Ahead Of E3 2019, Leak Suggests Ubisoft Will Announce New Roller Derby Game

Ubisoft has managed to create a reputation for accidentally having its games leak prior to their announcement, going as far back as 2012’s Assassin’s Creed III. Although a few are ultimately disproved, many are not. That doesn’t automatically make this newest leak–that Ubisoft will announce a roller derby-themed multiplayer game at E3 2019–true, but it does mean it’s at least plausible.

According to the leak–first reported by Spiel Times via leaked assets and gameplay details, all of which have now appeared on ResetEra–Roller Champions is an upcoming multiplayer-focused roller derby game developed by Ubisoft. Visually, the in-game characters look an awful lot like Fortnite. However, the contained arenas surrounded by cheering fans, the assortment of different casual and ranked matches, and the controls are very similar to Rocket League. Just looking at the leaked footage, Roller Champions’ courses look like Rocket League’s arenas as well, with a sunny beach and in-door professional stadium among the playable tracks.

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When Polygon reached out to a Ubisoft representative, the company responded that it does not comment on “rumors and speculation,” so nothing has been confirmed. Roller Champions is supposedly coming to Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. However, no scheduled release date is included in the leak. If the leak happens to be true, and Ubisoft does announce Roller Champions during its E3 2019 press conference, a launch date would probably be announced then.

During the company’s May 2019 financial earnings call, Ubisoft revealed it had three unannounced games scheduled to release between January and March 2020. Ubisoft didn’t supply many details for what the three games are, other than all three would be full-priced releases and all be different genres (a specific phrase used was “unique experiences”). A roller derby game is pretty unique for Ubisoft, so it’s possible Roller Champions is one of the three and thus scheduled to release in Q1 2020.

Toy Story 4: How Bo-Peep Became A Main Character

Throughout the Toy Story trilogy, Woody and Buzz have remained the two main characters. Others have played significant roles, such as Jesse in Toy Story 2, but the franchise has always been about Andy’s two main toys, their friendship with one another, and their evolving relationship with their owner as he grew older. That all changes in Toy Story 4, as Pixar has made the decision to transform Bo-Peep–who wasn’t even in Toy Story 3–into one of the main characters of the movie alongside Woody and Buzz.

In Toy Story 3, Bo-Peep is only mentioned briefly in passing, a throwaway line implying she was given away years before the events of the third film. Toy Story 4 opens with that exact moment, showcasing the series of events that led to Molly giving Bo-Peep away. It’s an emotional scene and one that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Toy Story 4 is not another whimsical adventure for Woody and Buzz–it’s the story of how Bo-Peep’s life away from Woody and the rest of Andy’s toys reshapes both her and, by extension, Woody.

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“We have two films where she’s present, and our edit team collaborated, and they cut together every single shot that she’s in and we watched them. And it’s not that much,” Toy Story 4 story supervisor Valerie LaPointe said during a panel at Pixar HQ devoted to explaining the team’s process for reimagining Bo-Peep. “It’s really just a few minutes. Because she’s really not even a secondary character, she’s kind of a tertiary character in the first two films.”

“At the same time, she’s still a powerful presence,” LaPointe continued. “To Woody, she is confident, she’s flirty, and she’s the voice of reason. She’s someone that he confides in on a deeper level, even more so than Buzz in the second film. So she still has a powerful impact.”

This impact is stronger in Toy Story 4, according to LaPointe, as Woody is “going to evolve and change and grow through this film,” with Bo-Peep as the primary catalyst behind this transformation.

Bo-Peep has changed quite a bit since we last saw her in Toy Story 2. “We really needed to redefine who Bo is for this movie,” Toy Story 4 story artist Carrie Hobson said. “So the story team worked really hard to nail down those specific personality traits. Ultimately, we decided she’s a character who decided she didn’t just want to sit on a shelf waiting for life to happen. She learned to adapt. She takes chances and is somewhat unpredictable–a lot different from Woody. She doesn’t play by toy rules, so she can literally change her default ‘toy mode,’ which means when a kid picks her up, she can change what pose she’s locked into, enabling her to be a different type of toy depending on the kid that’s playing with her. She’s more active and resourceful in her life as a lost toy.”

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Even Bo-Peep’s wardrobe has changed. She’s transformed her dress into a cloak that’s draped over her pants and blouse, allowing her to run, climb, and fight more freely. “One of the challenges we faced was how to portray Bo as athletic while still feminine,” Toy Story 4 directing animator Patty Kihm said. “We found in a lot of research that a lot of strong, athletic women are often portrayed as masculine in movies, but we wanted Bo to be both athletic and feminine.” Pixar turned to other fictional women in their research for Bo-Peep’s new wardrobe and movements, such as The Bride from Kill Bill and Rey from The Force Awakens.

