Call of Duty: Warzone has housed a bunch of secret bunkers that have laid dormant, but now they appear to be opening and supplying vast riches in the process. The latest update has finally given players a way to open the bunkers, and we’ll help you do it yourself if you’re having trouble.
How To Unlock Call Of Duty: Warzone Bunkers
For the bunkers numbered 1-10, you will need a Red Access Card, found via supply crates. The cards are extremely rare, but once you find one or kill a player holding one, you can get inside all but one of the bunkers.
Bunker 1: Located on the northern end of the map near the crash site.
Bunker 2: Located to the west of the first bunker, near the dam.
Bunker 3: Located to the east of Bloc 15.
Bunker 4: Located just south of Bunker 3.
Bunker 5: Located just next to Bunker 4.
Bunker 6: Located in the western part of the map, just north of the junkyard.
Bunker 7: Located just next to Bunker 6.
Bunker 8: Located between the junkyard and kart racing track.
Bunker 9: Located in the south end of Tavorsk Park
Bunker 10: Located in the southeast end of the map in Zordaya Prison Complex
Bunker 11: Located in the northernmost section of the map, northwest of Arklov Peak Military Base.
For Bunker 11, you will need to complete a puzzle. This involves finding the phones strewn across the map and finding one that has a Russian voice on the line. This voice is in Russian and using a table provided by Reddit user StrangerRobijn, you can translate the numbers the voice says.
Credit to StrangerRobijn on Reddit
Call Of Duty: Warzone Bunker Locations Map
Once you have the numbers, you and your squad will head to the corresponding phones. Use this map to locate them instead of using the game’s Morse code, and once they’re activated, the bunker will open and reveal its treasures.
The surprise feature came in the latest Warzone update, though fans have been speculating on the existence and possible uses of the vaults since the game’s release. With them open, Activision and Infinity Ward have one more gameplay element to use to make matches dynamic. The bunkers also appear to tie into the rumors of Black Ops: Cold War.
The patch made a few other notable changes to Warzone as well. It added new weapons to the Gulag, the one-on-one prison battles that let you fight your way back into the match, along with a new Armor Box item and a limited-time basic battle royale mode.
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Fortnite has held several virtual concerts inside its battle royale mode over the last few months as players stay sheltered at home, and Minecraft is getting in on the fun as well with a massive dance music festival. Electric Blockaloo is a four-day event that will feature some of the biggest stars of the electronic dance music genre, including Diplo and A-Trak.
Running from June 25 through June 28, the Electric Blockaloo festival will be available across both the Bedrock version of Minecraft and the older Java version, meaning you can enjoy it regardless of system. Attendance is open to all 112 million active players, and those who don’t play the game will also be able to view the concert on separate livestreamed feeds from the official website.
Artists can sell tickets through their own links sent directly to fans, and there will be a 60/40 revenue split. More than 300 different artists are going to play over the course of the festival, and the play area itself includes a recreation of Dunder Mifflin’s building from The Office and The Gorge venue. There will be games available to play as well as prizes and Easter eggs.
In other Minecraft news, the new spinoff game Minecraft Dungeons is scheduled to release for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC on May 26. It features Diablo-like dungeon-crawling gameplay rather than building and scavenging, but maintains the series signature aesthetic.
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Director David Ayer, who recently revealed that his “heart breaks” for Joker actor Jered Leto because of the work he did on the movie that went unseen due to cuts, recently responded to a question on Twitter regarding the scene in Suicide Squad between Leto’s Joker and Common’s Monster T.
With Justice League so much in the news now, we recently tracked the history of the Snyder Cut. Could it be that we wind up, at some point, if fan fervor persists, tracking the history of the Ayer Cut?
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
It’s the end of another week and we want you to start the weekend right, so we’ve got a bunch of cool, funny, and downright heartwarming stories from around the video game world for you. Good News Gaming is all about uplifting the spirit and putting a little spring in your step, so give the episode a watch and hopefully it’ll leave with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
The breakout star of this week’s selection of stories is a streamer that goes by brohx_. He usually spends his time broadcasting himself doing intricate wood carvings, but the lad is also a big fan of video games. He loves to play World of Warcraft and, due to his modest laptop, usually sticks to the classic version, which is less demanding on hardware. However, brohx_ stepped into the spotlight when a video of him telling people not to subscribe to him–and even trying to figure out whether he can return subs–was broken out and circulated. It’s so wholesome and his desire to ensure people take advantage of the free entertainment he provides was incredibly sweet.
