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The end of the month is always stressful, and pandemic makes it worse.
If you need a little help right now, let me know. No need to justify, I’ll take you at your word you could use the hand. Reply/DM with your venmo, and I’ll send you 100$. I’ll do this for as many as I can.

— Gennifer Hutchison (@GennHutchison) March 30, 2020

Okay, I have to stop. I can’t send anymore. If I didn’t get to you, I’m sorry. I’ll try to do this again if I can.
And if you have the means, please scroll the replies and send some folks a little help.

— Gennifer Hutchison (@GennHutchison) March 30, 2020

Persona 5 Royal adds tons of new content, chief among them is the new third semester that also contains the ninth and final palace, all of which happen after the events of the original game. But it’s possible to miss all those features entirely if you don’t meet certain requirements. It’s an absolute must to see all the game has to offer, so here’s everything you need to do to unlock the new content, as spoiler free as possible.

The gist of this is that you need to rank up three separate Confidants to certain ranks before specific dates. Some of the ranks are gated by certain days and events, and if you don’t rank them up by then, you’ll miss out on extra gameplay and the new, major story arcs. We have everything detailed below.

Goro Akechi (Justice Confidant)

First, let’s start with Goro Akechi, the Justice arcana. In the original Persona 5, Akechi’s Confidant arc was tied to story events and was unmissable, but in P5R you choose to spend time with him. You’ll first meet Akechi in early June when you take the class field trip to the TV Station. This is an unmissable story event that kicks off rank 1.

After rank 1 he’ll be in Kichijoji, the new area in Persona 5 Royal, to hang out. He’ll be a catalyst to show you some of the new things you can do like play billiards and relax at the jazz club. You can achieve ranks 2 to 5 right after rank 1, and there’s no time gate on them. However, his Confidant rank 3 requires you to have Knowledge and Charm stats at rank 3 before engaging.

Rank 6 is locked until a story event on September 3, and he’ll be waiting for you in Leblanc. Ranks 7 and 8 are then locked until November 2, but you must complete both before November 18. A word of advice: make sure you’re prepared to fight for rank 8, though you can always retry if you don’t succeed. If you do all those things correctly, ranks 9 & 10 will unlock automatically as the story progresses.

Kasumi Yoshizawa (Faith Confidant)

Next, let’s move on to Kasumi Yoshizawa, the new transfer student at Shujin Academy. You’ll bump into Kasumi on the train early on, but you won’t truly interact with her until the new park clean-up event on May 30. This is an unmissable story event, and you’ll reach rank 1 with her and open up her Confidant route (she holds the Faith arcana).

You’ll notice that Kasumi only has five Confidant ranks which is different from everyone else. Ranks 2 to 5 aren’t gated by anything and can be easily unlocked after you officially meet her–you’ll find her hanging out in Kichijoji. You have until December 22 to do all of this so no pressure…but don’t slack off, unless Kawakami says it’s okay.

Takuto Maruki (Councillor Confidant)

Finally, the last important Confidant to ensure you reach the extra semester and palace, is Shujin Academy’s very own guidance counselor Takuto Maruki, who holds the Councillor arcana. Maruki joins the story after the first palace and is hired by the school to help the students through their problems. There’s an automatic story event that introduces him, and since you and your friends have endured traumatic experiences, you’re required to go visit him early on. From there you’ll reach rank 1 with him, and throughout the story, you’ll even see moments of your fellow Phantom Thieves receiving counseling from him as well.

Ranks 2 to 5 can be achieved immediately after that, and he’ll be hanging in front of the nurses office on Monday’s and Friday’s after school. Ranks 6 to 9 are then gated until September 20. You can also do ranks 1 through 9 after September 20 if you choose since you won’t be locked out if you wait that long. However, you will be locked out of rank 10 if you do not reach rank 9 by November 17. Rank 10 then happens automatically on November 18 if you have reached rank 9 by then.

It’s also worth noting that Maruki raises your SP cap and grants abilities like Detox, Flow, and Mindfulness which are extremely useful. He’s also a refreshing personality and you honestly should just meet with him regardless; he provides perspective for mental health, which will be very important by the time you reach the new content.

A Few More Tips

To rank up Confidants faster, make sure you’re carrying a Persona with the same arcana as the person you’re hanging out with–you’ll receive more points for proper dialogue options. Oh and lastly, make sure to refuse any deal that would compromise your morals throughout the course of the story.

