HyperX is a well-known brand when it comes to great gaming headsets, and for a good reason. Its headsets are comfortable, sound great, and are generally affordable, which makes this Amazon deal on the HyperX Cloud Alpha S difficult to ignore. The Cloud Alpha S is currently on sale for $40 off, dropping the price below $100 and matching its lowest price ever.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha S is the company’s top-tier wired headphones, building on the success of both the original Cloud Alpha and the consistently popular Cloud II. The construction is like the Cloud II, with the same metal headband, memory foam and leatherette earcups, and detachable microphone. What the Cloud Alpha S offers on top of that is a dual-chamber 50mm driver, adjustable bass slivers on the read of each earcup, and virtual 7.1 support via the headset’s detachable USB cable.
It’s compatible with pretty much every PC and console thanks to its dual AUX and USB input, and at just $90, it’s a compelling reason to upgrade to some of the most comfortable cans out there. For more recs, check out our guide to the best PC gaming headsets for 2021.
On the next episode of NXT, airing Tuesday, July 13, on USA, WWE superstar Johnny Gargano has the chance to become a two-time NXT champion when he steps in the ring with reigning title holder Karrion Kross. And while Kross, thus far, has been one of the most dominant stars in NXT history, Gargano likes his odds.
“I think I have a need to win,” the man fans have dubbed Johnny Wrestling said during an appearance on Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot’s professional wrestling podcast. “You talk about Karrion Kross, you talk about the most dominant NXT champion of all time, maybe. He is the big bad, he is the big boss at the end of a video game. And who better to go against the big boss at the end of the video game than Johnny Wrestling himself, right?”
What makes Gargano the man to beat Kross and represent the NXT brand once again? His reasoning is simple. “I think when you’re the NXT champion, people think that they have this idea that you’re the best, right? You have the title, that means you are the best at what you do,” he explained. “I do not want to live in a world where people think Karrion Kross is better than Johnny Gargano. That is why I need to win.”
And the ace up his sleeve, in Gargano’s mind, is the inclusion of Samoa Joe as guest referee. “I think Joe is my best friend,” the superstar proclaimed. “I think Karrion Kross is going to get out of hand. I think he is not a law-abiding citizen like I am. So Samoa Joe is going to step in to make sure he plays by the book. And if he has to play by the book, I think Johnny Gargano has his number.”
While Joe may be there to uphold the rules, Gargano doesn’t always play fair–and one look at the stone-cold enforcer makes it clear that he doesn’t view Gargano as a friend. So whatever happens, it should be a pretty captivating main event. And should Johnny Wrestling walk away with the win, he will join the very short list of two-time NXT champions.
Will that happen? Find out when NXT airs live, July 17, on USA. And make sure to check out Gargano’s full appearance on Wrestle Buddies, in which he talks about creating his faction The Way, going to Avengers Campus at Disneyland, and more.
She is power, she is grace, she will kick you in… to another dimension! America Chavez is a no-nonsense heavy hitter that you definitely want on your side. Born in another dimension called the Utopian Parallel and capable of opening portals to other worlds with a punch, no one understands the madness of a multiverse like America. It’s a good thing she’ll be there to help Stephen Strange when the time comes to explore other dimensions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Xochitl Gomez will play the character in the upcoming Marvel film.
“Miss America” Chavez debuted in the underrated 2011 comic miniseries Vengeance. The enigmatic powerhouse made her first appearance alongside other young heroes like the Ultimate Nullifer as part of the Teen Brigade.
It was 2013’s Young Avengers that made America Chavez a Marvel mainstay. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s must-read series gathered a group of young heroes, including America, Wiccan, Hulkling, Kid Loki, and more, to fight an extradimensional parasite. America’s ability to punch portals to other dimensions led the team across time and space as they tracked down their elusive enemy.
The young heroine’s past was briefly explored in the landmark series, but it wasn’t until her solo series in 2017 and 2021 that readers finally got an up-close look at her childhood and heritage.
