Fortnite’s NFL Skins Were Hugely Popular, Court Documents Reveal

As part of the ongoing court case between Apple and Epic, it was revealed that one of Fortnite’s first major licensed skins store bundles was a huge success. It was confirmed in court documents that Epic sold 3.3 million skins in November and December 2018 alone for its NFL partnership.

These were sold for 1,500 V-Bucks (~$15 USD), which works out to around $50 million in revenue for one set of skins. The NFL no doubt go a cut of those sales as part of its agreement with Epic, but clearly both sides benefitted from the partnership. V-Bucks can also be earned through gameplay, so it’s not a straight 1:1 for revenue.

What’s notable here is that this is seemingly the first time Epic has disclosed any specifics about the performance of its skins bundles, which is one of the main ways that the game makes money.

The NFL skins allowed players to dress up their Fortnite character like an NFL player. All 32 NFL teams were included in the initial store offering. It was so successful that Epic brought back the NFL skins with new features and more in 2020.

The developer also continued its partnership with sports clubs for in-game Fortnite skins. In 2021, Epic partnered with 23 famous football clubs–including Manchester City, AC Milan, Juventus, and more–for skins based on those teams. Given that football/soccer is far more popular globally than American football, it’s likely these skins had strong sales, too.

Looking ahead, NBA skins are reportedly coming to Fortnite in the future.

Outside of sports teams, Epic has teamed up with numerous other giant brands, like Deadpool and Alien, while the company offered skins based on Lara Croft, Kratos, and Master Chief as well. Leaked documents from the Apple vs. Epic trial also showed that Epic was planning or hoping to have Samus from Nintendo’s Metroid series come to Fortnite, alongside Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games and Naruto.

Check out GameSpot’s rundown of all the major Apple vs. Epic developments so far to catch up with the latest news.

Now Playing: Epic Vs Apple Explained

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John Cena To Narrate Peacock Project Called WWE Evil

The former 16-time WWE Champion and mega movie star John Cena has his next project for Peacock lined up. WWE announced that Cena will narrate and produce WWE Evil, which is billed as “an entertaining psychological exposé into the minds of the most diabolical antagonists in WWE history, and their impact on mainstream culture.”

WWE Evil is the latest project to join the group of WWE programming on Peacock after parent company NBC Universal purchased the rights to WWE content in March. It will air along with original series like Undertaker: The Last Ride and Steve Austin’s show, The Broken Skull Sessions.

Peacock is also where you can watch every WWE pay-per-view and Raw, Smackdown, and NXT, but only up to a certain year. At press time, Raw and Smackdown only go back to 2008.

Cena has been announced to return to Monday Night Raw next week and will probably plug the show at some point, but it’s his first WWE appearance in over a year. He was last seen at Wrestlemania 36 in a cinematic match between The Fiend in a Firefly Funhouse Match, in which he lost.

Cena has been experimenting with movies since 2006 with WWE Studios’ The Marine, and now is considered one of the world’s biggest action stars. He’ll soon be featured in Fast and Furious 9, The Suicide Squad, which will have a spin-off solo show for HBO Max as well. He has done plenty of voice work in the past few years as well including the Wonderful Pistachio elephant and currently the voice of Honda for their Rugged campaign.

Enjoy A Cinematic Media Experience Anywhere With This $199 Pocket Projector

High-quality projectors have changed home entertainment. With the clarity and resolution of projectors improving year after year, many people have forgone television sets entirely for the large format images that projectors can offer. However, projectors don’t just offer large screens for home use; they have also become highly portable, and few are more portable than the Prima 1080p HD Pocket Projector.

The Prima Pocket Projector is a compact, high-performance projector. Ready to go anywhere and pair to any device, the Prima brings high-quality, large-format images anywhere you want to take them. Best of all, the Prima Pocket Projector is currently on sale for only $199, down from $799, when you use coupon code PRIMA at checkout.

Powered by an Android-powered 64-bit quad-core processor, this projector is powerful and ultra-portable, with a compact, sleek design that’s thin and small enough to fit comfortably in your pocket. In fact, it only weighs as much as an iPhone 7s Plus. The long battery life enables users to project high-quality images for up to three hours and to play audio for up to 30 hours all on a single charge.

The Prima 1080p Pocket Projector is more than just extremely portable. It’s also a super capable projector. The Prima can project a display anywhere from a 30-inch screen size all the way up to 200 inches, making it perfect for an individual watching sesh or a game night with your friends while on the go. The Prima has a 200-lumen bulb that’s four times brighter than other portable projectors, allowing you to enjoy crisp, clear images in any lighting conditions.

With HDMI, USB, micro SD, and audio and AV ports, the Prima can be connected to a plethora of devices, including wireless syncing to your smartphone, laptop, or tablet. One user comments, “It works really well with AirPlay, so anything I do on my phone or computer I can now do in HD on the big screen.” Users can also access the Google Play Store to download apps and stream directly from their Prima.

Take control of your home or on-the-go entertainment with a compact, ultra-portable, high-quality Prima 1080p HD Pocket Projector, now just $199 with code PRIMA.

