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Hearthstone is gearing up for another expansion, and it looks pretty substantial. This time the update comes with a theme focused all around the noble pursuit of science. At least, as noble as it can be when headed up by the notorious Dr. Boom. The dastardly doctor has assembled a team of nine class-based scientists to manage their own wild experiments, to disastrous results. The Boomsday Project will add 135 new cards, with a slew of new card types and keywords.

These nine scientists will make up the class Legendary cards for this expansion. Boomsday Project will introduce Legendary spells for the first time, which are engineered to have big and unique effects. These will not, however, specifically synergize with the new Legendary class minions representing the aforementioned scientists.

“That’s actually something that we talked about, linking them up so they work together, but we decided in the end, most of them are not going to work together,” lead designer Mike Donais explained. “We wanted you not to have to own both Legendaries to sort of build the deck that that Legendary is focused on. So in most cases, you actually don’t have any synergy between the two.”

Another new spell type, Projects, focus on symmetric effects that impact both players. The player who takes better advantage of these symmetric effects will have a huge leg-up on the competition.

New Omega cards will be playable throughout a game for a decent stat ratio, but are given extra power boosts if played once you’ve reached the 10-Mana threshold. Finally, a new Magnetic keyword will allow you to join Mechs together, inheriting their stats and any keywords or special abilities. As such, the expansion is introducing a lot of new Mechs–both Magnetic and frames that can be built upon.

The single-player component, the Puzzle Lab, will take a different tack than the last few expansions. Rather than a series of boss fights like Dungeon Run or Monster Hunt, these will focus on standalone puzzles. You’ll have to spot the lethal, imitate the opponent’s board state, or just survive, for example.

The expansion will launch on August 7, and Puzzle Lab will follow two weeks later. Two separate pre-purchase bundles are now available: a 50-pack bundle for $50 with a golden class Legendary and a Mecha-Jaraxxus card back, or an 80-pack bundle for $80 with the Mecha-Jaraxxus Warlock hero.

Above you can find all of the cards shown so far, and we’ll be regularly updating with more cards as they’re revealed.

It looks like New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is again not going to show up in the newest Madden video game. Producer Carlos Guerrero, who has since been let go by EA Sports, told GameSpot that a Belichick character model won’t be in Madden NFL 19.

Asked if Belichick’s likeness will be ever in a Madden game, Guerrero said, “I would hope so; we’re still having those conversations.”

According to Yahoo! Sports, EA Sports has a licensing deal with the NFL Coaches Association whereby the publisher pays the NFLCA to use the names and likenesses of its coaches, with that money then going back to its members. Belichick is apparently the only head coach in the entire NFL that is not a member of the NFLCA. This may explain why he’s not in the game, though there still doesn’t appear to be a completely clear and final reason (Belichick is known for being standoffish with media, so we may never get one).

Instead of Belichick’s name and likeness, the Madden games refer to him as generic “NE Coach,” with his character model being some regular-looking guy who does not wear cut-off sweartshirts in all weather conditions. Given what we know about Belichick’s temperament, him not being in a video game is very on brand. But it’s still an interesting phenomenon considering every other coach is in the game. It’s also a blow to the Madden franchise’s ambition to be as authentic as possible.

Belichick not being in the Madden games was even more apparent the past two years with the increased focus on the Patriots. Madden 17 had Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski on the cover and a year later Madden 18 had QB Tom Brady gracing the cover.

Guerrrero was let go earlier this year due to behaviour that ran against EA’s policies, including its Global Code of Conduct & Respectful Workplace Policy.” GameSpot contacted EA for further clarification, but the company declined to share any more details.

In other Madden 19 news, the game adds former ESPN anchor Jonathan Coachman to the voice cast. Madden 19 launches a little earlier this year, arriving at the start of August. The game is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as PC for the first time in a decade. For more on Madden 19, check out 35 minutes of the game’s Longshot mode here.

Fortnite‘s Playground mode is coming back to the battle royale game on July 25, and now developer Epic Games has detailed everything that’s new since we last saw it.

