New Sonic The Hedgehog Art Book Up For Preorder With Amazon Discount

Sega laid out more of its plans to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary in a Sonic Central presentation that unveiled new games and collabs for the beloved blue hedgehog, but longtime Sonic fans can also get their hands on some new merch and collectibles this year. Among them is a brand-new tome compiling 30 years of Sonic history, characters, art, and lore as featured in video games going back to the Sega Genesis era. The Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia is up for preorder now at Amazon, including a Deluxe Edition that comes with exclusive packaging and more. Releasing November 24, the Sonic encyclopedia is on sale for up to 40% off right now at Amazon. You’ll also get Amazon’s preorder price guarantee–if the price drops between when you preorder and the item ships, you’ll only be charged the lowest price.

$30 (was $50) | Releases November 23

Published by Dark Horse, the Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia includes 288 pages of “extensive lore and exhaustive detail” covering the history of Sonic the Hedgehog, with a closer look at characters, settings, and the stories of each game. This is a hardcover book, and right now it’s 40% off, available for just $30.

$56.37 (was $80) | Releases November 23

The Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia’s Deluxe Edition is the ultimate collectible for Sonic fans, with an exclusive mosaic cover, a slipcase with gold foil “Ring” treatment, and two archival gallery prints of Sonic and his ultimate foe, Dr. Eggman. The Deluxe Edition is on sale for 30% off, dropping the price to $56.37.

This is only the latest in a growing collection of Sonic merch being released around the character’s 30th anniversary, including a Giant Eggman Robot Battle Set that’s up for preorder now. Sega also announced Sonic Colors: Ultimate, a remaster of the 2010 Wii and DS game, and teased a new 3D Sonic game coming in 2022.

Twitch Adds More Than 350 New Tags Focused On Gender, Sexual Orientation, And More

Twitch has added support for more than 350 new streamer tags, including tags for “queer,” “transgender,” “Vtubers,” and many, many more. Many of the new tags are geared specifically towards gender, sexual orientation, nationality, mental health, and ability.

No changes have been made to how tags work–the new tags simply allow for streamers to have more options when it comes describing what their stream is all about and to help viewers find streams that may be of interest to them.

Twitch has added new stream tags focused on gender, sexual orientation, nationality, and more.
Twitch has added new stream tags focused on gender, sexual orientation, nationality, and more.

In regards to the “transgender” tag specifically, Twitch says the tag was one of the community’s most requested, and that “the simple truth is [Twitch] should have done this sooner.”

In a blog post about the new tags, Twitch goes on to explain why it took so many years for tags focused on gender and sexual orientation to be added.

“We intentionally designed that system for creators to be able to describe what they were streaming, not who they were or what they stood for,” the blog states. “We have maintained this distinction since that time, and we were wrong.”

Twitch goes on to say that “it took us too long” to understand that there should be more ways for creators “to share who they are and issues they care about.”

The new tags were created in cooperation with organizations like GLAAD, The Trevor Project, AbleGamers, and other groups “focused on the progress of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and marginalized communities.”

Twitch also recently added a new “Pool, Hot tub, and Beach” stream category to its platform in an effort to combat what many in the community began to refer to as “the hot tub meta” dominating the platform’s “Just Chatting” category.

GameSpot will be raising money for AbleGamers as part of “Play For All,” an upcoming, multi-week event which includes coverage of the summer’s biggest gaming news while also raising money for causes close to our hearts. You can read more about Play For All here.

I Am Fish Is Exactly What It Sounds Like, Coming This Year To Xbox And PC

Bossa Studios has revealed its next simulator-type game, and this one lets you be a fish. After releasing Surgeon Simulator and I Am Bread, the British developer has now announced I Am Fish and confirmed that a free demo will be released on June 16.

In I Am Fish, you play as a fish that has been separated from its home in a pet shop and is now out in the world doing fun fish stuff. The idea is to get to the ocean Finding Nemo-style by flying and rolling in a fish tank. The game has four fish–a goldfish, pufferfish, flying fish, and piranha. Each has its own personalities and abilities.

