Gears 5 Includes an Extended Hamilton Reference

Gears of War 5 contains a number of references to the popular real-life musical, Hamilton.

The Gears 5 musical equivalent is called “Embry” and also tells the story of a prominent, foundational government figure. Instead of Alexander Hamilton, the Gears 5 musical is about Nassar Embry, member of the Allfathers and founder of The Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG), Sera’s governing body.

The references can be found peppered throughout Act I: Chapter 4 – The Tide Turns, including posters sporting a stance which will be instantly familiar to Hamilton fans, as well as appraisals from critics, such as “above average, recommended viewing,” but the reference doesn’t stop with posters.

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Expect Scares (But Not Answers) From Halloween Horror Nights’ Us Maze

Fans of Jordan Peele’s psychological horror hit Us will be happy/terrified to hear the film’s been adapted into a haunted house maze for Universal Studios’ 29th annual Halloween Horror Nights event.

Those who’ve spent hours attempting to decipher the movie’s many mysteries, however, should not enter the attraction anticipating answers to their burning questions about the Tethered or the film’s twist ending.

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Why It Chapter Two Doesn’t Have an After Credits Scene

Moviegoers have grown increasingly accustomed to new releases including an end credits scene, even for movies that wouldn’t seem likely to have one. With fans wondering if they should stick around after IT Chapter Two’s nearly three-hour run time (beyond obviously watching the credits to honor the many people who worked hard to make the movie), we’re here to report that, no, there is no end credits scene after the film — likely because there are no definite plans to make any kind of IT Chapter Two sequel.

There’s a good reason people might be wondering whether IT Chapter Two has a post-credits scene: its predecessor, 2017’s IT, had one. That stinger offered a clue that the saga of the Losers’ Club was not yet over, as the high-pitched cackle of Pennywise the clown was heard over the final seconds of the end credits.

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What Is Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate, Xbox One, PC): Game List, Pricing, And More

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Xbox Game Pass has been kicking around the Xbox One for quite some time, but back in June, Xbox sweetened the pot with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. All of the different options can get a little confusing, and with the release of Gears 5, you might be wondering which plan you should subscribe to. There are a bunch of different benefits for each one, so we’ve compiled everything you need to know about Xbox’s Game Pass offerings.

What is Xbox Game Pass?

Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One

The first of the subscriptions introduced was Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One. With it, you get access to a library of over 200 games, including all first-party titles when they launch. At the moment, these include Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves, and much more. The entire Gears of War series is also available through Game Pass.

New games are added and removed all the time. Thankfully, if you want to keep the games that leave Game Pass, you’ll be happy to know that members get discounts on all Game Pass games.

Xbox Game Pass for PC

Xbox Game Pass for PC works exactly like it does on the Xbox One. You get access to over 100 games every month and exclusive deals if you want to keep any of them. There are unique games on each platform, though much of the library does cross over. Almost all of Xbox’s first-party titles are available on PC, including Gears 5. Game Pass for PC offers quite a few titles that many would consider better on PC. These include games like Age of Empires Definitive Edition, Metro Exodus, and Prey.

Xbox Game Pass price

Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One costs $10 USD / $12 CAD / £8 a month.

Xbox Game Pass for PC goes for $5 USD / $6 CAD / £4 a month. That is, however, an introductory price and will raise to $10 USD / $12 CAD / £8 a month eventually. However, at the moment, you can join Xbox Game Pass for PC with your first month only costing $1 / £1.

Sign-up for Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One

Sign-up for Xbox Game Pass for PC

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What is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is exactly what it says it is: the ultimate subscription if you want all of the benefits Xbox currently offers. That even includes Xbox Live Gold, which has its own set of bonuses–free monthly games, online multiplayer, and exclusive deals.

With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you gain access to both the Xbox One and PC Game Pass libraries–over 300 games. Other bonuses also become available over time, such as access to Gears 5: Ultimate Edition on September 6–regular Game Pass subscribers only have access to the standard edition when it launches on September 10.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price

At this moment, you can get your first two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $2 / £2–you can also get one month for $1 / £1. Of course, this limited-time deal is only available to new subscribers. The regular cost of a monthly subscription is $15 USD / $17 CAD / £11.

Xbox Game Pass list of games

The recently released Gears 5 is available through all of the Game Pass options, and there are much more to check out on both Xbox One and PC. Some of the latest releases are pictured below, but you can also see the full Xbox Game Pass list here.

