Disney+ will be home to a new spy series based on Star Wars: Rogue One, featuring two characters from the movie. Diego Luna, who plays Cassian Andor, will be joined once again by Alan Tudyk, who voiced the droid K2SO. The new series was officially confirmed during the Star Wars section of the Disney+ D23 panel.
The show wasn’t given an official name, but it was confirmed that it’s a prequel, indicating it will take place before Rogue One. It is filming in London in 2020. In earlier announcements, Disney has described the show as a “rousing spy thriller” that will “explore tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire.”
In a statement, Luna said, “Going back to the Star Wars universe is very special for me. I have so many memories of the great work we did together and the relationships I made throughout the journey. We have a fantastic adventure ahead of us, and this new exciting format will give us the chance to explore this character more deeply.”
The Mandalorian is a brand-new TV series that stars Pedro Pascal in the title role, plus Deadpool‘s Gina Carano, Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito, Supernatural’s Emily Swallow, Predator’s Carl Weathers, American Gods’ Omid Abtahi, Grizzly Man’s Werner Herzog, and Affliction’s Nick Nolte. Lion King director Jon Favreau is the series’ showrunner and Thor Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi, Jessica Jones’ Deborah Chow, and The Clone Wars Dave Filoni are all signed on to direct individual episodes. The series debuts on Disney+ on November 12.
During the D23 Disney+ panel, Kathleen Kennedy took the stage to talk about the upcoming Star Wars projects for Disney’s streaming service. Among the announcements was a release date for the seventh season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars–scheduled to come to Disney+ in February 2020. Sounds like it might be a perfect binge-watch for Valentine’s Day.
Picking up where Season 6 left off after The Clone Wars was canceled, Season 7 fills in the gaps between the Star Wars animated series and Revenge of the Sith. After The Clone Wars’ cancellation, several of the stories in that gap went on to be adapted into novels, such as Star Wars Ahsoka and Star Wars Dark Disciple. However, many were not, which is why so many fans of The Clone Wars were happy to see the show resurrected from the grave with a surprise renewal announcement during SDCC 2018.
Season 7 got a new trailer during SDCC this year, revealing the different plotlines that this final season of the show will cover. The main focus of Season 7 seems to be the Siege of Mandalore, one of the last major events in the Clone Wars before its end (according to its brief mention in the Ahsoka novel). Season 7 also covers the reaction to Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order–both from her own, Anakin’s, and Obi-Wan’s perspectives–which addresses one of the biggest cliffhangers in The Clone Wars.
We’ll also see Experimental Unit Clone Force 99–a group of Clone Commandos nicknamed the “Bad Batch” for their mutated DNA that grant them the enhanced abilities that allow them to fight with unorthodox tactics and tech–as well as the return of Separatist Admiral Trench. Given the focus on the Siege of Mandalore and the end of the Clone Wars conflict, it’s likely this seventh season will also see Rex following up on Fives’ sacrifice and working with Clone Commando Gregor and Clone Commander Wolf to deactivate their brain control chips, the electronics in all clones’ brains that compel them to betray and kill their Jedi generals when activated.
Nintendo is notorious for maintaining higher prices on its platforms than Sony or Microsoft, but Switch owners are in luck, as the console actually has a ton of great game deals available in the US Eshop right now. With new consoles hitting the market–the upgraded Switch model with better battery life and its cheaper, handheld-only cousin, the Switch Lite–there’s no better time for Nintendo to showcase some of the best titles on the platform, and a few of them are must-owns at their current price.
For starters, there’s a big Capcom publisher sale going on now through August 29 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET with up to 75% off some games. Quite a few Mega Man titles are included, such as Mega Man 11 for $20 and the Mega Man X Legacy Collections for $12 each. If you haven’t played Okami HD yet, consider grabbing the remastered classic while it’s only $14. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, the acclaimed courtroom adventure series, is down to $20.
As August comes to an end, it’s almost horror game season, and you can grab some true horror classics for much cheaper in the Eshop. Resident Evil games have all been marked down, so if you enjoyed the excellent Resident Evil 2 Remake released earlier this year, you can see where the series all began with Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0, and Resident Evil 4, all selling for $20 each. There’s also Resident Evil Revelations, set between the events of RE4 and RE5, and its sequel, Resident Evil Revelations 2, both of which are on sale for $14.
If you haven’t played Bastion or Transistor yet, you have to pick up the pair of critically acclaimed games from indie studio Supergiant. The action RPGs are on deep discount, with Bastion selling for $3 and Transistor selling for $4 in the Eshop. That’s a markdown from $15 and $20, respectively.
From Mortal Kombat 11 ($42) to Guacamelee ($7.49), there are plenty more worthwhile games on sale in the Eshop, and we’ve included more of our favorites below. For the full list of deals, check out the Nintendo Eshop.
