Explaining the Snyder Cut’s Brand New Hero

Spoilers follow for the Justice League Snyder Cut.

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Do you remember General Calvin Swanwick from Man of Steel and Batman v Superman? Maybe not—but you won’t forget him after Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It turns out Swanwick, played by Harry Lennix, has been the Martian Manhunter in disguise all along. The actor behind the no-nonsense officer has said that not only is his character the esteemed (and shape-shifting) Justice League member, but he also filmed new scenes for the Snyder Cut.

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“Swanwick and the Martian Manhunter, it’s like his alter ego,” Zack Snyder told IGN during Fan Fest 2021. “They have the same voice.”

And sure enough, we see in the Snyder Cut that Swanwick is the Martian Manhunter. So let’s delve into who exactly the green-skinned sleuth from space really is. We’ll discuss:

  • Who Is Martian Manhunter?
  • Martian Manhunter’s Origin
  • J’onn J’onzz’s Powers and Abilities
  • Martian Manhunter and the Justice League
  • Martian Manhunter in the Snyder Cut
  • Martian Manhunter in TV and Games

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Who Is Martian Manhunter?

The Manhunter from Mars made his first appearance way back in November, 1955, in Detective Comics #225. Created by Joseph Samachson and Joe Certa, the unusual detective went by the name of John Jones and used his considerable physical and mental powers to bring criminals to justice. In time, the Martian Manhunter would drop the disguise and take his crime-fighting to a new level. He became a founding member of the Justice League.

He joined the League because of what it stands for, he once told Superman. “Protect the weak, right what is wrong, seeking justice for all, helping humanity understand and achieve its potential,” he said. “I am the League and the League is me.”

The Martian Manhunter has been a mainstay of the Justice League since its inception.

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Martian Manhunter’s Origin

J’onn J’onzz was inadvertently brought to Earth by a well-meaning scientist’s wayward experiment. Unable to return to his people on Mars, J’onn assumed the appearance of a human. Under the name John Jones he set out to live among humans as a private investigator, hoping for the day his fellow Martians would reach Earth and take him home.

detectivecomics225Or so the Martian Manhunter believed. In time, it was revealed that Mars was decimated long before J’onn came to Earth. His people were wiped out by a telepathic plague, his wife M’yri’ah and daughter K’hym among them. But J’onn was not the sole survivor from Mars, he eventually learned. Ma’alefa’ak, another surviving Martian, was his archnemesis—and his brother.

The ever-changing DC multiverse has rewritten his origin over the years. In his 2015 solo series post-Flashpoint, J’onn was a writer and poet who was transformed by blood magic into a living weapon of Mars. After DC Comics’ Rebirth, a 2018 solo series established J’onn J’onzz as the crooked Chief Hunter of Mars. A scientist’s portal ripped him away from his dying planet, through time and space, to Earth. There he witnessed heroic police detective John Jones’ murder and assumed his identity in tribute. He revealed his true form to his partner and the world after stopping the terror inflicted by a Martian criminal.

No matter the start of his story, J’onn is an awe-inspiring hero from Mars who will do whatever it takes to protect his new home of Earth.

J’onn J’onzz’s Powers and Abilities

The Martian Manhunter’s powers are staggering. His superhuman strength, endurance, and reflexes are just the beginning. J’onn is one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. (He often speaks to the entire Justice League at once through a mental link.) He can fly, become invisible or intangible, emit blazing energy from his eyes, and shapeshift in both size and mass.

J’onzz’s weakness is fire, and he is often unable to control his fear of it. He also can’t resist Choco cookies, the DC universe’s version of Oreos.

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Martian Manhunter and the Justice League

Although J’onn was a founding member of the Justice League, he took a break for a time and left Earth. When he returned in the pages of Justice League #228, he was there to stay—until the events of Flashpoint changed everything in the DC Universe.

In the New 52, the Martian Manhunter was a member of Stormwatch before he was recruited by Amanda Waller to join the new government-run Justice League of America. He also formed a spin-off group with his close friend Stargirl, called Justice League United, that was based in Canada.

