DC’s Justice League Meets Black Hammer in ‘Hammer of Justice’

Big, crazy crossovers are certainly not an anomaly in superhero comic books, but there’s something extra special and strange about the worlds of Black Hammer and Justice League combining. Yes, you read that right: this summer, we’re getting Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice, a five-part mini-series written by Jeff Lemire with art from Michael Walsh.

The heroes of the DC Universe are no strangers to interacting with alternate dimensions and weird worlds, but this event is a first for the burgeoning universe of Black Hammer, which follows the weird and wondrous lives of five superheroes who start the series trapped on mysterious farm after a saving the world. Published by Dark Horse Comics, Black Hammer nabbed the Eisner for Best New Series in 2017 and went on to spawn multiple spin-offs.

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Caustic Legend Guide | Apex Legends

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Sega Stops Sales Of Yakuza Spinoff Judgment In Japan After Actor Arrested For Alleged Cocaine Use

In a strange and surprising round of news, Sega has announced that it has stopped physical shipments and digital sales of the Yakuza spinoff Judgment in Japan following the arrest of actor Pierre Taki.

The actor was arrested for reportedly using cocaine, which apparently violates Japan’s drug control laws. An official news release from Sega, translated by Gematsu, states, “Sega has received the arrest reports and are currently confirming the facts, but for the time being, we will voluntarily refrain from shipments and digital sales of [Judgment], as well as from things like posting on the product’s homepage. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause for customers, as well as the parties involved.”

Judgment, which is called Judge Eyes in Japan, launched in Japan back in December. The game is scheduled to arrive in America and Europe this June on PS4, but there is no word yet if that’s still the plan given the controversy surrounding Taki.

Taki plays Kyohei Hamura in Judgment. He’s voiced by Fred Tatasciore (Soldier 76 in Overwatch and Xur in Destiny) in the English version of the game.

Taki is an actor and musician known for being a member of the band Denki Groove and the voice of snowman Olaf in the Japanese dubbing of Disney’s Frozen.

According to Japan Times, the punishment for possessing or using cocaine in Japan is a prison sentence of up to seven years.

In Judgment you play as Takayuki Yagami, a detective who is looking into grisly crimes. Like the Yakuza series, it is set in Kamurocho, the fictional city modeled after Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

For more on Judgment, check out our extensive hands-on preview.

Yakuza Spin-off Judgment Pulled from Sale in Japan After Drugs Scandal

Sega announced today that it has halted Japanese sales of Judgment, the latest action-adventure game from the developer of the Yakuza series.

The reason behind this sudden decision is the fact that Pierre Taki, whose voice and likeness are used in the game as character Kyohei Hamura, was arrested as a suspect for the usage or possession of drugs. While this may not sound like a reason to stop selling a game, similar occurrences are common in Japan’s entertainment business.

The Mainichi News reports that 51-year-old Taki confessed to using a small amount of cocaine, and police are currently searching for further evidence. If prosecuted, Taki could face up to seven years in prison.

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Bringing Halo: MCC To PC Is A “Monumental Undertaking,” So Microsoft Is Getting Help

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to PC, and Microsoft is getting help from a pair of external studios to bring the collection to Steam and the Microsoft Store. In a blog post, developer 343 Industries said bringing Halo: MCC to PC is a “monumental undertaking,” and to get help, it’s hired Ruffian Games and Splash Damage.

Another factor at play here is that the “bulk” of 343 developers are now working on Halo Infinite, so the team is turning to outside studios to spread the development load.

“Bringing all these classic games together and integrating the huge matrix of features and experiences PC gamers and Halo fans deserve and expect is a monumental undertaking,” 343 said. “It’s no secret that the bulk of the team of 343 Industries is hard at work realizing the future of the franchise with Halo Infinite so the same amazing Publishing Team who diligently brought all the recent improvements and updates to MCC over the last year has invited a few friends to help us achieve victory. The experienced and passionate folks at Splash Damage and Ruffian are partnering with us to help make this dream a reality.”

