The weekend has arrived in Destiny 2, so it’s time for Xur to return to the solar system with another crop of Exotic weapons and armor for players to add to their collections. The Iron Banner kicks off again on June 29, so this is another great time to grab new items that can help you get an edge.
Xur returns to the solar system every weekend in Destiny 2, starting with the daily reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET each Friday. The thing is, where he’ll land isn’t known until he actually arrives. Xur can hang out at one of several locations, including in the Tower Hangar area, on Nessus in Watcher’s Grave, and in the Winding Cove area of the EDZ. Xur’s inventory also changes each week, so it’s worth revisiting him on the weekends for new weapons and rolls on Exotic armor. You can visit him any time between his arrival Friday and the weekly reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET the following Tuesday when Xur departs the solar system.
We’ll update this post as soon as Xur arrives with a full rundown of where you can find him and what he’s offering.
Each week, Xur offers one Exotic weapon and three pieces of Exotic armor: one for each character class. The inventory is random, as are the stat rolls you can expect on each of his armor offerings, so if you’re looking to fill out your collection or if you’re hoping for better versions of Exotics you already have, it’s worth visiting him. Xur also brings an Exotic Engram, which is guaranteed to drop something you don’t already have, if there are Exotics missing from your collection on that particular character–but that doesn’t include Exotics you have to earn through activities, including the new Exotic armors added each season, which can only be claimed from Legendary or Master Lost Sectors.
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Finally, F9: The Fast Saga is in theaters, so make sure to check out GameSpot’s review of the film. It may be over a year late thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Fast 9–the latest film in the Fast and Furious franchise–has finally seen the light of day, reuniting fans with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family. And while the film was stuffed with all kinds of intense action, plot twists, and surprises, we need to talk about that ending.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for F9. If you haven’t gone to see the movie yet, stop reading now. If you’re fine with finding out what happens at the end of the film, carry on.
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First thing’s first, yes there is a mid-credits scene in Fast 9. So don’t bolt out of your seat the moment the movie ends. Besides, you should stick around for the credits anyway. A lot of people worked hard to make this movie a reality and you should give them the attention they deserve.
As for the ending, the final moments of the film set the course for what to expect in the next two films–and those movies are supposedly going to be the final entries in the main series.
Jakob Toretto
Firstly, after being the antagonist throughout the film, Jakob sides with his family and helps them stop Cipher (Charlize Theron) and Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen) from gaining control of technology that can hack into any weapons system in the world. Granted, Jakob abandoning his evil cause to help out his brother isn’t a moment that’s entirely earned. It’s pretty obvious that he probably would have remained a bad guy had Cipher and Otto not turned on him, but there’s no way this movie was going to end with a Toretto being a villain.
After the day is saved and Cipher escapes to presumably plot her revenge, Dom and Mia (Jordana Brewster) let their brother escape. Chances are that means we’ll see him again in the next movie. Sure, Jakob may be a terrorist who attempted to overthrow the world’s governments, but Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) wasn’t the nicest guy either and now he’s one of the family.
Deckard Shaw
Speaking of Deckard Shaw, he pops up in a mid-credits scene in the film. Technically we last saw him in Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, the spin-off he starred in alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Deckard has some unfinished business in the main series, though. While he may have buried the hatchet with Dom in Fate of the Furious, prior to that we all knew him as the guy who killed Han.
However, now we know Han isn’t dead; he was just in hiding. After Shaw attempted to kill him, Han was enlisted by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). Still, Han has plenty to be mad at Shaw about, given that he tried to blow him up–and now he’s come calling.
In the mid-credits scene, Shaw is working over a punching bag (which we learn has someone he doesn’t like stuffed inside, taking a beating). When there’s a knock at his door, he opens it to find himself face-to-face with Han.
Clearly, we’re going to see those two hash out their differences in the next film, be it with words or fists. That is, of course, unless Shaw already knew Han was alive. After all, Deckard is no stranger to Mr. Nobody. It could easily be revealed that he was working with Nobody to help make Han disappear. That would be a pretty massive retcon, but hey, we are talking about the Fast and Furious series here.. Alternatively, they could just have the two characters punch each other a bunch until they’re best friends. Then, they could find a way to bring Giselle (Gal Gadot) back.
You can go home again
As the movie comes to a close, the family returns to Los Angeles for what feels like the first time since Furious 7. We see the Toretto house being rebuilt, with a BBQ happening in the backyard. It’s a sweet moment that harkens back to the original film and includes a moment that could very well bring some fans to tears.
While sitting down to say grace before their meal, Dom mentions that they’re still waiting on one person to arrive for the meal. As the camera pulls out, we see Brian’s car arrive, quickly pulling into the driveway.
