Category: Games

Twitch Prime has been bulking up its free offerings recently. For example, right now you can get four PC games, 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online, and 30 days of Crunchyroll Premium for completely free if you’re signed up for Twitch Prime, a service offered to all Amazon Prime subscribers. Twitch Prime also gives away free in-game loot on a rolling basis for a variety of games, and the latest offer will be of interest to League of Legends players.

Starting today, Twitch Prime members with a League of Legends account can claim the Rift Herald’s Capsule, the first of four capsules that will become available every 30 days with free skin shards and emotes for players. Once you claim the Rift Herald’s capsule, the other three capsules will arrive automatically in your League of Legends account every month.

Here’s an overview of the free loot to expect from each capsule. You’ll notice the first three capsules will get you the same amount and type of random loot each month, while the final capsule will net you a permanent legendary skin instead of a legendary skin shard. You’ll also receive one less regular skin shard that last month.

1. Rift Herald’s Capsule
   • Two random skin shards, one random legendary skin shard, and one exclusive emote
2. Red Buff’s Capsule
   • Two random skin shards, one random legendary skin shard, and one exclusive emote
3. Blue Buff’s Capsule
   • Two random skin shards, one random legendary skin shard, and one exclusive emote
4. Baron’s Capsule
   • One random skin shard, one random permanent legendary skin, and one exclusive emote

In total, after four months, you’ll have three legendary shards, one permanent legendary skin, seven skin shards, and four exclusive emotes for free.

You have until August 28 to claim the first capsule. Once you do, you’ll receive the additional capsules every 30 days as long as you remain a Twitch Prime member. To claim the offer, you’ll need to log into your Twitch Prime account. Afterward, you’ll be prompted to link your Twitch Prime and League of Legends accounts.

Claim the first capsule with free loot »

Sign up for Twitch Prime »

Download League of Legends »

While you’re at it, be sure to check out the other current offers at Twitch Prime, where more free in-game loot is available to claim for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Path of Exile, Smite, and more.

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

This video has an invalid file format.

Sorry, but you can’t access this content!

From The Truman Show and Final Destination to The Box and Ex Machina.

The Twilight Zone is back. Rod Serling’s acclaimed anthology series recently received a new lease on life thanks to Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg, who have overseen a reboot that launched on CBS All Access in April.

Prior to this revival, however, The Twilight Zone spawned all manner of spin-offs, from books and radio shows to theme park attractions and films. There have even been multiple reboots on CBS, the first in 1985 and the last in 2002.

The show has also inspired moviemakers to craft features that–while not carrying the “Twilight Zone” name–employ its essence, themes, and warped spirit.

The original series, which aired for five seasons from 1959 to 1964, was largely science fiction, but also ventured into horror, drama, thriller, and fantasy, via socially conscious episodes that often examined the human condition, and frequently ended with a macabre twist that caused the viewer to question everything that had gone before.

This high-concept storytelling has provided the building blocks for countless features since, with writers and directors who grew up on the show wanting to tell their own twisted “Twilight” tales, resulting in some of the most original, challenging and exciting films of the last few decades.

Disclosure: CBS is GameSpot’s parent company

The Conjuring universe continues to grow–the past year has seen the release of The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona, and in June the third Annabelle movie arrives. Annabelle Comes Home features Conjuring stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga and a new trailer has been released.

Wilson and Farmiga reprise their roles as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who have placed cursed doll Annabelle safely in their basement museum of evil and supernatural objects. Unfortunately, their daughter’s babysitter decides it would be good idea to start poking around. Annabelle is inevitably freed, and starts using the other artefacts for her own evil ends. Check the new trailer out above.

Annabelle Comes Home is directed by Gary Dauberman. Although this is Dauberman’s first movie as director, he wrote the previous two movies in the series, plus the smash hit Stephen King adaptation It. It hits theaters on June 26, 2019.

The next movie in this connected horror universe will be The Conjuring 3, which is set to arrive in September 2020 and will be helmed by The Curse of La Llorona’s Michael Chaves. There’s also a sequel to The Nun and a film titled The Crooked Man in development. For more check out GameSpot’s guide to the scariest horror movie dolls.

Ubisoft has managed to create a reputation for accidentally having its games leak prior to their announcement, going as far back as 2012’s Assassin’s Creed III. Although a few are ultimately disproved, many are not. That doesn’t automatically make this newest leak–that Ubisoft will announce a roller derby-themed multiplayer game at E3 2019–true, but it does mean it’s at least plausible.

