Author: Trafficblast

It seems that Battlefield 2021 might be revealed this May, according to a reliable source on these matters. GamesBeat reporter and frequent newsbreaker Jeff Grubb said on a recent podcast that the next entry in the Battlefield series–why may or may not be Battlefield 6–will likely be revealed in May 2021, though he says it’s not a sure thing.

On the GamesBeat Decides podcast, in response to a fan asking when the next Battlefield game will be shown, Grubb instantly responded with one word: “May.” When pressed by his cohosts, Grubb “added some color” in his own words to his initial claim, stating that it’s “probably May.” “Things are still fluid,” the reporter said. “They haven’t announced anything publicly yet, but my understanding is they’re probably looking at May.”

As usual with these sort of pronouncements, it’s best to treat this as an unverified rumor until proven otherwise. Grubb’s predictions are generally fairly accurate, but there’s still been no official word from publisher EA on when the next game in the series will be revealed, although it previously stated that a next-gen Battlefield game will launch this holiday season. If the game is releasing this year, you would generally expect the game to be revealed around June, which is when E3 usually takes place. However, we don’t yet know what EA’s plans for its usual EA Play event are. Grubb has recently made newsworthy claims about other unreleased games, like Elden Ring and Starfield, saying that the latter game is likely to be revealed this summer.

An EA representative also stated that the next entry in the series will focus on ambitious ideas that are only possible on next-gen hardware. Grubb has previously suggested that the next Battlefield game will take place in the modern day, but it’s still unclear if this is accurate.

The Witcher has added seven new cast members to its Season 2 line-up, with stars from Bridgerton and Downton Abbey joining the Netflix series.

Netflix has confirmed that several actors will be joining the cast of The Witcher season 2 in roles that will likely be recognizable to fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s book saga, including Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh as Nenneke, who appears in the novels as a priestess of Melitele, and the head of the Temple of Melitele in Ellander, just outside of the main city.

Friends and foes gather from across the Continent. Meet the new cast joining #TheWitcher Season 2: pic.twitter.com/0MBcZvAcze

— The Witcher (@witchernetflix) March 22, 2021

Other new cast additions for season 2 include Cassie Clare (Brave New World) in the role of Phillippa Eilhart, Liz Carr (Silent Witness) as Fenn, Graham McTavish (Outlander) as Dijkstra, Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey) portraying Ba’lian, Simon Callow (A Room with A View) as Codringher, and Chris Fulton (Bridgerton) in the role of Rience, a major antagonist in the Witcher book series.

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These actors join the cast alongside fellow newcomers Yasen Atour playing Coen and Paul Bullion portraying Lambert, together with Agnes Born as Vereena, Basil Eidenbenz as Eskel, Aisha Fabienne Ross as Lydia, Kristofer Hivju as Nivellen, Mecia Simson as Francesca, and Kim Bodnia as Vesemir who is described as being “the oldest and most experienced witcher” in the series.

Returning to the cast for season 2 are Henry Cavill, who leads Netflix’s Witcher saga, playing the role of Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, Joey Batey, MyAnna Buring, Tom Canton, Lilly Cooper, Jeremy Crawford, Eamon Farren, Mahesh Jadu, Terence Maynard, Lars Mikkelsen, Mimî M Khayisa, Royce Pierreson, Wilson Mbomio, Anna Shaffer, and Therica Wilson-Read.

Convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, The Witcher season 2 will pick up with Geralt taking Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans, and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he will strive to protect Ciri from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.

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The Witcher season 2 has no premiere date yet, though season 3 expected to be announced at some point. Netflix is also working on The Witcher: Blood Origin, a six-part spin-off prequel series set 1,200 years before Geralt walked the lands of the Northern Kingdoms, and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, an anime feature film centered around Vesemir, Geralt’s close friend and mentor.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Resident Evil Village is coming to Google Stadia, and Google is throwing in the Stadia itself for free. This may mark the first time that a system is the preorder bonus for a game.

Capcom and Google announced that the game will come to Stadia on May 7, and purchasing the game through Stadia anytime by May 21 will also get you a Stadia Premiere Edition. That means you get the game, a Stadia controller, and the Chromecast Ultra for the price of Resident Evil Village by itself. A Stadia Premiere Edition is regularly priced at $100, currently discounted to $60.

In addition, Resident Evil 7 Gold Edition will be coming to Stadia on April 1, and Stadia Pro members will get it for free. The gold edition includes extra content like the Banned Footage and epilogue episodes.

The horror game is said to be heavily inspired by the fan-favorite Resident Evil 4–though it’s also gotten the very meme-able Lady Dimitrescu for good measure. Capcom recently released PC system specs for the upcoming game and warned eager players not to fall for an apparent phishing scam.

