Author: Trafficblast

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Warzone mode has kicked off a new season today, introducing a new operators, a tweaked game mode, plenty of cosmetics and, most importantly, a dog.

The Warzone update is now available on all platforms and allows players to form squads of four instead of the initial trio approach. This gives the game a full set of varied squad sizes up to four, following on from the solo queue update which landed in mid-March.

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As well as the new Quads mode, you can expect new playlists, weapons and blueprints (including silenced and non-silenced gun variants) on the ground in Warzone, as well as vehicle skins so you can kit out your quad bikes and trucks in-game.

Riley the German Shepherd, the resident good boy from Call of Duty: Ghosts will also make an appearance as a unique finishing move in-game, proving his bite is just as bad as his bark.

Outside of Warzone, Season Three introduces a few new maps including a remaster of the original Call of Duty 4’s Backlot map and a few new game modes arriving later in the season, including Gun Game Reloaded and Reinfected Ground War.

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The Season Three mascot is none other than Alex, a new operator who you’ll be acquainted with if you’ve played Modern Warfare’s campaign mode. His model features a few post-narrative aesthetic tweaks, but no spoilers here!

Later in the season, two more operators will arrive in the shape of Ronin and Iskra, available through store bundles. If you’re new to the game, Activision has also revealed the Modern Warfare Battle Pass edition, which gives you the full game and 3000 CP, as well as a suite of skins. This means you can unlock the season three battle pass straight away and jump into the action.

You can check out the patch notes over on Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward’s website, which detail all of the new content coming to the game with this bumper update.

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

Bloober Team, creator of Layers of Fear and the Blair Witch game, has teased the release of Observer: System Redux for next-gen consoles.

Teased in a tweet with a short teaser trailer (below), it’s not entirely clear what System Redux will be, but the title and art used imply a remaster of the original 2017 cyberpunk horror game.

It seems we’ll learn more about the game from Bloober soon, and we’ll be sure to update this story as that new information comes in.

\title: observer_system_redux
_destination: next-gen
>full_reveal: in progress#blooberteam #observerredux #cyberpunk #cyberpunk2020 #cyberpunk2077 #neuromancer #bladerunner #rutgerhauer pic.twitter.com/rqBJrB5heH

— Observer System Redux (@ObserverRedux) April 8, 2020

Observer starred the late Rutger Hauer – playing a detective in a dystopian, futuristic Krakow – investigating mysterious events in an increasingly terrifying apartment block.

We named it one of the best horror games of 2017, one of the 25 scariest games of the current console generation, and one of the best cyberpunk games to tide you over until Cyberpunk 2077 arrives.

Given that Observer arrived on all major platforms, it seems likely that System Redux will arrive on both Xbox Series X and PS5. Still not sure which next-gen console you’re going to go with? We’ve got a comparison chart for PS5 and Xbox Series X to help you pick, including a breakdown of their controllers, now that the PS5 DualSense has been revealed.

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Microsoft just released the gorgeous Phantom Magenta Xbox One controller last month, but it–along with many other designs–is already on sale. You can save at least $10 off Xbox One controllers and other accessories at the Microsoft Store right now. Better yet, these controllers will be compatible with Xbox Series X when it launches later this year. And if you’re interested in trying out a bunch of games, you can get a month’s subscription of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just a buck. Let’s take a look at what Xbox deals are available right now.

Xbox One Phantom Magenta Special Edition Controller is $10 Off

• Get it at Microsoft Store – $59.99 (was $69.99)
• Also at Adorama

This is the newest special edition Xbox One controller, and it’s a beauty. It’s part of the company’s Phantom sub-series of controllers, but the black and white versions are currently sold out. So if you like the look of this one, grab it while it’s in stock.

One Month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is $1

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• Get it at Microsoft Store – $1 (was $14.99)

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a subscription that bundles together Xbox Live Gold (so you can play online) and Xbox Game Pass, which gets you access to a massive library of Xbox One games at no additional cost. Note, this deal is only available for new and lapsed subscribers.

Xbox One Accessory Deals

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Lots of other Xbox One controllers, headsets, and other accessories are also on sale right now at the Microsoft Store.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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The US games rating agency, the ESRB, has played down any possibility that it will shut down during the outbreak of COVID-19, potentially delaying games waiting to receive ratings.

This follows the shutdown of Japanese ratings agency, CERO until at least May 6. CERO explained that its ratings process is dependant on reviewers visiting the office and thus cannot continue operations until a country-wide lockdown is lifted. With console games requiring a CERO rating to see release in Japan, it’s led to worry about game delays in the country.