The goldfish rolls around in its tank, while the pufferfish can puff itself up and roll through the landscape before getting back into the water. The piranha can grab stuff with its chompers. In the trailer, we see the piranha stuffing items down a toilet to clog it, which then floods the room so it can escape. The flying fish, well, you probably know what its unique ability is.

“Whilst sleepy Barnardshire is an idyllic coastal hideaway, it isn’t without its dangers! Our four fin-tastic friends will have to navigate threats such as crossing roads, traversing rooftops, dodging deep fat fryers, and avoiding hungry wildlife, making e-fish-ient use of jars, wheeled mop buckets, and more to reach the final goal–the deep, vast ocean!” reads a line from the game’s description.

I Am Fish is scheduled to release in Q3 2021 on Xbox and PC; no PlayStation edition has been announced. Curve Digital is publishing I Am Fish.

Marvel Finally Confirms Oscar Isaac Is Playing Moon Knight

Actor Oscar Isaac will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the vigilante Moon Knight, Marvel Studios confirmed today in a tweet. If you’re sitting here thinking that you already knew this, you’re not alone.

Before we get into the history behind this announcement, the tweet itself says “WE ARE MOONKNIGHT,” which seems to nod to main character Marc Spector having multiple personalities that develop after Egyptian moon deity Khonshu comes to inhabit his body.

Marvel Studios announced the project in August 2019, and news broke in October 2020 that Isaac was in talks to step into the Moon Knight’s white tights. Then, on January 8, 2021, newly-announced Moon Knight director Aaron Moorhead tweeted that “we’re directing Oscar Isaac in a Marvel show.”

In March, Oscar Isaac’s production company posted a video of himself doing combat training. While it’s possible that he could be training for the Metal Gear Solid film he’s also starring in, the Instagram post includes the hashtag #TheOneYouSeeComing, which is a line from the 2014-2015 run of Moon Knight. Also, Solid Snake is a stealth action hero, so you don’t see him coming.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Sebastian Stan mentioned Isaac and Moon Knight in the same sentence during a virtual press event for that show, Variety notes.

In other words, Isaac’s attachment to the character was one of the worst-kept secrets in all of Hollywood, but this is indeed the first official post from Marvel Studios confirming it. While Moon Knight is still a ways off, you can see Isaac later this year when Warner Bros.’ first Dune film hits HBO Max and theaters on October 1, 2021.

Ubisoft CEO’s Son Charlie Guillemot Resigns From The Company

Charlie Guillemot, the son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, has resigned from the company. As reported by Axios, Charlie Guillemot was co-head of Ubisoft’s Owlient alongside Rémi Pellerin, both of whom announced their departure from the company internally last week, in order to pursue new opportunities.

A Ubisoft spokesperson provided GameSpot with the following statement: “We can confirm that Rémi Pellerin and Charlie Guillemot have stepped down from their roles at Owlient to pursue new opportunities. We wish them all the best for their future endeavors.”

These high-profile departures come at a turbulent time for Ubisoft. This comes as an investigative report by French publication Le Télégramme that says Ubisoft’s efforts to combat the issues raised in a wave of accusations from last year have had a minimal impact on the company’s culture. One of the main issues was that some of the executives who have allegations against them are still with the company, like Hugues Ricour, who just changed roles at the company. Yves Guillemot released an open letter shortly after the report, refuting the claims that the company failed to make meaningful changes and listed all steps Ubisoft has taken to improve its work culture.

Both Charlie Guillemot and Pellerin have managed Owlient since 2014. The smaller studio does not work on Ubisoft’s flagship titles like Far Cry or Assassin’s Creed, instead creating smaller titles. Owlient is the studio responsible for Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad, which caused a controversy in August last year after using the Black Lives Matter raised fist image as a logo for the antagonist organization in the game.

Axios reports that employees at Ubisoft previously expressed frustration over Charlie, a Guillemot family member, getting the opportunity to run a studio straight out of grad school. They also report that the pair are departing to start a new studio together, however, nothing has been confirmed.

