Author: Trafficblast

A new trailer for My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising has been released. Though most of the trailer reuses scenes from MHA: Season 3, there are some new clips. The trailer can be watched in the tweet embedded below.

The trailer begins with our first look at Nine, the villain of the movie. We know almost nothing about Nine–even his abilities are still unknown–but he seems to be connected to All for One, one of the biggest bads in MHA, as he dresses just like All Might’s archenemy, even adopting similar headgear. The end of the trailer sees a badly injured Midoriya and Bakugo once again temporarily putting aside their differences and teaming-up, presumably to take on Nine.

Heroes Rising is the second MHA movie, following Two Heroes, and is being advertised as the final chapter of the superhero story, as it incorporates elements from how MHA’s creator originally wanted the manga to end. Whether Heroes Rising remains MHA’s finale remains to be seen, though. The movie will be released in Japan on December 20 with an international release presumably scheduled for 2020.

In My Hero Academia, Midoriya is one of the few powerless humans born in a world where superpowers are the norm. Wanting to be a hero, despite his lack of superpowers, Midoriya strives to get into the high school where All Might, his idol and the number one hero in the world, attended. After being impressed by Midoriya’s heroic potential, All Might lets the young boy in on a secret: his super strength and speed actually come from a power that can be passed from one person to the next. Midoriya is chosen as All Might’s successor, but his sudden strength irks Bakugo–a boy born with the ability to sweat and detonate nitroglycerin in his palms–who’s always strived to be the world’s next number one hero and now, for the first time, must acknowledge that the peer he’s been bullying for years might actually be stronger than him.

Two Heroes acts as a bridge between Season 2 and Season 3 of the MHA anime series. The movie sees All Might taking Midoriya to the US to see an old friend of his, David Shield, who’s an inventor that created All Might’s original hero suits. While visiting, Midoriya befriends David’s daughter, Melissa, who’s also exceptionally intelligent and seeks to help others by building support devices for heroes. Midoriya’s vacation is cut short, however, when a metal-controlling villain attacks and captures All Might, forcing the young aspiring hero to work together with Melissa and other members of his high school class in order to save the day. Though originally a one-off character, Melissa reunites with Midoriya in My Hero Academia: Team Up Mission, a brand-new manga that acts as a bridge between Seasons 3 and 4 of the anime.

Season X of Fortnite has officially arrived, and a lot has changed in Epic’s popular battle royale game. Not only are there new areas of the map to explore, there’s also a new Battle Pass to purchase, which gives holders access to an assortment of new challenges to complete and cosmetic rewards to unlock.

This time around, however, the challenges work a little differently than in past seasons. Previously, Epic offered new missions to complete on a weekly basis, some of which were available to everyone, even if they didn’t own a Battle Pass. Season X does away with these free missions. Now, most of the challenges are gated behind the pass, so you’ll need to pick one up if you’re hoping to get the most out of the new season.

The challenges are also no longer doled out weekly; rather, they’re now grouped into different themed sets. Three challenges are available from the outset, with additional ones unlocking as you complete them. The first themed set is called Road Trip, and it features a couple of tasks that may give you some trouble if you’re not too familiar with the island, such as one that asks you to destroy stop signs with the Catalyst outfit. If you don’t know where those are, we’ve put together this guide to point you in the right direction.

Where Are The Stop Sign Locations?

The stop signs that you need to destroy are scattered all around the island. You need to vandalize a total of 10 in order to complete this challenge. Fortunately, you don’t need to destroy all 10 within a single match, so you can jump into a game, visit an area where a few of the signs are bunched together, then get eliminated and repeat the process until you’ve completed the challenge.

The most stop signs can be found in Pleasant Park, which is home to 10 of them, so you can potentially clear this challenge in one go if you land there–although it will surely be a hotbed, as other players will be looking to complete this challenge as well. If you’d prefer to avoid the crowd, you can find three stop signs scattered around Salty Springs, and another two by Mega Mall. We’ve also found at least two stop signs around Paradise Palms, so you have plenty of options to choose from. You can see some locations in the tweet below.