Amalia and Elena Chavez raised their daughter, America, in another dimension called the Utopian Parallel. The peaceful paradise was created by the wondrous magic of a being called the Demiurge. Her mothers ultimately sacrificed themselves to save their world from destruction.
Left all alone, America fled from her home dimension to Earth at just six years old. She was found by the Santana family in New York City. They brought her to their home in Washington Heights and took her in as one of their own.
Determined to honor her mothers by becoming a hero herself, America became a vigilante—against her adoptive parents’ wishes—as she got older. She would go on to join superpowered teams as a teenager. She’s been in a few relationships with women both superpowered and ordinary; young Hawkeye Kate Bishop remains her steadfast best friend.
America finally found out more about her ancestry once she began attending Sotomayor Interdimensional University. During her time at college, she met her grandmother and Amalia’s mother, Madrimar, who revealed the truth of their family’s past. They came from Planeta Fuertona. When young Amalia’s planet was invaded by the merciless La Legion, she and Madrimar escaped to the Utopian Parallel.
They were welcomed with open arms and made their new home there. Amalia met Elena, and the two fell in love. Together they had a baby and named her after the birthplace of the Demiurge. (The Demiurge was Billy Kaplan, the reincarnated son of the Scarlet Witch also known as Wiccan, but that’s another story.) America was overwhelmed by her grandmother’s revelations, but she was also thrilled to find part of her family again.
America Chavez’s Powers and Abilities
America can punch star-shaped portals to other dimensions and travel through them. On Planeta Fuertona, this ability was rare, and the ones who wielded it were called Starlings. She’s also super-strong, super-tough, super-fast, and can fly due to her exposure to the cosmic magic of the Utopian Parallel.
She’s headstrong, tough, and fiercely independent, but America is a team player and natural leader.
TV: America is part of the team in the animated series Marvel Rising, fighting alongside Squirrel Girl, Quake, and other young Marvel heroes.
Games: She’s also been an unlockable character in several video games, including LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, Marvel Avengers Academy, Marvel Puzzle Quest, and Marvel Strike Force.
Xochitl Gomez: America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Xochitl Gomez will be donning the stars-and-stripes denim jacket in the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Our first look at Xochitl as America Chavez came courtesy ofofficial art recently shared on Twitter. Posing alongside Stephen Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff, America seems poised to add her own brand of cosmic magic to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We see that star-shaped portal behind our beloved heroes. Where in the multiverse is America Chavez headed next?
Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, Nerdist, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and comics.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has reiterated his commitment to delivering the theatrical experience.
During a recent interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Feige said that every Marvel movie is made with a theater audience in mind. He explained how those working on the movies build specific moments into stories, knowing they will garner a range of reactions from those seated inside a packed theater experiencing a movie on the big screen together.
“[Every] time we make a film, it is with the expectation of delivering on a promise of an experience, to be experienced together in a theater,” Feige told the outlet. “And seeing where people laugh or seeing where people get very quiet and still, or where people cheer if we should be so lucky, in moments in the movie…
“We spend years and years trying to work up to those moments, and being in a theater and seeing it and seeing it happen, there’s nothing better,” he added, acknowledging the pay-off of witnessing an audiences’ response. “Every decision we make is from the point of view of sitting in a crowded theater experiencing the story.”
As the first movie of MCU’s Phase 4, Black Widow is the most recent Marvel release to debut in theaters. It achieved the largest US box office opening since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it earned more than $215 million globally. The movie also opened to more than $60 million on Disney+ with Premier Access, proving that both can coexist and bring success.
IGN’s review of Black Widow recognized that the movie benefitted from “a post-Endgame era that has unshackled the Marvel Cinematic Universe from its own precise format,” though we felt it sometimes struggled to “strike a balance between action and family drama” and, ultimately, it didn’t quite turn out to be “the stellar solo film the fallen Avenger deserves.”
Beyond Black Widow, there’s a whole slate of Phase 4 movies still to come. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be the next to debut in September, with Eternals in November, and Spider-Man: No Way Home in December. After that, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will premiere, serving as the first Marvel flick of 2022.
The Entertainment Software Association has released its “Essential Facts” report about video games in the US for 2021, and the numbers and statistics speak to the continued and growing strength of gaming in America.
