Destiny 2’s Season of the Splicer kicked off today, adding a whole bunch of new content for players to experience. As with previous seasons, there’s a event, new gear, and a new storyline to follow as the season progresses. The initial launch today was a bit rocky, but Bungie appears to have fixed the issues that were plaguing the game earlier in the day.
Bungie’s approach to seasons is to roll out self-contained stories to progress the Destiny universe, and this one is no different. The previous season, called Season of the Chosen, focused on a confrontation between the remnants of the Cabal and Guardians. This time, in Season of the Splicer, you’re tasked with taking the fight back to the Vex. The Vex have approached the Last City and have cast the Earth into a simulation that has a never-ending night; Guardians team up with Mithrax, a Fallen Kell, who teaches new abilities to better resist the incursion.
The seasonal activity is called Override, which is a six-player cooperative mode that focuses on hacking a Vex simulation. As shown in the video embed above, the Override mode shows off the brand-new aesthetic for this season, which heavily emphasizes neon, cel-shaded objects, and cyberpunk-esque style. Although Destiny certainly has featured bright, techno-futuristic environments in the past, this is still quite a striking aesthetic to see in otherwise familiar in-game locales. In addition, there’s a weekly pinnacle mission called Expunge that’ll have players trying to collapse the Vex Network from the inside.
The highlight of this season, however, will be the return of the very first Destiny raid, Vault of Glass, that was originally released in Destiny 1 way back in September 2014. You’ll be able to experience Vault of Glass again on May 22.
Outside of new game modes and missions, Season of the Splicer also introduces a transmog system called Armor Synthesis. This system lets you turn pieces of armor into ornaments to apply to other pieces of armor, but it’s already sparked controversy because of the massive time investment it might take to convert armor to ornaments via the free path.
Finally, Season of the Splicer also adds new weapons and armor as well as a refreshed seasonal rewards track for you to work your way through. As in the past, everyone can earn rewards, but if you buy the season pass, you’ll get additional loot. There’s also a new slate of seasonal challenges in Season of the Splicer that’ll give you a bunch of opportunities to grab gear.
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FXX has picked up the new series Little Demon, a half-hour animated comedy starring Danny DeVito, his daughter Lucy DeVito, and Aubrey Plaza. The show comes from Danny DeVito’s Jersey Films 2nd Avenue, ShadowMachine, and FX Productions, with Rick & Morty co-creator Dan Harmon executive producing. The series joins a growing animated comedy series lineup on FXX, which also includes Archer and Cake.
The official synopsis reads: “Thirteen years after being impregnated by the Devil (Danny DeVito), a reluctant mother (Aubrey Plaza) and her Antichrist daughter (Lucy DeVito) attempt to live an ordinary life in Delaware, but are constantly thwarted by monstrous forces, including Satan, who yearns for custody of his daughter’s soul.” The series will first broadcast episodes on FXX, which will subsequently be available to stream the following day on FX on Hulu–which is also the streaming service that the somewhat similar Marvel’s MODOK calls home.
“Little Demon is a hilarious new animated horror comedy,” said Nick Grad, president of original programming for FX Entertainment. In addition to Plaza, Danny and Lucy DeVito, Grad said the show will feature “a host of other great talent.”
The half-hour series is created and written by Darcy Fowler (Louie), Seth Kirschner (30 Rock), and Kieran Valla (Disturbia). No premiere date for the new series has yet been announced.
There’s never been a more exciting time to be reading Marvel’s X-Men comics. 2019’s House of X and Powers of X established a brand new status quo for mutantkind, and writer Jonathan Hickman and his team have been busy building on that status quo ever since. One thing has become clear in recent weeks – big things are brewing for the X-books this summer.
From the alluring mutant fashion of the Hellfire Gala to the ominous “Trial of Magneto” to a brand new volume of Marvel’s flagship X-Men, here’s a rundown of all the major changes in the works and why June may be the perfect time to hop back aboard the X-Men train.
Currently, Marvel’s X-Men line is exploring an overarching storyline dubbed “Reign of X.” If Dawn of X was devoted to building on the foundation of House of X and Powers of X, Reign of X shows the new mutant nation of Krakoa reveling in its recent victories. The mutant race is growing in size and power, and they’re using an event called the Hellfire Gala as both a celebration and a collective show of force.
All of Marvel’s ongoing X-books will take part in the Hellfire Gala storyline in June. Each issue (along with the one-shot special Planet-Size X-Men #1) will showcase a different story and a different group of characters set during that same evening. By the time the Gala is finished, many things will have changed for the mutants of Krakoa, for good and ill.