Speaking to IGN, the ESRB has quelled fears about a similar situation in the US, despite moving to a work-from-home solution in recent weeks:

“Thanks to a good deal of advance planning, since March 16 ESRB has been operating remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak”, explained an ESRB spokesperson. “We have seen no delay in assigning ratings. We will continue to assign ratings remotely for as long as required.”

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All console manufacturers, and most digital storefronts, require games to receive an ESRB rating to allow a US release, meaning any stoppage of ratings could see games delayed. Thankfully, it seems that won’t be a problem.

IGN has reached out to PEGI, the ESRB’s European equivalent, and the Australian Classification Board to confirm whether the same measures are being taken in those regions, and delays have been avoided.

Here are some ways to help others and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Louisiana police have had to apologise for using a siren almost identical to the one used in The Purge to signal a lockdown curfew during the city’s coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine.

According to Variety, Crowley police patrolled the streets of Acadia Parish with the noise blaring out of their squad cars to alert residents of the new nightly curfew that is in place between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., but many found the sound to be eerily familiar to the one from the horror franchise.

Officials were made aware of the similarities between the real-life siren, heard in a video posted on the KATC news channel, and the alarm used in the film and TV series to signify the start of an annual government-sanctioned event in which all crime, including murder, becomes legal for 12 continuous hours. You can listen to The Purge siren in the trailer below:

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Speaking to KATC, Crowley Police Chief Jimmy Broussard said he hadn’t realised that the siren was associated with the franchise, and that he doesn’t plan on using any type of alarm for the curfew going forward.

“Last night a ‘Purge Siren’ was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew. We have received numerous complaints with the belief that our agency was involved in this process. We were not involved in the use of the ‘Purge Siren’ and will not utilize any type of siren for this purpose,” said Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson in a separate statement to the news station.

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The Purge is one of the most political horror franchises ever produced, and every instalment offers thoughtful political allegories and hard-edged, disturbing violence. The fifth, and supposedly final, entry into the film series is currently scheduled for release on July 10, but it could yet join the growing list of movie and TV productions affected by COVID-19.

For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide.

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

There are three video gaming moments I can point to in my life where I instantly knew everything was about to change: the first time I played Super Mario Bros., the first time I played Super Mario 64, and the first time I donned a PlayStation VR headset.

If you haven’t yet immersed yourself in the world of VR, GameStop has pre-owned, refurbished PlayStation VR headsets and Oculus is offering refurbished Rift units, both of which represent substantial savings over buying them new.

Virtual Reality Headset Deals

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The PSVR headset is JUST the headset: it doesn’t include the Move controllers, which have been a pain to get a hold of since forever, anyway. However, you can play the large majority of PSVR games with just the DualShock controller, and with Sony announcing the PS5 controller yesterday, who knows what the future might hold?

As for the Oculus Rift, it comes with everything you need, including the controllers, but not including a PC. So I guess it’s not “everything.” The Oculus availability probably won’t last, so if you’re even considering it, act now or risk losing out.

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Seth Macy is IGN’s tech and commerce editor and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.

 

You’ll be forgiven if you do a double-take when first glancing upon Disintegration, the unique new first-person shooter with heavy strategy elements from V1 Interactive. It’s definitely got a bit of a Destiny look to it, artistically speaking, and there’s a good reason for that: Disintegration is from Master Chief co-creator and longtime Bungie veteran Marcus Lehto and his new team. Lehto was at Bungie well into Destiny 1’s development, so his visual stamp is on both his old studio’s game and his new one. Heck, Disintegration even has a player hub area where you walk around in third-person view and speak with your NPC allies.

That’s where the similarities end, though: on a purely superficial level. Disintegration is set on Earth, 150 years in the future. Humanity has, according to Lehto, been dealt “some very difficult cards,” including climate extremes, food shortages, and a pandemic (sigh). Societal stratification has arisen, splitting humanity into two camps: the Naturals and those who’ve “integrated” – meaning they’ve left their human bodies behind and transferred their consciousness into a robot body.

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Those who integrate can be a humanoid-looking Warrior, long-range Ranger, or mech-like Striker, each with different skills and strengths. You play Roamer Shoal, an ex-gravcycle pilot who’s escaped the clutches of the militaristic superpower called the Rayonne, and one of its leaders Black Shuck, inside a large Rayon capital ship hovering over what’s left of North America called an Iron Cloud. If this all sounds super sci-fi-y, well…it is. And hopefully that will end up being a strength of Disintegration.

The gameplay, though, seems like a surer bet to carve out its own (ahem) destiny. See, you’ll be an active participant in the first-person combat, but you’ll do so hovering above the battlefield in your gravcycle, issuing commands to your crew. “It’s the player’s responsibility in the campaign to not only engage in combat but use those ground units as an active part of your arsenal,” Lehto said. “It’s very important to remember that [the gravcycle is] the core aspect of the game.”

