Author: Trafficblast

Play These Xbox One Games For Free Right Now

If you don’t already have enough to play or are simply looking to mix things up, you’ve got some options right now on Xbox One. Three different games are hosting free-play weekends, two of which don’t require Xbox Live Gold.

The first two are NBA 2K18 and Rainbow Six Siege. 2K18 is the latest game in the basketball sim series, and while its Virtual Currency microtransactions are objectionable to some, the on-court action is quite good. Siege, meanwhile, is the continually evolving competitive shooter from Ubisoft. It’s undergone a remarkable transformation since its launch in 2015, and it continues to go strong, with a big update coming up soon.

Both of those games are playable even if you don’t have an Xbox Live Gold membership, which is often a requirement to take part in these free-play events. You will, however, need an active Gold subscription to check out the third game, Blizzard’s hero shooter, Overwatch. As with previous free trials, you’ll be able to play the majority of the game, including all heroes and maps in Quick Play, Custom Games, and Arcade. As it happens, the game’s Lunar New Year event is ongoing, giving you a chance to unlock some cool new Year of the Dog skins.

Progress made during any of these trial periods will carry over to the full versions if you ever decide to purchase them. NBA 2K18 and Siege’s free events run from now through February 18, and both games are on sale on the Xbox Store this week; the Overwatch free event runs through February 19.

Filed under:
Xbox One
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Overwatch
NBA 2K18

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Mafia 3 Studio Hangar 13 Hit With Layoffs

A “significant number of staff” has been laid off at Mafia III developer Hangar 13.

2K confirmed the layoffs to IGN in the statement below:

“2K can confirm that there have been staff reductions at Hangar 13 in order to ensure that the studio’s resources are properly aligned with its long-term development plans. These reductions will not influence 2K’s ability to create and deliver its products that are currently in development. We never take these matters lightly, and are working with the affected employees to support them and explore potential opportunities throughout our organization.”

Kotaku reports it was a “large proportion” of the studio’s staff let go, but the publisher has not commented on how many employees were affected.

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Heads Up: Get Udemy Courses on Game Development, Graphic Design and More for $10

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

Have you ever thought “Instead of just playing games, I’d like to make them, too?” Or wanted to learn the ins-and-outs of Photoshop? How about programming an app, or improving your drawing abilities? You’re in luck, because Udemy has a ton of online courses in all kinds of different subjects, from game design to web design, to business and art. And right now, they’re only $11.99.

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Injustice 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DLC Review – Turtle Powering Up

Netherrealm has built a reputation for including some wild guest characters in its fighting games, but perhaps none has been as unexpected as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crashing the party in Injustice 2. While it may initially seem strange to see Leonardo clashing with Superman, or Donatello in a gadget battle with Batman, Netherrealm has done an exceptional job with fine tuning the Turtles to make each one of them feel unique, yet familiar, and all the while fitting in with the rest of Injustice 2’s super powered roster. (Read the full Injustice 2 review.)

The most important thing to note about the Turtles in Injustice 2 is that while this $10 package only takes up one character slot on the character select screen, all four are playable characters with similar but substantially different movesets.

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