Author: Trafficblast

Borderlands 3 has officially gone gold. Gearbox confirmed the game’s status on Twitter and thanked everyone who contributed to its completion.

For those not up to date on the lingo, a game that’s “gone gold” has been completed and is ready for manufacturing. So Borderlands 3 is in its final stage before release. Any additional changes to the game’s code that are made from now on will come in the form of a day one patch or post-release updates.

Borderlands 3 takes place shortly after the events of both Tales from the Borderlands and Borderlands 2: Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary. The game launches with four new playable Vault Hunters—Zane, Amara, Moze, and FL4K–each of whom has some of the most uniquely designed skill trees seen in any previous Borderlands title.

We’ve already had a chance to play as the first three. Zane can sacrifice his grenades to equip two different active skills at once, Amara’s mastery of the elements allows her to mix and match the skills of every Siren that’s come before her, and Moze is able to change what her active skill does by putting different weapons and armor on her Iron Bear mech.

Launching on September 13 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, Borderlands 3 has a limited-time exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store. Once the deal is complete, the game will go to other PC platforms like Steam. Borderlands 3 is also releasing on Google Stadia once the cloud-based game streaming service launches. Though it won’t have cross-platform play at launch, Gearbox is “committed” to making it happen.

Kono Oto Kamare: Sounds of Life, which wrapped up its first season in June 2019 and landed on our best of Spring 2019 guide, will return this October, Funimation confirms. With 20 volumes in the manga series, written by Amyu, there’s plenty of material fans may see in the upcoming second season.

With Sounds of Life receiving a second season, the Shonen anime will get a new opening. Crunchyroll reports that the new opening, titled “Harmony,” is performed by Shouta Ao, Mio Kanzaki’s Japanese voice actor in the anime. There’s also a new ending, and while it doesn’t have a title, Crunchyroll states that it’s performed by Chika Kudo’s voice actor Yuma Uchida.

Sounds of Life is a slice-of-life anime, following the Tokise high school Koto club’s last member–a sophomore named Takezo Kurata–as he seeks to revitalize the club after the rest of its members graduate. Production company Funimation, where Sounds of Life is streaming, says the story is about how difficult it can be to find harmony, especially “when a delinquent and a prodigy player sign up.” Sounds of Life is available on Hulu as well, so it’s likely the anime’s second season will arrive on the streaming platform.

According to Crunchyroll, Kono Oto Kamare: Sounds of Life’s second season will air at the following times:

• Tokyo MX: every Saturday during the 25:00 time slot beginning on October 05, 2019.
• BS11: every Saturday during the 25:00 time slot beginning on October 05, 2019.
• AT-X: every Monday during the 22:00 time slot beginning on October 07, 2019.
• Tochigi TV: every Monday during the 23:00 time slot beginning on October 07, 2019.
• WOWOW: every Wednesday during the 24:00 time slot beginning on October 09, 2019.
• Hokkaido Television Broadcasting: every Monday during the 25:25 time slot beginning on October 14, 2019.

According to the video above, Sounds of Life Simulcasts on Saturdays at 10:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM BST and SimulDubs at 1 PM PT / 3 PM CST / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST on the anime’s official Funimation page.

The new update for Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled that launches on August 2 not only introduces the Back N. Time Grand Prix event. The update serves as the introduction of mictotransactions.

In a blog post, Activision announced that players will be able to purchase “Wumpa Coins” in various bundles. The microtransaction bundles will be available from within console stores, though specifics about the bundles including pricing has not been announced.

Whatever the case, Activision said the new option “won’t change the game’s core mechanics.” You can still earn the Wumpa Coins simply by playing the game, but for those who want to speed up their progress, they’ll be able to buy the Wumpa Coins right away.

Players can buy the items, which include characters and various cosmetic items, from the in-game Pit Stop store. Some of the new skins coming to Nitro Refueled include Mad Scientist Crash, Sabretooth Pura, and Stone Age N. Tropy.