How To Complete The Challenge

As the challenge name states, it isn’t enough to simply destroy the stop signs; you need to be doing so while wearing the Catalyst skin, which is unlocked at the first tier of the Season X Battle Pass. Equip the skin, then located some signs and destroy them using either your Harvesting Tool or any weapons you’re able to pick up during the round. Once you finally manage to break all 10 stop signs, you’ll complete the challenge and earn 10 Battle Stars.

Season X has only just begun, and much has changed in the game. Be sure to check out our Fortnite Season X hub, where you can find more details about what’s new this season, from all of the new unlockable skins and cosmetics to the Season 10 patch notes.

Fortnite Season X Challenges

Road Trip

• Visit Drift-painted Durr Burger Head, a Dinosaur, and a Stone Head Statue (3)
• Deal damage to opponents while riding in a vehicle (200)
• Destroy stop signs with the Catalyst outfit (10)

It’s August. Can you believe it? With the big fall games season right around the corner, the releases are slowly ramping up. This month has plenty of games worth grabbing as you wait for 2019’s heavy hitters. You can expect to play big games like Madden NFL 20, Astral Chain, and Control. You can find out more about each below.

Aside from new games, it seems like there’s always an unexpected Switch port releasing every month, and August is no different. Pillars of Eternity, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet, and Friday the 13th: The Game are all getting ported to Nintendo’s fan-favorite hybrid console-portable.

There’s plenty of other noteworthy releases in August, so be sure to check out the table below for all things big, small, and cult-classic. For a wider look at what’s still in store for the rest of this year, be sure to check out our complete list of game release dates in 2019.

Madden NFL 20 (PS4, Xbox One, PC) — August 2

It’s another year, another Madden. However, this year’s iteration of the massively popular American football franchise is one of the most intriguing ones yet, featuring a new scenario engine that creates subtle storylines the more games you play in a season. There’s also a special player trait system called Superstar X-Factor that allows famous players to activate special abilities after fulfilling certain conditions on the field.

Further Reading:

Control (PS4, Xbox One, PC) — August 27

Control is the latest third-person shooter from Remedy Entertainment, the studio that brought you several cult-favorite games like Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Quantum Break. It plays more similar to something like Quantum Break but amped up to a new extreme. You control protagonist Jesse, who possesses near superhero-like powers, such as the ability to glide mid-air and move objects with her mind, which creates some dynamic, over-the-top firefights. It’s all wrapped up in a surreal storyline about being stuck in a shapeshifting government facility that houses paranormal experiments.

Further Reading:

Astral Chain (Switch) — August 30

Platinum Games is back with another exciting new action game called Astral Chain exclusively available for Nintendo Switch. It iterates upon the studio’s classic action with new ideas, putting you in the role of a special police force cadet with the ability to summon an entity that fights alongside you. All the while, you’ll conduct investigations to solve petty crimes and unravel the mysteries of the larger overarching plot.

Further Reading:

Full August Release Schedule

Game	Platform	Release Date	Buy / Pre-Order
Madden NFL 20	PS4, Xbox One, PC	August 2
The Church in the Darkness	PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch	August 2
Age of Wonders: Planetfall	PC	August 6
Metal Wolf Chaos XD	PS4, Xbox One, PC	August 6
Pillars of Eternity	Switch	August 8
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet Complete Edition	Switch	August 9
Friday the 13th: The Game	Switch	August 13
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw	PC	August 13
Rad	PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch	August 20
Remnant: From the Ashes	PS4, Xbox One, PC	August 20	PlayStation, Microsoft, Steam
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution	Switch	August 20
Life is Strange 2: Episode 4	PS4, Xbox One, PC	August 22	PlayStation, Microsoft, Steam
Oninaki	PS4, PC, Switch	August 22
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey	PC	August 27	Steam
The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut	PS4, Xbox One, PC	August 27
Crystar	PS4, PC	August 27
Control	PS4, Xbox One, PC	August 27	Best Buy, Epic
World of Warcraft: Classic	PC	August 27
Azur Lane: Crosswave	PS4	August 29
Pokémon Masters	iOS, Android	August 29
Astral Chain	Switch	August 30	Amazon
Blair Witch	Xbox One, PC	August 30
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan	PS4, Xbox One, PC	August 30
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors	PS4, Switch	August 30

Cute life-sim adventure game Ooblets did the thing that some people aren’t fond of: sign an Epic exclusive deal. Now, Ooblets will launch exclusively for the Epic Games Stores on PC, while the Xbox One release remains unaffected. Indie developer Glumberland has some words on the matter, explaining the choice in a surprisingly frank message to fans.