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Indie Expo Live 2021 Will Feature Over 300 Upcoming Games On June 5

Another challenger approaches the current parade of live stream events for video games this summer. Indie Live Expo 2021 is planning to show over 300 upcoming indie games during its live stream on Saturday, June 5, at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET. The Japan-based presentation will run for five hours and feature games from known publishers like 505 Games and Playism, as well as up-and-coming developers and publishers. The stream will be available on Indie Live’s YouTube, Twitch, and Twitter accounts, with an English version of the stream.

The stream will feature the newest game from Why So Serious, the publisher of Touhou Luna Nights. There will also be special segments from a number of sponsors like Sony Interactive Entertainment, Koch Media, and Arc System Works. Microsoft will also host a special segment highlighting indie games on Xbox Game Pass.

“Our third Indie Live Expo will be our biggest yet,” said Ryuta Konuma, Founder of Ryu’s Office, who puts on the Indie Live Expo. “We want to formally thank everyone who submitted their incredible indie games and all of our partners for making it possible to highlight so many.”

More and more gaming live streams are getting announced for this summer, with Microsoft announcing the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase for June 13. E3 2021 is also happening from June 12 through June 15, with plenty of streams and announcements to share.

Call Of Duty Is Offering Double XP For Enabling Two-Factor Authentication

Call of Duty is offering players an incentive for enabling two-factor authentication on their Activision account in the form of double battle pass XP.

Players who sign up for two-factor authentication will be granted two separate one-hour long double battle pass XP tokens starting today. Those who enable two-factor authentication will be prompted to use a one-time code generated by a third party app in order to sign-in, after entering the email and password for their Activision account.

Now Playing: Call of Duty Warzone – Official Verdansk ‘84 Trailer

Activision says the new security feature isn’t mandatory, but is “strongly recommended.” Players can sign up for two-factor authentication here.

Security is becoming an increasingly important concern for Call of Duty, with developers engaged in a constant war against cheaters and exploiters. Call of Duty: Warzone’s most recent ban wave saw more than 15,000 accounts punished, with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War developer Raven Software saying more bans were on the way. To date, more than 500,000 players have been banned from Call of Duty: Warzone. Activision has previously outlined measures its taking to combat cheaters, including enhancement to the game’s internal anti-cheat software, allocating more resources towards detection and enforcement, and more timely and consistent bans.

The Call of Duty team announced recently more than 350,000 accounts had been banned for racist names and/or toxic behavior across Call of Duty titles in the last year, with the developers having also implemented more in-game content filters and ways to catch potentially offensive messages and names.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty Mobile recently received an ’80s action-hero themed mid-season update, featuring none other than Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo and Die Hard’s John McClane.

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This Week’s GTA Online Update Adds Eight New Stunt Races With $100K Reward For Completion

For the next week in Grand Theft Auto Online players can earn $100,000 in-game for completing one of the eight new stunt races in the Cunning Stunts event. Players can do their best Evel Knievel impression in one of the eight new races, using motorcycles, cars, and off-road vehicles. All stunt races–new and old–are offering triple RP and money rewards through June 2nd, in addition to the $100,000 one-time reward.

All of the new rewards and stunt race details can be found in a blog post by Rockstar as well as below.

Eight New Stunt Races

The stunts vary both in vehicles and the environment. One of the stunt races, Sun, Sea, and Chicanes, features classic sports cars drifting tight corners as the beauty of nature blurs by. It is a “kind of nauseating blur that’s sure to leave a smile on your face and your dinner on the dashboard.” On the other hand, Bridge Too Far takes place on the La Puerta Freeway and features sports cars flying through flaming hoops.

Here is the full list of new stunt races:

  • Sun, Sea, and Chicanes
  • A Tight Spot
  • Bridge Too Far
  • Cluster Struck
  • Vicious Spiral
  • Canyon Fodder
  • Smoke Up your Asphalt
  • City Limits

Final Week For Motor Wars

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The month-long offer of triple rewards for Motor Wars is coming to a close, but players who want to get in on the action still have until June 2. The high-octane destruction derby will give triple XP and Cash, regardless of placement.