There are lots and lots of changes, one of which is that players can now switch teams mid-game. The idea is that you can swap sides to work together with friends on strategies and then switch to hone your fighting skills. Voice chat is on for all teams, but Epic plans to add “more customisation” options in the future.

Also new for this second iteration of Playground is that, as promised, there is more loot; 100 supply drops have been added, while rocket ammo drop rates are increased. What’s more, golf carts are now in Playground, while you can get to the ground faster after dropping in because the forced glider deploy height is now lower. Additionally, ammo and building materials are now far more abundant, while the respawn timer is much lower.

These are just a small sampling of the changes. You can see the full patch notes below.

While you wait for Playground to return to Fortnite, the game’s first birthday event is going on now that adds birthday cakes to the island. You can also earn special cosmetics by completing challenges and quests. You can check out our Fortnite 1st Birthday challenge guide for more on that.

Fortnite Playground LTM Changes

• Players can now switch teams in-game. Join the same team to work together creatively, join separate teams to practice fighting each other!
  • Note: Voice chat will remain on across all teams, future iterations of the mode will offer more customization.
• Aim assist will work when using a gamepad against players on an opposing team.
• Matches will no longer end if one player leaves the server.
• Golf carts have been added and spawn 100% of the time.
• Ammo cans spawn 10x the amount of ammo.
• Removed grey vending machines, increased the chances of higher-tier machines spawning.
• Increased launch & bounce pads spawn likelihood.
• Lowered forced glider deploy height, so players can get back into the action more quickly.
• Increased max rocket ammo cap to 60.
• Increased rocket ammo drop rates.
• Added 100 Supply Drops.
• Chests now spawn 3 weapons and more ammo & consumables than normal.
• Floor loot now spawns 3 items.
• Increased Chug Jug and Slurp Juice spawn chances, decreased Bandages.
• Added Chug Jugs to floor loot.
• Respawn timer lowered from 10s to 3s.

Mode Details

• Drop into the Battle Royale map alone or with up to a full squad for an hour.
• Players respawn immediately unless eliminated by the Storm.
• The Storm doesn’t start closing in for 55 minutes and takes 5 minutes to close in.
• Resources gained from harvesting increased by ten times the normal amount.
• 100 Llamas will be spawned on the map.
• Chests & ammo boxes spawn 100% of the time.

Ruben Fleischer, the director best known for Zombieland, is directing Sony’s upcoming superhero movie, Venom. If you didn’t notice, this Venom, portrayed by Tom Hardy (Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road), doesn’t have the giant white spider on his chest. Fleischer has finally given an explanation why the iconic spider logo is missing.

During San Diego Comic-Con 2018, IGN asked Fleischer a question about the lack of the symbol. He said it just doesn’t make sense in this iteration of Venom.

“If you look at the comics, in Venom, there is just elements of white within his suit. Because our character does not originate from Spider-Man, it makes no sense to put a spider on his chest. We tried to be as accurate as we possibly could, even though some people feel it’s inaccurate, but there is a lot of white and we wanted to give him a distinctive pattern.”

He continues to say that the “distinctive pattern” was done for more than just aesthetics and originality. “If you have an all-black character, especially in night scenes, he just kind of disappears. […] Since we couldn’t use the Spider-Man symbol, we wanted to give him another graphic element, and those veins that kind of form a shape on his chest was an original idea that we just thought looked really cool.”

At SDCC 2018, Sony debuted exclusive footage that teased a crossover with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Such a crossover would be notable because Venom is being produced by Sony, not Marvel, thus making Venom not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that Holland’s Spider-Man is in.

Venom hits theaters October 5.

San Diego Comic-Con 2018 Coverage

Bird and Lime branded app-based conveyances have invaded cities around the US. Whether you live in the San Francisco bay or Baltimore, you’ve no doubt noticed that these scooters are suddenly everywhere. And that means everywhere.

