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The Daily Moot: Steam Winter Sale
1. Steam Winter Sale
The Steam Winter Sale is officially underway, providing some of the year’s biggest discounts on thousands of games. Some of the most notable games include Halo: The Master Chief Collection (40% off), Dysco Elysium (40% off), Control Ultimate Edition (50% off) and DOOM Eternal (67% off). The Steam Winter Sale also coincides with The Steam Awards and fans can now start voting for all their favorites such as the Game of the Year nominees: Hades, Red Dead Redemption 2, DOOM Eternal, Fall Guys, and Death Stranding.
2. Epic Freebies
Another day of freebies from Epic Games is here as part of their ongoing holiday giveaway. Today’s free game is Metro 2033 Redux, a single player first-person survival horror game. You can grab your free copy of Metro 2033 Redux directly from the Epic Games Store from now until tomorrow at 8am Pacific Time.
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games
3. Dead Cells Update
Dead Cells just got a new update bringing some holiday cheer to the game. Described as “little stocking fillers,” the update gives players 2 new outfits as well as a cosmetic option which turns all the food in the game to cheese. On the non-cosmetic side of things, the heavily-requested katana weapon has finally been released and it enables players to chain a standard slash with a dashing charge attack. Last but not least, the update also makes some changes to the Malaise effect with the developers saying, “We're aiming to give a cycling nature to the mechanic, with a Malaise that should stay in-between 3 and 7 during most of the run (except for boss fights).”
4. Overwatch Free Access
Overwatch is currently free to play as a holiday gift from Blizzard. Although the game has had free weekends in the past, this free access event is much longer and will last a full 2 weeks. During the free access period the game will also be on sale at $20 for the Legendary Edition and $15 for the Standard Edition. Overwatch free access is set to run from now until January 4.
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-is-free-to-play-until-january-4/
The Daily Moot: Stardew Valley 1.5
1. Stardew Valley 1.5
Stardew Valley just got a massive new update providing “the biggest solid chunk of new content that's been added to the game since launch.” The update is mostly focused on late-game content and adds new quests, characters, items, farm types and much more. Aside from content, the update also brings in some new features including split screen local co-op. Stardew Valley 1.5 is live now on PC and is expected to come to consoles “early next year.”
2. Cold War Multiplayer Free Access
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer is currently free to play for a limited time. Players will be able to enjoy all of the game’s stage 1 modes and playlists including the more unique game modes like Prop Hunt and Fireteam Dirty Bomb. The multiplayer free access week is set to run from now through Christmas Eve. You can check out the trailer for season 1 of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War below.
3. Epic Freebies
Another day of freebies from Epic Games is here as part of their ongoing holiday giveaway. Today’s free game is the singleplayer survival horror game Alien: Isolation. You can grab your free copy of Alien: Isolation directly from the Epic Games Store from now until tomorrow at 8am Pacific Time.
4. Wrath: Aeon of Ruin Delayed
The full release of Wrath: Aeon of Ruin has been delayed. The upcoming first-person shooter, which pays homage to the legacy shooters of the past, will be the first game released on the original Quake engine in more than 20 years. Although the game has been available in early access for over a year now, Killpixel explained that the studio encountered significant development problems after multiple members of their team “fell ill to COVID-19.” Originally expected to launch in February, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is now expected to arrive in Summer 2021. You can check out the reveal trailer for the game below.
The Daily Moot: Cyberpunk Removed From PS Store
1. Sony Removes Cyberpunk 2077
Sony has officially removed Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store. This news comes in response to the many players who have opted to refund the game due to its poor performance on the PlayStation 4. Sony said in their statement, “SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store [and] will also be removing Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store until further notice.” There’s no word yet on when the game might return to the PS Store but CD Projekt Red says they are “working hard to bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to PlayStation Store as soon as possible.”
2. Rainbow Six Siege Year One Mode
Rainbow Six Siege is celebrating its 5-year anniversary by going retro with the new Legacy Arcade game mode which pays homage to Year One. The mode presents the game exactly how it was in its first season, not just with cosmetics but gameplay as well. Only the 20 original operators are available to play in the mode and they each have their original loadouts. Furthermore, the maps have been reverted to their original appearances. You can check out the trailer for the Legacy Arcade event below.
3. Next-Gen Control Release Date
Control will soon be coming to next-gen consoles. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions were originally expected to launch by the end of this year, but Remedy delayed the upgrades saying they wanted “the final quality of the game to be awesome” and required “a bit more time to work on it.” The next-gen versions of control are now set to launch digitally on February 2, with a physical edition arriving one month later on March 2. You can check out the teaser trailer for the upcoming Control Ultimate Edition below.
4. Nvidia Samsung Collaboration
Nvidia has struck a new deal with Samsung designed to greatly increase supply of RTX 3000 series GPUs. It’s no secret that Nvidia’s latest graphics cards have experienced a severe supply shortage but now it looks like the company is finally trying to ease that problem. The deal, which is reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars, should hopefully mean that the manufacturing bottleneck won’t be nearly as bad in the future. Unfortunately however, it is unlikely that consumers will see the effects of this collaboration anytime soon, which likely means that PC players will still have to wait until at least next year to get their hands on a next-gen GPU.
The Daily Moot: Rainbow Six Siege Reputation System
1. Rainbow Six Siege Reputation System
Rainbow Six Siege has now implemented a reputation system in an effort to combat toxicity. The system is designed to reward positive behavior by punishing negative behavior such as friendly fire and communication abuse. Although each player has their own unique “reputation score” which goes up and down, it’s currently hidden and there’s no way for players to know what their score is. Ubisoft intends to expand the system saying, “We will continue to take feedback and make improvements to ensure that our system is efficient, as transparent as possible, and aligned with players’ expectations.”
2. Fortnite Unreal Engine Mod Support
Fortnite will soon be getting Unreal Engine mod support. While this may not be a big deal for most battle royale players, this is a massive feature for players who enjoy creative mode. The new feature will enable players to import custom assets and live edit maps in real time. Unreal Engine mod support is set to arrive once Fortnite transfers to Unreal Engine 5 early next year.
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-creative-mod-support/
3. Epic Freebies
Epic’s holiday freebies are back once again. Unlike the typical Epic Freebies, the holiday event gives a new free game every single day rather than weekly. It’s important to note that each game is only available for 24 hours so it’s definitely worth revisiting every day so you don’t miss out. Today’s freebie is Cities: Skylines but the future games are all a mystery. The Epic Holiday Giveaway is set to run 15 days straight from now until the end of the year.
4. Death Stranding Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk 2077 has now come to Death Stranding. As part of a new free update, Death Stranding has implemented a host of Cyberpunk content including several missions that “feature lore and characters from Cyberpunk 2077.” Although the update is free, it unfortunately is only available on PC for the time being. You can check out the trailer for the collaboration below.