Double Rewards For Simeon Missions

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The shady mogul Simeon has important work for players in GTA Online. Anyone who partakes in Simeon Missions and Premium Deluxe Repo Work will receive double money and XP for completion.

Freebies and Discounts

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All GTA Online players can get a free Wine Coil Cap and all players level 100 and above will get the free Hunting Camo skin for the Mammoth Avenger, with both of those items available until June 2. The Truffade Nero Custom car is available as the podium prize in The Diamond Casino for anyone lucky enough to win it.

There are also a number of vehicles discounted this week, which are listed here:

  • Mammoth Avenger – 35% discount
  • Pegassi Infernus Classic – 40% discount
  • Overflod Imorgon – 40% discount
  • Bravado Gauntlet Classic Custom – 40% discount
  • Grotti X80 Proto – 40% discount
  • Declasse Scramjet – 35% discount
  • Coil Rocket Voltic – 40% discount
  • HVY Chernobog – 40% discount
  • Brute RCV – 40% discount
  • TM-02 Khanjali – 40% discount
  • Mammoth Thruster – 40% discount
  • Mammoth Hydra – 40% discount

GTA Online players can look forward to even more content to play as Rockstar has announced a massive summer update focused on car culture. Rockstar has also announced that the standalone version of GTA Online for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will launch on November 11.

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Dying Light 2 Launches December 7, New Trailer Released

At long last, we finally have a Dying Light 2 release date. The long-awaited zombie sequel is coming out on December 7 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC, and preorders are available now. What’s more, the name has changed, if only slightly, to Dying Light 2: Stay Human.

The announcement was made as part of a new web series called Dying 2 Know, which also included a new gameplay trailer. There were be a few different digital versions of Dying Light 2: Stay Human available at launch–Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate. A Collector’s Edition will also be available, and all preorders receive a digital Reload Pack that includes a paraglider skin, weapon, and outfit.

Now Playing: Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Official Gameplay Overview Trailer

Dying Light 2 is shaping up to be a very ambitious game, with a world that changes based on your choices as well as competing factions. It still features the original game’s cooperative play and emphasis on parkour for daring escapes, but it should also be more engaging and have a better-realized setting.

With the original game releasing more than six years ago, the wait certainly hasn’t been easy, but the canceled game Hellraid was used as DLC for the original game to make it a little bit more bearable last summer.

Dying Light 2, as with the original game, is developed by Techland. The process has reportedly been tumultuous, with complaints regarding the company’s use of other games as creative starting points for its own projects as well as a toxic work culture. Chris Avellone previously served as narrative director on the project, but the developer cut ties with him in the wake of several sexual assault and harassment allegations.

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HBO Max’s Green Lantern Lands Superman And Lois Director Lee Toland Krieger For Two Episodes

Lee Toland Krieger (Superman & Lois, Riverdale) will reportedly be directing the pilot and second episode of HBO Max’s upcoming Green Lantern, according to Deadline. Back in January, the show was ordered to series, and Green Lantern’s first season will consist of 10 hour-long episodes.

The new show is quickly filling out its cast and crew. On Instagram, Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) recently revealed that he will be playing Alan Scott in the series. Additionally, back in April, it was announced that Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story) will star as Guy Gardner–other cast announcements are still forthcoming.

The upcoming TV series will be written and executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Seth Grahame-Smith. Joining them are EPs Geoff Johns, Sarah Schechter, David Katzenberg, and David Madden.

In somewhat related news, earlier this year, actor Ryan Reynolds sat down to watch his much-maligned superhero movie Green Lantern for the first time and was shocked to learn he actually liked it. While Reynolds never shies away from an opportunity to be self-deprecating, the star also used the running commentary as an opportunity to promote his gin brand, Aviation Gin. Many of Reynolds’ tweets were gently mocking of his performance, picking on the difficulty of acting “while being attacked by invisible space energy” and his use of the “Christian Bale superhero voice.”

HBO Max continues to build its catalog of original series, recently adding Warrior Season 3 to the service and a revival of the sitcom Head of the Class.