After Rebirth, J’onn is again a member of the Justice League and fights alongside them against planetary-level threats like the Batman Who Laughs.

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Martian Manhunter in the Snyder Cut

General Calvin Swanwick made his debut in Man of Steel as Zod’s ship was spotted settling into a lunar orbit. “I’m just speculating,” he said, “but I think whoever’s at the helm of that ship is looking to make a dramatic entrance.”

Stoic and seemingly unflappable, Swanwick didn’t even bat an eye when Superman descended from the sky to surrender. There’s a reason why the general was unfazed—he was the Martian Manhunter in disguise, an alien on Earth himself, Snyder revealed years after the film was released. (Swanwick did, however, seem miffed when Superman destroyed his drone.)

By the time of the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Swanwick was promoted to Secretary of Defense. He assisted Lois Lane on the down low, ultimately manipulating and helping both Clark and Lois to do their best, as Snyder explained at Fan Fest 2021. We also spoke to Snyder about J’onn while he was promoting his cut of Justice League.

“I think he’s been on Earth… we’ve talked about it a lot [and] he’s been on it for quite a while,” said the director. “Long time, longer than generationally long. We believe he’s taken different forms over the course of history. He’s been around, knocking around a little bit, but always in the shadows, because the Martian timeline is tricky at best. Our feeling is, and there’s more of a deep dive certainly to take there, but his rise in the government was because he is smart. He can read minds. It wouldn’t be that hard, I think, with that skill set. He could become president, I think, if he had wanted to.”

While Swanwick didn’t appear in the first cut of the Justice League movie, Lennix has said that he did film new scenes for the epic four-hour Snyder Cut—as the Martian Manhunter. And indeed, we see in the finished film that the Manhunter shows up twice. First, he visits Lois Lane disguised as Martha Kent. After the visit, when he steps into the hallway outside Lois’ apartment, we see that Martha was actually J’onn, once again working to give Lois advice. And then at the end of the film, after Bruce Wayne has another “Knightmare” about a dark future world, Martian Manhunter visits the Caped Crusader. “There’s a war coming,” he says, referring to Darkseid’s search for the Anti-Life Equation. “And I’m here to help.”

No version of the League would be complete without him.

Bruce Wayne meets the Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Bruce Wayne meets the Martian Manhunter in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Martian Manhunter in TV and Games

  • TV: Martian Manhunter was a major character in the animated series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited; he’s also appeared in The Batman, Batman: Brave and Bold, Young Justice, and Justice League Action. In live action, J’onn J’onzz was a super ally and friend in both Smallville and Supergirl.
  • Video Games: The Martian Manhunter has been just as popular in video games. Play as J’onn in DC Universe Online, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Infinite Crisis, and LEGO Batman 2 and 3.

It remains to be seen if the Snyder Cut version of the Martian Manhunter will pop up again the DCEU. Who knows? Perhaps this take on the Justice League will get a sequel at some point, and the seven will finally be able to fully unite.

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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.

The Snyder Cut: Martian Manhunter Scenes Explained

The Snyder Cut has arrived and brought with it plenty of new scenes to change up whole storylines and characters that once existed in the theatrical cut of the movie. Heroes like Cyborg and Aquaman were given more screen time while entirely new additions to the cast were brought into the fold. One such newcomer was J’onn J’onzz, AKA Martian Manhunter, a shapeshifting alien who has, apparently, been working in secret on Earth for quite some time.

The first scene in which we actually see J’onn is a shocker: He’s in disguise as Martha Kent when she visits Lois to convince her to return to work after Clark’s death. It’s never actually made clear why J’onn believes Lois needs to return to work, but he certainly seems very satisfied with himself after the conversation as he shifts back into the guise of a human military officer, General Swanwick, in the hall.

Then, at the end of the movie, J’onn stops by the home of Bruce Wayne to actually announce himself in his Martian form. He and Bruce talk about the potential for new threats to arrive on Earth and Bruce eventually welcomes him to the newly formed Justice League, saying he’s happy to have someone like J’onn around for the fight. Why J’onn didn’t actually participate in the fight that just took place with Steppenwolf, however, is also not clear–apparently making sure Lois Lane goes back to work as a reporter was more important?

