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Fortnite: How to Find the Week 2 Hidden Battle Star

Here is how to find the Week 2 Battle Star in Fortnite!

Fortnite: How to Find the Week 1 Hidden Battle Star

Here is how to find the Week 1 Hidden Battle Star in Fortnite!

Once & Future Finds a Fresh Take on Arthurian Legends

There’s an excitement surrounding the release of Once & Future that you normally only find with major Marvel and DC projects. It’s not hard to understand why. The creative team alone is a huge draw, as superstar writer Kieron Gillen is teaming up with two of the best storytellers in the business, artist Dan Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillain. Then there’s the story pitch, with Gillen, Mora and Bonvillain delivering a new take on the timeless formula of King Arthur returning to save a troubled, modern-day England. It’s a combination that works, mainly because it manages to subvert the usual Arthurian conventions.

It often seems as though Arthurian myths scratch the same basic itch as superhero stories. We long for a world where a powerful hero rises out of obscurity to battle injustice and impose justice on an unjust world. Whether that hero wears a mask and cape or wields an ancient, mystical sword, the end result is the same. Once & Future is a book that speaks directly to the fears and struggles of an England wracked by Brexit woes and a general sense of unrest and malaise. In the midst of that unrest, rumors of a long-dead king returning to life are beginning to spread, forcing an old woman named Bridgette McGuire to spring to action.

Fortnite Apologizes for Selling Seemingly Reskinned Dog Pet, Offers Refunds

Epic Games is offering full refunds for the in-game Gunner pet dog item after players claimed a similar version of the item was offered as part of a previous Battle Pass. Epic also announced the pet will be removed from the game.

Earlier today, Fortnite added a new pet dog item to the Fortnite Shop named Gunner. Players could purchase Gunner for 1,000 V-Bucks, which is about $9.99 USD. Unfortunately, Gunner bears a striking resemblance to a season six Battle Pass pet named Bonesy.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two pets created by Reddit user PhantomRacer32.

Trump’s New Taxes That Could Make Game Consoles More Expensive Are Delayed

If video game consoles really are going to get more expensive in America due to Trump’s tariffs, it might now take a little longer for it to happen. The United States Trade Representative announced this week that the proposed taxes on some electronics made in China, including video game consoles, is being delayed until December 15.

In a statement, the USTR said it pushed the start date back from September 1 as part of the “public comment and hearing process.” This is typically understood to be a time period when members of the public and experts weigh in on a particular topic.

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In this case, it appears the public comment and hearing process resulted in the committee deciding it needed extra time to make a final decision. One significant event related to video games that happened during that time was the joint letter from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo sent to the US government expressing their mutual opposition for the new taxes.

Other products made in China whose proposed tax increase has also been delayed to December 15 include cell phones, laptops, and computer monitors, as well as some unspecific footwear, clothing, and toys.

The USTR said it now plans to hold an “exclusion process” to determine if the products whose new tax rate have been delayed should be removed entirely from the list. The USTR said it will move quickly to release an official list into the Federal Register for items that will and will not be subject to the increased tariff rates.

Trump’s new tariffs for China, which were first proposed in May, would introduce a 25% take on all imports from the country. The importers pay the tax, so that means Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo would likely need to offset the costs with increased prices passed on to retailers and eventually consumers.

For its part, Nintendo reportedly prepared itself for the tariffs by moving manufacturing out of China ahead of the launch of rumored new Switch models.

Speaking to press today, Trump explained the delay, “We’re doing this for Christmas season, just in case some of the tariffs would have an impact on US customers …”

After Trump’s announcement of the tariff delay, the US market rallied. However, stocks later fell back to Earth.

In the joint letter, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo pointed out that more than 96% of video game consoles imported to the US were made in China. If the console manufacturers move their production operations to the US or another country, this could cause “significant supply chain disruption” and increase costs “even beyond the cost of the proposed tariffs.”

In other news, Sony recently said it might have to raise the price of PlayStation consoles if the proposed tariffs go through. The topic is especially front-of-mind currently for game consoles, as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony are all coming out with new hardware relatively soon. Nintendo’s new Switch Lite launches in September, while Microsoft’s Project Scarlett and Sony’s all-but-confirmed PS5 are each expected to debut during Holiday 2020.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said the price of the next-generation Scarlett console may depend on what happens with the tariffs. This is an ongoing story, so keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

Spelunky 2 Most Likely Delayed Into 2020

Spelunky 2 developer/creator Derek Yu of Mossmouth has stated he “doesn’t think we’re going to release Spelunky 2 this year,” as the “density and detail of the game is demanding more time.”

Yu further explained the decision on Twitter, saying “development is still going well and we’re not far off target,” but Spelunky 2 just needs more time to live up to the much beloved original.

