If you add the word “gaming” to a piece of furniture, it goes from an ordinary living room fixture to a piece of mission-critical hardware. The Cougar Ranger Gaming Sofa is one such item, taking a comfortable recliner and upgrading it with aggressive styling and a great lumbar support pillow with an aim to make gaming sessions more comfortable and much cooler. It’s definitely a comfortable reclining gaming chair, but it’s something of an oddball, and I did run into a quality control issue once it was assembled, but other than that unusual occurrence, it’s a nice place to sit and play for a while.
Design and Features
The Cougar Ranger Gaming Sofa is a slim reclining chair with a footprint smaller than a traditional recliner, which makes it more versatile for smaller settings like a dedicated gaming room or home office. Like I said in the opening, it’s aggressively styled, which I’m very much in favor of. It’s in line with the rest of Cougar’s gaming chairs as far as style is concerned: the seams on the armrests are covered with a bright orange piping, and the cushion and back have a geometric diamond pattern sewn into the upholstery. The chair is black with orange accents, with the Cougar logo embroidered into both the headrest and lumbar support pillow.
In spite of the fact I like the “gaming” sensibilities of the Cougar Ranger, unless your entire room is a major league gaming soundstage, it’s hard to find a good match for it. My living room is pretty conservative and the Cougar Ranger sticks out like a sore thumb. Audacious styling is fine, and I personally appreciate it, but it sure makes it hard to tie the whole room together. Outside of a dorm room or home office setting, the Ranger really stands out, and that’s a problem for interior design sensibilities.
Assembly
Assembly was extremely easy, something I was able to do on my own without any trouble whatsoever. I’ve assembled quite a few chairs over the years, and I’ve never ran into a situation where it required a second person, although the majority would have been much easier with a spare set of hands. With the Cougar, I feel confident saying there’s no need at all for a second person to help. In fact, I think an extra person would just have gotten in the way. It’s super easy to assemble. Moving the box is best done with a helper, but other than that, assembly is an easy solo mission, and I like that a lot. It also took less than 30 minutes, making it one of the fastest furniture assemblies I’ve done.
The Cougar Gaming Sofa sits on engineered wood legs attached to the frame with long lag bolts. They feel extremely sturdy and don’t have any play in them at all once the lags are torqued properly. On the side is a small lever for reclining, so you can game (or read, or browse the internet) in a relaxed position. With or without the support pillow, I found reclining in the Cougar Ranger comfortable, in spite of the fact I’m 6’ 2” tall. A lot of times there just isn’t enough length in the leg rest to recline comfortably for tall folk like me, but the Cougar is fine.
However, the recline feature is where I ran into a big time quality control issue. After putting it together and admiring my handiwork, I sat down to test the reclining feature. When I first try out a chair with a recline, I take it really slowly, so as not to damage anything. As I leaned back further and further, I found myself impressed with the smoothness of the action. Just as I thought to myself “Wow, this reclines really far,” the chair kept on reclining… and didn’t stop until I found myself with my feet in the air and the back of the chair on the ground.
My Cougar Gaming Chair left the factory without the bolts on the frame being attached to the reclining mechanism. That meant when I tried to lean back for the first time, the two pieces separated and I ended up on the floor. Thankfully I have a set of Allen wrenches on hand, since the frame bolts are a different size than the provided Allen wrench for assembly. Repairing it was not the easiest job, but it wasn’t like I was rebuilding an engine or anything. The bolts were a little bent where the reclining mechanism had used them as a fulcrum, but I was able to muscle them back into place. If I hadn’t spent years in commercial construction, I wouldn’t have had the correct size Allen wrench on hand, which would have been a massive bummer.
I gave the rest of the chair a thorough visual inspection after I repaired it, to make sure nothing else had been missed, and it passed. After searching online for people complaining of similar issues, I’ve come to the conclusion mine was an isolated incident. Had I been unable to repair it on my own, Cougar has a generous 1-year warranty on all its gaming chairs, so I would have been able to file a claim. In spite of the fact it’s repaired and now rock-solid, I have major trust issues when I go to recline, but knowing I’m just unlucky and it would have been covered by a warranty helps to ease my mind quite a bit.
The recline angle, as designed, is actually quite generous. Nothing ruins a recliner faster in my mind than a subpar recline, and the Cougar Ranger tips way back to a 165-degree angle. I take my relaxation very seriously, and the Ranger accommodates my full-tilt lifestyle.
Gaming
Overcoming my fears of future reclining mishaps, I put the chair to the test doing exactly what it’s designed for: gaming while reclined. It’s comfortable both laid-back and sitting, and switching between the two is easy. I preferred gaming sitting up, and the lumbar support is really nice. It’s probably my favorite feature, and while it would be tempting to stuff a regular pillow behind my back on a different chair, the pillow included with the Cougar unsurprisingly fits perfectly. I liked that because it meant I didn’t need to readjust it to maintain a desired comfort level.
