa out without being seen.
But that summary of what Hitman 3 and its predecessors are like, from a writing standpoint, is largely incomplete. A striking thing about the last three Hitman games that doesn’t get discussed much is how much deep, interesting, often hilarious dialogue there is within its missions. Most of it serves a utilitarian function–almost everything you learn about where your assassination targets will be or how you’ll be able to take them down comes to you from overhearing conversations. But what’s often overlooked is how fun that dialogue can be.
You can learn a great deal of fascinating, tragic information about Alexa Carlisle if you’re willing to search for it.
Thornbridge Manor is a great example of Hitman’s often stellar writing. Solving the mystery requires you to investigate the various members of the Carlisle family to figure out who killed Zachary, Alexa’s brother. Listening in on the members of the family gives you a lot of insight into their personalities and individual stories, though–much more than you actually need to know to accomplish your goals. Spend a little time wandering Thornbridge and you’ll discover all sorts of things about the Carlisle family that helps flesh out a picture of this group of people, even as they exist purely to facilitate clever assassination opportunities.
Alexa has three adult children: Gregory, Edward, and Rebecca. You learn quickly that Alexa has been a fairly awful mother to her children–she’s incredibly critical and cold, and each of the kids has reacted in their own way to the lack of a loving parent in their lives. Gregory is sarcastic and rude, always needling everyone around him (and his wife is hated by the staff because she’s already trying to take over Thornbridge following the murder). The bookish Edward, a professor, went the opposite way, meek and anxious about how his mother will react to everything he does. Despite being a talented piano player, a published author, and a successful professor, he feels like a failure, and his neediness ruined his marriage–so much so that his ex-wife has a restraining order against him because he just won’t leave her alone. Rebecca took over the Carlisle media empire, and she responded to her mother by developing a workaholic drive. In the wake of the murder (and the fact that Alexa faked her death to dodge the assassination you’re about to commit), Rebecca is already suspicious of what’s going on with her mother and is chasing up leads like a dogged journalist.
You learn almost all of this (and a lot more about Alexa, Zachary, and their family history that I won’t spoil) largely from overhearing conversations. The knowledge you gain in Thornbridge and how you share it makes for some pretty drastic changes to the outcome of the mission, providing you opportunities to assassinate your target–or create alternative outcomes that don’t require you to pull a metaphorical trigger. What you learn about each family member doesn’t really matter outside of the mission, and yet it’s enough to paint them all as three-dimensional characters and more than just NPCs walking around on loops so you can get them out of sight and knock them out.
Had this amazing moment in Hitman 3. I was blending in when suddenly this women starts talk to 47 about relationship troubles with a friend and he gives her advice. It’s just a really nice moment in an otherwise very goofy game about killing people with a banana. pic.twitter.com/9UMLPm6348
Hitman 3, in particular, does a great job with its ambient dialogue and the various conversations you’ll overhear, but there are plenty of gems in the last two games, as well. These games are often discussed for their comedy, but that comedy is almost always about the goofy things you can do in the game–how you can ragdoll enemies off the sides of buildings with exploding rubber duckies or trick every guard in a building into running to the same puddle with a lamp cord lying in it, falling in an ever-growing heap of electrocuted henchmen. But there’s a huge amount of hilarious stuff in Hitman that comes through purely in the writing, in the way conversations are used to give you information.
In 2016’s Hitman, you head to an exclusive hospital and spa in Hokkaido, Japan, to hunt two super-rich targets. One of those targets has booked the on-site yoga instructor for the entire day, and you can impersonate him as a chance to get one-on-one with your prey. Sneak up on the instructor, and you hear him on the phone, talking about an injury he’s suffered.
“Terry, it’s John,” the instructor says as you listen. “I tried that pose we talked about, Destroyer of the Universe? I guess I pulled something back there. So listen, I need you to call the office. Say you’re my brother, make up some family emergency that I have to fly home for right now. Listen, I know you’re only twelve, but you can do this. No, don’t go get Mom, Terry. Terry–Terry!”
Yes, the yoga instructor’s conversation is all about letting you know that he’s injured and can’t head to his appointment, leaving you the opportunity to take his place. But developer IO Interactive finds ways to make sitting and listening to a guy say he pulled a muscle in his butt and can’t work today not just interesting, but hilarious. And it does this all the time, coming up with compelling reasons for characters to give away the combinations of safes, to talk about where important keys are stashed, or to explain why they’re about to wander into a secluded area with their back turned to the only path along which someone with malicious intent might sneak up on them.
