Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning’s Fatesworn DLC Gets New Image

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the 2012 RPG from Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s since-shuttered 38 Studios, is still getting new DLC almost a year later.

The latest expansion is called Fatesworn, and it’s now in the “final stages” of production, the game’s Twitter account announced recently. Acknowledging that it’s been a “long time coming” for any updates on Fatesworn, the developer revealed a new look at the Gale Crossing location in the Fatesworn expansion. This looks like an idyllic little town in the forest.

“Centuries ago, Gale Crossing was an integral stop on the bustling trade route known as the Sativa Road, a treacherous passage over the mountains that brought wealth and industry to a region once considered unlivable,” reads a line from its description. “But all good things must come to an end. After series of catastrophic foreign wars, the price of Sativa Fiber dropped dramatically, devastating the Sativa industry and gutting the region’s importance as a source of this once-valuable reagent. Despite these tragedies, Gale Crossing remains a crucial junction for travelers hoping to pass safely through the Eldrith Mountains.”

“After the fall of the Sativa Road, residents of Gale Crossing continued to rely on outsiders for their survival. Courageous travelers and merchants still hoped to pass through the mountains as a more direct alternative to shipping by sea, but the vast infrastructure for such treks began to disintegrate quickly without attention and maintenance. High Sativa prices had driven the boom times, funding improvements along the trade route, supplying Gale Crossing and smaller camps with the equipment to support travelers and their teams. Without this money, the mountain passes soon returned to their natural state, deadly and impassable.”

THQ Nordic now owns the Kingdoms of Amalur series and is publishing it going forward. A release date for Fatesworn has not been announced yet.

Kingdoms of Amalur is a fantasy RPG that came from the minds of author R.A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, and Ken Rolston of Elder Scrolls fame.

GameSpot’s original Kingdoms of Amalur review from 2012 concluded it had top-notch combat but was held back by generic characters and world-building. The game came to Nintendo Switch back in March 2021. A new Re-Reckoning Edition of the game is also available, featuring all DLC and upgraded and enhanced visuals.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Hideo Kojima Seems to Be Teasing the New Matrix Movie

Legendary game designer Hideo Kojima seems to be teasing the new Matrix movie on Twitter, but it’s not entirely clear why.

18 years have passed since the release of Matrix Revolutions, the series’ last installment. However, with the franchise set to revive itself with the release of The Matrix Resurrections in theatres and on HBO Max this December 22, fans are currently scouring the internet for new content about the film.

Kojima himself seems to have stepped away from the world of games for a moment to answer their call by teasing the movie in a tweet featuring the Warner Bros Pictures What Is the Matrix website. Alongside thematrix.com, both sites have recently been updated with video loops that show the franchise’s iconic green code animating vertically down the screen.

As you might have guessed, fans have already begin speculating as to whether Kojima has something to do with the new Matrix film, or if a tie-in game might be in the offing. It seems more likely that he’s simply acting as an ‘influencer’ in this instance, or is just an interested fan like the rest of us – but there is still the mystery of why the website has been changed now.

Until recently, WhatIsTheMatrix.com looked rather different. As Reddit user Lego_496 shared in an r/matrix thread, the promotional website (which has been used on and off since the marketing for the original Matrix movie) featured advertisements and links to Blu-Ray copies for previously released films from the franchise.

Many fans will be hoping that the change to both websites has come as part of a promotional campaign that launches the film’s first official trailer. Following an earlier leak, behind-closed-doors footage of The Matrix Resurrections was shown at CinemaCon, and officially revealed the film’s title, but we’ve seen nothing publicly since.

Guests at the event were reportedly shown details about returning cast members and previewed action shots featuring some signature style Matrix action. Despite growing anticipation from fans, Warner Bros decided at the time not to make the footage shown off at CinemaCon available to the public. You can find a range of the details reportedly shown off at the event in the short video below:

In other Matrix 4 news, IGN recently reported on details surrounding why Lilly Wachowski, the co-director of the original Matrix trilogy, decided against returning to the franchise to helm its newest entry. Wachowski explained that she found the idea of “going backwards” in her career “expressly unappealing” and noted that she struggled to find the motivation to return to the franchise following some major shifts in her personal life.

