Animal Crossing Player Holds In-Game Memorial For Late Father

Animal Crossing: New Horizons player and Redditor lazyleiz held a memorial for her father, who would have been 68, in the small town simulator. They scanned an image of him into the game to display on an easel, designed custom fireworks, and set up a special area to honor him.

“I held it completely in Animal Crossing! My siblings and I are located all over the map and Animal Crossing has surprisingly turned into a place for us to virtually gather,” lazyleiz told GameSpot. “I created the memorial in June for Fathers Day, and I’ve enjoyed surprising my siblings with little parties there.”

The pandemic has made mourning more difficult as families and friends can’t always be together. Families have had to plan and hold their funerals virtually, although some have opted to use Animal Crossing and Zoom to gather and remember those they’ve lost.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has also been a place for concerts, parties, and graduation parties. Tove Lo held a DJ set, Selena Gomez performed a new song, and Brie Larson joined a talk show–all from within Animal Crossing over the last month.

Lazyleiz enjoyed designing unique fireworks, like an image of national flag of the Philippines, in order to make the memorial feel unique to their family. “I’m not normally super creative, but there’s something about the tools this game gives you,” lazyleiz said. “I love being able to make something not just for me to enjoy, but my loved ones as well.”

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

CoD: Modern Warfare, Warzone Update Continues Free Access Multiplayer, Adds Modes, More

Some changes are coming to both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone this week on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. This includes multiplayer playlist updates, new blueprints, and more.

Free Modern Warfare Multiplayer Access Continues

For those who haven’t purchased the full Modern Warfare game yet, publisher Activision is continuing its Free Access Multiplayer period. Now ending on August 12, you’ll get to play Modern Warfare’s multiplayer for free across five different maps, such as Chesire Park and Petrov Oil Rig, as well as Shoot the Ship when the playlist offerings get updated on Tuesday, August 11.

No Caption Provided

There’s also a new mode in Modern Warfare called Bare Bones. As the name suggests, Bare Bones strips everything away and leaves you with pure Call of Duty multiplayer. There are no killstreaks, no field upgrades, no perks. It’s just you, your Operator’s skills, and your loadout.

Additionally, fans of Hardcore multiplayer can tackle a new Hardcore-specific playlist that features Hardcore Team DeathMatch, Kill Confirmed, and 24/7 Shoot the Ship. If you’d rather have something more personalized, though, 3v3 Gunfight Blueprints will also be available.

Warzone Playlist Update

Warzone also sees some playlist updates this week. There’s a “fast, chaotic, and tight-knit” Mini-Royale you can participate in that “captures the spirit of the final minutes of a Battle Royale match.” Activision didn’t clarify anything else about Mini-Royale, though.

Furthermore, Battle Royale Stimulus–in which you can respawn if you’re holding enough money when you die–has returned in the form of Solos, Duos, Trios, and Quads. Plunder Quads is also back.

New Call of Duty Blueprints

And of course, this week’s Modern Warfare and Warzone update also packages in new blueprints you can purchase from the in-game shop. This includes the Mace’s Executive Armorer bundle (which houses two Legendary blueprints, the Golden Hew melee hatchet, a voice quip, and more) and the Poison Dart bundle (which features Legendary blueprints, a calling card, animated emblem, and more).

Gallery image 1Gallery image 2Gallery image 3

In other Call of Duty news, Activision has started mailing out mysterious boxes to people. Rumors began circulating that the publisher might reveal this year’s Call of Duty game, but it turns out the contents within the boxes are just more teasers. We know it’s coming this year, but it’s unclear what Call of Duty 2020 is.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Classic Clive Barker Horror Anthology Is Now A Hulu Movie

He might not have been adapted to the screen as frequently as Stephen King, but for many horror fans, author Clive Barker is every bit as acclaimed and influential. Classic horror movies such as Hellraiser, Candyman, and Nightbreed were either directed by Barker or adapted from his stories, and they are set to be joined by the upcoming Hulu movie Books of Blood.

