Daily Deals: 50% Off SNK’s NEOGEO Mini International Arcade with 40 Games

Today’s spotlight deal is a whopping 50% off the NEOGEO Mini International Arcade, which comes preloaded with 40 of SNK’s most popular classic titles. The Oculus Quest is also finally available at Gamestop, but not for long. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla went up for preorder today and you can still score 40% off a PS Plus membership.

50% Off SNK’s Official NEOGEO Mini International Arcade for $29.99

Own a piece of gaming history at a ridiculously good price. This is a fantastic deal considering it sells for $60 or more everywhere else. This mini arcade includes 40 preloaded masterpieces, including Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Samurai Showdown, Fatal Fury, King of Monsters, and more. The arcade itself is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and yet still houses a 3.5″ display and joystick controls. For a more traditional style of play, it also includes an HDMI port for playing on your TV and two external controller ports.

Oculus Quest VR Headset Back in Stock at Gamestop (Compatible with Half-Life: Alyx)

Gamestop has both the 64GB model (with case bundle) and 128GB for preorder, They’ll ship out on May 22. These VR headsets have been extremely hard to find and a May ship date is actually surprisingly soon. There are many reasons why the Quest is the best VR headset to get right now. It’s completely untethered with no external sensors to set up, it’s powerful enough to play games like Half-Life: Alyx, Beat Saber (the best VR game of 2019), Vader Immortal, and Pistol Whip, and it’s far less expensive than all the other newer generation VR headsets that have been released. The Oculus Link software which allows you to connect the Quest to a PC using a Type C cable and use it like a regular VR headset powered by your gaming PC. You can purchase the official cable for $79. If you want to try your luck, there are reports that many generic USB Type C Gen 1 or Gen 2 cables will work like this $18 cable.

40% Off 1 Year of PS Plus Membership, Now $36.99

Use code “DSPLYMBR”

PS Plus membership discounts only happen a few times a year so grab this deal when you can. This membership lets you play games online (absolutely necessary for games like NBA 2K20, Madden NFL 20, FIFA 20, Overwatch, Rocket League, and more). You’ll also get PS Plus exclusive discounts at the PlayStation Store as well as new free games every month. For example, right now PS Plus members get the outstanding Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Dirt Rally 2.0 for free. Best of all, it’s email delivery so you’ll get your code within 24 hours.

Up for Preorder: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

The newest Assassin’s Creed game is up for preorder today. More details have emerged and you can read all about it here. Preorder it on Amazon and you won’t be charged until the game actually ships out. Also your price is automatically adjusted  every time a price drop that might occur without you having to do anything.

Only 2 Days Left to Get TIDAL 4-Month HiFi Music Streaming Plan for $4

Pay $1/month for four months (the normal cost of the HiFi plan is $19.99/mo). TIDAL is a music streaming service that offers 60+ million tracks and 250,000+ videos with premium quality audio. The HiFi plan upgrades the audio to lossless high-fidelity.

HP OMEN Obelisk Intel Core i5-9600K RTX 2080 Ti Gaming PC for $1682.99

I’ve never seen a prebuilt gaming PC with an RTX 2080 Ti (the fastest video card out right now) for this price. This PC is customizable on HP’s website, but buying the base config has its merits. In terms of gaming, upgrading from an Intel Core i5-9600K to an Intel Core i7 is a waste… performance-wise they are identical. Also, by upgrading the RAM and storage on your own, you can save alot of money and pick your own, better parts at the same time.

  • Click Here
  • Select Graphics Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (+$450)
  • At cart, apply code “10GAMERSPRING
  • Price should show up as $1682.99

HP OMEN 15″ 4K 3840×2160 Intel Core i7-9750H Gaming Laptop with RTX 2080 for $1826.10

It’s hard enough to find an RTX 2080-equipped gaming laptop for under $2000, but this one doesn’t skip on any other spec either. In fact, you get a true 4K 3840×2160 display, a 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor, and plenty of RAM and SSD storage.