The best part of the story is another Twitch streamer dedicated one of their broadcast to raising money that would be used to get brohx_ a PC to play more games. Of course, the humble lad protested, but the community was too set on showing him some love. It’s a wonderful story. Also, he likes My Hero Academia–what a lovely person.
Another amazing gaming story comes from Hamako Mori, better known as the Gamer Grandma. The elderly gamer runs her own YouTube channel and is telling the world about the benefits of gaming, specifically for the older generation. She’s really into GTA 5–good on her!
Zoom can be a bit dull when you’ve got non-stop meetings, so some people have taken to using video games for their virtual work meets. One of the games that seems to provide a rather idyllic alternative to the soulless video windows of most conferencing services is Red Dead Redemption 2. Who wouldn’t want to meet around a roaring campfire?
Tony Hawk is also at it again. And by “it” we mean being a nice dude. A young fan randomly asked a mailman to deliver his skateboard to Tony Hawk, and through the power of the internet, the legendary skater not only saw a video about the kid, but is sending him the skateboard Hawk was using art the time. You absolutely love to see it!
We can finally complete Destiny 2‘s “The Lie” quest, after a few days of its final mission, “The Tyrant,” being bugged. Wrapping up the quest earns players Felwinter’s Lie, a legendary shotgun last seen in Destiny 1 and which includes some powerful perks. Felwinter’s Lie is a formidable gun in Destiny’s Crucible in particular, where it can wallop opposing players at a pretty decent range.
Check out the video above to see Felwinter’s Lie in action in a number of situations. Paired with a decent primary weapon, it’s a great way to clean up enemies after they’ve taken some damage. It’s good in a number of situations, thanks to its Opening Shot and Vorpal Weapon perks. We’ve found it to be pretty effective in the Crucible, as you’ll see.
If you’re still working on earning Felwinter’s Lie, check out our full guide to The Lie. There’s a whole lot of lore involved in the quest–check out our video of The Tyrant to see what it reveals.
With Ultra Instinct Goku now available in Dragon Ball FighterZ, we have all the pieces to recreate some of the most dramatic moments from Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power arc and Dragon Ball Super: Broly. When it comes to incredible moments in the Dragon Ball anime, very few come close to topping Goku vs. Kefla, Goku and Frieza vs. Jiren, and Goku vs. Broly.
In the video above, we recreate these memorable battles to the best of our ability. For instance, even though Goku goes Ultra Instinct in Dragon Ball Super to defeat Kefla in spectacular fashion, you actually need to use Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (or Super Saiyan Blue) Goku when fighting Kefla in Dragon Ball FighterZ in order to get the finisher that he uses in the anime. It still looks pretty badass though.
In GameSpot’s Dragon Ball FighterZ review, Peter Brown wrote, “FighterZ is complex and distinct enough to be enjoyed by fighting game competitors, but there’s no question that it’s been designed to tap into the hearts of Dragon Ball’s most dedicated fans, and no doubt those same qualities will win people over who’ve never given the series a chance. Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series’ characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new: a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre.”
The latest dramatic finish added to Dragon Ball FighterZ recreates the fight between Ultra Instinct Goku and Kefla in the Tournament of Power arc of the Dragon Ball Super anime. While Ultra Instinct Goku has now been released as part of Pass 3, triggering this dramatic finish is actually performed with the Super Saiyan Blue version of Goku (SSGSS). Kefla, the first character of Pass 3, was announced alongside UI Goku and released earlier this year on February 28.
In the year of our lord 2020, a new console generation is upon us. Between Sony and Microsoft, we’re set to experience the technological jump in next-gen hardware with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. However, if you’ve been keeping up from a technical perspective, you may realize that these two upcoming systems share a lot in common. From the AMD-built CPU and GPU to the ultra-fast solid-state drives, both consoles are sure to deliver similar top-end performance. But here, we’re going to focus on what sets them apart.
Aside from a few key hardware details, the PS5 and Xbox Series X have some notable differences. Exclusive games, subscription services, controllers, backward compatibility, expandable storage, form factor–these are all ways the new consoles are forming their distinct identities and setting the stage for the upcoming generation. Also, if you’re undecided on which platform to dedicate your time with, these are the things you should be aware of. We’ll continue to update this feature as we learn more about both consoles in the months ahead.
Platform-Exclusive Games
Microsoft has made significant moves in recent years by acquiring multiple development studios to bring into its first-party Xbox Games Studios umbrella. While it means that these dev teams get the support of a giant like Microsoft, it also means Xbox platforms get exclusive games. It’s tricky to talk about in definitive terms given Microsoft’s dedication to offering PC versions of first-party games, cross-generation support, and in some cases, timed exclusivity. But if we’re comparing Xbox against PlayStation, we’ll include what the consoles can offer over the other.