In our Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled review, we said, “When the nostalgia fades, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled remains fun and engaging enough to keep you racing on with a smile on your face for much longer yet. It’s good to have Crash back.”

Oscar-winner Ben Affleck was at one point attached to write, direct, and star in an all-new Batman movie. However, the actor eventually dropped out, and Matt Reeves came in to direct and write a new script. But what was Affleck’s Batman movie going to be about?

Robert Richardson, who was set to be the cinematographer on Affleck’s movie, said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the Batman flick would have delved into “the insanity aspects.”

“Well, he was going more into the insanity aspects. So I think you would’ve seen something a little darker than what we’ve seen in the past and more into the individual, who’s inside Batman,” Richardson said, via Batman-News. “What element may be sane and what element may actually not be sane. So he was entering into a little more of the Arkham, as you know, he’s going into where you keep everyone who was bad, everyone that shifted and Batman.”

Richardson said it was “very fascinating” to visit the darker side of Batman. Another interesting element is that Arkham Asylum is rarely seen in Batman movies, though Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum is set there. The new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix will see the character visiting the “Arkham Hospital.”

Robert Pattinson stars in the new Batman as the caped crusader in the film that’s due in theatres in June 2021. The movie has been in the works for several years; Affleck stepped down as director in early 2017, and more recently confirmed that he was no longer involved at all, stating that he had “tried to direct a version of it, but couldn’t crack it.”

The original 1996 Diablo

is playable now right on your computer’s web browser.The browser port of the original Diablo was developed by Rivsoft, a team of developers who work on several Blizzard-related projects. However, the port would not be possible were it not for the work of a development team who in 2018 reconstructed the original source code for Diablo.

GalaXyHaXz and the Devilution team reverse-engineered the source code for the original Diablo last year in 2018. The project was meant to be archival, so the source code was reconstructed with all the bugs and bad code from the original 1996 version.

From there, that source code was used to produce the browser port. You can check out the original Diablo on browser here. Just know that it’s not the full game.

Instead, it is a shareware version of Diablo which limits players to only one of the three character classes, and the first two areas of the dungeon.

However, if you own the original game, which can be purchased on GoG, then you can drop the original DIABDAT.MPQ file into the browser page and start playing the full game right there. So anyone looking to play the full version of Diablo for free will have to look elsewhere.

Still, if you find yourself bored at work this is a really easy way to get a quick version of Diablo up and running on your computer with minimal fuss.

Meanwhile, Blizzard is hard at work on Diablo 4, as well as a mobile title called Diablo Immortal.

Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

According to a leak, the new DLC fighters for Street Fighter V are E. Honda, Lucia, and Poison. The leak suggests the announcement is supposed to be officially made during EVO 2019, which begins August 2 and continues through the weekend.

Breaking on Steam, the leak included a new trailer for Street Fighter V that revealed the summer 2019 character bundle for the game. The video has now been taken down, but it featured E. Honda, Lucia, and Poison, who are all coming to Street Fighter V on August 4. A bundle including all three fighters will supposedly release the very next day. The trailer states that “certain costumes and Honda Senta stage” are excluded from the bundle.

Edmond Honda, a talented sumo wrestler, has been a part of the fighting game series since Street Fighter II and also appeared in Street Fighter IV. Lucia has never appeared in a Street Fighter game before. An unorthodox detective, she made her fighting game debut in 1995’s Final Fight 3. Like Lucia, Poison is a Final Fight character, first appearing in the original 1989 game. She made her Street Fighter debut in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact but only as a cameo. She wouldn’t be playable in the series until Street Fighter X Tekken. She’d return in Ultra Street Fighter IV.

In our Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition review, Tamoor Hussain wrote, “With a slick new interface, fully-featured online and offline modes, and every character released thus far–plus Sakura, the first fighter from Season 3 of its DLC–Street Fighter V feels like a complete package. It has always been a strong fighting game that continues to get better over time, but it remained a game for genre enthusiasts. Arcade Edition, however, is a game that you can confidently recommend to anyone. Two years after its launch, Street Fighter V is finally fighting fit.”

