Halo Infinite — Internet Reacts To The Big Xbox Series X Delay

Microsoft’s marquee Xbox Series X launch title, Halo Infinite, has been delayed to 2021. Developer 343 Industries said the shift to a work-from-home environment was one part of the reason behind the delay, and that it will give the team the time to “deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision.”

Needless to say, the internet had a lot to say about the delay, and we’re rounding up some of the hot takes people have put out on social media.

Halo Infinite is now scheduled for release in 2021, but a more specific date has not been announced yet. The delay is big news because Halo Infinite would have been the first Halo game to release as a launch title for new Xbox hardware since the original Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001.

While Halo Infinite is now coming in 2021, Microsoft still plans to release the Xbox Series X this year–a November release date has now been confirmed. The platform will have “thousands” of titles available at launch thanks to its backwards compatibility support for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the original Xbox.

Halo’s community director, Brian Jarrard, reflected that he understands the delay news is “disappointing.” However, he also mentioned he’s been overwhelmed to see the Halo community’s response to the news and their support of 343 doing what it needs to do to get the game finished.

Halo’s community manager, John Junyszek, shared a similar sentiment. “The Halo community is the best community,” he said, adding the fist-bump emoji to his tweet.

Mat Piscatella, who is an analyst at the research firm NPD, said in his own tweet that people should remember and respect the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic and have patience and understanding regarding Halo Infinite’s delay.

Waypoint reporter Patrick Klepek added that he heard that 343’s shift to a work-from-home environment had an “especially big impact” on the final stages of Halo Infinite’s development.

Ace Watkins, the fake gamer president, sounded off on the delay as well with a joke about Joe Biden announcing Kamala Harris as his running mate on the same day as this news about Halo.

Windows Central reporter Jez Corden joked that 343 delayed Halo Infinite to further incorporate Craig the Brute into the game. It’s a joke, but we hope 343 does actually include an Easter Egg or some other nod to the popular meme.

Wushu Studios communications manager Shinobi602 said it was commendable for 343 to delay Halo Infinite, given it was the flagship launch title for Series X.

Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski said he welcomes the news about Halo Infinite’s delay if it means the end product will be better. “Take your time, team, and eventually, shut up and take my money,” he said.

Twitter user 9 V O L T brought up the memorable Shigeru Miyamoto quote to reference Halo Infinite’s delay, but with a more humorous spin.

Now Playing: Halo Infinite – Everything You Need To Know

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Fall Guys August 12 Update Will Include A New Level

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockdown has had a huge launch, with two million Steam sales, and developer Mediatonic is keeping the momentum going with a major new update coming very soon. The update, due to arrive at some point on August 12, will add a new level called Jump Showdown, which was part of the Fall Guys beta.

The level is shown off in the Twitter video below. It requires the Fall Guys to jump over and stay under rotating bars as the floor collapses below them. It’s the first of several new levels coming, the tweet promises.

New costumes and features will come too. It’ll be interesting to see if there are more video game crossover costumes, like the Half-Life and Hotline Miami costumes that have popped up since launch.

In the Twitter replies, the official Fall Guys account tweeted out a number of patch notes for changes that will come in that same update. Here’s the complete list.

  • Lowered the weighting for Royal Fumble to add more final round variation
  • Fixed crash at launch with certain regional calendars set in the operating system
  • Improved messaging for matchmaking and server errors
  • Fixed physics behaving erratically at high framerate on levels like Tip Toe
  • Fixed crown in Fall Mountain not being grabbable in rare situations
  • Addressed some collisions in Block Party allowing players to bypass the blocks
  • Fixed Parties sometimes failing due to too many requests
  • Addressed some special characters causing display issues in player names
  • Fixed Big Tease Achievement not unlocking in specific regions
  • PC only – Fixed certain game controller models not being detected on PC

Fall Guys has been a bit of a phenomenon, and we’re hopeful that it could come to other systems eventually–although nothing is confirmed yet.

Now Playing: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Video Review

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GoldenEye 007 Remake Development Shuts Down And Relaunches As New Original Game

The James Bond rights-owners have shut down a fan project that was remaking the iconic N64 shooter GoldenEye with modern visuals and other updates.