  • Click Here
  • Select Processor and Graphics – i7-9750H + RTX 2080 (+$630)
  • Select Display – 15.6″ 4K IPS (+$150)
  • Proceed to shopping cart
  • At cart, apply code “10GAMERSPRING
  • Price should show up as $1826.10

HP OMEN 15″ 1080p 144Hz Intel Core i7-9750H Gaming Laptop with RTX 2070 for $1430.99

This laptop is every bit as good for gaming but you’ll save about $350 compared to the above config. The RTX 2070 video card is almost as powerful as the previous generation’s GTX 1080, which used to be the most powerful mobile GPU. It should be more than enough handle any game on the 15″ 1080p display, even at 144Hz refresh rate. If you want to, you can upgrade to 12GB RAM and 512GB SSD for $180.

  • Click Here
  • Select Processor and Graphics – i7-9750H + RTX 2070 (+$450)
  • Select Display – 15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS (+$70)
  • Proceed to shopping cart
  • At cart, apply code “10GAMERSPRING
  • Price should show up as $1430.99

Alienware m15 15″ 4K Ultra HD 3840×2160 OLED 1ms Intel Core i7-9750H RTX 2070 Gaming Laptop with Dual 512GB SSD for $1877.40

Use code “AW950OFF”

Upgrade to a very rare and very awesome 4K Ultra HD 3840×2160 display for only $200. We reviewed a very similar OLED equipped model less than a year ago (with inferior specs) with a price tag of $2800 and we LOVED it.

ComiXology Free Trial Extended to 60 Days

The ComiXology trial period is normally 30 days.  ComiXology is Amazon’s digital comic platform and is the largest digital retailer of American comics. The site hosts 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Here’s your chance to access all of it, totally free, for 30 60 days. If you’re an avid comic reader, you might want to consider continuing on afterwards, since it’s only $5.99/month. You can even sign in with your Amazon account.

Alienware Aurora R8 Intel Core i7-9700 RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming PC with 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and 2TB HDD for $1593

Use code “LCS10OFF”

This gaming PC boasts a 9th gen Intel Core i7 processor and the newest RTX 2080 SUPER video card. It’s about 10% more powerful than the non-SUPER model and considerably more powerful than the GTX 1080 Ti.  For those of you who would rather have a PC preinstalled with all the RAM and storage you’ll ever need, this model has 16GB RAM and dual drive storage.

Alienware Aurora R8 Intel Core i7-9700 RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming PC for $1404

Use code “LCS10OFF”

If you want upgrade the RAM and hard drive yourself, you can save alot of money compared to adding pre-configured upgrades. Like the new R9 chassis, the R8 features easy toolless entry. Swapping components doesn’t void the warranty.

New Alienware Aurora R9 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming Desktop PC for $1089

Use code “LCS10OFF”

For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the Intel vs AMD CPU war, AMD has been giving Intel a run for its money with its flagship processors. The new AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core processor is comparable to the Intel Core i7-9700, both in terms of gaming and workstation performance. It’s paired with an RX 5700 XT video card, which is on par with the RTX 2070. If you want to upgrade the RAM or hard drive, I’d suggest doing it on your own. You’ll save money, and the Aurora R9 allows for toolless access without voiding your warranty.

Save 73% Off 1-Year IPVanish VPN Plan

IPVanish is offering  73% off its 1 year VPN plan, dropping the price to $39. That’s only $3.25 a month for a service that provides some great benefits. VPN is the first and easiest step to making your internet activity a bit more anonymous. VPN is also a great way to “trick” a host site into thinking you’re in another part of the world. That’s great for watching region-locked content from streaming services like Netflix. IPVanish boasts a very user-friendly interface, doesn’t hog resources, and has a zero-log policy. We also gave it a great review.

Online Learning Course Bundles from Stack Social

Want to be more productive at home? Stack Social has plenty of practical courses that can kick start your career. For under $40 per bundle you get dozens of hours of online instruction in programming, game creation, video production, ethical hacking, and more… all from the safety of your home.

3 Months of Amazon Music Unlimited for Free

This deal only works for new Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers, but you don’t have to be a Prime member. Normally you’d be paying $9.99/month for this service (or $7.99/mo for Prime members). Amazon Music Unlimited works alot like the paid ad-free versions of Spotify or Pandora. Get access to millions of songs and playlists that you can stream anywhere.

Free Sling TV from 5pm to Midnight (CNN, MSNBC, Food Network, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and More)

No Credit Card Required for Signup

Sling’s Happy Hour promotion is offering free Sling Blue from 5pm to midnight (normally $30/month). You can keep up with live news about the COVID virus from CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and Fox News, or just lose yourself in family friendly TV shows from HGTV, Food Network, A&E, Bravo, TNT, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, The Discovery Channel, Nick Jr, and more. Best of all no credit card is required.

