Category: Games

Finally, F9: The Fast Saga is in theaters, so make sure to check out GameSpot’s review of the film. It may be over a year late thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Fast 9–the latest film in the Fast and Furious franchise–has finally seen the light of day, reuniting fans with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family. And while the film was stuffed with all kinds of intense action, plot twists, and surprises, we need to talk about that ending.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for F9. If you haven’t gone to see the movie yet, stop reading now. If you’re fine with finding out what happens at the end of the film, carry on.

First thing’s first, yes there is a mid-credits scene in Fast 9. So don’t bolt out of your seat the moment the movie ends. Besides, you should stick around for the credits anyway. A lot of people worked hard to make this movie a reality and you should give them the attention they deserve.

As for the ending, the final moments of the film set the course for what to expect in the next two films–and those movies are supposedly going to be the final entries in the main series.

Jakob Toretto

Firstly, after being the antagonist throughout the film, Jakob sides with his family and helps them stop Cipher (Charlize Theron) and Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen) from gaining control of technology that can hack into any weapons system in the world. Granted, Jakob abandoning his evil cause to help out his brother isn’t a moment that’s entirely earned. It’s pretty obvious that he probably would have remained a bad guy had Cipher and Otto not turned on him, but there’s no way this movie was going to end with a Toretto being a villain.

After the day is saved and Cipher escapes to presumably plot her revenge, Dom and Mia (Jordana Brewster) let their brother escape. Chances are that means we’ll see him again in the next movie. Sure, Jakob may be a terrorist who attempted to overthrow the world’s governments, but Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) wasn’t the nicest guy either and now he’s one of the family.

Deckard Shaw

Speaking of Deckard Shaw, he pops up in a mid-credits scene in the film. Technically we last saw him in Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, the spin-off he starred in alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Deckard has some unfinished business in the main series, though. While he may have buried the hatchet with Dom in Fate of the Furious, prior to that we all knew him as the guy who killed Han.

However, now we know Han isn’t dead; he was just in hiding. After Shaw attempted to kill him, Han was enlisted by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). Still, Han has plenty to be mad at Shaw about, given that he tried to blow him up–and now he’s come calling.

In the mid-credits scene, Shaw is working over a punching bag (which we learn has someone he doesn’t like stuffed inside, taking a beating). When there’s a knock at his door, he opens it to find himself face-to-face with Han.

Clearly, we’re going to see those two hash out their differences in the next film, be it with words or fists. That is, of course, unless Shaw already knew Han was alive. After all, Deckard is no stranger to Mr. Nobody. It could easily be revealed that he was working with Nobody to help make Han disappear. That would be a pretty massive retcon, but hey, we are talking about the Fast and Furious series here.. Alternatively, they could just have the two characters punch each other a bunch until they’re best friends. Then, they could find a way to bring Giselle (Gal Gadot) back.

You can go home again

As the movie comes to a close, the family returns to Los Angeles for what feels like the first time since Furious 7. We see the Toretto house being rebuilt, with a BBQ happening in the backyard. It’s a sweet moment that harkens back to the original film and includes a moment that could very well bring some fans to tears.

While sitting down to say grace before their meal, Dom mentions that they’re still waiting on one person to arrive for the meal. As the camera pulls out, we see Brian’s car arrive, quickly pulling into the driveway.

Brian was, of course, played by the late Paul Walker. The actor died before the release of Furious 7, and his character was sidelined in Fate of the Furious, alongside his wife Mia. This last moment is a touching tribute to the character, as well as the actor. While we won’t see Brian again in the movies, it’s good to see the spirit of the character kept alive in these little ways.

F9: The Fast Saga is in theaters now.

The weekend has arrived in Destiny 2, so it’s time for Xur to return to the solar system with another crop of Exotic weapons and armor for players to add to their collections. The Iron Banner kicks off again on June 29, so this is another great time to grab new items that can help you get an edge.