Just why that mattered at all is not totally clear in the film, but we do have some theories. It could be that J’onn had some inkling that the heroes were going to attempt to resurrect Superman, and he figured Lois Lane should be in the vicinity in case things went awry. By pushing her to return to her life, he may have been subtly attempting to make sure she would be near the monument when Superman awoke, instead of grieving at home in her pajamas. How the Martian Manhunter got clued into any of this is anyone’s guess; the whole thing is ambiguous enough in the movie itself that it can probably be treated as little more than a wink and a nod to fans who speculated about the possibility of this character existing in the Snyderverse for years. We only wish we could see the inevitable conversation down the road in which Lois thanks Martha for driving all the way to Metropolis to give her a pep talk, and Martha has no idea what the hell Lois is talking about.

As for the Martian Manhunter himself, J’onn was introduced in the comics back in the mid 1950s. One of the last surviving green martians, J’onn had the ability to shapeshift and read minds, making it very easy for him to blend into the population of Earth and live a life in secret. Once a martian police officer, J’onn quickly became a skilled detective on Earth and eventually joined forces with other superheroes, before becoming one of the tentpole members of the Justice League.

Other live-action incarnations of Martian Manhunter include a version in the show Smallville played by Phil Morris and a version in CW’s Supergirl played by David Harewood.

Rumors and theories of a special hero cameo began circulating back in the early promotional days of the original Justice League theatrical run when the slogan “unite the seven” was used. Though there is no hard and fast League lineup in DC Comics, the most common modern incarnation uses Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, and either a Green Lantern or Martian Manhunter (or both) rounding out the roster. Speculation that Martian Manhunter might be the seventh made its way to Snyder himself after the theatrical release in 2018, when he took to social media to acknowledge the idea that certain fans believed Swanwick to be J’onn in disguise.

Now, insiders to both the theatrical and Snyder cuts of the film have informed The Wrap that the addition of Martian Manhunter was, in fact, not part of the original Justice League plan and was added to the Snyder Cut exclusively as a treat for theorists–which, in the end, might explain why the character’s appearance doesn’t really seem to fit well or make a lot of sense in the movie itself.

Grand Theft Auto-Inspired Game Rustler Hits PS4, PS5 Later This Year

Developer Justu Games has confirmed that its medieval take on the classic top-down Grand Theft Auto franchise, Rustler, is set to launch on PS4 and PS5 later this year.

Publisher Modus Games took to the PlayStation blog to outline pieces of the game, including narrative setup and gameplay expectations. Rustler puts players in the shoes of Guy, a peasant whose journey starts after a day of persistent, belligerent drinking. The game’s premise is to win the Grand Tournament and, as a result, take the princess’ hand in marriage.

But how that goal is accomplished is entirely up to the player. Rustler gives players a variety of tools familiar to the Middle Ages. This includes crossbows, flails, maces, swords, spears, and the like. However, Rustler also brings in some modern elements to shake up the historic period, letting players throw hand grenades and listen to an amalgam of hip-hop and medieval tunes.

There are a plethora of activities for players to partake in, like Medieval Martial Arts (MMA) fights, horse races, and serving as a taxi driver. Rustler also features some absurd quests. One might require Guy to dress up as Death and scare the townsfolk, while another may request that Guy steal some horses. It’s all to secure the coin needed to enter the Grand Tournament.

Like the GTA games it takes inspiration from, Rustler also features a wanted system. However, instead of being chased down in a car, the law hunts Guy down on horseback. To get the coppers off the players’ tail, they can slide into a paint job shop to give the horse a makeover.

Rustler originally launched in Steam Early Access on February 18 for $25. An exact release date was not announced, but Rustler is expected to drop later this year on PC, PS4, and PS5. Check below for a rundown of the full system requirements needed for Rustler on PC.