As I mentioned earlier, the recline is comfortable and when it’s properly attached to the chair, goes far, but not quite flat. The headrest is well-padded but it isn’t overstuffed, so if you exude powerful dad energy and want to take a nap in the Cougar Ranger, you’re going to need an extra pillow.
The Cougar Ranger Gaming Sofa has a list price of $279.99 and can be purchased at most major online retailers. However, it’s pretty much universally out of stock at the moment (as is the case with a lot of things in these weird times).
Now that Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox is official, it’s only a matter of time until the X-Men make their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, fans shouldn’t expect a proper MCU X-Men movie for several years. A large part of the Phase 4 lineup has already been revealed, with nary an X-Man in sight. And with the entire MCU release schedule being pushed back because of COVID-19, that wait has just become even longer.
But even if we’re likely not going to see a new X-Men movie before 2023 at the earliest, that doesn’t necessarily mean Marvel won’t begin laying the groundwork for the X-Men sooner. There are a number of ways Phase 4 could set the stage for mutants in the MCU. Heck, that process may have already begun in Phase 3. Read on to see the many ways in which Phase 4 could quietly begin introducing mutants.
It’s entirely possible Avengers: Endgame already started the process of introducing mutants into the MCU. Consider this – mutants are created when the parent’s DNA is mutated through exposure to radiation, cosmic rays or some other unstable substance. Those genetic changes cause the child to manifest the mutant gene, transforming them from Homo sapiens to Homo superior. Historically in the Marvel Universe, mutants were an extremely rare offshoot of humans. But thanks to the rise of nuclear technology in the 20th century, the mutant race began to explode in numbers.
Bearing that in mind, Endgame may have just given the fledgling mutant race the catalyst it needed to grow. Early in the film, we learn that the Infinity Gauntlet unleashed a massive burst of gamma energy when Thanos used it to wipe out half of all life. The Avengers were able to track down Thanos by pinpointing a similar gamma burst in another part of the universe. With Earth being exposed to that much gamma radiation (the same substance that transformed Bruce Banner into Hulk, mind you), is it possible Thanos inadvertently spawned a whole new generation of mutants?
It’s also worth remembering that the “present-day” MCU is currently set in 2023 – five years after Thanos’ snap. This five-year gap may have been created specifically so that the long-term effects of that gamma burst could play out and mutants could start spontaneously appearing across the globe. In his quest to tamp down the spread of life, Thanos may have instead created something new and wonderful.
The Eternals and Mutants
There’s a persistent (albeit dubiously sourced) rumor online that Marvel’s The Eternals will wind up serving as a backdoor introduction for the X-Men in the MCU. While that may seem strange given the lack of deep ties between the two franchises, it’s also perfectly plausible.
In the mythology of the Marvel Universe, the godlike cosmic beings known as the Celestials came to Earth and meddled with the DNA of mankind’s prehistoric ancestors. As they’re wont to do, the Celestials hoped to introduce newer, more powerful and more genetically diverse forms of life to the universe. The result of that experimentation was three species of life – the genetically superior Eternals, the powerful but monstrous Deviants and boring old humans. But while humanity wasn’t blessed with the long life and incredible powers of the Eternals, their DNA carries the potential for incredible acts of mutation. Basically, every superhuman Earthling in the Marvel Universe – be they mutant, Inhuman, super-soldier or Hulk – can trace their powers back to the original genetic tampering performed by the Celestials.
Whether or not mutants are directly referenced in The Eternals, it’s likely the movie will delve into this backstory and the notion that the Celestials are the cosmic force guiding humanity’s evolution. The Eternals may at least serve as an indirect stepping stone to the rebooted X-Men franchise.
We could also see more direct ties to the X-Men in The Eternals. While again, the two franchises don’t have a deep history of overlapping with each other, mutant villain Apocalypse has had his run-ins with Ikaris and the gang. Apocalypse is among the first mutants in history and has even repurposed Celestial technology to augment his powers. If any mutant character stands a chance of having a cameo in The Eternals, it’s Apocalypse.
We don’t know if the existence of mutants will be directly acknowledged in Phase 4. But if any movie has the potential to include the X-Men, it’s definitely Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
At this point, we can only speculate about what the Multiverse of Madness actually is. That said, the name strongly suggests this Doctor Strange sequel will be showing us alternate realities and other versions of the MCU. Who’s to say one or more of these alternate realities couldn’t have versions of Earth where mutants are a public phenomenon? We could even see the X-Men themselves. Leaning on the multiverse angle would be a way of giving hungry X-Men fans something to tide them over until the mutants make their full and proper debut.
It’s also entirely possible the movie could introduce mutants in a more permanent way. What if the cosmic shenanigans in Doctor Strange 2 result in the MCU merging with some of these alternate realities? Could the fabric of the MCU be rewritten so that mutants suddenly exist where they didn’t before? That would be one way of quickly solving the mutant problem and setting up an X-Men movie for Phase 5.