For more information on The Matrix Resurrections, make sure to check out our dedicated page for the film where you’ll find a range of clips and news from across the title.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN who often wishes he could stop objects in mid-air. You can follow him on Twitter.

Halo Infinite Makes A Major Change To Radar After The Beta

After Halo Infinite‘s long-awaited first beta, the team at 343 Industries has been hard at work gathering and processing player feedback from the play test. Now, in one of 343’s characteristically long and in-depth blog updates, the studio is sharing some of that feedback and how it’s being implemented–including updates to Infinite’s contentious radar changes.

343 first hinted that Infinite would be shaking up Halo’s classic motion tracking radar all the way back in 2017, when similar changes were introduced in Halo 5. In that game, the changes were only introduced in Ranked mode, limiting the motion sensor to only show players who were sprinting or shooting, rather than all walking-speed movement. While the changes made sense for competitive Ranked play, a similar iteration in the Halo Infinite beta wasn’t well-received by play testers.

Now Playing: Halo Infinite Technical Preview Livestream

“The Combat Sensor, or radar, that sits in the bottom left of your HUD followed a different set of rules than previous Halo titles,” the Halo Infinite multiplayer team explained in the blog post. “It only displayed enemies when they were sprinting or shooting, which was more in line with Halo 5’s ‘Threat Tracker.’ We knew that this implementation was going to feel different, maybe even a little contentious, and that’s why we wanted to get feedback on it as soon as possible in the Tech Preview.”

The outcome of the play testing is that 343 is going to revert to a much more traditional radar for Halo Infinite, with the blog post saying “most players” preferred the old style radar for social matches. “We’ve updated the Combat Sensor to feel more like the ‘Motion Tracker’ of old, which shows all movement besides crouch-walking, and should have that ready for folks to test in the next flight,” the post promises.

The post goes through a whole lot more detail on player feedback that’ll be implemented into the game, with some changes due before the next beta test, some in time for the game’s launch on December 8, and some scheduled to arrive post-launch. Check out the rest of the feedback in the full blog post.

If you want to try out Halo Infinite before its full launch in December, there’s still time to sign up as a Halo Insider for the next beta, which will feature 4v4 Arena and Big Team Battle.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Aussie Deals: Sizeable Percentages Off Outer Worlds, Demon’s Souls, Dead Island, and More!

I’ve got quite the eclectic mix of bargains here today. The co-op afficionados are covered (Overcooked 2, Dead Island, Lego Harry Potter). Same deal with anybody looking to swap their current four walls with broader horizons (The Outer Worlds, Spidey Miles Morales, BioShock Infinite, AC Valhalla). Oh, and there’s also something for the rarer individual who just can’t get enough pandemic (66% off Plague Inc.). Sick game. Liked it more when it was less relatable.

Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch

Purchase Cheaply for PC

Exciting Offers for XO/XS

Product Savings for PS4/PS5

Sign up to get the best Aussie gaming deals sent straight to your inbox!

Adam’s an Aussie deals wrangler who spends too much of his income on the bargains he finds. You can occasionally find him @Grizwords.

Tripwire CEO John Gibson Steps Down Following Controversial Comments on Texas Anti-Abortion Law

Following his comments supporting the Texas anti-abortion law, Tripwire CEO John Gibson has stepped down from the company behind such games as Maneater and Chivalry 2.

Tripwire announced the news alongside confirming that co-founding member and current vice president Alan Wilson will now act as interim CEO. In its statement, Tripwire shared that Gibson’s views do not reflect the company as a whole and that “his comments disregarded the values of our whole team, our partners and much of our broader community.”