The Daily Moot: Black Ops Cold War Season 1
1. Black Ops Cold War Season 1
Season 1 of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is officially live. The inaugural season brings plenty of new changes to both multiplayer and zombies as well as amps up the game’s competitive side. Some of the most notable changes include the launch of 3 new maps, 2 new weapons, and 2 new game modes. Of course, there are many minor updates as well such as bug fixes and balance changes. You can check out the trailer for Season 1 below.
2. Prison Architect Free
Prison Architect is currently available for free as part of the GOG Winter Sale. The prison management sim includes a 10-hour campaign as well as an open-ended sandbox and escape mode. As for the rest of the Winter Sale, you can pick up games such as Control, Disco Elysium, and No Man’s Sky for 50% off. While the sale lasts until January 4, the freebie will only be available until December 19 so it's best to act fast if you're interested in picking up Prison Architect. You can check out the GOG Winter Sale and giveaway below.
3. Mortal Kombat Movie Update
The Mortal Kombat movie now has a new release date. The upcoming movie will premiere simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max as part of Warner Bros. Studio’s new “hybrid release” strategy for 2021. The studio explained their new collaboration with HBO Max by saying, “We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group.” Originally expected to release in March, the Mortal Kombat movie is now slated to arrive on April 16.
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-mortal-kombat-movie-is-now-set-for-release-in-april/
4. Google Stadia iOS
Google Stadia is now available on iOS devices. Until now, the cloud-based game streaming service had been limited exclusively to Android, a fact which many players criticized as one of many issues with the service on launch. It’s important to note that the current iteration of iOS compatibility is still in beta, meaning that players might encounter certain bugs and other issues. Still, fans will be glad to see that Google is continuing to address the Stadia’s faults as they attempt to make the service more robust and accessible.
The Daily Moot: Fall Guys Season 3
1. Fall Guys Season 3
Fall Guys Season 3 is now live. Called Winter Knockout, the third season will bring plenty of new changes to the game including the addition of the fan-voted Ringus Dingus. There are also 7 new levels, each of which has some frost-themed element like Tundra Run and Penguin Pursuit. Aside from the new content, the update also includes several bugfixes and quality-of-life improvements as well as improved graphics in certain areas. You can check out the “Out Now” trailer for Fall Guys Season 3 below.
2. Overwatch Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland has once again returned to Overwatch. The annual winter event not only brings back Mei’s Snowball Offensive, Yeti Hunt, and Snowball Deathmatch, but also introduces a new game mode called Freezethaw Elimination. Freezethaw Elimination is a 4v4 showdown where players are frozen and thawed rather than killed. As always, the event will also add plenty of new cosmetics to the game with Reinhhardt, Mei, Moira, Zenyatta, and Torbjorn each getting legendary skins. You can check out the trailer for Overwatch Winter Wonderland below.
3. Hearthstone Battlegrounds Old Gods
Hearthstone Battlegrounds just got a huge update changing several aspects of the game. Most notably, the game mode now includes spells which can be acquired every 4 turns during the prize round. Aside from the new spells, the update also brings 3 new heroes to Battlegrounds: C’Thun, Y'Shaarj, and N'Zoth. Blizzard is also giving away some holiday freebies to all players who log in between now and January 18, including 500 gold and 5 Madness at the Darkmoon Faire card packs. You can check out the trailer for the Hearthstone Battlegrounds Old Gods update below.
4. Spelunky 2 Multiplayer
Spelunky 2’s online multiplayer is finally live on PC. Originally expected to be included when the game launched in September, the mode was delayed following complications on PS4. It’s important to note that the mode is still considered to be in beta on PC, and Developer Mossmouth says that the next few months will be spent refining the system and eliminating bugs. As such, full online multiplayer with crossplay between PC and PS4 isn’t expected to arrive until next year.
https://www.pcgamer.com/spelunky-2-online-multiplayer-is-now-live-on-pc/
5. EA Play Xbox Game Pass Postponed
The implementation of EA Play into the Xbox Game Pass has been postponed. Originally expected to launch today, Microsoft explained that they “need more time to provide the Xbox Game Pass experience” fans have come to expect of the service. Unfortunately, neither Microsoft nor EA provided a new concrete date for the collaboration, merely saying, “We made the decision to delay until 2021.”
The Daily Moot: Cyberpunk 2077 Refunds
1. Cyberpunk 2077 Refunds
Following widespread disappointment regarding the game’s performance on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, CD Projekt Red is now offering refunds for the console versions of Cyberpunk 2077. In their statement, CDPR apologized for “not showing the game on base last-gen consoles” and said, “We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.” The studio went on to say that they “will fix bugs and crashes, and improve the overall experience” with 2 major patches, one in January and one in February. For players who don’t want to wait for the updates, CD Projekt Red is offering refunds for the game from now until December 21.
2. Genshin Impact Expansion
Genshin Impact will soon be getting another big update. Called “The Chalk Prince and the Dragon,” the new update will introduce the game’s first-ever map expansion: Dragonspine. Dragonspine is an extremely cold mountain range with the new “Sheer Cold” mechanic which forces players to ensure their character stays warm enough while traversing the frosty terrain. Aside from the new map, the update will also bring 2 new five-star characters to the game: Albedo and Ganyu. The Chalk Prince and the Dragon is set to go live on December 23; you can check out the trailer for the update below.
3. Ubisoft Freebies
Ubisoft is giving away a bunch of freebies this week as part of their Happy Holidays giveaway event. There will be one new item available every day from now through December 18, and although most of the gifts are still a secret, it is expected that at least one of the gifts will include a free game. Today’s freebie is an in-game content pack for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla which includes the Seafarer Settlement Pack and the legendary Bayek outfit for Eivor. You can claim your freebies each day directly from the Ubisoft website as long as you have a registered Ubisoft account. It’s important to note however that while the in-game content packs will be available cross-platform, any free games will likely only be available on PC.
https://register.ubisoft.com/happyholidays2020-day1/en-US
4. Vin Diesel Ark 2
During the global reveal of Ark 2 during The Game Awards 2020 last week, one thing clearly stood out: Vin Diesel. The trailer heavily featured the popular actor as one of the game’s main characters, but it now appears that his role is much more significant than originally expected. Studio Wildcard, the developer of Ark 2, not only revealed that Vin Diesel is an executive producer for the game, but also that he has taken on the role as the studio’s new “President of Creative Convergence.” Although the studio says that Vin Diesel is currently “providing direct feedback to the development process,” it’s still somewhat unclear precisely what duties Vin Diesel will be handling with his new role. Regardless, this certainly is an interesting and unexpected development and could pave the way for other famous video game fans to start having a hand in the industry. You can check out the reveal trailer for Ark 2 below.