The Power of Scarlet Witch
However Marvel Studios chooses to introduce the X-Men in the MCU, there’s a good chance Scarlet Witch will be involved. Traditionally, Wanda and her brother Pietro are depicted as the mutant children of Magneto. And while the duo’s mutant status and family connection to Magneto was recently retconned away in the comics, that change was made seemingly for no other reason than to bring the comics closer in line with the mutant-less MCU. Ironically, we may soon reach the point where the comics have to re-retcon Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch’s origin.
Currently, we know Wanda and her brother gained their superhuman powers when they volunteered for Hydra’s genetic experimentation. Exposure to Loki’s scepter unlocked their latent genetic potential. Could it be that both siblings always carried the mutant gene and simply needed an outside catalyst to awaken their innate powers? Could there be other carriers of dormant mutant genes in the MCU? If so, this could tie back into the theory about the Infinity Gauntlet’s gamma wave sparking a new generation of mutants.
If this is the case, that raises the question of why the mutant gene is dormant. One intriguing possibility is that it’s Wanda’s fault the mutant race has gone silent. The 2005 comic House of M featured a conflict where a mentally unstable Wanda rewrote reality to make mutants the dominant race on Earth, only for her to restore reality and wipe out the powers of all but a handful of mutants. It’s entirely possible that mutants once existed in the MCU, only for Wanda to rewrite reality and bury their powers. Even she may not remember the world as it once was.
Both the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seem to be dealing heavily with Wanda’s struggle to control her incredible powers and the psychological toll that takes on her. We could easily see one of these projects either revealing Wanda previously wiped out the X-Men or showing her willing the mutant race into existence. Where magic is concerned, anything is possible.
The MCU draws inspiration not just from Marvel’s classic comic book universe, but also from the now-defunct Ultimate Universe line. The Ultimate Universe was built around an effort to streamline Marvel’s vast history for a 21st century audience. One of the ways that effort manifested itself was an emphasis on unifying most Marvel heroes around the concept of a super-soldier arms race. In the Ultimate Universe, the creation of Captain America sparked a decades-long competition between rival nations to build newer and better super-soldiers. Readers eventually learned even mutants themselves were an offshoot of this arms race. Wolverine was patient zero in the creation of an artificial mutant gene.
Given how much the MCU has already drawn from the Ultimate comics, this revamped mutant origin story could certainly be applied to the movies. The disappearance of Captain America after Endgame will almost surely fuel a new superhuman arms race. The creation of an artificial mutant gene could be one unexpected consequence of that process.
Assuming this is the direction in which Marvel Studios chooses to go in Phase 4, we could see early seeds for the X-Men planted in something like Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a series we already know is introducing would-be Cap replacement U.S. Agent. Even Marvel’s Black Widow, the first Phase 4 movie, could use the Red Room and its deadly assassins as a prelude to bigger developments on the super-soldier arms race front. An early glimpse of Wolverine as a Weapon X test subject could lead to much bigger things for the character in the MCU.
Namor: The First Mutant
Namor is one of many comic book heroes whose movie adaptation seems perpetually stuck in development hell. Even Kevin Feige confirmed Namor’s complicated movie rights create difficulties as far as introducing him into the MCU.
That said, one loose end from Endgame leads us to believe there are plans in place for Namor. Early in the film, Okoye mentions a strange shifting of tectonic plates off the coast of Africa, a plot point that’s never again addressed. This has led many fans to assume Marvel is teasing Namor’s debut, either in his own movie or as an antagonist in Black Panther 2.
Whatever form it might take, Namor’s MCU debut could have major ramifications for the X-Men. That’s because Namor is commonly referred to as “Marvel’s first mutant.” Namor was among the very first Marvel heroes introduced back in 1939, and eventually his origin story was retconned so that this human/Atlantean hybrid is also a mutant. Namor has even served on several modern incarnations of the X-Men. As egotistical as he is, Namor has a certain soft spot for anyone who’s treated as an outsider by the surface world.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Black Panther 2, of all things, could be the movie that begins introducing mutants to the MCU. Namor would make a fitting villain, given the setup in Endgame and the rivalry that exists between Namor and T’Challa in the comics. Black Panther 2 could even introduce Storm as a new love interest for T’Challa. If the goal is to introduce specific X-Men characters before diving into the full roster, that’s one way to get the ball rolling. Black Panther 2 could even reveal that the X-Men have been hiding in Atlantis, taking refuge from a world that hates and fears them.
Which Phase 4 project do you think will set the stage for the X-Men? Let us know by voting in the poll below:
This article is part of a new initiative on IGN where we spend a whole month exploring topics we find interesting in the world of video games (and hope you will, too!). May is Development Month, where we’ll tell untold stories from behind the scenes of our favorite games.
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Sea of Thieves is about the journey, not the destination. For a while, Rare had a difficult time seeing that. The studio imagined an experience where players were crusading their way to the top of the food chain, showing off their prowess to all of the envious buccaneers across the realm. But after release in 2018, the company scrapped those future content plans for a different experience. Maybe players weren’t interested in pirate immortality, maybe they just wanted to fish from the dock.
