Author: Trafficblast

One of the Game of Thrones prequels has begun filming, according to Entertainment Weekly. The report states that the show starring Noami Watts is filming in Northern Ireland, which is where the mainline HBO show shot frequently.

Importantly, HBO is only filming a pilot episode for the Game of Thrones prequel. If the pilot is successful, HBO might decide to make it an entire series, but for now it’s just the pilot.

As fans may recall, the pilot for Game of Thrones was something of a trainwreck. It required extensive re-shoots, while cast members were replaced. Tamzin Merchant played Daenerys in the pilot, but she was re-cast and replaced by Emilia Clarke. Jennifer Ehle played Catelyn Stark in the pilot, and she was replaced by Michelle Fairley in the re-shoots.

A spokesperson for HBO told GameSpot sister site CNET that it has “not confirmed production” of the Game of Thrones prequel. The network said EW is “speculating based on other reports.”

X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass writer Jane Goldman is the showrunner of the new Game of Thrones prequel, while George R.R. Martin is producing. Jessica Jones veteran S.J. Clarkson is directing the pilot.

The untitled prequel is set thousands of years before the events of the main show, which ended its eight-season run in May, so you shouldn’t expect to see any characters from that show.

A new Legendary Pokemon has arrived in Pokemon Go. Following Cresselia‘s departure, the Legendary Water-type Kyogre is making an encore appearance in Raid Battles for the next few days–and this time, you’ll have a chance to encounter its Shiny form.

Kyogre will appear in Raids from now until June 27. As before, you’ll first need to team up with other players in-person and battle the Legendary Pokemon before you can have an opportunity to capture it. Kyogre is a pure Water-type, which makes it susceptible to Grass- and Electric-type Pokemon. Your best bet for success is to bring along monsters such as Roserade, Leafeon, Manectric, and Magnezone when challenging it.

Kyogre is the second of three Legendary Pokemon developer Niantic is bringing back to Go. After it leaves on June 27, its counterpart from Pokemon Ruby, Groudon, will take its place until July 10. Just as was the case with Kyogre and Cresselia, you’ll also have a chance to encounter a Shiny Groudon when it returns to Raids. You can read more details on the official Pokemon Go website.

Kyogre’s return comes on the heels of the annual Pokemon Go Fest, which took place in Chicago this past weekend. As a reward for completing enough Global Challenges during the event, Niantic is giving players twice the usual amount of Candy for capturing and hatching Pokemon until June 25. Eggs will also hatch at half of their normal distance until then, and you’re guaranteed to earn one Rare Candy per Raid.

On top of those bonuses, Niantic is bringing one of the three Legendary dogs, Raikou, back for a special Raid day. The Legendary Electric-type will return to Raid Battles on Saturday, June 29, from 4-7 PM local time. During the event, you’ll be able to receive up to five free Raid Passes from Gyms, and you may even encounter a Shiny Raikou.

The NPD Group has released its monthly report for May 2019, revealing which games and consoles sold the best in the United States during the month.

Beginning with game sales, NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat 11 was the best-selling game in the US for the month, repeating its top performance from April when it was released. Mortal Kombat 11 now becomes the best-selling game of 2019 so far. Its second month was a strong one, as the NPD said month-two sales nearly doubled comparable sales of any other Mortal Kombat game in history for its second month.

The No. 2 overall best-selling game of May 2019 in the US was PlayStation 4 exclusive Days Gone. Also notable for May was that Minecraft re-appeared in the top ten list, coming in at No. 9.

Overall, game sales in the United States reached $262 million in May, which is down 13 percent year-over-year. It was a particularly tough month, as May 2019 sales were the lowest for a May month since May 2013 when total game sales reached $222 million. In terms of new releases specifically, May 2019 is the lowest for a May month since May 1998, the NPD added.

On a year-to-date basis, however, total game sales have now reached $2.2 billion, which is up 2 percent year-over-year. Sales of Nintendo Switch games are growing, but the uptick in Switch software sales was offset by lower sales on every other platform that the NPD tracks.

Moving to hardware, the Nintendo Switch was the best-seller of May 2019. It’s also the No. 1 best-performing console of 2019 across unit sales and dollar revenue.

For May 2019 specifically, spending on all video game consoles dropped 20 percent to $149 million year-over-year. The Switch grew, but all other systems dropped. Looking at year-to-date, total hardware spending is now $1.1 billion, which is down 17 percent.

Looking at the full picture–covering games, hardware, and accessories–total US video game spending reached $641 million, which is down 11 percent. Year-to-date sales are also down, falling 3 percent to $4.7 billion.