As far as what’s been confirmed, Xbox Series X will have games such as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, the sequel to Ninja Theory’s acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. While the makers of Observer and Layers of Fear, Bloober Team, are not an XGS developer, it is bringing its new game The Medium exclusively to Xbox Series X and PC. And of course, the heaviest hitter of them all, Halo Infinite, is set to launch alongside Series X and with an Xbox One version, too.
We anticipate more exclusives to be announced as we get closer to the console launch and as XGS developers get further in the development of their upcoming games. This could come as soon as July during the big Xbox 20/20 showcase, which will give us a deeper look at Halo Infinite as well.
Sony hit strong with exclusives in the PS4 era (and still is with The Last Of Us Part 2 and Ghost Of Tsushima on the way). We expect as much going into the next generation, but as of now, there isn’t much to go on specifically for the PS5. At the Game Awards 2019, Gearbox revealed Godfall, which is a PS5 and PC game set to launch by the end of the year. Counterplay, the developers behind Godfall, describe it as a third-person fantasy looter-slasher. We’re also aware of a game called Quantum Error by Teamkill Media that’s being developed for the PS4 and PS5, which appears to be a first-person horror experience. Although a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn is a fairly open secret, Guerrilla Games hasn’t confirmed any details. We’ll be sure to update this as we get closer to the PS5’s launch and learn more about its future game lineup.
There are, of course, several multiplatform games and live service games that’ve been confirmed for both PS5 and Xbox Series X such as Fortnite, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Dirt 5, and much more.
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The Road to PS5
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The future of the gaming landscape is going to revolve around subscription services more than ever. The differences we’re experiencing now in this realm will carry over into the next generation, and as we transition to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, they are sure to evolve, too.
Xbox user or not, you have to admit that Xbox Game Pass has been a revolution in how games are discovered and played. In what you can easily deem ‘The Netflix of Gaming,’ Game Pass provides access to download and play any game in its library for a subscription cost, including all first-party titles on release day. Microsoft is fully embracing Game Pass as a key part of Xbox’s future, offering high-profile games even on PC; Microsoft’s aim is to simply get you in its Xbox ecosystem, console or otherwise. But when it comes to deciding which platform to lean toward for next-gen, Game Pass should be a major factor to consider.
Sony has been making moves as well with PlayStation Now. While it’s not nearly as robust as Game Pass, it shares similarities in granting access to a large library of games; PS4 and PS2 games on PS Now can be downloaded locally or streamed while PS3 games can only be streamed. PS Now’s focus, however, is on cloud-based game streaming. The service has made strides in terms of improving latency, functionality, and game offerings (even being available on PC), and we expect Sony to push it further as part of next-gen. Details on how PS Now will be integrated with the PS5 remains to be seen.
Microsoft hasn’t shown its entire hand quite yet either when it comes to how Project xCloud fits into the Series X ecosystem, but we know for a fact that it will in some form. The company has indicated that details are coming in future Xbox 20/20 events.
Between Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus, these premium online gaming services share many similarities. They offer access to online multiplayer gaming, additional features like cloud saves, and give out free games on a monthly basis. One thing to note is that subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate get Live Gold as well, sweetening the deal for both services.
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Microsoft’s Secret Weapon For Next-Gen Is Xbox Game Pass
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It’s not always about the here and now; backward compatibility has been a huge feature in rounding out the Xbox One and continues to be a major key for Microsoft going into the Xbox Series X. Not only does Series X play every Xbox One game available, it also carries on all the work that’s been done in making Xbox 360 and original Xbox games backward compatible as well. In many ways, Series X represents a unification of every Xbox generation.
Strengthening this philosophy is Smart Delivery. All first-party games and select third-party titles (like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Cyberpunk 2077) will feature Smart Delivery, which means when you buy these cross-gen games once, you have them for both systems. Xbox will recognize the digital versions tied to your account and the hardware will recognize the proper version that’s been optimized for whichever console.
Sony is embracing backward compatibility in a major way for the PS5, especially compared to how it has with the PS4 and PS3. However, the details on how it’ll exactly work are a little iffy, even coming from Sony. The messaging has been that Sony “believes an overwhelming majority” of PS4 games will be backward compatible, but will have to evaluate this on a game-by-game basis. PS4 games are expected to take advantage of PS5’s capabilities by boosting performance and resolutions, too.
