Author: Trafficblast

When Bethesda announced the spinoff Wolfenstein: Youngblood at E3 this year, you might have wondered if Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was the end of the story for series protagonist BJ Blazkowicz. If you did, your worries are misplaced. Wolfenstein III is coming, Bethesda vice president of global marketing and communications Pete Hines told Metro in a recent interview.

“Absolutely we’re making a Wolfenstein III,” he said. “They said on stage that they’re taking a break from the larger story to do [Wolfenstein: Youngblood]. But we all have to see how that ends.”

That’s good news to fans of the story of Blazkowicz fighting the Nazis, but that’s all we have to go on at this point regarding Wolfenstein. In the interview, Hines also touched on another Bethesda series with an uncertain future: Dishonored. When asked about the recent comment from a developer from Arkane Studios that Dishonored is “resting,” Hines said, “Ah, I wouldn’t read too much into that.”

He continued, “Look, Arkane has two studios, they’re working on a number of things. That’s no different than Todd Howard saying, ‘I’m gonna make a Fallout game and then I’m gonna make Starfield before I go back to TES6.’ He didn’t say I’m never making another… there’s like, ‘We have an idea for another thing here, we have an idea for another there.'”

Bethesda has a lot of big games planned for the coming years. Fallout 76 launches November 14. Doom Eternal, Rage 2, and Wolfenstein: Youngblood are scheduled for 2019. Beyond that, there’s Starfield, The Elder Scrolls VI, and now Wolfenstein III.

As for the next Wolfenstein game, Youngblood will be set in the 1980s and stars Jessica and Sophia, the twin daughters of BJ Blazkowicz, as they continue the war on the Nazi scourge. You can play it solo or in co-op. Also coming next year is the VR game Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4‘s private Blackout beta has been underway on PS4 for the past several days, and now it’s expanded to Xbox One and PC as well. Developer Treyarch continues to implement gameplay tweaks and other changes as the beta rolls on, and a new batch of adjustments have now gone live.

As the studio detailed on Reddit, both the Xbox One and PC Blackout betas will start off supporting 80 players, just as the PS4 version originally did. The PS4 beta, meanwhile, will maintain its recently increased 88-player cap. Treyarch says it will continue to test different player counts for the betas in order to optimize the mode before Black Ops 4’s release next month.

In terms of gameplay tweaks, Treyarch has increased the amount of damage players sustain inside of the collapsed area. Additionally, the cargo plane that flies in supply drops now has more health and won’t take damage from bullets. While using the wingsuit, players can now no longer gain altitude at high speed, and Treyarch has slightly increased how long it takes to pull up from a steep dive.

The developer has also implemented a number of bug fixes. One that would cause multiple players to spawn in the same spot in the Staging Area has now been resolved, as have others that would cause players to get stuck on the map. Additionally, the developer has fixed various issues with collision and the recently added killcam.

On September 15, the Blackout beta will expand to all PC players with a Battle.net account. Players on all platforms will be able to participate in the beta until 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on September 17. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is scheduled to launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12.

We’re in the slow part of WWE’s calendar. Summerslam just passed. Survivor Series isn’t for another two months. And that makes it a good time to step back and take stock of things. Where are the storylines headed? Which champions are going to dominate as we head into 2019? And which new WWE and NXT Superstars are ready for their closeup?

There are 15 official championships in WWE, spread across the two main roster promotions, NXT, and NXT UK. And the current crop of WWE champions is unusually talented–each of them is a proven quantity with the charisma and talent to carry the company. Even so, someone will unseat each of them, eventually.

Here are our top picks to win every WWE Championship belt. It’s not who we want to win; it’s who will win, based on where the storyline is headed. If you liked this gallery, be sure to check out our write-up on the recent Shield reunion, and our criticism of the WWE Network. And be sure to check back in to Gamespot Universe on Sunday, September 17, for live coverage of the WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.

The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster continues to grow ahead of the game’s release on Switch this December. During the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo revealed another new playable character making her debut in the upcoming fighter: Isabelle from Animal Crossing.