Xur returns to the solar system every weekend in Destiny 2, starting with the daily reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET each Friday. The thing is, where he’ll land isn’t known until he actually arrives. Xur can hang out at one of several locations, including in the Tower Hangar area, on Nessus in Watcher’s Grave, and in the Winding Cove area of the EDZ. Xur’s inventory also changes each week, so it’s worth revisiting him on the weekends for new weapons and rolls on Exotic armor. You can visit him any time between his arrival Friday and the weekly reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET the following Tuesday when Xur departs the solar system.

We’ll update this post as soon as Xur arrives with a full rundown of where you can find him and what he’s offering.

Each week, Xur offers one Exotic weapon and three pieces of Exotic armor: one for each character class. The inventory is random, as are the stat rolls you can expect on each of his armor offerings, so if you’re looking to fill out your collection or if you’re hoping for better versions of Exotics you already have, it’s worth visiting him. Xur also brings an Exotic Engram, which is guaranteed to drop something you don’t already have, if there are Exotics missing from your collection on that particular character–but that doesn’t include Exotics you have to earn through activities, including the new Exotic armors added each season, which can only be claimed from Legendary or Master Lost Sectors.

The Trials of Osiris returns in Destiny 2 with the Friday reset, and with it comes another slate of some of the best gear in the game for players to earn. The trouble is, you’ll need to wade into Destiny 2’s toughest PvP challenge for a chance at the goods.

Each week, the Trials of Osiris map and rewards are randomized when the event launches with Destiny 2’s daily reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on Friday. We’ll update this post with a rundown of the gear you can earn from this week’s Trials of Osiris matches, and which map you’ll take on when the event kicks off.

The Trials of Osiris offers some of the toughest PvP challenges in Destiny 2. It runs from Friday to Tuesday, and the goal in each competition is to assemble your team of three–there’s no matchmaking in the mode–and win as many matches as possible before you suffer three total losses. Once you’ve got three L’s to your name, you’re forced to reset your Trials run, or Passage, and try again. You’ll earn loot at certain points as you rack up victories, so minimizing your losses is key to grabbing new gear. But the best rewards in the event come when you go on a winning streak of seven matches in a row–a “Flawless” run.

While the goal in Trials is to hit that flawless run, the reality is that Trials is very tough, and most players may never achieve a flawless run. But the event isn’t just for the very best players in the game. You can still earn Trials rewards, some of the best weapons available, just by playing matches, win or lose. The End Game bounty from Saint-14 awards each week’s three-win reward just for participating.

If you can manage to go Flawless, you’ll visit the Lighthouse and earn exclusive rewards. Opening the chest in the Lighthouse now gets you an “Adept” weapon, which has extra stat boosts you can’t get almost anywhere else. Visit Saint-14 to pick up a Trials Passage and bounties to get started, but remember that you have to spend any Trials tokens you earn for wins with Saint-14 before the weekly reset on Tuesday, June 22. These tokens expire at the end of the weekend you earned them, so get your rewards while you can.

The full trailer for Halloween Kills is here. The latest movie in the long-running horror series hits theaters on October 15.

Halloween Kills picks up minutes after the end of 2018’s reboot/sequel. Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen, and granddaughter Allyson have escaped from Michael Myers and seemingly burned him alive in Laurie’s house. But of course, he escapes, and sets out on another night of gory mayhem. But this time the Strodes have no intention of running away, and so three generations of women set about trying to stop Michael for the last time. The trailer delivers plenty of bloody action and it looks like an intense follow-up to the 2018 hit. Check it out below:

Halloween Kills stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie, Judy Greer as Karen, and Andi Matichak as Allyson, with Michael played by both James Jude Courtney and original actor Nick Castle. The cast also features several other cast members who will be familiar to long-time fans of the series. Nancy Stephens appears as Marion Chambers, a role she played in 1981’s Halloween 2 and again in 1998’s Halloween H20, Charles Cyphers will reprise his role as Leigh Brackett, the Sheriff from the original 1978 film, and Kyle Richards returns as Lindsey Wallace, one of the kids that Laurie is babysitting in the original.