Sensible Controller Improvments
Microsoft isn’t deviating too far from its tried-and-true controller design for the next generation. The Xbox Series X controller has a miniscule (largely unnoticeable) change in ergonomics, a new share button at the center, and USB-C connection. The directional pad does feature a major overhaul by going with a disc-like 8-way d-pad by default. Otherwise, it’s the familiar Xbox One gamepad, and still uses two AA batteries to power itself.
The PS5’s DualSense controller not only continues to differentiate itself from Xbox’s design, but it’s also the biggest departure from the long-time DualShock. The initial model has a two-tone design and a slightly bulkier form, but a number of additional features are worth noting. The DualSense has a built-in microphone, a revamped Share button that’s now called the Create button, adaptive L2 and R2 triggers, haptic feedback, and a USB-C connection. The DualSense uses a built-in rechargeable battery like its DualShock predecessor, and Sony states that it’ll have improved battery life.
Current Xbox users should be happy to know that all Xbox One controllers are forward compatible, meaning they’ll work on the Xbox Series X, albeit without the new share button. Sony has yet to say anything about DualShock 4 controller being compatible with the PS5.
The PS5’s DualSense controller.
Changes In Form Factor
One of the more surprising things about the Xbox Series X when it was first revealed last year was its physical appearance. This is a major departure from most consoles in history, going with a primarily vertical rectangular form factor, like a big-ass brick. Of course, you’ll be able to lay the console sideways but its dimensions are unlike any Xbox–or console–before it. It’s designed in a way to have air flow out from the top of the console (when positioned vertically), making for efficient temperature management.
Little to nothing is known about the PS5’s physical design and dimensions. Whatever mockups you may have seen on the internet are in no way indicative of what the actual console will look like. We’ll just have to wait to see for ourselves, though we’d doubt it’ll share similarities to the Xbox Series X’s bold new form factor.
The Xbox Series X is the biggest departure from previous Xbox designs.
However, internal storage capacity is slightly different between the two: Xbox Series X comes with a 1TB SSD while the PS5 has a 825 GB SSD.
Games are only getting larger in terms of install size and digital games are increasingly common, so you will most likely need to consider external storage. When it comes to the Xbox Series X, a proprietary 1TB SSD from Seagate will be available. Microsoft states that users will see no loss in speed between the internal and external SSDs due to the console’s architecture and hardware tech. However, you can connect other external drives to transfer data and game installs, but any Series X game needs to be moved to either the internal or Seagate SSD before playing; Xbox One games can play off of external drives, though.
Sony is allowing the PS5 to be a bit more open when it comes to your expandable storage options. The PS5 supports certain m.2 NVMe drives currently on the market as the console features an internal m.2 expansion slot. However, Sony’s system architect Mark Cerny stated that your SSD needs to be as fast as the one built into the PS5 since PS5 games will be made to specifically take advantage of that speed. Other USB drives can be used as external storage, and you’ll be able to play backward compatible PS4 games directly off of it.
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PS5 Load Times Shown Off In New Video – GS News Update
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The debate of which console will be more powerful than the other is a rather fruitless one, especially since we don’t even have them yet. Pointing to TFLOPs (the general estimate of graphics processing power) would be an oversimplification of matters, but yes, there’s a difference on paper. The PS5 comes in at 10.28 TFLOPs while the Xbox Series X is rated at 12.18 TFLOPs, to be exact. Whether or not this translates to a difference in fidelity between games remains to be seen.
We know that both PS5 and Series X are capable of ray tracing, 4K resolution (and eventually 8K), and 120 FPS, though these graphical features largely depend on how developers build their games. Both consoles use custom hardware built by AMD, which is utilizing its Zen 2 CPU architecture and Navi-based RDNA 2 GPU tech. So, what’s the big difference between the consoles? Just the numbers like clock speeds and compute units from what we know so far. Regardless, these are much more powerful than even the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.
Regardless, on paper performance metrics from both consoles are nothing to scoff at. Even if the PS5 is rated slightly behind Series X, Epic Games’ recent tech demo showing off Unreal Engine 5 aptly showcased the next-gen graphical leap with highly detailed assets, billions of triangles, and the impressive Lumen lighting system all while running on a PS5.
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Unreal Engine 5 PS5 Tech Demo – Everything You Need To Know In Under 4 Minutes
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Power consumption will be another story. Although we don’t have much to go on quite yet, we at least know that Sony’s revamping the rest mode for the PS5 to consume significantly less wattage compared to the PS4.
Here at GameSpot, we’re going all-in on covering the upcoming consoles, so be sure to check out all our PS5 and Xbox Series X stories below.
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Xbox Live is currently experiencing issues that are affecting signing in and playing multiplayer titles across Windows 10 and Xbox One. It doesn’t appear there is a fix yet, but Microsoft is working on getting things running smoothly again.
