The Mask Returns With Political Satire Angle in New Comic Series

Dark Horse Comics is reviving the Mask franchise in October. Dubbed The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask, this new series will bring an extra dose of political satire to this darkly comical franchise.

I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask will be written by Halt and Catch Fire showrunner Christopher Cantwell, with art by Patric Reynolds (Joe Golem), colors by Lee Loughridge (Stumptown) and letters by Nate Piekos (William Gibson’s Alien 3). Check out the cover to issue #1 below:

The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! #1 cover by Patric Reynolds. (Image Credit: Dark Horse Comics) The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask! #1 cover by Patric Reynolds. (Image Credit: Dark Horse Comics)

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Here’s How You Can Get 2 Free Months of HBO

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Here’s a sweet deal Amazon is running during the lead-up to Prime Day. If you buy a Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote between now and July 14, you’ll get two months of HBO on Prime Video for free. That’s a $30 value just for buying a $40 device that can turn any TV into a smart TV with Alexa superpowers. Another way of looking at it is that it brings the cost of the Fire TV Stick down to $10. Either way, you’re saving $30. And if you don’t want to keep paying for HBO after the two free months, you can cancel it.

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Alien: Isolation Dev’s New Game Appears To Be A Hero-Based Shooter

Creative Assembly, the developer behind the hugely popular first-person survival horror game Alien: Isolation, has been working on a new IP. The studio has remained rather secretive on its latest project, but a new job opening at Creative Assembly hints that the game could be a hero-based shooter.

First noticed by VG247, Creative Assembly is looking for a lead hero designer to work on “a ground-breaking FPS.” The role asks for someone who can lead the creative process for “exciting playable characters” that each have “a range of amazing thought and play provoking specialties.” It sounds like Creative Assembly is designing a first-person shooter game that features a cast of diverse playable characters that each possess their own unique set of skills and abilities, much like Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Apex Legends.

The lead hero designer role also asks applicants to have a “broad understanding of monetization, rewards, and art production” and a willingness to provide “guidance on visual design and cosmetics.” This further reinforces the comparison to the hero-based shooters listed above, as all three feature cosmetics tied to some form of microtransactions.

Earlier job postings at Creative Assembly have referred to the developer’s new title as a tactical shooter, but not much else is publicly known about the game. Given that hero shooters have been done for a while now, it’s unlikely the “ground-breaking” description of the game is in reference to hero-focused combat. What’s more likely is that Creative Assembly is designing a game that utilizes hero-based combat in a genre that hasn’t been done much of before, similarly to how Respawn innovated on hero-focused shooters by putting those mechanics into a battle royale game.

American Horror Story Season 9 Cast Announced In Amazing ’80s Video

The ninth season of the hugely popular anthology show American Horror Story returns this fall. It’s titled American Horror Story: 1984, and–as the name suggests–it’ll take its inspiration from horror movies of the 1980s. Creator Ryan Murphy has now released the show’s official cast announcement via a new Instagram video.

The video starts in a spooky cabin, with a shadowy, hooded figure walking ominously towards us, before the smooth sounds of Dan Hartman’s “I Can Dream About You,” kick in on the soundtrack. We then see the show’s main characters in spectacular ’80s clothes with a range of impressive hair-dos. The video then cuts back to the creepy cabin, as the young stars continue to pose for the camera. The cast includes Emma Roberts, Cody Fern, Gus Kenworthy, Billie Lourd, Matthew Morrison, Angelica Ross, DeRon Horton, and Zach Villa–check it out below.

American Horror Story: 1984 premieres on September 18 on FX. While full plot details are currently unknown, we do know that the season will be set a summer camp. The first teaser, released in April, suggests that it will take inspiration from ’80s summer camp slasher movies, such as Friday the 13th, The Burning, and Sleepaway Camp.

While Roberts, Lourd, Fern, and Grossman have all appeared in previous seasons of the show, one series regular who won’t featured much–or possibly at all– is Sarah Paulson. As reported by Variety, Paulson won’t have “a significant role” in Season 9, and the most we can expect to see her in is a cameo.

For more American Horror Story coverage on GameSpot, check out our look at how the previous 8 seasons are connected.

