biteho.com

The first of the Halo: Reach PC betas began this weekend, and it took no time at all for people to do what people do. Tyler Davis of developer 343 Industries announced on Twitter that the first beta test, or “flight” in the Halo parlance, was “illegally distributed online” just after release.

Those who download or play the “illegal” copy of the game could have their accounts banned, while they might also be blocked from future beta tests.

According to Davis, this type of illegal activity is no surprise to 343.

“We knew this was something that likely would happen with our early flights,” he said. “We are prepared for how to handle it on our ends and this is just more so a reminder warning to people that if they circumvent it there are consequences.”

The first Halo: Reach PC beta began on June 28 and is scheduled to end on July 1. Another element of controversy surrounding the beta is that some people believe 343 gave preferential treatment to streamers or content creators in regards to access to the beta. This is not true, Davis said. Five out of six people granted access to the beta were chosen based on their PC hardware configurations, Davis said. The rest were content creators or “close friends” of 343 including professional gamers who have worked with Microsoft in the past. The terms of the Halo: Reach PC beta test state that footage cannot be streamed online.

Over time, 343 will expand the Halo: Reach for PC beta tests to include more people and provide access to different parts of the game. “We see the excitement and eagerness from the community to participate in these flights, and we hear you,” 343 said in a blog post. “Just know that we are going to continue to invite more over time and get as many people in and providing feedback as possible but it’s going to take some time so please hang in there.

The next beta test for Halo: Reach on PC will be released … at some point. “As stated many times before, it’s ready when it’s ready,” 343 said.

There will be beta tests for Halo: Reach on Xbox One as well, but there is no word on when they might begin. In all cases, you need to sign up for the Halo Insiders program for a shot at getting in.

Halo: Reach is coming to PC through The Master Chief Collection, which will be available on Steam and Windows. It’ll likely be a very long time before each title is released, as 343 is planning these betas for each title, spanning Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and finally Halo 4. Each game will be sold individually, while Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One or PC can get them all as they’re released at no extra cost.

Microsoft will also offer pre-release beta tests for Halo Infinite on Xbox and PC, but there is no word yet when they will begin.

July is knocking at the door, and the new month is bringing big Nintendo Switch exclusives like Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. There are also multi-platform adventures to be had, like the gun-toting Wolfenstein: Youngblood and the introspective Sea of Solitude. This episode of New Releases would also be remiss if it didn’t mention the latest Final Fantasy 14 expansion, Shadowbringers.

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers — July 2

Available on: PS4, PC

The beloved MMO’s third expansion is bringing a ton of new content to the realm, including nine new dungeons and two new raids, one of which is themed after another fan favorite, Nier Automata. You can explore those with two new races, the tiger-like Hrothgar and the bunny-eared Viera. With two new races also come two new jobs: the Gunbreaker and the Dancer.

More Coverage:

Sea of Solitude — July 5

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

The latest in the EA Originals line of indie titles, Sea of Solitude has a lot going on under the surface. It’s an adventure game, sure, but it also deals with themes of mental illness, exemplified by protagonist Kay transforming into a monster. It’s a mix of platforming and deep introspection.

More Coverage:

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order — July 19

Available on: Switch

The latest in the Ultimate Alliance line is set in a totally different universe, but it still lets you slam bad guys as the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. As the name implies, you’ll be going up against Thanos and his Black Order to save the world. Post-launch, you can join the fight with additional DLC heroes from Marvel Knights and the X-Men.

More Coverage:

Fire Emblem: Three Houses — July 26

Available on: Switch

Ultimate Alliance 3 isn’t the only Switch exclusive coming this month. Fire Emblem: Three Houses mixes up combat by putting more emphasis on combat arts versus the traditional weapon triangle. When you’re not on the battlefield, you’ll be teaching students from one of the titular houses, choosing the best weapons and classes for them.

More Coverage:

Wolfenstein: Youngblood — July 26

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

It’s always a good time to shoot down the Nazi threat, and July is bringing us a new story starring the twin daughters of Wolfenstein hero BJ Blazkowicz. BJ is lost in Paris, so his girls join up with the French Resistance in an effort to track him down. And yes, the whole thing is playable in co-op, with two players taking control of the twins.

More Coverage:

July is totally stuffed with video games. The month opens with Stranger Things 3: The Game on the 4th and Attack on Titan 2 on the 5th. Next week, New Releases will tackle Dragon Quest Builders 2 coming west and the debut of Dr. Mario World.

Don’t expect action movie actor Dave Bautista to join the Fast & Furious franchise anytime soon. The Guardians of the Galaxy and James Bond actor said on Twitter, probably jokingly to some extent, that he would “rather do good films.”

His comment came in reply to someone on Twitter (via IndieWire) suggesting that Bautista would make for a good villain in a Fast & Furious spin-off starring The Rock and John Cena. The Rock and Cena, after all, are appearing together in Fast & Furious 9. Of course, Bautista’s replies were flooded with messages about “bad” movies that he made in the past.

For what it’s worth, Bautista admits to appearing in some films that were less than great, but he said he did so to help advance his career. He also pointed out that he had the experience of working with Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone in the Escape Plan series.

Bautista’s next big role is in the action-comedy Stuber, which he stars in alongside his MCU colleague Karen Gillan, as well as Kumail Nanjiani. Some of his other upcoming roles include parts in Escape Plan 3, My Spy, Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Army of the Dead.

In other news about Dave Bautista, the actor has said he wants to play Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War movie. However, no casting announcements have been made.

Avengers: Endgame returned to theatres this weekend with bonus footage–and included in that is Epic Games boss Donald Mustard. Mustard, who is worldwide creative director at the Fortnite studio, said on Twitter that he appears for 3.2 seconds as a pony-tailed character.

Mustard shared a photo of himself in costume, chatting to Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. and Doctor Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch. A second photo posted by Mustard’s wife, Laura Mustard, shows them all hanging out with directors Joe and Anthony Russo.

In another tweet, Mustard says he thought about stealing his sling ring, but the film crew had security locked down. The Russo brothers are big fans of Fortnite; they’ve worn Fortnite t-shirts in various media appearances, and they even put a Fortnite scene in Endgame.

Endgame made a further $5.5 million in the US and Canada this weekend, and a few million more overseas, pushing its total lifetime haul to $2.76 billion. That’s about $27 million shy of Avatar’s overall all-time record; it’s a record that Endgame may never beat.