If you accomplish all these steps then you should be ready for the brand new palace, third semester, and everything that comes with them. When you follow through on the new final boss, make sure you have everyone’s Baton Pass at rank 3 (which levels up by playing darts throughout the game)–trust us on this one.

For more on this extended version of the original RPG, be sure to read our early review of Persona 5 Royal‘s first 50 hours and how the new mechanics effect the experience. You can also check out how some changes were made in the localization process and get insight on how Persona’s localization was done throughout the years.

After the success of last year’s Resident Evil 2 remake, fans have waited with bated breath for Capcom to give Resident Evil 3: Nemesis the same treatment. Now that the reviews are finally out, it seems that critics are mostly enjoying Jill Valentine’s jaunt in Racoon City, albeit with less enthusiasm than its universally-acclaimed predecessor.

In our review, critic Alessandro Fillari praised the remake for its tense opening hours, but found that it lost momentum as the game carried on. “However, as the game goes on, it becomes clear that Resident Evil 3 struggles to maintain its poise when the scope begins to narrow, and how blatantly the game relies on recycling many of RE2’s tricks and tropes, which now feel less interesting,” he wrote. “This has to do with the game’s focus on momentum. Just when you’re getting accustomed to a location, particularly the extensive and varied Downtown area, a story beat will occur that brings you to the next area, preventing your return. The series’ penchant for puzzles are also infrequent in RE3 remake, putting more focus on exploration and combat which can eventually become exhausting.”

We’ve collected some more reviews below. Though they vary in tenor and praise, most seem to agree that Resident Evil 3 is a bit disappointing compared to its predecessor. While they praise its improved action-game DNA, critics describe its reinterpretation of Nemesis as a bit disappointing. They also note the game’s short length, as well as the fact that the remake excises certain environments from the original game, such as the park locale. For more reviews, check out our sister site Metacritic to see what other writers thought.

GameSpot – 6/10 (review-in-progress)

“As a remake, Resident Evil 3 not only falls short of honoring its source, but it also doesn’t quite stick the landing as a standalone horror experience. Even without taking into account the original game, or its predecessor, RE3 struggles to keep up with its pace amid a clashing of elements from survival horror and standard action. While it has a strong start and gives its principal villain some great moments, this truncated retelling of the concluding game from the original Resident Evil trilogy doesn’t do it proper justice.” – Alessandro Fillari [Full Review]

IGN – 9/10 (single-player only)

“It’s a shame, then, that [Nemesis] doesn’t show up more often. Mr. X in Resident Evil 2 is so frightening because his presence felt unexpected, which led to a feeling that you were never safe even if you were in areas you thought you could be. Nemesis apes this pattern in Resident Evil 3’s first couple of hours–there’s a brilliantly climactic showdown with him that involves you desperately trying to escape through a vent as he pursues you–but he soon gets relegated to big, pre-programmed boss fights. Once that happens, that sense of the looming pursuer operating under his own AI is lost.” – Lucy O’Brien [Full Review]

USG – 3.5/5

“Despite my disappointment at the more linear aim of Resident Evil 3, it’s uplifted by Jill and Carlos. Like Leon and Claire before them, they’re two characters I just like. Their corny dialogue is endearing, much as it was with Claire and Leon in Resident Evil 2. The circumstances and plot conveniences are often laugh-out-loud dumb, but it’s part of the fun. The action, when it’s not a pain in crowded narrow spaces, is tense in a good way. Zombies may go down easier, but they still have bite. Perhaps that’s what Resident Evil 3 needed all along to rewrite and justify its own deserved place in Resident Evil history: extra B-movie flair from action to tone.” – Caty McCarthy [Full Review]

Kotaku – [no score]

“Resident Evil 3 is loud. It is a snarling dog too close to your face, spittle flying everywhere. For some players, the intensity will be a turn off. The original version is the link between the earlier games’ simmering spookiness and Resident Evil 4’s bold action. It marked the first step in a tonal shift that arguably went too far: As the series progressed, the action grew too excessive. The remake threads a spectacular needle. The explosive boss fights and ever-present cat and mouse chases never feel out of place. Windows shatters as the zombie horde bursts in, giant lizards swallow you whole, and the Nemesis slams down behind you at the worst moment. The terror doesn’t fade simply because you have an assault rifle or grenade launcher. Resident Evil 3 solidifies a new model for the remakes. For good and ill, it takes last year’s Resident Evil 2 remake and hones it into something meaner and more intense. Embracing that chaos leads to an intense and confidently executed Resident Evil experience.” – Heather Alexandra [Full Review]