5. EA Buys Codemasters
Electronic Arts is set to acquire Codemasters for a whopping $1.2 billion. One of the longest-running game development studios in Britain, Codemasters is best known for their wide array of racing games which includes franchises such as DiRT, Grid, and Formula 1. In their statement EA said, “Electronic Arts and Codemasters have a shared ambition to lead the video game racing category...and together we will be positioned to lead in a new era of racing entertainment.”
The Daily Moot: Fortnite Master Chief
1. Fortnite Master Chief
Halo’s Master Chief has officially joined the world of Fortnite. Announced during yesterday’s The Game Awards 2020, Master Chief had been expected to make his Fortnite debut for a while now after a series of leaks suggested his arrival last week. Master Chief is available in the Fortnite item shop now; you can check out the trailer “Master Chief Joins The Fight In Fortnite” below.
2. Cyberpunk Breaks Records
Cyberpunk 2077 finally launched yesterday and despite its bugs, the game has dominated the charts, breaking several records in just one day. Cyberpunk 2077 saw over 1 million concurrent players on Steam, absolutely smashing the previous record holder for a singleplayer game, Fallout 4, which had “only” 470,000 concurrent players. Cyberpunk 2077 also broke the recently-set record for the best-selling PC launch, easily beating out World of Warcraft’s Shadowlands with preorder volume alone. The game also set the record for the highest Twitch viewership of any singleplayer game in history, eclipsing 1 million concurrent viewers. It’s probably safe to assume that this is only the beginning for Cyberpunk 2077’s accolades as CD Projekt Red addresses the game’s issues and prepares for the game’s next-gen launch next year.
3. Yakuza: Remastered Collection
The entire Yakuza series will soon be available on PC and Xbox with the upcoming launch of the Yakuza remastered collection. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced that Yakuza 3, 4 and 5 will be remastered and bundled together on January 28, joining Yakuza 0, 1 and 2 which are all available already. Fans will have to wait a little bit longer for Yakuza 6, which is set to arrive on March 25. Each of the games will also be included with the Xbox Game Pass once they launch, meaning that Xbox players will finally get access to the historically PlayStation-exclusive series. You can check out the announcement trailer for the collection below.
4. Ruined King Delayed
Ruined King, Riot’s upcoming new singleplayer game based on League of Legends, has been delayed. Ruined King has been highly anticipated since it was first announced in 2019, but it seems that players will have to wait a little bit longer than originally expected. In their statement Riot explained, “This year has presented a number of challenges for all of us that have been outside of our control. It’s going to take a little bit longer to get there [but] we want to ensure we give you an awesome game.” Riot didn’t offer anything concrete, merely changing “early 2021” to “coming 2021.” In brighter news, Riot just provided the first-ever look at the game’s gameplay with a brand new official trailer which you can check out below.
5. Sonic TV Show
Sonic the Hedgehog will soon be getting its own TV show. Netflix announced that a 3D animated Sonic show is in the works as part of a collaboration with Sega, WildBrain, and Man of Action Entertainment. Although the announcement came via the official Netflix Twitter account, it seems as though the news may have been revealed early as the Tweet has since been deleted. As such, not many details about the show have been released yet, but we do know that the show is expected to debut sometime in 2022.
The Daily Moot: Cyberpunk 2077 Launch
1. Cyberpunk 2077 Launch
Cyberpunk 2077 is finally here. First announced back in 2012, Cyberpunk 2077 has been one of the most highly-anticipated games for several years but encountered numerous development challenges and delays. Now, though it may be later than originally expected, the game has officially launched on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia; next-gen versions and upgrades are expected to arrive early next year. Unfortunately, many players have been encountering widespread bugs during their day-one escapades, so hopefully CD Projekt Red will be able to address these issues quickly as this seems to be the main point of criticism from the community thus far. You can check out the official launch trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 below.
2. The Game Awards 2020
The Game Awards 2020 is set to air live today, recognizing the biggest achievements in gaming this year as well providing sneak peaks of what’s to come in 2021. The annual video game awards show is typically held in front of a live audience, but will be exclusively digital this year due to the ongoing pandemic. According to host and event organizer Geoff Keighley, there will be at least 12 never-before-seen games and projects revealed for the first time ever during the show. The Game Awards 2020 will air live on most streaming services including Twitch and YouTube starting today at 3:30pm Pacific Time.
3. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free games are Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny. You can grab your free copy of these games directly from the Epic Games Store from now until December 17. As long as you claim the games by December 17, they will stay in your library forever.
4. Windjammers 2 Delayed
Windjammers 2 has been delayed. The sequel to the 1994 classic Windjammers, Windjammers 2 was originally expected to launch in 2019, then delayed to 2020, and has now been delayed once again. Developer Dotemu explained the team’s desire to address some of the “mixed opinions” regarding some of the features in the game’s demo, as well as refocus their emphasis on online play. In their statement Dotemu said, “Windjammers 2 is an ambitious project that we love and that we cannot ruin with wrong decisions that could jeopardize its quality.” Windjammers 2 is now expected to launch sometime next year; you can check out the demo trailer for the game below.
5. Hyper Scape Coupon
It looks like Ubisoft is trying to entice players to return to their futuristic free-to-play battle royale Hyper Scape. Although Hyper Scape garnered a lot of attention when it launched earlier this year, much of the fervor quickly died down and the game has struggled since then. Now, Ubisoft is offering a $10 coupon to all players who play the game on PC between now and December 17. Because the game is free to play, this is essentially just a free $10 coupon. There are some caveats however: the coupon can only be used on games that cost at least $15 and must be used by January 31. Still, this could be a nice incentive for those who are looking to retry Hyper Scape or pick up a new Ubisoft game like Immortals Fenyx Rising or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at a discount.
The Daily Moot: Disco Elysium 2?
1. Disco Elysium 2?
It looks like a new Disco Elysium game is in the works. This news comes via the Disco Elysium website which has been replaced with a teaser image showing the star-and-antlers symbol with the word “soon.” While this clearly doesn’t provide a ton of details, fans seem to be keying in on the idea that the upcoming game might be a prequel with emphasis on the revolution in Revachol. The original Disco Elysium, which was based on a tabletop RPG, earned widespread critical acclaim with several publications crowning it game of the year. Regardless of whether the upcoming game is a prequel or a sequel, it seems that fans will have to wait in anticipation for the release of some more concrete details in the coming weeks.