The big takeaway from the report is that more people are playing video games than ever before in the US, and people who are playing are doing so more–growth that was fueled in part no doubt by the pandemic.
The Essential Facts report said there are about 227 million people in America who play games, which is about two-thirds of the US population. The study showed that the average gamer is 31 years old and that 80% of people who play games are 18+.
Another finding was that 77% of people play games socially with others online or in person at least once per week, which is up from 65% in 2020. Additionally, 74% of parents said they play games with their children at least once per week (up from 55% in 2020). What’s more, the study found that–as anyone might have guessed–55% of respondents reported playing more games during the pandemic overall. 90% of them said they expect to keep playing games when social distancing rules become relaxed.
The ESA’s Essential Facts report is based on responses from around 4,000 Americans aged 18 and older; the study had a margin of error of 1.55%.
“This year’s report is a snapshot of the American video game playing community following a year of social distancing, just as the country was starting to open again,” ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said. “Today, nearly 227 million Americans play video games. Players across the country embrace the ability of games to inspire, provide stress relief and mental stimulation or simply bring joy through play.”
You can read more about the ESA’s Essential Facts report on the ESA website.
Hunt: Showdown has no shortage of creepy locations and terrifying beasts, but its new DeSalle map is home to the game’s most fearsome creature yet: a surly green ogre with a very fake Scottish accent. Redditor zzilla8 spotted Shrek’s signature shack in Hunt: Showdown’s new bayou level, roughly in the bottom-left part of the map.
And yes, the toilet that Smash Mouth made famous is also on the property, if you’re brave enough to let the world roll you to that part of the swamp.
In other Shrek-related news that’ll make you feel especially old, the DreamWorks-produced franchise is celebrated the 20th anniversary of when the first film in the series arrived in cinemas, all the way back in April 2001.
A massive success for the animation studio, Shrek created numerous sequels, spin-offs, and animated series over several years. Shrek also made Smash Mouth even more popular with its All Star single, a track that almost never made it into the film according to the band, who also contributed a cover of I’m a Believer for the closing scene.
As for Hunt: Showdown developer CryTek, there’s still so much to do and so much to see as it recently revamped the first Crysis game for PC and more modern console platforms.
Nickelodeon is making a Super Smash Bros.-style fighting game where you can finally settle the age-old question: Who would win a fight… Nigel Thornberry or SpongeBob?
As announced by IGN, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is set for release this fall on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, as well as PS4 and Xbox One. Developers Ludosity and Fair Play Labs are creating the game, which will be published by GameMill Entertainment.
The 14 confirmed characters so far include the aforementioned Nigel Thornberry and SpongeBob, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo from TMNT, and Sandy Cheeks and Patrick Star from SpongeBob. Helga from Hey Arnold, Reptar from Rugrats, and Powdered Toast Man from Ren & Stimpy are also on the roster. Each character has new moves that players can unlock over time. You can see the roster so far below.
All-Star Brawl will have 20 levels inspired by Nick TV shows–Jellyfish Fields and the Technodrome from TMNT are the two confirmed thus far. There is single-player and multiplayer, along with couch co-op and online play for up to four people.
Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Nigel Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys)
Powdered Toast Man (Ren & Stimpy)
SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)
Sandy Cheeks (SpongeBob SquarePants)
Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)
Oblina (Aaahh!!! Real Monsters)
Lucy Loud (The Loud House)
Lincoln Loud (The Loud House)
Helga (Hey Arnold!)
Reptar (Rugrats)
Zim (Invader Zim)
Danny Phantom (Danny Phantom)
All-Star Brawl is not the first mascot fighting game from a big company not named Nintendo. In 2012, Sony released PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale featuring famous PlayStation characters like Kratos, Nathan Drake, and Sackboy. It never got a sequel.
It’s a big day for Red Dead Online, as the multiplayer game’s big Blood Money update is out now across console and PC. As announced previously, Blood Money is focused on seedy enterprises, as players “experience the darker side of frontier America.”