Eurogamer – [no score]

“I feel like I’m coming down a little too hard on the Resident Evil 3 remake. After all, my expectations were set with the incredible Resident Evil 2 remake in mind. Jill is a triumphant character, and there are moments of genuine brilliance here. The hospital level, whose tone rekindles memories of Resident Evil 2’s police department, is fantastically unnerving. But for every super cool area in the Resident Evil 3 remake, there are two areas that fail to inspire. Downtown Raccoon City is, unfortunately, not the expansive, multi-layered stalk-fest I’d hoped it would be. There are no alternate endings to chase, no story-altering choices to make, no new game plus mode. The source material is – and I think this is the perceived wisdom–simply not as good as the original Resident Evil 2. But I can’t shake the feeling the Resident Evil 3 remake was rushed–as its original was. Now that’s an unfortunate parallel.” – Wesley Yin-Poole [Full Review]

After a seven year wait, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord finally launched on Steam Early Access today, and it’s already proving popular. By player count, the medieval action RPG is now the biggest new Steam launch of 2020, mere hours after its release.

The sequel’s current peak sits at 165,470 concurrent players, according to SteamDB. That puts it firmly in Steam’s top 10 over the past 24 hours, trailing only perennial favorites such as Rainbow Six Siege, Grand Theft Auto V, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. For comparison, the last entry in the series, Mount & Blade: Warband, reached a peak of 33,054 back in 2014.

There’s been some stiff competition already this year, too. Doom Eternal‘s player count peaked at 104,891, while Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem hit 127,452. It helps that a lot of people are stuck at home right now, but Mount & Blade II’s numbers are impressive, and they’re sure to rise throughout the week as more people hop in.

Originally scheduled to release tomorrow, developer TaleWorlds Entertainment decided to launch Mount & Blade II a day early. During its first two weeks on sale, you can purchase it for 10% off, with an additional 10% discount applied if you already own another game in the series.

In preparation for SoulCalibur 6‘s upcoming guest DLC character, Bandai Namco has released a new update on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One for the long-running fighting game. We’ve compiled the full patch notes below.

The headlining feature of the update is Haohmaru, the white gi-clad samurai from SNK’s Samurai Shodown. The patch adds him as a playable character, though he can only be acquired by purchasing him individually for $6 or picking up the game’s $34 Season Pass 2. Haohmaru will become available on Tuesday, March 31.

The patch also adds new creation items for the game’s character creator, including new weapons for Cervantes and Taki-based created fighters, extra clothing and accessory options, and more.

Elsewhere in the update, SoulCalibur 6 gets a brand-new stage, multiple battle and game system adjustments, additional quality-of-life functions, and more.

In other SoulCalibur 6 news, the game is scheduled to be played at this year’s Evolution Championship Series tournament alongside other fighters like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Tekken 7, and more. Despite growing coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns and social distancing mandates, Evo 2020 is still slated to happen at the Mandalay Bay from July 31-August 2.

Full SoulCalibur VI Patch Notes

Compatibility Support of Paid DLC 9

• DLC Pack 9 adds Haohmaru as a playable character.
  • Haohmaru will be available on 3/31.
  • Haohmaru is included in Season Pass 2. Please be careful not to purchase the same content more than once.

Compatibility Support of Paid DLC 10

• DLC Pack 10 adds Character Creation Set D.
  • Character Creation Set D will be available on 3/31.
  • Character Creation Set D is included in Season Pass 2. Please be careful not to purchase the same content more than once.

Additional Creation Items

The following weapons and equipment will be added and available to all players.

Weapons

• Official’s Flags (Short); only available for Taki and Taki’s fighting style
• Official’s Flags (Long); only available for Cervantes and Cervantes’s fighting style

Equipment

• Kuroko’s Hood
• Kuroko’s Flags
• Fish
• Long Boots (Single Leg)
• Long Boots

Additional Stages

The following stage will be added and available to all players.

• Master Swordsman’s Cave: Wicked Depths

Battle Adjustments

• Players can now use special inputs when entering Soul Charge to destroy equipment on original characters.
• Improvements have been made to the battle screen display.
• Special displays have been added to the battle screen for character-specific actions.
• Missions for Soul Attacks and Resist Impact have been added to Battle Tutorials in Libra of Soul.
  • They can be found in Drona’s Dojo in Libra of Soul.
• Performance fixes and balance adjustments have been made for certain actions in battle.
• The “Fighting Style Handbook” in the Museum has been updated to reflect various balance adjustments.
  • You can view more information here.

