All Fortnite Competitive Events In 2021 Will Be Online-Only

Epic Games is taking no chances with players’ health and safety due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. For the entirety of 2021, all competitive Fortnite events will take place online, and it’s unclear when or if the events will go back to the in-person format.

“Our intent is to eventually hold in-person tournaments again, but our priority for any such event is the health and safety of our players and staff,” Epic Games said in a blog post. “With so much unknown about what is practical and safe, we do not plan to hold in-person events in 2021, including a Fortnite World Cup.”

Epic Games added that more updates would come later about plans for traditional events to return, but the future still remains murky because of the pandemic. Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna appear to be very effective based on trials, but it could be several more months before they’re widely available to the public.

The Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) will continue next year despite the change, and it will kick off on February 4 in order to give players time to learn the game after the recent changes we saw with Season 5. Epic Games said there will also be more weekly and unique tournaments throughout the year in order to help competitive players stay engaged in between the FNCS seasons.

The start of Fortnite Season 5 brought with it the Mandalorian along with his companion, who we will still only call Baby Yoda. Kratos from God of War is also in the game, and it looks like we might even be getting Halo’s Master Chief at some point in the future.

Now Playing: Fortnite – Subscription Announcement Trailer (Fortnite Crew)

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Daily Deals: Save on Cyberpunk 2077 Before the Big Release

The weekend is upon us, and with it, more deals! Cyberpunk 2077 is just around the corner, so if you’re one of the few who doesn’t already have a preorder in place, now might be your last chance to do so while still receiving the game on launch day. We’ve also got some handy deals on robotic vacuums, a great Cyberpunk companion book, and more. Take a look down below, save some money, and enjoy your weekend!

The Best Deals for December 5th

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Fortnite: Epic Games Not Planning on In-Person Tournaments for 2021

Epic Games has announced that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it does not plan to hold in-person Fortnite events in 2021, including the Fortnite World Cup, but will continue to host online competitions throughout the next year.

Revealed in a blog post, Epic states that while its “intent is to eventually hold global in-person tournaments again,” its “priority for any such event is the health and safety of our players and staff.”

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The Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) will continue throughout 2021, and the Chapter 2 – Season 5 FNCS is currently planned for February 4. The FNCS party size is also now being standardized to Trios for the “foreseeable future,” but Epic may “alter the scoring and/or qualification formats season by season.”

This announcement follows Fortnite’s Galactus event that led into Chapter 2 – Season 5. The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda/The Child are also part of this season’s Battle Pass.

Alongside The Mandalorian, Kratos from God of War has also become a playable skin, and he arrives with the full Oathbreaker Set that includes the Guardian Shield Glider, Leviathan Axe Pickaxe, Mimir Back Bling, and a custom Kratos emote.

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For more on Fortnite, check out the Fortnite Crew – a new monthly subscription service that comes with a Battle PAss and exclusive outfits.

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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.

WW84: First Reactions Praise the Film’s Exciting Story and Inspiring Message

A handful of critics were able to see Wonder Woman 1984 yesterday, a full three weeks before the highly-anticipated DC film hits both theaters and HBO Max on December 25 (where it will be the first HBO Max title to support 4K) – and the online buzz is wildly positive!

Below you’ll be able to see a bunch of glowing first reactions to the Patty Jenkins-helmed follow up to the 2017 DCEU smash hit, calling the ’80s-set story a beautiful, uplifting, heartwarming movie that — honestly — just might be what we all need these days. The first of these reactions come from IGN’s own Jim Vejvoda and Terri Schwartz…

Amy Ratcliffe shared those same sentiments about the film while Germain Lussier also called the film “ambitious” and “incredibly exciting.”

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FANDOM’s Eric Goldman, CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg, Gamespot’s Mike Rougeau, and more also felt like the movie’s message, and inspiring hero, felt like a shining light in these turbulent times.

Don’t worry, there are even more luminous statements below. None of these are official reviews, of course, just some snapshots of enthusiastic early screening reactions.

WW84, starring Gal Gadot, features the return of Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor while a 1980s Diana faces off against Kirsten Wiig’s Cheetah and Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Global Release Times Revealed

CD Projekt Red has shared the exact timing as to when players can begin their adventures in Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk 2077’s Twitter revealed that the game’s release for PC and Google Stadia players will be simultaneous across the globe at 12am GMT on December 10. For Pacific Time and Eastern Time, Cyberpunk 2077 will be released at 4pm and 7pm on December 9, respectively.

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For those planning on playing on Xbox One or PlayStation 4, or via backward compatibility on Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, Cyberpunk 2077 will unlock at midnight in your local time zone on December 10.

Preloads of Cyberpunk 2077 have already begun on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and will be available on Tuesday, December 8 for PS4 and PS5.

On December 7 at 3am PT/6am ET/12pm CET, Cyberpunk 2077 will be available for preload on GOG, and at 8am PT/11am ET/5pm CET, preload will become available on Steam and Epic Store.

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To help with the wait for Cyberpunk 2077’s release date, be sure to check out the launch party being held digitally on Twitter, how cross-saves work between Xbox One-Xbox Series X/S and PS4-PS5, the story so far, and our final preview after 16 hours with Cyberpunk 2077.

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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.