The developers said in a video that the rights-holders, MGM/Danjaq, submitted a cease and desist order for the project, known as GoldenEye 25. They were ordered to stop work on the game and close associated pages by August 19.

“This was always in the back of our heads as a possibility but we’ve tried our best to keep going,” the team said. “Of course we will comply and want to thank for your ongoing support.”

While GoldenEye 25 is shutting down development, the team is starting a new game called Project Ianus (or Spies Don’t Die) that will pay homage to “all the beloved aspects of our favorite ’90s action shooter.” They will re-use assets from GoldenEye 25, but without any references to James Bond.

GoldenEye 25 was being developed using Unreal Engine 4. It was planned to feature an enhanced single-player update and better-looking visuals, according to Nintendo Life. You can see a work-in-progress video for the Facility level above.

It has been quite some time since the last official James Bond game, 007 Legends, which was released in 2012. Two years before that, Activision released 007 GoldenEye, which was a modern reimagining of the original movie and game.

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Forza Horizon 3 Will Be Delisted In September, And Is Massively Discounted

Forza Horizon 3 is, like past Forza games, going to be made unavailable for digital purchase soon. The open-world Australia-set racer will be removed from sale, just as Forza Horizon 2 and Forza Motorsport 6 (and earlier entries) before it. The game and all its DLC will be removed from sale, although they’ll be available for download in perpetuity.

The game’s approaching delisting was announced on Twitter, although a fan on forum Resetera noted the discount and came to the correct conclusion earlier.

While no specific reason has been given for the game being delisted, it’s likely to be a licensing issue relating to the cars included in the game. With Forza Horizon 4 now the flagship title in the series, it seems likely that the cost of renewing those licenses would be prohibitive. There’s a possibility that the game’s soundtrack is an issue, too, as music licenses are often only assigned for a select period of time.

In the lead up to the game’s delisting, a heavy discount has been applied on the Xbox Store. The game’s Standard and Ultimate Editions, as well as its Expansion Pass (which includes the Blizzard Mountain and Hot Wheels expansions), are cut by 67-70%. Note that the Ultimate Edition does not come with the Season Pass, which must be bought seperately–it instead includes the All-Star Pack, Car Pass, and stat-boosting VIP Pass.

The discount is set to end on September 27–the day that the game will be delisted.

Forza Horizon 3 received a 9/10 in GameSpot’s review. The Forza Motorsport series is due to return to Xbox Series X, but not at launch.

Now Playing: Forza Horizon 3 – Video Review

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Is The Katana As Good As You Think It Is? – Loadout

An iconic part of Japanese culture and history, the Katana has also established itself as an icon of pop culture with appearances in everything from games like Ghost of Tsushima and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice through to the classic samurai films of Akira Kurosawa.

On this episode of Loadout we take a look at some of the tropes and misconceptions that surround the legendary weapon of the Samurai, as we break down the myth and legend of the Katana.

You can check out more from the Royal Armouries right here – https://www.youtube.com/user/RoyalArmouries/

New Maneater Evolution Lets You Become The “Garbage Disposal Of The Sea” For Shark Week

To celebrate Shark Week, Maneater developer Tripwire Interactive has released a new evolution that lets you turn your aquatic killing machine into a metal version of the tiger shark, the ocean’s least picky eater.

Tiger sharks are consumate scavengers, equipped with highly keen senses, and a teeth and jaw combo perfect for cracking the shells of both sea turtles and mollusks. Contents of caught tiger sharks’ stomachs have included sea snakes, birds, sting rays, and even license plates.

Because tiger sharks can eat just about anything, this new evolution allows players to get even more essential nutrients to power up their shark from a variety of prey. Since the main point of Maneater is to supe up your bouncing baby murder machine, this should be a welcome addition to players’ gene pools.

