Lining up with this weekend’s BlizzCon, Blizzard is offering up the previously-announced Helm of Domination collectible, which goes on sale tomorrow, February 19 at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET on the Blizzard Gear Store. We got to take a closer look at it, and it’s very spikey.
Blizzard sent us the collectible, and the helmet may not be big enough to fit on your own head, but this World of Warcraft 30th anniversary replica is highly-detailed and feels pretty sturdy. Primarily made of polyresin (88%, Plastic: 6%, and Alloy: 6%), the collectible comes in at nearly 17-inches tall–when placed on the stand. However, this helmet will cost you a pretty penny–$300 to be exact. Check out some images of it below.
It won’t fit on your head, but it will dominate your enemies
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The stand for the helmet keeps it in place and upright. There is a tremendous amount of detail within the helmet, including the inscription around the gem between the eyes. It’s surprising how well this helmet translates into a collectible. And no, it’s not full scale, but this helmet is already very large, and scaling it up any more would make a challenge to put on a shelf–because you wouldn’t have the room.
World of Warcraft is filled with incredible amounts of lore and backstory, but this is one of the more recognizable items from that world. “Forged according to the Jailer’s will, the Helm of Domination was to be the vessel of Death’s influence on Azeroth,” reads the official description for the item. “The Nathrezim imprisoned the spirit of the orc chieftain Ner’zhul within the helm, granting him command over a vast army of undead Scourge. The fallen Prince Arthas Menethil freed the Helm from the Frozen Throne, donning it to take up the mantle of the Lich King.”
In addition to the mammoth update for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the battle royale game Warzone is getting a big refresh for Season 2 as well. Activision ran down all the key details in a blog post, and we’re highlighting the most important bits here.
New Places To Explore And More Mysteries
With the Season 2 update, Verdansk is expanding the number of points of interest to explore, but one shines above the rest. The cargo tanker Vodianoy–which was previously seen off the coast of Rebirth Island–is now missing from that location. It’s now at the Port of Verdansk, but all is not well.
“Operators within the vicinity are recommended to exercise extreme caution, as the ship is carrying unknown cargo, and its crew are not able to be contacted,” Activision said.
The publisher further teased something strange in Verdansk. “Meanwhile, within Verdansk, something major is beginning to rumble deep underground,” the publisher said. “Although other reports on these new locales are still classified, we’d advise to explore these areas at your own risk.”
New Game Mode
A new mode called Exfiltration is coming to Warzone in Season 2. In Exfiltration Battle Royale, players must find a portable radio and hold it for a certain amount of time so a chopper can come and save you. The danger is that players or teams holding the radio are highlighted on the map and all other players are shown how much time is left before exfiltration. The rest of the match plays out normally, with the first player/team to get exfiltrated or the last player/team standing winning.
Get to the choppa!
Another new mode, Rebirth Island Resurgence Extreme, is headed to Warzone as well. In this respawn-enabled mode, up to 90 players (an increase from the previous player limit for normal Resurgence) duke it out in what is described as an “incredibly frenetic fight for supremacy.”
Release Date, Timing, And File Size
The Season 2 update for Warzone arrives as a “rolling update” starting on February 24 between 9 PM PT and 11 PM PT, which works out to 12 AM ET and 2 AM ET on February 25.
Activision has yet to disclose the file size of the update, but it’s expected to be substantial.
For more on the Season 2 refresh, check out the stories below to find out what’s coming to Black Ops Cold War multiplayer and Zombies:
Konami might not be preparing one, but two new Silent Hill entries, with one Japanese developer preparing for a reveal this summer.
The report, compiled by VGC, suggests that Konami might be preparing two different reboots of the popular horror franchise, with one already well into development at a Japanese studio. Bloober Team, developer of The Medium, could potentially be working on the other, with CEO Piotr Babieno confirming that the studio has been working on a horror IP from a “very famous gaming publisher.”
“We’ve been working for more than a year on another gaming project, another horror IP, and we’re doing this with a very famous gaming publisher,” Babieno said in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. “I can’t tell you who. I can’t tell you what the project is, but I’m pretty sure when people realize we’re working on it, they will be very excited.”
