Borderlands 3 has been one of the most high-profile games to forgo a Steam release in favor of Epic Games Store exclusivity, but that will soon come to an end. As part of a PAX East panel, developer Gearbox announced that Borderlands 3 has a Steam release date: It launches on March 13.
The Steam store page is now available and you can add it to your wishlist, although pre-orders aren’t yet available. While cross-play with the PS4 and Xbox One versions will not be available, cross-play is supported across both PC versions, letting Epic and Steam players join together for online multiplayer.
Borderlands 3 originally released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 13, 2019. That means this Steam release arrives exactly six months later; we had previously heard it would come no sooner than April. Also as part of the PAX happenings, Gearbox unveiled Borderlands 3’s new DLC.
Despite complaints from some fans, as has been commonplace with Epic-exclusive releases, Borderlands 3 was quite successful on Epic. On launch day, Randy Pitchford shared that the game was beating expectations at launch and that it had roughly doubled the all-time concurrent players record for Borderlands 2 on PC. Across all platforms, it quickly became 2K’s fastest-selling game ever.
You can race pretty much anything in Grand Theft Auto V‘s GTA Online. Whether you’re racing against other players in supercars, mopeds, SUVs, planes, boats, RC cars, or even something as ludicrous as an airport baggage carrier. And yet, there’s something missing… The next logical step is obviously to compete in the San Andreas Prix in F1-style open-wheel vehicles.
GTA Online: Open Wheel Racing is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The update adds two brand new ultra-performance vehicles for you to race in, the PR4 and R88. Both share the same stats, but you can take each one to Los Santos Customs to fine-tune and purchase spoilers, tires, liveries, engine mods, and more.
There are seven new tracks to hurl your new open-wheel masterpiece around, with closed-circuit races spread out across Los Santos and the surrounding area. The Vinewood Hills are home to the winding hairpins of a historic street circuit, while City Hall is the centrepiece of a rapid city circuit. There are also races around the Port of Los Santos, Los Santos International Airport, and the Fort Zacundo military base. Elsewhere, Davis tasks you with avoiding potholes and concrete blocks as you propel around its tight corners, and the final track transports you to the coast, as breaking waves provide the background noise to each race.
GTA Online: Open Wheel Racing even delves into some of the intricacies of the sport, as choosing which tires to use is a decision that needs to be made, as well as determining whether you need to take that all-important pit stop.
Microsoft Game Stack has also announced that due to concerns over COVID-19, better known as the novel coronavirus, it will be dropping out of the 2020 Game Developers Conference (GDC).
“After a close review of guidance by global health authorities and out of an abundance of caution, we’ve made the difficult decision to withdraw from participating at Game Developers Conference 2020 in San Francisco,” the company wrote in an official blog post.
Instead, Microsoft Game Stack will host a series of digital-only events from March 16th to 18th which will cover a majority of the planned GDC sessions it was originally set to host. This includes panels on the cloud, the evolution of game development, and a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Microsoft titles like Minecraft and Gears of War.
Other than panels Microsoft announced other events that have been thrown into uncertainty including the annual ID @ Xbox event showcasing indie games, and a Games Showcase. IGN has reached out to Microsoft to find out whether these events will still be hosted at GDC.
Update: Microsoft confirmed that both the Games Showcase and ID@Xbox events have been canceled as well.
Meanwhile, GDC organizers say that they “are confident that Game Developers Conference will follow int he footsteps of other large and successful international events taking place at the Moscone Center,” and have not announced plans to cancel the event.
Rian Johnson’s murder-mystery Knives Out was an exciting film filled with twists and turns that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. While the movie was over two hours long, it didn’t feel like it, as Knives Out was filled with information leading the audience to find out “Whodunit”–or who killed Harlan Thrombey. Now, with the release of the movie on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital, deleted scenes reveal more on the backstories of certain members of the Thrombey family.
One moment that’s never fully explained in the theatrical release of the film is why Walt Thrombey is walking with a cane. The deleted scenes give some insight. The opening scene has Walt explaining to the detectives and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) that he got into a bicycling accident. However, in other scenes, Blanc reveals he knows it wasn’t an accident and that Walt was shot in the leg at 3 AM. Walt’s wife Donna confides in Blanc, saying Walt was taking money from the Thrombey publishing company for side investments, and in turn, that got him into some rough water with thugs, who wanted Walt to pay up.