Books of Blood is adapted from Barker’s classic ’80s six-volume anthology of the same title. It’s an anthology movie that features three stores based on Barker’s work and premieres on Hulu on October 7. The film is co-produced by Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane, and is directed Brannon Braga, who also helmed several episodes of McFarlane’s sci-fi show The Orville. Hulu has also released the first poster, which you can check out below:

Hulu's Books of Blood
Hulu’s Books of Blood

The cast for Books of Blood includes Anna Friel (The Girlfriend Experience), Britt Robertson (Under the Dome), Yul Vazquez (Russian Doll), and Freda Foh Shen (Ad Astra). Books of Blood was first announced in November last year. According to The Hollywood Reporter at the time, the stories will revolve around a psychologist who meets a man who claims he can speak to her dead child, a woman who cannot stand any sound, and a hitman who is hunting for a mysterious book.

This isn’t the first time that Books of Blood has been adapted for the screen. The movies Candyman, Midnight Meat Train, and Rawhead Rex were all based on stories from the collection, while an adaptation of the wraparound story, titled Book of Blood, was released in 2009. In addition, a new adaptation of Candyman is set to hit theaters in October.

McFarlane isn’t the only actor and writer best known for comedy to get involved with horror over the past couple of years. Danny McBride co-wrote 2018’s hugely successful Halloween reboot and has also written next year’s sequel Halloween Kills. In addition, Chris Rock developed the story and will star in the next Saw movie, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, which hits theaters next May.

New Momodora Game Announced, Minoria Coming To Consoles In September

Bombservice has announced a new Momodora is in development, in celebration of the original game’s tenth anniversary. The new teaser briefly features art of protagonist Isadora, a crimson eclipse, and ends with a pair of spooky eyes that refuse to blink.

On the official Momodora Twitter, series creator Guilherme Martins tweeted his thanks to fans who had supported the game series over the last decade. “Momodora is a series that I started from scraps of failed projects, with no expectations,” Martins wrote.

“My only goal back then was to be able to bring one of my characters to life. In the beginning, I barely knew what I was doing (and honestly even today…) but I followed my heart and created what I wanted to the best of my abilities. If someone like me was able to do it, those out there who dream of their creations can, too. Please keep your spirits up!”

Originally launched on PC in 2010, the first Momodora was an indie platformer game influenced by Cave Story. Momodora II arrived in 2011 and shifted the series to a Metroidvania style of gameplay, while also revamping Momodora’s combat system in the process.

Momodora III was released in 2014, while Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight was a prequel that introduced a more detailed art style to the series in 2016.

Minoria would serve as a spiritual sequel when it launched on PC in 2019, and is currently scheduled to arrive on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on September 10.

Now Playing: Combos and Cats – Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight Gameplay

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Marvel’s Avengers Seemingly Includes Exclusive Skins for Verizon, Intel Customers

Leaked skins from Marvel’s Avengers have surfaced on Reddit, seemingly tied to promotional collaborations with Verizon, Intel and Virgin Media.

Posted to Reddit by user smoove4254, the first set of skins boast a red and white colourway, with the header tags found suggesting they could be linked to Verizon in the US and Virgin Media in the UK, who both follow a similar colour scheme.

The second set of skins are more nostalgic in nature, with Thor sporting an old-school fighting helmet and Iron Man donning a weathered set of armour. According to the user, this set may be part of an upcoming collaboration with technology company Intel. In a report from ComputerBase, leaked product images were found suggesting that an upcoming series of ‘KA’ model Intel processors will feature a collaboration with Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers game, which may well be where these skins stem from.

Exclusive elements have become a point of controversy in the lead up to Marvel’s Avengers’ launch. Most notably, Spider-Man will be an exclusive hero in PlayStation versions of the game, alongside other cosmetics and challenges. We’ve called that move good for PlayStation, but bad for players. It remains to be seen whether more exclusive elements will appear, but it seems increasingly likely.

In other Marvel’s Avengers news, check out our 44 helpful tips and tricks for the game’s beta program, which is rolling out over the coming weekends. If you’re stuck wondering which superhero you should main when you get access, check out our character skill guides to find out which of earth’s mightiest heroes best suits your style.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Pokemon Go Fest Makeup Event Is This Weekend

Pokemon Go‘s third and final Ultra Unlock event, Unova Week, kicks off in a few days, but that’s not the only event happening in the game this week. As a make-good for some technical issues that occurred during Pokemon Go Fest 2020, Niantic is holding a special event for Go Fest ticket holders this Sunday, August 16, giving them another chance to catch Go Fest Pokemon and more.