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 11 Review

Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 7, Episode 11. If you need a refresher on where we left off, here’s our review for Season 7, Episode 10.

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The Clone Wars is coming off of its best episode ever. And while it was never realistic to expect “Shattered” to maintain that exact level of quality, it’s not that far off. It’s to this episode’s credit that it doesn’t attempt to give fans more of the same, but instead shifts this climactic storyline into new and even darker territory. Even though The Siege of Mandalore feels like a feature film divided into four parts, each part is different enough in tone and focus to justify those breaks.

“Shattered” is certainly much smaller in scope than its predecessors, and even downright claustrophobic at times. While it’s a little disappointing the series seems to be finished exploring the state of Mandalore itself, there’s a lot to be said for the steady, brisk pace this final story arc is taking. And whether or not a return to Mandalore is in the cards for the finale, we can probably count on future seasons of The Mandalorian to fill in some of the gaps as the world shifts from one occupying force to another. This episode is all about narrowing the focus and mining the greatest possible impact out of the disaster to come.

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It certainly doesn’t hurt that “Shattered” finally delivers one of the moments fans have been waiting to see since 2008 – Order 66. Sure we saw numerous Jedi meet their end in Revenge of the Sith, but that movie never made much effort to flesh out the clones themselves or explore how they actually felt about bring ordered to betray their Jedi comrades. But from the very beginning, this series has devoted itself to giving the clones names and identities of their own. This iconic and very tragic Star Wars moment takes on a whole new tone when seen from the perspective of Ahsoka and Commander Rex.

The early scenes hit especially hard, with the show really playing on our knowledge of what’s coming as it steadily builds tension leading up to the commencement of Order 66. Even before the actual order comes in, Ahsoka suddenly seems alone and unwelcome among a group of soldiers who so recently pledged their lives to her cause. Through it all, we know what’s coming, and we know there’s no stopping in, so it’s just a question of how bad the fallout will be. Ahsoka sensing the climactic battle on Coruscant and hearing the familiar voices of Anakin, Palpatine and Mace Windu (the film actors, no less) further adds to the dread.

It’s also worth highlighting the score here, with composer Kevin Kiner seemingly riffing on that haunting music from Episode III where Anakin wrestles over whether to leave Palpatine to his fate or intervene. The end result is something that sounds as much like Blade Runner as it does Star Wars, but it definitely complements and enhances the unnerving tone.

The big moment doesn’t disappoint, either. It’s fitting that Rex himself becomes the focal point as Palpatine’s order ripples across the galaxy. No clone has developed into a more fully realized character over the course of seven seasons, and no one stands a better chance of fighting against the inhibitor chip controlling his actions. But as we see, even Rex’s deep love and respect for Ahsoka can’t stop him from obeying his orders. All he can do is try to drop hints and give Ahsoka a fighting chance.

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With that extreme tension given release, this episode veers in a more action-packed direction as Ahsoka makes an unlikely ally out of Maul and fights to save Rex from himself. The Maul scenes in particular are a nice palate cleanser from everything that comes before. It’s actually kind of fun watching a lightsaber-less Maul go to town on the clones, especially now that they’re more the villains of this story than he. His escape is also a telling commentary on Ahsoka’s state of mind. She’s rapidly developing that survivor mentality. No longer the high-minded Jedi she worked so hard to become, she’s not above unleashing a monster like Maul if it creates the distraction she needs.

There’s plenty more tension to go around as “Shattered” draws to a close. The confined setting and the overwhelming numbers eventually take their toll, with even Ahsoka fighting a losing battle against overwhelming numbers and a ticking clock. And it all pays off nicely in the scene where a recuperated Rex chooses Ahsoka over his men. No doubt we’ll see more of the emotional fallout of that act in the finale. But even with only the three of of the four episodes released so far, this arc has fully lived up to its promise. It’s enhanced the events of the movie and paid off on characters arcs that have been more than a decade in the making. Now there’s just one final tale to be told before the war is truly over.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Details And Apex Legends’ New Character Revealed

Today, Persia talks about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and what we know about it so far. Gameplay for it will be revealed on Inside Xbox on May 7, along with other next-gen gameplay reveals from Xbox and its partners. In other Xbox news, cloud games streaming service is heading to Game Pass this year.