The Xbox Status support page currently lists issues for Xbox Live Core Services as well as Social and Gaming. Players may experience issues attempting to join friends already in online games, as well as signing in or creating new accounts. Some of these issues affect only the Xbox One and Xbox platform on Windows, while others also affect the Xbox website and Xbox 360.
Microsoft has experienced a few other issues with Xbox Live over the last few days, including error messages when starting parties and issues with online matchmaking. Its Twitter support page regularly posts updates on any outages or other issues.
The outage doesn’t come at the best time, as Minecraft Dungeons is due to release in just a few days and features heavy multiplayer integration. The game is also available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, however, and should the outage extend to the game’s release date, those platforms should not have any issues connecting online.
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It’s 48 minutes into Stellazio Virtual Theatre’s adaption of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella The Little Prince when Zaynava Everrest (real name Kira Merrill) appears on a raised platform behind a disappearing wall at the back of the stage. This entrance is just one of the dozens of tricks Stellazio have rigged their Final Fantasy XIV Online player house–now refashioned as a theatre, complete with stage and an audience of sitting, engrossed players–to pull off at the touch of a key.
By day, 28-year-old Merrill–from the Midwestern US–drives Uber for a living (at least under normal circumstances), which gives her the time and flexibility to direct Stellazio. As she makes her entrance now, though, she’s neither in the driver’s nor director’s seat, but sat atop an ornate throne in flowing white and red garb, as she fulfills her adapted role as Queen to Saint-Exupéry’s asteroid-perched King.
A humorous exchange follows between her and player Haru Yoshida in the titular role of the prince, during which the audience trigger a round of /clap and /laugh emotes to show their appreciation. The scene ends, the play continues, and we won’t see Merrill again until the cast each takes the stage at the end to give their bows. The applause is rapturous and–much like the performance itself–transcends the supposed limits of FFXIV’s emote selection.
To the cast and crew, this represents months of work. A stage is created from furniture in a player house and rigged with special effects. A script is written and music is composed. Players learn their lines to later appear in the chatbox when the performance takes place. Dozens upon dozens of macros are set up to trigger events and dialogue. Perhaps most stunningly, entire chains of emotes–the minor movements players use to communicate with each other in game–are strung together into a complex physical performance.
The macros are arranged ahead of time, but during the performance, it’s all on the individual members of the troupe to remember their cues. If you’re watching this on stream, or are lucky enough to be sitting in the audience at the time, however, you likely won’t notice any of this. You’ll just see a troupe of virtual actors, putting on a play, all inside the limits of FFXIV.
The Little Prince has been the culmination of months of rehearsals–up to five nights a week–and the efforts of 55 players. And now? A short break, and then, on to the next performance. The show, virtual or not, must go on.
“I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come because of the efforts of all the talented people that put their faith, time, and dedication into the project,” Merrill told me over email.
Stellazio are, as Merril puts it, a pretty diverse group. Members range in age from early 20s to their 40s, and they count teachers, nurses, and an Air Force veteran among their numbers.
A few members have experience in acting and theatre production outside of the game. For most of them, though, the passion for theatre was sparked and flourished inside FFXIV itself.
At the core of Stellazio is a team of 10 that oversees the troupe’s administration and creative process, but that’s far from the whole picture. Merrill lists writers, actors, crew, ushers, a composer, a social media team, editors, artists, and a ‘bard specialist’ among them, each with their own role in bringing ideas to life, and making sure performances run smoothly.
The start of each production involves the core team working with artists ‘ErgoSage’ and ‘Doodlehead32,’ and photographer Majorie Desmarais, to put together promotional materials. Then Merrill works with composer Cinnamon Roll to arrange the music for the eventual Twitch broadcast. While all this is happening, the script is also being worked on, often an adaptation of a classic tale, like Dickens’ Starlight Carol.
“I’ve chosen stories that I think can translate well into the digital environment, and stories that have meant a lot to me,” Merril said.
“I’ve chosen stories that I think can translate well into the digital environment, and stories that have meant a lot to me.”
Merrill works with the troupe’s writers, Nicola Andrews, Henry Smith, and Alma Emma, to adapt these tales. Once the script is finalized, the cast work on what Merrill calls “preliminary macros”–structuring the dialogue for the performance for quick playback.
“The assistant director (Levi Talstag for The Little Prince and A Christmas Carol, now Ash Karr for The Phantom of the Opera) and I then break down the script and create the blocking for each scene, which is the positioning of the actors on stage,” she said.