Like the Villager, Isabelle’s moveset is derived from activities and items found in the Animal Crossing series. She can use a fishing rod and bug net to ensnare other players, and like Villager, she can pocket projectile attacks and send them back at your opponent. Her Final Smash is also similar to Villager’s; when she grabs a Smash Ball, she can summon Tom Nook and his nephews to build a town hall around other players, which then blows up and launches them across the screen.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches for Nintendo Switch on December 7. If you don’t yet own the console, Nintendo also announced a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Switch bundle during the latest Direct. The bundle launches more than a month ahead of the game, on November 2, and includes a digital copy of Ultimate and a pair of Smash Bros.-themed Joy-Con controllers. The Switch dock is also adorned with Super Smash Bros. characters.

In addition to the new Smash Bros. Switch bundle, Nintendo will release its new line of GameCube controllers, as well as the GameCube controller adapter you’ll need to have to use them with Switch, on November 2. The GameCube controllers retail for $30 each, while the adapter costs $20.

That wasn’t the only Animal Crossing-related announcement to come out of the presentation. Nintendo also finally announced a Switch installment in the series. The company didn’t share any more details about the game, other than it will arrive sometime in 2019.

September 2018 Nintendo Direct News

Nintendo showcased a ton of upcoming Switch titles during its latest Nintendo Direct presentation. Among the many games we got to see during the broadcast was Yoshi for Switch, which now goes by the new moniker Yoshi’s Crafted World.

First revealed at E3 2017, Yoshi’s Crafted World is a side-scrolling platformer developed by Good-Feel, the studio behind Yoshi’s Woolly World for Wii U and Kirby’s Epic Yarn for Wii. Like those titles, it features a lovely handcrafted aesthetic, taking Yoshi through levels constructed out of paper cups, cardboard boxes, and other materials.

As in a traditional Yoshi platformer, the dino can swallow enemies and turn them into eggs, which can then be thrown at other foes. You’ll also need to use the eggs to solve some environmental puzzles; in the new footage Nintendo shared, Yoshi threw an egg at a cardboard house, which then opened up to create a new pathway. You’ll also be able to flip some stages upside down and tilt them around to reveal a new perspective.

Yoshi’s Crafted World launches for Nintendo Switch in Spring 2019. Like Woolly World, the game also supports two-player multiplayer; a partner will be able to platform alongside you as a different colored Yoshi using a second Joy-Con.

Nintendo announced many other new games and details during its latest presentation, including Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Animal Crossing for Switch. Be sure to check out GameSpot’s complete coverage of the September Nintendo Direct below for more details and gameplay footage from the presentation.

September 2018 Nintendo Direct News

Nintendo devoted a portion of its latest Direct presentation to sharing more information on its upcoming paid online service for Switch. The service will begin rolling out for players next week, on September 18 (September 19 in Europe and Japan), and now we know a few more details about its classic games library and other perks.

As previously revealed, while online services have been free on Switch since the console launched in March 2017, you’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to play games such as Splatoon 2 and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate against other players online going forward. Many of these games will receive additional features via the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app. Splatoon 2 players, for instance, are able to access SplatNet 2 on the app–a service that allows them to view stats, the stage rotation schedule, and order gear to pick up in the game.

In addition to online play, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription grants you access to a library of classic NES games. Nintendo says this lineup will be expanded with new titles on a regular basis, but at launch, it will feature 20 classic games, each of which features some form of added online play. The company revealed the first half of the launch lineup back in May, and now we know the full list of games that will be available on day one:

• Soccer
• Tennis
• Donkey Kong
• Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros.
• Balloon Fight
• Ice Climber
• Dr. Mario
• The Legend of Zelda
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Double Dragon
• River City Ransom
• Ghosts ‘n Goblins
• Tecmo Bowl
• Gradius
• Pro Wrestling
• Excitebike
• Yoshi
• Ice Hockey
• Baseball

In addition to those games, Nintendo will introduce more titles to the library each month. In October, Solomen’s Key, NES Open, and Super Dodge Ball will be added; November will bring Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack, and TwinBee; and December’s batch includes Wario’s Woods, Ninja Gaiden, and Adventures of Lolo. You can find more details about the NES library on Nintendo’s website.

Switch Online subscribers will also receive other benefits, such as cloud saves. This won’t work with all titles–the upcoming Pokemon RPGs, Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee are among the games that won’t support the feature–but it will be available for most Switch titles. Subscribers will also receive “special offers” on the Eshop, although Nintendo says it will share more details about that in the future.

Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions can be purchased in one-month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), three-month (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and 12-month (US $20 / £18 / AU $30) increments. Nintendo is also offering an annual Family Plan for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55, which allows up to eight Nintendo Account holders in the same family group to take advantage of the service, even across different Switch consoles. You’ll be able to try the service for free for seven days when it launches.

September 2018 Nintendo Direct News

During the recent Nintendo Direct, Square-Enix announced plans to release Final Fantasy VII, IX, the X and X-2 remaster, and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age for the Nintendo Switch. Coming later in 2019, the series’ most iconic entries will make their longtime debut on Nintendo platforms, offering fans the chance to play the long-running series in a new way.

Though the series found its footing on Nintendo platforms, it eventually moved to the PlayStation 1, with all following main entries remaining on non-Nintendo platforms since, including PS4, PC, and Xbox One. The last major release of a core Final Fantasy game on Nintendo platforms was Final Fantasy VI on the Super Nintendo. The announcement of today’s re-releases on Switch is notable for the fact that it shows the largest focus the series has had on a Nintendo platform in sometime.

Not much else is known at this time, aside from the fact that they will be the most recent ports of each game from other consoles and Steam, and that they will also release on Xbox One as well. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age in particular is a standout, which is a port of 2017’s stellar re-release. Along with these ports, we also saw news of Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition–originally on mobile–in addition to an enhanced port of the FF compilation game World of Final Fantasy and updated Crystal Chronicles making their way to the portable console.

There was much more announced during the recent Nintendo Direct, including the release of Katamari Damacy Reroll, and a new Animal Crossing game for the Switch, and a special bundle for Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Plenty of news came out of the recent Nintendo Direct presentation, which included a whole bunch of Final Fantasy announcements. The 2017 remaster Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is coming to Switch sometime in 2019; it’s currently available for PlayStation 4 and PC, and will also come to Xbox One in 2019.

Final Fantasy XII featured the semi-automated Gambit battle system which broke away from the franchise’s traditional turn-based RPG gameplay. A neat addition to the remastered version was the option to speed up the pace of combat to make grinding through dungeons quicker.

If you want even more of the long-time RPG franchise’s past, Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD is available now for Switch on the Nintendo Eshop and Xbox One digitally. And if that’s not enough, a few classics are making their way to Switch and Xbox One next year, including Final Fantasy VII, IX, X, X-2. The remaster of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, that features online multiplayer, is a Switch exclusive also due out next year.

In our Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age review, it was stated that, “Its epic, lore-abundant story and its time-tested Gambit System should also appeal to those who missed out on the mainline series’ trip to Ivalice the first time around. And thanks in part to the new audio and speed options, The Zodiac Age is an ideal definitive edition: one that improves the game over its original version across the board.”

September 2018 Nintendo Direct News

Nintendo’s September Direct was filled with surprise announcements for Switch, from Luigi’s Mansion 3 to another new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character. On top of those, Nintendo gave fans their first look at a brand-new Switch RPG from Game Freak, the studio behind the mainline Pokemon series.

Tentatively titled “Town,” the game is set in “a village with a secret to hide.” The entire adventure unfolds within this town, which enjoyed peace and prosperity until monsters suddenly appeared. Players will need to battle these invaders by selecting from “a variety of battle commands.” They’ll also be able to enlist the aid of other villagers in certain situations.

Beyond that, Nintendo didn’t share many more details about Town, but the game is slated to launch for Switch sometime in 2019. Game Freak also has a “core” Pokemon RPG on the way for the console in the second half of that year, and before then, the studio is releasing Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee on November 16.

Regarding the latter, The Pokemon Company recently shared a trailer showcasing some new areas and attacks in the game. Like Pokemon Sun and Moon, the Let’s Go titles are eschewing HM moves completely; instead, players’ partner Pokemon will learn Secret Techniques that serve the same function, such as chopping down certain trees and crossing bodies of water. The trailer also provided a glimpse at Celadon City–one of the largest towns in the Kanto region–and its Gym Leader, the Grass-type Pokemon Trainer Erika.

There were many other reveals from the new Direct, including more details on the Nintendo Switch Online service and the announcement of Animal Crossing for Switch. You can find more news from the presentation below.

September 2018 Nintendo Direct News