But the Gala is, ultimately, a big party, so it’s also a chance for your favorite X-Men to show off their biggest and boldest outfits. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a look at the many eclectic designs featured over the course of this glamorous evening.
X-Men #1 cover by Pepe Larraz. (Image Credit: Marvel)
The irony of the current X-Men era is that, for all that mutantkind is on the rise, we haven’t seen an actual, official squad of X-Men since the start of House of X. The very existence of the X-Men has been forbidden by Professor Xavier himself. To paraphrase the Flag-Smashers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, mutantkind is focused solely on the idea of “one land, one people” now. The days of the X-Men as a superhero team fighting for human/mutant tolerance are a thing of the past.
Except that’s not quite true. Among the major developments in 2020’s X of Swords crossover, Cyclops and Jean Grey broke ranks in order to lead a team into Otherworld and save their comrades. Cyclops believes the world still needs the X-Men, even if that means cutting ties with the Quiet Council of Krakoa and venturing back out into the human world.
That the plot catalyst for Marvel’s upcoming relaunch of X-Men in July 2021. The first new series to launch after the Hellfire Gala, this volume of X-Men will be written by Gerry Duggan (Marauders) and drawn by Pepe Larraz (House of X). Whereas the current X-Men series features a wide ensemble cast, the new series will focus on a specific team lineup – Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Wolverine (Laura Kinney), Synch, Polaris, Rogue and Sunfire.
Magneto on Trial… Again
Whatever happens during the Hellfire Gala, it would seem Magneto is due for a bad night. Marvel is teasing a second new series spinning out of that crossover, one called The Trial of Magneto.
While details on the new series are scarce for the time being, we do know the series is written by Leah Williams (X-Factor) and drawn by Lucas Werneck (Empyre: X-Men). Launching in August 2021, the series will deal with a murder mystery that begins during the Hellfire Gala, though it’s unclear whether Magneto is the prime suspect or the man charged with finding the killer. Magneto’s “trial” in this case could be more of the metaphorical sort.
Art by Valerio Schiti. (Image Credit: Marvel)
The title is clearly a throwback to 1985’s Uncanny X-Men #200, which is also called “The Trial of Magneto.” In that case, Magneto is tried for crimes against humanity, but winds up convincing the judge of his inner goodness and becomes the new leader of the X-Men. That story is an important watershed moment for a character who was once the X-Men’s greatest foe, and it stands to reason this new trial will be just as critical in shaping Magneto’s future place in the Marvel Universe.
Hickman’s Next Major X-Men Story
Hickman has been the prime mover of the X-Men line since the start of House of X in 2019, overseeing all of the monthly X-books in addition to writing the core X-Men comic. So with Marvel relaunching X-Men under a new creative team, you might be wondering where that leaves Hickman himself. Is he stepping away from the franchise?
Not as far as we can tell. Marvel is teasing a new monthly series from Hickman to begin in September, though both the title and the artist are being kept under wraps. Whatever this new book is, it’s safe to assume it’ll have a major impact on the overall X-Men status quo. Is Hickman spearheading an Uncanny X-Men series to run alongside Duggan and Larraz’s X-Men? Is this the long-rumored series focused on Moira MacTaggert, that all-important mutant character who’s barely appeared since Powers of X #6? We’ll have to wait until Marvel reveals more about this mystery title.
It looks like the next Battlefield game is being planned for a holiday (or thereabouts) release this year, at least according to EA’s financial plans.
In a slide presentation accompanying its earnings results today, EA lays out its plans for releases for the rest of its fiscal year, placing Battlefield in Q3. This is a fiscal calendar, so for EA, that means Battlefield 6 (or whatever it ends up being called) is headed this way between October and December.
The calendar also has the rest of EA’s known releases slotted in, with FIFA 22, F1 2021, and Madden NFL 22 all coming in the July through September window, NHL 22 coming around the same quarter as Battlefield, and EA Sports PGA Tour finishing off the year in the January through March 2022 window. This calendar does not include any unannounced titles, though it does note the already-announced next-gen upgrade for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
A popular YouTuber who goes by the handle Hoolopee has created a short video that reimagines Resident Evil Village as a PS1 game. The video takes footage from a notable trailer for the game that features tall vampire matriarch Lady Dimitrescu, as well as some environments that are made all the creepier by their low-poly aesthetic.
In the video, Ethan Winters is threatened by a PS1-era Lady Dimitrescu, whose static, unchanging face is the stuff of nightmares. It also features some terrifying fuzzy-edged werewolves, as well as the muttering old woman from the beginning of one of Village’s demos.