Splash Damage CEO Richard Jolly said in a statement that it is a “tremendous honor” to work on Halo. He noted that Splash Damage has been making multiplayer games for nearly two decades; some of its recent projects include the multiplayer elements of Batman: Arkham Origins and Microsoft’s own Gears of War 4.

As for Ruffian Games, the studio made Crackdown 3‘s Wrecking Zone multiplayer mode, so it, too, already had an established relationship with Microsoft. “We love Halo and are mindblown to help bring this franchise back to PC,” reads a statement from Ruffian Games. “343 has assembled an amazing team who’re working hard to build the Halo PC experience fans deserve. It’s a privilege to be along for the ride.”

Halo: MCC is coming to PC in a unique way. Microsoft is releasing each game individually, as a separate download and purchase, beginning with Halo: Reach and continuing chronologically through Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. Halo 1 and 2 are the new, remastered Anniversary editions.

How Halo: Reach Will Be Added To Halo: MCC And What It Costs

Halo: Reach is finally coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and now Microsoft has clarified how you’ll get access to it on Xbox One and PC.

On Xbox One, the game’s multiplayer content–include Forge and Theatre–will be free for everyone who owns the game. The game’s campaign and Firefight mode, however, are getting bundled together in a “premium digital add-on” that you’ll have to buy. Pricing was not disclosed, however.

Xbox Game Pass subscribers have the easiest path to getting all of Halo: Reach’s components. Members will receive “the entirety of Halo: Reach,” according to Microsoft. The word “entirety” suggests there will not be an extra cost for Game Pass members.

Halo: Reach is also coming to the newly announced PC version of Halo: MCC, and its release structure is a little different. According to Microsoft’s news release, the game’s “campaign, multiplayer, and Firefight [will be] available for purchase…”

It’s not clear if Reach’s campaign, multiplayer, and Firefight will be bundled together in one package or each sold as individual elements. Microsoft has said it will share many more details about Halo: MCC’s release on PC in the time ahead, so all should become clear eventually.

For more on recent Halo news, check out the stories linked below:

Jade Raymond Joins Google as Vice President

Jade Raymond has revealed that she’ll be moving to Google in the role of Vice President.

The announcement came in the form of a tweet from Raymond’s personal account late Tuesday afternoon.

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Raymond is probably best known as a founder of both Motive Studios and Ubisoft Toronto, where she served as the executive producer on games like Assassin’s Creed 2, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell Blacklist before leaving in 2014.

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This Twitter Account Tells You Which Dogs You Can Pet in Games

Look, we’ve all been here. You’re playing a game and happen across a dog. Whether it’s roaming the countryside, hanging out next to a house, sitting inside by the fire, or waiting to sniff out items for you, you’ve seen it, and you’ve probably taken the time to walk up to it and say hi.

And the one thing we’re all secretly hoping for is a button prompt allowing us to pet the dog.

In an age where we love to romance game characters and have our choices feel like they mean something beyond shallow interactions, being able to do something as arbitrary as pet a virtual dog sometimes feels as satisfying as a harrowing combat encounter. But, how can you know if the game you’re about to start will allow you to pet the dogs?

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The Division 2 Review in Progress: One Day In

After the first day of The Division 2 I’m sitting at level 18, which means I’m more than halfway through the initial leveling progression – but hopefully have experienced much less than half of the content this shared-world sequel has to offer, because that would be disappointing. The Division 2 has already succeeded in many areas where the original faltered, and as a result my impressions so far are largely positive. Gunplay is punchier, enemies are more mechanically diverse, loot is generous and interesting, and its wonderfully realized recreation of Washington DC is sufficiently populated with fun activities and hidden goodies. Based on what I played of the private and open beta tests, I’m still concerned that the combat may revert to its spongy state in the endgame, but for now, The Division 2 feels very good.

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