The accompanying skin for this evolution looks pretty badass, featuring your shark decked out in red with dark blue stripes on its face and upper body that aren’t dissimilar to glam rock makeup looks of the ’80s. Just know, this isn’t what actual tiger sharks look like in the wild, as they only have their signature dark blue stripes as adolescents before slowly losing them as adults. Also, sadly, they’re more of a blueish gray than the flashy red Tripwire has posited.

Both new and existing players can grab this evolution across all platforms, and Tripwire’s Shark Week celebration continues with a 25% off sale on the Epic Store through August 16.

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Huge PC Games Sale Offers Up To 85% Off EA And Ubisoft Titles

Gamescom’s All-Digital Event doesn’t kick off until August 27, but EA has decided to host a Gamescom Sale quite early at Origin. From now until August 18, you can save up to 85% off on nice variety of PC games. Most of the titles in the sale are published by EA, such as Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order ($30), Need for Speed Heat ($24), and Battlefield V ($15). Ubisoft is also featured, with the likes of Rainbow Six Siege ($8), Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ($19.79), and more receiving steep discounts.

Best deals in Origin Gamescom Sale

  • A Way Out — $15 ($30)
  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey — $19.79 ($60)
  • Battlefield V — $15 ($40)
  • The Crew 2 — $12.49 ($50)
  • Dead Cells — $15 ($25)
  • Dead Space — $10 ($20)
  • Dead Space 2 — $10 ($20)
  • Dragon Age: Inquisition — $5 ($20)
  • Far Cry 5 — $12 ($60)
  • Far Cry New Dawn — $12 ($40)
  • Fe — $10 ($20)
  • FIFA 20 — $15 ($40)
  • Need for Speed Heat — $24 ($60)
  • Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville — $14 ($40)
  • The Sims 4 — $5 ($40)
  • Sea of Solitude — $10 ($20)
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth — $7.49 ($30)
  • South Park: The Fractured But Whole — $12.49 ($50)
  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — $30 ($60)
  • Titanfall 2 — $5 ($20)
  • Trials Rising — $7.49 ($25)
  • Unravel Two — $10 ($20)

On the EA front, PC users can also save on The Sims 4 and numerous expansions. The base game is down to just $5, while big expansions like Seasons and Island Living are 50% off. For those looking for a multiplayer game for the whole family, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is slashed to $14, its lowest price yet.

Meanwhile, older EA titles are available for bargain prices. Titanfall 2, one of the best first-person shooters of this generation, is on sale for $5. Dragon Age: Inquisition is also discounted to $5, while modern horror classics Dead Space and Dead Space 2 are $10 each. Every title under the EA Originals banner is 50% off or more, including Sea of Solitude, Fe, and Unravel Two for $10 each.

Ubisoft titles make up a sizable portion of the sale, too. In addition to Siege and Odyssey, you can grab Far Cry New Dawn and Far Cry 5 for $12 each. Both South Park RPGs received big discounts, with The Stick of Truth down to $7.49 and The Fractured But Whole for $12.49.

For more PC game deals, don’t forget to check out Fanatical’s big Summer Sale and GOG’s Quakecon Sale.

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CD Projekt Red Still Isn’t “100% Happy” With Cyberpunk 2077’s Melee Combat

Originally scheduled for as early as April 2020, CD Projekt Red has delayed Cyberpunk 2077 twice as it continues to spit and polish every aspect of its RPG. And with just three months left until the November 15 launch, the studio is taking some aspects down to the wire.

In an interview with VG247, senior gameplay designer Pawel Kapala explained that the team is still working on the first-person melee system, stating that they’re not “100% happy” with its implementation yet.

“We’re spending a lot of time trying to perfect that, and we basically, we’re not 100% happy, mostly with visual feedback on the hits, on the melee,” Kapala said. “So, we’re still working on it.”

Visual feedback is crucial in melee combat. Tuned correctly, it can be the difference between a big swing feeling like it’s connecting with a weighty target or just slicing through thin air as damage numbers pop up. Finding this balance in a game where combat is determined by role-playing statistics is difficult, as you want to make the player feel powerful while also adhering to their current weaknesses.

It’s a problem many games before Cyberpunk 2077 have struggled with, but Kapala is confident the extra time the studio has given itself will be enough to nail it down. He concluded by saying that the system presented to journalists just a few months ago has already been drastically improved.