Resident Evil Village is also coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on May 7. For more info on its special editions and other preorder bonuses, check out our Resident Evil Village preorder guide.

Team17 has announced that it’ll be teaming up with developer Void Interactive to publish its tactical FPS game Ready or Not. Sharing a few similarities with Ubisoft’s popular Rainbow Six Siege and the cult classic SWAT series of games, Ready or Not sticks firmly to the thin blue line of law enforcement and focuses on an elite team of operatives being sent into hostile territory.

Players will have to think tactically and use an assortment of special gear such as riot shields, mirror guns, smoke grenades, and more to rescue civilians. Several modes will also be available, with Void Interactive emphasizing that the game is built around realistic non-military combat situations and that players can also use non-lethal options to take down and arrest criminals.

“We’ve been working hard to make Ready or Not an immersive and engaging tactical shooter, and have already attracted a keen and excited community around the title,” Void Interactive chief executive officer Julio Rodrigeuz said in a statement. “We’re thrilled that Team17 shares the same passion and ambitions for the game as we do, and we’re already working together to deliver an immersive and adrenaline-fuelled experience.”

If you’re interested in seeing more of Ready or Not’s gameplay, which also includes projectile expansion and momentum, plate dynamics, and a speech recognition system for commanding players and NPCs, you can check out the game’s Steam page. There’s no concrete release date yet, but Ready or Not will be made available as a Steam Early Access game in June.

Team17 is a veteran of the video game industry, having made its name with the Worms series of games, and has also published several titles including Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Blasphemous, and The Escapists in recent years.

Genshin Impact’s recent patch has implemented a system that made it possible for players to hang out with their favorite characters. As of now, the characters you’re able to hang out with are Barbara, Noelle, Chongyun, and Bennett. This guide focuses on Barbara’s hangout event and the different endings you can get.

How to Unlock Barbara’s Hangout in Genshin Impact

To unlock the hangout events in Genshin Impact, you’ll have to meet two prerequisites:

• Reaching Prologue: Act III
• 2 Story Keys

Story keys can be claimed by doing 8 daily commissions. Meanwhile, Prologue: Act III can be reached by advancing the game’s story.

After reaching the prerequisites of the event, it’s time to unlock it. Head over to the Quest Tab and click Story Quest at the bottom left of the screen. After doing so, you’ll be met with this:

As you can see, these are the four characters you’re able to choose from. For this guide, I’m going to focus solely on Barbara.

How to Get All Barbara Hangout Endings in Genshin Impact

During the event, the character will appear right in front of you and a bunch of dialogue options will show up. Choosing the right dialogues will progress the event while choosing the wrong ones may result in the character losing hearts. If a character’s heart drops too low, there’s a chance they’ll leave you and the event will stop. Now, without further ado, here are Barbara’s endings and how to reach them!

Untimely Enthusiasm

This is the first ending I got and it’s probably one of the worst ones. This ending involves Albert, the leader of the Barbara Fan Club, searching for Barbara in Wolvendom and refusing to be swayed by the words of the Traveler. Here’s how I got the ending:

• Just wait here, We’ll send that person away
• Oh, so you picked all the berries
• Barbara isn’t here anymore
• You’ve picked all the berries
• I was focused on clearing monsters
• Barbara, are you there?

Incompletely Cured

This ending involves a Treasure Hoarder in need of healing and the Traveler refusing to help him, which sours the way Barbara views the Traveler. Here’s how I got it:

• Let’s go deeper into the forest and wait for them to leave
• What made you decide to join the church?
• We can go look together
• Leave it to us!
• Chilibrew
• I think it’d be better if we stick together
• Piece of cake
• You’re dressed a bit like a treasure hoarder
• Hold on, Barbara. He’s a suspicious character

Taste of Hard Work

This one is probably the best ending out of the five. In this ending, you’ll learn more about Barbara’s views and how hard she actually works for the church.

• Let’s go deeper into the forest and wait for them to leave
• What made you decide to join the church?
• We can go look together
• Leave it to us!
• Chilibrew
• I think it’d be better if we stick together
• Piece of cake
• Springvale’s quite a distance away
• No problem
• I’ll go with you
• No sudden moves
• And if I hadn’t been there?
• So what got you into Chilibrew?
• And that didn’t… Affect your voice?
• Sounds like this bottle of Chilibrew is a reflection of your determination

A Holiday in Mondstadt

This ending focuses on Barbara’s popularity and how she always had trouble saying no to people.