Pokemon Go Entei Raid Day: Start Times, Shiny Entei, And What To Know

Armored Mewtwo has arrived in Pokemon Go, but that isn’t the only Legendary appearing in the hit mobile game this weekend. As a reward for completing enough Global Challenges during the recent Pokemon Go Fest event in Dortmund, Germany, developer Niantic is bringing another one of the three Legendary dogs from Pokemon Gold and Silver, Entei, back to Raid Battles for one day only this Sunday, July 14.

Entei has only appeared a handful of times in Pokemon Go, so this weekend’s Raid Day is a good opportunity to add one to your collection if you had missed your previous chances. However, the Legendary Pokemon will only be back for a brief window of time, so you’ll want to be prepared if you’re hoping to capture one. To help you get ready for the event, we’ve rounded up all the most important details about the upcoming Entei Raid Day below.

Start Times

Like Pokemon Go’s monthly Community Day events, the Entei Raid Day will be held around the world, but it will only run for three hours, from 4-7 PM local time. During that window, you’ll be able to encounter Entei in five-star Raids. Once the event ends, however, Entei will leave Pokemon Go once again, so you only have a couple of hours to battle and catch some before the Legendary departs.

Shiny Entei

Entei will be a common sight in Gyms during Sunday’s Raid Day event, but you may also encounter a Shiny version of the Legendary when you participate in a Raid Battle. However, the odds of coming across a Shiny Entei are down strictly to luck, so if you’re hoping to add one to your collection, you’ll need to be persistent and visit as many Raids as you can during the event hours.

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How To Participate In Raids

Before you can take part in a Raid Battle, you’ll first need an item called a Raid Pass. You can get one of these for free each day from the first Photo Disc you spin at a Gym, but you can only carry one at a time, so you can’t stockpile them ahead of the event. However, Niantic will be giving out up to five free Raid Passes during the Entei Raid Day, giving everyone a chance to participate in the event. You also have the option to purchase Raid Passes from Pokemon Go’s in-game store.

Once you’ve snagged a Raid Pass, you’ll need to physically head to a Gym where an Entei Raid is taking place. There will be plenty of those occurring during the event hours, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one, particularly if you live in a metropolitan area. You’ll then need to team up with other players in-person and battle the Legendary; if you manage to defeat it, everyone who participated in the Raid will receive a handful of Premier Balls and a chance to capture it.

Tips For Battling Entei

Entei is a pure Fire-type, so you’ll want to use Water, Ground, and Rock Pokemon when battling it. There are plenty of options to choose from, but other Legendaries such as Kyogre and Groudon–both of which can be encountered through July’s Field Research tasks–will prove to be very effective against it, as will strong Pokemon such as Rhyperior, Golem, and Tyranitar. While Dragon Pokemon don’t have a type advantage over Entei, they’ll resist its Fire attacks, making them viable options for rounding out your team.

Other Pokemon Go Events And Bonuses

The Entei Raid event isn’t the only Global Challenge reward Niantic is giving players. Until July 16, you’ll be able to receive triple the normal amount of XP for catching and hatching Pokemon. You’ll also earn twice as much XP from Raids, and any Lucky Eggs you use will last for an hour rather than 30 minutes. There’s a lot more happening in Pokemon Go beyond that this month. The aforementioned Armored Mewtwo will appear until July 31, while this month’s Community Day takes place on July 21.

Zack Snyder Is Developing An Anime With Netflix

Netflix has partnered up with Zack Snyder to create a new, as of yet untitled, anime series centered around Norse mythology with the help of storyboard artist and long-time collaborator Jay Oliva, whose credits include Snyder projects like Justice League and 300: Rise of an Empire.

Details of the project are still shrouded in mystery, but the series will add to Netflix’s growing roster of original anime projects including shows like Neo Yokio and Castlevania, as well as their recently released (and highly contentious) version of the classic Neon Genesis Evangelion. In a statement to Variety, Netflix’s director of anime programming, John Derderian, said “Zack Snyder’s innovation in visual storytelling has pushed the industry forward and established him as one of the most distinctive filmmakers of his generation. We are beyond excited to partner with him and his exceptional team to bring the iconic characters and stories of Norse mythology to life in his inimitable style.”