In our Resident Evil Village review, critic Phil Hornshaw called Resident Evil Village a fusion of Resident Evil 7’s horror-focused atmosphere and Resident Evil 4’s nonstop action.
“Resident Evil 7 was an excellent return to the horror underpinnings of the franchise, but cunningly altered with new ideas and a new perspective,” he wrote. “Similarly, Village is an intelligent reintroduction of the best action elements of Resident Evil. Though it captures some of the same things that made RE7 such a breath of fresh air (or maybe rancid, stale, mold-filled air, but in a good way), Village evolves to become its own unique creature. It makes you wonder what beautifully twisted fiend Resident Evil might mutate into in the future.”
HTC’s latest VR headset, the Vive Pro 2, has been revealed, and will offer new features like 5K resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate.
Here’s a full rundown of the specs:
2448 x 2448 per eye (4896 x 2448 combined)
Up to 120 degree field of view
Dual RGB low persistence LCD screen
90/120 Hz (only 90Hz supported via Vive Wireless Adapter)
It’s all a step up from the previous Vive Pro, which was released in 2018 with a lower, 90 Hz refresh rate, smaller 110-degree field of view and resolution per eye of 1440 x 1600. The Vive 2 will work with all previous SteamVR Vive accessories such as controllers and tracking stations.
HTC Vive Pro 2
HTC says the Vive 2 delivers minimal motion blur and virtually eliminates the meshed lines known as “the screen door effect” which can be noticeable when using older VR headsets. The Vive 2 includes built-in headphones sporting Hi-Res Audio and 3D spatial sound, so users won’t have to shell out for a fancy new audio headset to get the full VR experience.
The headset will retail for $799. Preorders are available now, with the headset officially launching on June 4. For a look at how the Vive 2 stacks up against the competition, check out our list of the best VR headsets.
HTC is running a promotion for existing Vive Pro users, who can save $50 on the Vive Pro 2 headset by preordering before June 4, after which the headset will retail for full price. Headsets with controllers and the Base Station 2.0 will retail for $1,399 starting June 4.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Update 2: Destiny 2 seems to be back online at this point, with its Honeydew error issues fixed. We’ve been able to log in and reach destinations on both PlayStation 4 and PC. Players may still have to wait in login queues to get into the game, as it seems a lot of Guardians are jumping in to try the Season of the Splicer’s new content. But errors seem to be largely resolved, at least so far.
We’ll continue to update this article as more information becomes available.
Update: Bungie has announced it’s taking Destiny 2 down for emergency maintenance to deal with its server issues. It hasn’t issued any information yet about when it’ll make the game available again.
Destiny 2 is being brought offline for emergency maintenance. Stand by for updates.
Destiny 2‘s servers are struggling as players attempt to log in for the game’s latest content season, the Season of the Splicer. Currently, many are getting notifications that servers are at capacity or that they’re losing connection to players’ games, while others are receiving the “Honeydew” error code when they try to load into any destinations.
The errors seem like they stem from an overload of activity due to players trying to play the game’s new content, which kicks off with a story mission on Europa. For our part, we’ve been able to play through the opening mission, but trying to land on any destination is currently impossible.
Bungie has acknowledged the server situation and said on Twitter that it’s investigating the error codes, including Honeydew. But the developer hasn’t suggested any fixes or made any mention of when servers might start working better for players–so it seems we’re stuck waiting right now.
We are currently investigating an increase in HONEYDEW errors when players attempt to load into destinations and activities.
The errors are holding players back from a whole lot of new content. The season kicks off with a new mission that focuses on Mithrax, a story character who has mostly appeared only in background lore up to now. He brings a new six-player seasonal activity for players to take part in called Override, as well.
There’s also the new transmogrification system, which Bungie detailed in the run-up to the Season of the Splicer. That system allows you to change the appearance of your armor pieces by “transmogrifying” them to look like other armor. The system isn’t without its controversy, though–players weren’t happy to learn that Bungie will be limiting the number of armor pieces that can be added to the customization pool each season, forcing players to use microtransactions to buy more if they should want them. It sounds like the system will either be fairly costly or fairly time-consuming to take full advantage of, but thanks to the errors, we haven’t been able to see just how it’ll work in practice.
SteelSeries has revealed its latest competitive gaming mouse, the Rival 5. Designed for right-handed use and with a restriction on grip styles, the SteelSeries Rival 5 might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it does offset that with a very light build, a braided, lightweight cable, and the endurance to last for years. At just $60, it’s a pretty inexpensive way to get an edge in competitive titles.
