Watch Google’s GDC Livestream Here; Cloud Gaming Service News Expected

Google is preparing to make its way into the world of video games with a special presentation at the Game Developers Conference. The presentation will take place on March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 5 PM GMT, and Google promises it will reveal its “vision for the future of gaming.”

Google will be streaming the entire presentation through its own YouTube video platform, so you can come right back here at showtime to see it all firsthand.

The company released a teaser video that showed vignettes of different common game genres, suggesting big plans for its own platform. Whatever it is, we’ll be rounding up all the Google gaming news in one place for you.

The announcement may be related to Project Stream, a cloud gaming platform from Google. It partnered with Ubisoft last year to offer Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to play through Chrome browsers for free to testers. Google has been rumored to be working on a “Project Yeti,” which is thought to be its equivalent of a console. The company also recently hired former Ubisoft and EA studio head Jade Raymond, suggesting she could be playing a role in the company’s gaming plans.

To learn more about cloud gaming ahead of Google’s announcement, check out GameSpot’s primer on how cloud gaming works and what it could mean for the future and some of the companies investing most heavily in the tech.

James Gunn’s Suicide Squad Movie Is A “Total Reboot,” Not Called Suicide Squad 2 – GameSpot Universe News Update

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The Cheapest Way To Get Apex Legends’ Battle Pass

Since its release in early February, Apex Legends has already exploded in popularity with player counts in the millions, and the free-to-play battle royale game from Respawn is about to hit its next milestone: the release of its first season and optional battle pass. Season 1: Wild Frontier will release March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and you’ll be able to pick up its battle pass immediately. Everyone who plays during the first season will also be able to unlock the Wild Frontier skin, five Apex packs, and 18 Wild Frontier stat trackers for free.

The standard battle pass will cost you 950 Apex Coins. There’s also a battle pass bundle available for 2,800 Apex coins, which instantly unlocks your next 25 levels of rewards. However, if the regular battle pass is enough for you, there’s a way to get it for way cheaper: by signing up for one month of EA Access (Xbox One) or Origin Basic Access (PC), which each cost only $5 per month. There’s currently no equivalent option for PS4.

These gaming subscription services give you unlimited access to growing collections of games, discounts on purchases, and early trial access to upcoming games. And if you’re a member who plays Apex Legends between now and June 30, you’ll also receive a few extra perks: an exclusive Flatline Epic weapon skin, a special Banner Badge, and 1,000 Apex coins (roughly $10). You can probably see where we’re going with this: A one-month membership to either service essentially gets you 1,000 Apex Coins for the price of $5, which is a 50% discount. Once you sign up for the one-month membership (which normally costs around $10), you’ll automatically have enough Apex Coins to purchase the standard battle pass (with 50 coins to spare).

At that point, you can decide whether or not you want to continue with the service, but you’ll be able to dive into Apex Legends’ new season and start earning rewards with your battle pass immediately.

Respawn’s year 1 roadmap revealed Apex Legends will have four seasons this year, and in addition to a few free rewards, each season’s battle pass includes new weapons, exclusive loot (like weapon skins), and at least one new playable character. The battle passes work the same way as Fortnite’s: Every time you level up, you’ll unlock more rewards, which you’ll permanently keep even after the season is over. Each battle pass has roughly 100 rewards as well as 1,000 Apex Coins you can earn in total. And yes, that in-game currency can be used to buy Season 2’s battle pass when it releases this summer.

Gearbox Just Teased Another Game for PAX East

Gearbox Software is teasing another game for PAX East 2019 with a photo featuring Duke Nukem and Ishi Sato from Bulletstorm.

Posted on Gearbox’s Facebook page with the caption “Time to tease another game for PAX!” the photo shows Sato staring at a device on Nukem’s wrist. It’s uncertain precisely which game the company is teasing, though it owns the Duke Nukem property and published the remastered Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition released on PC, Xbox One and PS4 in 2017.

Photo credit: Gearbox Software Photo credit: Gearbox Software

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Warner Bros. CEO Stepping Down Following Scandal

Kevin Tsujihara has resigned as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. following a scandal involving actress Charlotte Kirk, whom he acknowledged having had an extramarital relationship with. He had been under an internal investigation over allegations that he used his influence as boss to attain Kirk roles in studio projects, notably 2016’s How to Be Single and 2018’s Ocean’s 8.