This would line up with other hints that Bloober might be working on its own Silent Hill entry. Earlier this year, famed Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka confirmed that he was working with Bloober on another game outside of The Medium. Just a few weeks ago, Yamaoke also appeared on a video where he teased a project he described as “the one you’ve been hoping to hear about.” The video was quickly taken offline, with Konami denying involvement.
VGC reports that Konami previously approached Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games to develop a Silent Hill entry, but plans fell through and the deal was never signed. The Silent Hill being developed in Japan will also reportedly be a departure from the series’ familiar gameplay, which could be why Konami might also have shopped around another more traditional reboot idea.
Bloober Team recently confirmed that it was looking to add more combat mechanics to its next title, after The Medium depended solely on exploration and puzzle-solving. Considering how similar The Medium is to Silent Hill in its presentation, it’s not difficult to imagine Bloober tackling the long-dormant franchise next.
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This week in Fortnite, you’ll be asked to deal damage within 15 seconds of gliding as part of the new Season 5, Week 12 challenges. You’ll need to do 200 points worth of damage to complete this quest, for a total of 20,000 XP. If you’re used to playing the regular Battle Royale mode, you will probably struggle to pull this one off, unless you get lucky–and even then, you’ll have to potentially stretch out this challenge across multiple rounds. There’s an easier way to complete it in one go, which we’ve outlined in our guide below.
How to glide in Fortnite
The “gliding” this challenge refers to is exactly what you think it is–deploying your glider as you skydive onto the map. In normal Battle Royale matches, you can only deploy your glider once, unless you use Rifts or Launch Pads. We don’t recommend relying on this method to complete this quest if you’re looking to get it done quickly. The best way to complete this challenge is to play a team mode that allows you to re-deploy your glider, like Team Rumble or Battle Lab.
The fastest way to deal damage after gliding
To get this challenge done fast, we recommend playing Team Rumble mode. Team Rumble is a great mode to complete this challenge in because it grants two opportunities to re-deploy your glider: when you respawn and when you jump off any ledge. To find this mode, head to game mode options from the lobby where you can select solo, duos, trios and squads. Ignore the standard Battle Royale modes and select Team Rumble, which should be listed down at the bottom left next to Creative mode.
After dropping in, take some time to find weapons and play normally–there’s no rush early on. Once the storm closes in and it gets to the final stages of the battle, there will be ample opportunity to leap off structures, re-deploy your glider, swoop into the middle of a firefight, and pick off some opponents right after landing. Keep doing this and you will complete this challenge in no time.
Best Buy’s deals of the day usually focus on various tech, appliances, and occasionally games, but it’s rare that we see gaming furniture like desks or chairs on sale as part of the daily mix. Today is one of those days, however: A selection of Arozzi gaming desks and chairs have gotten steep discounts as part of Best Buy’s deals of the day. The one-day sale features one of our picks for the best gaming desk, the Arozzi Arena, which is a fantastic ultrawide. And, to no one’s surprise, Amazon is price-matching this deal as well, so you can order from whichever retailer you prefer. The Arozzi deals are available through the rest of today, so be sure to check them out along with the rest of today’s daily deals.
The highlight of the Arozzi sale is the Arena desk, our pick for the best ultrawide gaming desk. First off, it’s available in multiple colors, so if you’re not crazy about the red pattern shown above, you can also pick up the desk in plain black or black with different colored legs, like green or blue. The Arozzi Arena is 63 inches wide and provides 14 square feet of space for all of your equipment, including enough room for up to three monitors. The desk also comes with a full-sized custom mouse pad as well, converting the entire surface into a usable pad, and it’s hefty at 7 pounds so you don’t have to worry about it sliding around. The open back of the desk means there are no annoying bars for legs or feet to bump up again, and the desk has a built-in cable management system underneath as well. If you’ve been looking for a larger desk, you really can’t go wrong with the Arozzi Arena.
You can pick up a new gaming chair for less today as well. Arozzi’s Verona Pro V2 is on sale for $300 and supports up to 330 pounds of weight. It’s covered in thick upholstery with PU leather for the seat and back, and both its armrests and the height can be adjusted. Notably, it comes with lower back support that’s both attached and adjustable, which is a plus. It has five lockable rocking positions, so whether you like to lean or sit straight up, you’ll find a comfortable position to be in.