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All The NES And SNES Games On Nintendo Switch Online

Destiny 2 – Where Is Xur? Exotic Vendor Location Guide (9/6 – 9/10)

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Gears 5 Having Rocky Launch But Dev Says Issues Are Being Worked On

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Gears 5 has been experiencing server and stability issues since its early access launch, with users seeing frequent disconnects and missing content. Developer The Coalition says it is working to resolve the problems plaguing the third-person shooter.

Gears 5 unlocked for Ultimate Edition owners and Xbox Games Pass Ultimate subscribers on September 5, a few days ahead of its official September 10 launch. Since this is an early access release, the game has been experiencing a number of issues, including long searches and connection errors, players getting kicked from Campaign, missing Ultimate Edition content, and more. The Coalition, in a series of tweets, confirmed that it is aware of these issues and actively working to address them.

One solution The Coalition has recommended, especially regarding the missing Ultimate Edition content, is rebooting the game and hard-resetting the device. Doing both should resolve connectivity issues and award the bonus content. Additionally, The Coalition has implemented a number of “server side updates” aimed at improving stability and fixing issues.

While things look to be improving, The Coalition notes that Gears 5 is still facing a number of persistent problems, particularly around matching and online services. It seems some players are have difficulty connecting–and staying connected–to matches. The developer tweeted that it is “actively investigating the issue” and trying to resolve things quickly.

Despite the issues Gears 5 is facing, the game has received a rather positive reception. In our Gears 5 review-in-progress we said, “Gears 5 might suffer from some of the same storytelling missteps as its predecessors, and it might not venture far out of the past, but the new ideas it brings to the series are all good reasons for fans to return.” We’ve also compiled a list of other Gears 5 reviews, with the scores tilting toward the more favorable end of the spectrum. The game’s even gotten the attention of the series’ former lead designer Cliff Bleszinski, who’s incredibly happy a woman is on the cover.

Trailer For Wrinkles The Clown Documentary Will Have You Looking Over Your Shoulder

Remember a few years ago when people were dressing up as creepy clowns and just hanging out in public, which, in turn, scared everyone? What a bizarre epidemic. Well, there’s now a documentary coming out about one individual who does this for a living called Wrinkles The Clown, and you can see the first trailer for the movie below.

The film follows a 65-year old Florida man who dresses up in a creepy clown mask and gets hired by people–many times parents–to scare kids. He’ll appear in people’s backyards, outside their windows, and generally being frightening in random places. The film looks to find out who this man is, why he’s doing this, and the viral effect his actions had across the internet.

While the movie trailer seems to blur the line between fiction and reality, Wrinkles the Clown is a real person, and you can call him if you have some kids you want to freak out. This all originally took place in 2014, and the man behind the mask–a Naples, Florida retiree who didn’t want to spend his days playing golf. And his antics as Wrinkles the Clown drew national attention and spawned numerous copycats throughout the United States.

If you want to see the full story for yourself, check out Wrinkles The Clown when it comes to theaters on October 4.

Fortnite Update Vaults A Bunch Of Weapons

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Fortnite‘s 10.20 content update arrived earlier this week, and now developer Epic Games has made a few more tweaks to the popular battle royale shooter. The 10.20.2 hotfix is now live on all platforms, and it vaults a handful of weapons and makes numerous other gameplay adjustments. Read on for the patch notes.

First, three guns–the Combat Shotgun, Drum Shotgun, and Proximity Launcher–have been moved into the vault, which means they’ve effectively been removed from the game. As always, there is a chance the guns could be re-added to Fortnite in the future, but for the time being, you won’t find them in the Battle Royale mode.

Those aren’t the only weapon changes. The Suppressed Assault Rifle has been unvaulted; it’s available in Epic and Legendary variants. Epic has also increased the damage dished out by the Automatic Sniper. “The Automatic Sniper was underperforming relative to some of the other Sniper Rifles. This adjustment to damage should make it more desirable as an alternative long-range weapon,” Epic said.

Additionally, Epic has made more tweaks to the controversial BRUTE mechs; now they’ll spawn less during storm phases 3-6. The developer has also increased the “duration of spiciness” of peppers to 60 seconds, and reduced the availability of Obelisks at Retail Row. You can see the full patch notes for the hotfix below courtesy of Epic’s website.