Best Nintendo Switch Eshop deals
Bastion — $3 ($15)
Battle Chasers: Nightwar — $20 ($40)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night — $32 ($40)
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle — $12 ($20)
Devil May Cry — $15 ($20)
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen — $22.49 ($30)
The Flame in the Flood – Complete Edition — $6 ($15)
The Gardens Between — $8 ($20)
Guacamelee – Super Turbo Championship Edition — $7.49 ($15)
Mega Man 11 — $20 ($30)
Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 — $10 each ($15 each)
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 & 2 — $12 each ($20 each)
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate — $25 ($50)
Mortal Kombat 11 — $42 ($60)
Okami HD — $14 ($20)
Onimusha: Warlords — $12 ($20)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy — $20 ($30)
Resident Evil — $20 ($30)
Resident Evil 0 — $20 ($30)
Resident Evil 4 — $20 ($30)
Resident Evil Revelations — $14 ($20)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 — $14 ($20)
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection — $20 ($40)
With cross-save now implemented in Destiny 2 and allowing players to seamlessly move between PS4, Xbox One, and PC (provided they own the necessary content on each), it’s an exciting time for Guardians. But as always, regardless of whatever big events might be happening, Xur checks in each weekend to sell a randomized slate of Exotic items for Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks. Here’s where to find Xur this time around, what he’s selling, and what perks those items come equipped with. However, it’s important to note that, thanks to the aforementioned cross-save, PC and Xbox One players now have an avenue for acquiring Forsaken’s PS4-exclusive Exotic, Wavesplitter.
Where Is Xur?
As of August 23, Xur is located on Nessus. To reach him, simply spawn at the Watcher’s Grave landing zone, hop on your sparrow, and head over toward Calus’s barge. Jump aboard and make your way to the back, where all of the Menagerie chests are. You’ll find Xur standing near the edge, ready to take your Legendary Shards.
What Is Xur Selling?
Xur has his standard slate, albeit with different items in the four key slots. He has an Exotic weapon–Arbalest–that is of little interest to anyone who already owns it. However, whereas there is no difference between each version of an individual Exotic weapon, there’s reason to investigate the armor more closely. Because armor features randomized rolls, you might find that what Xur is selling offers better perks than the version you might already own. At the very least, these perks might better align with your playstyle. Or, if you don’t already own these pieces, it’s an easy opportunity to fill out your collection. Beyond the items, Xur also has the Five of Swords challenge card (to modify Nightfall difficulty) and an Invitation of the Nine (which provides you with some objectives and leads to a bit of new story content). And, as noted above, PC and Xbox One players can jump on PS4 and potentially get Wavesplitter from the Fated Engram.
Xur Item Lineup (August 23-27)
Arbalest (Exotic Linear Fusion Rifle) — 29 Legendary Shards
Crown of Tempests (Exotic Warlock Helmet) — 23 Legendary Shards
Ashen Wake (Exotic Titan Gauntlets) — 23 Legendary Shards
Arbalest
Arbalest is a linear fusion rifle which, on the surface, doesn’t sound particularly notable. But what’s unique about it is that this is a kinetic weapon, meaning it goes in your primary weapon slot. It’s particularly effective against shields, and destroying a shield with it causes the enemy to take more damage from kinetic weapons. Plus, again: It’s a linear fusion rifle that goes in your kinetic slot, and it’s quite useful for invading in Gambit. Pick it up if you don’t own it.
Hunters can pick up Shinobu’s Wake. It features New Tricks, which improves the Skip Grenade and gives you an extra charge with it. Dealing damage with a Skip Grenade also returns energy for it, letting you keep the grenades flying. It might be of use right now if you’re trying to grind out grenade kills for Solstice of Heroes, which ends soon.
Rolls:
Slot 1: Submachine Gun Loader, Fastball, Momentum Transfer
Slot 2: Grenade Launcher Scavenger, Special Ammo Finder
Ashen Wake
Titans get Ashen Wake, a set of gauntlets that, like Shinobu’s Vow, is primarily concerned with improving a specific type of grenade. Bring the Heat causes Fusion Grenades to explode on impact, and you can throw them more quickly. It’s another item that isn’t terribly thrilling.
Rolls:
Slot 1: Linear Fusion Rifle Loader, Submachine Gun Loader, Momentum Transfer
The 2013 movie Snowpiercer is one of the most distinctive and best reviewed sci-fi films of the past decade. It was based on Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette’s 1982 graphic novel Le Transperceneige, and featured an all-star cast that included Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt, plus the renowned South Korean star Song Kang Ho. It was directed by the brilliant Korean filmmaker Joon-Ho Bong, and was a big worldwide critical and commercial success. So it wasn’t a huge surprise when a US TV version was announced in 2015.
However, the path to the small screen hasn’t been smooth. By the time the series premieres on TBS, it will have been five years since it was first announced. In that time the show has shed both its high-profile showrunner and main director, both of whom left over differences with the network about the direction of the series. Although the movie had its own distribution problems in the US, the film and graphic novel were the uncompromised visions of acclaimed artists, leading to some concern about whether the TV version could live up what has come before.