Tsujihara, who was the first Hollywood studio boss of Asian descent, had run Warners since 2013 and had worked for the company for over two decades.

“It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.,” said WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey on Monday (via THR). “Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years and for that we thank him. Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the Company’s leadership expectations and could impact the Company’s ability to execute going forward.”

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What We Want in Borderlands 3

Borderlands is one of the most celebrated franchises in recent gaming history, and it’s nearing 5 years since we last got a new, first-person game with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Gearbox has been working overtime teasing… something… at PAX East next week, and everyone on Earth is hoping we finally get the true Borderlands 2 sequel we’ve been craving since 2014.

The original Borderlands showed it was possible to blend first-person shooter and RPG elements, while the second Borderlands took that formula and perfected it. What could the third game in the series offer? Time will tell, but here’s what we want from Borderlands 3:

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Portal Writer, League of Legends Designer Open New Studio

Chet Faliszek and Dr. Kimberly Voll have created the new game studio Stray Bombay to focus on making Co-Op games.

Announced in an official blog post, the two detailed their reasoning for creating the new Seattle-based studio, and what they hope to achieve. Faliszek is known for writing popular Valve games including Portal 1 & 2, Left 4 Dead 1 & 2 and more, while Voll previously worked with League of Legends studio Riot Games as a principal technical designer.

Faliszek said that after the release of Left 4 Dead, he received a letter from a soldier stationed in Iraq who said Left 4 Dead saved his marriage by letting him and his wife forget they were apart and “just exist in the moment.” Voll, described by Faliszek as an “expert in AI and human-centric design,” left Riot a few weeks ago with support from her former coworkers.

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Lowest Price Ever on This Curved Monitor, Mechanical Keyboard, and More

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

For many of us, our gaming PCs are in a state of constant upgrade. You never know when you’ll find a great deal on a new monitor, mouse, or other component that you want to incorporate into your gaming setup. Right now, some killer gear is on sale at Amazon for thr lowest prices ever. Take a look below.

Samsung 32-inch Curved Full-HD Monitor (Refurbished)

curved-monitor

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‘Sexual Dimension’ to Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s ‘Love Relationship’ Confirmed

J.K. Rowling has released more intimate details of the relationship between two of the most powerful wizards in the Harry Potter universe – Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, played by Jude Law and Johnny Depp.

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Continue at your own peril.

The full-length Distinctly Dumbledore bonus feature on the Blu-ray and DVD release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, features Rowling divulging on the romantic side between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, as reported by Vanity Fair.

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Nintendo Really Wants You To Try Switch’s Splatoon 2 This Week

Nintendo is giving Switch owners a chance to try out one of the console’s best games free for a limited time. In an uncharacteristic move, the company is offering a special week-long demo of Splatoon 2, which lets prospective players dive into the colorful shooter and its suite of online modes at no charge.

The Splatoon 2 Special Demo will be available on the Switch Eshop later today, March 18. Much like the full game, you’ll need an internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the demo. If you don’t already have the latter, you’ll receive a code for a free seven-day trial for the service via email after downloading the demo, even if you’ve already tried the previous free NSO trial.

The Special Demo will run from March 19-25. During that time, players will be able to try out Splatoon 2’s signature Turf War mode, which pits two teams of four against each other in a contest to cover the most terrain with your color ink, as well as the game’s various Ranked Battles and the cooperative Salmon Run mode.

If you’re interested in purchasing Splatoon 2 after your time with it, Nintendo of America is offering 20% off of the game in the Eshop until March 28, bringing its price down to $48. Players in Europe will get an even bigger savings; the base game will be 33% off, while the Splatoon 2 and Octo Expansion DLC bundle will be discounted by 25%. You’ll also be able to carry any progress you’ve made during the free trial period over to the full version.

Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Along with online play, the subscription offers a handful of other benefits, including cloud saves for most games and access to a catalog of classic NES titles, including Kid Icarus and StarTropics, which were added to the library earlier this month.