You will take part in robberies, shakedowns, and other “lawless” activities, and you’ll be rewarded for your dastardly deeds. Here’s everything we know about Red Dead Online: Blood Money.
The Story
Guido Martelli, the underboss to Angelo Bronte, is seeking to improve his standing in Saint Denis and is recruiting soldiers to conduct crimes for him. Players who complete these crimes will earn Capitale, which is described as a “rare black market commodity.”
The crimes are multi-part missions, and the first three will be available at launch, with three more to come later.
You can visit Sean Macguire, Anthony Foreman, Joe, and James Langton to take on these crimes by yourself or with up to six others from the game’s new Free Roam mission menu.
You can take on Martelli’s contracts across Red Dead Online’s five states to collect this Capitale–and often through brutal, unsavory means. For example, you might have to take down other criminals to claim the Capitale, or you might need to raid camps to steal it. You can also find Capitale in chests and homesteads throughout the game.
You can also claim specific contracts that yield bigger stashes of Capitale, and also earn you the respect of Martelli. If you earn enough respect, you might be invited to take on what are known as Opportunities. These are “larger” schemes dreamed up by Martelli in a bid to take down a political foe by stealing jewels.
One of the Opportunities is part of the Jewels of the West series, which is something players have been asking for: the game’s first train robbery mission for its online mode. This is the first of three planned Opportunities for Red Dead Online’s Jewels of the West.
The Opportunities have three difficulty levels–Standard, Hard, and Ruthless–and they can be played alone or with up to three others. You need to have enough Capitale to start an Opportunity, and starting one comes at a cost of Capitale, too. However, the rewards may be plentiful, especially if you play at a higher difficulty.
Rockstar also mentioned that, in addition to the mission-specific contracts, there will be randomly triggered events in Red Dead Online that players may stumble upon to earn more Capitale. What’s more, the developer said a big difference with the Blood Money update is that all missions will be available at the onset (after you’ve met Martelli), and you don’t need to purchase a pre-requisite item to get started.
Also of note, Rockstar will sell an optional Hired Gun Kit that comes with Capitale, ammo, consumables, and a bandana, for players looking to get started more quickly.
The Quick Draw Club
Introduced in Blood Money, the Quick Draw Club is described as a “series of four distinct rapid-fire passes” that sounds like the game’s take on battle passes.
Each Club is themed around criminal activity to match the tone of Blood Money. Each comes with access to 25 ranks of rewards, for a price of 25 gold bars. You can earn all 25 back if they complete all 25 ranks. Everyone who buys all four Quick Draw Club passes will get the Halloween Pass 2 for free when it’s released.
Here is a rundown of the four parts of The Quick Draw Club.
The Quick Draw Club No. 1 (July 13-August 9)
Dutch’s Redcliff Outfit
The Whitchurch Cattleman Revolver Variant
The Rushword Shirt
Up to 25 Gold Bars back
The Quick Draw Club No. 2 (August 10-September 6)
The Rowberrow Outfit
The Haverhill Hat
Cartridge Wraps
Up to 25 Gold Bars back
The Quick Draw Club No. 3 (September 7-October 4)
The Beadnell Sight
The Bagshot Knife
The Layham Jacket
Up to 25 Gold Bars back
The Quick Draw Club No. 3 (October 5-October 27)
The Ibarra Mauser Pistol Variant
The Huntingdock Coat
The Forester Poncho
Up to 25 Gold Bars back
Images
Rockstar shared a series of images from Red Dead Online’s Blood Money update that show off some of the lawlessness you’ll experience in the update, and some of the characters you’ll meet. Check out the images in the gallery below.
Gallery
Kingfish
The Blood Money expansion includes the Grammy-nominated blues artist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram as an NPC in the role of a mysterious guitar player. Eagle-eyed fans might have already caught a glimpse of him in the Blood Money announcement trailer.
More
In addition to Crimes and Opportunities, Red Dead Online: Blood Money adds a series of smaller, welcome quality-of-life improvements to the experience. These include:
A new menu system that lets you choose Free Roam missions and Blood Money missions from the Free Roam Mission Givers tab
A new matchmaking tool called The Nominated Series; this allows players to “nominate” a mode and then jump into a matchmaking hopper with the chosen mode and others selected by other players.