“The comments given by John Gibson are of his own opinion, and do not reflect those of Tripwire Interactive as a company,” Tripwire wrote. “His comments disregarded the values of our whole team, our partners and much of our broader community. Our leadership team at Tripwire are deeply sorry and are unified in our commitment to take swift action and to foster a more positive environment.

“Effective immediately, John Gibson has stepped down as CEO of Tripwire Interactive. Co-founding member and current Vice President, Alan Wilson, will take over as interim CEO. Alan has been with the company since its formation in 2005 and is an active lead in both the studio’s business and developmental affairs.

“Alan will work with the rest of the Tripwire leadership team to take steps with employees and partners to address their concerns including executing a company-wide town hall meeting and promoting open dialogue with Tripwire leadership and all employees. His understanding of both the company’s culture and the creative vision of our games will carry the team through this transition, with full support from the other Tripwire leaders.”

The previously mentioned comments from Gibson were Tweeted out on September 4, with the ex-CEO writing he was “proud of #USSupremeCourt affirming the Texas law banning abortion for babies with a heartbeat.”

“As an entertainer I don’t get political often,” Gibson continued. “Yet with so many vocal peers on the other side of the issue, I felt it was important to go on the record as a pro-life game developer.”

Following his Tweet, developers who have worked closely with Tripwire, including Shipwright Studios – who worked on both Maneater and Chivalry 2 – and Chivalry 2’s lead developer Torn Banner Studios, spoke up against Gibson’s statement. Shipwright Studios even went so far as to say it was canceling its existing contracts with Tripwire under the “current leadership structure.”

The anti-abortion law in question is one that the US Supreme Court recently refused to block and one that forbids the majority of abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. This includes those pregnancies that were from rape or incest. Furthermore, those who sue clinics that are performing abortions could be awarded $10,000 per illegal abortion if found guilty.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Best Open World Games To Play Right Now

Not every open-world game is created equal, however, with classics such as Grand Theft Auto 5 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild standing out against alternatives that rely too much on “stuff to do” and ever-bigger worlds than making the open world suit the experience. That can make it difficult to find the best open-world games, especially on newer consoles that have so many to choose from. We rounded up some of the very best ones, accounting for the world itself being a big reason for their inclusion–games with tremendous stories that happen to have open worlds, such as Nier: Automata, were left off for this reason. We’ve also geared this mostly toward newer games that are easily accessible today.

For more games to check out on the current consoles, check out the best PS5 games, best PS4 games, best Xbox Series X|S games, best Xbox One games, and the best Nintendo Switch games. You can also check out the best PC games if you want to game with a mouse and keyboard.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage Moves Forward, Now Releases October 1

The release date for Venom: Let There Be Carnage has moved forward two weeks. The sequel to Sony’s 2018 hit Venom will now arrive in theaters on October 1.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage was previously set to arrive on September 24, but two weeks ago it was pushed back to October 15, following a surge in COVID-19 infections in the US. However, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has opened to impressive US box office results, showing that big movies can still perform well in the theater. There are several other high-profile films also set to have theatrical-only releases in October, including No Time to Die, Halloween Kills, and The Last Duel.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, who is infected with the alien symbiote Venom. Woody Harrelson plays the serial killer Cletus Kasady, who is controlled by the evil symbiote Carnage, and the cast also includes Michelle Williams, Reid Scott, and Stephen Graham. The movie is directed by Andy Serkis.

Sony’s next film based on a Spider-Man character will be Morbius, which arrives in January 2022, having been delayed from July last year. It stars Jared Leto as the “living vampire” Dr. Michael Morbius.

For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to the biggest upcoming movies of 2021.

Shang-Chi Top US Box Office Chart With Record-Breaking Labor Day Gross

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings scored a big opening weekend at the US box office. The latest Marvel movie made $71.4 million in its first three days on release, taking the No. 2 slot on the box office chart and setting a new record for the Labor Day weekend. The record was previously held by 2007’s Halloween remake.

Shang-Chi’s opening gross is the second-highest of the pandemic era, after Black Widow, which made $80.3 million in July. However, as Box Office Mojo notes, Black Widow was also available on Disney+ Premium Access, whereas Shang-Chi can only be seen in theaters. Nevertheless, it’s a great result for the movie, particularly at a time when there is concern about the surge of COVID-19 infections in the US. Internationally, the movie made $56.2 million, bringing its worldwide total to $127.6 million so far.

Shang-Chi is the only new entry in the box office chart this week. It knocked Candyman into second place–the horror movie made $10.5 million to bring its US total to $39.0 million. The next few movies remain in the same order as last week, with Free Guy at No. 3, PAW Patrol: The Movie at No. 4, Jungle Cruise at No. 5, and Don’t Breathe 2 at No. 6. Other titles in the chart include Respect, Black Widow, and The Suicide Squad.

The next few weeks are fairly quiet in terms of new releases, with James Wan’s Malignant and the Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark the biggest films, both of which will also be available on HBO Max. However, October will see a host of new movies hitting theaters, including No Time To Die, Venom: Let There be Carnage, Halloween Kills, and Dune.

US Box Office Sep 3 -5

(via Box Office Mojo)

  1. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings $71.4
  2. Candyman $10.5
  3. Free Guy $8.7
  4. PAW Patrol: The Movie $4.0
  5. Jungle Cruise $3.9
  6. Don’t Breathe 2 $2.2
  7. Respect $1.2
  8. The Suicide Squad $905,000
  9. Black Widow $748,000
  10. The Night House $552,000

Michael K. Williams, The Wire and Lovecraft Country Actor, Dies at 54

The Wire, Lovecraft Country, and Boardwalk Empire star Michael K. Williams has died at the age of 54.

As reported by New York Post, Williams was found in his Brooklyn penthouse today, September 6, and sources have said that “drug paraphernalia was found in the five-time Emmy nominee’s apartment, suggesting the acclaimed 54-year-old actor may have fatally OD’d, possibly from heroin or fentanyl.”

A police source confirmed there was “no foul play indicated” and “no forced entry.” Furthermore, it was said that “the apartment was in order.”

The Hollywood Reporter was given a statement by Williams’ rep Marianna Shafran of Shafran PR.

“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss,” Shafran said.

Williams was perhaps best known for his role as Omar Little on HBO’s The Wire. In 2016, he spoke to NPR about his struggles with addiction, including during the filming of The Wire, which led him to a church in New Jersey in hopes he could get the help he needed.

“When I came through those doors, I was broken. … This was, I would say, around the … third season of ‘The Wire,’ ” Williams said. ““I was on drugs. … I was in jeopardy of destroying everything I had worked so hard for, and I came in those doors, and I met a man who had never even heard of ‘The Wire,’ much less watched it.”

Williams also played Albert “Chalky” White on Boardwalk Empire, Jack Gee on Bessie, and also appeared as a supporting actor in The Road, Inherent Vice, The Night Of, Gone Baby Gone, 12 Years a Slave, and much more.

He received three Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nominations for his performance in Bessie, The Night Of, and When They See Us. He also gained his fifth career Emmy nomination for his work as Montrose Freeman in HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

Williams was born in Brooklyn on November 22, 1966, and one of his first acting roles was acquired after he was discovered by Tupac Shakur. He played High Top, the brother to Shakur’s Tank.

Williams is survived by his mother.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Daily Deals for Labor Day: Get the Apple AirPods 2 or AirPods Pro Truly Wireless Earbuds at the Lowest Price Ever

Happy Labor Day! Just because you’re on vacation from work doesn’t mean the deals are too. Score lowest prices ever on the AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro truly wireless earbuds. You probably won’t see prices like these again until Black Friday. In other deal news, score dumbbells for $1/lb, 50% off the Razer Seiren Emote USB micrphone, over $1000 off a Sony 65″ XBR “Master” series OLED TV, the Xbox Elite Series 2 wireless controller, and more.

Apple AirPods 2 for $99.99

Pick up a pair of Apple AirPods 2 wireless earbuds for the lowest price we’ve ever seen. These are the newer 2nd generation model. It includes a charging case that you plug in via USB Type-C. Honestly, the “wireless charging case” that you can upgrade to for an extra $50 is definitely not worth the price; very few people actually have an inductive charger, and the wireless charging rate is painfully slow.

Apple AirPods Pro Noise-Cancelling Earbuds

If you regret not picking the Airpods Pro up on Amazon Prime Day, here’s your chance to get it today at an even lower price. The AirPods Pro is considered one of the best noise-cancelling in-ear headphones you can get, especially for under $200. The noise cancellation is considered to be even better than the Bose Quietcomfort because of the natural noise isolating design of the in-ear earbuds. If isolation and sound quality are of utmost important to you, then it’s worth the $80 upgrade over the vanilla AirPods 2.

40lb Rubber Encased Hex Dumbbell

If you’ve been stockpiling exercise equipment to work out at home, you might have realized that the cost of weights adds up. You could be paying upwards of $2-$4 per pound of weights if you’ve been buying stuff at regular retail price. Deals like these aren’t flashy, but they’re very welcome. This 40-pound dumbbell costs only $41.10, that’s just over $1 per pound. The weights themselves are rubber encased to protect your floor, and the handle is ergonomically shapped and the chrome finshed ergo handles are textured for a better grip.

Save on Command Nootropic at Myprotein

Get the increased focus and energy from our ground-breaking nootropic, as well as high-quality protein for muscle growth and maintenance for only $45 plus free shipping! Simply select your Command flavor of choice, Command shaker & Whey Protein flavor, click “Next” and your discount will automatically be applied in cart.

Razer Seiren Emote USB Microphone

The Razer Seiren is an excellent supercardoid USB microphone that’s able to express 100+ emoticons on the microphone through an 8-bit LED display, with the option to create custom designs via a software editor. It also features built-in background noise reduction, shock mount, and a gooseneck stand with flexible height and angle adjustments.

Sony XBR-65A9G 65″ 4K OLED TV

This is one of the least expensive 65″ OLED TVs you can get right now. The A9G “Master” was Sony’s highest end OLED model in 2019. That doesn’t mean this TV is used; it’s brand new and it’s shipped and sold by Amazon (not a 3rd party vendor). In terms of image quality, it rivals the best OLED TVs of 2021. It also uses the easy to use Android smart TV interface and it’s compatible with Alexa and Apple TV.

Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller

This is the controller to get if you want the most precise and customizable Xbox controller on the market. This professional-grade controller features adjustable tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wraparound textured grips, interchangeable thumbsticks and paddle shapes, custom profiles saved on your controller itself, and included USB Type C cable with charging dock. It boasts up to 40 hours of battery life and is compatible with the Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, and PC.

Zelda & Loftwing amiibo

This amiibo is finally available on Amazon. It’s been sold out on Amazon for a while while occasionally coming back in stock at other vendors, but scalpers were selling this at way higher than MSRP. Let’s hope Amazon keeps it in stock for the long term. If you’ve been wanting this amiibo to round out your collection, better to get it now just in case.

Preorder the Middle Earth 6-Film Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)

This impressive Middle Earth Collector’s Edition includes both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies over a whopping 31 discs. That’s because there are separate 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs for both the Theatrical Editions and the Extended Editions. You also get digital HD copies for free, and they are compatible with MoviesAnywhere so you can merge it into your digital library. As far as extras go, you get a Special Features Blu-ray disc, a 64-page booklet, and 7 travel poster art cards. All the discs are stored in collectible foil sleeves.

Video Game Deals

More Daily Deals for Labor Day