In the commentary for the deleted scene, director Johnson explained it was another way to show Walt’s desperation, and there were other moments to this side story that were never filmed. While the deleted scene of Donna seeing a thug on her front step is included on the home release, Johnson explained there was a planned scene where said thug gives Blanc the coat he’s wearing, as the thug is another police officer Blanc was using to get Donna to confess to Walt’s side investments.
The second deleted scene involves Joanie’s company Flam, which makes beauty products. Early on in the film, it’s revealed Blanc has a rash on his neck. In a later scene, Blanc talks to Joanie about her company, and explains that the snail jelly moisturizer he was using–along with plenty of others–gave him a rash. Many customers online have also complained about this, and Flam is in freefall. It’s another case of a member of the Thrombey family not taking accountability for their actions. Johnson explained in the commentary that while he loves these scenes, the latter half of it appeared too late in the film, and it messed with the pacing a bit.
The Knives Out home release has plenty of other special features as well, all of which are detailed below for 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Knives Out home release special features:
Audio commentary from director Rian Johnson, director of photography Steve Yedlin, and actor Noah Segan
Deleted scenes with optional commentary from Johnson
“Making a Murderer” documentary
In-theater commentary from Johnson
Director and cast Q&A
“Planning the perfect murder” featurette
Marketing gallery and viral ads
Knives Out on Blu-ray:$40 $20
Knives Out on 4K UHD:$43 $25
In GameSpot’s review of Knives Out, Rafael Motamayor said, “Taking a well-established–if old-fashioned–genre and updating it to resonate with modern audiences is no small feat. Making a 130-minute movie feel like 1-hour is even harder. But when it comes to making a movie that’s entertaining, thoughtful, sharply written, and undeniably creative, Rian Johnson is guilty as charged.”
Knives Out is available now on digital, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
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Respawn has announced the next limited-time event for Apex Legends. Starting March 3, System Override Collection begins and it brings with a new mode, legendary skins, and character heirloom. The event also makes some pretty cool in-game changes–some temporary and others permanent.
System Override Collection’s limited-time mode is Deja Loot. From March 3-9, it will take place on World’s Edge and from March 10-17 it will send you to Kings Canyon. The mode will see the same loot spawn in set locations, allowing you to know what you’re going to find wherever you drop. If you find a fully-outfitted Triple-Take in Skull Town, that same Triple-Take will be there every time. The dropship path and ring locations will be the only aspect of the game that changes day-to-day.
If you jump into Deja Loot, you’ll discover a brand-new piece of armor as well: the Evo Shield. This body shield begins weaker than a common white body shield but grows stronger as you damage enemies–maxing out between an epic purple body shield and a legendary gold body shield. In a blog post, Respawn said that the Evo Shield is exclusive to Deja Loot for now, but the developer will consider permanently adding it to the main game based on player feedback.
It wouldn’t be a collection event without loot and System Override Collection offers plenty of rare, epic, and legendary rewards to both earn and buy. Like Grand Soiree Arcade, System Override Collection will feature a Prize Track that will allow you to earn rewards by completing challenges during the event. There are also 24 themed, limited-time cosmetics that you can purchase through Apex Coins and Crafting Materials or unlocked in Apex Packs. Nab all 24 and you’ll earn Octane’s heirloom: a butterfly knife that also acts as a Stim syringe.
When examing his heirloom, Octane will fidget with the knife, transform it into a syringe, and take a hit.
And speaking of heirlooms, System Override Collection is making a change to how you earn them. Instead of randomly earning an heirloom from opening Apex Packs, you’ll now earn heirloom shards. With shards, you can unlock whichever heirloom you want: Wraith, Bloodhound, Lifeline, Pathfinder, or (once the event is over and it’s added to the heirloom pool), Octane. The shards have the same drop rate as the previous heirloom sets–so you will definitely earn enough by opening 500 Apex Packs. You’ll just now have the choice of earning whichever one you want instead of relying on chance.
Streets of Rage 4 brings back retro heroes Axel, Blaze, and Adam, but they’re not the only playable characters in the new beat ’em up. Adam’s daughter Cherry fights alongside her dad by bashing foes with her electric guitar. The latest new character to be revealed is Floyd, a Maori warrior with cybernetic arm that definitely doesn’t resemble Jax from Mortal Kombat at all.