“Going into launch, we had plans to expand the endgame, and what it meant to be a pirate legend. We completely changed that roadmap after we launched,” says Mike Chapman, Design Director at Rare. “Players wanted much more immediate things to do in that world. The more mechanics we add, the more likely you’re going to have a really memorable Sea of Thieves session. It reaches a critical mass. It’s been so much easier for players to say, ‘Oh, I get why this game is special.’ I think that was there at launch, it was just a little bit harder to find.”
Chapman is right. Sea of Thieves was meant to be a sandbox, but in its earliest incarnation, the game was overwhelmingly austere. The thrill of Treasure-Island-style adventures in Sea of Thieves’ faction quests quickly wore off, especially once you realized they were splayed across the map with cookie-cutter homogeny. If you’ve killed one skeleton, you’ve killed them all. The player-base didn’t help much, either. The early days of Sea of Thieves were marred by a massive influx of griefers, who could quickly sour any small crew’s experience. The game’s devotees could always see the potential, they just needed Rare to fulfill their end of the bargain.
Two years later, the company has delivered in spades. Here are just a few of the new features that add up to Chapman’s critical mass. A collection of multi-step questlines called Tall Tales, which light up the world map with swashbuckling, genre-flick adventures. A Bermuda’s Triangle-like region called the Devil’s Roar, which is stocked with both plunder and dangerous volcanoes. A brand new game mode, the Arena, which pits rival brigantines against each other in instanced, player-vs-player battle. Rare initially promised an elaborate, fantastical pirate’s paradise — and they got there, eventually. Two years after release, Sea of Thieves finally resembles the experience people dreamt about after its formal unveiling at E3 2015.
In retrospect, ‘fixing’ Sea of Thieves was remarkably simple. Its first fans loved the weighty physics, the Pixar-esque art style, the thrills of days on a sailboat, and nights under a palm tree canopy. The only problem is there simply wasn’t enough content. With no Destiny-like player level thresholds to chase, and a purely cosmetic gear grind, players were running out of things to do. That problem offered Rare some clarity; the devs needed to stock their world with toys. Fortunately, Sea of Thieves’ community stuck around, offering Rare time to make good on its loftiest goals.
“I think we built a lot of trust and positive sentiment that we were all-in on Sea of Thieves,” says Chapman. “We built up this community, and the communication with the community, like it was an existing franchise, but around a new IP. When all these new people came into the world, we already had a core community that understood the game and knew the developers. We’ve been very open with videos and insider posts. We had that trust and relationship from the get-go. We listened, we took feedback, and as that community grew massively, we always had a strong core.”
Rare never deviated from the company’s core design directives. Two years later, Sea of Thieves remains tethered to a fixed skill curve — a brand new player is capable of the same amount of damage and speed as a veteran of the coasts. There has been no effort to retrofit the game into a progressive loot shooter; you will never be out-leveled, or out-geared, by a rival ship. The steps Rare has taken to mold the game into a more conventional format have been finely targeted. For instance, the most recent update, “Ships of Fortune,” dramatically overhauls the PvP gameplay loop, introducing a brand new faction, the Reaper’s Bones, which marks any crew under its banner globally on the in-game map for both predators and prey.
But some of the most cherished updates in Sea of Thieves’ history hone in on the pleasures it alone is capable of delivering. For instance, players asked for the ability to fish from their vessels for months after release, and the feature was announced for a patch on the game’s one year anniversary. In typical Rare fashion, fishing arrived with a wide ecosystem of aquatic life, and a tactile, hook-line-and-sinker angling mechanic. This team believes that everything in Sea of Thieves needs to fit the same harmonious tone – if they were going to add fishing to the game, it must serve the greater fantasy of this beatific archipelago.
“A big part of Sea of Thieves is making players feel a wider degree of emotions – the thrill of ship combat, the sense of loss when your ship sinks below the waves – the emotional side of the design,” says Chapman. “Emotionally, what is fishing? Fishing isn’t a one-click mechanic to go harvest a resource. Fishing, in real life, is a way to spend some cool time, taking in your surroundings. It’s about making sure [the mechanics] have that Sea of Thieves difference.”
It’s always a gamble to believe that players will respect a more methodical, more communal, more deliberate approach to gameplay, but Rare’s developers were convinced early on that their community would respect every step Sea of Thieves took in that direction. In fact, Chapman says the update he’s most proud of is the very first one the team implemented into the game. “The Hungering Deep” added two primary features: A gargantuan, razor-toothed shark known as the Megalodon, and a long-range microphone amplifier called the Speaking Trumpet. This was one hell of a gambit. The hope was that players would use a tool that allows them to throw their voice across the waves for good, rather than griefing everyone in earshot, which is the kind of faith that many teams would never have.
“It was a risky mechanic, but one that we believed in. We were forcing players to cooperate, to go up against something together,” says Chapman. “When I went out and played it, someone started using the speaking trumpet asking if I wanted to go on a hunt [for the Megalodon] with them. If you implemented a mechanic that allowed people to shout at others over long distances during a multiplayer game, you’d fear it’d be used for ill. But that didn’t happen. That was the moment where I realized that we could do something unique.”
