Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot’s Golden Frieza DLC Arrives This Month

After a long wait, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot‘s next DLC, A New Power Awakens – Part 2, finally has a release date of November 17. Based on the Resurrection of F film (which was later adapted into a story arc in the Dragon Ball Super anime series), the iconic Dragon Ball Z villain Frieza has been resurrected and is stronger than ever.

The story DLC will arrive on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and with backwards compatibility on next-gen consoles, you’ll also be able to play the expansion on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PS5.

In the DLC, Goku and Vegeta will have to face off against Frieza, who has been brought back to life and is ready for a grudge match. While Frieza has a new transformation that puts him on par with the Saiyan heroes, they’ll also be able to transform into a new state that gives them more power and brighter-colored hair than ever before.

You can view the Super Saiyan Blue transformation and the battle with Golden Frieza below in a gameplay preview from Bandai Namco:

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot’s first story DLC in April also allowed players to further increase their power with the Super Saiyan God transformation during their battle with the god of destruction Beerus. That ability allowed for an increase in attack power without needing to sacrifice energy, and Super Saiyan Blue further refines that power-up and its emphasis on perfect Ki control. There’s also an indicator of how much energy you’ll need to pull off an attack that can demolish an entire planet, which is useful.

This hasn’t been the only DLC that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot received during the months-long gap between episodes, as an entirely new card game where players assemble decks of famous Dragon Ball Z characters and battled it out was available as a free update in October.

Goku’s latest adventure scored a 7/10 in our Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot review. “If you’re looking for an enjoyable way to see the life and times of adult Goku through a new perspective, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will grant your wish,” wrote critic Heidi Kemps.

Dragon Ball FighterZ has been a lot more regular with DLC updates since it launched, adding Master Roshi to its roster in September.

Now Playing: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Video Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

How To Transfer From Pokemon Go To Pokemon Home

Pokemon Go support has finally been added to Pokemon Home, meaning you can now transfer your Pokemon over from the mobile game to the cloud storage service. The process works a little differently than transferring Pokemon from other games, however, so we’ve put together this step-by-step guide outlining how to move your Pokemon from Go to Home.

Connect Pokemon Go To Your Nintendo Account

Before you can transfer a Pokemon, you’ll first need to connect Pokemon Go to the same Nintendo Account you have linked to Pokemon Home. After you’ve fired up the game, tap on the Poke Ball icon at the bottom of the screen and then select the Settings option in the top right-hand corner. Scroll down and tap Pokemon Home; you’ll then be prompted to sign in with your Nintendo Account.

Bear in mind that the ability to transfer Pokemon from Go to Home is currently limited to level 40 players, so you may not see the option listed in the Settings menu yet. Niantic is gradually rolling the feature out to more users, so keep checking back to see if it’s become available.

Select Pokemon To Transfer To Pokemon Home

After you’ve linked Pokemon Go to your Pokemon Home account, you’ll be able transfer most monsters from the game to the storage service (barring a few exceptions, which we’ll delve further into below). To start the transfer process, go to the Pokemon Home section in Settings and tap Send Pokemon. This will open the Go Transporter. Tap on the Pokemon you’d like to send over to Pokemon Home and select Transport to move them.

Pokemon Go transfer screen
Pokemon Go transfer screen

Restrictions

There are a few caveats to keep in mind before transferring a Pokemon. First, the Go Transporter requires sufficient energy to send Pokemon to Home. Certain monsters will use up different amounts of energy depending on their rarity; for instance, Shiny or Legendary Pokemon will cost significantly more energy to transfer than a standard Pokemon. The Go Transporter will be fully energized the first time you use it, but you’ll need to wait a set amount of time afterward for the Transporter to build up energy again. You can also bypass the wait time by spending PokeCoins, but it will be very pricey.

As previously mentioned, not every Pokemon can be transferred from Go to Home. Go-specific monsters, such as Armored Mewtwo or any costumed Pokemon that were available as part of a Pokemon Go event, cannot be transferred to Pokemon Home. You also can’t transfer any Shadow, purified, or Lucky Pokemon, as well as any monsters that are currently Mega-Evolved.

Certain Pokemon that are in an alternate form will change after they’ve been transferred to Pokemon Home. For instance, Origin Forme Giratina will transform into Altered Forme once it’s been moved to the storage service, while Sunny or Rainy Castform will revert back to its normal appearance. These forms are not treated as separate Pokemon in the mainline games, so they can take on their alternate forms again if you transfer them into Pokemon Sword or Shield and meet the right conditions.

Finally, as is the case when you transfer monsters over from Pokemon Bank, each transfer is a one-way affair. Any Pokemon that you move from Go to Home cannot be returned to its original game, so keep that in mind before you transfer any of your monsters to the storage service.

Receive Your Pokemon

After you’ve sent Pokemon using the Go Transporter, you’ll need to receive them in Pokemon Home. Open the app on your mobile device, tap on the menu button on the bottom of the screen, and select Options. Scroll down until you see Pokemon Go Link, then tap Receive to complete the transfer process.

How To Claim Your Free Gigantamax Melmetal

After you’ve transferred a Pokemon from Go to Home for the first time, you’ll receive a special gift: a Melmetal that’s capable of Gigantamaxing. To claim the Pokemon, open the mobile version of Pokemon Home, tap on the menu button on the bottom of the screen, and select Mystery Gift. You’ll find the special Melmetal waiting in your Gift Box.

That’s not the only present you’ll receive for transferring a Pokemon; you’ll also get a Mystery Box in Pokemon Go (if you haven’t already received one by transferring a Pokemon into Let’s Go, Pikachu or Let’s Go, Eevee). The Mystery Box is a special item that causes Meltan to spawn in the wild for a limited time, making it the only way to catch the Mythical Pokemon.

Now Playing: Pokemon Sword & Shield DLC, EA Play On Game Pass, & Torchlight 3 Release Date | Save State

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Amazon’s Invincible Explained: From NSFW Fight Scenes to Its Most Shocking Plot Twist

Amazon Prime Video is already home to one hugely popular superhero series in the form of The Boys, and now they’re preparing to add another to their lineup. Invincible is finally making the jump from comics to TV, and the story of Mark Grayson’s evolution from ordinary teenager to the world’s greatest hero will play out in a whole new medium.

But what exactly is Invincible, and why does this particular superhero saga rise above the rest in a very crowded genre? Read on for a full breakdown of the comic and its 15-year journey. Here are the topics we’ll cover:

  • Who Is Invincible?
  • Invincible’s Origin
  • Invincible’s Powers and Abilities
  • The Heroes and Villains of the Invincible Universe
  • Invincible’s Connection to Spawn and Other Image Comics Heroes
  • Invincible: The Road to TV
  • Invincible’s Most Shocking Plot Twist

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=how-invincible-became-a-modern-superhero-icon&captions=true”]

Who Is Invincible?

Mark Grayson is just your average, ordinary American teenager. He’s a comic book geek trying to make it through high school and get his dream girl to notice him. Oh, and it just so happens that Mark is the son of Omni-Man, one of the world’s most powerful and beloved heroes. When Mark’s own superhuman abilities begin to reveal themselves, he wastes little time in taking up the mantle of Invincible and following in his father’s footsteps.

Invincible is Mark Grayson’s coming-of-age story. The series follows his early growing pains, his tragedies and triumphs and his evolution from rookie hero to seasoned veteran and the most important weapon in Earth’s fight against a far more powerful enemy.

[poilib element=”quoteBox” parameters=”excerpt=Invincible%20is%20Mark%20Grayson’s%20coming-of-age%20story.%20The%20series%20follows%20his%20early%20growing%20pains%2C%20his%20tragedies%20and%20triumphs%20and%20his%20evolution%20from%20rookie%20hero%20to%20seasoned%20veteran.”]

Invincible’s Origin

Invincible is a collaboration between writer Robert Kirkman (whom you may also know from an obscure little property called The Walking Dead) and artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley. The character briefly debuted in a preview story featured in 2002’s Tech Jacket #1 before quickly spinning out into his own monthly series with 2003’s Invincible #1. Invincible ultimately spanned 144 issues and assorted spinoff series before wrapping up in 2018.

Invincible #1 introduces Mark Grayson, the half-human son of an ordinary Earth woman named Deborah and an alien named Nolan, a man whom the world knows as the superhero Omni-Man. When Mark turns seven, his father reveals himself to be a Viltrumite – a member of an incredibly strong alien race who seek out new worlds and use their abilities to protect the innocent and uphold peace throughout the universe.

Though Nolan promises his son will one day manifest superhuman powers, Mark spends most of his childhood fearing he’s just an ordinary human. Only at the age of 17 do Mark’s powers finally reveal themselves and he takes up the mantle of Invincible.

Invincible’s Powers and Abilities

To an extent, both Invincible and Omni-Man are inspired by Superman, and so their superhuman powers closely resemble those of the Man of Steel. Invincible has super-strength, invulnerability and the power of flight, along with accelerated healing. While he can’t recover from wounds as quickly as, say, Wolverine, Invincible has repeatedly bounced back from injuries that would have killed a lesser hero. Invincible doesn’t have Superman’s more outlandish powers like heat vision or cold breath. However, he’s very good at punching evil into submission. In fact, one of the things that makes the series stand out from most mainstream superhero comics is the fact that many of the battles scenes are incredibly gory and very NSFW.

Early on, Omni-Man’s powers are shown to be much greater than his son’s. But over the course of the series, Mark finds his strength steadily growing with both age and experience. By the end, he’s easily among the most physically powerful beings in the entire universe.

screen-shot-2015-10-21-at-203013-1518652243729

The Heroes and Villains of the Invincible Universe

While Invincible is mostly focused on Mark Grayson and his family, the series features a massive cast of heroes and villains to rival both the Marvel and DC Universes. That cast includes both the Justice League-esque Guardians of the Globe and the Teen Titans-inspired Teen Team. Given that Mark himself is a teenager when the series begins, the early focus is more on the latter, particularly characters like Mark’s superhero crush Atom Eve and her obnoxious boyfriend Rex Splode.

Over time, the Guardians become much more integral to the plot of the series, to the point where the team was even given its own spinoff series. Much like The Seven in The Boys, the original incarnation of the Guardians is heavily modeled after the Justice League. The roster includes The Immortal (Superman), War Woman (Wonder Woman), Darkwing (Batman), Red Rush (The Flash), Aquarus (Aquaman), The Green Ghost (Green Lantern) and Martian Man (Martian Manhunter). Omni-Man isn’t officially a member of the team, though he does frequently fight alongside them.

Invincible leading the Guardians of the Globe into battle.
Invincible leading the Guardians of the Globe into battle.

Most of the Guardians are killed in Invincible #7 – an early sign the series isn’t overly precious about its ensemble cast. Only Immortal Man (a literal immortal whose past cover identities include Abraham Lincoln) survives that massacre. Afterwards, the Guardians take on new members like Robot (a deformed human who relies on a series of robotic drones as proxies) and ex-Teen Team members like Rex Splode and Dupli-Kate. That new team becomes a government-run organization supervised by Agent Cecil Steadman. Steadman and Invincible have an antagonistic relationship that ebbs and flows over the course of the series.

Invincible also has a hefty rogues gallery. Early on he battles an alien warrior named, weirdly enough, Allen the Alien. However, the two quickly become friends and allies, and Allen plays a heavy role later in the series. Mark’s primary nemeses also include the dimension-hopping mad scientist Angstrom Levy, the human/dinosaur hybrid Dinosaurus and the cybernetic crime boss Machine Head. There’s another group of villains who move to the forefront of the series in its final years, but it’s hard to say much about them without spoiling some of Invincible’s biggest twists.

One of the common threads with Invincible’s supporting cast is that many characters tend to straddle the line between hero and villain, sometimes crossing back and forth between the two. Allen the Alien is the earliest example, but many characters close to Mark Grayson eventually transform from hero to villain, and vice versa.