Additional Functions

• Settings for the damage information display in Libra of Soul will now be remembered.
• Ranked Match searches have been better optimized.
• Sound effects have been added to the notification before ranked matches that may cause your rank to go up/down.
• You can now set a room name for Casual Match.
• You can now move the cursor at a higher speed in Character Creation mode by holding the button.
• You can now keep/cancel a character’s soul charged state under Position Reset Settings in Training mode.
• Improvements have been made to the downed state under Action Settings 2 in Training mode.
• Settings that have been saved in Training mode will now be remembered.
• A “random” feature has been added to Stage Music Settings in the Options menu.
• Additional Functions for Steam.
• Nvidia Ansel can now be opened even when the game is paused.

Game System Adjustments

• Some text errors have been fixed.
• Stability has been improved for certain actions, etc.

League of Legends developer Riot Games is branching out with multiple new projects, one of which is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter called Valorant. The game remains some time away from official release, but Riot has now announced there will be a closed beta testing period for the game.

This closed beta test will begin on April 7, and you can sign up right now. The beta, at least the first stage of it, will be limited to the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia, and Turkey. More regions could be supported later, but Riot said this is “pending developments with the current COVID-19 pandemic.”

It sounds like you will need a Twitch account to access the beta. To become eligible for the beta, you need to follow the instructions laid out below.

How To Sign Up For Valorant Closed Beta

• Register for a Riot account (do that here)
• Link your Riot account to your Twitch account (sign up for a Twitch account here)
• Watch Valorant streams on Twitch to find out how to gain access to the closed beta. More details on the specific streams will be announced later.

Valorant is a 5v5 multiplayer shooter that gives off Overwatch vibes, for sure. Gunplay is a big part of Valorant, while each character–called an “Agent”–will have special powers and abilities, too. You can check out some Alpha gameplay in the video above.

In addition to Valorant, Riot is working on a digital card game called Legends of Runeterra, in addition to ongoing support for League of Legends.

Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you have to be bored out of your mind. Fortunately for you, today’s spotlight deals offer you a way to read digital comics and books, play games, watch movies, and score delicious meals from the comfort of your home and while conserving your emergency fund.

Marvel’s The Infinity Gauntlet Digital Comic Collection (Issues #1-#6) for $2.64

Each issue normally sells for $1.99, and even if you were to sign up for ComiXology Unlimited, you would only be able to access issues #1-3 for free. If you thought the Infinity War movies were good, you should read the spectacular source material. You can choose to download the comics to your Kindle or ComiXology app.

• Get it on Amazon for $2.64

ComiXology Free Trial Extended to 60 Days

Normally 30 Days

The 60-day extension (normally $30) has never, ever happened before. 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.

• Get a 60-Day Free Trial to ComiXology

Onward Is Coming to Disney+ on April 3

Sign up for a 7-day free trial now and you’ll be able to watch the recently released Pixar’s Onward movie before the trial expires. In the interim, you can binge watch other big hits like Frozen 2, The Lion King, Aladdin, and every episode of The Mandalorian Season One. If you want to keep the subscription afterwards, it’s only $6.99 per month (or better yet, get a  $69.99 annual subscription). Or sign up for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ all for $12.99/month.

• Watch Pixar’s Onward with a Disney+ Free Trial

Get 2 Months of Kindle Unlimited for Free

Normally 30 Days

Make your life stuck at home (and for many of you, with kids) a lot easier. Kindle Unlimited is a great way to keep yourself at home and still get access to a virtual library of over 1 million Kindle eBooks and over 20,000 digital comics This deal is typically for new subscribers only, but there have been reports that it has worked for people who have previously subscribed for Kindle Unlimited but are not current members. Check out this very awesome Harry Potter “Kindle in Motion” book with animated art, free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

• Get 2 Months of Free Kindle Unlimited on Amazon

$20 Family Meal at Panda Express

This is a superb deal considering Family Meals start at $33. A Family Meal includes 3 large entrees and 2 large sides, which should amply feed 4-6 people.