Today, Sea of Thieves is a surprise hit on Twitch — megastreamer Jaryd “Summit1g” Lazar has integrated it into his broadcast rotation — and in total, the game has over 1.8 million followers on the platform. After almost two decades in the wilderness since Microsoft acquired Rare in 2002, the venerable company finally has a bona fide phenomenon on its hands. Sometimes, as Chapman explains, the team has even found Twitch to be an inspiration for upcoming additions in the patch notes. There was a trend called “tucking,” where players used the “sleep” emote to stowaway on unsuspecting ships. Rare didn’t consider it an exploit. Instead, they added “hide” emotes so players could take their infiltration to a whole new level.
“We’ve embraced it,” says Chapman. “We were like, ‘That’s really funny, that’s cool, that’s exactly what we want to see, people using the mechanics in an interesting way.'”
The rebirth of Sea of Thieves is becoming an increasingly familiar story. Bioware is working away on a comprehensive reimagining of Anthem, the failure-to-launch mecha-RPG that fell on its face in early 2019. Fallout 76 has managed to turn the tide on its atrocious critical narrative, as Bethesda squashes the game-breaking bugs and fleshes out post-apocalyptic West Virginia with living NPCs in its Wastelanders update. Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six: Siege was off to a slow start before emerging as one of the most acclaimed multiplayer shooters of all time.
With title updates, hotfixes, and a ceaseless development cycle, every franchise earns at least one second chance in the open-world, always-online era. But Rare never betrayed their faith. The studio charted a comeback with a remarkably steadfast commitment to its vision of Sea of Thieves, betting it all on a single unassailable fact: that we all wish we could live the pirate’s life. That core trust has informed every design decision they’ve made, and as a result, its shores will be awash in gold for a long, long time.
Fortnite continues to set record numbers for player counts, which is nothing new for the most popular battle royale title on the market. And now, developer Epic Games has revealed that the omnipresent colorful shooter has over 350 million registered players on mobile devices, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
In addition to the staggeringly impressive registered player count, Epic confirmed that April was a hot month for Fortnite, with players spending over 3.2 billion hours in-game.
The news comes not long after Epic announced the in-game concert Party Royale Premiere, which will go live on Friday, May 8. The show will feature live music by Dillon Francis, Steve Aoki, and Deadmau5, as well as in-game events and freebies you can get by logging in on any platform. Party Royale Premiere will also rebroadcast on Saturday, May 9 for those who miss it.
This Friday’s Party Royale concert isn’t the first of its kind. Earlier this month, Epic partnered with the American DJ and producer Diplo for an in-game concert that featured live music and a purchasable Major Lazer skin pack.
The American psychedelic rapper Travis Scott also teamed up with Epic for the Astronomical concert. The in-game event, which included a brand-new track from Scott, reached unprecedented heights when more than 12.3 million people logged in for it. Further, the event set a record-breaking number of Fornite players, with more than 27.7 million unique players participating 45.8 million times across the five showings.
Mortal Kombat 11 released just over a year ago; now, NetherRealm Studios’ fighting game is back with its first expansion, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, which will release digitally on May 26 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Stadia, with a physical version releasing this June in the Americas only. The Aftermath expansion adds new playable characters to the roster along with new character skin packs, but it also continues the story campaign with brand-new content, a first for the franchise.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath’s new epilogue storyline picks up right after the conclusion of the main game. Liu Kang has defeated Kronika, and he and Raiden are preparing to use Kronika’s Hourglass to create a better timeline for all the realms. However, that’s right when recurring antagonist Shang Tsung and his unlikely allies, Nightwolf and Fujin, show up to reveal a larger threat is at play.
New playable characters are joining the roster in Aftermath, such as Fujin, the God of Wind who services as Earthrealm’s protector alongside Raiden, and Sheeva, the four-armed, half-dragon queen of the Shokan race. Mortal Kombat: Aftermath also adds a new guest character: cyborg police officer RoboCop from the 1987 action film. While NetherRealm hasn’t shared much info on how he’ll fight, the original actor from the film, Peter Weller, will reprise his role for Aftermath.
A free content update for all Mortal Kombat 11 owners will release alongside Aftermath, introducing brand-new stages and reviving classic arenas like MK2’s Dead Pool and MK3’s Soul Chamber. The free update will also add Stage Fatalities (finishing moves that use the environment to take down foes) and Friendships, which offer a goofier ending to brutal battles.
Below, we’ve detailed all the pre-order options for Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, including its pre-order bonuses, all-inclusive Aftermath Kollection, and upcoming free update. As of right now, pre-orders are available on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Nintendo Switch Eshop along with retailers like GameStop and Best Buy. We’re not seeing pre-orders available on Steam yet, and there won’t be pre-orders available for Stadia.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath pre-order bonuses
All pre-orders for Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath will come with the Eternal Klash Skin Pack at launch, featuring three character skin variants:
“Unbound Rage” Scorpion – inspired by Mortal Kombat (2011)
“Son of Arctika” Sub-Zero – inspired by Mortal Kombat: Deception
“Kori Power” Frost – a Klassic version of the Lin Kuei warrior
If you pre-order Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath on the PlayStation Store, you’ll also get a free PS4 dynamic theme (shown above) featuring Raiden and Liu Kang. The theme was custom-made by NetherRealm and also features music from the game.