Fighter Move Change Common for All Fighters Using Shields (Link, Young Link, Toon Link, Hero) Basic Movements Characters who carry shields can now shieldstun shuffle when blocking a projectile with their shield. All Fighters FS Meter Once the FS Meter is fully charged, the Final Smash must be used within 20 seconds or the FS Meter will reset. Note: This change will not affect Spirits mode. All Fighters — The max combo count in Training will stop counting when the opponent can move All Fighters Item Attack Shortened the distance opponents can hitstun shuffle when attacked by the Daybreak item. All Fighters Item Attack A fighter on the ground will now be launched after one hit from the Thwomp assist trophy. Mario Basic Movements Adjusted the vulnerability when waking up from sleep to match other fighters. Donkey Kong Basic Movements Adjusted the vulnerability when waking up from sleep to match other fighters. Link Basic Movements Adjusted the vulnerability when waking up from sleep to match other fighters. Link Up Special Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn’t connect. Samus Basic Movements Adjusted the vulnerability when waking up from sleep to match other fighters. Samus Up Smash Attack Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn’t connect. Dark Samus Up Smash Attack Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn’t connect. Yoshi Side Smash Attack Reduced the range opponents will be pushed while charging. Fox Basic Movements Adjusted the vulnerability when waking up from sleep to match other fighters. Peach Neutral Special When blocking an attack from the rear, Toad’s counterattack will hit opponents easier. Peach Up Special Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn’t connect. Daisy Neutral Special When blocking an attack from the rear, Toad’s counterattack will hit opponents easier. Daisy Up Special Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn’t connect. Bowser Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Sheik Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Mewtwo Basic Movements Reduced the area of the tail that can take damage. Mewtwo Up Smash Attack Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts.
Extended launch distance. Mewtwo Down Smash Attack Reduced vulnerability. Mewtwo Backward Throw Increased power. Mewtwo Side Special Increased attack speed.
Increased the speed to reflect projectiles. Mr. Game & Watch Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Pit Neutral Attack 1 Increased attack speed. Pit Up Tilt Attack Reduced vulnerability. Pit Down Smash Attack Extended launch distance when hit with the first attack. Pit Back Air Attack Reduced vulnerability when landing after using the move. Pit Down Air Attack Extended launch distance when hitting an opponent in the air with a meteor effect. Dark Pit Neutral Attack 1 Increased attack speed. Dark Pit Up Tilt Attack Reduced vulnerability. Dark Pit Down Smash Attack Extended launch distance when hit with the first attack. Dark Pit Back Air Attack Reduced vulnerability when landing after using the move. Dark Pit Down Air Attack Extended launch distance when hitting an opponent in the air with a meteor effect. Zero Suit Samus Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Snake Basic Movements Adjusted the vulnerability when waking up from sleep to match other fighters. Pokémon Trainer Other The invincibility time for grabbing edges is no longer shortened when performing a Pokémon Change in the air and then grabbing an edge. Ivysaur Down Air Attack Reduced the range of the strong launching attack.
Shortened the launch distance when the weak launching attack hits. Ivysaur Side Special Reduced attack speed and increased vulnerability. Ivysaur Up Special Shortened launch distance for the high-damage range when using the attack in the air. Charizard Side Tilt Attack Extended launch distance when hit in the high-damage range. Charizard Side Smash Attack Increased power.
Extended launch distance. Charizard Up Smash Attack Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn’t connect. Charizard Neutral Air Attack Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts.