The movie is directed by David Gordon Green, who also helmed the 2018 film, with a script by Green, Danny McBride, and Scott Teems. It’s also got a score by John Carpenter, who directed the original Halloween and wrote the series’s iconic theme. Halloween Kills was originally set for release in October last year, but was delayed due to the pandemic.

There’s another Halloween movie on the way too. Halloween Ends will also be directed by Green, and that’s currently set to arrive on October 14, 2022. The initial plan was to make the movie back-to-back with Halloween Kills, but it will now shoot separately. For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to the biggest upcoming horror movies of 2021.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings trailer #2 spoiler follows:

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Marvel’s latest trailer for September 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has revealed a brief glimpse at the return of an original MCU Phase 1 villain who’s been benched since 2008.

Abomination (or Emil Blonsky, portrayed by Tim Roth in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk) hasn’t been spotted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the second film in the Infinity Saga, but he’s appeared in a brief tease in the final moments of the newest trailer, which arrived today.

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It’s the first new look at the powerful villain in well over a decade, although Abomination was discussed during the 2011 Marvel One-Shot ‘The Consultant’ and mentioned in passing during a 2014 episode of the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Shang-Chi isn’t the only new place Abomination will be making his mark, however, with Marvel previously confirming that Tim Roth is scheduled to return as Abomination in the upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk.

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Arriving in cinemas on September 2 in Australia and September 3 in North America and the UK, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be the second feature film in Marvel’s Phase 4 following Black Widow (which arrives next month).

Check out IGN’s breakdown of how Phase 4 will shape the MCU’s future.

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Luke is Games Editor at IGN’s Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter every few days @MrLukeReilly.

Hanna-Barbera has never been afraid to play around with their characters, as seen with Adult Swim series like Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. Now, all the animation studio’s classic characters are coming back to life in the latest trailer for Jellystone!, the upcoming HBO Max animated series.

Jellystone! follows a whole list of Hanna-Barbera characters as they “live, work, play and (as is often the case) destroy the town in some silly way together.” Characters like Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, Huckleberry Hound, Jabberjaw, Magilla Gorilla, and Peter Potamus populate the town and interact regardless of what show they originated on.

If you recognize the visual style, it’s because the show comes courtesy C. H. Greenblatt, creator of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Chowder, and Harvey Beaks.

“I grew up watching tons of Hanna-Barbera cartoons and have a deep love for these characters,” Greenblatt said in an official statement. “The massive amount of both classic and not-so-classic characters we were able to use from the Hanna-Barbera library is what really makes the Jellystone! universe special. Rather than recreate the feeling of cartoons of the past, we wanted to have silly, weird fun with these characters and expand their personalities to give them more depth. Chances are if there’s a character you love, you’ll see them somewhere in this world eventually. We hope longtime fans appreciate our take on this world, and we’re excited that parents get to introduce and enjoy their favorite Hanna-Barbera characters with their kids.”

Greenblatt serves as showrunner, executive producer, and voice actor on the show. Other confirmed actors include Grace Helbig, Ron Funches, Paul F. Tompkins, Thomas Lennon, and more. Jellystone! debuts on HBO Max on Thursday, July 29.

Every generation has its Superman, and for many kids who grew up in the early 2000s, that’s Tom Welling’s Clark Kent of Smallville. Now, Welling and co-star Michael Rosenbaum are looking to revive the characters for an animated series, the actor says.

“Michael Rosenbaum and I are actually working on an animated series to bring those characters back to life, and use as many of the original cast members as possible,” Welling said in a video message to a fan via Cameo. “Don’t tell anybody, though. It’s a secret–we’re still working on it.”