In a blog post, Glumberland stated that signing with Epic was a “big decision” the studio didn’t take lightly. “[Epic] offered us a minimum guarantee on sales that would match what we’d be wanting to earn if we were just selling Ooblets across all the stores,” Glumberland wrote. “That takes a huge burden of uncertainty off of us because now we know that no matter what, the game won’t fail.”

The financial security, according to Glumberland, gives the studio peace of mind, allowing the small team to “focus on making the game without worrying about keeping the lights on [and] afford more help and resources to start ramping up production and doing some cooler things.”

Glumberland also responds to common complaints leveled against the Epic Games Store, writing, “Venting anger is cathartic and natural, but let’s have just a little perspective about what we decide to get angry about.” The developer suggests, instead of getting riled up over “low-stakes video game stuff,” gamers should “look at the things going on and ask if there might be anything just a tad more worthwhile to be upset about.” Suggestions include climate change, human rights abuses, the new Twitter desktop UI, and the final Game of Thrones season–though Glumberland says the last two are jokes.

Check out the full blog post for tons of laughs and further insight behind the decision.

The indie studio did say the Epic investment “might delay” the game’s initial launch, though no release date has been confirmed. Increased resources will speed up development time, but Glumberland confirmed that “it takes some time to ramp things up.” Ultimately, the lack of financial pressure won’t force the team to push out an incomplete product. Ooblets will arrive on other PC distributors after “a pretty long while.”

Infinity Ward released a heap of new details about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s multiplayer mode this week, both on a livestream and to journalists at a hands-on press event in Los Angeles. Those details included some of the game’s new Killstreak rewards, which struck up controversy in the days before the announcement when Infinity Ward revealed that white phosphorus is one of the weapons players will have access to in multiplayer.

In the real world, white phosphorus is a chemical weapon that has horrific power. The chemical ignites when it interacts with oxygen, creating a thick white smokescreen that can obscure troop movements and disorient soldiers on the battlefield. But white phosphorus also burns extremely hot, making the chemical very dangerous. It can melt skin and burn through muscle and even bone; it also is capable of reigniting days or weeks after its use.

Infinity Ward saw criticism for choosing to allow players to use white phosphorus against each other in the game. The inclusion of the weapon also seems at odds with Infinity Ward’s stated goals for its single-player campaign. The studio has said it means for Modern Warfare’s narrative to be gritty and realistic, exploring morality and gray areas soldiers have to navigate when balancing completing their missions and doing the right thing.

Call of Duty games of the past have included weapons in multiplayer that are horrific in the real world, including flame throwers, napalm, and even nuclear weapons. Art director Joel Emslie pointed out during an interview with GameSpot that Modern Warfare’s multiplayer trailer ended with a nuclear detonation. Nuclear bombs have been Killstreak rewards in past Call of Duty games.

“Ultimately, I think it’s a realistic game,” Emslie said. “It’s mature-rated and, you know, you saw a nuclear bomb go off at the end of the trailer.”

As far as the disconnect between what the narrative is trying to say about war and the way multiplayer portrays it, Emslie said the two modes are trying to accomplish different things.

“I think that, in the end, the narrative is telling a story, a serious story, and it does things in a way, to make things–it’s trying to get a dramatic reaction out of the player, and making you feel things,” Emslie said.

“We want people to be thoughtful about what they’re playing,” audio director Stephen Miller added.

“In the narrative experience, you’re using this landscape and this universe to make people care about these characters,” Emslie continued. “And then when you’re in the multiplayer space, you’re trying to get them, using the same things in the same universe, to care more about the fun that they’re having. It’s almost like a mental chess game, where you’re solving puzzles with mechanics and doing these things. And the characters that are in there, it’s more about representing you in this play-space.