Some view the scooters as a fun new way to commute to work, while others see them as an infestation. The companies themselves have made insane amounts of cash on them, so until neighborhoods and cities start regulating their use, they’re not going anywhere. And one thing is undeniable: The darn things are ubiquitous.

It was definitely a trend this past week at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, where Birds and Limes could be seen cluttering up nearly every curb and street corner, hurled into hedges and abandoned near train tracks, parked in valet-only zones and driven right up to the doors of the Hilton Bayfront hotel. If you were in San Diego over the weekend, chances are you almost got hit by someone speeding down the sidewalk on one.

Finding these things at worst, a nuisance–and at best, hilarious–the GameSpot team snapped as many pics of sad, abandoned scooters as we could. Enjoy!

San Diego Comic-Con 2018 Coverage

One of the biggest surprises from the Madden franchise was the inclusion of the Longshot mode in Madden NFL 18, which told the story of fictional quarterback named Devin Wade and wide receiver Colt Cruise. The narrative covered the trials and tribulations of trying to make it in the NFL and the web of relationships players have to navigate while performing at the highest level possible. While Longshot served as a tool to teach you the basics of playing Madden and the intricacies of the sport itself, the actual storytelling was well done. Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino made an appearance and Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali played Devin’s father, and Madden NFL 19 brings in new names like Rob Schneider and Ron Cephas Jones to play major roles.

Devin Wade’s story continues in Madden NFL 19 with Longshot Homecoming along with Colt Cruise’s personal tale from high school glory to his struggle to make ends meet. Out of the gate, Devin is fighting for a roster spot with the Dallas Cowboys and you’ll control him in training camp and through preseason. Madden lays the drama on thick as the QB coach and GM butt heads as to whether or not Devin deserves the third-string QB spot, and Devin himself gets caught up in the front office power struggle. Real media ties into the narrative as well with segments of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football crew talking about Devin Wade as if he’s a real player. Meanwhile, Colt gets a surprise visit from his father who hadn’t seen since he was a kid, and soon finds out he has a half-sister that he now needs to take care of. Through developing a new familial relationship and reminiscing high school success, Colt’s love for football seems to be reignited.

A big change to the actual gameplay is that there wasn’t anything similar to the Telltale-style choice system that would affect the narrative. Instead, you either pass or fail certain segments, but it’s tough to say how much it’ll affect the story’s outcomes.

In the video above, you can watch the first 35 minutes of Longshot Homecoming in Madden NFL 19 and see how much has changed from last year’s story. Drama seems to be ratcheted up a notch, especially with the overall theme being “football is family.” We’ll be able to see how things plays out in the Longshot sequel when Madden NFL 19 hits the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on August 10.

One of Avengers: Infinity War’s big scenes was quite difficult to shoot, according to one of the stars of the movie. Paul Bettany (Vision) has shared some details with MTV about the pivotal scene between he and Elizabeth Olson (Scarlet Witch), which was not only emotional, but one that the directors felt was among the movie’s most important moments

According to Bettany, the Russo brothers described the scene as “the beating heart of the entire movie” right before they started filming. No pressure or anything.

Bettany goes on to describe the shoot and says, “You know, it’s a lot in isolation of the rest of the plot even… And you’re purple. And you’ve got a jewel and your head. And she’s going to destroy it. And you’re imagining red things coming out of her fingers, yet you’re also sort of trying to find some reality in all of this… I think we were both when it was done, kind of like, ‘Ugh, let’s go home.'”

Clearly it was a very taxing scene to shoot, but anyone who saw Avengers: Infinity War knows that the directors weren’t kidding about how important it was. While the Avengers are fighting epic, interplanetary battles to get the Infinity Stones, one of them is right under their nose the whole time, but it literally gives Vision life. The plan throughout the movie is to try and spare Vision, but in the pivotal scene, Scarlet Witch has to make a terrible choice, and if you don’t feel emotionally invested in that, it lowers the stakes of the film considerably.