This is also where any special effects are arranged: Merrill gives the examples of specific lighting, sound effects, and fireworks.
Building sets and arranging SFX is often a case of manipulating the regular state of the game as much as adding new elements. Ensuring the cast and crew name plates aren’t visible to the audience, and making sure the stage is fit to accommodate each scene, are both important concerns. Alongside this, FFXIV puts a limit on the number of character models that can be displayed at any one time. After factoring in cast, crew, and ushers, Stellazio sets the guest count from the remaining allotment.
Even beyond props, there’s the ambience of the venue to consider.
“For The Little Prince, we wanted it to feel very warm, welcoming, and sunny, whereas for A Starlight Carol, we were going more for a cold, wintery, lonely look,” Merrill said. “I also try to use elements from Stellazzio as well–deep blues and twinkling starry lighting, to cement our branding from the first moment you step into the lobby.”
A Troupe Reborn
For long-time Final Fantasy fans, the image of a theatre stage lit up by fireworks should seem familiar. 2000’s Final Fantasy IX is a bittersweet entry in the series for many. It paid homage to elements from the franchise’s past, and was the final series entry long-time composer Nobuo Uematsu took a prominent role in scoring. If any game in the series can be said to have an air of finality about it, it’s that one. For Merrill and Stellazio Virtual Theatre, however, FFIX is where it all began.
The name “Stellazio” comes from 13 collectible coins found around FFIX’s world, each one corresponding to an ecliptic constellation.
“I also love starry motifs and the color blue, so the name naturally fits in with my vision for our look and feel,” Merrill said.
There’s another connection between Stellazio Virtual Theatre and FFIX, too: the fictional play I Want to Be Your Canary, performed by protagonist Zidane and the rest of the Tantalus Theatre Troupe in the opening hours of the game. FFIX was Merrill’s first Final Fantasy, when she was just 10. Years later, Merrill would hear of another upcoming performance of Canary–this time performed by real actors, in digital garb, inside FFXIV itself. Not by Tantalus, but by the then-virtual theatre troupe, A Stage Reborn, which has since gone on to become a nonprofit group.
“As a huge fan of Final Fantasy IX, I jumped at the chance to audition and was cast as the leading lady, Princess Garnet. I fell in love with the collaborative creativity,” Merrill said.
A Stage Reborn, director Steve Pederzani explained, was originally started as a way to encourage the FFXIV community to engage in the arts.
“[Our mission is] to make arts opportunities and experience more accessible,” Pederzani said. “We utilize alternative means of engaging in visual and performing arts by transforming the traditional canvas or ‘stage,’ which we normally experience the arts on, thus quite literally creating A Stage Reborn!”
Inspired by seeing other groups arrange holiday events, they began to put on their own skit and costume competitions, using the game’s extensive fashion customisation options, known as “glamouring.”
The events were a hit, packing the in-game houses to capacity. The support of the community led to bigger things, like virtual Halloween tours, in houses decked out in haunted props, and the first performance of I Want to Be Your Canary.
Sitting at over 45,000 views on YouTube, the livestream of Canary is an absorbing early example of the creativity the FFXIV community are capable of, from the physicality expressed in dozens of emotes strung together, to the approximations of FFIX character costumes. It’s glorious, but just like all the best art, it still contains some humanising errors, preserved in the 20-minute digital memento like faded fingerprints in amber.
As the lights go down and the firework effects begin, and before the first actor launches into their opening monologue, the chat box below chronicles two of the troupe hurriedly working out how to turn off the text descriptions for the emotes used in the play. It’s a real “try this at home” moment, an unintentional but cogent reminder that for all the show’s polish and grandeur, it’s all held together by the practise and passion of the performers.
The community loved it, and the following year, the troupe put on their own adaptation of Final Fantasy VI’s iconic opera scene, called The Story of Maria & Draco.
“Final Fantasy XIV became our prime example of how you can take individuals with professional visual and performing arts experience in a virtual medium and successfully mentor others with little to no experience in the arts,” Pederzani said.
In 2017, after their first few theatrical productions, A Stage Reborn formally incorporated as a nonprofit, obtaining their 501(c)(3) charitable status. Aside from the performances, they also run acting and music workshops –both in-game and through Discord–as well as Extra Life streams and community contests. They’re fully financially supported by the community, and in return, create and foster the performing arts in the community space.
Creative Solutions
Outside of A Stage Reborn, Pederzani is involved in numerous other creative works related to FFXIV, from role-playing communities using Discord bots to interactive webcomics.
“I can definitely say that my experience with A Stage Reborn is why I’m able to pursue these ideas,” he said.” The experiences, opportunities, and collective support of a driven team is a powerful teaching tool for everyone involved.”