“…It’s almost like having two different actors in the same film,” he said. “You might have a really dramatic, deep, disturbed character with a horrible past and all this trauma. And then over here, you’ve got another character that’s devil may care, whatever. But I look at it that way. I almost look at the game as, it’s three very different characters and actors in the same film, in the same play.”

As NPR reports, the US military has used white phosphorus in Iraq during the war there and in fighting the Islamic State. The substance isn’t banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, as long as it’s used to create smokescreens and not as a weapon itself. Human rights organizations have pushed the US and others to stop using the chemical weapon, however, because of the risk to civilians, especially in urban settings.

We saw white phosphorus in use in Modern Warfare during our hands-on session. It blankets the battlefield in white smoke, which does a small amount of damage to enemy players, renders their screens in black-and-white, and disorients them as they go cough through it. We didn’t encounter any canisters, which apparently will “burn any that wander too close,” according to Infinity Ward’s description of the Killstreak reward. You can see white phosphorus used in our gameplay capture of a 20-vs.-20 Modern Warfare match.

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It’s finally August, which means Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive edition will officially be out next month, on September 27. And fortunately for those planning to pick it up on day one, it seems Dragon Quest XI S is being included as part of Amazon and Walmart’s ongoing pattern of discounting games to $49.94 before they’ve even released. The fact that it’s labeled as the number one best-selling Switch game on Amazon right now may have something to do with such an early price drop. In any case, you can grab Dragon Quest XI S at that price right now.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition

$49.94 ($60)

See it at Amazon See it at Walmart

The good thing about pre-ordering games at Amazon is that you’re guaranteed the lowest price after you place your order, even if the price drops again between now and September 27. For example, if Amazon decides to sell it for $45, you’ll only be charged $45 when the item ships. But if (and when) the price goes back up to $60, you won’t pay any more than the sale price you committed to. Walmart doesn’t offer that price guarantee, but you’ll still get the game on release day with either retailer.

Dragon Quest XI’s Definitive edition includes all the content from the original game as well as additional character-specific stories, orchestral field and battle music, the ability to toggle between HD and retro 16-bit visuals, side quests that let you travel into past Dragon Quest worlds, both Japanese and English voice tracks, and more.

Of course, you can get in on some Dragon Quest action already with the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s newest DLC character, the Hero, whose default look is based on the protagonist in Dragon Quest XI. He’s available to download now as part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Fighters Pass or to purchase individually for $6.

The Dragon Quest XI Definitive edition was originally announced during a Nintendo Direct back in February, and a new trailer revealing the release date dropped during E3 2019. You can check that trailer from Square Enix’s E3 press conference below.

Respawn’s upcoming VR game will be announced next month. Not too much is known about the game, though Respawn has been adamant that it is not the “premium” Titanfall experience that it’s also been working on.

In a blog post, the Oculus team announced Respawn’s new VR game would be revealed at this year’s Oculus Connect, which is scheduled for September 25-26. The game is described as a “triple-A first-person combat title made in partnership with Oculus Studios.” A hands-on demo will be available at Oculus Connect.

Respawn has a proven track record with first-person action games, being the developer behind Titanfall, Titanfall 2, and Apex Legends. However, this unannounced title is the studio’s first foray into VR. Respawn hasn’t said whether this VR game is a spin-off of the Titanfall franchise, like Apex Legends, or a brand-new story for the studio.

Alongside this VR game, Respawn is currently creating a limited-time event for Apex Legends: Season 2, beginning work on Apex Legends: Season 3, and finishing up on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order–all of which are scheduled for this year. Fallen Order stands to be the developer’s biggest project of the year, delivering a Metroid Prime-inspired Star Wars experience that also utilizes a similar combat system to From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Speaking of Star Wars, ILMxLAB will also be at Oculus Connect 2019 to talk about Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series. The first episode of the Oculus Quest exclusive VR experience was received very well by fans and critics alike, containing fun lightsaber mechanics and a never-before-seen canonical story about Darth Vader’s quest to bring Padme back to life. Episode 2 will allow users to use the Force.