Persia also talks Apex Legends and the Loba character reveal: Revanant killed her father, she grew up to become to ultimate thief, and now she’s out for revenge. We could see how her professional thievery come into play with her abilities soon, but we won’t know for sure how she feels within the larger experience until Season 5 begins on May 12.

This is your Save State for Thursday, April 30.

Xbox Boss Is Confident Xbox Series X Will Launch On Schedule, But Games Are Another Question

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has commented on the impact of COVID-19 on Microsoft’s plans to launch the Xbox Series X and new games on schedule.

Speaking to CNBC, Spencer said he feels confident that the Xbox Series X hardware will be able to launch on time this Holiday period. He said there was “some impact to schedules” for the hardware, but his team has been able to overcome those. Overall, Spencer said Microsoft is in line with its expectations for where it would be at this point in the year as it relates to the Xbox Series X hardware.

As for games, however, that’s a different story. Spencer said the nature of large-scale game development means that the work-from-home setup may lead to production slowdown.

“The bigger unknown is probably the game production, just being honest,” Spencer said. “Game production is a large-scale entertainment activity now. You have hundreds of people coming together, building assets, working through creative [decisions].”

Spencer said Microsoft still has a positive feeling about its game development roadmap, but he stressed that the health and safety of its developers is Microsoft’s top concern right now.

“We’re learning every day. We still feel good about it, but I also need to make sure the security and the safety of the teams is the most important thing, and not unduly push when things just aren’t ready,” he said.

This is at least the second time that Spencer has spoken publicly about the impact of COVID-19. He previously spoke about how the Xbox development teams are feeling “stretched” with the new work-from-home policies.

“We have nothing right now that says we’re not going to make the dates that we’ve been planning, but I’ll also say this is real-time stuff. I’m gonna put the safety and security of our teams at the top, along with a quality product. I don’t want to rush a product out if it’s not ready,” he said.

Spencer confirmed that Microsoft has no “plan B” in place right now for what could happen if COVID-19 crisis continues for an extended period of time. That being said, Spencer said he does not want to launch the Xbox Series X on a staggered basis as it did with the Xbox One. In Japan, for example, the Xbox One launched a full nine months after the system arrived in other parts of the world. Spencer said he wants the Xbox Series X to have a global simultaneous rollout.

This brings up an interesting scenario with Halo Infinite. Spencer said Microsoft “won’t hold the launch of the platform for any individual game.” Based on this comment, it sounds like Microsoft will ship the Xbox Series X this holiday even if Halo Infinite–or any other marquee first-party game–is delayed. No matter what happens, Spencer said Microsoft plans to be “very transparent” with people about their plans.

Halo Infinite being delayed would be a big loss for the Xbox Series X, as Microsoft hasn’t launched a new Xbox console with Halo as a launch title since the original Xbox back in 2001. For its part, Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries has said the COVID-19 crisis “may get worse before it gets better.”

For what it’s worth, Microsoft has said there will be multiple pre-release beta tests for Halo Infinite, and Microsoft has never said if the Holiday 2020 release date for the game is for the full release or its beta tests.

Microsoft will show off Xbox Series X games as part of a livestream event on May 7. These will be third-party games, including Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so fans shouldn’t get their hopes up to see Halo Infinite. Microsoft is planning a separate, later event to show off first-party games.

Now Playing: Xbox Series X – Loading Times Tech Demo

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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Trailer Breakdown; Story, Viking History, Hidden Blade, And More

Within the wave of news amid the official announcement of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, developers at Ubisoft did their own breakdown of the reveal trailer. The four-minute cinematic trailer showcases the game’s Viking era setting, story premise, and what’s to come from gameplay. However, there are plenty of key details that the trailer doesn’t spell out.

In the video below, you can watch creative director Ashraf Ismail and narrative director Darby McDevitt talking through the trailer with Ubisoft news editor Youssef Maguid. They gave broader context for specific scenes and spoke about the approach for depicting Vikings with their culture and history in mind, and how the trailer also contains gameplay details. There’s also a hint as to how the new protagonist Eivor might be connected to the Assassins.