Yet, under all these changes, fans will be able to recognize pieces of the Bo-Peep from the first two movies. “She was always very witty and sarcastic in the original movies, but now she’s also a little more silly, a little more playful and competitive,” Hobson said. “She’s rougher than Woody because she’s seen things, she knows what it takes to get the job done, and she’s not afraid to do it.”

“Bo has changed a lot in 20 years,” Toy Story 4 character modeling artist Mara MacMahon added. “She’s been through a ton. But it’s still Bo-Peep. It’s a friend you haven’t seen in 20 years, and at first glance, it seems like they’re super different, but there’s still an underlying continuity to who they are and how you remember them.”

Toy Story 4 is scheduled to release June 21, and advance tickets are now on sale.

PS3/PS4 Exclusive, Journey, Headed To PC Via Epic Soon

Alongside the numerous other games jumping on the Epic Games Store bandwagon–including Borderlands 3, Metro Exodus, The Outer Worlds, and more–indie studio thatgamecompany is following suit. The official Epic Games Twitter account announced that the California-based studio’s Grammy-nominated title, Journey, will arrive on PC via the Epic Games Store.

According to the tweet, below, Journey is headed to the platform sometime in the near future. There is no confirmation on an exact release date as of yet. However, Journey is currently available for pre-purchase through the Epic Games Store for $15 USD or $5 USD via the ongoing Epic Games sale.

The Epic Games Store has been on a buying spree as of late, picking up game after game in a bid to compete against Valve’s Steam since its December 2018 debut. CEO Tim Sweeney said the Epic Store will alter its exclusivity policy if Steam changes how developers and publishers are compensated. “If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without major strings attached,” he said. “Epic would hastily organize a retreat from exclusives (while honoring our partner commitments) and consider putting our own games on Steam.”

In our Journey review, we awarded the game our coveted and rare 10/10 rating, saying, “Journey’s real rewards aren’t so pedestrian. Journey offers you comfort. It gives you companionship in a lovely but forsaken world. It gives you reason to dream even when facing loss.”

Super Mario Maker 2 Doesn’t Let You Play Online With Friends

One of the biggest new features in Super Mario Maker 2 is the addition of multiplayer. Not only can you build courses with a nearby friend simply by passing them a second controller, you can play any of the stages uploaded to the online Course World hub with up to three other players around the world. However, it appears the online multiplayer options will be limited strictly to strangers.

Super Mario Maker 2 offers two online multiplayer modes: Versus and Co-Op. As their names suggest, Versus is a competitive race to reach the goal first, while Co-Op has players working together to clear the level. You can play both modes with friends if they’re gathered in the same room, but according to Nintendo Life, the modes will only match you up with random players when you’re playing online.

There are also some hurdles to overcome if you want to play locally. While all four players can play Co-Op mode on the same console, if you want to face off with your friends in a Versus match, each player will need their own Nintendo Switch console and a copy of Super Mario Maker 2, and the player who hosts the group will need to have a persistent internet connection to connect to Course World.

In addition to multiplayer, Super Mario Maker 2 introduces a number of other new features, including a Story mode. The game also expands the course editor with a load of new tools, customization options, and enemies, including the angry sun from Super Mario 3 (although it looks weirder than ever in certain game styles). Unlike the original Super Mario Maker, you won’t need to wait to unlock course parts; almost all of the game’s tools will be available from the start.

Super Mario Maker 2 launches for Switch on June 28. We had a chance to go hands-on with the game recently and came away impressed by its range of tools and options. You’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to play and share levels online, but Nintendo is offering a bundle that includes a 12-month membership with the game for $70. You can read more in our Super Mario Maker 2 pre-order guide.

Death Stranding’s PlayStation Twitch Takeover Hints At Impending Reveal

Game director Hideo Kojima recently began teasing an impending announcement for Death Stranding. A subsequent tweet suggested a reveal of some sort was coming this Thursday, May 30, but that came from a Japanese account, so for those in the US it may actually come on Wednesday. Those teases weren’t terribly clear on what to expect, but now we have a better idea of where you should keep an eye.

The PlayStation Twitch channel has had a full Death Stranding makeover, complete with a banner for the game and the title, “Death Stranding: Tomorrow Is In Your Hands.” Appropriately enough, the placeholder video while we await the stream shows various handprints appearing and then vanishing. Sometimes the handprints stay static long enough to see snippets of video playing behind them. You can watch the stream below.

