Category: Games

Another week means more Call of Duty Mobile content is on the way. This week, the mobile shooter–available on Android and iOS–will see a new game mode, new missions with tons of rewards, and more.

The game’s eighth season, The Forge, is now live. The content update adds the new Solstice Awakened event where you can get gear by trading resources. Resources are gathered by scoring kills in CoD: Mobile’s rotating playlist that could feature maps like High Rise and Saloon. The more resources in your possession, and the greater the variety of those resources, the better chances you have at acquiring high-level gear.

Some gear you can earn after trading-in resources includes an Epic Forge-themed version of the Man-O-War assault rifle, the base version of the KRM-262 shotgun, the Captain – Arctic Blizzard soldier skin, and more.

Additionally, this week will add a brand-new game mode to Call of Duty: Mobile–Ranked Multiplayer. Just as the name suggests, Ranked Mode puts your skills to the test online where you compete against other players to earn rewards while leveling up your rank. You can view your rank and rewards in the Ranked Mode lobby.

The Forge recently kicked off and brings tons of additions to the CoD: Mobile, including a new Battle Pass, the Highrise map from Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the 1v5 Juggernaut game mode, and more.

Activision Blizzard also outlined updates coming to both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone this week. This includes new game modes, discounts on Battle Pass progression, and more.

The Nintendo Switch is a portable console that’s perfect for taking on a long trip or commute, but it’s easily vulnerable to scratches or dents if you don’t store it properly. There are lots of carrying cases out there that are made for the Switch, but a new collection of backpacks from accessories brand Controller Gear offers the cutest selection of travel bags we’ve ever seen.

The new Nintendo Switch backpacks come in three adorable Animal Crossing: New Horizons-themed designs: a Tom Nook quilted pattern, a colorful fruity theme, and the iconic teal leaf design seen on most of the game’s merch. There’s a sleek option for Mario fans as well, which comes in a black, gray, and red plaid design with the Mario logo on the bottom right corner. These are mini backpacks meant to hold your Switch and a few other small accessories, not large full-sized backpacks that you’d use for carrying books or a laptop, so just keep that in mind.

These backpacks are made of water-resistant polyester to help protect your console and Switch accessories. Inside, there’s plenty of space to store your Switch or Switch Lite along with smaller accessories like your charger, headphones, or Pro Controller. The photos of the backpacks on Amazon show the Switch fitting inside a snug pocket while you travel, but personally, I’d still keep my Switch in a sturdy carrying case inside the backpack. The backpacks have a metal zip closure to help keep the items inside secure, and the straps are adjustable to fit both adults and children.

The Switch travel backpacks are $50 each, which is definitely on the expensive side but not too surprising considering these are officially licensed Nintendo merch. The backpacks release August 21, so if you pre-order now, you’ll receive yours in about a month. And if you’re looking for travel cases or backpacks that are on the cheaper side, check out our updated roundup of the best Switch carrying cases, which includes more affordable options available on Amazon.

Electronic Arts has released the official gameplay trailer for EA Sports UFC 4, which shows off what players can expect from its revamped combat systems. Every aspect from battling for position in the clinch to sinking in submission attempts have seen an overhaul from past entries.

Every fight inside the Octagon begins on the feet, and a new control scheme changes how striking works. It has been simplified so that multiple button taps will now unleash quick combinations that are simpler in nature, while long button holds will result in more damaging attacks. This is meant to give players more control over what strikes they are throwing and have fighter’s full arsenal of techniques at their disposal.

Another striking improvement can be seen in the new clinch system, which has been built from the ground up to feel more like striking. While the previous clinch system used the same controls as grappling on the ground, players can now throw punches from different angles, engage and exit the clinch at will, and use it to disrupt their opponent’s attack. It’ll also add some tactical elements to the fighting game as players can back their foes up against the fence to limit movement.

Other major changes include how takedowns work, as the success or failure of a trip or tackle is no longer determined instantly. Locomotion has been added to takedown attempts, which gives both players more opportunities to deny or finish takedowns. Players can also counter takedowns with a submission attempt, which will lead into one of the new choke or joint submission mini-games that have been simplified and are more varied than in EA Sports UFC 3.

Those that enjoyed the complexity of the ground game in past installments will be glad to know that it returns via the game’s legacy controls. There’s also a “grapple assist” option for those looking for a more streamlined experience. Both control schemes will take advantage of additional ground positions that can occur during grappling exchanges, and it’s possible to be more offensive from guard as players can use head movement to setup sweep attempts.

EA Sports UFC 4 releases August 14 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. While it will no longer feature the Ultimate Team mode, those who pre-order will be able to play as heavyweight boxing champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is now available on Steam. You can start up the Star Wars MMO through Valve’s launcher, and if you do all your progress from the SWTOR launcher will carry over.

The game is free-to-play with optional microtransactions like Cartel Coins and cosmetic bundles. The Steam launch includes new trading cards, profile backgrounds, and emotes. EA also promises more than 100 Steam Achievements to come in a future update, and you’ll be retroactively awarded any previously unlocked Achievements.

Star Wars: The Old Republic takes place in the same era as BioWare’s much-lauded Knights of the Old Republic games. As an MMO, though, you had a much broader range of skills and vocations, letting you play as classes like a Smuggler or Bounty Hunter in addition to Jedi and Sith. The game is still going strong, having recently reached almost $1 billion in revenue. With a B, like Boba Fett.

Epic Games and Samsung are hosting a Fortnite tournament, the Fortnite Galaxy Cup, that’s only available to players using Android devices. Players will be competing to win the Galaxy Scout Outfit, the third Samsung Galaxy tie-in skin.

The tournament will take place over two days, July 25 and 26, with two three-hour sessions. Players can participate in a maximum of ten matches over the course of the two days. They’ll rack up points based on how they place and how many eliminations they get.

Tournament goers that finish in the top 50,000 will earn the Galaxy Scout Outfit and players that score five points will earn the Galaxy Wrap, a cosmetic wrap for things like guns and vehicles. Both items will be available for purchase after the tournament.

Fortnite has been bustling over the last month with new changes happening to the map regularly. Check out our breakdown of the changes that came from the July 21 update, our Firefly Jar and Flare Gun guide, and how to dress up like Aquaman and get his famous Trident.

The console version of World of Tanks is getting a major update today that adds pro wrestling content and allows Xbox One and PlayStation 4 gamers to play together. It also marks the launch of a new season pass called Season 1 SummerSlam that will last through September 21. It includes WWE-themed tanks, collectible crews, garages, and more.

Out now, the 5.0 update allows players to check out five tanks that have been inspired by World Wrestling Entertainment royalty. Alongside Becky Lynch and The Undertaker, WWE Hall of Famers Andre the Giant, Sgt. Slaughter, and Steve Austin have their own tanks. The “Stone Cold” tank is available for free, so everyone can raise some hell online.

A WWE garage will allow players to customize their vehicles with wrestler introductions, and there will be two sets of crew chests that include content based upon the currently available superstars. Additional content arrives in August that is based upon Roman Reigns, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, and Shawn Michaels.

This marks the biggest update in several years that the console team has worked on, according to Wargaming Chicago-Baltimore executive producer TJ Wagner.

“Partnering with WWE has been a fantastic experience and is bringing unique new content to our players,” Wagner says. “[Players] can expect more updates like SummerSlam in the future! With update 5.0, we’re very excited to be able to address many player requests and desires for our game like cross-play that unites PlayStation and Xbox tankers, to make match making faster and better.”

Thanks to the addition of cross-play, this marks the first time that players on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can battle each other in World of Tanks. Full patch notes for the 5.0 update are available on the game’s official forum.

Final Fantasy VII Remake co-director Naoki Hamaguchi has confirmed that the next part in the reimagining of the PlayStation classic has entered full development.

Contrary to its name, Final Fantasy VII Remake is just the first part in a larger remake of the classic JRPG, with the story ending just after Cloud and company leave Midgar. Square Enix hasn’t announced when it plans to release the second part, but Hamaguchi’s comments in a recent Famitsu interview (shared by ryokutya2089 and translated by Twitter user aitaikimochi) make it clear that the team has moved past planning and into development.

Additionally, director Tetsuya Nomura said in the same interview that he hopes to have the second part ready as soon as possible, while also hinting that its announcement will also make the rest of the release roadmap clearer.

“I believe that by the time we announce the next title, we’ll be able to clarify more on our plans moving forward,” Nomura added.