Reduced vulnerability when landing after using the move. Charizard Forward Throw Extended launch distance. Charizard Side Special Increased the speed of the edge-grab timing. Lucas Dash Attack Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts. Lucas Side Tilt Attack Increased the range at the beginning of the move.
Extended launch distance when hit in the high-damage range. Lucas Up Smash Attack Extended the invincibility time at the start of the move. Lucas Up Air Attack Reduced vulnerability. Lucas Side Special Reduced vulnerability when landing after using the move. Sonic Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Olimar Side Smash Attack Increased the distance for Purple Pikmin.
Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts for Purple Pikmin. R.O.B. Neutral Attack 1 Reduced the amount of time opponents will be in the damage animation when hit with the tip’s attack range. Toon Link Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Villager Up Smash Attack Made it easier to hit multiple times. Rosalina & Luma Basic Movements Rosalina can be more easily grabbed from the front when walking, crouching, and shielding when Luma is following. Rosalina & Luma Neutral Attack 1 Luma will be in front when reversing the attack. Rosalina & Luma Side Smash Attack Luma will be in front when reversing the attack. Rosalina & Luma Up Smash Attack Luma will be in front when reversing the attack. Greninja Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Little Mac Neutral Attack 3 Depending on the timing of continuing from neutral attack 2 to neutral attack 3, neutral attack 3 will no longer decrease vulnerability. Mii Brawler Basic Movements Reverted falling speed to match version 3.0.0. Mii Brawler Neutral Special 2 Increased attack speed.
Extended launch distance. Mii Brawler Up Special 1 Extended launch distance. Mii Swordfighter Neutral Special 3 Made it easier to hit multiple times. Mii Gunner Up Smash Attack Made it easier to hit multiple times.
Shortened launch distance when the full combo doesn’t connect. PAC-MAN Neutral Special Will no longer drop the Bonus Fruit while charging the neutral special even if flipped left or right with attacks like Mario’s side special. Ryu Basic Movements The attack after a perfect shield will be unleashed after facing the opponent. Ken Basic Movements The attack after a perfect shield will be unleashed after facing the opponent. Corrin Side Smash Attack Extended launch distance. Corrin Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Corrin Side Special Reduced vulnerability when jumping after stabbing the ground. Corrin Up Special Extended vertical and horizontal distance. Bayonetta Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Ridley Up Smash Attack Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts.
Extended launch distance. Ridley Back Air Attack Increased power. Ridley Up Air Attack Increased the high-damage range.
Made easier to hit the high-damage range. Ridley Dash Attack Increased attack range. Ridley Side Special Reduced vulnerability when jumping after grabbing an opponent.
Extended launch distance when throwing an opponent at the edge. Ridley Up Special Increased attack speed.
Increased movement speed. Simon Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Richter Down Air Attack Immediately descend when using the attack after being launched. Isabelle Basic Movements Extended distance of forward and backward dodging. Isabelle Neutral Attack 1 Made it easier to hit multiple times. Isabelle Up Smash Attack Extended launch distance. Isabelle Side Special Extended launch distance of upward throws.
Increased the speed of the grab detection. Isabelle Down Special Increased attack speed of the Lloid attack. Piranha Plant Dash Attack Adjusted launch angle. Piranha Plant Up Tilt Attack Reduced vulnerability. Piranha Plant Side Special Capped the attack-power increase when repeatedly reflected.
Increased attack speed.
Increased the amount of time hit detection lasts. Piranha Plant Down Special Reduced vulnerability.
Increased the power against shields.
Shortened the charge time until reaching max charge. Joker Down Special While Arsene is summoned, projectiles that deal 50% or more damage cannot be reflected.