Part of this element of teaching, Pederzani said, is how the restrictions of working with a platform not necessarily designed for performances fosters creative solutions.
“There will always be players who will be creative out of necessity,” he said. “These players find out all the tips and tricks and many share their knowledge to help others become creative.”
Pederzani gave an example of how he and other members of the troupe have spent a lot of time learning how to “glitch” in FFXVI, allowing him to “float” objects to aid in set design.
“If you stack the right book objects on top of each other in Final Fantasy XIV housing and place a seat just right under it, you make a magical ‘elevator’ that, when you sit and jump, glitches your player up the stack,” said Pederzani. “A Stage Reborn has used this to make getting up and down multi-floor sets easy, create catwalks, stage trap doors, and so on. If it wasn’t for the restrictions of having no way to quickly move up and down floors, we wouldn’t have the ‘elevator’ that has enabled us to do so much more creatively.”
Designing sets in-game, said Pederzani, is often more challenging than real-life construction. The silver lining, as he sees it, is that this gives designers a great appreciation and knowledge of the game’s programming architecture. He’d love to see this inspire careers in game development.
Speaking to Shinya Ichida, FFXIV’s art team lead, it’s clear that the efforts of groups like Stellazio and A Stage Reborn haven’t gone unnoticed at Square Enix.
“The originality and ingenuity of the players’ performances are spectacular, creating combinations of emotes that we couldn’t even imagine.” Ichida told me. “The development team was in awe of the high quality and level of passion, even making use of the facial expressions.”
Watching the streams from Stellazio and A Stage Reborn, it becomes clear how well-utilised FFXIV’s player-to-player communication tools are throughout the performances–in particular, the emotes. Often used simply to express joy at the end of a raid, or integrated as objectives into some story and side missions, these virtual theatre troupes string together evocative, complicated sequences of emotes to add physicality to their performances.
“From the very beginning stages, I choose the cast based on the emote set of each race,” Merrill said. “For example, Miqo’te have a very energetic, flamboyant style to their emotes. Au’ra females are reserved and elegant, and the males are a bit more aggressive. Hyur are very flexible and can fill a wide variety of roles.”
It’s important, Merrill said, to choose cast members based not only on the characters’ looks, but also the range of emotes they have access to. Stellazio has spent a lot of time and money, both real and virtual, ensuring the actors have access to all the emotes their role requires, she said.
Although Merrill hasn’t played many other MMOs, she says that the tools available in FFXIV seem especially suited to Stellazio’s needs.
“The more means of expressive movement you have, the easier it becomes to apply real-world acting technique.”
“You can clip longer emotes to just be the first couple seconds and then transition into another emote smoothly,” she explained. “There’s a function to override the expression that the emote natively has with something else–totally changing the feel of it.”
Commands like /facetarget and “Move to front door” allow the actors to cleanly navigate and exit the stage.
“FFXIV also offers a ‘macro’ system, by which you can program in text to display in chat, waiting periods, and emotes/expressions,” she said. “That is what all of our work is dependent on.”
Like Merrill, Pederzani agrees that the emotes available in FFXIV are a huge aid to successful performances.
“The more means of expressive movement you have, the easier it becomes to apply real-world acting technique,” said Pederzani. “Often in A Stage Reborn rehearsals, we’ll have moments where we read scenes out loud and ask players to stand up and actually emote out what feels natural to them in real life in that scene. Then, they return to their computers and spend maybe 5 or 10 minutes clicking through their emotes to find which one matches the closest.”
Pederzani said the troupe utilises “Laban Efforts”–a system of choreography and movement analysis pioneered by the Hungarian dance artist Rudolf Von Laban–in their approach to the available emotes. Laban categorised human movement into shapes and forms–a security guard might stand uptight and closed, while a dancer is loose and flowing, for example–and his approaches are still widely drawn upon in dance and theatre.
“Depending on audience sightlines and character positioning, an emote that’s supposed to be jolly can actually end up looking angry,” he said.
Pederzani gave the example of an emote called “lali-ho”–a sideways gesture, arm outstretched–that A Stage Reborn used in their adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“Positioning Oberon at a particular angle made the expression look a bit more heavy and ‘pushing’ than the light side-wave most expect of the emote,” he said. “From the player’s perspective, it still looked like lali-ho, but from the audience perspective it looked just menacing enough.”
Poetry in Motion
So, what goes into the process of designing new emotes for an MMORPG like FFXIV?