There’s a ton of comedy in Hitman, much of it easy to miss completely.
Some of the best dialogue is deployed in fleshing out the characters you ultimately murder. Every Hitman mission has targets wandering around waiting for you to kill them, but even the formula of “extremely rich person walking from place to place with a lot of bodyguards on-hand” changes each time you face it if you stick around to watch or listen in on targets. In Hitman 3, for instance, you can expose one such rich person, a lawyer, to lethal consequences by informing his wife about how he completely tanked her career in order to win a court case. Listening to conversations between the couple, and other people at the party, fill in the gaps about just how devoted the couple is to one another–so when you finally slip the wife some information about how her husband betrayed her, you understand why she would react by shoving him off a balcony in a fit of rage.
There are plenty of other examples, like the father and daughter you can reunite (before you kill the father) in Hitman 3’s first mission, or the rival researchers you can put at odds to give you a chance at both of them in its fourth level. Throughout the game and both the 2016 and 2018 games that came before it, there’s dialogue that’s funny, poignant, and tragic. There are characters that you ultimately assassinate who largely deserve it–and who are also nuanced. A huge part of what makes the Hitman games work is that they’re so full of moving parts, carefully crafted intricacies, and smart writing to add realism, heart, and humor to it all. Hitman 3 and its predecessors carry a hundred tiny stories scattered throughout their levels, and they’re absolutely worth hearing.
Super Mario Bros. 35‘s first collaborative event has ended, and it was a success. The event tasked players with cumulatively defeating 3.5 million Bowsers, and they exceeded that goal, defeating 5,363,696 Bowsers in total.
As a reward for surpassing the event goal, everyone who participated and defeated at least one Bowser during the event will receive 350 Platinum points in their My Nintendo account. These points can be redeemed for rewards on the My Nintendo website, including various physical items like the recently added Splatoon 2 Mario keychain set (although that is temporarily out of stock).
Here are the results for the 1st World Count Challenge in #SuperMarioBros35! A total of 5,363,696 Bowsers were defeated! Congratulations, everyone! All participants who defeated at least one Bowser will receive 350 My Nintendo Platinum Points gifted to their accounts! pic.twitter.com/K6AzrxJqvw
Nintendo plans to hold two more World Count Challenge events in February and March. Details about those have not been announced yet, however.
In the meantime, another Special Battle event is kicking off in the game soon. This event is called the Limited-World Battle, and it features random stages taken only from Worlds 2, 3, or 5. The event begins tonight at 11 PM PT and runs until the same time on January 31.
Super Mario Bros. 35 released back in October as part of Nintendo’s Super Mario 35th anniversary celebration, and it’s free to download and play exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. However, much like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, the game is a limited-time release; it will only be available until March 31.
Ethan Hawke is set to reunite with Sinister director Scott Derrickson for the new horror movie The Black Phone. The film is an adaptation of the Joe Hill story of the same title.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hawke will take on a villainous role as a man who kidnaps and imprisons a kid in a soundproof basement. Mason Thames (For All Mankind) plays the boy, while Jeremy Davis (Saving Private Ryan) plays his dad. The phone of the title is an old disconnected telephone in the room that rings with the voices of the dead at night.
The Black Phone is produced by Blumhouse Films, who also produced Sinister, as well as movies such as Get Out, The Purge, and the 2018 Halloween reboot. The film is written by Derrickson and his regular co-writer C. Robert Cargill. The pair also collaborated on Derrickson’s Marvel hit Doctor Strange. Hawke has previously appeared in several Blumhouse movies, including The Purge and the western In a Valley of Violence.
The Black Phone starts production next month, but doesn’t yet have a release date. Joe Hill’s original story appeared in his 2005 short story collection 20th Century Ghosts.
Hawke was also recently cast in the upcoming Marvel Disney+ series Moon Knight. He’s set to play another bad guy role, although specific details of his characters are yet to be announced. The show will star Oscar Isaac in the title role, a vigilante who suffers from multiple personalities.
As for Blumhouse, two of its biggest franchises have new movies due this year. The Forever Purge is set for release in July, while Halloween Kills arrives in October.