Mortal Kombat 11’s new expansion, Aftermath, will cost current players $40 to upgrade to.
Those who already own Mortal Kombat 11 and the original Kombat Pack can upgrade to the Aftermath expansion for $40. Here’s a full list of what the new expansion includes:
Story expansion – Fire God Liu Kang enlists the help of unlikely allies and familiar foes to forge a new history as the fates of two worlds hang in the balance.
Three new playable characters – available on May 26
Fujin
Sheeva
RoboCop
Three new character skin packs – released over time
Exclusive “Thanks a Million” Johnny Cage character skin – available on May 26
Here’s where you can pre-order the Aftermath expansion on its own:
If you already own the base game but don’t have any DLC content for Mortal Kombat 11 yet, you can pre-order the new expansion and get the Kombat Pack DLC for a discount. With the expansion selling for $40 and the Kombat Pack priced at $20, you’re saving $10 by pre-ordering this bundle rather than buying individually. You’ll have access to the Kombat Pack content right after purchase.
The Kombat Pack includes:
Six new playable characters – Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Sindel, Terminator T-800, The Joker, and Spawn
Skin and gear sets for each add-on character
Six themed skin packs including the Klassic Arcade Ninjas, Klassic Arcade Fighters, and more
Here’s where you can pre-order the Aftermath expansion and Kombat Pack bundle:
Fujin, Sheeva, and RoboCop join the roster in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath.
For those who are new to Mortal Kombat 11 and want to experience the full game and its expansion for the first time, the Aftermath Kollection bundles the base game, Kombat Pack, and the Aftermath expansion for $60. You’ll be able to start playing the base game and access Kombat Pack content right away.
Mortal Kombat 11 base game
Kombat Pack (detailed above)
Aftermath Expansion (detailed above)
Shao Kahn playable character (normally $6 to buy)
Here’s where you can pre-order the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Kollection. Please note that some retailers are opening pre-orders for physical copies that will release this June, but you can also pre-order digitally.
Mortal Kombat 11 free content update
NetherRealm is also releasing a free content update for all Mortal Kombat 11 owners that’ll be available in conjunction with Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Here’s what it includes:
New stages
Stage Fatalities
Friendships
After the update, you’ll see the game displayed as Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath in your console menu–this will indicate the free content has been added to the game. You’ll still need to buy the full Aftermath expansion to access that new content.
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Every year, TV networks have to make the difficult decision of what gets renewed and what gets cancelled. During this time, the announcements come in large batches. On Wednesday, CBS announced its renewals and cancellations for the upcoming 2020-21 TV season.
For the renewals, 18 continuing series were prime-time shows. Four of the renewed series we new for the 2019-20 season: All Rise, Bob Hearts Abishola, FBI: Most Wanted and The Unicorn. Meanwhile, Broke, Carol’s Second Act, and Tommy–all shows in their first season–were cancelled. These announcements did not include CBS All Access original content.
Most of what CBS renewed was familiar fare, including 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, MacGyver, and more. Below, you’ll find all the recently announced CBS shows.
CBS Renewals:
48 Hours
60 Minutes
All Rise
The Amazing Race
Bob Hearts Abishola
Bull
Blue Bloods
Evil
FBI
FBI: Most Wanted
MacGyver
Magnum PI
NCIS: Los Angeles
NCIS: New Orleans
NCIS
The Neighborhood
Mom
S.W.A.T.
Seal Team
Survivor
Undercover Boss
The Unicorn
Young Sheldon
The CBS network claims to have a very strong year because of the renewed shows and will have a stronger year next year. “Thanks to these exceptional shows, we’re going to win the current season by 1 million viewers,” said president of CBS Entertainment Kelly Kahl. “Next year, we’ll have these strong returning series as our foundation… and Super Bowl LV too. It’s a well-balanced lineup across Entertainment, News and Sports that will put us in an incredibly stable position for 2020-2021.”
However, not everything that hits the airwaves gets to go on. Four shows were cancelled as well, with three of them being new for the 2019-20 season. CBS’ Man With a Plan was in its fourth season, which began airing in April. Check out the full list of cancelled series below.
While you wait on more cancellation and renewal news, consider listening to GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. With new episodes premiering every Wednesday, you can watch a video version of the podcast over on GameSpot Universe or listen to audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.
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EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be the start of a new franchise, suggesting more games, including a Jedi: Fallen Order 2, are being planned.
During an earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the “first title in an entirely new franchise.” This is the first official confirmation that Jedi: Fallen Order isn’t a one-off adventure.