2. Halo Infinite Delayed
Halo Infinite has been delayed once again. 343 Industries explained the decision by saying, “discussion boiled down to one fundamental truth: we needed more time to do things right.” It sounds like the team was particularly focused on acknowledging fans’ lackluster response to the game’s trailer and said, “the feedback we heard from the community aligned with our own views...the reality is that the art and visuals weren’t at the bar we hold for Halo.” Originally expected to launch alongside the Xbox Series X/S last month, Halo Infinite is now slated to arrive in fall 2021.
3. PUBG Haven
PUBG will soon be getting its smallest map ever. Called Haven, the new map is just 1 square kilometer and promises to deliver some of the most frenetic action yet. Aside from its small size, Haven will also introduce a new feature called Pillar. Pillar is an AI faction that will hunt down players with advanced gear such as armored trucks and scout helicopters. Haven is set to his live servers on December 16 but is playable on the test servers now. You can check out the launch trailer for the new map below.
4. xCloud on iOS and PC
xCloud will soon be coming to iOS and PC. Much like Google’s Stadia or Nvidia’s GeForce Now, Microsoft’s xCloud is a cloud-based game streaming service which enables players to enjoy a wide variety of games without having to download them. Because the service takes advantage of internet connection rather than hardware, fans can play demanding, resource-intensive games even on underpowered systems. It appears Microsoft is planning to expand xCloud and the Xbox Game Pass simultaneously as the company emphasised their commitment to “cloud gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.” xCloud is set to launch on PC and iOS in Spring 2021.
5. Google Stadia YouTube Livestream
Google Stadia just got a brand new feature enabling users to livestream their gameplay directly to YouTube. Originally expected to be a feature at launch, Google has long maintained that the Stadia was designed to have a symbiotic relationship with YouTube, coinciding with their previous statement that “gaming has always been the backbone of YouTube since the platform was first founded.” It’s no secret that the Google Stadia hasn’t had the warmest reception and it remains to be seen how the tech giant will continue to improve the service, but at least it appears Google is finally beginning to take some steps in the right direction.
The Daily Moot: Ghost of Tsushima Wins Player's Voice Award
1. Ghost of Tsushima Wins Player’s Voice Award
Ghost of Tsushima has officially won the Player’s Voice award at The Game Awards 2020. Starting with an initial field of 30 nominees, the competition was whittled down to just 5 games: The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, Doom Eternal, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The Player’s Voice award is the only category at The Game Awards decided exclusively by fans, and it ultimately came down to a neck-and-neck race between The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima, with the latter narrowly claiming victory. Interestingly, it seems as though the victor was revealed early as the show’s organizer Geoff Keighley had originally stated that the winner would be announced during the live show. The Game Awards 2020 is set to air on most streaming platforms including Twitch and YouTube live on December 10.
2. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Season 1
Season 1 of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has officially begun. Although the massive Shadowlands expansion arrived 2 weeks ago, much of the content had been locked until today. Season 1 brings in a host of end-game enticements including the Castle Nathria raid, Mythic+ dungeons, and plenty of new items and rewards. Shadowlands has been a monumental success for World of Warcraft thus far, selling nearly 4 million copies on its first day making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time. You can check out the official “season 1 survival guide” for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands below.
3. Destiny 2 Crossplay
Bungie has announced that Destiny 2 will soon be getting crossplay. The journey to full cross-platform support has been a progressive one for Destiny 2, starting with the ability to use the same save file across different platforms which arrived in 2019. Today’s update expands on these features, enabling cross-generation support. This means that PS4 players can now play with PS5 players and Xbox One players can play with Xbox Series X/S players, but PlayStation players still cannot play with Xbox players. Bungie says full crossplay support will be arriving sometime in 2021 but they declined to mention a concrete release date.
4. Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Scott Pilgrim vs The World will soon be making its return. The game, which is based on the movie of the same name, first launched back in 2010 but was unexpectedly pulled from storefronts in 2014. Not only will the game soon be available once again, it’s re-launching as the “complete edition” which will be fully remastered and include all of the game’s previous DLCs. Despite rumors of a holiday release date, Ubisoft announced that Scott Pilgrim vs The World will arrive on January 14. You can check out the trailer for the game below.
5. Prince of Persia Remake Delayed
The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake has been delayed. Ubisoft explained that the game’s development encountered complications due to the ongoing pandemic and said, “2020 has been a year like no other… we need more time to complete the game.” Fortunately it seems the delay will not be a long one. Originally expected to launch on January 20, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is now set to arrive on March 18. You can check out the trailer for the game below.
The Daily Moot: Cyberpunk 2077 Preloads Live
1. Cyberpunk 2077 Preload
Cyberpunk 2077 preloads are officially live. While there’s still a few more days until the game finally launches, players can prepare for their day one escapades by downloading the game now on PC and Xbox. PlayStation preloads are set to arrive tomorrow. As for the game itself, PC players will be able to get access a tad sooner than console players due to the non-localized global PC launch which will arrive on December 9 at 4pm Pacific Time. Console players will instead have to wait until their local time strikes midnight on December 10. You can check out the official gameplay trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 below.
2. GTA Online Music Locker
Grand Theft Auto Online will soon be getting a new underground nightclub called The Music Locker. Unlike the game’s other nighttime establishments, The Music Locker will feature live acts and essentially function as a virtual version of a real life nightclub. The first resident acts will be Moodyman and Keinemusik, and each performer will be represented with their own in-game avatar. The Music Locker is set to open on December 15.
3. Metal Gear Solid Movie
It looks like the long awaited Metal Gear Solid movie is finally starting to come to fruition. First announced more than a decade ago in 2006, news of the project has been extremely scarce until now. Although the movie is clearly still very early in development, casting has begun with Oscar Isaac set to play the role of Solid Snake. Production is still yet to commence so it will likely be quite some time before the movie actually arrives, but considering that fans have already been waiting for 14 years, any progress is good progress at this point.
4. Hearthstone Reward System
Hearthstone recently made some pretty big changes to its reward system, but the vast majority of players are unhappy with the shift. In particular, criticism has been aimed towards the amount of gold players can earn in the new system. Although Blizzard promised that gold rewards would not be reduced, it turns out that, in fact, they were. Blizzard has now addressed the controversy, saying that they will both increase the gold value of certain quests as well as make the quests easier to complete. Blizzard is also offering a one-time login bonus of 500 gold and 5 Darkmoon Faire card packs which can be claimed from December 15 until January 18.