The makeup event runs from 11 AM to 2 PM local time. Much like during the first day of Go Fest, there will be rotating virtual habitats each hour of the makeup event, which will bring out different types of Pokemon. The habitat rotation schedule is as follows:

  • 11 AM: Fire habitat
  • 12 PM: Water habitat
  • 1 PM: Friendship habitat

On top of that, players will be able to claim a free box from Pokemon Go’s in-game shop that contains two Incense and two Remote Raid Passes. Any Incense that you use during the event will also last for one hour instead of the usual 30 minutes, and certain Pokemon will only appear when Incense is active.

Finally, any gifts that you open during the makeup event can possibly contain Rare Candies. You can read more about the Pokemon Go Fest makeup event on the game’s official website.

In the meantime, the aforementioned Unova Week kicks off on August 14 and runs until August 21. During that time, Gen 5 Pokemon such as Sewaddle, Cottonee, and Emolga will appear in the wild much more often than usual, and the Mythical Pokemon Genesect will be featured in five-star Raids. You also have until August 14 to battle and catch Deoxys, which is appearing again as part of the ongoing Enigma Week event.

Now Playing: Pokemon GO – GO Battle League Dev Insights

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Amazon’s Twitch Prime Is Getting A Name Change, More Free Content

Twitch Prime, a service included with any Amazon Prime subscription, is getting a rebrand. Today, Amazon launched Prime Gaming, which will replace Twitch Prime going forward and offer even more free gaming content for Amazon Prime members.

Twitch Prime has been one of the more overlooked sources for free games and loot every month compared to subscriptions like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold, despite the fact that every one of Amazon’s 150 million+ Prime subscribers has access to it. Since 2016, Twitch Prime has offered free in-game loot, free PC games, and a free Twitch channel subscription every month. Amazon has been ramping up its offerings in recent months, partnering with publishers like Rockstar and Riot to offer exclusive in-game items for major titles like Grand Theft Auto Online and League of Legends. The number of free games has grown exponentially as well, with over 20 games up for grabs this month, including SNK arcade classics like Metal Slug 2 and SNK 40th Anniversary Collection.

With Prime Gaming, Amazon aims to keep growing its catalog of freebies and partnering with major publishers to offer free content. While Prime Gaming’s free loot can be claimed across all gaming platforms, including the next-generation consoles when those launch, the free indie games will still only be available to claim on PC for now, Amazon said in a press briefing.

The name change is largely a rebranding to make the benefits more clear to existing Prime members and allow Prime Gaming to more neatly sit alongside other pillars of the Prime membership, including Prime Video, Prime Reading, and Amazon Music. But Prime Gaming will also make it easier to take advantage of these benefits–going forward, you’ll be able to claim your free games and loot directly at Amazon. Some free content drops require you to link a third-party account such as EA or Rockstar, but Amazon is simplifying the process by no longer requiring members to link their Twitch account as well. With Prime Gaming, only your Amazon Prime account and specific game account need to be linked.

An Amazon Prime membership costs $119/year (or $13 a month). On top of the Prime Gaming benefits, you get free two-day shipping on many Amazon products, and sometimes even one-day or same-day shipping depending on where you live. You also get free release-date shipping on select games and other pre-order items. Plus, the membership unlocks unlimited access to Prime Video, Prime Music, and many other benefits. Fortunately, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial to try Prime out if you’re interested.

Prime Gaming’s free offerings for August 2020 are available now–check out all the free games and loot up for grabs this month.

Now Playing: Why Upload On Amazon Prime Is A Must-Watch

Fall Guys Players Will Get Free In-Game Reward As A Thanks From Dev

It’s just shy of a week since Fall Guys launched across PC and PS4, but the Devolver Digital-published battle royale has already hit some significant milestones. As a thanks to so many of its players, developer Mediatonic is planning to give away a special cosmetic item soon.

In a post on the game’s Steam page, Mediatonic thanks the millions of players that have purchased the game already, celebrating 2 million customers on Steam alone. As a thanks for the support, and an apology for server connection errors that has persisted since launch, an in-game reward is being decided on for all players to claim for free soon. It’s not clear from the post if this will be offered to PS4 players too, who can still get the game as part of August’s PS Plus offerings.

The post also confirms that Mediatonic isalready working on new game modes to add to the pool of 25 already in the game, as well as new features that are only vaguely teased. The developer also reaffirms that work is continuing with server stability and capacity, as some players are still experiencing some connectivity issues. The game was review bombed at launch for this but has since recovered on Steam to a “Mostly Positive” status.