The video above features Floyd, Cherry, Adam, and Axel punching and kicking through the game’s first stage, ending in a boss battle against Diva, who pulses with electricity and wields a snake like a whip. Look, Streets of Rage was never subtle. This was our first look at 4’s four-player co-op–it supports four players locally, but only two online.
Streets of Rage 4 is headed to PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch in 2020. GameSpot will be covering more games like this at PAX East 2020, so stay tuned for more from the show floor.
The Apple Watch is probably the best smartwatch on the market, so it’s a shame we don’t see deals on them very often. But if you’re thinking of picking one up, you have several options that can save you a few bucks right now at Amazon and Walmart. Amazon has the market cornered on Series 5 discounts, and Walmart has the Series 3 for $10 off. Here’s what Apple Watch deals are available at the moment.
To get the latest features in your wearable, you’ll want to pick up the Apple Watch Series 5. The most immediately noticeable new feature is the always-on display. No longer do you need to tilt your wrist to see what time it is, and whatever stylish watch face you pick is always showing. It’s also thinner, with a faster processor, and it has a handful of additional sensors, like a compass and an ECG app that keeps track of your heart rhythm and rate. For the best, most future-proof wearable, accept no substitute.
The Series 5 may be great, but the Series 3 is certainly no slouch. It runs the same apps and can do most of the same tasks as its more expensive sibling. It lets you check your notifications without digging your phone out of your pocket. It tracks your fitness and can encourage you to get more exercise. It’s a great product, and it’s on sale at Walmart for $189.
To top it off, Apple Watch has some highly appealing accessories that go along with it. Apple’s wireless AirPods are terrific, and come in a variety of models. AirPods Pro offer active noise cancelation and have soft silicon tips so they fit in your ears more comfortably. Standard AirPods come with either a regular charging case or a wireless one that’s compatible with wireless-Qi chargers.
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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.
The Xbox Series X’s quick resume feature was confirmed earlier this week but it’s now been revealed that it even lets you resume games after rebooting the console.
Microsoft’s Larry Hryb discussed the feature on the February 26 episode of his Major Nelson podcast with Jason Ronald, the director of program management at Xbox. Ronald explained that the Xbox One already lets you quick resume games you’re playing, but says that the SSD of the Xbox Series X lets you do that with multiple titles, instantly jumping between them to pick up right where you left each one.
Hryb then recounts a time that he admits he’ll “probably get in trouble for talking about,” during which he discovered how far the quick resume feature goes. “One of the things that I was noticing when I was in the lab when I was playing it, I was switching back and forth just real quickly and seamlessly between games, but then I had to reboot because I had a system update. And then I went back to the game and went right back to it. So it survives a reboot. That’s amazing.”
Ronald confirms that this is the case and remarks that it’s hard to go back to older consoles after using the quick resume of the Xbox Series X. “If I just want to have a quick gaming experience, I can instantly jump in have a great time, and then know that the next time I come back I’ll be right where I was,” Ronald said.
That means you can turn the Xbox Series X on, even have it fully update the system, and get right back to a game without having to go through any of the typical loading procedures. This is just one of the features that was announced, if not fully detailed, by Microsoft after revealing the Xbox Series X power levels and the features that have been built around that.
Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima will be given the Fellowship at the BAFTA Game Awards on April 2, 2020.
The Fellowship is the highest award given by BAFTA to an individual. It recognises and celebrates a person’s creative contributions to film, television, or games. Those in the game industry who have received a Fellowship previously include Tim Schafer, John Carmack, Gabe Newell, Peter Molyneux, Will Wright, and Shigeru Miyamoto.
On hearing the news, Kojima said: “Thank you very much for this precious BAFTA Fellowship award. I am very honored, and would like to take this moment to reflect on the many predecessors that came before me, as I deeply respect their contributions to entertainment, whether in movies, television, or games. I would also like to thank those who have supported me over the years and I will continue my commitment to creating new and innovative ways that will push the world of ‘play’ entertainment forward.”
Kojima’s first big breakthrough in games came in 1987, when he designed Metal Gear at Konami, which contributed greatly to the stealth genre. He went on to make games with distinctly cinematic presentations, such as Snatcher and Policenauts, which are influenced by his love of movies.
He also has a passion for mecha, as seen throughout his Metal Gear and Zone of the Enders series. Kojima left Konami in 2015 after nearly 30 years at the company to create his own studio, Kojima Productions, which so far has produced one game, Death Stranding.