CD Projekt Red hosted the second Night City Wire stream for Cyberpunk 2077 recently, showing off the three distinct prologues you can play though as well as a breakdown of many of the game’s weapons. This builds on the game’s Mind Dance gameplay shown off during the previous stream, which we got to go hands-on with in our latest preview.

Now Playing: Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire Livestream Ep. 2 – Pre and Post Show

Dead Cells “Barrels O’ Fun” Update Adds Exploding Barrels, New Weapons And Biome

Developer Motion Twin has issued a new update to Dead Cells, adding loads of new features and an entirely new biome, along with an 8-bit style soundtrack. The “Barrels o’ Fun” update is now available on PC, and it will follow on Xbox One, PS4, and Switch sometime this summer.

A new biome called the Derelict Distillery is an old broken down atmosphere with broken bottles and pipes venting steam. The new environment includes explosive barrels, which some of the new enemies will make use of by throwing them right at you or just jamming them into the ground and then jumping out of the way. Another new enemy type, the mimic, looks like a barrel and might catch you by surprise.

To help deal with these new threats, you have access to a few new weapons. Those include a barrel launcher, which is exactly as destructive as it sounds. You can also pick up the new tesla coil to deal damage to large groups of enemies. Finally, the update also adds a new chiptune 8-bit soundtrack for your listening pleasure.

Motion Twin confirmed the console release timing in a separate tweet.

Dead Cells originally released in 2017, scoring a 9/10 in GameSpot’s review, but it’s gotten a load of post-launch updates adding a variety of quality-of-life features, weapons, biomes, and bosses.

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Xbox Series X: Every Game Available At Launch

With the release date of Xbox Series X narrowed from Holiday 2020 to November, it’s about time to start trying to figure out whether it’s the next-gen console for you. For many, a major part of the decision that goes into pre-ordering a new console is the lineup of games that’s supported for the hardware. To that end, we’ve highlighted all of the games that will be available for Xbox Series X at or around launch. If it’s scheduled for 2020 and it’s going to be available for Series X, it’s on the list.

You may notice that Halo Infinite is absent. Well, that’s because Halo Infinite has been delayed to 2021. The game was the flagship title in the Series X’s launch lineup, so it’s a bit disappointing to see it delayed, but Microsoft’s next-gen console has a few other games to look forward to if you’re leaning towards picking it up this November.

Games Coming To Xbox Series X At Launch

  • Marvel’s Avengers
  • Watch Dogs Legion
  • FIFA 21
  • NBA 2K21
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon
  • Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
  • WRC 9
  • Fortnite

Games Coming To Xbox Series X At Or Around Launch

  • Everwild
  • Tetris Effect: Connected
  • The Medium
  • CrossfireX
  • 12 Minutes
  • Dead Static Drive
  • Exo One
  • Lake
  • Last Stop
  • Mad Streets
  • Sable
  • Shredders
  • Song of Iron
  • The Artful Escape
  • The Ascent
  • The Big Con
  • The Falconeer
  • Tunic
  • Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy
  • Overcooked: All You Can Eat
  • Recompile
  • Planet Coaster: Console Edition
  • The Ascent
  • Call of the Sea
  • Observer: System Redux
  • Outriders
  • Gears Tactics
  • Scorn

In an Xbox Wire blog post, Microsoft promises that, even with Halo Infinite delayed to next year, there will be “thousands of games to play, spanning four generations, when Xbox Series X launches globally this November and over 100 optimized for Xbox Series X titles, built to take full advantage of our most powerful console, are planned for this year.”

Though the game’s listed above are all of the new games coming to Series X, the console will support backwards compatibility for original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games. Xbox Game Pass brings over several current and past-generation games to Series X as well, including titles like Dishonored 2, Hollow Knight, Rocket League, Gears 5, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. With an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you gain access to xCloud as well, allowing you to play over a dozen Xbox games on your mobile and smart devices via the cloud.

Now Playing: 30 Game Series We Want To Play On Xbox Series X