[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/08/invincible-official-teaser-trailer-2021-steven-yeun-jk-simmons]

Invincible’s Connection to Spawn and Other Image Comics Heroes

Invincible is easily among the most popular superhero comics not published by Marvel or DC. Part of the appeal of the franchise is that it’s entirely creator-owned, giving Kirkman and his collaborators the freedom to make sweeping story changes that actually last and avoid the revolving door of death and resurrection that defines so many Marvel/DC stories. But one thing Invincible does have in common with various Marvel and DC properties is that it’s part of a larger, shared comic book universe.

Technically, Invincible exists in the same universe as various other long-running Image Comics titles like Spawn, Savage Dragon, Noble Causes, The Darkness and Witchblade. In fact, one of Mark Grayson’s earliest appearances came in Savage Dragon #102, before Invincible #1 arrived in stores. That shared universe also once included teams like WildCATS, Wetworks and Youngblood, though those properties are now controlled by other publishers.

These various comics have never been closely linked. Just because a destructive alien invasion takes place in Invincible doesn’t mean that event will be referenced in Spawn. For the most part, each series operates inside its own bubble, with outside characters making quick cameo appearances where appropriate. For example, characters from one series will appear during a superhero funeral in another series. Or in another case, readers learn Mark’s mother Deborah is friends with Claire Armstrong, wife of cyborg hero Superpatriot.

There have been a few cases of Image toying with bigger, more traditional superhero crossovers (including the infamously short-lived Image United). Invincible #60 features Mark teaming up with his fellow Image heroes to stave off an invasion from his interdimensional doppelgangers. Mark also briefly crosses over into the Marvel Universe and joins forces with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up Vol. 3 #14.

Kirkman has tended to work some of his other comic book creations into the fabric of Invincible, with characters like Brit, Tech-Jacket and The Astounding Wolf-Man playing fairly significant roles.

16ed02d4ef8bbc0c002aa913e60fb29f
Invincible #60 features a rare crossover with the rest of the Image Comics universe.

Invincible: The Road to TV

Rumors have swirled for many years about a possible film or TV adaptation of Invincible. But whereas The Walking Dead made the jump to TV years before the original comic ended its run, the Invincible animated series will debut several years after the comic wrapped up with Invincible #144.

That said, this technically isn’t Invincible’s first time getting the animated treatment. Back in 2008 the series was converted into an animated “motion comic” and broadcast on MTV2. The franchise has also enjoyed a handful of cameo appearances/references in other TV series, including multiple episodes of Fox’s animated sitcom King of the Hill. Eagle-eyed fans might even spot a package of Invincible action figures in a Season 6 episode of The Walking Dead.

A full-blown adaptation only really started gaining momentum in 2017, when it was announced that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who have also executive-produced comic adaptations like Preacher and The Boys) were attached to a feature film at Universal Pictures. That project may or may not still be in the works, but for now the focus seems to be on Amazon’s animated series.

The Invincible animated series is executive-produced by Kirkman, Simon Racioppa, David Alpert and Catherine Winder, with Racioppa also serving as showrunner. The series stars Steven Yuen as the titular hero, along with J.K. Simmons as Omni-Man and Sandra Oh as Deborah Grayson. The cast even includes a number of Walking Dead veterans playing the Guardians of the Globe.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Warning: The remainder of this article features some major spoilers for the Invincible comic (and most likely the animated series)!

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/01/31/mark-hamill-steven-yeun-joins-cast-of-invincible”]

Invincible’s Most Shocking Plot Twist

It’s difficult to talk about what makes Invincible so memorable and unique without discussing the most significant plot twist in the series. While it remains to be seen just how closely the animated series will follow the comic, it stands to reason that same twist will play out in Season 1.

Invincible #12 throws readers for a loop with the reveal that Omni-Man is not at all what he seems. Rather than being a benevolent hero representing a peaceful alien culture, Omni-Man is actually an advance scout for a bloodthirsty race of conquerors. He was sent to infiltrate Earth and pave the way for a Viltrumite invasion. When the truth comes out, Invincible has no choice but to fight his father, a battle that ends with Nolan nearly killing his son and fleeing Earth in shame.

ccb34126371fd84b41a09120864c0539As you’d expect, that surprise twist dramatically shapes the direction of the series from that point on. Mark is forced to grapple with his first true failure as a superhero and the knowledge that his father has secretly been grooming Earth for an alien takeover. It’s a pivotal step on his journey toward becoming the hero Earth needs. As for Omni-Man, the series gradually explores his conflicting motivations and his ultimate struggle to choose between his own people and his adopted home.