• Score a $20 Family Meal at Panda Express

Sling Blue Free Trial Extended to 14 Days (Includes CNN, MSNBC, Food Network, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and More)

Normally 7 Days

Keep up with live news updates for free. Sling Blue gives you access to CNN, MSNBC, HLN, and Fox News. You’ll also get access to HGTV, Food Network, A&E, Bravo, TNT, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, The Discovery Channel, Nick Jr, and more. The Sling Blue service normally costs $30/month but it still might be worth it for all the great shows.

• Get a 14-Day Free Trial to Sling Blue

Binge Picard and Star Trek: Discovery with a CBS All-Access 60-Day Free Trial

Normally 7 Days

This is really simple to pull off. Simply apply both codes “GIFT” and “ENJOY” at checkout. With 30 days, you’ll have plenty of time to binge exclusive CBS All Access shows like Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, The Good Fight, and more. Afterwards, you can renew for only $5.99/mo (or $9.99/mo for the ad-free option), or just cancel before your trial ends. The trial normally is for 7 days, and this 1 month extension usually only happens two to three times a year.

• Use codes “GIFT” and “ENJOY” to get a 2 Month Trial to CBS All-Access

$20 Off Street Fighter II: Champion Edition X Replicade Fully Functioning Mini Arcade Cabinet

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/01/this-fully-functional-street-fighter-2-arcade-cabinet-fits-on-your-desk”]

This cute little cabinet currently sells for $120 on Amazon, but you can get it for $20 off at StackSocial. This 1:6 scale cabinet is only 12″ tall but you can still play the original Street Fighter II: Champion Edition and Super Street Fighter II Turbo arcade games. In addition to a miniature fight stick control panel on the cabinet itself, the kit also includes a separate USB mini fight stick for 2-player mayhem.

• Get it at StackSocial for $99.99

8BitDo SN30 Bluetooth Gamepad for $23.95

This cute retro controller is inspired by the Game Boy Pocket. It’s compatible with the Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Android, and Raspberry Pi. The built-in 480mAh lithium battery gives it up to 18 hours of playtime between charges. You can get it for $30 on Amazon, or you can get it for 20% less at StackSocial with free shipping.

• Get it at StackSocial for $23.95

Preorder LEGO Technic Dom’s Dodge Charger 1,077 Piece Set for $99.99

This set will be released on April 27, and per LEGO’s strategy, it won’t hit other retailers for a few months. This is already a good price out the gate. It’s under the 10 cents per brick threshold despite the branding. The 15″ long vehicle is based on a 1970s Dodge Charger R/Tcar and features moving pistons, suspension, steering system and air blower.

• Preorder it at the LEGO Shop for $99.99

OnePlus 6T 128GB Unlocked Smartphone for $299.99

This is a late 2018 (November) model that used to be OnePlus’ flagship model. This is an outstanding premium phone with a glass body, 6.4″ 2340×1080 AMOLED display, and a truly all-day battery life. It’s a more recent model so it still houses a powerful Snapdragon 845 CPU with 8GB of memory and 128GB of internal storage. It’s upgradeable to the newest Android 10 and OnePlus’ OxygenOS has one of the most intuitive interfaces of all smartphones.

• Get it at Woot for $299.99

Xbox One X (Factory Refurbished) with Bonus Witcher 3 Game for $229.98 at Dell

This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen for an Xbox One X gaming console from a reputable vendor, plus you’re getting an outstanding game. Note that this is a Microsoft refurbished item, which means that it still comes with a 90-day warranty. Note that you do not need to be a Dell member or student to get this deal; simply use guest checkout.

• Get it at Dell for $229.98

The First IPS Monitor With 1ms and 240Hz: Alienware AW2521HF 25″ 1080p Gaming Monitor for $384.99

This is a new monitor from Dell. What makes this monitor stand out from the competition is that this is the first IPS monitor I’ve seen with a 1ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate. Other comparable monitors, including the ones from Dell, have a TN panel. An IPS monitor is superior because it has much wider viewing angles and better color rendition.

• Get it at Dell for $384.99

New Alienware Aurora R9 AMD Ryzen 7 3700X AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming Desktop PC for $1110

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.

• Use code “50OFF699” to get it at Dell for $1110

Alienware m17 17″ Intel Core i7-9750H GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming Laptop for $1086

This is another $50 price drop from yesterday’s already excellent price. The m17 is the 17″ variant of the new generation of Alienware m-series gaming laptops. Despite the larger screen size, it still clocks in at only 5.8 pounds.

• Use code “50OFF699” to get it at Dell for $1086
• Upgrade to 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD for $1286

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