P.S. We've got some great events happening this week on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
Among Us Weekly Event (Week 7):
Rainbow Six Weekly Event (Week 19):
The Daily Moot: Fortnite World Cup Cancelled
1. Fortnite World Cup 2021 Cancelled
The 2021 edition of the Fortnite World Cup has been cancelled. In their statement Epic explained, “With so much still unknown about what is practical and safe, we do not plan to hold in-person events in 2021, including a Fortnite World Cup.” Following the cancellation of this year’s event, this now means that back-to-back Fortnite World Cups have been cancelled. Despite Epic’s massive commitment to Fortnite esports, only the inaugural edition of the cup has actually come to fruition. Epic says they will continue to support competitive Fortnite via smaller online tournaments, particularly through a trios-focused Fortnite Champion Series.
2. WoW Classic Naxxramas
Naxxramas has officially arrived in World of Warcraft Classic. Launching alongside the Scourge Invasion event, Naxxramas is an end-game raid designed to take up to 40 players and will provide some of the most challenging content in the game thus far. Aside from a well-prepared team, players will also need to be the max level of 60 in order to participate in the raid. You can check out the launch trailer for Naxxramas below.
3. BioWare Heads Leave
It looks like BioWare is undergoing some pretty big personnel changes. Both Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah, 2 of the studio’s most tenured leaders, are leaving the company. Hudson was best known as the general manager for BioWare and had announced the highly-anticipated Mass Effect remaster just last month. Darrah served as the executive producer of Dragon Age and had been overseeing production of the next game in the series, which is set to be unveiled in June. It’s unclear if BioWare already has replacements in mind, but hopefully these departures won’t contribute to any issues or delays for the upcoming Mass Effect and Dragon Age games.
4. Rust Charity Drive
Rust just wrapped up its Movember Moustache charity drive, raising funds for the Movember Foundation. The Movember Foundation focuses on men’s health issues such as prostate cancer and depression, and is well known for their annual awareness event which encourages people to grow moustaches during the month of November. In total, more than 20,000 Rust players purchased the in-game Movember Moustache cosmetic, raising over $80,000 for the Movember Foundation.
5. PAX 2021
PAX 2021 has officially been announced. The annual gaming convention is one of the biggest in the world, particularly for indie games, but much of this year’s event was disrupted by the ongoing pandemic. PAX organizers admit that their plans are “optimistic” but also said, “if COVID-19 remains a major barrier to safely gathering at one of our shows, we won’t do it or we will take it virtual.” As of right now, PAX East is set to begin on June 3, PAX West on September 3, and PAX Unplugged on December 10. PAX South will not be taking place next year and the dates for PAX Aus have not been announced yet.
P.S. We've got a new Rainbow Six Siege event happening right now on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check it out below!
The Daily Moot: Immortals Fenyx Rising
1. Immortals Fenyx Rising
Immortals Fenyx Rising has officially launched. Originally operating under the name Gods and Monsters, Ubisoft decided to rename the game after Monster Energy launched a trademark dispute claiming ownership rights to the name. Heavily inspired by Greek mythology, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a single player action-adventure game featuring the likes of Aphrodite, Daedalus, and Ares. Immortals Fenyx Rising is available on current and next-gen devices as well as cloud gaming services like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna; you can check out the launch trailer for the game below.
2. Sea of Thieves Seasons
Sea of Thieves will soon be implementing a massive change to their future content rollouts. Instead of the monthly updates the game has long been known for, Sea of Thieves will be switching to a seasonal approach. Each season will last 3 months and will include 1 major content update as well as numerous smaller updates and events. The shift will also see the introduction of the new “Pirate Renown” reward system which will enable players to earn a wide variety of in-game items. The first season of Sea of Thieves is set to kick off in January of next year; you can check out the developer breakdown of all the changes below.
3. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free game is Cave Story+, an action-adventure game that pays homage to the classic era of 8 and 16-bit games. You can grab your free copy of Cave Story+ directly from the Epic Games Store from now until December 10. As long as you claim the game by December 10, it will stay in your library forever.
4. The Game Awards Voting
Public voting for the Player’s Choice category of The Game Awards 2020 has officially opened. While most of the annual show’s awards are determined largely by a jury panel, the Player’s Choice award is decided exclusively by fans. The vote will be broken up into 3 rounds designed to whittle down the competition from 30 nominees to 1 grand prize winner. Some of the nominees include The Last of Us Part 2, Hades, Ori and the Will of the Wisp, Fortnite, and Among Us. The Game Awards 2020 is set to take place live on December 10.
5. Liquid Swords Studios
Cristofer Sundberg has announced that he is opening up a brand new game development studio called Liquid Swords. Best known as the creator of the Just Cause series, Sundberg was one of the co-founders of Avalanche Studios but left the company early last year. In regards to Liquid Swords Studios, which was named after the acclaimed rap album from GZA of the Wu Tang Clan, Sundberg said he would maintain the same “no-nonsense, game development-focused approach” with an emphasis on "open world action, explosions, shareable experiences and memorable game moments.”
The Daily Moot: Fortnite Zero Point
1. Fortnite Zero Point
The next season of Fortnite has finally arrived. Called Zero Point, the new season emerged following the explosive, Marvel-filled Galactus event which ushered in the end of Chapter 2 Season 4 and the start of Season 5. Although Epic has stated that their relationship with Marvel is only beginning, Zero Point will apparently stray from the comic book theme and instead be based on popular Star Wars spinoff, The Mandalorian. While this doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of some Marvel cameos, the season will be much more focused on the likes of Din Djarin and Baby Yoda Grogu. On the Fortnite side of things, Zero Point will center around Agent Jones who “needs the help from the greatest Hunters there are.” Fortnite Zero Point is live now; you can watch the story trailer for the new season below.
2. Red Dead Online Standalone
The standalone version of Red Dead Online has officially launched. While the game has been available for quite some time as the multiplayer version of Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar decided to mirror their previous approach of Grand Theft Auto V’s GTA Online, giving fans who exclusively want to play the online experience rather than the campaign the option to do so. The lack of a campaign mode comes with significant savings: Red Dead Online is available for $5 whereas the full game retails for $60. It’s important to note that the $5 price tag is a limited time offer only, so if you’re looking to grab the standalone version of Red Dead Online it’s best to do it before the price bumps up to $20 on February 15 of next year. You can check out the trailer for Red Dead Online Standalone below.
3. Dead Cells Fatal Falls
Dead Cells will soon be getting a new DLC called Fatal Falls. The second paid DLC since the game first launched in 2017, Fatal Falls will be one of the game’s biggest yet, introducing 2 new biomes and a brand new boss. All of the new content will be centered around the midgame and can be encountered around the time players would normally run into biomes like Stilt Village and Clock Tower. Along with the major updates, the DLC will also include plenty of minor improvements such as new guns, enemies, and animations. The Fatal Falls DLC will cost $5 and is set to arrive early next year; you can check out the trailer for the expansion below.