We have this next game in the storied franchise covered from all angles; be sure to read our own interview with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla narrative director Darby McDevitt for an even deeper dive into the game’s story. While a male protagonist is portrayed in the trailer, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will let players choose between a male and female lead. There are also a few details on how Assassin’s Creed Valhalla uses next-gen console features.

Below is an annotation of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla trailer breakdown.

Story Setup And The Viking Age

The first shot they breakdown shows a settlement in Norway. Ismail says that the theme of home and settling other lands are important for the story and Eivor, the main protagonist.

Shortly after, there’s a shot of a large statue of Odin, the Norse god. McDevitt detailed that in Norse culture, people give offerings to gods in return for favors, usually before important events. You can see this ritual taking place. A sacrifice is made to Odin, and Eivor gets marked on the face with what looks like blood. The people are about to leave Norway and lead a raid to establish a settlement in England. Ismail said that these scenes tease the idea that the journey starts in Norway and eventually leads to England.

A sacrifice was made to Odin before Eivor and company went into battle.
A sacrifice was made to Odin before Eivor and company went into battle.

During the following scene of a raid, Eivor and his companion turn the corner and avoid attacking a woman and her children. All the while, the backing narration from an English King who mentions that the Vikings murder and kill blindly like savages, sparing no one–which creates a sort of dissonance. McDevitt brings up that much of Viking history comes from those they raided (the English) and that accounts are brutal. However, while the English (or Saxons) kept many records and writings to recount its history, there are other sources necessary to get the full picture. McDevitt says they want to show a complete story of an entire culture.

McDevitt went into more detail; the Viking Era began at the end of the 8th century with the attack on the “Holy Island” of Lindisfarne. When Valhalla takes place (beginning in 873 AD), there’s more of a focus on settling than raiding–people of Norway and Denmark coming to England. Around that time, settling and cultural assimilation happened fairly quickly and easily because of similarities between the two cultures. Valhalla doesn’t just depict the brutality of the era, but also the culture, alliances that formed, and the places the Vikings settled.

Vikings came to English lands to settle, though their methods were quite brutish.
Vikings came to English lands to settle, though their methods were quite brutish.

The next scene shows the nighttime raid seamlessly transition to a bright sunny day on the countryside, depicting the Vikings actually settling the lands. Ismail says that these Vikings left Norway and have to build a community and integrate in the local society. They were also farmers, traders, which Ismail said are also gameplay elements; you’ll play a role in building settlements and communities and make choices as a leader in the game.

McDevitt gave more historical context, and said that the evidence of how successful Norse people were in settling England can be found in the number of towns with names ending in -thorpe or -by.

So, the main story begins in 873 AD during the Viking era and at a time when England was several lands but not a unified country–there are multiple fractured kingdoms. In the game, you see King Alfred (aka Alfred the Great), who is the voice over in the first half of the trailer. Alfred is the King of Wessex, the southern-most kingdom (among three others: Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia). Wessex was known for having the strongest and fiercest opposition to Viking settlement.

King Alfred of Wessex is a powerful enemy of the Vikings.

Gameplay Hints Within The Trailer

The next scene they look at features Viking longships, which will play a major role in the game. Longships were unique to Vikings and allowed them to cover vast waters swiftly while carrying cargo and people. These were agile ships that allowed Vikings to get behind enemy lines fast for hit-and-run style raids.

You then see a depiction of a full on battle. These instances are said to be separate from smaller-scale raids where you plunder for resources, hinting that these are two different styles of combat encounters that are core to the gameplay loop. Large-scale battles can take place on fields and in fortifications, and the one in the trailer showcases some of the things you’ll be working with in Valhalla’s combat system. You can mix axes and shields, dual-wield axes, use a throwing axe, or even dual-wield shields. Dual-wielding is said to be a big part of the combat system.

The mysterious hooded figure Eivor spots on the battlefield.

Now, we see a bit more about Eivor and the intersection between Norse mythology and Assassin’s Creed lore. Eivor spots a hooded figure in the distance and a raven flying off as a thunderstorm begins, giving him the will to keep fighting. This could be a physical manifestation of Odin returning the favor of the ritual’s sacrifice shown earlier in the trailer. In the Norse mythos, huginn and muninn are two of Odin’s ravens named after their words for thought and memory, and it could Eivor’s interpretation that empowers him in the chaos of battle, as Ubisoft is going for a “more grounded” approach this time around.

