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Continuing its years of significant growth, Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games has revealed the next major update coming to the free-to-play action-RPG. In the upcoming Blight expansion, players will take on a questline that introduces a new tower defense mode, yielding even more loot to outfit your characters with. This new update follows a set of other new expansions in the past year that have overhauled a significant part of the game, introducing new events and storylines for players to take part in.

Just before its reveal, we got an early look at the new content, which releases on September 6 for PC, and on PS4 and Xbox One September 9. The Blight update introduces a new storyline involving an NPC named Sister Cassia who tasks players to repel the encroaching corruption that’s taken root across the world. To fight off these waves of monsters, you’ll need to construct complex machines to help stem the tide. According to the developers, the intent of these Blight encounters is to offer players a chance to take on bite-sized events that can open up access to better loot. The reward for clearing these fights are items called Oils, which can buff existing gear and produce new items for your character.

As is tradition, the new expansion will also introduce a new suite of quality-of-life changes. These include revamps to the Atlas of Worlds questing system, new class and skill tweaks, and several fixes focusing on league play. Following the reception from previous expansions, the developers wanted to focus more on letting players experience the game at their own pace, and take on events in the order they want.

Here’s a quick rundown of all the key features in the Blight update:

• Blight League: The new expansion will introduce a new NPC named Sister Cassia, who allows players to access the new Blight Encounters. These events will focus on tower defense style gameplay against new monsters. Players can also acquire special Blighted maps, which open up access to new higher-end areas with greater rewards.
• Revised Atlas: The Atlas of Worlds update will receive some upgrades once again. In the Blight expansion, players can now interact with Masters in the player hideout. Furthermore, new Master missions are available for players to dive into.
• Gear Enchants: A new item set to appear in Path of Exile are the Oils, which can imbue existing gears with specific properties. Combining oils can even produce new equipment, such as rings and amulets.
• Class Changes: Certain player-made archetypes are seeing something of a revamp. For instance, the Necromancer archetype will now allow for greater control of your minions. Furthermore, the Shadow class’ Saboteur archetype will have its mine skill altered to allow for greater control.

Following several expansions, and the PS4 launch, 2019 has been an excellent year for Path of Exile. The Blight update looks to be another fun event to take part, which continues to surprise with what the action-RPG can offer. The developers stated that they plan to reveal more of what’s to come with the free-to-play game at the upcoming ExileCon event in November.

Spoilers for Season 2!

Netflix’s critically acclaimed true-ish crime drama, Mindhunter, has finally returned for a second season and brought with it a whole slew of new serial killers to be interviewed and profiled by fictional Behavioral Science agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench. These agents may be characters created for the show, but the killers themselves are very, very real.

All told, Mindhunter Season 2 featured eleven killers, with only two repeats from Season 1–fan-favorite Ed Kemper and the gruesome BTK Killer, who, so far, has only been glimpsed as a seemingly unrelated subplot (and briefly discussed by the protagonists). The rest of the show was devoted to an entirely new roster of the worst people humanity has to offer. There’s a good chance you’ll recognize some of the names–this season didn’t skimp on the infamous–but others were a little less notorious.

We rounded up every serial killer profiled and examined for Mindhunter Season 2 and stacked them up next to their real-life case files to find if the drama of the show had gotten it right–and to learn if the truth is even worse than the fiction. Spoilers: more often than not, it actually is.

Shortly after Marvel revealed its Phase 4 slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe films and TV shows at San Diego Comic-Con, a major shakeup is being reported that could very well change the future of the MCU. It would also impact the Spider-Man franchise of films Marvel Studios co-produces with Sony.

According to Deadline, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will no longer serve as a producer on Sony’s Spider-Man films. The news comes after a new agreement between Sony and Disney was reportedly unable to be reached. As Deadline explains, a dispute between the two companies has been going on for months.

What this means for the future of Spider-Man and the MCU is unclear. Spider-Man: Far From Home was the official end of the MCU’s Phase 3, setting the stage for what’s to come from the universe of films. With Feige no longer being involved, it’s possible that the Spider-Man franchise could instead exist outside of the MCU. Sony has already been building a non-MCU Spider-Man universe thanks to the film adaptation of Venom, as well as the upcoming Morbius movie, in which Jared Leto stars as the titular living vampire.