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That gameplay also is best played rather than simply demonstrated, and while I didn’t get to go hands-on with it in this look at the single-player campaign, IGN’s Brandin Tyrrel did, and it does indeed seem to be a unique experience. Roamer can go into a scan mode to look for health service areas and enemy units, for example. The Ranger has a Slow Field that can slow enemies down, the Warrior has concussion grenade that can stun bad guys so they are then susceptible to critical damage, and the Striker has a mortar strike that rains down big damage on your enemies from above.

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering, you’re always on the gravcycle. “That is the core primary function of our game and what we wanted to latch onto,” Lehto explained. You’ll be assigned a certain gravcycle type and loadout in each mission in the 8-10-hour campaign, plus a different set of ground crew units. Sometimes you might have two allies on the ground, sometimes there might be four. And your gravcyle will vary too, from light to medium to heavy – each with different loadouts and abilities.

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Sadly there’s no co-op play planned “at the moment,” according to Lehto, but the tone of his answer seemed to suggest it may very well be added sometime after release. Still, what Disintegration is aiming for seems worth a hands-on take, at the very least. Genuinely new first-person shooter experiences are fairly few and far between, so if Lehto and his team can deliver that, they’ll have put themselves on the genre map.

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Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

Keeping in tradition with the series, you can befriend (and kick out) the villagers who come to inhabit your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There are some characters, however, that aren’t potential neighbors (or nuisances), but occasional visitors or vendors that bring along special items to sell or trade. Some may ask for favors in exchange for something cool or even host themed events on the island.

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Many of these characters won’t appear until certain requirements have been met. Some of the most common requirements are upgrading Resident Services, unlocking Nook’s Cranny and the Able Sisters store, and having at least a few villagers living on the island. Once those requirements have been met, characters like Celeste, Kicks, and Flick will drop by to visit! Some visit weekly on the same day (like Daisy Mae) while others are random and unpredictable. Below we’ve included many of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons visiting characters we know about and when you can expect them.

This guide is being updated as we gather more information!

Celeste

Blather’s sister Celeste is an occasional visiting character in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. She’s an owl with a deep red color, pink bow, and peach and white diamond pattern across her belly who can be found wandering around the town at night. Speak to her and she’ll teach you how to wish upon a star, a skill needed to collect star fragments which are items needed to craft wands and some of the celestial DIYs. She’ll also share a new DIY recipe each new time you meet her, which can teach you how to make costume-changing wands, as well as outer space and astrological-themed items.

• Frequency: Random
• Time Available: 7pm – 5am
• Location: Wandering around town
• Rewards: DIY Recipes

C.J.

Fishing influencer C.J. is a new character to Animal Crossing and seems to have taken over the role of hosting fishing tournaments from Chip. The fish-loving beaver wears a bright yellow vest and camo shorts, and can be found occasionally wandering around town (usually by the water) looking for an opportunity to create new content for his fans by buying fish. He also hosts fishing tournaments in the town square by Resident Services. He pays 1.5x the going rate for fish and will even reward you with a fish statue if you turn in three of the same kind.

• Frequency: Random, Seasonal Fishing Tourneys
• Time Available: All day
• Location: Wandering around town by the water or in the plaza by Resident Services
• Rewards: Bells, Fish statues, or Fishing Tourney event rewards

Daisy Mae

This adorable, little orange boar with a serious case of a runny nose is another new character in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Wearing a white bonnet, blue dress with a blue apron, and a hat with turnips on top, Daisy Mae visits towns weekly selling turnips once players have unlocked Timmy and Tommy’s store, Nook’s Cranny. Check out our ACNH turnip guide for details on how to flip turnips and stack bells!

• Frequency: Every Sunday
• Time Available: 5am – 12pm
• Location: Wandering around town

Flick

Flick is a bright red chameleon with a punk style who has a fascination for bugs. Similar to C.J., Flick hosts a bug-related event called Bug-Off and can be found wandering about town looking to buy bugs at 1.5x their normal price. He will also reward you with a statue if you give him three bugs of the same type.

• Frequency: Random, Annual Bug-Off Event in the Summer
• Time Available: All day
• Location: Wandering around town or in the plaza by Resident Services
• Rewards: Bells, Bug Statues, Buff-Off event rewards

Gulliver

If you have ever discovered a seagull in a blue and white sailor’s outfit washed up on the shore of your beach, then congrats! You’ve encountered Gulliver. If you try talking to him, he won’t awake immediately. It takes a few tries. But once you shake him from his stupor, he’ll ask you to recover some communicator parts so he can get in touch with his shipmates and ask them to come and get him. If you help Gulliver, he’ll reward you with rare antiques and collectible items.