Eivor is shown fighting a very strong foe, who will be a particular enemy type in Valhalla’s gameplay. This enemy is said to be a leader on the battlefield with unique abilities, heavy armor, and very few weakpoints (which sounds similar to Brutes and Enforcers in Odyssey).

Eivor using the Hidden Blade on an imposing foe to escape death.

The Viking-Assassin Connection And The Hidden Blade

Eivor looks to be defeated but escapes death by using the series’ iconic Hidden Blade at the last minute to kill the enemy. A small detail is that Eivor has the blade mounted atop the arm, unlike previous Assassins (except for Darius from Odyssey’s Legacy of the First Blade DLC).

Ismail and McDevitt spoke to how Valhalla mixes Viking fantasy with the Assassin’s Creed world. In the story, Eivor meets with the Assassins at some point, but doesn’t necessarily know what they’re all about–what’s important is that the Vikings and Assassins have common ground and end up working with each other. Eivor gets the hidden blade at some point early on in the story, though no further details were given as to how or why.

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Space Jam 2 Title Finally Revealed

The sequel to the 1996 basketball and Looney Tunes film, Space Jam, has finally been given a title. In an Instagram post on Thursday, LeBron James revealed that the title for the long-awaited next installment will be called “Space Jam: A New Legacy”.

The original film came out over 25 years ago and starred Bill Murray, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle, and also featured cameos by Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bouges, Larry Johnson, and Shawn Bradley. The plot centered around Micheal Jordan during his brief period of retirement during the 90s, with the cast of the Looney Tunes desperately trying to rope Jordan into a basketball match against a team of aliens for the Earth.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is rumored to have a full cast of famous basketball players like the original, including a mix of players from the NBA and WNBA.

The film is set to release in July 2021 and will be directed by Malcom D. Lee. The screenplay has been written by Justin Lin, Willie Ebersol, Andrew Dode, and Alfredo Botello. The director of Black Panther, Ryan Coogler, will be producing the movie.

Tony Bancroft, one of the two directors behind Disney’s animated Mulan, is also set to work on the film, but was sent home due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Meanwhile, the director of the original Space Jam, Joe Pytka, thinks it’s “doomed.”

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Darkborn, The Monster Game From Battlefield And Payday Developer’s New Studio, Is On Hold

Darkborn, the exciting-looking monster game from Battlefield and Payday developer David Goldberg’s new studio, has been put on hold. The game’s developer, The Outsiders, announced the change on Twitter, writing that the team may eventually return to the project, but probably not soon.

“In spite of our best efforts to continue, ultimately we had to make the difficult decision to halt development on the project,” reads a line from the studio’s statement. “Perhaps one day we will return to it: we all hope so and genuinely appreciate the support of everyone who followed us over the years.”

The Outsiders is moving on to a new project that’s described as “something new, something awesome, something we really love.” Whatever this game is, it will be revealed “very very soon,” the studio said.

The game was originally known as Archenemy before changing names to Project Wight and then again to Darkborn. Private Division, the indie publishing label run by Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two, was set to publish Darkborn before the companies parted ways.

The hook of Darkborn was that the usual power fantasy is reversed. The monster you play, a Darkborn, is hunted by a horrible faction called The Pale Enemy that torture Darkborn and perform blood rituals with their corpses, according to a Game Informer preview. “Be the monster in Darkborn. Experience life on the other side of the sword,” reads the game’s official description.

While you might not get to play Darkborn soon–or ever–you can watch 16 minutes of gameplay footage in the video below.

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Gigantamax Pikachu And Meowth Toys Available In Japan

The chubby Pikachu and long Meowth variants were introduced as Gigantamax forms in Pokemon Sword and Shield. The plushies represent the original fatter Pikachu from the early versions of the series and Meowth as a longer version of itself, like the longcat meme. While the Sword and Shield games released back in November of last year, Japan has just released large plush forms of these big Pokemon to take home.

The Pikachu is 31 inches tall, 24 inches wide, weighs almost 10 pounds, and costs a hefty $411 (44,000 yen). The Meowth is about five feet and five inches tall and costs $308 (33,000 yen).

Both plushies are available for pre-order from the Japanese Pokemon Center’s online store. These plushies are made to order and will only be manufactured in limited supply. Pre-ordered plushies are estimated to be shipped by October 2020. A worldwide release in other region Pokemon centers has not been announced as of yet.