Fortnite’s aforementioned 10.20 content update added a new item to the game, the Zapper Trap, and also brought back another familiar element from a past season: the Floating Island. Fortnite’s Week 6 challenges are also now live. This set is called Boogie Down, and most of the tasks revolve around dancing. You can find maps and guides in our complete Fortnite Season 10 challenges roundup.

Fortnite: Battle Royale 10.20.2 Hotfix Patch Notes

Weapons & Items

Vaulted

  • Combat Shotgun
  • Drum Shotgun
  • Proximity Launcher

Unvaulted

  • Suppressed Assault Rifle (Epic/Legendary)

Automatic Sniper

  • The Automatic Sniper was underperforming relative to some of the other Sniper Rifles. This adjustment to damage should make it more desirable as an alternative long-range weapon.
    • Increased damage from 31/33/35 to 40/42/44

Gameplay

B.R.U.T.E

Lowered the spawn rate of the B.R.U.T.E in Storm phases 3-6 in core modes. Arena spawn rates will remain unchanged.

  • With this change, we’re hoping to reduce the impact of B.R.U.T.Es on late-game scenarios, while retaining their presence in the early game.
    • Storm phase 3
      • New spawn rates
        • 33.3% chance to spawn 0
        • 33.3% chance to spawn 1
        • 33.3% chance to spawn 2
      • Old spawn rates
        • 25% chance to spawn 0
        • 25% chance to spawn 1
        • 25% chance to spawn 2
        • 25% chance to spawn 3
    • Storm phase 4
      • New spawn rates
        • 50% chance to spawn 0
        • 50% chance to spawn 1
      • Old spawn rates
        • 33.3% chance to spawn 0
        • 33.3% chance to spawn 1
        • 33.3% chance to spawn 2
    • Storm phase 5
      • New spawn rates
        • 83.4% chance to spawn 0
        • 16.6% chance to spawn 1
      • Old spawn rates
        • 50% chance to spawn 0
        • 50% chance to spawn 1
    • Storm phase 6
      • New spawn rates
        • Will no longer spawn.
      • Old spawn rates
        • 90% chance to spawn 0
        • 10% chance to spawn 1

Peppers

  • Increased the duration of spiciness from Peppers to a 60-second duration from a 20-second duration.

Retail Row

  • This POI is intended to be a high-risk, high-reward drop location, but we feel the reward has outweighed the risk. By reducing the availability of Obelisks, gathering rare loot will require a little more time investment.
    • Reduced the maximum number of Spawn Obelisks from 7 to 5.
    • Increased the time before Spawn Obelisks respawn to a max of 30 seconds (previously a max of 5 seconds).
      • The respawn timer for Spawn Obelisks is on a loop and time may vary between 1-30 seconds.
    • Decreased the chance to drop Rocket Launchers from destroyed Spawn Obelisks from 18.46% to 10%
    • Decreased the chance to drop Jump Pads from destroyed Spawn Obelisks from 50% to 40%

August’s Best Selling Digital PS4 Games In The US

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Sony has revealed the US PlayStation Store’s top digital downloads for the month of August. A couple of new games entered the PlayStation 4 top 20, but there’s one new release that stands out for its somewhat surprising absence.

Madden NFL 20 took the No. 1 spot in the rankings after launching at the very beginning of the month on August 2. Its position on top of the pile isn’t too surprising considering EA recently announced that digital sales for Madden 20 have exceeded physical sales for the first time in series history. In celebration of the NFL’s 100th season kicking off last night, EA is currently offering a free trial for Madden 20 that you can play until September 8. This gives you a good chance to try out the new Superstar KO mode.

The rest of the chart is business as usual with mainstays like Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, and Marvel’s Spider-Man hovering around the top of the chart. Scroll all the way down to No. 20, however, and you’ll find another new entry: The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan. Supermassive Games’ story-driven horror game was only released on August 30 but managed to shift enough digital units to crack the top 20. PlayStation doesn’t reveal sales numbers so it’s impossible to tell how well it did.

By comparison, Remedy’s Control was released three days before Man of Medan and is notable for its absence in the top 20. It sold enough physical copies to crack the UK’s all-formats top four during the week of its release. Amazon also heavily discounted the paranormal shooter which may have led to fewer digital purchases.

The full list can be found here. Make sure you check out GameSpot’s reviews for Madden NFL 20, The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, and Control.