4. New Bungie Game?
It looks like Bungie has some big plans in store. Pete Parsons, the CEO behind the Halo and Destiny developer, announced during a recent interview that the studio is seeking to “bring new titles to bear with that secret sauce of what a Bungie game is” and that various “incubation” projects have already been under development for “about 3 years.” Unfortunately, Parsons refused to give any details about what’s in store, closing the interview by claiming, “I wish I could say more, but I think you will be pretty excited.”
5. Daybreak Games Acquired by EG7
Daybreak Games has been acquired by the massive gaming cooperative EG7. Originally founded as a Sony subsidiary called Sony Online Entertainment, Daybreak Games is the studio behind several major titles such as EverQuest, Planetside, H1Z1, and The Lord of the Rings Online. The purchase wasn’t a cheap one; EG7 shelled out a whopping $300M for the acquisition which comes just days after the company bought MechWarrior developer Piranha Games for nearly $50M. EG7 CEO Robin Flodin explained the purchase by saying, “Daybreak is a perfect fit for EG7, we are a family of companies with complementary skills and expertise,” and asserted the partnership's eagerness “to deliver amazing games and experiences to gamers around the world.”
The Daily Moot: Operation Neon Dawn
1. Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Neon Dawn
The long-awaited new “supercharged” Rainbow Six Siege season Operation Neon Dawn is finally here. The final season of Year 5, Operation Neon Dawn brings several exciting changes to the game including a Skyscraper map rework, improved accessibility features, and a brand new operator named Aruni. Aruni is a Thai defender equipped with “Surya Gate,” a unique gadget which enables her to neutralize enemy drones and projectiles. Rainbow Six Siege Operation Neon Dawn is live now; you can check out the freshly-released story trailer for the new season below.
2. Black Ops Cold War XP Changes
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has now implemented new changes designed to make levelling up weapons just a little bit easier. Treyarch announced in yesterday’s patch notes that weapon XP rates have been permanently boosted in both multiplayer and zombies game modes, although they didn’t provide specifics as to how significant the boost is. A persistent bug which throttled the XP rates of solo zombies players has also been fixed, which means that players who frequently play zombies solo will likely see very noticeable improvements to their experience gains. Lastly, Treyarch also announced plans for more double XP events which are expected to arrive periodically throughout December.
3. Xbox Series X/S Update
Microsoft has begun rolling out its very first major update for the Xbox Series X/S. The update introduces a host of new features including dynamic backgrounds, badges for optimized games, and the ability to add existing Xbox family members to a new console. Of these, the new dynamic backgrounds will likely be the first thing to grab players’ attention. There are 6 different dynamic backgrounds to choose from and Microsoft intends to “explore additional styles, colors, and designs” as “fan feedback on the feature has been very positive.” The update also included “the usual bug fixes and performance improvements,” but Microsoft didn’t provide specifics and declined to mention whether or not the console’s often-buggy Quick Resume feature had been fixed.
4. DOOM Eternal: Super Gore Nest
DOOM Eternal just got a brand new master level called “Super Gore Nest.” Often considered to be among the most challenging levels in the DOOM series, many players were surprised by the relative lack of master levels in DOOM Eternal. On release, Eternal only offered 1 master level to most players with an additional level available for those who pre-ordered the game. Bethesda promised back in March that more would be coming in the future. Now, nearly 9 months later, it seems the future has finally arrived. The new “bigger, badder, beefier Super Gore Nest” features “remixed demon encounters that bring an all-new combat experience” to the game. The Super Gore Nest master level is live now on all available platforms and DOOM Eternal itself is set to arrive on the Xbox Game Pass for PC on December 3. You can check out the trailer for the level below.
5. Fall Guys Ringus Dingus?
Fall Guys is adding more shenanigans to the game, this time in the form of penguins and Christmas bells. As with many of the game’s previous updates, Mediatonic is calling on fans to decide the name of one of the key aspects of the upcoming holiday affair: the swinging bell. The options to choose from are Ringus Dingus, Slay Bell, Swingding, and Swinging Belle, but as of right now Ringus Dingus leads the pack by a significant margin. Not many details about the actual event have been released yet, but it is expected that Mediatonic will unveil their plans during the Fall Guys showcase at The Game Awards on December 10.
P.S. There's a new Among Us event happening this week on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check it out below!
The Daily Moot: Cyber Monday
1. Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday is officially here, bringing some of the year’s biggest deals in gaming. Essentially every major retailer is having massive sales on gaming-related items today including GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon, and Target. Some of the most notable deals include all-time low prices for games such as Watch Dogs Legion ($30 at Amazon and Best Buy), DOOM Eternal ($20 at GameStop), and Star Wars Squadrons ($17 at Amazon and GameStop). While there is certainly no shortage of sales to be found, it’s worth noting that many of these deals will only be available today and “while supplies last,” so if you’re after something in particular, you might want to hurry before stock runs out.
2. Cyberpunk Post-Launch Secrecy
CD Projekt Red has finally explained the studio’s recent silence regarding the post-launch plans for Cyberpunk 2077. Similar to their approach with The Witcher 3, CD Projekt has long said that Cyberpunk will have robust post-launch support and content, with many fans keying in on the game’s upcoming DLC and multiplayer mode. Unfortunately however, it appears that details will remain sparse for the foreseeable future. CD Projekt CEO Adam Kiciński said that although the “initial plan” was to unveil major post-launch plans during the buildup to Cyberpunk 2077’s release, the most recent delay of the game convinced the team to wait until after launch instead. Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on December 10; you can watch the official gameplay trailer below.
3. Super Nintendo World Opening
The grand opening of Super Nintendo World is finally on the horizon. The highly-anticipated Mario-themed expansion to Universal Studios Japan, Super Nintendo World was originally slated to open in July of this year but plans were derailed by the pandemic. Universal Studios Japan announced that the expansion would be delayed indefinitely back in June, but now it seems that the company is finally ready to let eager fans patronize the park. Super Nintendo World is set to open at limited capacity on February 4 of next year; you can check out the trailer for the theme park below.
4. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free game is MudRunner, “the ultimate off-road experience.” You can grab your free copy of MudRunner directly from the Epic Games Store from now until December 3. As long as you claim the game by December 3, it will stay in your library forever.
5. TinyBuild Secret Neighbor
TinyBuild has officially purchased Secret Neighbor developer Hologryph Studios. Secret Neighbor is the multiplayer spinoff of the Hello Neighbor franchise, which has sold a whopping 60 million copies across all platforms. Considering TinyBuild purchased Hello Neighbor developer Eerie Guest earlier this year, it isn’t particularly surprising that the company also sought to acquire Hologryph in order to get the entire franchise under one roof. A sequel to the cult hit, Hello Neighbor 2, is still under development but the alpha version is currently playable for free on Steam. Although no concrete release date has been announced yet, Hello Neighbor 2 is expected to see its official launch sometime next year.