Prices subject to change.

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Resident Evil Village Has Shipped Over 3 Million Units Globally

Since its launch on May 7, Resident Evil Village has shipped over 3 million units globally.

Capcom announced the news in a press release, revealing that this newest entry available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC is off to a strong start.

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Since 1996, cumulative shipments of Resident Evil games have exceeded 100 million and Village builds upon the success of Resident Evil 7 biohazard, which itself has shipped 8.5 million units as of December 31, 2020.

This news also follows Capcom’s announcement that it has hit record-high profits for the fourth consecutive year, in big part due to the releases of both Monster Hunter Rise and the remake of Resident Evil 3.

In our Resident Evil Village review, we said that playing it “is like visiting a disturbing and deadly Disneyland, where every attraction is a house of horrors. I got just as big a thrill out of revelling in its frenzied violence as I did retracing my steps through the gradually revealed recesses of its sizable village setting to uncover the darkest story secrets of its monstrous main cast.”

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For more on Resident Evil Village, check out our Wiki guide that will help you survive this horrific world and see which fan favorite character was cut from the game.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Roblox Continues To Add To Its Massive Playerbase, Now Up To 42.1 Million Daily Active Users

Roblox has long been one of the most popular games in the world–it’s had millions of fans for its nearly fifteen-year run. But it continues to grow and bring in new players, and it’s now up to 42.1 million daily active users.

According to Roblox’s Q1 2021 earnings, the game has also achieved solid revenue in addition to its huge playerbase, earning $387 million in revenue. Both revenue and daily active users (DAUs) are way up year-over-year, with revenue up 140% from Q1 2020 and DAUs up 37% from Q1 2020.

Roblox has exploded in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns went into effect across the world in March 2020. It has rapidly become one of the most popular games in the world–while showing off a particularly consistent streak in audience growth. Its recent successes have even surprised developer Roblox Corporation, which expected growth and revenue to decrease as lockdowns lifted throughout the world. However, while there was a slight downturn between February and March in monthly active users (MAUs), Roblox is now up to an all-time high 202 million MAUs.

Roblox’s fantastic year led to a massive initial public offering, and the company is valued at $35 billion. However, it still doesn’t make a profit, having lost $134 million in Q1 2021. In spite of this, Roblox Corporation’s CEO is still optimistic about the future, as the company continues to invest money in improving the game’s core technology.

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Pokemon Go Luminous Legends Y Event Starts May 18, Adds Yveltal, Pancham, And Sylveon

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has shared more details about the game’s upcoming Luminous Legends Y event. The event is divided up into two parts and introduces a few new Gen 6 Pokemon to the game, including the Legendary Yveltal, which will be appearing in five-star Raids throughout the entire event.

Luminous Legends Y Part 1

The first part of the event runs from May 18-24. During this portion, Pancham will make its Pokemon Go debut. The panda Pokemon will be hatching from Strange Eggs along with Qwilfish, Larvitar, Absol, Skorupi, Sandile, Scraggy, Pawniard, Vullaby, and Deino. Dark-type Pokemon such as Houndour and Carvanha will also be appearing in the wild more frequently, and you’ll have more chances to catch Spritzee, Swirlix, and Goomy if you missed them during the Luminous Legends X event.

Additionally, Niantic will offer Team Go Rocket-themed Timed Research tasks during the first part of the Luminous Legends Y event, as well as some exclusive Field Research. Completing these tasks will lead to encounters with Dark-type Pokemon like Galarian Zigzagoon and Scraggy. Certain Dark Pokemon like Alolan Rattata, Alolan Grimer, Sneasel, Poochyena, and Stunky will also hatch from 7 km eggs, while Alolan Meowth and others will appear as Raid bosses.

Finally, Niantic is holding a collective challenge during the first part of the event. If players can collectively defeat 25 million Team Go Rocket grunts between May 15-23, the studio will offer a few bonuses during the remainder of the event. First, you’ll earn triple the usual amount of XP for catching a Pokemon. Galarian Zigzagoon will also be available as a one-star Raid boss, and you’ll have your first chance to find a Shiny Galarian Zigzagoon in the game.

Yveltal
Yveltal

Luminous Legends Y Part 2

The second part of the Luminous Legends Y event runs from May 25-31. During this leg of the event, Niantic will introduce Sylveon, Eevee’s Fairy-type evolution, to the game. You’ll be able to evolve Eevee into Sylveon by earning hearts with it when it’s set as your buddy. Other Eevee evolutions like Vaporeon, Jolteon, Umbreon, and Espeon will also appear in three-star Raids.

Beyond that, many of the same wild Pokemon featured during the first part of the event will continue to appear in the wild, as will Eevee, Ralts, Spritzee, and Swirlix. Certain Fairy-type Pokemon (or Pokemon that eventually evolve into Fairy types) like Cleffa, Igglybuff, Togepi, and Azurill will also hatch from 7 km eggs.

Finally, there will be more event-exclusive Research tasks. Completing these will lead to encounters with Eevee and some of its evolutions. You can read more about the event on the official Pokemon Go blog.