Spelunky 2 Won’t Be Spelunking This Year; “Density And Detail” Cause Delay

Spelunky 2 won’t make it out of its development cave this year after all. Developer Derek Yu announced on Twitter that the follow-up to the original roguelike is just a little off the mark due to its level of complexity, and as a result the team needs more time to finish it.

“Development is still going well and we’re not far off target, but the density and detail of the game is demanding more time,” Yu said in a series of tweets. “As soon as we have a release date for Spelunky 2, we’ll make sure everyone knows! We can’t wait to show you more, although of course the best way is for you to experience it for yourself at launch. All the crazy stuff we’re adding makes me buzz with excitement.”

Hey, Spelunky fans! Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to get to release Spelunky 2 this year. Development is still going well and we’re not far off target, but the density and detail of the game is demanding more time.
Thank you for your patience. pic.twitter.com/BJvsHUWAY0

— Derek Yu (@mossmouth) August 14, 2019

In the tweets, Yu also apologized for the recent lack of updates, saying that it’s sometimes hard to strike a balance between communication and development time. He also remarked that the team is adding more detail and contrast to the environmental art in response to feedback from the initial trailer.

Spelunky 2 is an ambitious sequel, introducing new characters and online co-op to the first game’s roguelike exploration. Yu developed the first game almost single-handedly, and he’s still leading the effort for the sequel.

“Neither cooperative nor competitive modes are where Spelunky excels because the core of this game is designed around the exploits of a lone survivor in a hostile world. Spelunky doesn’t extend a helping hand when you’re down,” Tom McShea wrote in GameSpot’s Spelunky review. “It doesn’t have mercy. And that stubbornness is one of the main reasons it’s so hard to pull away from the game. When you finally conquer something that has been hounding you for hours, you feel like the best darn explorer on the planet, and that feeling overshadows all the hardships you overcame down the troubled path you traveled.”

Fortnite Admits Releasing New Dog Was A Mistake; Refunds Available

Epic Games recently released a new Pet named Gunner in Fortnite: Battle Royale, and fans quickly pointed out that the little doggo is basically a reskinned version of a previously released dog, Bonesy. Now, Epic has responded to the news, saying it made a mistake in releasing Gunner.

The company will give out refunds to everyone who bought Gunner, and in an attempt to make up for the problem, Epic is also giving players who purchased Gunner 200 free V-bucks. What’s more, Gunner is being erased from Fortnite entirely.

“We should not have released the Gunner Pet and apologize for doing so. Within the next couple of days, all purchases of Gunner will be refunded for the full amount of 1000 V-bucks as well as an additional 200 V-bucks and the Pet will be removed from the Locker,” Epic said in a statement.

Players who purchased Gunner and use Fortnite’s in-game refund tools to get a refund will receive the 200 free V-bucks and an extra refund token.

As comparison images show, Gunner was merely a simple reskin of Bonesy with a lighter shade of fur and some minor tweaks like a skull logo on his scarf. Adding to the controversy, Bonesy was originally exclusive to the Season 6 Battle Pass; Epic had pledged that items in Battle Passes would never be sold separately. So when Epic started selling Gunner, the Bonesy clone, people got upset that Epic seemed to be going back on its promise.

Fortnite Season X Coverage

Idris Elba Hasn’t Seen Avengers: Endgame but Says Heimdall Could Be Alive

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Idris Elba, who has played Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011’s Thor, has said, even though he has yet to see Avengers: Endgame, he thinks Heimdall could still be alive and he would love to once again reprise the role of the all-seeing Asgardian.

As reported by KTSA.com, Elba spoke to ABC Radio and admitted that he hadn’t seen Avengers: Endgame yet, even though he almost had a bigger role in the film.

No Man’s Sky Beyond is Live, But Some Players Are Dealing With Crashes, VR Issues

No Man’s Sky Beyond, the next big update for Hello Games’ procedural space exploration sim, is live. But some players are reporting fairly regular crashes on consoles and PC which makes exploring the universe a bit difficult.

Hello Games’ procedurally generated space exploration game, No Man’s Sky, just received another major update today. The Beyond expansion, which was released for free, adds VR support, expanded multiplayer support, and a bevy of quality-of-life improvements to make jumping in for new players even easier.

The update has only been live for a couple hours, which isn’t enough time to get fully immersed in the new Beyond update. But some players are just having trouble accessing the content. There are reports of numerous crashes on both consoles and PC, as well as some wonkiness trying to get VR to work properly on both SteamVR and PSVR. Some players are also reporting that No Man’s Sky Beyond’s new social hub, the Nexus, is the source of a lot of crashes.