The Daily Moot: Fortnite Monthly Subscription
1. Fortnite Crew
Fortnite is officially getting a monthly subscription service. News came out earlier this month that Epic had been polling players for opinions about a possible subscription service, and now Epic is making the idea a reality. Called Fortnite Crew, the new package will cost $12 per month and include the current season battle pass, 1000 V-Bucks every month, and a monthly crew pack containing an exclusive outfit bundle. Fortnite Crew is set to go live alongside the start of Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 5 on December 2.
2. Golden Joystick Awards
The 2020 Golden Joystick Awards is officially underway. The Golden Joystick Awards is the largest publicly voted gaming awards ceremony in the world and recognizes a wide variety of video games and gaming personnel each year. Some of the nominees for this year’s “Ultimate Game of the Year” include The Last of Us 2, Genshin Impact, Ghost of Tsushima, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Fall Guys, and Hades. You can watch the entire ceremony live on Twitch and YouTube today starting at 12:30pm Pacific Time.
3. Red Dead Online Standalone
Red Dead Online will soon be launching as a standalone game. Much like Grand Theft Auto V’s GTA Online, Rockstar views the online game mode as the one with the most longevity and stated, “Right now the team is focused on building on top of and into the world of Read Dead Online.” The game will cost just $5 as long as you purchase it before February 15 of next year, after which the price will jump to $20. The standalone version of Red Dead Online is expected to launch alongside the newly-announced Bounty Hunters expansion on December 1.
4. Minecraft Permanent Bans
Minecraft just added new tools enabling moderators to permanently ban players from the game. While single player games will remain unmoderated, this will affect players who use Realms or Featured Servers as well as online communication features such as signposts and books. The permanent bans “extend to all versions of Minecraft” and are targeted towards users who violate the community guidelines in a way that is severe or “meant to cause harm to others.” Mojang says that they are also “working on introducing temporary bans for lesser offenses,” but didn’t provide a target date for when the temporary bans might arrive.
5. Rainbow Six Siege Charity Program
Ubisoft has announced a new Rainbow Six Siege charity initiative called the Sixth Guardian Program. The program will offer a new bundle filled with special in-game cosmetics each season with 100% of the net proceeds going to charity. The first Sixth Guardian bundle will support The AbleGamers Charity and offer a new Doc uniform, headgear, weapon skin, and charm for $6. The Sixth Guardian Program is officially set to get underway once Year 5 Season 4 launches in February of next year.
P.S. We've got some great events happening this week on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
Black Ops Cold War Event:
Among Us Weekly Event (Week 5):
The Daily Moot: Cyberpunk Deals With DMCAs
1. Cyberpunk Deals With DMCAs
CD Projekt Red has announced that Cyberpunk 2077 will include a feature that enables players to disable any copyrighted music in the game. This comes in response to the widespread issues streamers have been having with DMCA copyright claims. The studio says that although the Cyberpunk will feature “over 150 songs” from artists across a variety of genres, “not all of these songs can be streamed or used in your video content.” If you decide to disable the copyrighted songs, you can still listen to the non-copyrighted songs as well as a “robust original score” created by the studio’s in-house composers. Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on December 10; you can check out the newly-released official gameplay trailer below.
2. Roblox Ready Player Two
Roblox is currently holding a Ready Player Two crossover event to celebrate the upcoming release of the highly-anticipated novel. Broken up into 7 different pieces, the event is essentially a treasure hunt and mirrors the general theme of the original novel, Ready Player One. The first section of the event is already available but it looks like many of the activities won’t fully start until December 1. Ready Player Two is set to arrive tomorrow, November 24.
3. The World Ends With You Sequel
Square Enix has announced that the cult classic game The World Ends With You will soon be getting a sequel called NEO: The World Ends With You. Much like the original, NEO will once again take players to a stylized version of Shibuya where they will have to partake in another “Reaper’s Game.” Although no concrete release date has been revealed, Square Enix expects the game to launch on both PS4 and Nintendo Switch in summer of next year. You can check out the announcement trailer for NEO: The World Ends With You below.
4. Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie
The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is officially set to begin filming. First announced more than 2 years ago, the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie has endured many difficulties and the game’s creator Scott Cawthon wrote that it was “a real challenge for everyone to come up with a good screenplay for this.” Although it certainly wasn’t a quick process, the team seems to have finally created a screenplay they are happy with as Cawthon announced that “filming starts in Spring.” There’s no word yet on a target release date but it seems that the movie likely won’t hit theaters until 2022.
5. Dragon Age Director New Studio
Mike Laidlaw, the former creative director of the Dragon Age series, has now opened up a brand new studio called Yellow Brick Games. The studio is currently composed of 15 industry veterans, many of whom previously held notable positions at studios such as EA, BioWare, and Ubisoft. Yellow Brick Games has yet to announce their debut title but Laidlaw says his mission is to make “new games of high quality” with a “craftsmanship approach.”
The Daily Moot: PlayStation Game Pass?
1. PlayStation Game Pass?
It looks like PlayStation may soon be getting a game pass of its own. This information comes via Sony CEO Jim Ryan who says there is “news to come” regarding a PlayStation response to the Xbox Game Pass. The Xbox Game Pass, which now offers many highly-anticipated games on day one, has been incredibly successful for Microsoft and nearly 75% of Xbox Series X/S owners are subscribed to the monthly service. While Sony does have its robust PlayStation Now service, PlayStation Now is more centered around older titles rather than new releases. It's unclear if Sony is intending to make the PlayStation Game Pass a standalone service or an expansion of PlayStation Now, and although Jim Ryan said there is “news to come,” he didn’t exactly say when that news would be arriving. Regardless, the prospect of a PlayStation Game Pass is certainly something to look forward to for the many PlayStation fans who have been eyeing the Xbox Game Pass with envy.
2. Last of Us TV Show
The long-rumored TV show based on The Last of Us is finally happening. HBO announced today that they have officially ordered a new “The Last of Us” TV series and confirmed that creative director Neil Druckmann and Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin would both be working on the project. There’s no target release date yet, which makes sense considering that everything is still very early in production, but HBO says that the show will air on both the HBO channel and HBO Max once it arrives.
3. GTA Online: Cayo Perico Heist
GTA Online will soon be getting a brand new heist. Called the Cayo Perico Heist, the new adventure will take players to the sunny shores of a remote island compound run by “the world’s most notorious drug dealer.” Along with the heist itself, the update will also introduce a handful of other new content to the game such as weapons, vehicles, social spaces, and radio stations. The Cayo Perico Heist is set to arrive on December 15; you can check out the trailer for the heist below.