On the one hand, this is coming straight from the mouth of the actor who played the character for many years on the original show. On the other, it’s far from a confirmation. Importantly, Welling says that he and Michael Rosenbaum are developing the show–no mention of the show’s original creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, nor of the likely rights holders, the CW television network.

Michael Rosenbaum has been talking about the idea for a few years now, and has addressed the idea as recently as this spring in an Instagram Q&A. There, Rosenbaum was very non-committal, stating that “Tom Welling and I had the idea of Smallville returning as an animated series, so we’ll see if that ever happens, but we’ll try to get that going.”

Smallville ran on the WB, and then on its replacement network, the CW, for 10 seasons with a strict “no tights, no flight” rule to keep the show, which focused on Clark Kent’s early years as a superhero, grounded. Since then, Welling has had a couple brushes with the DC universe, playing Marcus Pierce on NBC/Netflix’s Lucifer, and reprising the Clark Kent role in a cameo on the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover last year. Rosenbaum did not appear in that crossover, but has voiced a number of DC characters including The Flash and Kid Flash in several projects, as well as Scarecrow, Deadman, and others.

Smallville itself, meanwhile, found new life in comic book form. Smallville: Season 11 ran from 2012 through 2013 and indeed brought in both tights and flight.

It seems like the pair has been trying to get the project going for a while now. So while this is the first time Welling has said explicitly on camera that they’re working on this project, we shouldn’t hold our collective breath for the time being. If you want to get your Superman television fix right now, the CW’s Superman and Lois stands out from the rest of the Arrowverse. Further out, Warner Bros. is developing a Superman film with a Black Superman character, and game developer Rocksteady is working on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

In the Apex Devstream for Apex Legends‘ upcoming Genesis event, Respawn revealed that it’s been much easier for the team to make adjustments to the battle royale game’s maps since Season 7. With three maps now in rotation in Apex Legends, Respawn can take a whole season to discuss how a map should be altered based on community feedback.

“We only had Kings Canyon at first,” design director Jason McCord said during the stream. “In Season 2, we needed to do a map update–I was working on that, probably pre-launch of the whole game. So I didn’t know what to tackle–besides our own playtests–for what I would change, what the designers wanted, and whatever everyone else would want to see different.”

McCord went on to say that he had to make “blind assumptions” in those early days, hoping to correctly guess what players would want to see changed based on little available data. “Which is really scary,” he said.

These decisions can’t be pre-planned either as Respawn does not design Apex Legends’ maps with future adjustments and changes in mind. “Everyone has ideas while we’re working on the [map]–like, maybe later, sometime down the line, we can do this cool idea that they have,” McCord said. “But generally, a map is so much effort that everyone is just really focused on making that first [iteration] good.”

The addition of World’s Edge in Season 3 didn’t help in alleviating the problem too much, McCord continued. With previous seasons taking place on Kings Canyon, it was decided that World’s Edge would get the update in Season 4. According to McCord, that meant, “We have to start working on it before World’s Edge even launches. So we don’t really know what to change–we don’t know what the community wants us to change.”

“Now we’re in a better position where we’ve got more maps. So we saw Olympus come out in Season 7. And we thought about doing map updates for Olympus in Season 8 but we thought, ‘Why don’t we take a beat, and let the community talk about it, let us figure out what we like about it. We’ll go back to Kings Canyon for Season 8, and then come back to Olympus for Season 9.’ That’s been a really good benefit for us, to actually adjust the maps based on what the community thinks instead of what our gut is.”

Beginning June 29, Genesis is a limited-time event that temporarily reverts Kings Canyon back to how it appeared when Apex Legends first launched and World’s Edge back to how it first appeared in Season 3. The event also sees Kings Canyon’s Skull Town landmark (which was destroyed in Season 5) return as a new map in Apex Legends’ new PvP Arenas mode, and several balancing adjustments to certain characters and weapons. All of the changes are listed in the Apex Legends Genesis patch notes.