The Rival 5 maintains the familiar SteelSeries aesthetic, with a black ABS shell adorned with numerous RGB lighting zones that can all be customized through the company’s proprietary software. The guts of the mouse are what making it exciting, starting with the redesigned switches that allow for 80 million clicks and the lightweight design that weighs in at only 85g. This is helped along by a new cable that SteelSeries calls Super Mesh–a new take on a traditional braided cable that tangles less and won’t get in the way while you’re swiping around furiously.
The product listing on SteelSeries’ website does indicate that the Rival 5 is strictly right-handed, with its nine additional buttons lining the left and top of the chassis. The company also suggests that it’s best used with either claw or fingertip grips, which might be an issue if you’re used to larger mice that afford palm-style grips. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given the need to shave off weight from the overall design, but it’s something to keep in mind before making a purchase.
It’s rare that eBay hosts big sales on gaming products specifically, but the online store is running a promotion on games, controllers, and even consoles for the next few days. From now until May 16, you can use promo code PICKSUMMER15 to take 15% off a select range of gaming products, including games for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. That’s in addition to any existing discounts, of course. We’re already starting to see some of the best deals sell out, including a discount earlier today on the PS5 DualSense controller, so it’s worth checking out the sale now in case something catches your eye.
Most of the gaming products on sale are brand new or in “like new” condition–be sure to check the condition on each listing under the product name. It’s a good chance to grab some games from the past year or so if you’ve been waiting for them to drop in price. Star Wars Squadrons is down to $17.85, while Death Stranding is just over $18. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available for $35 (PS4) and $27 (Xbox), and the newly released Persona 5 Strikers is down to $40.77. The sale focuses on PS4 and Xbox One games, but there are a few Switch deals sprinkled in, like Daemon x Machina for $41.65.
As an official eBay sale, the deals come with free shipping and the store’s money-back guarantee as well. We’ve picked out some of the best deals below–don’t forget to use code PICKSUMMER15 at checkout to see the full discount price.
Microsoft is rolling out a pilot program for a new way to help fans in the US get their hands on a new Xbox amid the global semiconductor shortage that is making it hard to buy all manner of new tech, including consoles.
Microsoft has announced what it’s calling the “Console Purchase Pilot.” Anyone in the US who is signed up to the free Xbox Insiders program on Xbox One can register for a chance to reserve an Xbox Series X|S console.
Details on how the program works are available from the Xbox Insider hub on Xbox One. Posting on Reddit, Microsoft said it will invite a “subset” of Xbox Insiders on Xbox One to participate in the program; those chosen will find an invite for a “flight” called Xbox Series X|S Console Purchase Pilot in their inbox.
Today we’re introducing the Console Purchase Pilot, allowing US #XboxInsiders on Xbox One to register for a chance to reserve an Xbox Series X|S console. Check the Xbox Insider Hub on Xbox One for details. Limited space is available and not all who register will be selected. pic.twitter.com/MBkQmbSDWc
This message will only be sent to people on an Xbox One console, not PC, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X|S, or the web. Those who are selected will be asked to designate their willingness to buy either the Xbox Series X or S console. If the program informs you that a console is available, and you’re interested, you will be asked to pay the full amount. People who buy an Xbox Series X|S this way will also get “full retail support” similar to if you bought one at the store; presumably this also includes Microsoft’s warranty.
Microsoft will also send you a survey asking for your feedback about the pilot. “It is important to us to hear from people who have chosen to make a purchase, and from people who have chosen not to make this purchase,” Microsoft said.
Microsoft cautioned that space is “limited,” going on to note that “not all who register will be selected.” If you’re selected, a message will show up in your inbox in a few days.
A spokesperson for Microsoft shared some further details on the new console reservation program with GameSpot. The spokesperson said Microsoft is adopting the new strategy to help players get a console during what has proving to be a difficult time to do so.
“In an effort to help get our limited supply of consoles in the hands of fans, we are testing a console purchase pilot program with Xbox Insiders in the US beginning this week,” the spokesperson said. “This testing may help inform new ways we make products available to fans in the future, and the feedback we receive from Insiders will inform whether we roll out the pilot more broadly. This testing is being done with select Xbox Insiders in the US on Xbox One specifically. In the coming weeks, selected Insiders will receive a notification from Xbox via the Xbox dashboard messaging system alerting them they have a console reserved for them. Allocations for this program are supported with a portion of inventory from Microsoft Store and will fluctuate based on when new stock becomes available. We have nothing further to share at this time.”
This kind of console reservation system is something fans have been calling for to help secure a console. Given that it’s a limited, pilot program, it’s unlikely to be available for most people and help those who want to get their hands on a next-gen console.
Still, it’s good to see Microsoft taking a step to help people find and secure a system, even if it is only a pilot program for now.