In the meantime, the Luminous Legends X event is underway until May 17. As part of that, the Legendary Fairy Pokemon Xerneas is appearing in Raids for the first time. Niantic is also holding May’s Community Day this Saturday, May 15.

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Army Of The Dead Star Dave Bautista Joins Rian Johnson’s Knives Out 2

With Army of the Dead getting ready to premiere on Netflix, star Dave Bautista is cementing his relationship with the streaming service. As first reported by Deadline–and confirmed by Bautista himself–the actor will star with Daniel Craig in Knives Out 2, from director Rian Johnson. Previously, the streaming service bought the rights to two follow-up films from the franchise.

No details about the film have been released. Like the first installment, the movie will see Craig play master detective Benoit Blanc, solving a mystery where–most likely–there’s a large pool of potential suspects. Per Deadline, production will kick off later this year in Greece.

The news of Bautista’s casting comes hot on the heels of the actor revealing that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will likely be his final film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “As far as my obligations, I’ve got Guardians 3, and that’s probably going to be the end of Drax,” he said previously.

Of course, he’s still plenty busy. As it stands, he’ll film the third Guardians film later this year. In addition to that, 2021 will see him star in both Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, as well as Denis Villeneuve’s remake of Dune.

Army of the Dead hits Netflix on May 21.

Image credit: Getty Images/NICK AGRO

VVVVVV Creator’s Next Game Is Entirely Made in Roblox

The creator of VVVVVV, Terry Cavanaugh, has just released his next game — but unlike VVVVVV, you won’t find it on typical storefronts. Instead, in order to play Climb the Giant Man Obby, you’ll need to venture into Roblox.

In a blog post, Cavanaugh announced the “obby,” which is Roblox shorthand for “obstacle course” (or just a platformer) and a popular genre to make among first-time creators on Roblox.

“For the past year or so, I’ve been kinda fascinated by Roblox – a massively popular multiplayer game platform, mostly aimed at kids,” Cavanaugh writes. “So recently, I decided to try making a game for it!”

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“I didn’t expect how much I was going to love working in Roblox Studio,” Cavanaugh added. “I’ve been working on this on-and-off for about three months, which makes it one of my biggest freeware projects ever.”

Cavanaugh detailed his development journey with Roblox in a lengthy Twitter thread that goes back to the end of March. The thread offers glimpses of his process of adapting to Roblox’s creation tools as Cavanaugh first attempted to recreate the outfit worn by the fellow in the “How do you do, fellow kids?” meme, then turned his player character wearing that outfit into a giant man to then build a climbable obstacle course around.

The ensuring obby has, per Cavanaugh, about 30 or so “stages” which include obstacles like giant rotating fidget spinners, extremely narrow platforms, and ziplines. Cavanah says in the thread that he wanted to include as many obby tropes as possible, and solicited feedback on what he should include.

Though Climb the Giant Man Obby is free-to-play, Roblox’s game creation capabilities and a massive community of players have attracted not just hobbyists and aspiring developers, but professional developers like Cavanaugh. The platform’s biggest game, Adopt Me, brings in millions of dollars in revenue and is being made by a team of around 100 people — a full-blown studio with full-time employees.

Roblox itself recently went public and at the launch of its direct listing, was estimated to be worth more than Take-Two and Ubisoft combined. Its value at least in part lies in the hundreds of thousands of creators making money from content on Roblox and its hundreds of millions of active users, and the company is currently looking to expand into more countries, more languages, and add even more monetization features to make content creation a viable revenue source for creators.

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Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Valorant’s New Game Mode Replication Revealed, Goes Live Tomorrow

Developer Riot Games has unveiled Valorant‘s new game mode. Called Replication, it follows the same rules as Unrated but with one major restriction: everyone on a team plays as the same agent. Replication goes live on May 11, which is when patch 2.09 is expected.

Players aren’t given an agent at random. Selecting an agent is a democratic process, with each team voting for which agent they want to play before Replication’s start. The agent with the most votes becomes the pick.

There are a few other modifications that come with Replication. Everything (except Ultimates) is refreshed every round and players receive a fixed number of credits. Additionally, players that are flashed twice within a four-second window will get a five-second protection against blindness called Flashguard.

When designing Replication, Riot said it wanted to offer more casual game modes. Game designer Kyle Powell reiterated this sentiment in a press release, adding that it’s all about widening the player’s imagination.

“With Replication, we are looking to create exciting and novel moments by widening the player theorycrafting space while highlighting Agent abilities,” Powell said. “Quintupling down on Agents that were balanced around normal Agent restrictions, we’ve created lots of hilarious near game-breaking plays for players to discover.”

Replication is not attached to an event, but it will “temporarily replace” Escalation. It’s expected to stay live for two weeks before moving to a “mode rotation strategy.” It’s unclear if Replication will remain a permanent fixture of Valorant’s multiplayer offerings going forward.

In other Valorant news, Riot Games announced plans to record in-game voice chat across all its games to combat toxic behavior. The first title under Riot’s catalog to embrace these new monitoring tools is Valorant.

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