As the series progresses, more and more attention is paid to the growing conflict between Invincible and his intergalactic allies on one side and the Viltrumite Empire on the other. That struggle is further complicated through the addition of new characters like Mark’s half-brother Oliver. The series’ ultimate villain turns out to be General Thragg, a mustachioed emperor of seemingly limitless physical strength. We probably won’t meet Thragg in Season 1 of the animated series, but he’s bound to be out there somewhere, just waiting to fold Earth into his ever-expanding empire.

[poilib element=”poll” parameters=”id=a6268298-405f-4455-b6be-c930f51e1b5e”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

No, Xbox Series X Doesn’t Pour Smoke Out Of Its Vents

A series of viral videos purporting to show the new Xbox Series X pouring plumes of smoke from its air vent have been circulating on social media, but these appear to be fake. Multiple people have replicated the smoking effect by blowing vape smoke through the Xbox.

A debunking video from the fan account XboxStudio shows how to recreate the “smoking” effect, even when the console is off. It calls the viral videos “fake news.” Others have suggested that smoke from an electrical fire would not look so similar to vape smoke. Some of the viral videos have also included strange sounds coming from the console.

Microsoft has not issued an official statement on the viral videos. GameSpot has contacted the company for comment.

Xbox Series X launched on November 10 alongside the more compact Xbox Series S. Xbox’s latest competitor, Sony’s PS5, is set to launch on November 12. For more on Xbox Series X, check out our Xbox Series X review, and our in-depth interview with Xbox head Phil Spencer.

Now Playing: Phil Spencer Talks Xbox, Halo, Elden Ring, And More

Blumhouse ‘Hasn’t Quite Figured Out’ Five Nights At Freddy’s Movie

Jason Blum has revealed that the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is still in active development, though he admits the Blumhouse team “haven’t quite figured it out” yet.

Speaking to Inverse about the long-gestating video game adaptation, Blum opened up about some of the challenges that the creative team have faced in trying to bring the story to the big screen. He revealed it had been particularly difficult to choose which narrative threads to pick up for the screenplay, considering the range of expansive stories within the Five Nights universe.

“It’s still active,” Blum assured fans. “We haven’t quite figured it out, but we’re getting closer every day.”

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/05/jason-blum-five-nights-at-freddys-movie-coming-pretty-soon”]

He elaborated further, saying, “The story is the big challenge. You know, Five Nights at Freddy’s should have been easier because there are books, there’s a lot of lore and storytelling. For a video game, I think it has more storytelling than almost any other. But still, the story goes down so many rabbit holes. It goes down so many different directions. It’s big. Choosing which part to tell the first time out of the gate — and how to tell it — has been tricky.”

A movie based on the creepy video game franchise has been planned since 2015 but the movie has been met with several delays and roadblocks during its development. In February 2018, it was announced that Chris Columbus would direct and write the movie while also serving as a producer alongside Blum and Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthon. However, the production hit another snag in November 2018 when Cawthon rejected the greenlit screenplay.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=every-video-game-movie-in-development-almost&captions=true”]

For those unfamiliar with the FNaF franchise, the original 2014 video game follows a group of animatronic robots terrorizing a security guard at a Chuck E Cheese-esque kid’s restaurant called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. The popular horror video game series spans several titles, including a number of sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and even some bestselling novels.

The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is just one of many titles in a growing slate of video game movies and TV series’ that have been announced, planned, or are currently in production, including Amazon’s Fallout TV seriesNetflix’s Cyberpunk 2077 anime, and Sega’s live-action Yakuza movie, which is being produced by Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande and Joshua Long.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Aquaman Star Jason Momoa “Couldn’t Get Work” After Game Of Thrones

Aquaman stands as the most successful DC movie ever made, and its lead actor, Jason Momoa, is now one of the world’s biggest movie stars. But unlike many of his peers, Momoa is relatively new to the celebrity A-list. In a new interview, he has revealed that his breakout role on Game of Thrones was followed by several years of struggling to pay the bills.