“There are two main ways that an emote is created,” Ichida said. “The first is when it is provided as a reward. Motions used in in-game content such as ‘Sundrop Dance’ and ‘Lali-ho’ are made into emotes.”
First, the planning and motion teams get together to discuss the specifics of the emote, taking into account any special effects, or whether the character model will be holding anything in their hands. The next step is a collaborative process between the motion capture teams and actors, exchanging ideas to develop the movements. Motion capture, Ichida said, is “tremendously faster” to use, especially given the game’s regular update cycle. Parallel to this, the lore team work on the emotes’ description in game.
When a new race is added to the game, like the bunny-eared Viera that came with the latest expansion, Shadowbringers, each current emote has to be custom-tailored to the physicality of the new character designs. The lore and motion teams work together closely to design the new addition’s characteristics, based on their physical appearance and historical background.
“The thing that we’re most careful about when designing an emote is to make sure that the emote doesn’t give a negative impression to the person receiving it,” Ichida said. “For example, even if an emote involves hitting the other person, it’s not done with an angry facial expression but with a positive, encouraging facial expression and movement instead.”
Creating a fun atmosphere is always the main priority, he explained, as is ensuring as little miscommunication as possible. Just as a picture speaks a thousand words, Ichida and the art team appreciate the power of physical communication just as much as the theatre troupes–as well as emotes’ ability to transcend language barriers.
“While emotes are not mainline content, I believe that they play a vital role in joining players together,” he said. “It allows interaction without the use of words, so it should let players express themselves in the world of FFXIV and communicatie, regardless of what country people are from or where they are.”
When emotes were being designed for the original FFXIV–even as far back as before the Realm Reborn update–movements were checked with the localisation team to ensure they could be understood internationally before being finalized.
It’s here that Michael-Christopher Koji Fox–FFXIV’s translation and English language localisation director–sat in on the motion capture process. “To make sure that they look natural from all points of view,” Ichida explained.
“For example, putting your hand on the back of your head when you’re embarrassed is a uniquely Japanese gesture, so we have avoided such gestures that cannot be understood worldwide.”
Designing the sort of versatility and range that allow for advanced roleplay, as well as performances like those of Stellazio Virtual Theatre, are also a priority.
“Of course, the versatility for players has been taken into account when designing emotes,” Ichida said. “From watching the videos, we predicted that a larger variety of dialogue motions would be appreciated, so we even added many more patterns for this reason.”
FFXIV’s developers are “fully supportive” of projects like Stellazio, he noted.
“As the modelling in FFXIV is on the realistic side, small control mistakes directly affect the quality of live theatrical performances. Taking that into account, we’ve been amazed at the amount of effort that has been taken in these performances. We look forward to seeing more of such brilliant creations, and we will continue striving to develop emotes that spark the players’ imagination.”
Labor of Love
From design documents at Square Enix, to players across the world, the tools that allow for performances like Stellazio’s and A Stage Reborn begin to resemble a universal language: simple, powerful tools for socialising, self-expression, and creativity. For Merrill, one of the most important things about virtual theatre is how it enables and empowers others to take part in performing arts.
“We have some people on our team that have disabilities that would make acting on a real stage difficult, if not impossible,” she said. “Some people live in the middle of nowhere and don’t have access to anything like that near them. Some folks just plain never thought they’d enjoy something like this, but video games can bridge that gap.”
Merrill said that this feedback, as well as that from the audience after a show, constantly inspires her, and affirms that Stellazio Virtual Theatre makes a difference.
“One woman told me her 10-year-old son with ADHD and who is on the autism spectrum has been unable to go out to enjoy theater–live or cinema, because of the noise, crowds, and having to sit still,” she said. “However, at our show, he was enthralled and couldn’t wait to see the next one.”
“The biggest thing that I believe sets us apart is the passion and love that all of the members put into the project.”
Merrill said she believes these opportunities, both for the troupe and the audience, are incredibly important.
“My greatest dream is to continue to showcase the legitimacy of virtual theatre as an art form and eventually have there be a way for virtual troupes like us to negotiate with licensing companies to put on real, authentic, modern plays,” she said.
She mentioned how heartening it is to receive positive comments from audience members surprised and captivated that what Stellazio does is even possible within FFXIV.
“The biggest thing that I believe sets us apart is the passion and love that all of the members put into the project,” Merrill said. “For all of us, this is something we truly believe in. We’re a family. We put months of work into each project from beginning to end, and it’s a labor of love. The hard times and the happy times, the excitement leading up to the show, the joy and relief of the performance–we all share it together, and we share the sadness of the production eventually coming to a close. But that just means we get to begin working on another show–always striving for it to be bigger and better than the last.”