According to the leak–first reported by Spiel Times via leaked assets and gameplay details, all of which have now appeared on ResetEra–Roller Champions is an upcoming multiplayer-focused roller derby game developed by Ubisoft. Visually, the in-game characters look an awful lot like Fortnite. However, the contained arenas surrounded by cheering fans, the assortment of different casual and ranked matches, and the controls are very similar to Rocket League. Just looking at the leaked footage, Roller Champions’ courses look like Rocket League’s arenas as well, with a sunny beach and in-door professional stadium among the playable tracks.

When Polygon reached out to a Ubisoft representative, the company responded that it does not comment on “rumors and speculation,” so nothing has been confirmed. Roller Champions is supposedly coming to Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. However, no scheduled release date is included in the leak. If the leak happens to be true, and Ubisoft does announce Roller Champions during its E3 2019 press conference, a launch date would probably be announced then.

During the company’s May 2019 financial earnings call, Ubisoft revealed it had three unannounced games scheduled to release between January and March 2020. Ubisoft didn’t supply many details for what the three games are, other than all three would be full-priced releases and all be different genres (a specific phrase used was “unique experiences”). A roller derby game is pretty unique for Ubisoft, so it’s possible Roller Champions is one of the three and thus scheduled to release in Q1 2020.

Throughout the Toy Story trilogy, Woody and Buzz have remained the two main characters. Others have played significant roles, such as Jesse in Toy Story 2, but the franchise has always been about Andy’s two main toys, their friendship with one another, and their evolving relationship with their owner as he grew older. That all changes in Toy Story 4, as Pixar has made the decision to transform Bo-Peep–who wasn’t even in Toy Story 3–into one of the main characters of the movie alongside Woody and Buzz.

In Toy Story 3, Bo-Peep is only mentioned briefly in passing, a throwaway line implying she was given away years before the events of the third film. Toy Story 4 opens with that exact moment, showcasing the series of events that led to Molly giving Bo-Peep away. It’s an emotional scene and one that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Toy Story 4 is not another whimsical adventure for Woody and Buzz–it’s the story of how Bo-Peep’s life away from Woody and the rest of Andy’s toys reshapes both her and, by extension, Woody.

“We have two films where she’s present, and our edit team collaborated, and they cut together every single shot that she’s in and we watched them. And it’s not that much,” Toy Story 4 story supervisor Valerie LaPointe said during a panel at Pixar HQ devoted to explaining the team’s process for reimagining Bo-Peep. “It’s really just a few minutes. Because she’s really not even a secondary character, she’s kind of a tertiary character in the first two films.”

“At the same time, she’s still a powerful presence,” LaPointe continued. “To Woody, she is confident, she’s flirty, and she’s the voice of reason. She’s someone that he confides in on a deeper level, even more so than Buzz in the second film. So she still has a powerful impact.”

This impact is stronger in Toy Story 4, according to LaPointe, as Woody is “going to evolve and change and grow through this film,” with Bo-Peep as the primary catalyst behind this transformation.

Bo-Peep has changed quite a bit since we last saw her in Toy Story 2. “We really needed to redefine who Bo is for this movie,” Toy Story 4 story artist Carrie Hobson said. “So the story team worked really hard to nail down those specific personality traits. Ultimately, we decided she’s a character who decided she didn’t just want to sit on a shelf waiting for life to happen. She learned to adapt. She takes chances and is somewhat unpredictable–a lot different from Woody. She doesn’t play by toy rules, so she can literally change her default ‘toy mode,’ which means when a kid picks her up, she can change what pose she’s locked into, enabling her to be a different type of toy depending on the kid that’s playing with her. She’s more active and resourceful in her life as a lost toy.”

Even Bo-Peep’s wardrobe has changed. She’s transformed her dress into a cloak that’s draped over her pants and blouse, allowing her to run, climb, and fight more freely. “One of the challenges we faced was how to portray Bo as athletic while still feminine,” Toy Story 4 directing animator Patty Kihm said. “We found in a lot of research that a lot of strong, athletic women are often portrayed as masculine in movies, but we wanted Bo to be both athletic and feminine.” Pixar turned to other fictional women in their research for Bo-Peep’s new wardrobe and movements, such as The Bride from Kill Bill and Rey from The Force Awakens.

Yet, under all these changes, fans will be able to recognize pieces of the Bo-Peep from the first two movies. “She was always very witty and sarcastic in the original movies, but now she’s also a little more silly, a little more playful and competitive,” Hobson said. “She’s rougher than Woody because she’s seen things, she knows what it takes to get the job done, and she’s not afraid to do it.”

“Bo has changed a lot in 20 years,” Toy Story 4 character modeling artist Mara MacMahon added. “She’s been through a ton. But it’s still Bo-Peep. It’s a friend you haven’t seen in 20 years, and at first glance, it seems like they’re super different, but there’s still an underlying continuity to who they are and how you remember them.”

Toy Story 4 is scheduled to release June 21, and advance tickets are now on sale.

Alongside the numerous other games jumping on the Epic Games Store bandwagon–including Borderlands 3, Metro Exodus, The Outer Worlds, and more–indie studio thatgamecompany is following suit. The official Epic Games Twitter account announced that the California-based studio’s Grammy-nominated title, Journey, will arrive on PC via the Epic Games Store.

According to the tweet, below, Journey is headed to the platform sometime in the near future. There is no confirmation on an exact release date as of yet. However, Journey is currently available for pre-purchase through the Epic Games Store for $15 USD or $5 USD via the ongoing Epic Games sale.

The Epic Games Store has been on a buying spree as of late, picking up game after game in a bid to compete against Valve’s Steam since its December 2018 debut. CEO Tim Sweeney said the Epic Store will alter its exclusivity policy if Steam changes how developers and publishers are compensated. “If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without major strings attached,” he said. “Epic would hastily organize a retreat from exclusives (while honoring our partner commitments) and consider putting our own games on Steam.”

In our Journey review, we awarded the game our coveted and rare 10/10 rating, saying, “Journey’s real rewards aren’t so pedestrian. Journey offers you comfort. It gives you companionship in a lovely but forsaken world. It gives you reason to dream even when facing loss.”

One of the biggest new features in Super Mario Maker 2 is the addition of multiplayer. Not only can you build courses with a nearby friend simply by passing them a second controller, you can play any of the stages uploaded to the online Course World hub with up to three other players around the world. However, it appears the online multiplayer options will be limited strictly to strangers.

Super Mario Maker 2 offers two online multiplayer modes: Versus and Co-Op. As their names suggest, Versus is a competitive race to reach the goal first, while Co-Op has players working together to clear the level. You can play both modes with friends if they’re gathered in the same room, but according to Nintendo Life, the modes will only match you up with random players when you’re playing online.

There are also some hurdles to overcome if you want to play locally. While all four players can play Co-Op mode on the same console, if you want to face off with your friends in a Versus match, each player will need their own Nintendo Switch console and a copy of Super Mario Maker 2, and the player who hosts the group will need to have a persistent internet connection to connect to Course World.

In addition to multiplayer, Super Mario Maker 2 introduces a number of other new features, including a Story mode. The game also expands the course editor with a load of new tools, customization options, and enemies, including the angry sun from Super Mario 3 (although it looks weirder than ever in certain game styles). Unlike the original Super Mario Maker, you won’t need to wait to unlock course parts; almost all of the game’s tools will be available from the start.

Super Mario Maker 2 launches for Switch on June 28. We had a chance to go hands-on with the game recently and came away impressed by its range of tools and options. You’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to play and share levels online, but Nintendo is offering a bundle that includes a 12-month membership with the game for $70. You can read more in our Super Mario Maker 2 pre-order guide.

Game director Hideo Kojima recently began teasing an impending announcement for Death Stranding. A subsequent tweet suggested a reveal of some sort was coming this Thursday, May 30, but that came from a Japanese account, so for those in the US it may actually come on Wednesday. Those teases weren’t terribly clear on what to expect, but now we have a better idea of where you should keep an eye.

The PlayStation Twitch channel has had a full Death Stranding makeover, complete with a banner for the game and the title, “Death Stranding: Tomorrow Is In Your Hands.” Appropriately enough, the placeholder video while we await the stream shows various handprints appearing and then vanishing. Sometimes the handprints stay static long enough to see snippets of video playing behind them. You can watch the stream below.

It’s all very vague and eerie, but that’s par for the course for the mind-bending game from Kojima. Previous trailers have been similarly odd, and the fan community has already begun speculating about what it could all mean.

This stream puts a Death Stranding reveal a few weeks ahead of E3 2019. Sony is officially skipping the event, but promised it would be “exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019.” Part of that has been its new State of Play streams that debut new game announcements and trailers. This Twitch takeover appears to be another avenue for Sony to show its wares without a big trade show press conference.

The next Zelda game, officially titled Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda, will seemingly launch this week for Nintendo Switch. On the surface, Nintendo of America’s website simply states the game will be released this “spring,” but inspecting the site’s source code reveals a line that reads, “Release date: May 30, 2019.”

If correct, that would have the game launch one whole day before the end of spring. It seems a plausible date, especially since Nintendo reportedly included the game in a newsletter promoting Switch games coming out this May (thanks, NintendoLife).

Cadence of Hyrule was announced in March. It’s a crossover between Nintendo’s famous Zelda series and indie rhythm hit Crypt of the NecroDancer, which first launched in 2015.

The new game is being developed by the same team behind the original, Brace Yourself. Its art style has been revamped since then, however, to match that of past Zelda games such as Minish Cap. You can watch Cadence of Hyrule’s reveal trailer above.