• Frequency: Random
• Time Available: All day
• Location: Beach
• Rewards: Souvenir clothing and items

Kicks

If the name is any indication, Kicks is a random vendor that appears in Animal Crossing: New Horizons selling socks, bags, and shoes. While Mabel and her sister also sell socks and shoes, Kicks is the only vendor you can purchase bags from, and many of his shoes can’t be found elsewhere. This stylish skunk wears yellow slacks, a white shirt, and a yellow cap and can be found selling his wares in the plaza near Resident Services. He will only appear after you’ve helped Mabel build a shop for the Able Sisters.

• Frequency: Random
• Time Available: All day
• Location: Resident Services plaza

K.K. Slider

Another familiar face makes a return to the series — the beloved K.K. Slider! And he’s here to play your favorite K.K. songs and accept requests, but only if you meet the requirements to have him come to your island. In order to have K.K. Slider perform on your island, you must raise your island rating to at least 3 stars. Make sure to check out our guide on how to unlock K.K. Slider in Animal Crossing: New Horizons for more details.

• Frequency: Every Saturday
• Time Available: All day, at 6pm starts taking requests
• Location: Resident Services plaza

Label

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Label is the third sibling in the Able Sister trio and is another visiting character that appears randomly in ACNH. She’s a purple hedgehog with a snazzy blue suit and winged eyeliner. Like Kicks, she appears in the plaza near Resident Services after the Able Sisters have set up shop. If you speak to her, she will ask you to put together an outfit based on a theme and an article of clothing she gives you (goth, casual, cute, etc…). Once you return with a completed outfit, Label will judge you. If she’s pleased, she’ll reward you with Tailor Tokens which can be used to purchase items in the Able Sisters store at the equivalent of 3000 bells or less.

• Frequency: Random
• Time Available: All day
• Location: Resident Services plaza
• Reward: Tailor Tokens, Labelle Signature Clothing

Mabel

Making a return to the series, Mabel is one of the first vendors to make an appearance on the island. The blue hedgehog in her white and green plaid apron will show up shortly after you help Timmy and Tommy build Nook’s Cranny. At first, she will only appear inside the town square, selling clothing off her blanket and umbrella. If you purchase at least 5 items and over 5000 bells worth of clothing from her, she will then talk to you about opening up the Able Sisters shop with her sister, Sabel.

• Frequency: Random weekday, Saturday and Sunday
• Time Available: All day
• Location: Resident Services plaza

Saharah

If you’re in the market for a carpet, flooring, or wall treatments, you’ll want to speak to Saharah. Saharah is a tan camel with a white belly and a turquoise vest who occasionally stops by to sell rugs, mysterious flooring, and mysterious wallpaper. Her rugs come in three sizes: small, medium, and large and her wares are labeled “mysterious” because you won’t know what they look like until you purchase them. Saharah rewards players with exchange tickets after each purchase. Collect 5 and you can use them to get mysterious wallpaper or flooring instead of paying for them with Bells.

• Frequency: Random
• Time Available: All day
• Location: Wandering around the island
• Reward: Exchange tickets

Wisp the Ghost

If you’re prone to wandering around your island late at night (like I am) then you may have encountered a mysterious ghost. This ghost’s name is Wisp and they are another visiting character in ACNH. Speaking to Wisp will give them a big fright, causing them to split into smaller parts you can find floating around the island. Wisp will ask you to retrieve the various parts of their spirit in exchange for a reward.

• Frequency: Random
• Time Available: 7pm-5am
• Location: Wandering about the island, usually around the trees
• Reward: A “new” or “expensive” item

A new chapter of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone has begun. Infinity Ward has officially released the much-anticipated Season 3 update on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Like the Season 2 update before it, this is a substantial update in terms of its file size. On Xbox One, it’s 13.6 GB. It’s 11.7 GB on PS4 and 16 GB on PC, according to CharlieIntel.

While you wait for the download to complete, you can check out the full Season 3 patch notes here. It’s a big update, but it’s much smaller than the Season 2 update, which was between 50 GB and 100 GB depending on your platform.

In addition to a number of under-the-hood changes, the Season 3 update for Modern Warfare and Warzone introduces new content in form of new multiplayer maps and a Quads mode for Warzone. A new Operator, Alex from the Modern Warfare campaign, is also headed to Modern Warfare. There is a new Season 3 Battle Pass, too, that comes with various cosmetics and even Riley, the dog from Call of Duty: Ghosts.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for lots more on Modern Warfare Season 3 in the days ahead.