Now Playing: Top New Video Games Out On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week — April 26 – May 2, 2020

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Fish And Bugs Leaving After May In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

A new month in Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn’t just mean new fish and bugs to catch, but also a handful of fish and bugs that are going away. You can hit up last month’s list to see what’s missing now that April is over, but if you want to look ahead and focus on what’s going away in June, we have you covered. Whether you have a Northern or Southern Hemisphere island, here’s every fish and bug leaving Animal Crossing at the end of May.

Fish And Bugs Leaving After May

Fish are first spotted in bodies of water as shadows, which come in a variety of sizes. We have a fish shadow size guide you’ll want to use to get a better idea of what the shadow sizes (which we label 1-6) look like in-game. All fish listed below have their corresponding shadow size next to them for easier identification.

Northern Hemisphere

Fish Location/Size Time Price
Golden Trout River (Clifftop) / 3 4 PM – 9 AM 15,000
Oarfish Sea / 6 All day 9,000
Loach River / 2 All day 400

The golden trout is among the most valuable fish in the game–it’s also new to the Animal Crossing series! It only spawns in clifftop rivers, just like the rare stringfish, so if you’re going to focus your efforts on fishing this month, you might want to grab your ladder and be on the lookout for this one. One of the best ways to catch rare fish is on a deserted island that has the right layout, since fish spawn more rapidly on Mystery Tours than on your own island–better spawn rates means less time crafting fish bait, though that is certainly recommended as well.

Also saying goodbye after this month is the oarfish, which won’t return until December. This massive fish can be caught at any time of the day in the ocean, and it’s the biggest shadow size, so spotting them is easy.

Bug Location Time Price
Mole Cricket Underground All day 500

Among the handful of rare creatures in New Horizons, the mole cricket is one of the weirdest to catch. It isn’t the most uncommon bug, but it is one of the easiest to miss if you don’t know where to look. Check out our guide on how to catch a mole cricket for more details.

Southern Hemisphere

Fish Location/Size Time Price
Golden Trout River (Clifftop) / 3 4 PM – 9 AM 15,000
Barred Knifejaw Sea / 3 All day 5,000
Char River (Clifftop) / 3 4 PM – 9 AM 3,800
Ray Sea / 5 4 AM – 9 PM 3,000
Mitten Crab River / 2 4 PM – 9 AM 2,000
Guppy River / 1 9 AM – 4 PM 1,300
Sea Horse Sea / 1 All day 1,100
Cherry Salmon River (Clifftop) / 3 4 PM – 9 AM 1,000
Neon Tetra River / 1 9 AM – 4 PM 500
Zebra Turkeyfish Sea / 3 All day 500

The golden trout is a newcomer to the Animal Crossing series and one of the most valuable fish in New Horizons. It’s also, as it turns out, one of the few critters that isn’t around year-round, but has identical spawn months between Northern and Southern Hemisphere islands. As mentioned under the Northern Hemisphere table, you’re going to want to focus on clifftop rivers to catch this one. We recommend finding a suitable deserted island to take advantage of the more rapid fish spawn rates.

Bugs Location Time Price
Orchid Mantis On white flowers 8 AM – 5 PM 2,400
Migratory Locust Ground 8 AM – 7 PM 600
Walking Stick On trees

4 AM – 8 AM
5 PM – 7 PM

600
Violin Beetle On tree stumps All day 450
Mantis On flowers 8 AM – 5 PM 430
Long Locust Ground 8 AM – 7 PM 200
Rice Grasshopper Ground 8 AM – 7 PM 160
Monarch Butterfly Flying 4 AM – 5 PM 140
Cricket Ground 5 PM – 8 AM 130
Flea Itchy villagers All day 70

If you have a Southern Hemisphere island, May is your last month to catch a flea. The flea is one of the most elusive bugs in New Horizons–check out our guide on catching fleas to learn where to look.

Also, if you’re having trouble catching mantises, try approaching them slowly with your net out. Otherwise, they’ll hop into a defensive position before scurrying away. Your best bet is to slow down around flowers, walk instead of run, and keep an eye out. The regular mantis is bright green and the orchid mantis is a very, very light pink and white.

We have tons more Animal Crossing: New Horizons guides, so hit them up below for tips on how to make bells fast, how to add friends, and more.

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