It’s all very vague and eerie, but that’s par for the course for the mind-bending game from Kojima. Previous trailers have been similarly odd, and the fan community has already begun speculating about what it could all mean.

This stream puts a Death Stranding reveal a few weeks ahead of E3 2019. Sony is officially skipping the event, but promised it would be “exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019.” Part of that has been its new State of Play streams that debut new game announcements and trailers. This Twitch takeover appears to be another avenue for Sony to show its wares without a big trade show press conference.

Switch’s Cadence Of Hyrule Releasing This Week, According To Leak

The next Zelda game, officially titled Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda, will seemingly launch this week for Nintendo Switch. On the surface, Nintendo of America’s website simply states the game will be released this “spring,” but inspecting the site’s source code reveals a line that reads, “Release date: May 30, 2019.”

If correct, that would have the game launch one whole day before the end of spring. It seems a plausible date, especially since Nintendo reportedly included the game in a newsletter promoting Switch games coming out this May (thanks, NintendoLife).

Cadence of Hyrule was announced in March. It’s a crossover between Nintendo’s famous Zelda series and indie rhythm hit Crypt of the NecroDancer, which first launched in 2015.

The new game is being developed by the same team behind the original, Brace Yourself. Its art style has been revamped since then, however, to match that of past Zelda games such as Minish Cap. You can watch Cadence of Hyrule’s reveal trailer above.

Top 10 UK Games Chart: Team Sonic Racing Takes Pole Position In Debut Week

Team Sonic Racing has stormed into first place in the UK physical games chart, according to sales monitor Chart-Track. Sega’s new PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch racer finishes at No.1 in its debut week as Days Gone and FIFA 19 continue to chart well in No.2 and No.3, respectively.

Last week’s No.1, Rage 2, drops to No.4 for the week ending May 25, as Red Dead Redemption 2 rounds out the top five by maintaining its No.5 position. Aside from Team Sonic Racing, new releases this week include Everybody’s Golf VR, which debuts at No.22, and Total War: Three Kingdoms on PC. The latter fails to reach the top 40, though the chart doesn’t account for digital sales. Finally, Assassin’s Creed 3: Remastered‘s new Switch port helps the game climb back into the top 40 at No.15.

Team Sonic Racing is the first game starring the blue hedgehog to finish at No.1 since 2008’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. We enjoyed the racer here at GameSpot, with critic James Swinbanks awarding it a 7/10 in our Team Sonic Racing review.

“The essence of Team Sonic Racing is good,” he wrote. “Its handling feels tight and smooth, drifting has a good flow to it, and the items are fun to use, as are the tracks to race on. It doesn’t bring much new to the genre, but it delivers where it counts. The racing is fast and fun, and the team aspects offer enough of a change to the formula to make Team Sonic Racing the endearing arcade racer it is.”

You can read the full top 10 sales chart for this week below, courtesy of UKIE and GfK Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.

  1. Team Sonic Racing
  2. Days Gone
  3. FIFA 19
  4. Rage 2
  5. Red Dead Redemption 2
  6. The Division 2
  7. Mortal Kombat 11
  8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
  9. Grand Theft Auto V
  10. Forza Horizon 4

Avengers: Endgame Is Second Film to Cross $800M at US Box Office

Avengers: Endgame has joined Star Wars: The Force Awakens as one of only two films to ever cross the $800 million mark at the US box office.

The milestone comes thanks to the extended Memorial Day weekend, which saw the movie earn an estimated $22.3 million, reports Comicbook.com.

This puts Avengers: Endgame’s overall US earnings at $803.63 million, putting it in second place on the leader board for the US domestic box office. It currently lags behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens by $133 million.

The other title Avengers: Endgame is closing in on is that of the highest grossing film globally, which has belonged to Avatar for almost a decade. Endgame is just $103 million away from Avatar’s record, but experts suggest it would take until Labor Day in September to surpass that. Whether Avengers: Endgame remains in theatres that long remains to be seen, especially with a big summer for film already underway, and a second Marvel film in Spider-Man: Far From Home releasing in July.

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Konami Announces Contra Anniversary Collection Lineup

Konami has revealed the complete lineup for the upcoming Contra Anniversary Collection.

This collection includes varied Contra titles, from the original arcade game to Contra III: The Alien Wars for SNES. While a specific release date has not yet been announced, this digital collection will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam this summer for $20.

The full Contra Anniversary Collection lineup includes: