Gears Tactics Has Gone Gold On PC, Will Be Bundled Free With Intel Processors

Gears Tactics has gone gold ahead of its release on PC later this month, Microsoft has announced. This means that the game is effectively finished, and is in a state where it can be released. Xbox Wire has announced that the team has “begun down the path for the Xbox console version,” which is due to release at an unspecified point later this year.

To celebrate, a new piece of art by Gears artist Luke Preece, featuring the skull of Tactics protagonist Gabe Diaz, has been released. You can see it below.

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Gears Tactics was built with PC users in mind, and it’s the first game in the series to debut first on PC. Thanks to a partnership between The Coalition and Intel, anyone who purchases an Intel Core i5 or higher processor will receive a free copy of Gears Tactics. Although the exact terms and conditions of this deal are not clear, expect Gears Tactics to appear as a bonus included with processors following its release.

The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass, in both its PC and Ultimate forms. The eventual Xbox One version will appear on Xbox Game Pass for console, too–as will any eventual Xbox Series X version that might or might not release (nothing has been confirmed).

Unlike previous games in the series, Gears Tactics will be single-player only, with no multiplayer modes. Here’s everything else you need to know about it.

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Star Trek: Picard Season 2 – What We Know, Predictions, And Theories

Season 2 has been officially confirmed. Star Trek: Picard was renewed for a second season before the first season even premiered. During his promotional tour for Picard, Patrick Stewart visited The View and invited View co-host Whoopi Goldberg to be part of Season 2. Goldberg played Guinan on The Next Generation. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) will be back, and another Star Trek: Voyager actor may make an appearance.

We have some big questions left over from Picard Season 1 going into the new season – Will other TNG characters appear? Will the show link to Star Trek Discovery? Will Lore return? Where is Narek? What will happen to the XB’s and the Artifact Borg cube? In the video above, Greg and Chastity provide their theories and predictions.

Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company.

Free Sea Of Thieves Update Adds New Roles And, Most Importantly, Three Different Cat Breeds

As part of the April Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced the next free update for its swashbuckling adventure game Sea of Thieves, and it includes new job titles, cats, and more.

With the new Ships of Fortune update–due out on April 22 for Xbox One and PC–players can take on special roles and become Emissaries for the Gold Hoarders, Merchant Alliance, Order of Souls, or the Athena’s Fortune groups. Players can join one of the groups by visiting the Outposts and inspecting the table for the faction they want to join.

Once you’ve joined a group, there are five ranks, or “grades,” to achieve. The higher grade you achieve, the bigger rewards you can receive. At the same time, other players will see your Emissary status and might choose to attack to try to steal your loot. Microsoft also announced that you’ll be able to personalize your character and your ship with cosmetic items reflecting your group.

Additionally, the Ships of Fortune update introduces a “mysterious” company called The Reaper’s Bones. This new “glory-hungry” faction is after your loot, and Microsoft says they’ll send their own emissaries out to attack you. You can also choose to join The Reaper’s Bones to become a less-than-honorable pirate on the high seas.

Outside of the changes to the main Sea of Thieves game, the multiplayer Arena mode is being updated to become more competitive. “Old treasure maps have been replaced by a single chest marked by a Sea Dog Beacon, with just one cash-in location to ensure a furious battle for victory,” Microsoft said.

Additionally, the total match time is being reduced to 15 minutes, which should help pick up the pace of play. What’s more, players who are downed now have a “brief window” during which their teammates can revive them.

Finally, and most importantly, the new Sea of Thieves update is adding cats as a new pat, following on from parrots and monkeys that were added earlier. The Pirate Emporium store is now stocked with three different breeds of cat: Wildcat, Ragamuffin, and Mau. You can choose the color of your cat and you can dress it up with special clothing. The Emporium has also added a Night Wulf Ship Collection and “crabby” new emotes to buy.

The Ships of Fortune update arrives for Sea of Thieves on April 22 for Xbox One and PC.

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 3 Battle Pass Detailed, Includes Two Free Weapons

Season 3 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare kicks off tomorrow, April 8, and it introduces a slate of new content to the game, including three additional maps right on day one and a Quads mode for Warzone, among other things. A new season also means there will be a new battle pass, and Activision has detailed what that gets you, including two free weapons.

On its official blog, Activision reveals that you’ll receive two free weapons as part of the Season 3 battle pass: the Renetti handgun and SKS marksman rifle. The former is unlocked at Tier 15, while the latter becomes available at Tier 31.

Activision describes the Renetti as “a well-rounded semi-auto 9mm pistol” that “excels in close-range combat.” The SKS marksman rifle, on the other hand, is a “hard hitting and agile Soviet-style marksman rifle [that] focuses on utility over accuracy.” Both guns can be customized with a variety of Gunsmith configurations, the publisher says.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 3 Battle Pass benefits
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 3 Battle Pass benefits

In addition to the aforementioned weapon, battle pass holders will unlock Season 3’s new Operator from the outset. You’ll be able to play as the new Operator right away when you purchase a battle pass or battle pass bundle, which includes 20 free tier skips. The battle pass also includes a new shirtless skin for Yegor.

As before, you’ll be able to level up the battle pass and unlock more rewards as you play throughout the season, including Call of Duty points, Operator skins, weapon blueprints, and more. The battle pass costs 1,000 Call of Duty points, while the bundle will set you back 2,400 points. You can read more about it on Activision’s website.

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All The Xbox Game Pass Titles Coming Soon And Leaving

As part of the April Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced the next batch of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass and also confirmed which games are headed out of the subscription service.

Starting with the newcomers on Xbox One, the retro-style RPG Alvastia Chronicles is headed to the program on April 9. Also debuting that day is Journey to the Savage Planet from Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 4 creative director Alex Hutchinson’s Typhoon Studios. Yakuza Kiwami was also said to be coming soon.

Xbox Game Pass for PC is also getting new titles, including Football Manager 2020, Alvastia Chronicles, and Mistover on April 9. Additionally, the program is adding the officially licensed Stranger Things 3: The Game on that day for subscribers.

Microsoft also announced all the titles that are leaving Xbox Game Pass in April. On April 15, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition, MX vs ATV Reflex, Prey, and Samurai Showdown II are leaving. On PC, Fez, Into the Breach, Prey, and Valkyria Chronicles are exiting the catalog on that day.

Xbox Game Pass New Additions For April

Xbox One (April 9)

  • Alvastia Chronicles
  • Journey to the Savage Planet

PC

  • Football Manager 2020
  • Mistover
  • Alvastia Chronicles
  • Stranger Things 3: The Game

Xbox Game Pass Titles Leaving In April

Xbox One (April 15)

  • The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
  • Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition
  • MX vs ATV Reflex
  • Prey
  • Samurai Showdown II

PC (April 15)

  • Fez
  • Into the Breach
  • Prey
  • Valkyria Chronicles

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The Outer Worlds Dev’s Next Game, Grounded, Gets A Release Date

Grounded, the next game from Obisidian–the developer of The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas–is basically Honey, I Shrunk the Kids meets Rust, and it’s set to launch quite soon. During the April Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced that Grounded will launch on Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access on July 28.

Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One and PC can get the game for no extra cost. As with other Early Access releases, Grounded will launch as an in-development game, with gameplay bugs and other oddities to be expected. A release date for the full game has not been announced.

A new trailer for Grounded was also released during the livestream, featuring game director Adam Brennecke and social media manager Shyla Schofield sharing new insights on what to expect from the game where you play as a person the size of an ant.

“You wake up in a suburban backyard, shrunk to the size of an ant. You hear the voice of a mysterious robot named BURG.L. He seems to know what’s going on and lets you know that the machine to turn you back to normal size is currently out of order,” Microsoft said.

Everything in the yard is trying to kill you, not unlike the Rick Moranis movie, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. “The backyard is rife with different kinds of ants, flying insects, and spiders. You must gather, craft, and build bases from scavenged items found in the backyard, searching for life-saving resources such as the dew off grass to quench your thirst or transforming an acorn shell into body armor to defend against a host of unpredictable creatures,” Microsoft said about the game.

Grounded features solo play or multiplayer with up to three others.

GameSpot got to see an early build of Grounded back in 2019. Editor Phil Hornshaw noted that Grounded appears to be a “confident step in a new direction, and we’ll need to wait to see whether the things people like about the studio’s games, like storytelling, character development, and player choice, are compatible with the survival genre.”

Developer Obsidian is owned by Microsoft.

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Obsidian Survival Game Grounded Will Hit Early Access in July

Grounded, the survival adventure game from Obsidian, will enter Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access on July 28.

Announced during today’s Inside Xbox broadcast, the game will be available as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Grounded is a survival game with a Honey I Shrunk the Kids set-up – you (and up to three others) play as teenagers shrunken to less than the size of ants. You’ll need to harvest materials and craft weapons and defenses, while fighting off waves of marauding bugs. It’s primary difference form other survival games of its ilk is that it will weave an evolving story into the game as you play.

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When IGN saw an early demo last year, we said, “There’s a lot of potential in its tiny world – it’s a unique take on a popular genre, and the world they’ve built is engaging and genuinely pretty.”

Made by only a small team of around 14, Grounded is the first Obsidian game since the traditionally RPG-focused developer was acquired by Microsoft (although it was already work on the project before the acquisition).

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Joe Skrebels is the executive news editor at IGN.

PS5 DualSense Controller Replaces Share Button With “Create” Button

Sony has pulled back the curtain on PS5‘s controller, the DualSense. The new gamepad differs from PS4’s DualShock 4 controller in some notable ways, but one of the biggest differences is that it replaces the Share button with a new “Create” one.

“For the buttons, you’ll notice there is no longer a ‘Share’ button as we had with DualShock 4. Don’t worry–it’s not going away,” Sony wrote on the PlayStation Blog. “In fact, we’ve built upon the success of our industry-first Share button to bring you a new ‘Create’ button feature. With Create, we’re once again pioneering new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world, or just to enjoy for themselves.”

Sony didn’t share any other information about the new Create button beyond that, but it promises that more details will be revealed “as we get closer to launch.”

PS5 controller
PS5 controller

That isn’t the only big change Sony has made to PS5’s controller. The gamepad also features a built-in mic as well as haptic feedback, and its form factor has been tweaked to accommodate these new components. In contrast to Xbox Series X’s controller, which still uses AA batteries, Sony confirmed the DualSense boasts a rechargeable battery.

The PS5 is slated to launch in Holiday 2020. Sony has been gradually sharing more details about the system in the lead up to its release. Last month, system architect Mark Cerny revealed PS5’s specs and confirmed the system supports backwards compatibility with PS4. For more on the upcoming console, be sure to check out our roundup of everything we know about PS5.

PS5’s DualSense Controller Includes A Built-In Microphone

Sony has revealed the official design for the DualSense, the new controller for its next-gen console, PlayStation 5. The PS5’s new controller alters the design of PS4’s Dualshock 4 in a few ways–most notably, changing the overall shape to more closely resemble an Xbox One controller or Switch Pro controller–including the implementation of a built-in microphone.

“DualSense also adds a built-in microphone array, which will enable players to easily chat with friends without a headset–ideal for jumping into a quick conversation,” Sony senior vice president of platform planning and management Hideaki Nishino wrote in a blog post. “But of course, if you are planning to chat for a longer period, it’s good to have that headset handy.”

The DualSense makes plenty of other changes too. It ditches the Dualshock 4’s Share button for a new Create button, goes for a two-toned color design as opposed to a single shade, moves the light bar to now encircle the touchpad, and adjusts the angles of the triggers. Some features do remain the same though–for example, the DualSense will include a rechargeable battery like the DualShock 4, as opposed to supporting AA batteries like the Xbox Series X’s controller.

“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5,” Sony president and CEO Jim Ryan wrote. “The new controller, along with the many innovative features in PS5, will be transformative for games–continuing our mission at PlayStation to push the boundaries of play, now and in the future. To the PlayStation community, I truly want to thank you for sharing this exciting journey with us as we head toward PS5’s launch in Holiday 2020. We look forward to sharing more information about PS5, including the console design, in the coming months.”

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Latest Steam Bundle Has 4 Stellar Games, Benefits COVID-19 Relief Efforts

Things can feel a little dire these days, but even if you’re stuck at home, you can help with COVID-19 relief efforts. Steam has put together a new bundle of games that you can play while staying inside and is giving 20% of each sale to Action Against Hunger’s COVID-19 relief fund. The bundle includes four games: Subnautica, Celeste, The Escapists 2, and one of GameSpot’s best games of 2018, Dead Cells.

The “Go Play Inside!” bundle currently costs $51.17, which means roughly $10.23 will go to the COVID-19 relief fund. Thankfully, if you already own any of these games, you can still buy the bundle at a cheaper price. You’ll only pay for the games you don’t have, and the money will still go toward Action Against Hunger’s efforts. If you want to help contribute, make sure you buy the games in this bundle, as individual sales of each game won’t go toward the relief fund.

Each game in this bundle is challenging, ensuring that you’ll be spending a lot of time honing your skills and meticulously planning your next steps. Whether you’re learning how to best your enemies in combat within the labyrinthine levels of Dead Cells; exploring the dangerous ocean depths of Subnautica; painstakingly timing your jumps in the harrowing, yet beautiful platformer Celeste; or planning your escape from a high-security prison in The Escapists 2, you’re bound to have a lot of fun beating the odds from the comfort of your home.

Dead Cells, Subnautica, and Celeste all received 9/10 reviews from GameSpot. Our Dead Cells review praised its “satisfying action that focuses on developing skill,” our Subnautica review was impressed by its “huge world loaded with adventure and mystery,” and our Celeste review glowed over its “powerful story” and “enjoyable platforming.” Celeste was also one of GameSpot’s choices for the best Switch games of 2018. The Escapists 2, on the other hand, hasn’t been reviewed by GameSpot, though it holds a “Very Positive” user rating on Steam.

Many other companies have been making special offers in the effort to help people stay at home. You can check out all of the free games available to claim right now as well as the best games, movies, and TV for quarantining at home.

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