Rustler PC System Requirements

Minimum:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: Core i5-3570K
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GTX 780
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 5 GB available space

Recommended:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Core i7-4790
  • Memory: 12 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GTX 1060
  • Storage: 5 GB available space

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Hearthstone Getting “Diamond Cards” In New Forged In The Barrens Season

Blizzard has announced some revisions to Hearthstone‘s Tavern Pass rewards track for the coming season, and part of that includes a new type of cosmetic reward for reaching certain milestones. The new track to accompany the Forged in the Barrens expansion will include diamond cards, a new cosmetic tier that looks even fancier than gold cards.

As detailed on the Hearthstone blog, diamond cards feature 3D animations, a larger space for the card art to shine, and a unique diamond border on both the card in hand and the play token on board. Unlike gold cards, there won’t be a corresponding diamond card for every single card in the set. Instead, these are unique cards that can only be obtained by special means.

Forged in the Barrens will introduce two diamond cards, and Blizzard promises at least one for each expansion going forward. For Barrens, Blademaster Samuro and Bru’kan will get the diamond treatment. You can obtain Samuro by purchasing the Tavern Pass, and Bru’kan by completing the Legendary Collector achievement (i.e. collecting all Legendary cards in the Barrens set).

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Diamond cards were announced as part of a series of other changes to this edition of the Tavern Pass. The free track will include several uncraftable golden cards, random Legendary cards, and new Year of the Phoenix packs that will grant a mix of cards from all of the last year’s expansions. The premium track will give you access to XP boosts and new hero portraits, including another chance at choosing one of the top-tier hero portraits for reaching the highest reward level. You can find the full table of rewards and XP requirements below.

Finally, Barrens will introduce a new set of collectible Coin cards, which you can earn by reaching level 90 of the reward track, or collecting all 135 Barrens cards. A Bigglesworth coin will also be added, which you can gain by collecting all the Scholomance Academy cards.

Forged in the Barrens is coming on March 30, and Blizzard is currently revealing all the cards in the set–so some of the rewards in the track are listed as “to be revealed.” For more details, check out everything we know about Hearthstone’s 2021 plans.

Lvl XP to level Cumulative XP Free Track Tavern Pass
1 0 0 Mankrik (Uncraftable Legendary) 10% XP Boost, Diamond Blademaster Samuro (Uncraftable)
2 100 100 50 Gold
3 100 200 Barrens Pack
4 150 350 2x Golden Venomous Scorpid (Uncraftable Common)
5 150 500 Barrens Pack Young Rokara Hero Skin (Warrior)
6 225 725 2x Golden Peon (Uncraftable Common)
7 225 950 50 Gold
8 300 1250 2x Golden Hog Rancher (Uncraftable Common)
9 300 1550 Barrens Pack
10 325 1875 Random Epic Card Initiate Kurtrus Hero Skin (Demon Hunter)
11 325 2200 50 Gold
12 350 2550 50 Gold
13 350 2900 Golden [TO BE REVEALED] (Uncraftable Rare)
14 375 3275 50 Gold
15 375 3650 Zuldazar Card Back Survivor Xyrella Hero Skin (Priest)
16 400 4050 50 Gold
17 400 4450 50 Gold
18 425 4875 Year of the Phoenix Pack
19 425 5300 50 Gold
20 450 5750 Random Legendary Card 15% XP Boost
21 450 6200 50 Gold
22 550 6750 50 Gold
23 600 7350 Golden Burning Blade Acolyte (Uncraftable Rare)
24 650 8000 50 Gold
25 675 8675 Year of the Phoenix Pack Golden Vol’jin (Uncraftable Legendary)
26 675 9350 50 Gold
27 875 10225 50 Gold
28 875 11100 Golden Horde Operative (Uncraftable Rare)
29 1000 12100 50 Gold
30 1100 13200 Tavern Ticket Barrens Card Back
31 1200 14400 50 Gold
32 1200 15600 50 Gold
33 1250 16850 Golden [TO BE REVEALED] (Uncraftable Rare)
34 1250 18100 50 Gold
35 1300 19400 Year of the Phoenix Pack
36 1300 20700 50 Gold
37 1350 22050 50 Gold
38 1350 23400 Golden Burning Blade Acolyte (Uncraftable Rare)
39 1400 24800 50 Gold
40 1400 26200 Year of the Phoenix Pack Recruit Rokara Hero Skin (Warrior)
41 1450 27650 50 Gold
42 1450 29100 50 Gold
43 1500 30600 Golden Horde Operative (Uncraftable Rare)
44 1500 32100 50 Gold
45 1550 33650 Tavern Ticket
46 1550 35200 50 Gold
47 1600 36800 50 Gold
48 1600 38400 Year of the Phoenix Pack
49 1650 40050 Tavern Ticket
50 1650 41700 Random Legendary Card Firefang Rexxar Hero Skin (Hunter)
51 1700 43,400 75 Gold
52 1700 45,100 75 Gold
53 1750 46,850 75 Gold
54 1750 48,600 75 Gold
55 1800 50,400 Year of the Phoenix Pack
56 1800 52,200 75 Gold
57 1850 54,050 75 Gold
58 1850 55,900 75 Gold
59 1900 57,800 75 Gold
60 1900 59,700 Year of the Phoenix Pack Adept Kurtrus Hero Skin (Demon Hunter)
61 1950 61,650 75 Gold
62 1950 63,600 75 Gold
63 2000 65,600 75 Gold
64 2000 67,600 75 Gold
65 2050 69,650 Golden Primordial Protector (Uncraftable Epic)
66 2050 71,700 75 Gold
67 2125 73,825 75 Gold
68 2125 75,950 75 Gold
69 2250 78,200 75 Gold
70 2250 80,450 Year of the Phoenix Pack 20% XP Boost
71 2375 82,825 75 Gold
72 2375 85,200 75 Gold
73 2500 87,700 75 Gold
74 2500 90,200 75 Gold
75 2500 92,700 Golden Primordial Protector (Uncraftable Epic)
76 2500 95,200 100 Gold
77 2500 97,700 100 Gold
78 2500 100,200 100 Gold
79 2500 102,700 100 Gold
80 2500 105,200 100 Gold Shardseeker Xyrella Hero Skin (Priest)
81 2500 107,700 100 Gold
82 2500 110,200 100 Gold
83 2500 112,700 100 Gold
84 2500 115,200 100 Gold
85 2500 117,700 100 Gold
86 2500 120,200 100 Gold
87 2500 122,700 100 Gold
88 2500 125,200 100 Gold
89 2500 127,700 100 Gold
90 2500 130,200 150 Gold Kazakus Cosmetic Coin
91 2500 132,700 150 Gold
92 2500 135,200 150 Gold
93 2500 137,700 150 Gold
94 2500 140,200 150 Gold
95 2500 142,700 150 Gold
96 2500 145,200 150 Gold
97 2500 147,700 150 Gold
98 2500 150,200 150 Gold
99 2500 152,700 150 Gold
100 2500 155,200 Hero Skin Choice Trainer Kurtrus Hero Skin (Demon Hunter), Lightweaver Xyrella Hero Skin (Priest), Rokara of the Horde Hero Skin (Warrior)
101-130 1325-1475 […] 50 Gold
131-400 1500 602,200 50 Gold

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YouTube Shorts Beta, TikTok’s Competitor, Launches In US

YouTube has released its own beta version of TikTok’s short-form video format in the US. Called YouTube Shorts, the program is currently only available to a small group of US users. According to YouTube’s Official Blog, YouTube Shorts will be accessible by everyone in the coming weeks.

Through YouTube Shorts, users can make up to 60-second videos. Similar to TikTok, the tools included are “a multi-segment camera to string multiple video clips together, and the ability to record with music.”

YouTube Shorts revolve around music and will be heavily integrated with YouTube’s existing music programs. Snippets heard in YouTube Shorts can link users to the full song’s music video and the artist’s other info on YouTube. In the future, users can create Shorts from a music video and see other Shorts made from the same song.

