Just when you thought your wallet was safe, DICE goes and announces Battlefield 2042 — a near-future FPS set amid a worldwide ecological disaster. We’ve found the means for you to acquire it cheaply for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 or Xbox One before its October 22 launch. Those deals and more await you below!

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As audiences have continued to return to Raiders of the Lost Ark over the years, it is only natural that a movie that popular would spark a certain degree of scrutiny. A scene in which Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood and Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones discuss their past has been interpreted by some as having some inappropriate undertones.

In the exchange, Marion says to Indy, “I was a child. I was in love.” Indy responds, “You knew what you were doing.” The vague language carries the possibility of some disturbing history, to say the least. However, in a recent interview with Uproxx, Karen Allen offered her own read of Marion and Indiana’s relationship.

“I don’t think of him as a pedophile,” Allen said. “That’s the direction some of these [viewers] are going.”

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Allen acknowledged that there are sparse details about Marion and Indiana’s past, but said her own understanding of the situation was it being “quite innocent”

“I think I say I was 16. I don’t know,” Allen said. “That’s always what I imagined is she was 16, he was 26. And he was her father’s student. And it’s left very mysterious.”

“We don’t even know what it is,” Allen continued. “What’s great about it is we don’t know what the circumstances are. So she obviously cared deeply for him. He may have cared for her, too. But, in the end, [he] decided it was a dangerous situation and he didn’t want to be involved. I mean, I guess, when something is as vague as that, you can color it any way you want to color it. I’ve tended to color it, sort of, that it was quite innocent.”

In the full interview, Allen discusses her time making Raiders of the Lost Ark and addresses why she did not appear in the following two Indiana Jones films.

“People think, for some reason, I was left out of those films, but I was never meant to be in them,” Allen said. “What was fantastic is by the time we got to the fourth [film], which I mean, I never knew there would be a fourth… that they brought my character back and that they went forward in time enough that we could get back together was great.”

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A 4K box set of the Indiana Jones series was recently released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Along with 4K Ultra HD restorations of all films in the series, the box set includes a separate disc containing seven hours of special features.

In other news, Indiana Jones 5 recently began filming. Leaked photos from set have given fans a glimpse at Ford back in the brown jacket and fedora as well as a possible flashback scene to a younger Indiana Jones. The movie is set to hit theaters on July 29, 2022.

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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

(Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbia via Getty Images)

Cross-play is officially coming to Overwatch, with Blizzard confirming that a cross-play beta will be available before a full rollout. The feature will be supported across all versions of the game (PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4/PS5, and Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S) and comes as part of a broader launch of a “global Battle.net.”

Players will only be able to participate in Overwatch cross-play after creating a Battle.net account and linking it to their various console accounts. Naturally, this doesn’t apply to PC players who have been playing the game through the Battle.net launcher since it was released in 2016; console players will need to link or set one up regardless of their desire to use cross-play. The addition of cross-play was likely the big feature Overwatch game director Aaron Keller teased recently. Blizzard has set up a page on its website with details on how to create and link a Battle.net account

As an added bonus, anyone that links their Nintendo, PlayStation, or Xbox accounts to Battle.net by the end of the year will also receive a golden loot box. You’ll receive a golden loot box for each platform you log in on.

Cross-play will be available across all game modes, with the exception of Competitive, which will be split into two pools: PC and console players. This is said to be for balance reasons.

So far, it’s not clear when the cross-play beta for Overwatch will launch or when the feature will fully release. The press release from Blizzard vaguely states that, “The Overwatch Cross-Play Beta launches soon on PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox.” For the time being, Overwatch players will just have to be happy knowing that the long-awaited feature is finally on the way. That being said, it’s likely that we’ll see cross-play in Overwatch before the end of the year.

While cross-play for Overwatch is in the works, that doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing cross-progression any time soon. In a recent Overwatch 2 Reddit AMA, Blizzard technical director John Lafleur said that cross-play would take priority over cross-progression. “However, given the additional complexities of cross-progression,” Lafleur said, “it would probably make most sense to tackle cross-play, first and then explore progression as a potential add-on, if we go this route.” Indeed, Blizzard’s FAQ confirms your progress will not move with you between platforms, should you play on multiple systems.

Battlefield 2042 has a release date, a new class system, increased player count, massive maps, upcoming alphas, and more. Let’s break down the reveal trailer and point out where each of these changes can be seen.

By Aaron Sampson on June 9, 2021 at 10:38AM PDT

Battlefield 2042 (previously referred to as Battlefield 6) is the next confirmed entry in EA’s big shooter franchise. The game takes place in the near future and makes some major changes to the series. Maps will be larger than previous games, the player count has been raised to 128 on next-gen platforms and PC. Conquest mode is getting a makeover with Sectors full of objectives to fight over causing matches to go between moments of calm and huge forces colliding in one place. 2042 will not have massive destruction but it will include the return of Levolution, ground deformation, and extreme weather events including sandstorms and tornadoes. 2042 will also sport a revamped class system that uses ten Specialists in the place of the classic Engineer, Recon, Support, and Assault classes. Specialists are fully voiced and each has a unique gadget and ability.

In this video, we’re going to take a look at the reveal trailer which is not actual gameplay but shows off the game’s maps, Specialists, vehicles, and mechanics. We’re taking you through frame by frame so that you have a full understanding ahead of the Gameplay Reveal on June 13th at E3 2021.

Battlefield 2042 will have a technical playtest in early July with more announcements at EA Play Live on July 22nd. And the totally not battle-royale mode Hazard Zone will be in alpha pre-launch, followed by an open beta at a later date. Battlefield 2042 releases on October 22nd, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.

A Stranger Things prequel podcast arrives on June 29. The show is titled Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins and it will focus on the Robin Buckley, the character played by Maya Hawke in the hit show.

The six-episode podcast was announced as part of Netflix‘s Geeked Week event. Hawke will reprise her role, which she first played in 2019’s Stranger Things Season 3, and will provide some backstory to her character. There’s also a tie-in novel titled Rebel Robin due on the same day. Netflix has released a teaser–check it out below:

Several new cast members were also announced for the upcoming Stranger Things Season 4 during Geeked Week. They are Amybeth McNulty (Anne with an E) as Vickie, Myles Truitt (Queen Sugar) as Patrick, Regina Ting Chen (Queen of the South) as Ms. Kelly, and Grace Van Dien (The Village) as Chrissy.

Season 4 is currently in production and expected to arrive in 2022. While Season 4 was delayed due to COVID-19, many in the cast and creative team have reported that the extra time has made the writing stronger. Director Shawn Levy confirmed that “the quality of these screenplays are exceptional, maybe better than ever.”

Other Geeked Week announcements have included the full trailer for the Fear Street movie trilogy, the release date for Locke & Key Season 2, the episode titles for Umbrella Academy Season 3, and that its live-action Cowboy Bebop adaptation will debut this fall.

Stranger Things co-creators the Duffer Brothers have announced that Season 4 will add four new recurring cast members: Amybeth McNulty (Anne with an E), Myles Truitt (Queen Sugar), Regina Ting Chen (Queen of the South), and Grace Van Dien (The Village). The news was broadcast during Netflix’s Geeked Week event, a virtual fan-facing event revealing first looks at upcoming content.

McNulty will play Vickie, “a cool, fast-talking band nerd who catches the eye of one of our beloved heroes.” Truitt will play Patrick, “a Hawkins basketball star who has friends, talent, and a good life, until shocking events send his life spiraling out of control.” Ting Chen will play Ms. Kelly, “a popular guidance counselor who cares deeply for her students–especially those struggling the most.” Finally, Van Dien will play Chrissy, “Hawkins’ High lead cheerleader and the most popular girl in school. But beneath the seemingly perfect surface lies a dark secret.”

The highly anticipated next season of the Netflix series is currently in production in Atlanta, and is likely coming in 2022. As has been widely reported previously, while Season 4 was delayed considerably due to COVID-19, many in the cast and creative team have reported that the extra time has made the writing stronger. Director Shawn Levy confirmed that “the quality of these screenplays are exceptional, maybe better than ever.”

The new cast members will join an ensemble that already includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Joe Keery. This recently announced new quartet of actors also join previously added actors including Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, and others.

Also so far during Geeked Week, Netflix has announced October as the release date for Locke & Key Season 2, the episode titles for Umbrella Academy Season 3, and that its live-action Cowboy Bebop adaptation will debut this fall.

Knockout City, the arcade-style competitive dodgeball game, has received an update that improves the quality of matchmaking. The update is aimed at reducing ping times for players who have been experiencing high-ping matches.

In a post on the Knockout City subreddit, a member of the development team at Velan Studios gave a breakdown of the changes being implemented. Street Play, the non-ranked playlist, is only getting a small change, with the amount of matchmaking time needed to expand the acceptable ping range being increased. The developer said this change would keep matchmaking time still relatively low while increasing the quality of matches.

League Play, the game’s ranked mode, is getting a more elaborate update. League Play searches for matches based on three factors: skill level, ping, and matchmaking time. Prior to the update, the game would expand the acceptable ping range after 60 seconds and would only match with players in the exact same division and tier as you. The update raises the amount of time needed to expand the ping range to eight minutes but allows for players within one tier range–higher and lower–to be matched with you. The developer said that this change may increase matchmaking time slightly but will reduce the chances of a high-ping match significantly.

Also mentioned in the post is that this update will allow for future changes to matchmaking to be done server-side, so a new update won’t need to be downloaded if Knockout City needs more matchmaking adjustments. The developer also mentioned that the upcoming patch 1.2 will address issues with crashing–among other things–when it releases in the coming days. For anyone looking to check out some dodgeball madness, Knockout City has a free trial up to level 25.

Amazon Prime Day is coming June 21-22, and as always, there will be a number of big Prime Day deals, many of them exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card comes with its own benefits, both during Prime Day and year-round.

Like competing cards, the Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is meant to be used year-round for regular purchases, but being tied to Amazon means you get the most out of it during Prime Day. The company has already announced some extra bonuses for Amazon cardholders for Prime Day 2021, some of which you can claim simply for signing up. Here’s a rundown of the limited-time Prime Day benefits for Prime Rewards cardholders:

$150 sign-up bonus

As part of a pre-Prime Day offer, Amazon is offering a $150 Amazon gift card sign-up bonus for the Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card. These bonuses are common for new credit card offers, but this is the largest one we’ve seen from Amazon. The bonus isn’t tied to Prime Day, so you can use the credit anytime. But it’s deposited in your Amazon account as soon as you’re approved, so it should be ready to spend in plenty of time for Prime Day.

Keep in mind that to qualify for the $150 sign-up bonus, you need to be an Amazon Prime member. That costs roughly $120 per year, which cuts into the sign-up bonus if you’re only getting it for that reason. But as a Prime member, you’ll get other benefits throughout the year, such as free one-day shipping, Prime Video access, and free monthly PC games. For non-members, a separate Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card offers a $50 Amazon gift card.

6% back during Prime Day

The Prime Rewards card typically gets 5% back on all purchases at Amazon (as well as Amazon subsidiaries like Whole Foods). During Prime Day, though, you’ll get an additional bump to make it 6%. That’s the largest Amazon bonus from any credit card. Those rewards come in a point system that you can trade in for Amazon goods, cash back, and gift cards.

More rewards on select Prime Day items

In addition to the 6% cash back on all Amazon Prime Day purchases, you can get an even bigger cash back bonus on select items. Amazon hasn’t announced which items those will be–and likely will not before the big sales day kicks off–but last year it included offers like 25% back on Amazon Ring and Amazon Basics, and the year before it offered 25% back on Kindle tablets and e-readers.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card year-round benefits

While you can maximize the Prime card’s usefulness during Prime Day itself, the card has general benefits throughout the year. Aside from the 5% back on Amazon purchases, you also get 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores, and 1% back on other purchases. Those all contribute to the same points system that can be traded for Amazon goods, cash, and gift cards. The Prime card comes with purchase protection and an extended warranty on items you buy with the card, both at Amazon and other retailers.

The Amazon card also doesn’t have foreign transaction fees, which makes it fairly convenient if you do a lot of international travel. Booking your travel with the Prime card also gets you access to travel and emergency assistance, accident insurance, and other perks.

Is the Amazon Prime credit card worth it?

The Amazon Prime card is especially useful during Prime Day, but it is still a credit card. That means it’s in competition with credit card offers from other companies, and as you might expect, Amazon is most useful if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper. If you are, though, CNET named it one of the best cash-back credit cards for 2021.

For example, the 1-2% back on non-Amazon purchases is outmatched by competitors like the Citi Double Cash card, which gives you 2% back on all purchases. And while the Prime Day benefits are maximized with the Prime card, you can get a similar effect with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred card, which gives you up to 20% back on Amazon purchases for up to $200 within the first six months. If you got your card just before Prime Day, that’s a solid return. And competing cards with an annual fee often offer more rewards than a card that has no annual fee like Amazon’s.

And as always, use caution with any credit card. Credit cards often come with relatively high interest rates and can impact your credit score in various ways, so be sure to spend within your means–on Prime Day or otherwise.

For more tips on maximizing your Prime Day deals, check out how you can get $20 in Amazon credit to spend during Prime Day, and how to get Prime for free (or less) in advance of Prime Day. Plus, read up on the best Prime Day deals available now and tips on how to snag the best Prime Day deals.