Nevertheless, there’s plenty to be excited about. The footage we’ve seen so far has looked spectacular, the cast is impressive, and the show’s dystopian premise remains an incredibly strong one. So fingers crossed that the show delivers what sci-fi fans are after–and what made the movie such a success–a dark, exciting, intelligent sci-fi story that works as both a powerful character drama and spectacular action movie. So here’s everything we know so far about Snowpiercer.
The latest chapter in Battlefield V‘s Tides of War has introduced new content to the game over the past few months, including free maps, weapons, vehicles, and quality of life improvements. An adverse effect of all this new content, however, is that Chapter 4: Defying the Odds has also introduced a number of issues to the overall quality of the Battlefield V experience. As a result, the upcoming competitive 5v5 mode has become an unfortunate casualty.
In a post detailing the current status of Battlefield V, DICE senior producer Ryan McArthur has provided an update on the studio’s current commitments. “We’ve been hard at work to address these [issues] with several updates and will continue to do so until Battlefield V is where it should be,” the post says. “We’re fully committed to expanding and improving our core multiplayer experience. That’s why fixing the issues is our highest priority. This commitment will be met by keeping our focus and resources invested in producing the great content our players deserve.”
The upcoming 4.4 update contains fixes for stuttering issues, desyncs seen on hitboxes, and tweaks to the Commo Rose. It will also deliver two new infantry maps and an increase in max Rank, allowing you to go beyond Rank 50 and start earning XP on a journey to Rank 500. Improving game stability, UI communication around damage, and other items the community has flagged will also be part of future updates.
The recently released Al Sundan map is currently only available in Squad Conquest and Team Deathmatch, but will eventually make its way to large-scale modes such as Conquest. The reason for the delay is an unforeseen issue that accompanied Chapter 4, causing an unusual graphical problem when playing the larger version of the Al Sundan map. “The team is pushing to get the fix into our 4.6 release next month, but we can’t confirm that just yet, as we first want to make sure the fix is working properly and won’t create problems elsewhere, which has been the case with some past updates.”
Due to “the added focus on improving the quality of the experience and adding more of the content you want,” McArthur says the upcoming 5v5 mode has been cancelled. “Not creating this mode was a tough decision, but vital for us to more quickly reach our bug-crushing and content goals.” Despite this, DICE aims to continue building a competitive experience in Battlefield V.
In more positive news, the infantry-only maps Provence and Lofoten Islands, are set to arrive in Battlefield V’s 4.4 update. Both maps will initially feature two modes: Squad Conquest and Team Deathmatch. Looking ahead to update 4.6, meanwhile, sees the classic Operation Underground map arrive in Conquest, Team Deathmatch, Breakthrough, and Squad Conquest. The map is a reimagining of Operation Métro from 2011’s Battlefield 3 and is being worked on by its original creator.
Beyond this, DICE is returning to the Pacific in the future with two new Iwo Jima, as well as two other locations you’ll deploy to before the end of the year.
The MCU just can’t seem to stop collecting replacement Starks. First, Richard Madden signed up as Ikaris, a member of the upcoming Phase 4 movie The Eternals, as confirmed during Marvel Studios’ massive San Diego Comic-Con panel this year. Now, as D23 Expo gets rolling, yet another alumni has reportedly been added to the mix–Kit Harington is turning his sword and dire wolf in for spandex, according to Deadline.
Which project Harington is reportedly joining is a mystery, but if it’s going to happen in Marve’ls Phase 4, The Eternals seems like a likely candidate–not just because of his former on-screen brother’s involvement, but because The Eternals is the only Phase 4 project with a confirmed ensemble cast at the moment. Other projects in the lineup include solo movies for characters like Dr. Strange and Black Widow, as well as solo streaming TV shows for the upcoming Disney+ service like Hawkeye and Loki. Otherwise, the slate has been left conspicuously team-less.
However, there is of course the possibility for Harington to be a part in an as-of-yet unannounced project. After all, Marvel Studio’s panels and presence at D23 has only just begun, and already reports of new projects, like a Disney+ show centered around Kamala Khan, have come trickling in.
IGN has 7-minutes of Streets of Rage 4 gameplay featuring the newly announced fighter, Cherry Hunter. Check out the video above to see the two fighters use their fists (and sometimes guitar) to fight their way through martial artists and street punks.
Streets of Rage 4 Playable Characters
Streets of Rage 4 is the newest game in the Streets of Rage series. Set 10 years after the events of Streets of Rage 3, Streets of Rage 4 features a cast of new and returning characters. Unfortunately, the developers have not revealed the full roster of characters just yet.
The only fighters announced for Streets of Rage 4 so far are:
Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington, known for his role as Jon Snow on the HBO hit series, will soon be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according report from Deadline.
The report is thin on details and simply says that Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. heard Harrington will join the MCU in some fashion but there is currently no word on what film he would join. Fleming does note that he wouldn’t be surprised if some details are revealed by the end of the weekend. With Disney’s D23 Expo 2019 currently underway, it’s possible we may learn the nature of Harrington’s role there.