This isn’t too surprising considering the success Jedi: Fallen Order experienced critically and financially since its release. During an investor call last year, CFO Blake Jorgensen said that Jedi: Fallen Order “significantly beat our expectations” and was expected to sell 10 million units.
Respawn has also put up job listings in recent months specifically looking to fill senior positions on the Star Wars team, a hint that Respawn was working on more Star Wars content. Given this, it’s not too surprising that EA is pursuing potential sequels for such a successful title.
Jedi: Fallen Order stars a brand new character named Cal Kestis, a former Jedi padawan in hiding after Order 66 killed most of the Jedis in the galaxy. The game is part of the official Star Wars canon and includes characters from other Star Wars media like the Second Sister.
IGN praised Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, particularly its strong cast and strong gameplay that combines a Metroidvania with engaging lightsaber combat. Respawn also released free Jedi: Fallen Order DLC as part of the May 4th celebration that added a new challenge mode, new game plus, and additional costumes.
We’ve all felt the pain of sitting down to play a game and getting that dreaded “low battery” warning for our Xbox One controller. Batteries are an unfortunate fact of life. Luckily, there’s a way to break that cycle of buying package after package of single-use batteries. It’s time to stop wasting money and invest in a better solution: rechargeable batteries.
Rechargeable batteries have come a long way and there are more options than ever before. Spending a little more upfront can save you big bucks in the long term and keep you from needing to buy more for years at a time. If you’re ready to move on from those old school disposables, we’re here to help. Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorite rechargeable batteries, no matter what size you’re looking for.
Panasonic’s Eneloops have one of the best reputations in the business and for good reason. Not only do they pack a respectable amount of charge, they’re reliable and consistent even over longer periods of time.
They consistently rank among the highest in rechargeable battery round-ups and have won over the community.
These Eneloop Pros are slightly more expensive than normal Eneloops but offer 20% more capacity to save you time between recharge cycles. At 2550mAh for AA and 950mAh for AAA, they have a lead on other major brands in capacity, and with AA and AAA sizes, 4 and 8 packs, you’ll be able to outfit all of your favorite devices.
If Eneloops are too expensive, Bonai batteries make for an outstanding option. Not only do they offer improved 2800mAh and 1000mAh capacities, they’re also available in 24-packs for only $34.97 as of this writing – $1.46 per battery! If that’s too much, you can also scale back with 8 or 16-pack options.
BONAI may not be a household name, but they deliver an incredible bang for your buck. Every battery is rated for a whopping 1200 cycle lifespan and includes a 12-month guarantee, so you can buy with confidence.
If you’re looking to power a larger device, chances are that AA and AAA aren’t going to cut it. Amazon is here to help through their house-brand, AmazonBasics. AmazonBasics Rechargeable Batteries come in both C and D sizes, as well as AA, AAA, and 9V if you want to buy multiple types at once. These batteries also come pre-charged, right out of the box.
Worried about buying a store brand? Don’t be. At only $12.49 for C-size and $24.49 for D-size, these batteries are not only more affordable than name-brand Energizers, but also double and quadruple the battery life at 5000mAh and 10000mAh for C and D sizes. Each is rated for an impressive 1000 charge cycles. If that’s not enough, the AmazonBasics Rechargeable Battery line currently sits at an incredible fifty-three thousand reviews at 4.5 stars. The downside? These larger sizes require a separate charger like this one from EBL.
With the other basics covered, you may find yourself looking for a reliable set of 9-volts. After all, maintaining the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can save your life. Rechargeable 9-volts don’t come much better than the 600mAh capacity version from EBL. For just over $30, you get a set of five batteries and a high-quality smart charger that will make sure the batteries never over-charge or overheat.
What’s more, this set abandons the usual Nickel battery in favor of Lithium-Ion, the same type powering your smartphone. At 600mAh, they’ll last a long time on their own, but with the move to Lithium, you’ll never have to worry about your devices getting weak as you near a recharge. Plus, they recharge much faster too!
If you’re looking for the best high capacity rechargeable batteries, look no further than Zonhood. Their high capacity line is very similar to our Best Budget pick above, but wins out in this category due to the excellent guarantee. Zonhood doubles the standard by offering a 60-day guarantee and full 24-month warranty!
You’ll also be pleased to know that these batteries offer industry-leading capacity at 2,800mAh and 1100mAh for AA and AAA sizes. Paired with a 1200 cycle lifespan, investing in these batteries will save you recharges and extra trips to the store.
Nickel batteries are great for many things, but sometimes you need to guarantee full power, right up until they’re depleted. If that describes you, then consider Deleepow’s Rechargeable Lithium Batteries. Available in packs of four with or without a charger, in both AA and AAA sizes, these batteries will provide consistent power at 1.5V.
The thing to keep in mind is that these are rated in milliwatt hours, not milliamp, like nickel batteries. 3200mWh translates to about 2,100mAh, so the overall time between your charges will likely be less than with a traditional Ni-MH battery. The AAA version is even less at 533mAh. Maintaining full power does come with some sacrifices, but it’s necessary for electronics like drones. Lithium rechargeable batteries also often output at higher voltages, which is useful for high-powered devices.