New daily challenges
New awards
Nvidia DLSS support for compatible graphics cards
A new tint for the Torras poncho can be purchased at stores across the game
Skill and satchel pamphlets are available to buy from the Fence.
IGN can exclusively announce Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, a new fighting game featuring characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ren & Stimpy, and more.
The brawler – which looks to be similar to Super Smash Bros. in style – will come to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in Fall 2021. It’s being developed by Ludosity and Fair Play Labs, and published by GameMill Entertainment. Check out a reveal trailer below:
We don’t have a full list of characters just yet, but we know that the game will feature:
Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Nigel Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys)
Powdered Toast Man (Ren & Stimpy)
SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)
Sandy Cheeks (SpongeBob SquarePants)
Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)
Oblina (Aaahh!!! Real Monsters)
Lucy Loud (The Loud House)
Lincoln Loud (The Loud House)
Helga (Hey Arnold!)
Reptar (Rugrats)
Zim (Invader Zim)
Danny Phantom (Danny Phantom)
All-Star Brawl will also feature 20 levels based on Nickelodeon shows (including Jellyfish Fields from SpongeBob SquarePants, and the Technodrome from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and will include single player and multiplayer modes, with local and online support for up to four players. You’ll also be able to unlock new moves for every fighter, as well as earn bonus content for an in-game gallery.
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].
More than four years after it was originally released on PC, Nier: Automata’s Steam version is finally getting a new update this week that aims to fix its core problems. These issues have previously required a user-made mod to bring the game up to par with the console versions, but that will, hopefully, no longer be the case. An update will address most of these on July 15.
In a post on the game’s official Steam page on July 13, the development team listed the changes coming in the update, which you can read in full at the end of this article. They include new anti-aliasing, borderless video settings, HDR support, 4K textures for the UI, 60fps cutscenes, global illumination, ambient occlusion, and a stabilized frame rate.
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Nier: Automata – Machine Takedown Gameplay
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The PC version wasn’t completely broken before, but frame rate and video issues made it a much less enjoyable game compared to the one on PS4 and Xbox One. And given the focus on story in the Nier games, unstable frame rate or other visual problems during cutscenes or other key moments could lessen their impact.
Nier: Automata was a surprise hit for Square Enix, far outselling the original Nier, which was later upgraded and remastered as Nier: Replicant ver.1.22474487139… earlier this year. That game implemented combat like that of Automata in place of the original game’s stiff, unrefined system, and also added a fifth ending that had to be cut from the game the first time around. It’s available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Additionally, the mobile game Nier: Reincarnation is also on the way. It’s set to release in English for iOS and Android on July 28.
Nier: Automata July 15 PC Update Patch Notes
Changes made
• Borderless Video Settings
Borderless video settings have been implemented.
• Fidelity FX
A Fidelity FX CAS feature has been added.
• HDR
The system will now detect whether HDR has been activated in the Windows display settings, and automatically boot the game in HDR mode if it has.
• Anti-aliasing
Adjustments to the anti-aliasing functionality
• UI textures (4K)
Approximately 270 UI textures for icons, backdrops and UI elements etc. now support 4K resolutions.
• Cut scenes
The bit rate has been improved and all pre-rendered cut scenes adjusted, so they will now play in 60FPS and display in the correct aspect ratio without stretching the picture.
• Global illumination
A new “Global illumination” feature has been implemented. This can be set to three different levels; High, Medium or Low.
• Ambient occlusion/ bloom
The rendering targets for ambient occlusion and bloom effects have been changed to dynamic resolution based on the game’s resolution.
Bug fixes
• It is now possible to switch between recently selected display modes for screenshots, such as between full screen and windowed mode or between borderless and windowed mode, by pushing the Alt + Enter keys together.
• The mouse cursor is no longer displayed when using a game pad controller.
• The frame rate has been stabilized at 60FPS under default settings.
Other stability related fixes have also been implemented.