Both Vision and Scarlet Witch are supposedly dead at the end of the movie, but with this franchise, anything is possible. We’ll just have to wait until Avengers 4 to get answers.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile’s new update adds War Mode, an achievement system, exclusive skins, and more to the game. The update arrives for the mobile title a month after a first-person perspective mode was added in June.

PUBG Mobile is based on the PUBG for Xbox One and PC. The game features the same type of online battle royale gameplay where players parachute onto a battlefield and scavenge for weapons and vehicles in order to be the last combatant standing, but PUBG’s controls have been slightly tweaked for PUBG Mobile to work with a touch screen interface. Like the Xbox One version of PUBG, PUBG Mobile currently only has the two maps Erangel and Miramar.

The largest change in PUBG Mobile’s new update is War Mode. War Mode previously only existed on the PC version of PUBG–the Xbox One version of the game still doesn’t have it. Instead of a massive battle royale, War Mode pits two teams of 50 players against one another where killing an enemy grants three points and killing a downed enemy or reviving a teammate grants one. Lives are infinite and the first team to 100 points wins.

The new update also introduces a clan system. Players can join together to form their own clans, and unlock exclusive rewards by completing certain challenges. Each clan gets their own icon, which teams can customize as they see fit.

In addition to War Mode and the clan system, PUBG Mobile’s new update adds:

• Region categorization
• An achievement system
• Exclusive skins for armor, weapons, and vehicles
• The SLR sniper rifle

PUBG Mobile is available on iOS and Android devices.

While it might be called Comic-Con, the show is a celebration of all things pop culture and media. Everything from comics and TV to movies and video games are represented at the show, with fans attending panels for their favourite franchises, meeting those that create and star in them, and dressing up to show their love for specific characters.

Overwatch was represented at the show, which makes perfect sense, given that it’s a video game that draws heavy thematic inspiration from comic books and their movie and TV adaptations. It’s all about unique heroes clashing against quirky villains in a world rife with political, social turmoil, and technological turmoil. The halls of Comic-Con 2018 were filled with iconic characters from Blizzard’s critically acclaimed competitive shooter, and we took pictures of some of our favourite Overwatch cosplay for you to enjoy too.

In the gallery above you’ll find Tracer, McCree, D.Va & Soldier-76. For more cosplay, make sure to check out our round-up of all the best costumes we saw during Comic-Con Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. We’ve also got a Marvel cosplay gallery, if you’re a fan of Deadpool and his ilk. For a broader look at everything that went down at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, take a look at the list of our coverage below.

In other Overwatch news, Blizzard is hosting a free play weekend for anyone who hasn’t already purchased the game on PC, which means you’ll be able to jump in for free between July 26-30. It’s going to be a good opportunity to check out the game’s newest hero, Wrecking Ball, who has now debuted in the game. Wrecking Ball is a giant mech piloted by a hamster called Hammond. Don’t let his cuteness fool you; he’s well-armed and can roll around the maps to get around very quickly. On top of that, he can attach himself to fixtures and swing around, which makes him more than worthy of the “Wrecking Ball” name.

Beyond that, a variety of support characters are getting updates, and Torbjorn is set for some big changes. Blizzard is planning to make his small but deadly engineer even more offense focused by removing his Molten Core ultimate and giving him the ability to throw his turrets out.

“With Torbjorn, the issues we’re trying to solve are that he’s a little overly defensive focused,” explained lead designer Geoff Goodman. “We need him to be more viable on offense in a non-payload situation. It doesn’t mean he needs to be equal on offense, but we need him at least to not be a troll pick.” The ability to throw his turrets out, partially upgraded without the need for using Molten Core first, means Torb “plays a lot better on offense–especially because you can run up, throw it in a flank spot and be immediately shooting again and not feel like you have to sit there hammering it,” Goodman added. “We can obviously tune the turret if it ends up being too strong or anything, but that’s the place we’re starting from.” Blizzard hasn’t confirmed when the Torbjorn rework will launch yet.

San Diego Comic-Con 2018 Coverage