YouTube has signed licensing agreements to use millions of songs from over 250 labels and publishers. Many of them are major music labels and companies, like Universal Music Group and Sony Music.

Instead of getting a standalone app, YouTube Shorts will be integrated into a row on YouTube’s homepage. YouTube will also test out a Shorts tab on mobile, making it possible to watch Shorts with a single tap.

The end goal is for YouTube Shorts users to clip audio and make Shorts out of any existing YouTube video, provided that the original creator hasn’t chosen to exclude their video from the service. YouTube Shorts in its current iteration will not allow ads or other monetization features, but the development team confirmed that they will explore monetization options in the future.

YouTube Shorts was initially launched in India in fall of 2020 and has enjoyed success. According to YouTube, the YouTube Shorts player has earned over 6.5 billion daily views globally.

Now Playing: Biggest PC Games To Play In 2021 And Beyond

PlayStation Buys EVO Championship Series Fighting Game Tournament

Sony has announced that PlayStation has acquired the Evolution Fighting Games Tournament. Revealed on the Sony Interactive Entertainment blog, it was stated that EVO will be the beginning of the next chapter for PlayStation’s efforts in esports entertainment, which will work in partnership with esports venture RTS. This reveal comes just ahead of Evo 2021, which will be an online-focused event starting on August 6-8, and then again on August 13-15.

In the blog post, it was stated that EVO 2021 is still on track, and will be an online event set for this August. So far, the current lineup of games for the tournament includes Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken 7, and Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. According the blog post, more games will be announced soon, and though PlayStation is now under ownership of EVO, Mark Julio stated that the tournmanent is still open to all games from different platforms, which means that games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and classic Melee are open to be added to the list of games

GameSpot reached out to Nintendo about the recent news and what this means for Super Smash Bros. at EVO, which issued the following the statement:

“Nintendo has enjoyed engaging with fans at past Evo tournaments and wish the show organizers the best with their new venture. We will continue to assess Evo, and other opportunities, as we plan for future online and offline Super Smash Bros. tournament activity,” said a representative from Nintendo.

Known for bringing fighting game tournaments to the forefront with games like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Super Smash Bros., the EVO Fighting Games Tournament has launched the careers of several well-known players, such as Justin Wong and Daigo Umehara. Last year, EVO 2020 was cancelled following the spread of COVID-19 and after accusations of sexual harassment from EVO organizer Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cueller came to light. In a follow-up statement, head of Business Development for EVO, Mark Julio, stated that the union with PlayStation will allow them to continue supporting the fighting game community under new leadership. Since the cancellation of last year’s EVO and change in leadership, the future of the fighting game tournament has been uncertain. However, this news shows that plans for this year’s tournament, which is still a scaled-down version of previous events, will move forward.

This year’s EVO is poised to be a fresh start for the fighting game tournament, which has had a tumultuous year. However, the current leadership at EVO is looking to bring things back on track with the union with PlayStation. In a statement on the official EVO website, the founders of the fighting game tournament, Tom and Tony Cannon, stated that the Cueller has been removed from the company entirely and that EVO will reaffirm its support for the community:

“In order to deliver on the trust you have all put in Evo, we realize that we need an experienced strategic partner who truly respects the spirit of the FGC. This is why we’re excited to announce that Evo has become part of the joint partnership of Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS. The new partnership is committed to bringing amazing tournaments and competitive gaming experiences back to you this year and beyond.‍”

Fortnite: Investigate An Anomaly In Stealthy Stronghold

Fortnite‘s fourth and penultimate Anomaly puzzle is also probably it’s easiest yet, but you’ll need to reach Battle Pass tier 60 before it becomes available. As this Fortnite Anomaly is located in the dense jungle of Stealthy Stronghold, you may be liable to get turned around in there and lose your way. Here’s exactly where to investigate an Anomaly in Stealthy Stronghold in Fortnite Season 6.