As sources tell Deadline, there were already two more planned Spider-Man films starring Tom Holland as the web-slinger, with director Jon Watts expected to return.

The MCU, meanwhile, is already without characters like Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans), following the events of Avengers: Endgame. However, Marvel Studios has a loaded slate of films that will introduce new characters–like the Eternals, Shang-Chi, and Blade–as well as new installments of the Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thor franchises.

The situation could always change and the two studios could come to an agreement. However, as noted by Deadline, it would take something “dramatic” for that to happen. For now, an extended cut of Spider-Man: Far From Home will hit theaters on August 29.

20 years ago, The Matrix debuted and was a cultural phenomenon, and after two sequels, the story of Neo, Trinity, and the war between humans and robots was all wrapped up. At least, that’s what we thought, until it was announced that Matrix 4 is underway.

Lana Wachowski is set to return to write and direct the film in the franchise, and Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss will reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity respectively, according to Variety. That’s a bit puzzling because at the end of the third movie, The Matrix Revolutions, Neo sacrificed himself in order to save the world. Regardless, it’s science fiction, so there will undoubtedly be a way to bring him back from the dead..

Joining Wachowski on writing duties will be Aleksander Hemon (Love Island) and David Mitchell (Peep Show). The movie should go into production in early 2020.

“We could not be more excited to be re-entering the Matrix with Lana,” Warner Bros. Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich said. “Lana is a true visionary–a singular and original creative filmmaker–and we are thrilled that she is writing, directing and producing this new chapter in The Matrix universe.”

The first reports of a new Matrix movie began in 2017, with Ready Player One’s Zak Penn writing the script. Penn said the movie would expand the Matrix universe and not reboot it. Michael B. Jordan was also in talks to star. However, it’s been completely silent since then, even though there were conflicting reports that the relaunch was cancelled back in May 2019. Both Penn was not mentioned for Matrix 4. Also not mentioned was Lilly Wachowski, who wrote and directed the original Matrixs movies alongside her sister.

The first Matrix movie brought in $463,517,383 worldwide, and it spawned two sequels: 2003’s Matrix Reloaded–grossing $742,128,461 worldwide–and Matrix Revolutions–taking in $427,343,298 worldwide. The franchise has earned more than $1.6 billion in total.

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of The Matrix, and while the first movie still holds up, the sequels are still as problematic as you remember. Check out The Matrix Sequels’ 34 Dumbest Moments to relive the weirdness.

Developer Robot Entertainment, creating the cute and colorful party game ReadySet Heroes, is bringing the PlayStation title to the Epic Games Store–with Sony Interactive Entertainment as its publisher.

ReadySet Heroes’ Epic Games Store page was spotted on Twitter. It retails for $20 USD / $29 AUD / £16 GBP and is available to pre-order now, with an expected September 30 release. Pre-ordering on the PlayStation Store–which reports the same price and release date–nets you an exclusive theme, 10 avatars, a PlayStation crown and player skin, and the digital soundtrack. It’s unclear if the Epic Games Store will offer any bonuses to those who pre-order.

This isn’t the first time Sony has published a game for a non-PlayStation platform. Sony Online Entertainment, now known as Daybreak Game Company and no longer a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, published the EverQuest series, the PlanetSide franchise, and DC Universe Online–all largely PC titles, with DCUO being an exception. Sony was also responsible for free-to play, puzzle-platformer Uncharted: Fortune Hunter, which is available to download on Android and iOS.

Revealed during Sony’s State of Play in May, ReadySet Heroes is an isometric dungeon crawler with four-player multiplayer. Two teams race through a monster-filled dungeon, with the first to reach the end facing off in a winner-takes-all showdown.

Over on the Epic Games Store side, the company announced two excellent games are free on the platform. Both Hyper Light Drifter and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will be free on the Epic Games Store until Thursday, August 22, when they’ll be replaced by Epic’s next free title, Gomez. Oddworld: Soulstorm, expected to launch on PS4 and Xbox One sometime in 2020, will be an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC, with the developers tweeting out that Epic’s funding helped tremendously.

CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is undoubtably the game we are going to keep hearing about until its April 16, 2020 release on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. With Gamescom 2019 underway, there has been quite a bit of Cyberpunk news, including a brand-new gameplay trailer from Nvidia.