Gaming chairs aren’t known for being particularly soft, but for those who don’t love the feel of artificial leather, the Arozzi Toretta soft fabric chair is a nice alternative. It’s completely covered in durable upholstery furniture fabric, and it comes with not just one but two supportive pillows: one for your head/neck, and a larger one for your lower back that can be adjusted. It also features 3D armrests, allowing you to move them forward/back, up/down, and rotated inward/outward, which further enhances the chair’s ergonomics and ability to fit underneath any desk. The Toretta supports up to 220 pounds of weight, and it can be leaned back at four lockable increments up to 165 degrees.
Rockstar Games has updated Grand Theft Auto V‘s multiplayer mode once more, bringing with it new cosmetics, more events to take part in, special sales, and the most important thing of all: hallucinogenic plants.
Additional Peyote plants are now in the wild across GTA Online. You’ll have to “stray from the beaten path” to find them, Rockstar said. But if you do, you’ll be treated to a trip that will make you see “hellish” visions and transform your body into “beastly” creatures. Eating these plants will also teach you lessons about the meaning of life and the truth of existence. “Consume at your own risk,” Rockstar said.
Peyote plants are collectibles in GTA Online that have been added and removed from the game over the years, but now they are back. They are truly trippy experiences, as consuming them kicks off a vision where your character morphs into land or sea creature like a cat or a shark. Rockstar didn’t announce the list of new plants or reveal where to find them, but people on the internet have already located them and you can find numerous videos on YouTube.
Outside of the special herbs, Rockstar has begun a four-week celebration, thanking fans for their ongoing support of GTA Online, which continues to break records. Rockstar will give out gifts, bonuses, and more during the promotion, beginning with the Dinka Verus ATV that players can get for free from Warstock Cache & Carry until March 3.
In other news, all contact missions, open wheel races, and biker sell missions are offering double GTA$ and RP this week. Additionally, players can get the Dinka t-shirt for free just for logging in this week, while completing any casino work mission gets you the Neon Stitch mask. In terms of sales, Rockstar is offering the following discounts on GTA Online vehicles.
These include:
RC Bandito — 50% off
Invade And Persuade Tank — 50% off
BF Ramp Buggy — 50% off
Mammoth Thruster — 50% off
RO-86 Alkonost — 25% off
Grotti Itali RSZ — 25% off
Head to Rockstar’s website to see a full rundown of the latest GTA Online weekly update.
The new challenges for Fortnite’s Season 2, Week 12 are live, and they vary pretty wildly compared to the Valentine’s Day theme of last week. One of these tasks you to destroy inflatable llamas near gas stations, and it can be tricky if you don’t know where to look. If you do know where they are, however, you can land right on top of them and get the challenge completed quickly.
Where To Destroy Inflatable Llamas
Destroy llamas in both of these spots and you’ll complete the challenge
The easiest spot to go in order to destroy inflatable llamas is Salty Towers, located near the middle of the map. Just glide down there directly from the battle bus and you’ll see two inflatable tubeman llamas located just next to the gas station. If you die, you can very easily return to this location again and finish the job. You can also head over to Sweaty Sands next, where you’ll find another llama on the western edge. However, there are several other gas stations on the map, some of which have llamas.
You’ll see the llamas right next to the gas station at Salty Towers
And that’s all there is to it! Once you’ve destroyed three of them, you will get 20,000 XP as your reward. It’s one of several new challenges available this week, which also include damaging other players with your harpoon and finding a portrait in a shipwreck.
Netflix has renewed Fate: The Winx Saga for a second season, which will begin production in Ireland later this year. The first season debuted on the streaming service on January 22, so it’s safe to say that the teen drama has quickly proven popular.
Fate: The Winx Saga follows the coming-of-age journey of five fairies attending Alfea, a magical boarding school where they, according to the official synopsis, “must learn to master their powers while navigating love, rivalries, and the monsters that threaten their very existence.” The cast set to reprise their roles include Abigail Cowen as Bloom, Hannah van der Westhuysen as Stella, Precious Mustapha as Aisha, Eliot Salt as Terra, and Elisha Applebaum as Musa. Additional casting news for season two will be announced at a later date.