Investigate an Anomaly in Stealthy Stronghold

Stealthy Stronghold is located at the north or slightly northwest end of the map. It’s surrounded by a large wall that you can’t break through, so you’ll either want to land inside, build over and into it, or locate one of a few doors along the perimeter.

Here's the exact location.
Here’s the exact location.

Once inside, head to the location you see in the screenshot below, identified by the white map marker.

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Once you’re there, you should see the Anomaly spawn. It’s once again shaped like a ghostly butterfly and as you approach, it will start to fly away. Unlike other Anomaly puzzles, such as the Anomaly in Lazy Lake, the Anomaly on Shark Island, or the Anomaly near Catty Corner, this fourth Anomaly isn’t so much a puzzle as it is a chase.

The Anomaly will continue to fly off, so all you need to do is stay nearby. It seems to pause at certain spots to ensure you’re keeping up, so you need not worry about losing track of it. This Anomaly is quite forgiving.

You’ll move across some of the terrain and structures inside Stealthy Stronghold for about 25 seconds before the Anomaly finally stops, spins stylishly, and burrows into the dirt, creating a small glowing mound.

No Caption Provided

Take out your Harvesting Tool, give it just a single whack, and the Anomaly will return, now unburied, completing your fourth Anomaly puzzle. This time, the reward is perhaps the coolest of all, as you unlock the Agent Jones Jump 42 Style, which is the one we saw him wearing in the Zero Crisis Finale at the start of Season 6.

Stay tuned for the fifth and final Anomaly puzzle once we grind out to Battle Pass tier 76. For more on Fortnite Season 6, check out what’s in the Fortnite Season 6 Battle Pass, learn how to craft weapons in Fortnite, and discover the map changes to Fortnite Season 6.

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PlayStation Buys Evo Championship Series, Announces 2021 Event Dates

Update (3/18/21) – Nintendo has provided a statement regarding Sony’s acquisition of the Evolution Championship Series.

“Nintendo has enjoyed engaging with fans at past Evo tournaments and wish the show organizers the best with their new venture. We will continue to assess Evo, and other opportunities, as we plan for future online and offline Super Smash Bros. tournament activity.” A spokesperson for Nintendo said.

Original story follows.

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Sony has announced that it has acquired the Evolution Championship Series, better known as Evo, the world’s largest fighting game tournament.

Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS, an esports venture from Endeavor, have acquired the “assets and properties” of the Evo series. The purchase means future Evo events are effectively Sony PlayStation events in partnership with RTS.

Evo co-founders Tony and Tom Cannon will remain at Evo as key advisors and Sony took the opportunity to announce the 2021 dates for Evo Online.

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This year’s Evo event will be held digitally on August 6 – 8 and then August 13 – 15. Events will include Tekken 7, Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, and Guilty Gear – Strive -. Details on the online qualifiers will be shared in the coming weeks.

As for other games. Evo business developer Mark Julio says “Evo is still open to all platforms,” and that PlayStation and RTS are allowing Julio’s team to work with its community to support fighting games as a whole. Though this doesn’t concretely answer whether games from first-party developers like Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. will appear at future events.

“Today, we’re thrilled to announce the next chapter in the story of PlayStation and Evo, the world’s largest and longest-running fighting game tournament,” Sony says in a blog post detailing the acquisition.

“For PlayStation, today’s announcement marks an exciting step in our journey to foster the growth of the fighting game community and esports, and support competitive gamers widely on our consoles,” says PlayStation. “Fighting games are hugely popular on PlayStation consoles, with gamers logging more than 1.1 billion gameplay hours in 2020 alone.”

Sony says it will “break down barriers” for gamers so they can compete at all levels of the sport and reaffirmed a commitment to creating a “safe and inclusive environment for players.” PlayStation linked to Evo’s message about fostering a safe community.

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2020’s Evo Online event was canceled following abuse allegations against Evo organizer Joey Cueller. NetherRealm and Capcom pulled out of the 2020 event in solidarity with members of the fighting game community who spoke out against abuse. This in turn is part of a larger scandal that threatened to envelop the whole community.