May 2019 Best-Selling Games

All Platforms May 2019

1. Mortal Kombat 11
2. Days Gone
3. Total War: Three Kingdoms
4. Rage 2*
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
7. Red Dead Redemption II
8. MLB The Show 19
9. Minecraft#
10. NBA 2K19

All Platforms Year-To-Date 2019

1. Mortal Kombat 11
2. Kingdom Hearts III
3. The Division 2^
4. Anthem^
5. Resident Evil 2
6. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
7. Red Dead Redemption II
8. Days Gone
9. MLB The Show 19
10. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

All Platforms 12 Months Ended May 2019

1. Red Dead Redemption 2
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4^
3. NBA 2K19
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
5. Madden NFL 19^
6. Spider-Man
7. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
8. Mortal Kombat 11
9. FIFA 19^
10. Kingdom Hearts III

May 2019 Xbox One

1. Mortal Kombat 11
2. Rage 2*
3. Red Dead Redemption II
4. The Division 2
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. NBA 2K19
7. Minecraft
8. Forza Horizon 4
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
10. Rainbow Six Siege

May 2019 PS4

1. Mortal Kombat 11
2. Days Gone
3. MLB The Show 19
4. Rage 2*
5. Grand Theft Auto V
6. Spider-Man
7. Red Dead Redemption 2
8. Call of Duty: Black O ps 4
9. NBA 2K19
10. The Division 2

May 2019 Nintendo Switch

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
2. Mario Kart 8*
3. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
5. Mortal Kombat 11
6. Yoshi’s Crafted World*
7. Super Mario Party*
8. Super Mario Odyssey*
9. Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu*
10. Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee*

May 2019 3DS

1. Pokemon: Ultra Sun*
2. Pokemon: Ultra Moon*
3. Detective Pikachu*
4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D*
5. Super Mario Maker*
6. Mario Kart 7*
7. Super Smash Bros.*
8. Kirby’s Epic Yarn*
9. Luigi’s Mansion*
10. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey*

* Digital sales not included

^ PC digital sales not included

# Minecraft digital sales on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One included

Ubisoft has rolled out another update for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. Title Update 4 is now live on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, bringing a new specialization to the loot shooter: the Gunner, which comes with a new skill and its own unique weapon, the minigun.

To unlock the Gunner specialization, you’ll need to complete the Special Field Research–five stages of challenges that each boast their own objectives and rewards. Once you’ve completed all five stages, you’ll earn access to the Gunner.

Those who’ve purchased the Year One Pass, meanwhile, will unlock the Gunner immediately. However, you can still take on the Special Field Research challenges to unlock an assortment of exclusive cosmetics, including the following:

• Fisticuffs and Front Flex emotes
• Charcoal and Detritus gear dyes
• Rosethorn and Pineapple weapon skins
• Gunner mask and Gunner specialization uniform

As previously mentioned, the Gunner wields the minigun, a rapid-fire weapon that Ubisoft says can dish out “massive damage in short periods of time on the enemy while sustaining incoming damage thanks to its bonus armor.” Gunners can also throw Riot Foam Grenades, which will cover enemies in foam and prevent them from moving. The Banshee signature skill, meanwhile, can confuse targets.

Ubisoft has a lot more content lined up for The Division 2. The game will receive three DLC episodes as part of its year-one roadmap, the first of which–DC Outskirts – Expeditions–is arriving this summer. At E3 2019, Ubisoft shared more details about these new Expeditions, which are free events that let players travel to unexplored locations to discover new narrative and gameplay opportunities.

The Division 2 launched for PS4, Xbox One, and PC this part March. It earned a 9/10 in our Division 2 review. Critic Edmond Tran wrote, “The range of enemy types continues to keep combat encounters challenging, the equipment I earn and pick up continues to feel different, valuable, and asks me to consider new ways of play. The ravaged environments continue to intrigue, and sometimes they’re so stunning I find myself needing to take screenshots before I move on. It might not have much to say, but The Division 2 is a perpetual cycle of tension, relief, and reward that’s difficult to stay away from.”

1. Batman And Elmer Fudd Hunt Wabbits

There are weird Batman team-ups, and then there’s Batman/Elmer Fudd. Part of a company-wide DC/Looney Tunes crossover, this one is easily the best, and the one most deserving of a sequel, which came out as Batman 67.

Not only are Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, and even a Mohawk-wearing Tasmanian Devil turned into actual human beings, but Bugs Bunny is a bucktoothed hitman who tricks Elmer Fudd into hunting down Batman. The story is as absurd as it gets, but it is played completely straight, to the point where it actually makes you dislike Bugs and feel sorry for Fudd, who seems like a dangerous hunter capable of hurting the Bat. Elmer Fudd Is also given some Rorschach-like narration and says dialogue like “This is a hawd pwace for hawd men,” which will make you think twice about wabbit season. The art looks straight out of the ’50s, and the dialogue makes the whole thing feel as gritty as the best hard-boiled detective movies.