Fall Guys is a fun and approachable spin on battle royales, with easy-to-understand gameplay and whimsical mini-games to battle in. In GameSpot’s 7/10 Fall Guys review, the game was praised for its sheer fun factor. “It can be disheartening to have a game end prematurely due to uneven team matches and, worse still, when you’re forced into one of Fall Guys’ unsatisfying finale modes,” the review reads. “But neither are enough to derail the fun Fall Guys consistently generates, with its chaotic obstacle courses and earworm soundtrack ensuring you’ll be coming back for more.”

Now Playing: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout Video Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Video Game Spending Breaks All-Time Record In The US

Many people are still stuck at home due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, and that’s leading a lot of us to spend more money on video games than ever. According to the NPD Group, spending on video games during the second quarter (April to June) reached an all-time record of $11.6 billion, which is an increase of 30% compared to the same period last year.

This was driven by a 28% increase in sales of games and game content themselves, as well as an increase of 57% in the hardware category, which includes consoles like the PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Meanwhile, accessories increased by 50%. Sales from the first-quarter of this year also shattered the previous record, with a total of $10.9 billion. The best-selling games of the quarter include Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Warzone, Candy Crush Saga, Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Grand Theft Auto V, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Minecraft, NBA 2K20, Pokemon Go, and The Last of Us: Part 2.

While these overall records are notable, individual companies and games have also notched surprising high-water marks in recent weeks. Capcom announced that they enjoyed its strongest first-quarter ever, and Twitch said the same. Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more copies than anyone could’ve predicted, with over 22 million, making it the second best-selling game on Switch.

Now Playing: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

New To Netflix This Week: Avatar’s Follow-Up Series Available To Stream

While the summer slowly winds down, with the heat from the sun scorching our skin to a burnt crisp, you may wonder why you went outside at all. Why didn’t you just hang out, indoors, on your couch watching Netflix? And if you’re looking to see what’s new to the streaming service from original programs to movies and TV shows, we have you covered. Here’s what’s coming to Netflix this week.

Fans of the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender will have something new to watch this week. The follow-up series The Legend of Korra arrives on Friday. The episodes that drop are from the first four volumes of the show, which follows the Avatar Korra and she goes her best to protect Republic City from the forces of evil. The series takes place 70 years after the events of the original series.

If you’re looking for something a bit more comedic, Scary Movie 5 arrives on Wednesday. The latest installment of the parody series stars Ashley Tisdale, Simon Rex, and Gracie Whitton, as the film spoofs movies like Inception, Paranormal Activity, Black Swan, and more. You, too, can watch Scary Movie 5 and yell at your TV things like, “I remember that movie this film is making fun of!” or “Ah yes, that is a moment from pop culture I remember!”

Finally, on Thursday, you can watch Safety Not Guaranteed. Directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), the movie follows a writer at a magazine who is investigating the person behind a classified ad who claims they’ve invented a time machine. However, as the investigation progresses, the writer discovers that the inventor may not be crazy, and may be on to something. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, and Mark Duplass.

Below, you’ll find the full list of what’s heading to Netflix this week. For more information on the streaming service, find out what’s coming for the rest of August here.

New to Netflix this week:

August 10

  • GAME ON: A Comedy Crossover Event — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Nightcrawler

August 11

  • Mr. Peabody & Sherman
  • Rob Schneider: Asian Momma, Mexican Kids — NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL

August 12

  • Scary Movie 5
  • (Un)Well — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

August 13

  • Safety Not Guaranteed
  • Une fille facile / An Easy Girl — NETFLIX FILM

August 14

  • 3%: Season 4 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • El robo del siglo — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Fearless — NETFLIX FILM
  • Glow Up: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Project Power — NETFLIX FILM
  • The Legend of Korra: Book One: Air
  • The Legend of Korra: Book Two: Spirits
  • The Legend of Korra: Book Three: Change
  • The Legend of Korra: Book Four: Balance
  • Octonauts & the Caves of Sac Actun — NETFLIX FAMILY
  • Teenage Bounty Hunters — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

August 15

  • Rita: Season 5 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
  • Stranger: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Now Playing: 8 Best Shows And Movies To Stream For August 2020 – Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video