August is finally upon us, which means new PS4 freebies will soon be available for PS Plus subscribers–the perfect excuse to stay inside and avoid the summer heat. Plus, July’s free games are still available for a few more days, so don’t forget to claim Detroit: Become Human Digital Deluxe Edition and Horizon Chase Turbo before August 6. On that day, they’ll be replaced by August’s games: Wipeout Omega Collection and Sniper Elite 4, which will be available to claim until September 2.

Wipeout Omega Collection contains a remaster of Wipeout HD, the Wipeout HD Fury expansion, and Wipeout 2048. The futuristic racing series features anti-gravity ships instead of your traditional race cars, and they each have their own defining characteristics and strengths. In total, the games feature 26 different tracks, 46 ship models, and nine game modes. You can play with friends in either local or online multiplayer, and the collection can even be experienced in PlayStation VR, if you have it.

The collection earned an impressive 9/10 in GameSpot’s Wipeout Omega Collection review. “While each of the three games exude style and stimulation in their own distinct ways, they collectively showcase the best elements of franchise’s engrossing racing and silky smooth visuals,” we wrote. “And even though it doesn’t completely scratch the itch that only a completely new PS4 sequel can offer, this collection is easily the next best thing.”

If you prefer tactical shooters to turbo-charged racers, this month’s other free game, Sniper Elite 4, is worth grabbing. The third-person shooter is set in 1943 Italy, where you control a sniper to scout out environments and take out Axis forces using your rifle, traps, explosives, and more. Sniper Elite 4 also features co-op and competitive multiplayer modes.

The game earned an 8/10 in GameSpot’s Sniper Elite 4 review. “Sniper Elite 4 feels like a natural progression for this series, as Rebellion continues to refine its systems and put a greater emphasis on the long-range shooting it does so well,” we wrote. “Its stealth and action mechanics may be simplistic, but they’re functional and regularly enjoyable. And the maps–with their impressive scale, open-ended objectives, and clever level design–coalesce these disparate systems into a creative and fulfilling whole.”

PS Plus August 2019: Free PS4 games

Available 8/6 – 9/2

Monster Hunter World‘s big Iceborne expansion arrives on PS4 and Xbox One this September, but PC players will need to wait a little longer to jump into the DLC. Capcom had previously said Iceborne will release on the platform sometime this winter, but now the publisher has narrowed that window down to a specific month.

On the official Monster Hunter Twitter account, Capcom confirmed that Iceborne will launch for PC via Steam early next year, in January 2020. No specific date was pinned down just yet, but at least we now know when we can expect the expansion to arrive on the platform, and it won’t be too far behind the PS4 and Xbox One versions.

Iceborne takes players to an arctic region known as Hoarfrost Reach, which is home to a variety of new and returning monsters, including the Tigrex and the Glavenus (which now has an intimidating new subspecies). In addition to new monsters to hunt and gear to craft, Iceborne features a new Gathering Hub that boasts some welcome improvements. This time, you’ll be able to decorate your room with different pieces of furniture and other decor, and a future update will let other players visit your room.

The expansion also introduces a few other welcome gameplay tweaks. Now, the difficulty will scale for two-player teams. Your Palico companions will also be able to wield some new gadgets such as the Shieldspire Stooge, which is a “mobile decoy” that will draw a monster’s attention. You can read more details about the gameplay tweaks on Capcom’s blog.

Iceborne launches for PS4 and Xbox One on September 6 for $40. Capcom is also offering a digital deluxe edition that includes a new Yukumo armor set along with a few other items for your hunter. You’ll need to own a copy of the base game in order to play the Iceborne expansion, but Capcom is releasing a new Monster Hunter World Master Edition that bundles both together for $60.

With the Game of Thrones spin-off show due to start shooting soon and Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series in pre-production, fantasy TV and cinema remains big business. One project that has been in development for several years is a movie based on the classic fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. It has now been reported that Game Night’s Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are in line to direct the D&D movie.

According to Deadline, Goldstein and Daley are in negotiations for the job. They will replace The Lego Movie’s Chris McKay, who has been attached since February 2018, but will now make the Chris Pratt sci-fi thriller Ghost Draft. Goldstein and Daley also wrote the screenplay to the Marvel hit Spider-Man: Homecoming and were two of the many directors attached to DC’s Flash movie before exiting that much-delayed project.

The Dungeons & Dragons reboot currently has a release date of November 21, 2021, although given the early stage of development, this could easily change. An earlier Dungeons & Dragons movie was released in 2001, but it was a commercial failure and poorly received by critics.

As for the Lord of the Rings series, Amazon recently revealed its production team. It includes Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J.A. Bayona, who will helm the first two episodes, and a writing team that includes writers from shows such as Breaking Bad, Hannibal, Stranger Things, and Game of Thrones. Although a release date has not been announced yet, we know that the show is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy of books and Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations.