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Score great deals on two unique standalone “consoles”. The Atgames Legends Gamer Mini looks like an arcade stick (and can be used as such), but it has over 100 games built-in so you can play without connecting it to anything other than your TV. The Oculus Quest 2 is easily best VR headset that can be played without tethering to your PC. Today, Oculus released the “V2” model with double the storage for the same price. In other deal news, save 15% off the newly released Aliens Fireteam Elite game, grab an Intel Evo certified ultraportable laptop for under $600, or take advantage of the Herman Miller Gaming Anniversary Sale, which ends tomorrow. These deals and more below.

45% Off Atgames Legends Gamer Mini (Standalone Arcade Console)

The Atgames Legends Gamer Mini is a wireless arcade control top that also serves as a standalone arcade console (with the included puck). Plug the puck in and you get to play over 100 licensed built-in arcade classics without ever having to buy a separate arcade cabinet. The Gamer Mini connects via Bluetooth or via USB (hard-wired). You can also use it as a controller for your PC, streaming device, or gaming console.

Out Today: New Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset with More Storage, Same Price

The Oculus Quest 2 has so far been the best value when it comes to VR gaming. It’s hundreds of dollars cheaper than its competitors, it has phenomenal tracking, it doesn’t need to be tethered to a PC, and it boasts a huge library of games (even Half Life: Alyx is easily playable on the Quest 2). It’s also the best VR headset for Beat Saber. Now, Oculus has re-released its Oculus Quest 2 VR headset with double the storage (128GB vs 64GB) for the exact same price. There’s even less of a reason now to pick something else.

15% Off Aliens Fireteam Elite

If you’re looking for a fun and scary co-op shooter romp, then give Aliens Fireteam Elite a try. It just came out this week and it’s already 15% off at Walmart. It even comes with the preorder bonus, which includes some character and weapon skins and emotes. Both the PS5 and Xbox versions are currently discounted.

Ending Tomorrow: Herman Miller Gaming Anniversary Sale: 15% Off Gaming Chairs

Herman Miller makes the best ergonomic chairs in the industry. They’re also not cheap, with several of their models easily topping over $1000 in price. Penny pinchers might find it a waste of money, but honestly, in this case you get what you pay for. Many of us could spend a majority of our lives stuck to our chair, it makes sense that this would be one of the most important purchases we make. Today, Herman Miller is offering 15% off their top-of-the-line gaming collaborations with Logitech. This is the first time we’ve seen a substantial discount on these outside of Sample Sales and employee-only offers. If you’ve got deep pockets, then you’ll save on what is probably the best gaming chair on the market.

Dell G15 RTX 3050 Ti Gaming Laptop

This is the lowest price we’ve seen for an RTX 3050 Ti equipped gaming laptop. The RTX 3050 Ti is the modern day equivalent to the super popular GTX 1660 Ti, with performance roughtly the same between the two. The GTX 1660 Ti has 2GB more VRAM, but the RTX 3060 Ti has DLSS, which very noticeably improvesgaming performance without compromising on image quality. If you’re going to be gaming at 1080p, this card should fit the bill quite nicely.

Dell XPS 13 Intel Iris Xe Ultraportable Laptop (2.6lbs)

If you’re looking for an ultraportable laptop at a low price, you can’t beat this deal. The Dell XPS 13 weighs only 2.6 pounds and the chassis is cut from two blocks of aluminum. Thanks to the compact bezel, the 13.3″ screen fits in a 11″ form factor. Despite the compact size, there’s plenty of power under the hood, including an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, the latest Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of memory, and a generous 1TB SSD, all for under $1K.

MSI Prestige 14″ Intel Evo Ultraportable Laptop

Not any ultraportable laptop can get the official “Intel Evo” certification. They have to meet a rather long list of strict requirements. For example, they must be equipped with 11th gen Intel processors and Intel Iris Xe graphics, they need to be able to run for up to 9 hours of “strong” use and 16 hours of video playback, they need to be able to recharge 4 hours of battery life in 30 minutes, they need to be able to wake from sleep in under 1 second, they need to be equipped with WiFi 6, Thunderbolt 4, and USB Type-C, and more. That usually makes Intel Evo laptops pricier than your average ultraportable. This MSI Prestige laptop is the least expensive Evo laptop we’ve seen, even cheaper than the ones we saw on Prime Day.

2021 LG C1 4K OLED TVs with Free Newegg Credit

Newegg is offering a bonus gift card and extended 3 year warranty on top of the best price you’ll find on the new 2021 LG OLED TV. The LG C1-series OLED TV improves upon last year’s highly-rated CX model with an upgraded A9 Gen 4 processor that delivers slightly better image quality, better 4K scaling, and improved audio handling as well as a new webOS smart TV redesign. The C1 OLED TV (especially the 48″ model) works well with an RTX 30 series equipped gaming PC because it has HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K at 120Hz, G-SYNC, and chroma 4:4:4. It’s easily one of the best (if not the best) TVs on the market right now.

Mario Kart Live Home Circuit for Switch

Mario Kart Live Home Circuit originally debuted at $99.99 but today it’s a whopping 40% off. Mario Kart Live combines the traditional Mario Kart video game with an actual remote-controlled car. Your house is the literal race track. The car doesn’t feel like a cheap toy either; it’s a decent size and weight, with good responsive controls, and a built-in camera so that it can see its surroundings and set up a virtual course. If you have multiple cars, up to 4 players can race around the house together.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for PS5

Ratchet & Clank is the best looking game on the PS5 console, and probably one of the best look games on any console, ever. Of course, it’s not just about looks; Rift Apart is a fantastic game overall, with an engaging story, hilarious characters, and super fun platforming gameplay. The cheapest way to get this game right now is to buy a pre-owned copy at Gamefly. If you’re worried about the quality of Gamefly pre-owned games, fret not. We’ve purchased several pre-owned games from them and they’ve always come in mint condition, with original covers and scratch-free discs. They’re definitely a big step up from the gamble you’d be making at Gamestop.

Video Game Deals

More Daily Deals for August 24

EA is giving away accessibility-related patents used in some of its biggest games, including Apex Legends’ popular Ping system, in the hope that they will be used and expanded upon by other developers to help make video games more inclusive.

There are currently five patents covered under EA’s “Patent Pledge,” which involves EA making pledged patents available for public use alongside a legally binding promise to not file a lawsuit against those who use any patents documented in the pledge.

One of those patents, the “contextually aware communication systems,” is the Ping system used in Apex Legends. Revolutionary when Apex Legends first released, it allows players to better communicate in-game without the need for text or voice communication, making the game more accessible. The ping system has since been mimicked by numerous other shooters since, including Call of Duty: Warzone.

Three other patents involve making games more accessible for players with vision-related issues by “automatically detecting and modifying colors, brightness, and contrast in-game to improve visibility of objects with similar luminosities.” These vision-related patents have been used in games like Madden and FIFA.

A fifth patent involves technology EA notes it has not actually developed yet, but would be used for “generating personalized music based on a user’s hearing information and stylistic preference to best comport with the user’s hearing issues.”

EA says it plans to add more accessibility-related patents to the pledge in the future while also looking to identify other potential technologies it could make open source.

Chris Bruzzo, executive vice president of positive play, commercial and marketing at EA, said in a press release that EA’s mission is to “inspire the world to play,” but that can only be done if video games are more accessible for all players.

“We hope developers will make the most of these patents and encourage those who have the resources, innovation and creativity to do as we have by making their own pledges that put accessibility first,” Bruzzo said. “We welcome collaboration with others on how we move the industry forward together.”

Accessibility options have become increasingly important features for games to include. Games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart made it so enabling accessibility options would have no effect on collecting the game’s trophies, and Last of Us Part 2 offered a particularly robust set of accessibility tools for player to enable.

No matter how strong the members of your squad are in Aliens: Fireteam Elite, they’re always going to need someone to patch them up during combat. Biological superweapons with an insatiable urge to murder anything that threatens their hive leave a lasting effect on even the hardiest of marines, but fortunately the Doc-class is always round to keep soldiers in the fight. Here’s everything that you need to know about using Aliens: Fireteam Elite’s medic.

Weapons

• Rifle
• Hand gun

Medics should be kept away from danger as much as possible, and their arsenal reinforces that notion as they can make use of a wide range of weapons that work from any distance. The primary rifle-class guns they can wield allow them to work from long to mid-range easily with auto rifles and marksman gear, while their secondary guns can rip through any Xenomorphs that get too close to them. Hand guns are a versatile slot, and can be filled with hard-hitting revolvers, pay ‘n spray SMGs, and even small shotguns.

Abilities

• Trauma Station
• Combat Stims

The key ability for the Doc is a mobile medic station that can be deployed, which instantly heals anyone within its field. The catch here though is that a trauma station has a limited supply of energy, so you’ll have to choose when and where to use it strategically. Its energy supplies can be restored by picking up any leftover first aid kits in the game though, so players who are willing to sacrifice their med-kits can help keep this device stocked and charged for the big showdowns that lie at the end of each level.

The Doc’s Combat Stims are also incredibly useful for keeping players in fighting fit form, as this ability temporarily buffs your party with a big increase to accuracy, stability, stamina regen, and movement speed. Popping this skill when a horde approaches turns regular soldiers into super-soldiers, and if used at the right time, allows them to tear through even the toughest enemies on the battlefield.

Unique ability – Field Medic

For each nearby ally, your ability recharge speed is increased by 15%. Picking up an aid kit restores a portion of your trauma station’s energy.

Core perks

• Doc Handgun Training – Increase the range and weak point damage of handguns by 15%.
• Bedside Manner – You can pick up downed allies twice as fast and your entire team’s bleedout time is increased by 25%.
• Doc Rifle Training – Increases the accuracy and magazine capacity of rifles by 15%.
• Surgeon’s Hands – You can no longer be stumbled while interacting with objects, reviving allies, or using an aid kit.
• Anesthesiologist – After not taking damage for at least 10 seconds, gain 10% of your current health as temp health.
• Readiness – Your movement and ability recharge speeds are increased by 10% and your reload speed and handling are increased by 20%.

Modifiers

• Painkiller Station – Your trauma station now increases damage resistance and gun handling by 30%, but has 20% less energy.
• Suppression Station – Your trauma station now has a larger radius and debuffs enemies who step into it, reducing their movement speed and damage dealt.
• Support System – Your outgoing healing is increased by 20% and allies now gain 15% ability recharge speed while standing near you.
• Super Serum – Combat Stims grant 30% handling and additionally cause stamina regeneration to no longer be halted by dodging for its duration.
• Doc Rifle Expertise – Increases the stability and weak point damage of rifles by 15%.
• Doc Handgun Expertise – Increases the reload speed and accuracy of handguns by 15%.
• Beneficial Side-Effects – Whenever trauma station heals a target, they are granted 2.5% of unmodified combat stims.
• Rapid Recovery – Picking up a downed ally grants them 50% more health and your entire team’s bleedout time is increased by another 25%.
• Overdose – The cooldown time of Combat Stims is doubled but its effects are twice as powerful and lasts 50% longer.
• Doc Rifle Mastery – Increases the fire rate and handling of rifles by 15%.
• Doc Handgun Mastery – Increases the fire rate and handling of handguns by 15%.
• Strength In Numbers – Field Medic now also grants you 5% damage dealt, 5% damage-resistant for each nearby ally.
• Peace of Mind – Increases the radius of trauma station by 20%

Strategy

Docs aren’t just vital for keeping your team healthy, they’re actually tough combat medics who can boost a fireteam’s abilities with their combat stims to turn them into even deadlier soldiers. Keeping an eye on a Doc and ensuring that they remain relatively safe from any harm is essential, but Docs in return need to focus more on boosting their fellow troopers in battle and ensuring that they can carry on fighting during even the direst of situations. Likewise, this class can modify its core abilities to turn entire battles around with their abilities to shrug off interruptions, resulting in a marine that’s hard to knock down and complements other classes well.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. For more on the game, you can check out our review and our other guides that’ll get you prepped for the fight ahead.

The Gunk, the latest game from the Steamworld creators Image & Form (part of Thunderful), is now set for an Xbox console and PC launch this December.

Revealed alongside a new gameplay trailer during the Gamescom 2021 Xbox stream, Thunderful confirmed The Gunk will be released sometime in December 2021, though did not offer an exact release date just yet. You can check out the new gameplay below.

Developed in Unreal Engine 4, Thunderful explained that The Gunk will run at a stable 30 fps on Xbox One, while it will play at 60 fps and up to 4K resolution on Xbox Series X and S and PC.

Players take on the role of Rani, who, along with her partner Becks, arrive on an alien planet only to discover the titular gunk, which is damaging their new environment. The Gunk has a focus on exploration, and will introduce players to a number of different biomes, such as “a rocky canyon region, a dense jungle, deep subterranean caves (we couldn’t help ourselves) and a few more surprises, too,” according to Thunderful’s Ulf Hartelius on the Xbox Wire.

Rani uses her proesthetic power-glove, known as Pumpkin, to clean up the gunk as she aims to save these natural environments from corruption.

Thunderful first debuted The Gunk last year, marking a shift away from the familiar aesthetic of the developer’s acclaimed Steamworld series. We awarded he last SteamWorld release, SteamWorld Quest, an 8.6 review, saying its “card-based RPG combat offers an insane amount of choice, making it as flexible as it is fun.”

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN’s Senior Features Editor, PlayStation Lead, and host of Podcast Beyond! He’s the proud dog father of a BOY named Loki. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Microsoft’s Forza Horizon series released new entries every two years since the start of the franchise in 2012 until this year’s Forza Horizon 5, which is coming three years after 2018’s Forza Horizon 4. Playground Games creative director Mike Brown explained recently that the extra year of development allowed the team to make “bigger investments” that contribute to help make Forza Horizon 5 a better sim and also a more accessible game for newcomers.

“The fact that we took three years rather than two, our usual two-year cycle, has allowed us to make some bigger investments than we otherwise normally would have been able to,” Brown said.

These investments include updates to Forza Horizon 5’s suspension and braking systems, which might not sound like very significant areas of focus, but Brown explained the ways in which suspension and braking can actually have a meaningful impact.

“We’ve completely rebuilt the way suspension works, which perhaps sounds like a small thing, but suspension is one of the main ways your wheels and the body of the car interact with the road surface,” Brown said. “So by working on our simulation to make the suspension behave in a much more authentic way, you might think it would make the game more challenging, but it’s actually the opposite that is true. Because the springs on the car now behave much more like they would on a real car, the cars are now able to react to the terrain in a much more authentic way which actually, whilst improving the simulation, also improves the accessibility, which is a great result.”

For braking, Brown said brakes will now more realistically grab the discs to provide a more authentic representation of braking. No longer will brakes lock up as frequently as they might have in past games, Brown said.

“Another area where we’ve been able to improve the physical model so when you’re really slamming on the brakes at high speed, the pads will grab the disc in a more gradual way, allowing the brakes to come on in a more realistic and authentic way to more gradually grab the disc and stops the brakes from locking up as they easily could have in previous games,” he said. “Again, that’s an area that improves the simulation, that is more accurate to real life, but it also makes the cars a little bit more accessible as well. A great improvement.”

Also during the interview, Brown discussed working with the Xbox Series X and S consoles, which he characterized as being “absolutely fantastic.” The raw horsepower of those machines gives the team at Playground more opportunities to hone in on specific details to help make the game more realistic.

“The experience working on the Xbox Series X and S, as a creative, it’s been absolutely fantastic. We’ve been able to achieve so much more with the way we build the world, the way we’re able to add in all those little details and just make everything look and feel so real,” Brown said.

The technology used in Forza Horizon 5 is shared with Turn 10, the Microsoft studio behind the Forza Motorsport series (which, also, is extending its usual development cycle for the next release).

“Almost all of our technology is built in partnership with Turn 10. They’re always pushing things forward. We’re always pushing things forward. Looking at ways that that technology can benefit both of our games. So yes, we are sharing technology with Turn 10. That is always true,” Brown said.

Forza Horizon 5 is set in Mexico, and Brown said the team at Playground has gone to great lengths to represent the country faithfully and with respect. The team visited Mexico years ago, before the pandemic, to conduct local research. Not only that, but the team made contacts in the country and this allowed them to gather more resources and assets from the country without having to get on a plane and fly there.

“We were really lucky in that as well that we were able to make a lot of contacts in Mexico in those trips so even if members of our team weren’t able to travel back there, we have people on the ground who were photographers and tour guides that we could contact and say, ‘Hey we’d really like to get more reference on [thing]’ and then they could go get that photographs or videos that we needed,” Brown said. “We had an audio team out there quite recently as well capturing ambient audio so each area of the map, each biome, has its own ambient audio suite which tries to recreate the feel of being in those places.”

Brown also pointed out how Playground is hoping to avoid Forza Horizon 5 playing on Mexican stereotypes.

“We’ve worked with a Mexican script writer and cultural consultant to ensure that we’re not playing off any Mexican stereotypes. We want this to be a game that when a Mexican plays it, they feel like it’s been made with care and love and I really feel like we’ve taken this very seriously,” Brown said. “And really wanted it to not feel like it was playing on those stereotypes. And instead feel like it was real and authentic and full of love.”

Forza Horizon 5, which features the AMG-1 Mercedes hypercar and the 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands on its cover, launches November 9 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. A brand-new extended gameplay trailer for Horizon 5 was released during the Xbox Gamescom briefing today, August 24, which covers the earliest section of the game. Check it out above.

Head into Fortnite any day of the week and in its real-money virtual store, the Item Shop, you’ll find a handful of character outfits, or “skins,” on offer for a limited time. Superheroes like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, athletes like LeBron James and Harry Kane, streamers like Ninja and Loserfruit, and so many more return every few weeks or months and are routinely spotted in any pre-match lobby performing TikTok dances, lighting the Bat-Signal, and singing the internet’s unofficial anthem, Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

The initiative to bridge the gap between Fortnite and, well, everything has been growing quickly over the last year. Among the dozens of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars heroes, Grammy-winning musicians, and otherworldly gaming icons like Master Chief and Kratos, some Fortnite players have been talented enough to earn a spot on the digital shelf not through their likeness, but through their artwork. Fan-made skins have been in the game since its early days, and today some of the game’s most beloved and oft-seen characters came from the minds of regular players.

How does one go from sharing fan art online to having their character concepts being made a reality in one of the planet’s biggest properties? I spoke to several creators to figure that out, and they all unknowingly echoed a similar sentiment: Epic is paying close attention.

SweetRabbitFN‘s initial concept of the skin today known as Brite Bomber received nearly 600 upvotes and dozens of comments, many of them promising to purchase his skin concept if it appeared in-game, in the game’s official subreddit last year, and it didn’t take long for Epic to reach out. “I got contacted two days [after posting the concept in 2020] and I literally jumped out of my bed when I saw the notification,” he told me. “At first, I thought it was fake, but when I checked the account, it was actually the legit Fortnite Reddit account that they use to communicate about updates and stuff.”

SweetRabbitFN noted that his original concept centered around a new original character clad in merchandise belonging to the popular Bomber character, who has to date appeared in many variations, or “snapshots” as they’re called in-universe, including the Beach Bomber, Dark Bomber, and Bubble Bomber.

After Epic bought the concept from him, the company would go on to turn her into Brite Bomber, who sports the classic Ramirez face and body model in a new Bomber variant style reminiscent of the several other Bomber characters Epic made in-house. “Honestly, I love the changes they did,” he assured me, admitting he didn’t know of the reimagining before he saw it in-game. Six months after Epic reached out, Brite Bomber made her debut in the Item Shop earlier this year.

SweetRabbitFN couldn’t divulge the terms of their agreement, but whatever the contract stated when signed many months ago, it’s not a deal that has left him jaded. “Epic is the best,” he said. “No other game company that I can think of has featured so many fan-made skins in-game.” How responsive is the company? I asked. “Very helpful and quick with responses.”

Though SweetRabbitFN’s deal comes more recently, these deals with fan artists seemed to begin in 2018. That was a pivotal year for Fortnite. It included the first major event for the game when Marvel’s Thanos appeared on the island, launching the game into its own stratosphere in terms of crossover potential which today has exploded exponentially. It was also the year that Epic Games was sued by Backpack Kid, an amateur rapper who claimed Epic stole his dance move, The Floss, and sold it as an emote without brokering any sort of deal with the artist. Later, Fresh Prince star Alfonso Ribeiro sued as well, when he saw Epic selling his famous Carlton dance in the game.

This led to Epic removing both dances from the game entirely. Today, when the company wants to include a dance move made famous online–usually on TikTok–the details of the in-game emotes mention their original creators by name, suggesting that these dancers, like concept artists, are now being negotiated with. It’s a practice that seems to be improving with time, but even today Epic still receives fair criticism from others, such as Innersloth, who feel the game’s recent Impostor mode crosses the line between inspiration into duplication.

For concept artist Nollobandz, it was most recently his original character Ava who was bought and reimagined by Epic as part of the Fortnite Crew Pack for July 2021. Players who subscribe to Fortnite Crew unlock one exclusive character every month, alongside additional cosmetics, a stipend of V-Bucks, and more. Ava, or Summer Skye as she was eventually named in-game, is the first Fortnite Crew Pack to come from the mind of a fan. Like SweetRabbitFN, Nollobandz praised Epic for the company’s responsiveness. “The way Epic connects with the creative community is awesome,” he said. “I’ve never seen another company or game really allow their players to get their ideas into the game like this.”

Nollobandz has seen several of his original concepts make it into the game since Epic first reached out in 2018. Included along with Summer Skye and Dark Rex are Eco, a walking monument to the Chapter 1 map, and Lyra, inspired heavily by the mythological Medusa. Three of those skins have debuted this year, and today Nollobandz says Epic is just a DM away. “I might pitch an idea every once in a while, ask a question, or they reach out to me,” he told me. “It’s definitely not an every day (or even every week) kind of thing, but the door for communication is still open and I am very grateful for that.”

While Nollobandz echoed SweetRabbitFN’s praise for Epic, he also reiterated that once an artist signs their concept over to Epic, they can lose sight of when or how it will appear. Creators are told when their concepts will debut and asked to stay tight-lipped until then, but after that initial run, even the artists don’t know when they’ll be back in the Item Shop.

This can complicate things for artists because they, like other content creators in the Fortnite world, are often given Creator Codes, which allows them a portion of the earnings Epic makes when players buy cosmetic items using their codes. Naturally, many players elect to use the code belonging to an artist when buying that artist’s creation, but artists can’t easily promote that buying behavior when they don’t know when their own skins may return.

Artists also sell their concepts as-is, but Epic reserves the right to alter them as it sees fit, which is how an original character like Ava is eventually sold as Summer Skye, a variant of an already existing character from a 2020 battle pass. It seems even with Fortnite’s open-door policy, which basically allows for anyone from any property to appear on the island and be given the narrative cover of a sci-fi multiverse, the company still has some preferences for when to introduce wholly new characters and when to give someone like the ubiquitous Jonesy or Ramirez a new outfit.

For what it’s worth, Nollobandz didn’t seem upset about any of this, saying, “If you make concept art, especially for the biggest game on the planet, you have to be open to the idea that some things will change and not every little detail will make it through.” Still, it seems to me like one area where Epic can be even more forthcoming with its fan art community.

While some fan-made characters appear in the Item Shop and others in the Fortnite Crew, perhaps the greatest honor is to have your custom skin appear in a seasonal battle pass, and for RexSadio, that’s what happened last summer. The charmingly strange body-building cat Meowscles is an original concept from RexSadio, but new players today would find his face plastered on billboards across the island, on the bathing suits of other characters, and more. Like Tomatohead and Aura before him, it feels like he’s always been a part of Fortnite, despite coming from someone outside of Epic.

As with the others, Epic first reached out to RexSadio via Reddit. “I was in Hawaii for vacation at the time and as I was lying down on the sofa trying to cool myself down with an electric fan,” he told me. “I noticed a message request on my Reddit account from an Epic Games employee. I remember having mixed feelings about this because we were only in Season 3 at the time and I had never heard of or seen a concept being added into the game before. So I decided to inspect the employee’s Reddit account and I was surprised. The employee was legit!” He added that he tried to contain himself when he replied in order to “act cool and professional.”

RexSadio’s first skins to make it into Fortnite were Scoundrel and Jailbird, a pair of common crooks who were among the earliest fan-made skins to come to Fortnite in 2018. It was the fall of 2019, about a year and a half after RexSadio’s debut, when Epic reached out once more regarding his “Buff Cat” concept, “and four months later [Meowscles] was announced as one of the agents for the [spy-themed] battle pass!” he exclaimed. Meowscles has since been reimagined by Epic in a Golden Age cartoon style, Toon Meowscles, while RexSadio works on a follow-up of his own, “Pawlice,” a critter working in law enforcement who is on a mission to hunt down Jailbird and Scoundrel.

Like the others, RexSadio had no complaints about Epic’s process when working with previously amateur artists. “They have given so many creative artists out there amazing opportunities [and they] are super responsive and helpful when it comes to collaborating,” he told me.

Though I was able to confirm that Epic pays for artist concepts, those I spoke to remained tight-lipped about just how much they receive. Details such as whether they get residual payments with successive Item Shop appearances, and whether Epic pays a flat fee or perhaps more for a concept it knows will be featured more prominently remain mysteries. I dwell on these questions because of the leaked document that revealed the pay disparity Epic would pay publishers for their games to appear as free games in the Epic Games Store.

All of this fan involvement came to a head just this summer when Epic announced the Concept Royale contest, which invited fans to submit their character concepts to be used in this holiday season’s in-game event. The related hashtag indicates that Epic is looking beyond Reddit for its fan-made skins these days. Hundreds, if not thousands, of players submitted their creations over the last several weeks. Epic just revealed the winners last week, and for once did reveal a sum of $2,500 in prize money for the winners. However, we can reasonably assume that these skins operate on a different pay scale since they’ll be unlocked for free when players take on the wintry challenges later this year, as opposed to most other fan concepts which are sold for real money with each Item Shop appearance.

Like the others, the Concept Royale winners lbdart_ and AltaCalls had only glee to share regarding their concepts being selected as the winners. “I really do feel so honored that the Fortnite team chose my concept over so many other amazing concepts created by incredibly talented artists,” said AltaCalls, who said his Forager concept is among the most challenging he’s ever designed. lbdart_, or Ladiale, meanwhile, said she “cried and screamed with emotion when I got told I was chosen as a winner since this is my first concept ever. It’s a dream I never thought I could accomplish.”

In each of these five cases, among others I learned of, the story was always told the same: an artist would share their concept art online, Epic would rather promptly reach out and work out an agreement which at least sometimes involved an NDA and always involved a paid deal of an undisclosed amount in exchange for the character concept, all before Epic would debut the fan creation in the game, typically within a few months.

Some artists would submit several concepts before Epic reached out for their first commission, while others have already seen several come to the game. Many other artists have yet to hear from the company at all, of course, but in a community this large with plans that seem to include world domination of a sort, it’s notable that anyone at Epic is even following along.

It gives me a sense, as an outsider watching it all, that no talented artist is wasting their time. Whereas with most other game communities, exceptional fan art can earn you a retweet and some praise at most, Fortnite’s flexible story universe and Epic’s eagle-eyed social team can combine to turn any artist’s concept into the next Fortnite star–though just how much that earns its creator remains an open question.

While some classes in Aliens: Fireteam Elite are geared for a gung-ho approach to taking on the Xenomorph hordes, the Technician is a soldier with a skillset that keeps cannon fodder at bay so that their teammates can focus on bigger threats. Equipped with the ability to turn any area into a secure point with their turret and able to hinder any enemy advance, Technicians bring crowd control to a fight and pairs well with other classes such as the Demolisher or Gunner. Here’s a look at how best to use the Technician when you’re deep in enemy territory.

Weapons

Like several other classes, Technicians have access to pistols and close-quarter weapons. When you start out with this class, the default guns will be a Magnum pistol and a shotgun, although you’re able to swap these out for more automatic options like submachine-guns,

Abilities

• Charged coils
• Turret

The Technician’s Charged Coils are a handy method for slowing down enemies and can be thrown directly into them or placed as a trap on surfaces. When dealing with armored opponents like Xenomorph Warriors or Praetorians, this ability comes in especially handy for staying out of harm’s way while the rest of your team can destroy its thick armor. As for the turret, it’s a handy tool for drawing enemy aggression away from you and it has several upgrades that allow it to fire further, faster, and harder. Or you can just swap it out for a flamethrower turret, which will apply a burn effect on anything that isn’t melted by its initial attack.

Unique ability – Cross-platform synergy

Allies standing near your turret take 10% less damage. When you stand near your turret, it regenerates 5% of its health every second.

Core perks

• Technician Handgun Training – Handgun accuracy and weak-point damage increased by 15%.
• Technician CQW Training – Accuracy and reload speed of CQWs increased by 15%.
• Resonating Impact – Turret gains a 10% chance to cause stumble effect, stumbled enemies take 10% more damage for six seconds.
• Scalable Machine Learning – Turret gains 10% reload speed and stability when an enemy is killed, stacks up to five times.
• Strategic Tactics – +10% stun recovery, +20% debuff duration, +20% turret health.

Modifiers

• Incinerator turret – More durable flamethrower turret replaces regular version.
• Heavy turret – Replaces regular turret with version that deals massive damage but has a decreased rate of fire.
• Compatibility Matrix – Deal 10% more damage when this ability is active, stacks up to three times.
• Agile practices – Increase move and reload speed by 10% for eight seconds, does not stack.
• Collaborative analytics – Cross-platform synergy also increases ally accuracy and recharge speeds by 10%.
• Dynamic delivery systems – Turret fires 10% faster and does 25% more damage to armor.
• Technician CQW expertise – Magazine capacity and ADS movement speed of CQWs increased by 15%.
• Technician handgun expertise – Handgun fire rate and reload speed increased by 15%.
• Modular integration – Each stack of Scalable machine learning increases accuracy and fire rate by 5%.
• Deep Leverage – Any target affected by Resonating Impact from you or your turret has a 15% chance to be knocked down, tis can only be applied once every 10 seconds.
• Technician handgun mastery – Increase range and aim assist of handguns by 15%.
• Technician CQW mastery – Increase fire rate and stability of CQWs by 15%.
• Real-time resource reclamation – When a turret is destroyed, it explodes and deals damage. Base recharge time of turret reduced by five seconds.
• Hyperlocal logistics – Turret health regeneration rate increased when you are near it, fire rate increased by 10%.

Strategy

The Technician’s core strategy should be focused on getting a turret up and using it as a focal point for your team. As it’ll be a prime target for enemies, that gives the Technician plenty of opportunities to throw in a few Charged Coils to slow down the quicker Xenomorph runners and pick them off before they get too close, as the class synergizes well with close to medium-range weapons. While the Demolisher and Gunner excel as damage-dealers, Technician’s are more reliant on the tools at their disposal to survive ambushes and once the turret has been sufficiently upgraded, it’s essentially a fourth member in a fireteam that plays extremely well with the Medic’s healing pod and the Recon loadout’s pod that supplies a steady stream of ammo.

Its variants may be more situational, but in the right conditions, they excel at clearing the field. For example, the slow-firing Heavy turret may not be great against a regular swarm of Xenomorphs but it can wipe out entire squads of Synthetics when deployed correctly and with a high-ground advantage. As for the Flamethrower turret, it works brilliantly in corridors with chokepoints, unleashing fiery death on anything caught in its path.

Overall, the Technician functions well as back-up to heavy-hitters in your squad, providing covering fire, buffs, and traps that can whittle enemy forces down with precision.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. For more on the game, you can check out our review and our other guides that’ll get you prepped for the fight ahead.

Forza Horizon games always begin with a showcase introduction, and the fifth installment goes wilder than ever before, with the game literally dropping you into a volcano.

Shown off during the Gamescom Xbox Stream, the game’s introduction begins with a 2020 Ford Bronco Badlands reversing out of a plane and parachuting into the game’s Gran Caldera volcano during winter, seeing snow and lava meat in columns of steam. It’s a confident opening, to say the least.

But it’s only a quarter of the introduction – the intro includes three other cars airdropping into the new Mexican map, from the countryside in a dust storm, to a flamingo-filled jungle, to a coastal road that leads you directly into the game’s central festival site.

Forza Horizon’s introduction events have gained interest throughout the series, and this is the most out-of-the-ordinary yet, acting as a showcase for the Xbox Series X’s power, and the game’s variety of locations at the same time. Two of the cars involved, the Mercedes-AMG ONE and the Ford Bronco Badlands, are Forza Horizon 5’s cover vehicles, too.

Forza Horizon 5 arrives on November 9, and this is just the latest in a series of stunning gameplay reveals we’ve seen since it was announced at E3 2021. We’ve also had developer walkthroughs, 14 minutes of Series X gameplay, and we’ve gotten a look at the game’s full map.

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].

Microsoft has announced the Forza Horizon 5 Limited Edition Xbox Controller. Revealed as part of the Xbox Gamescom showcase, the new limited edition controller has a bright, funky scheme to match the vibe of Forza Horizon 5.

The translucent yellow front panel is splattered with a vibrant spray paint-like design. Blue and pink accent colours are used on the face buttons, analogue sticks, and main triggers, while the back and bumper buttons are a white to offset the brightness of the front. Black grips should help keep it in your hands while you fight the wheel.

The controller is available to pre-order now from the Xbox online store.

For more from Xbox, check out the newly announced Forza Horizon 5 cover car, Sea of Thieves’ new Borderlands event, and Crusader Kings 3 is coming to console. For everything else, be sure to check our Gamescom 2021 schedule. It’s about to be a busy week!

Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Sea of Thieves’ latest collaboration is an unexpected one. During Xbox’s Gamescom 2021 presentation, Rare announced a special event featuring, of all things, Borderlands.

The event’s centerpiece is a special “Mayhem” ship inspired by Borderlands. Basically, it’s a pirate ship cast in Borderlands’ rusty red and yellow, with the familiar logo on the sails.

It’s not the most obvious collaboration given that Borderlands’ brand of post-apocalyptic sci-fi is the diametric opposite of Sea of Thieves’ pirate fantasy. But they have a similar sense of humor, so the two might not be as far removed as one might suppose.

In any event, Sea of Thieves has found plenty of success with its collaborations of late, particularly its Pirates of Caribbean event featuring Jack Sparrow (but not Johnny Depp). We’ll see if it can replicate that success with the Mayhem event, which runs from August 24 to September 7.

This announcement is part of our coverage of Gamescom 2021. For lots more news, check out our Gamescom 2021 hub, which will be continually updated throughout the show.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.