There’s a lot to like in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s multiplayer offering. Infinity Ward showed off the competitive mode to journalists ahead of its multiplayer reveal livestream, where we got a chance to engage in 20-on-20 battles, try out new Killstreaks, customize all our guns, and drive tanks.

The coolest new addition to Call of Duty multiplayer, though, is probably Modern Warfare’s take on night-vision goggles. The game supports day and night versions of several maps, and we played a match on a version of the map “Caves,” blanketed in darkness. Fighting at night completely changes the feel of the map–as you move through it, you have to decide whether to use goggles for heightened visibility or to take them off in favor of natural light sources that might blow out the goggles’ optics. There’s also a hardcore version of the mode that removes your heads-up display information, making the darkness more intrusive and your time in the goggles even more realistic. Check out our gameplay with Modern Warfare’s night-vision googles in the video above.

Using night-vision gives you the ability to see in the dark, but it also has its drawbacks. Modern Warfare takes into account the size of the goggles when you’re wearing them. If you were wearing NVGs in the real world and tried to look into a gun scope, the gun would bang into the goggles. That’s the case in Modern Warfare, too, so when you draw up your gun to aim down its sights while wearing NVGs, the weapon rests about halfway up, instead. It’s more accurate than aiming from the hip, but not quite as useful as normal ADS. That creates a tradeoff situation you’ll have to adapt to if you want to be effective in the dark. However, you can also fully customize all your weapons in Modern Warfare. Opting for smaller sights can get the optics out of the way and let you pull the rifle up to aim properly.

The goggles also significantly change how you think about engagements with other players. On NVG maps, guns come with infrared targeting lasers that are invisible to the naked eye but become fully visible in the goggles. The lasers only appear when you hit the ADS button, taking up the role your scope would otherwise occupy.

The trouble is that if you can see your laser while using night-vision, so can anyone else who’s wearing goggles. Your laser then becomes something of a liability: Whenever you ADS, you’re not only sighting in a target, you’re also revealing your location to anyone who can see the laser. During its multiplayer press event, Infinity Ward developers discussed how real-world soldiers practice “laser discipline” to make sure their lasers aren’t giving them away. You’ll need to do the same thing in Modern Warfare–but the intel you get from other players who aren’t as careful about their aim can help you set up ambushes and take advantage.

Of course, whenever you’re using NVGs, you have to worry about being blinded by sudden flashes of light. That can push you to change up your loadout choices. Guns with big muzzle flashes can blow out your goggles somewhat (as well as those of your opponents), while flashbangs are even more hazardous to anybody too close to them. And of course, you need to be careful about any light sources around you that might disorient you.

It seems a minor change, but thanks to the attention to detail Infinity Ward has put on its night-vision tech, flipping a map from day to night significantly changes up Modern Warfare’s gameplay. Suddenly, a lot of tactical decisions you don’t make during the day, like where to move between light and darkness, and when to risk taking aim, dominate your decision-making. The night-vision goggles of Modern Warfare feel very authentic, and all the pros and cons they bring mean adapting to new strategies. The inclusion of night-vision bucks the multiplayer formula just enough to add exactly the kind of fresh dynamics Infinity Ward is going for with Modern Warfare.

Check out our impressions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer, and read more about its open beta, how big teams can get, and how the game is changing radar and Killstreaks. We’ve also seen how white phosphorus functions in the game, and you can check out footage of the Modern Warfare’s 20-vs-20 game mode from our hands-on session.

It’s the launch of a brand new season in Fortnite, which means there’s a fresh Battle Pass packed with rewards ready to be cracked open. Season 10–or Season X, as developer Epic Games is calling it–is an interesting one because it’s delving into the history of Fortnite using time travel shenanigans. What this means for you as a player is skins and items from Fortnite days gone could be floating around somewhere out there, just waiting for you to grab them. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the Battle Pass and how you can get your hands on all the goodies it holds.

What Is The Fortnite Battle Pass?