Nvidia tweeted out the teaser trailer, calling it “a sneak peak” of some footage from a new gameplay demo. It’s short, at just 40 seconds, but it’s incredibly sweet, showcasing the breadth of Cyberpunk’s Night City. There’s hacking, motor cycle riding, fighting, and plenty of neon-drenched cybernetics. It’s unclear if this footage is from the same gameplay demo expected to release during PAX West, and CD Projekt Red has not specified when that video will go live.

Nvidia also tweeted some ray-traced screenshots from Cyberpunk 2077, a PC-specific feature supported by just a few video cards like the company’s latest RTX line and the newest GeForce GTX line.

Google held its Stadia Connect presentation at the start of Gamescom, where the company announced the upcoming first-person RPG will launch on Google Stadia. No release date was provided, but Cyberpunk 2077 is “coming soon” for the cloud gaming platform.

While expected to have a new game plus mode, Cyberpunk 2077 will feature a harder difficulty that turns off the game’s UI. In the realm of additional modes, CD Projekt Red says it is looking into multiplayer. Producer Richard Borzymowski told GameSpot that while nothing could be confirmed, the team will “think [about expansions” after game development is done.

Viz Media has announced the third and final title that’s being made in partnership with Rose City Games. Called Garden Story, the upcoming game is a pixel graphic adventure that stars a sentient grape who’s also an aspiring knight. It looks so cute.

The announcement of Garden Story was accompanied by the release of a new trailer that showed some of the gameplay and quirky characters. From a top-down perspective, you explore a variety of environments, such as quiet towns and dangerous-looking caves. In combat, you have a wooden pick that acts like a sword. You also have access to a backpack full of the items you collect, such as a dowsing rod. You’re able to break certain items in the environment to gather resources as well, and it appears that Garden Story will have at least a few dungeon puzzles to solve too.

“In Garden Story, players take on the role of Concord, the newly appointed village guardian,” Viz Media wrote in a press release. “There’s lots to keep this helpful adventurer busy; not only do your neighbors need assistance, but a mysterious Rot has also seeped into the foundations of the once flourishing island. Fortunately, Concord won’t be working at this alone. Help your friends with their struggles, and they’ll help you through yours. Balance caring for the environment, exploring new regions, and fostering new friendships as you solve puzzles and help restore the Grove to glory.”

Viz Media has had a long history of existing on the fringes of the games industry, publishing well-received manga about popular video game series like The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon. In February 2018, Viz Media announced a partnership with Rose City Games to create three manga-styled games. The first, visual-novel-meet-puzzle-battle-game The World Next Door, released in March 2019 while the second, dungeon crawler Cat Lady, is scheduled to release later this year. Currently, Garden Story has a planned release of Spring 2020 for PC.

In GameSpot’s The World Next Door review, I wrote, “The cast of characters is genuinely funny at times, and getting to know them has its benefits, but the story ends before most have a chance to really grow and mature. Worse, an interesting plot point that Liza introduces into the story near the game’s end is never satisfyingly resolved. The combat portion has similar shortcomings. Though the puzzle battles are frantic bouts of fast-paced fun, the most interesting enemies and bosses are introduced in the latter half of the game, leaving combat in the first two dungeons too simple. Ultimately, there’s enjoyment to be had with The World Next Door, but the game takes too long to start leaning into its strengths.”

Apple unveiled its gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade, back in March 2019. While it’s expected to roll out sometime this fall, reports are now circulating that Apple Arcade could cost just $5 USD / $7 AUD / £4 GBP per month.

9t05 Mac uncovered the alleged pricing, which includes a one-month free trial, in a promotional message hidden within an App Store API. Apple has yet to comment on the matter, but 9to5 Mac reports that Apple Arcade will feature Family Sharing as well. With the supposed price unconfirmed, there’s a possibility it could change ahead of Apple’s September 10 event, where the company is expected to announce new iPhones.

Apple has been testing its Arcade service on company employees, offering the subscription for just $0.49 USD per month. The extremely cheap price is only for Apple employees and will reportedly last until iOS 13 becomes available for everyone.

Apple Arcade will be accessible on Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Mac computers. With Apple’s various continuity features, you’ll be able to transfer between devices. The new gaming subscription service is said to launch with 100+ games, including Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, Team Sonic Racing, Where Cards Fall, and more.