Brian was, of course, played by the late Paul Walker. The actor died before the release of Furious 7, and his character was sidelined in Fate of the Furious, alongside his wife Mia. This last moment is a touching tribute to the character, as well as the actor. While we won’t see Brian again in the movies, it’s good to see the spirit of the character kept alive in these little ways.
F9: The Fast Saga is in theaters now.
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The full trailer for Halloween Kills is here. The latest movie in the long-running horror series hits theaters on October 15.
Halloween Kills picks up minutes after the end of 2018’s reboot/sequel. Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen, and granddaughter Allyson have escaped from Michael Myers and seemingly burned him alive in Laurie’s house. But of course, he escapes, and sets out on another night of gory mayhem. But this time the Strodes have no intention of running away, and so three generations of women set about trying to stop Michael for the last time. The trailer delivers plenty of bloody action and it looks like an intense follow-up to the 2018 hit. Check it out below:
Halloween Kills stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie, Judy Greer as Karen, and Andi Matichak as Allyson, with Michael played by both James Jude Courtney and original actor Nick Castle. The cast also features several other cast members who will be familiar to long-time fans of the series. Nancy Stephens appears as Marion Chambers, a role she played in 1981’s Halloween 2 and again in 1998’s Halloween H20, Charles Cyphers will reprise his role as Leigh Brackett, the Sheriff from the original 1978 film, and Kyle Richards returns as Lindsey Wallace, one of the kids that Laurie is babysitting in the original.
The movie is directed by David Gordon Green, who also helmed the 2018 film, with a script by Green, Danny McBride, and Scott Teems. It’s also got a score by John Carpenter, who directed the original Halloween and wrote the series’s iconic theme. Halloween Kills was originally set for release in October last year, but was delayed due to the pandemic.
There’s another Halloween movie on the way too. Halloween Ends will also be directed by Green, and that’s currently set to arrive on October 14, 2022. The initial plan was to make the movie back-to-back with Halloween Kills, but it will now shoot separately. For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to the biggest upcoming horror movies of 2021.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings trailer #2 spoiler follows:
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Marvel’s latest trailer for September 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has revealed a brief glimpse at the return of an original MCU Phase 1 villain who’s been benched since 2008.
Abomination (or Emil Blonsky, portrayed by Tim Roth in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk) hasn’t been spotted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the second film in the Infinity Saga, but he’s appeared in a brief tease in the final moments of the newest trailer, which arrived today.
It’s the first new look at the powerful villain in well over a decade, although Abomination was discussed during the 2011 Marvel One-Shot ‘The Consultant’ and mentioned in passing during a 2014 episode of the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Arriving in cinemas on September 2 in Australia and September 3 in North America and the UK, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be the second feature film in Marvel’s Phase 4 following Black Widow (which arrives next month).
Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed all new details about Elden Ring, Dark Souls spiritual successor, in a number of now translated interviews – including from Famitsu. Miyazaki discussed how summons, co-op, and PvP in Elden Ring would work, further broke down the lore and story of Elden Ring, and discussed the open field of Elden Ring vs its 6 major “Legacy” dungeons.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Steam Summer Sale 2021: Our Favorite Games Under $10
The Steam Summer Sale is back once more, bringing thousands of steep discounts across Steam’s catalog of PC games and a new Choose Your Own Adventure-style theme. It’s a great time to snag any Steam games on your wishlist–they’re likely on sale for their best price yet–but the Steam Summer Sale is always a great time to discover new games for your backlog.
The best part is that, even if you’re on a strict budget, you can find plenty of cheap games for $10 or less during the Steam Summer Sale. You don’t have to break the bank to pick up great titles across nearly every genre, and many of them may be hidden gems that hadn’t crossed your radar yet. We know there’s a lot to wade through in the Steam Summer Sale, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite games available for $10 or less right now. Let us know in the comments down below what you’re planning to pick up! Plus, check out our full guide to the best Steam Summer Sale deals this year.
Hanna-Barbera has never been afraid to play around with their characters, as seen with Adult Swim series like Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. Now, all the animation studio’s classic characters are coming back to life in the latest trailer for Jellystone!, the upcoming HBO Max animated series.
Jellystone! follows a whole list of Hanna-Barbera characters as they “live, work, play and (as is often the case) destroy the town in some silly way together.” Characters like Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, Huckleberry Hound, Jabberjaw, Magilla Gorilla, and Peter Potamus populate the town and interact regardless of what show they originated on.
If you recognize the visual style, it’s because the show comes courtesy C. H. Greenblatt, creator of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Chowder, and Harvey Beaks.