If you’re new to the game, you may be wondering what a Battle Pass is. Well, it’s probably the most important thing in Fortnite, and something you’ll want to spend cash to get if you plan to play the game long-term. The Battle Pass effectively is the container that holds all the cool customization items players use to make their characters look cool. We’re talking skins, emotes, wraps, gliders, and back bling, among other things. To actually get all this, however, you’ll need to play lots of Fortnite and spend time taking out enemies and securing Victory Royales. When you do this, you’ll earn Battle Stars, which level up the Battle Pass and, as you gain Battle Pass levels you’ll unlock the items attached to the various milestones.

How Do Battle Pass Challenges Work?

There was a way to expedite the process: Weekly Challenges. As the name suggests, these were a set of missions that refreshed every week. Completing them was by far the best way to get your hands on a lot of Battle Stars in one go. However, in a change from how things have been before, Fortnite no longer seems to have any free Weekly Challenges–they all require you to pay for the Battle Pass. This is bad news for people who don’t want to get their wallets out, since the more challenges you have access to, the more Battle Stars you’ll earn, which will in turn level up your Battle Pass quicker and get you the unlocks sooner. In further bad news, Daily Challenges are gone altogether–regardless of whether you pay for the premium tier.

Now, instead of Daily and Weekly challenges, Epic has created Missions, which are a grouping of themed challenges that, from what we can tell, will feel largely familiar in terms of gameplay, if not formatting. We’ve delved deeper into the changes to challenges in our Fortnite Season 10 Challenge breakdown.

How Much Does A Battle Pass Cost?

A Battle Pass will set you back 950 V-Bucks from Fortnite’s in-game store. V-Bucks are a currency that’s specific to Fortnite, but to get it you’ll have to spend real money. It’ll cost you around $10 / £8 to get 1,000 V-Bucks, which will get you the Battle Pass and leave you with some digital pocket change to spend elsewhere on the Fortnite store. Alternatively, you could purchase the Battle Bundle, which is on sale at a 40% discount. It costs 2,800 V-Bucks and will automatically unlock 25 tiers of the Battle Pass, giving you a bit of a jumpstart.

If you’re feeling kind, you have the ability gift a Battle Pass to someone. This feature will be available until August 15, and your first purchase also includes a unique Gift Box that you can use when gifting items from the in-game shop.

What Are The Battle Pass Rewards?

If you spend the V-Bucks to pick up a Battle Pass, you’ll instantly unlock a couple of skins. One of these is the Kitsune outfit, while the other is the X-Lord. Beyond that rewards include additional skins, wraps–which change the visual style of whatever items they’re applied to–pets, emotes, back bling, sprays, new loading screen artwork, music, and more. What everyone aspires to acquire, however, is the progressive outfit at tier 100. These are skins that animate in a cool way and, in Season 10, it’s the Ultima Knight Outfit. Head over to our gallery to see all of Fortnite Season 10’s new skins, emotes, back bling, and more.

Battle Pass Tiers

What’s New In Season 10?

Making your way through the entire Battle Pass usually takes between 75 and 150 hours of play, according to Epic Games. In that time you’ll unlock over 100 rewards which are worth 25,000 V-Bucks. As you can imagine, making the most of a Battle Pass takes a lot of time and effort, but Epic likes to keep things fresh and ensure players don’t get too comfortable with what’s going on. Take Season 10’s theme, for example, it’s a kind of best-of-Fortnite conceit that will allow players to indulge in their nostalgia.

“Time is twisted and the Zero Point has become volatile in Season X,” Epic explains. “Whether you’re nostalgic for the past or excited for the future, there will be plenty for you to discover all Season long. Locations once thought to be lost have begun to appear on the island, but they aren’t the same as they once were. Board the Battle Bus and drop in, but keep an eye to the skies to spot the new Season X mech vehicle, the B.R.U.T.E. Crashing on the island as the Battle Bus takes off, these merciless mechs seat two players and works best with a partner, so grab a squadmate, hop in, load up, and roll out.”

You can read more about what’s new in the Season 10 patch notes. For more on the new season as a whole, head over to our Fortnite Season 10 hub, where you’ll find all the pre-releases teases, information on its launch, and details on everything that is new. This hub is being updated regularly, so check back for the latest updates on what’s happening with the game.