Talking to with Instyle, Momoa explained that he struggled to find work after he left Game of Thrones in 2011, after playing Khal Drogo in the first season of the hit show. “I mean, we were starving after Game of Thrones,” he said. “I couldn’t get work. It’s very challenging when you have babies and you’re completely in debt.” Momoa has two children and is married to actor Lisa Bonet.

The star stated that it was only being cast in 2017’s DC movie Justice League that turned things around financially. Since then, Momoa has appeared in 2018’s Aquaman and will be seen next year in Denis Villeneuve’s big budget adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel Dune.

Aquaman 2 is also on the way, but that won’t be released until December 2022. James Wan is back as director, as are co-stars Amber Heard and Patrick Wilson, who will reprise their roles as Mera and Orm respectively. For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to every upcoming DC movie.

As for Game of Thrones, the main show might have finished, but there is a spin-off series in the works. House of the Dragon will be set 300 years earlier, and will focus on the rise of House Targaryen. The series will consist of 10 episodes, and HBO programming chief Casey Bloys previously stated that he was hopeful we would see it in 2022.

Now Playing: Aquaman – Official Trailer #2

Phil Spencer Has ‘Played Quite a Bit’ of Elden Ring

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has played ‘quite a bit’ of Elden Ring, the upcoming Hidetaka Miyazaki game with writing contributions from George R.R. Martin – and calls it “clearly the most ambitious game” Miyazaki has made.

Speaking to GameSpot, Spencer was asked how much of Elden Ring he’d seen, and replied: “I’ve seen actually quite a bit. I’ve played quite a bit.” That will come as a surprise to many, given that the game’s development has been so quiet that the game’s fan-run subreddit has essentially invented its own fantasy version of Elden Ring.

As you might expect, Spencer stayed tight-lipped, but made clear his excitement for the project: “I can’t tell you much other than, as somebody who’s played all of Miyazaki’s games over at least the last decade, this is clearly the most ambitious game that he’s done.

“I love his games, but seeing some of the gameplay mechanics stuff that he’s tackling, that he and the team are tackling this time, of the setting, working with another creator in terms of story. I love it. I love seeing him challenging himself. He’s a good friend of mine, expanding his horizons. I think it’s a good thing.”

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/elden-ring-official-reveal-trailer-e3-2019″]

Spencer also explained the dynamic of playing the game in front of its creator: “When he has me play – I go over – he has to leave the room. I think that’s because I’m a bad player. And then he comes back, and we have a conversation about things that I think. He’s so passionate about what he does, it’s one of the things I just love about getting to work with him on some of these games, and seeing them come to our platform.”

That was, unfortunately, all Spencer said on the subject, meaning many, many details remain unknown. After a 2 minute, 20 second teaser at E3 2019, we’ve seen and heard practically nothing of the game. What we know is that it’s an open world Souls-like game directed by Miyazaki, and with writing contributions from Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin. Miyazaki has previously called it an ‘evolution’ of the Dark Souls formula.

Since those early hints, however, we’ve yet to learn more, with FromSoftware thanking fans for their enthusiasm anyway. While fans may have to wait a while to actually play Elden Ring, they will soon be able to play a remaster of FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls, as it is a launch title for the PlayStation 5.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Ubisoft Apologizes, Will Change Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Ableist Language

Ubisoft has apologized for an instance of ableist text found in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla after an accessibility advocate pointed out the problematic language. The company has promised it will be addressed with a future patch.

Courtney Craven, founder of the accessibility site Can I Play That?, tweeted about the text describing a character named Eorforwine, who suffered from severe burns. The description says she was “horribly burned in a childhood accident” and is now “terrified someone will see her disfigured face.”

Craven said that it’s “absolutely unacceptable to talk about facial differences this way.” She also described the embarrassment of seeing the game representing burns this way while sitting next to her girlfriend, who “is a burn victim and spent many years ashamed of her scars.”

Ubisoft quickly issued a response apologizing for “unintentionally reinforcing ableism through this language.” It promised to remove the language in an upcoming update, but didn’t give a timeline for when that update may come.