Sony’s official involvement could signal stronger organizational support to create a safer environment for players and attendees.

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 Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor.

Among Us: The Airship Map Release Date Announced

The Airship, Among Us’ new map, will be released on March 31, 2021 alongside a new update that adds the ability to pick which room you start in, ladders, a basic account system for moderation, and more.

Announced by Innersloth, this new map, which was revealed at The Game Awards 2020, is based on the Toppat Clan Airship from the developer’s Henry Stickmin series.

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Innersloth also shared what the team has been doing these past months and why this new map and update took longer than it wanted them to.

One of the biggest challenges in getting this new map out into the public was ensuring it worked on all platforms and devices. While Among Us is available on PC, mobile, and Switch, it will also be arriving on Xbox consoles in 2021.

The Among Us team is only five people and, while the game has seen an incredible amount of success, Innersloth wants to focus on caring for its team members instead of growing too large to do so. It will be hiring new people, but it wants to do so responsibly.

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It also wanted to launch The Airship with the basic account system as the team understands there have been issues with toxic players. Instead of pushing out content, Innersloth wants to ensure Among Us is a safe and fun place for all its players.

This is the second bit of exciting news for Among Us this week, as Fall Guys’ announced that Among Us costumes will be headed to the game. Furthermore, there will be “something unique” about them.

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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.

The Snyder Cut: What Was Up With The Joker In Zack Snyder’s Justice League?

The Joker may not actually say the now-infamous “we live in a society” line in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but he does say a lot–all told the Clown Prince of Crime has a scene that lasts several minutes in the “nightmare” sequence, a continuation of a similar vision Batman experienced in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

In this scene, Batman, Mera, Deathstroke, Cyborg, and The Flash are doing their best to survive the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Darkseid’s siege on Earth. Everything is destroyed or overrun by Parademons and they have to keep moving, as Cyborg explains, because they can be caught if they stand around in the open for too long. Unfortunately, this is when Joker decides to intervene and make sure they do exactly that–though the dream-logic of the nightmare sequence makes it hard to tell exactly how “real” Joker actually is in that moment.

He’s sitting on an abandoned Mad Max-flavored car in a SWAT vest when he begins taunting Bruce for his past failures, specifically his inability to save “an adopted son.” Of course, anyone familiar with DC Comics lore will know that the son he’s referring to here is Jason Todd, the second Robin, who was brutally beaten with a crowbar by The Joker and then murdered in an explosion during a story called A Death in the Family.

While Batman has never had an on-screen Robin in any of the Snyder directed films, this isn’t the first time Robin has been referenced. In Batman V Superman, a brief shot of a vandalized Robin costume was visible, implying that there had indeed been a Boy Wonder at some point or another. In the dream sequence, Joker makes the existence of a Robin canonical.

Batman has had multiple sidekicks over the years, however, and while the story the Joker tells is clearly a nod to Jason, it’s never made explicitly clear which Robin is actually being discussed–either way, it would seem that they’re long dead in this universe, and the guilt Bruce is experiencing has yet to subside. It’s so intense that Bruce even vows to murder the Joker for it while brandishing a gun–though Joker seems very confident that Batman’s bark is much worse than his bite. He offers Batman a truce in the form of a joker card, and says that as long as Batman has that on him, their feud will be on hiatus.

Notably, he also addresses him as “Bruce,” but it’s entirely possible that’s another element of the dream-logic. The vision Bruce is having may be prophetic, but it’s still a nightmare. Though it’s equally possible that this version of the DCEU just has a publicly known Batman–the Snyder Cut also includes a scene with Lex Luthor telling Slade Wilson who Bruce Wayne actually is, and that moment is certainly not a dream.

Either way, it’s not likely that we’ll see a pay off for this particular stinger any time soon. Ben Affleck has officially passed the Batman reigns on to Robert Pattinson for the upcoming film, The Batman, and there are currently no announced plans for Snyder to direct a Justice League sequel. Meanwhile, Jared Leto is not currently signed on to reprise his role as Joker in the upcoming movie, The Suicide Squad.