The Netflix version is a live-action adaptation of the Nickelodeon animated series which ran for 208 episodes and four hour-long specials since starting in 2004 until 2009 and later being revived in 2011 and is still going strong. The Netflix version is just getting going–its first season spanned six episodes, and Season 2 will, according to a release, will consist of eight one-hour episodes.
“The six episodes on Season 1 only scratched the surface of this incredibly rich world and the powerful fairies who inhabit it,” says showrunner Brian Young. “As Bloom’s story continues to evolve, I can’t wait for you to learn even more about Aisha, Stella, Terra, and Musa! And you never know who might show up at Alfea next term.”
One of the big announcements from the February Nintendo Direct on Wednesday was the reveal of Splatoon 3, the latest sequel in Nintendo’s colorful shooter series. Some people were surprised that Nintendo is pushing ahead with a third entry despite the franchise not dominating headlines in the way that Mario Kart, Zelda, and Smash often do. The surprise, in the eyes of some, may also stem from the fact that Nintendo chose to announce a sequel to Splatoon as opposed to its other franchises.
Follow The Money
But it’s really no big shock that Splatoon 3 is happening. As with most entertainment products, following the money is a good place to start. The original Splatoon for Wii U sold an impressive 4.95 million copies. That’s a big number by itself, and it’s more impressive when you consider the Wii U itself only sold 13.5 million systems over its lifetime.
Splatoon 2 for the Nintendo Switch was an even bigger hit, selling 11.90 million copies as of December 31, 2020. Combined, the two games have reached 16.85 million units sold, which is a massive result that demonstrates there is a clear business opportunity to make a third one.
In fact, Splatoon 2 is the ninth best-selling Switch game to date. The bigger story here would be if Nintendo decided not to make Splatoon 3 because there is very obviously a market and an interest in more games. With sales of 11.90 million copies so far, Splatoon 2 for Switch is several million units ahead of the best-selling Wii U game of all time, Mario Kart 8 (8.45 million units).
Live Services
Outside of the commercial opportunity, Nintendo’s creative teams have demonstrated an ability and a desire to expand on and improve the Splatoon series with each new release. And that’s exciting to think about for Splatoon 3.
Splatoon 2 made a number of improvements over the original game, adding a more robust single-player mode and adopting additional online modes. Multiplayer games and live services are a key vector of growth for Nintendo, so it makes sense to continue the online-focused Splatoon series going forward as people continue to embrace playing online and spending money on expansions and microtransactions.
A Unicorn
Splatoon 3 does represent a unicorn of sorts for Nintendo. Historically and typically, Nintendo only releases one entry in its multiplayer-focused franchises for each console generation. Some might have expected Nintendo to do the same with Splatoon, but that won’t be the case. Business practices change all the time in response to recent trends. So while Nintendo may only tend to release one Smash or Mario Kart game per system, that doesn’t mean it’s a hard and fast rule for every Nintendo platform and franchise.
What’s New In Splatoon 3
For Splatoon 3, Nintendo isn’t changing the formula–you still play as Inklings and Octolings that can change form, spraying ink to cover surfaces to gain control. New for Splatoon 3, however, are additional abilities and weapons, including the brand-new bow and “squid surge” and “squid roll” abilities. A new character customization tool is in the game as well, while it appears Nintendo has also gone a step further toward representation with more options for non-binary characters. The sequel also takes players to a new location–the Splatlands–which is an awesome-looking region featuring the bustling city of Splatsville.
Nintendo only just announced Splatoon 3, and the game isn’t out until 2022, so it’s still early days when it comes to learning about what’s new and exciting about the next sequel, but what we’ve seen so far looks impressive.
Splatfests Are A Big Deal
Outside of that, the Splatoon series is a powerful mechanism for Nintendo to hold various promotional campaigns that help raise the profile of the series and the company itself. Splatoon 2’s Splatfest events featured collaborations and crossovers with mega-brands such as McDonald’s, Pocky, Nike, and TMNT. Nintendo likely doesn’t want to walk away from these opportunities to expand its reach, but instead continue to embrace and grow them, which is where Splatoon 3 could come in to help.
Whether you expected it or not, Splatoon is now one of Nintendo’s core franchises alongside Mario and Zelda.