“Despite its strong connection to past games, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is more than capable of standing on its own,” Jordan Ramée wrote in GameSpot’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla review. “It takes a little while to build momentum, but when it hits its stride, Valhalla is a confident Assassin’s Creed title that takes a few narrative risks which, as a whole, pay off. Eivor is a good hero with an identity that drives the mystery behind the main narrative, and she shines in the self-contained arc structure of Valhalla’s story. The supporting cast may not shine as brightly, but it’s easy to forgive that when exploring England and discovering new nuggets of worldbuilding is so rewarding.”

Now Playing: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Best Black Friday 2020 PlayStation Plus Deals

If you’re buying a PS5 this holiday, one of the most important add-ons you should pair with your new console is a PlayStation Plus subscription. With Black Friday sales gearing up now and potentially lots of new PlayStation owners out there, we’ve rounded up the best PlayStation Plus deals. PS Plus grants access to online multiplayer, unlocks cloud save functionality, and comes with monthly free games. The freebies will continue to be backwards-compatible PS4 games for the time being, but for the rest of the year you can claim the PS5 version of Bugsnax. Sony has also added a new perk: the PS Plus Collection. Subscribers get a library of PS4 hits, including titles like God of War, The Last of Us Remastered, and Bloodborne.

If you’re looking to pick up some new games for cheap, we’ve got you covered with our roundup of the best Black Friday PS5 and PS4 game deals. Multiple retailers have already released full Black Friday ads featuring a ton of gaming deals, including Best Buy and GameStop.

Multiple GameSpot staff members have taken advantage of this deal. The code is promptly sent to your email and can then be redeemed on the PlayStation Store.

To be frank, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see a better PS Plus deal than this from major retailers during Black Friday. For instance, GameStop has already revealed that it will sell 12-month subscriptions for $45 during its Black Friday sale. The lowest price we typically see from retailers on Black Friday is $40. Essentially, you can feel confident in snagging this deal right now and not worrying about searching for Black Friday PS Plus deals later on.

Halo Infinite Dev Turnover Is Nothing To Worry About, Says Xbox Boss

Halo Infinite, which was originally planned as an Xbox Series X/S launch title, was delayed into 2021, and fans have been getting nervous. Amid reports of staff turnover and concerns over a lack of new information, as well as an underwhelming gameplay reveal, there’s been some speculation that things aren’t going well at developer 343 Industries.

In an interview with GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has talked about the changes happening at the Halo developer across 2020, and said that what’s happening there is very normal–and that what’s being reported doesn’t always line up with what is actually happening.

“Sometimes what hits the press, or when certain things get announced internally, have actually happened months before,” Spencer says. He admits that the game’s delay so soon after its gameplay reveal was unfortunate timing.

“It’s not always accurate when these things line up–we did take the feedback coming out of the July showcase event seriously, both on the date and what people were expecting from the game,” he continues. “It was a miss on our part, on my part, to open our July showcase with Halo Infinite and then a couple of weeks later have to move the date.”

“I don’t take the sentiment and the emotion of our fans and our customers lightly,” Spencer continues. “We set an expectation that here, this is something you’re going to have at launch and then we have to change that expectation not too much after our showing–that’s a mistake.”

“So I really have a lot of faith in Bonnie [Ross] and the team there having Joe and Pierre join, which they did late in the summer–I feel good about where we are on that team,” Spencer says, referring to returning Halo veterans Joseph Staten and Pierre Hintze.

He also emphasizes that turnover in the industry is normal and expected. “I don’t have any specific concern about 343. I actually think in the long run, turnover is a healthy thing because we want people who are really motivated by the things that they’re working on.”

While you won’t be able to play Halo Infinite on the newly-released Xbox Series X or S (or PC and Xbox One) just yet, you can nab some early DLC through a candy promotion.

During the interview, Phil Spencer also revealed that he has played Elden Ring, and has some impressions.

The Xbox Series X and S are available now. Check out GameSpot’s coverage of Microsoft’s new machines below:

Now Playing: Halo Infinite – Everything You Need To Know

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.