“I grew up watching tons of Hanna-Barbera cartoons and have a deep love for these characters,” Greenblatt said in an official statement. “The massive amount of both classic and not-so-classic characters we were able to use from the Hanna-Barbera library is what really makes the Jellystone! universe special. Rather than recreate the feeling of cartoons of the past, we wanted to have silly, weird fun with these characters and expand their personalities to give them more depth. Chances are if there’s a character you love, you’ll see them somewhere in this world eventually. We hope longtime fans appreciate our take on this world, and we’re excited that parents get to introduce and enjoy their favorite Hanna-Barbera characters with their kids.”
Greenblatt serves as showrunner, executive producer, and voice actor on the show. Other confirmed actors include Grace Helbig, Ron Funches, Paul F. Tompkins, Thomas Lennon, and more. Jellystone! debuts on HBO Max on Thursday, July 29.
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Every generation has its Superman, and for many kids who grew up in the early 2000s, that’s Tom Welling’s Clark Kent of Smallville. Now, Welling and co-star Michael Rosenbaum are looking to revive the characters for an animated series, the actor says.
“Michael Rosenbaum and I are actually working on an animated series to bring those characters back to life, and use as many of the original cast members as possible,” Welling said in a video message to a fan via Cameo. “Don’t tell anybody, though. It’s a secret–we’re still working on it.”
On the one hand, this is coming straight from the mouth of the actor who played the character for many years on the original show. On the other, it’s far from a confirmation. Importantly, Welling says that he and Michael Rosenbaum are developing the show–no mention of the show’s original creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, nor of the likely rights holders, the CW television network.
Michael Rosenbaum has been talking about the idea for a few years now, and has addressed the idea as recently as this spring in an Instagram Q&A. There, Rosenbaum was very non-committal, stating that “Tom Welling and I had the idea of Smallville returning as an animated series, so we’ll see if that ever happens, but we’ll try to get that going.”
Smallville ran on the WB, and then on its replacement network, the CW, for 10 seasons with a strict “no tights, no flight” rule to keep the show, which focused on Clark Kent’s early years as a superhero, grounded. Since then, Welling has had a couple brushes with the DC universe, playing Marcus Pierce on NBC/Netflix’s Lucifer, and reprising the Clark Kent role in a cameo on the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover last year. Rosenbaum did not appear in that crossover, but has voiced a number of DC characters including The Flash and Kid Flash in several projects, as well as Scarecrow, Deadman, and others.
Smallville itself, meanwhile, found new life in comic book form. Smallville: Season 11 ran from 2012 through 2013 and indeed brought in both tights and flight.
It seems like the pair has been trying to get the project going for a while now. So while this is the first time Welling has said explicitly on camera that they’re working on this project, we shouldn’t hold our collective breath for the time being. If you want to get your Superman television fix right now, the CW’s Superman and Lois stands out from the rest of the Arrowverse. Further out, Warner Bros. is developing a Superman film with a Black Superman character, and game developer Rocksteady is working on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
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In the Apex Devstream for Apex Legends‘ upcoming Genesis event, Respawn revealed that it’s been much easier for the team to make adjustments to the battle royale game’s maps since Season 7. With three maps now in rotation in Apex Legends, Respawn can take a whole season to discuss how a map should be altered based on community feedback.
“We only had Kings Canyon at first,” design director Jason McCord said during the stream. “In Season 2, we needed to do a map update–I was working on that, probably pre-launch of the whole game. So I didn’t know what to tackle–besides our own playtests–for what I would change, what the designers wanted, and whatever everyone else would want to see different.”
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McCord went on to say that he had to make “blind assumptions” in those early days, hoping to correctly guess what players would want to see changed based on little available data. “Which is really scary,” he said.
These decisions can’t be pre-planned either as Respawn does not design Apex Legends’ maps with future adjustments and changes in mind. “Everyone has ideas while we’re working on the [map]–like, maybe later, sometime down the line, we can do this cool idea that they have,” McCord said. “But generally, a map is so much effort that everyone is just really focused on making that first [iteration] good.”
The addition of World’s Edge in Season 3 didn’t help in alleviating the problem too much, McCord continued. With previous seasons taking place on Kings Canyon, it was decided that World’s Edge would get the update in Season 4. According to McCord, that meant, “We have to start working on it before World’s Edge even launches. So we don’t really know what to change–we don’t know what the community wants us to change.”
“Now we’re in a better position where we’ve got more maps. So we saw Olympus come out in Season 7. And we thought about doing map updates for Olympus in Season 8 but we thought, ‘Why don’t we take a beat, and let the community talk about it, let us figure out what we like about it. We’ll go back to Kings Canyon for Season 8, and then come back to Olympus for Season 9.’ That’s been a really good benefit for us, to actually adjust the maps based on what the community thinks instead of what our gut is.”