All of the batteries in this list so far have required wall chargers, but if you don’t have an outlet to spare, the EBL USB Rechargeable AA Lithium Ion Batteries are likely a good choice. Every battery has its own micro-USB connection and the package comes with a handy 4-in-1 charging cable to plug them all in at once. Since they’re all lithium ion, you can count on power that won’t weaken over time and a fast, two hour recharge time.
These batteries also pack a lot of juice. Rated at 3300 mWh at 1.5V, that translates to 2200mAh of consistent power. They’re also rated for a full 1200 recharge cycle, so should last for years into the future. The downside? They’re only available in AA.
What To Look for in Rechargeable Batteries
When shopping for rechargeable batteries, there are a handful of key things you’re going to want to keep in mind: capacity, battery type, lifespan, and the reputation of the manufacturer. Here’s a quick breakdown of what to look for when purchasing rechargeable batteries.
Capacity is one of the most important. It is most frequently rated in milliampere/milliamp hours (mAh) and reflects how much charge the battery can hold. How long that battery will last depends on its milliamp rating and how much power the device requires. A remote control car will drain your batteries far faster than an Xbox One controller, for example. As a rule, you’ll want to buy the highest milliamp hour battery you can afford.
Along with that, you need to consider what type of battery will best match your needs. Most rechargeable batteries use Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH). This makes the batteries more affordable but their power output drops the weaker the battery becomes.
Other batteries use Lithium, similar to those in your smartphone, and avoid this but at a higher price. Be aware, lithium batteries are often rated in milliwatt hours, which can make their capacities seem larger than they really are. Be sure to use a calculator when comparing between different lithium-ion batteries.
The third thing to keep in mind is the expected lifespan of the batteries, usually rated in recharge cycles. The more cycles the battery is rated for, the better. A good battery will have a lifespan of 500 cycles at minimum and preferably 1000+.
The final thing to consider is the reputation of the battery manufacturer. Amazon is filled with rechargeable batteries from companies you’ve likely never heard of. Since Amazon accepts sellers from around the world, this isn’t something to be afraid of, but you should always read the reviews. While most listings will be perfectly trustworthy, there are a few bad apples, so before you hit that Buy Now button, remember this life lesson: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Hank Azaria has spent 30 years playing some of The Simpsons’ most beloved characters, from Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, and Apu to Dr. Nick, Superintendent Chalmers, and the Comic Book Guy. In a new interview with Conan O’Brien, Azaria discussed the strain some of these roles have taken on his vocal chords, explaining that he feels a sense of “dread” over the pain caused from performing characters like Duffman.
O’Brien, who was a writer and producer on The Simpsons between 1991 and ’93, asked Azaria how “tough” some of the characters are to voice. The actor mentions (in Duffman’s voice) that playing the buff, sunglasses-wearing beer spokesman “will blow me out in a second” and that Azaria has “to save Duffman for the end” of a recording session because “it actually does hurt.” He says he’s “not complaining” about the work but goes on to mention that it’s easy for him to lose his voice.
“I got in a screaming match with someone,” Azaria recalls when mentioning a past accident that led him to insure his vocal chords. “I was in my car afterwards, and I was so upset, and I totally blew out my voice … and it didn’t come back for almost two weeks, and I got really scared.”
As the interview continues, O’Brien asks if Azaria has any favorites from the many characters he voices on the show. The actor says “the one I love the most” is Moe, but that “the one I enjoy the most is Professor Frink,” who he calls “the vocal equivalent of a peanut.” It probably doesn’t hurt that neither of these characters, unlike Duffman, force Azaria to worry about losing his voice.
Azaria’s comments are a good reminder of the physical strain voice actors undergo in their work–an issue that was an important point in the negotiations between video game companies and voice actors that escalated into the 2016-2017 SAG-AFTRA strike. His interview also touches directly on video games. Toward the end of his chat with O’Brien, Azaria discusses a time when he would play Mario Kart online every night, “screaming in rage” at other players he claims were cheating until he stopped playing by smashing his console outside.
For more updates on the latest in entertainment, check out GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. New episodes premiere every Wednesday and can either be watched as videos over on GameSpot Universe or listened to in audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.
With the release of a new trailer for The Last of Us Part II earlier, Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann has penned a blog post outlining the studio’s excitement for the release, and what to expect from potential physical edition delays.
There’s also a tease that more might still be on the way leading up to launch, with Druckmann writing, “As we ramp up for this final stretch before The Last of Us Part II arrives in your hands, there’s still more we’re looking forward to sharing with you, beginning with the debut of our all-new story trailer that provides a brief look into the next chapter in Ellie and Joel’s story.”
Druckmann mentions that players who have ordered physical editions of the game should double check with local retailers to confirm availability. The Last of Us Part II launches exclusively on PS4 on June 19, but considering the varying policies regarding public lockdowns across the globe, it’s not possible for Sony to promise that everyone will be able to get physical copies in time. Alternatively, PSN pre-orders for the game are back online.