Nomura also mentions that he is aiming to improve the quality of the next installment in the series, which might be challenging considering how good the first part is. In our 10/10 Final Fantasy VII Remake review, critic Tamoor Hussain explained what makes it as good as its inspiration, saying, “For returning fans, this isn’t the Final Fantasy VII your mind remembers, it’s the one your heart always knew it to be.”

A fresh update hit Fortnite on July 21 and dataminers have found a bunch of new content that should be coming to the battle royale soon. The biggest discovery includes a new spaceship crash site location that comes with a unique set of challenges.

The Ancient Astronaut, a character in the Fortnite universe, is going to crash land his ship on the outskirts of the map. The water level, which has already been decreasing throughout the season, will recede further to reveal the crash site. You can see an image of the ship below:

New challenges that involve the crash site and the Ancient Astronaut were also uncovered, although it’s unclear what they all mean. All the challenges point to launching the ship, except for the last one which tasks players with stopping a launch. Here are all the challenges:

• Found Ancient Ship
• Collect Missing Part
• Install Missing Part
• Begin Launch Sequence
• Stop Ship Launch

Data miners found a number of other tidbits including new skins, new secret Coral Buddies challenges, new limited-time modes like tank battles, and some information about the cars that are coming to Fortnite. The information about vehicles includes how much damage they do when they explode and other similar details.

A lot has been happening in Fortnite this season, including a new map change that dropped with this most recent update. Check out our breakdown of the changes, our Firefly Jar and Flare Gun guide, and how to dress up like Aquaman and get his famous Trident.

Developer Hopoo Games has announced that Risk of Rain 2 will leave Steam Early Access on August 11. This 1.0 release–which is dubbed the Launch Update and was previously delayed–will introduce a bunch of new content, including a new playable character, an added final boss and stage, dedicated serves, and more.

The Captain, Risk of Rain 2’s 10th playable character, will join the roster when the game launches this August. Voted by 60,000 community members, The Captain brings his high-ranking authority and lethal shotgun-rifle combo that stuns targets after charging to the roguelike battlefield. He can command the dropship to send in beacons and probes to provide either armor buffs or healing zones for him and his allies.

In addition to the new character, Risk of Rain 2 will also see a brand-new stage: The Moon. This location, where you’ll battle against ferocious lunar monsters, will also house the game’s true final boss.

New items, such as the Molten Perforator and Super Massive Leech, will be added to Risk of Rain 2 this August, alongside extra skill variants, additional lore entries, dedicated servers with options for difficulty settings and password protections, story cutscenes, and much more. Risk of Rain 2 will cost $25 on Steam when it fully launches. Right now, however, it currently retails for $20 on the digital distributor; everywhere else–such as the Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, and PlayStation Store–has Risk of Rain 2 priced at $30.

Despite a brief delay to Risk of Rain 2’s full 1.0 release, Hopoo Games rolled out an update that introduced a new Artifact system to all console platforms. In addition to the new system, the update also bundled a new stage, more equipment and items, additional bosses, and more.

Nintendo is celebrating Splatoon 2‘s third anniversary by announcing another Splatfest for the game. The event takes place next month, and like May’s bonus one-off Splatfest, it’s a repeat of a previous theme, this one asking the age-old question: which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The event kicks off at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET on August 21 and runs for 48 hours, concluding at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET on August 23. This particular Splatfest was previously held in March 2018 and saw Team Chicken emerge victorious, so egg devotees have a chance to rewrite history.

To participate in the Splatfest, you’ll first need to go to the terminal in Inkopolis Square and choose a side. After you’ve joined a team, jump into Turf War matches during the event and try to rack up wins for your side. The winning team will be determined by popularity and win percentage. Everyone who participates will take home a handful of Super Sea Snails, which are good for adding new ability slots to a piece of gear or re-rolling one that has already been maxed out.

This isn’t the only Splatfest Splatoon 2 players have to look forward to. In a follow-up tweet, Nintendo confirmed that two more bonus Splatfests will be held before the end of March 2021. The company didn’t share any further details beyond that, but those will presumably also be repeats of previous events.

Splatoon 2 originally launched on Switch in July 2017 and has since become one of the system’s best-selling titles, moving over 10 million copies as of May 2020. The paid Octo Expansion DLC released in 2018 and added 80 new single-player missions.