• Just wait here, We’ll send that person away.
• Hold on, what’s the Barbara Fan Club?
• Wolvendom is a large area, it would be difficult to cover it alone.
• There might be some other areas where Wolfhooks grow that you haven’t heard about, perhaps Barbara went somewhere else?
• But do you still hear her now?
• Leave it to us.
• Fantastic Summer-Serendipity Coral Sparkling Tea does sound pretty amazing

After choosing this dialogue option, you’ll be met with a Barbara surrounded by a small crowd in front of Cat’s tail and it’s your duty to persuade those people to leave her alone. There are three people you need to talk to and here are the best dialogue options for them:

Herman: You won’t mind if I check in with Ellin on that?

Schulz: Barbara’s working right now, please don’t disturb her.

Susie: If it’s Barbara’s style you’re after, you could start by being considerate to others.

Once that’s over, it’s back to hanging out with Barbara:

• They came to their senses once I’d given them the lowdown
• That sudden crown back there in the city… you must be exhausted.

A Fiery Flavor from Liyue

This ending is much more action-oriented as it involves you and Barbara saving a merchant from Liyue from a group of Treasure Hoarders.

• Just wait here, We’ll send that person away.
• Hold on, what’s the Barbara Fan Club?
• Wolvendom is a large area, it would be difficult to cover it alone.
• There might be some other areas where Wolfhooks grow that you haven’t heard about, perhaps Barbara went somewhere else?
• But do you still hear her now?
• Leave it to us.
• Chilibrew
• Alright, let’s split up.
• I’m a little worried
• We thought something might have happened, so we came looking for you.
• That was risky, what if you’d been discovered?
• Say no more, I’m sure these Treasure Hoarders will respond well to a little “direct intervention.”
• Liyue Chilibrew
• *coughing*

And that’s about it! Keep in mind that these aren’t the only way to reach the endings. These are just the dialogue choices I went for. I also found out that some of the dialogue choices don’t really change the ending you’re going for. Only a handful of them do, but they sway it big time.

With all of that being said, I hope you had a great time hanging out with Barbara! Just don’t tell Albert, I’m pretty sure he’ll get super jealous.

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Ever since LEGO released the massive Mos Eisley Cantina set in the LEGO Star Wars: A New Hope line last year, it’s been almost impossible to find it in stock. Now the set has made its way to Amazon, where it’s still in stock for its normal MSRP of $349.99. So if you want this set and haven’t managed to pick it up elsewhere, now’s your chance–at least while inventory holds out.

This particular Mos Eisley Cantina set (75290) is a big one, weighing in at 3,187 pieces, which helps justify the price. It’s as iconic a location as any in cinema, and it comes with all the things you need to recreate the scenes that happen in the seedy bar in the movie.

LEGO Star Wars A New Hope Mos Eisley Cantina

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It comes with a whopping 21 figurines, including Luke, Obi-Wan, Han Solo, Chewbacca, the droids, Greedo, Stormtroopers, the band, and even some of the quirky characters seen in brief cutaway shots.

The distinctive building has a removable roof, so you can get in there to see all the nooks and crannies, including the booth where Greedo shot first at Han–or was it the other way around?

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All told, the set measures over 7.5 inches high, 20.5 inches wide, and 23 inches deep. It also includes additional attachable buildings, a landspeeder, and a ridable reptilian Dewback.

There’s a lot going on in this set. But if this Amazon release is like the previous one at the LEGO Store, it could sell out fast. If you want it, now’s the time to pick it up.

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For other LEGO sets based on classic movies, check out the LEGO Batwing and Batmobile from the 1989 Batman movie.

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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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Bioware Austin Executive Producer Christian Dailey has revealed a new piece of Dragon Age 4 character concept art, showing off a mage, as well as a previously-revealed magic archer.

Dailey posted the concept to Twitter over the weekend, which features a character standing in a rain-drenched alley in Minrathous, wearing a boxy cape and wielding a staff with a snake at its helm. Dailey was prompted to post it by Dragon Age Creative Director Matthew Goldman, who tagged Daily previously, noting that fans “could use a little pick me up.”

@SerGoldman perfect!

Happy Friday my friends – I hope you are all staying out of the rain! Stay safe. Have a great weekend!! pic.twitter.com/ViYBms8Gng

— Christian Dailey (@ChristianDailey) March 20, 2021

Back in January, Dailey posted a similar piece of Dragon Age concept art featuring a helmeted archer character in a fractured world. It’s not clear whether either of these new faces will show up in the forthcoming Dragon Age 4 as set characters, or if they represent player classes, but it’s nice to see Bioware Austin’s vision for the look of the game.

Just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone. I hope all are safe and well. Here’s to new beginnings… pic.twitter.com/Hy22jd0swl

— Christian Dailey (@ChristianDailey) January 8, 2021

A recent report suggested that Dragon Age 4 will be a single-player RPG with no multiplayer. The game will be set in the land of Tevinter, as confirmed by a recently released BioWare book. 

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.