Beginning June 29, Genesis is a limited-time event that temporarily reverts Kings Canyon back to how it appeared when Apex Legends first launched and World’s Edge back to how it first appeared in Season 3. The event also sees Kings Canyon’s Skull Town landmark (which was destroyed in Season 5) return as a new map in Apex Legends’ new PvP Arenas mode, and several balancing adjustments to certain characters and weapons. All of the changes are listed in the Apex Legends Genesis patch notes.
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With Disneyland’s highly anticipated Avengers Campus now open, the un-caped, un-super powered, and un-ripped masses finally have the opportunity to join the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – if only for a day. The first step toward becoming authentically superheroic comes in the form of Web Slingers, a brand-new half-ride-half-game experience that sees you team up with Spider-Man to save the day. However, while it will more than likely provide some degree of fun for the whole family (even the very little ones), thrill chasers and video game enthusiasts may find Web Slingers’ hybrid approach a bit lacking on both fronts.
Situated near the entrance of the Avengers Campus and just beyond a very cool Spider-mural credited to Miles Morales, the Web Slingers ride queue is full of Easter eggs sure to delight Marvel fans who look for them. The concept is that Web Slingers is a collaboration between Stark Industries and Pym Labs where young geniuses let their inventive minds run wild. Outside of the main building, plaques are dedicated to the likes of Lunella Lafayette (aka Moon Girl), Harley Keener (who you might remember as Tony’s little buddy from Iron Man 3), and Wakandan engineering prodigy Onome. Inside are diagrams with formulas taken directly from the MCU’s Spider-Man movies which may or may not hold the secret to web fluid.
Before hitting up the boarding line, the MCU’s own Peter Parker, Tom Holland, sets the scene via a screen behind what appears to be a messy lab. Peter’s latest experiments are some very cute little robotic spiders that, wouldn’t you know it, come with a self-replicating capability that quickly sees them multiply beyond control. Instead of calling Iron Man (who is alive, apparently, indicating that the ride takes place either outside of the official MCU canon or sometime before the events of Endgame), Peter gets his buddy (wink, wink) Spider-Man on the case. After walking past some lockers with the names of other lab workers (including Miles once again) and some Stark Industries employee time cards (with the clock permanently reading 6:16 in a nod to Marvel’s Earth-616), you board the narrow vehicles that take you through the ride.
Each cart is designed to fit about four passengers, but could comfortably fit five. Along a winding track, the cart slowly stops at various screens that, with the help of some special 3D glasses, quickly fill with runaway robots. Your job is to quickly and forcefully extend your arms toward the bots in Spider-Man’s patented THWIP motion, which then magically sends a web shooting from your hand into the screen that (fingers crossed) takes down the bot and doesn’t accidentally hit some other piece of lab equipment.
Before you’re truly able to appreciate or examine the mechanic, you realize you need to be pumping your arms a LOT in order to catch as many bots as possible due to your amusing but frustrating initial lack of accuracy. My companions and I were laughing with glee at the silliness and frantic pace demanded of our arms while four screens embedded in the vehicle dashboards kept track of our overall scores. After further inspection, it becomes clear that some spider bot color variations are worth significantly more points than others, but I didn’t really feel like I had the time to hunt for the most valuable ones. This information also would have been helpful to know before entering the ride, and I hope Disney considers adding it somewhere in the line queue where, on busy days, riders will definitely be looking for something to stare at to kill time.
After about five minutes, four or five screens, a pair pretty hilarious of boss fights where your team must join forces to take out a few giant spiders, and what feels like a medium-strenuous upper body cardio workout, individual and team scores are tallied and you exit the vehicles to scoreboards displaying both the hour’s and the day’s highest scores. The immediate gamer instinct, of course, is to repeat the ride with your newfound knowledge in an attempt to top the leaderboard. However, unless you are able to fill out a full four-person vehicle with competitive types (I was only in a group of three), a top spot may seem unreachable…without some enhancements.
To no one’s surprise, a cart directly outside Web Slingers is there to provide you with web shooter upgrades. A base model Web Power Band and four options for secondary extensions (including an Iron Man-themed option) will cost you about $60 if you buy both. For research purposes, I purchased the enhancements and was able to more than double my personal score with some new nifty-looking electrified and seemingly higher scoring webs, despite the new hunks of plastic feeling pretty uncomfortable on my arm. I rode by myself this time around, and while it was nice to see my score go up, it wasn’t nearly as fun as riding with friends, nor was I anywhere close to cracking the overall leaderboard. I also had the benefit of visiting the park on a preview day with little to no line, so riding again was very easy. But for the average rider, the prospect of waiting in a long line, paying about half the price of a ticket to California Adventure for a few plastic upgrades, and waiting in another long line to play again may not be very appealing. (Though it’s nice to give your arms a break between runs.)