While the name and plot of the new series have been left up to the imagination, it’s safe to assume we’ll be treated to the Snyder-version of some classic Norse gods and heroes like Loki, Thor, Odin, and Hela–probably featuring some good ol’ fashioned Vikings with greased up, rock hard abs tossed in there for good measure. We all saw 300, right?

Snyder is currently at work on another Netflix project, Army of the Dead, a movie that was conceived of as a sequel to Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead reboot from 2004. Army of the Dead will mark Snyder’s return after a two-year directorial hiatus following the release of Justice League.

Acclaimed Strategy Game Free At Steam Right Now

While retailers are offering game discounts left and right with Amazon Prime Day on the horizon, nothing beats free, and PC game Age of Wonders III is free to claim at Steam now until Monday, July 15. Once you add the game to your account, it’ll be yours to keep, so if you’re even remotely interested, you might as well grab it now. At full price, it sells for $30.

Age of Wonders III is a 4X turn-based strategy game with a high-fantasy fictional setting. A mix of empire-building, role-playing, and warfare, Age of Wonders III places you in the role of a ruler (with six different RPG-style leader classes, such as sorcerer and rogue) to explore the world map, negotiate with and battle other empires, build and improve your own civilization, and more. The latest game in the series, Age of Wonders: Planetfall, actually releases in just a few weeks on August 6, so this is a good chance to give the series a try if you’ve never played it. Plus, all DLC for Age of Wonders III is also 50% off right now.

Get Age of Wonders III for free at Steam »

The game earned a 7/10 in GameSpot’s Age of Wonders III review for its enjoyable tactical combat, streamlined empire management, and balanced randomization.

“Age of Wonders III is a well-crafted strategy game that doesn’t let itself get bogged down in needless busywork. It pushes your focus onto its strongest suit, the battlefield while keeping everything else in the background,” wrote critic Maxwell McGee. “Some smart elements of randomness help keep you on your toes after multiple sessions, though you will find several go-to strategies still apply regardless of the sort of army you lead. Age of Wonders III is the welcome return of a long-absent strategy series and a tactically rewarding game.”

Save $80 on Apple Watch, Get Colorful Bands for Half Price

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Here’s your friendly reminder that Apple Watches are still on sale for their lowest prices ever at Amazon and Walmart. So if you’ve been on the fence about joining the smartwatch crowd, there’s never been a better time to buy than right now. Apple Watch can do loads of tasks quickly and conveniently, so you can go about your day without staring at your phone constantly. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Apple Watch Series 3 Deals

Here’s What Walmart’s Offering to Compete With Amazon Prime Day

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Walmart doesn’t want Amazon to have all the fun this Prime Day, so it decided to go ahead and put on its own savings event. Unofficially, this is Black Friday in July, with prices on TVs at Walmart matching, and even (significantly) beating its Black Friday prices.

Walmart Video Game Deals

Nintendo Switch With Free 10,000mAh Charging Stand

The Nintendo Switch Lite doesn’t come out until September 20, and its battery savings are moderate at best. But Walmart has a deal on a Nintendo Switch with a free charging chase right now, so there’s no need to wait. Check out the best Nintendo Switch game deals if you want to further your journey of savings discovery.

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Dragon Quest Builders 2 Review

I certainly wasn’t expecting to love a Minecraft-style block-building game based on a decades-old JRPG franchise as much as I did Dragon Quest Builders 2. Even though the combat is a bit weak and the controls can be frustrating at times, it manages to be both a great construction game and an engrossing, full-fledged RPG with tons of memorable areas and characters.

I never played the first Dragon Quest Builders, and I didn’t feel like I needed to in order to get what was going on in this sequel. There are tons of references back to the Dragon Quest series that come across as nice touches if you catch them – familiar enemies, some returning locations and bosses, and nostalgic victory music. Even the minimap looks like an old school Dragon Quest overworld. And, well, if you don’t already know why it’s a big deal that your main ally’s name is Malroth, I encourage you not to look it up so you don’t spoil anything for yourself.

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