4. Project 007
IO Interactive, the studio behind the acclaimed Hitman series, has announced that they are working on a new James Bond game codenamed Project 007. Although very few details about the unnamed project have been released yet, IO Interactive says that the game will feature a “wholly original Bond story” where players will “step into the shoes of the world's favourite Secret Agent to earn their 00 status in the very first James Bond origin story.” While this news is certainly exciting for 007 fans, it will likely be quite some time before the game is released as it appears the project is still in early development. You can check out the teaser trailer for Project 007 below.
5. The Big House 10 Canceled
The Big House 10 Super Smash Bros. tournament has been cancelled. The Big House is one of the longest-running annual Smash tournaments in the world and has been held every single year since 2011, but Nintendo of America has now issued a cease-and-desist order causing the cancellation of this year’s event. This is largely because The Big House, which is normally an in-person event, had to move online this year because of the pandemic. According to Nintendo, the tournament’s shift to online “requires use of illegally copied versions of the game in conjunction with a mod called “Slippi” during the online event,” neither of which are approved by Nintendo. In their statement, The Big House said that they were “heartbroken” by the news but “forced to comply with the order.”
The Daily Moot: Fortnite Returning to iOS
1. Fortnite Returning to iOS
It’s official: Fortnite will soon be returning to Apple devices. Nvidia announced today that their GeForce Now game streaming service has launched in beta on iOS and that Fortnite is “coming soon.” GeForce Now enables players to enjoy PC games on a variety of different devices via Nvidia’s cloud technology, which makes it so that even underpowered devices like mobile phones and old laptops can run cutting-edge games at max settings with no problem. Because GeForce Now is accessed through a web browser rather than a dedicated app, this means that iOS users will soon be able to play Fortnite on iOS by using GeForce Now through Safari. It’s important to note that GeForce Now games are intended to be played with controllers rather than touch screens, but Epic Games says that they’re working on a “touch-friendly version of Fortnite” which will “delay availability of the game” on GeForce Now but also make the finished product more accessible for mobile users. GeForce Now is available now on iOS, and while players may have to wait a little bit longer for Fortnite, Nvidia says that “members can look for the game on iOS Safari soon.”
2. Far Cry 6 Release Date
It looks like the new release date for Far Cry 6 may have been revealed. Far Cry 6 was originally expected to launch in February 2021 but Ubisoft decided to postpone the release until at least April due to complications caused by the ongoing pandemic. Ubisoft has been silent about a concrete launch date ever since they announced the delay, but as with many games this year, it appears that the date was leaked by an online retailer. The culprit this time is the Microsoft Store, which revealed that Far Cry 6 is now set to arrive on May 25. You can check out the trailer for the upcoming game below.
3. Free Google Stadia Kits
Google is giving away free Stadia premiere kits to players who purchase Cyberpunk 2077 on the cloud gaming service. The free package, which normally retails for $100, includes a Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra, and a one-month subscription to Stadia Pro. Players who already have a Stadia Pro subscription will instead be able to get $10 off the price of Cyberpunk 2077. The offer is available now through December 17 or “until supplies last,” but because Google didn’t say how many free kits were available, players who are interested in the deal should probably act sooner rather than later.
4. World of Warcraft Designer Quits
World of Warcraft game designer Chris Kaleiki has quit his position at Blizzard after working with the company for more than 13 years. While something like wouldn’t normally be big news because Kaleiki wasn’t in a lead position, this particular situation is notable because of the reason for his departure. Specifically, Kaleiki put out a 15-minute video explaining that he quit his World of Warcraft design job because he was “unhappy with the state of the game.” Although he mentioned several aspects that left him feeling “disconnected,” Kaleski went on to state that he thinks “long-term, WoW and Blizzard will be totally fine,” and says that he’s excited to move on from the company and work on “the next big virtual world instead.”
5. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free games are Elite Dangerous and The World Next Door. You can grab your free copy of these games directly from the Epic Games Store from now until November 26. As long as you claim the games by November 26, they will stay in your library forever.
P.S. We've got some great events happening this week on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
Destiny 2: Beyond Light Event:
Black Ops Cold War Event:
Rainbow Six Weekly Event (Week 17):
The Daily Moot: The Game Awards 2020 Nominees
1. The Game Awards 2020 Nominees
The nominees for the 2020 edition of The Game Awards have finally been revealed. A total of 75 different games earned nominations across the ceremony’s 23 different categories; The Last of Us Part 2 garnered the most overall nominations with 10, followed by Supergiant Games’ indie hit Hades with 9. The Game of the Year nominees include the aforementioned The Last of Us Part 2 and Hades, as well as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Ghost of Tsushima. The Game Awards 2020 is set to kick off on December 10; you can check out the official announcement video below.
2. Fortnite Video Chat
Fortnite has now introduced in-game video chat. The feature uses Houseparty, a chat app that was acquired by Epic Games last year, to enable players to stream live feeds of up to 4 players in their Fortnite lobby. In order to use the feature, players have to link their Epic and Houseparty accounts and then use the Houseparty app on an Android or iOS device to serve as their camera. Fortnite’s video chat is currently only available on PC, PS4, and PS5, and Epic declined to state whether or not the feature would be coming to other games or devices in the future.
3. Pokemon Go: Go Beyond
Niantic has announced that Pokemon Go will soon be getting one of its biggest updates ever: “Go Beyond.” Go Beyond brings a massive number of major changes to the game such as increasing the level cap from 40 to 50, the arrival of Pokemon from the Kalos region, and the new implementation of seasons. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall will now all have unique attributes that affect things such as Pokemon encounter rates, Mega-Evolutions, and in-game events. Pokemon Go: Go Beyond is scheduled to arrive on November 30; you can check out the trailer for the update below.
4. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Trailer
The launch trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity has been revealed. The upcoming new crossover game between Dynasty Warriors and The Legend of Zelda, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity combines both universes and serves as a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is set to arrive on November 20; you can check out the new launch trailer for the game below.
5. Spelunky 2 PC Multiplayer
Developer Derek Yu has unveiled some new details about Spelunky 2’s upcoming multiplayer game mode on PC. Originally expected to be included when the game launched a couple of months ago, multiplayer was delayed on PC after it had “a bit of a rocky start on PS4.” Yu initially announced that there would be 3 “major improvements” for the mode before releasing it on PC, and now 2 of those 3 improvements have been completed. He expects the final one to be finished soon with online play finally ready to launch in “early December.”
The Daily Moot: Next-Gen Supply Shortages
1. Xbox Series X Availability
Microsoft has revealed some new details about the expected availability of the Xbox Series X/S and it doesn’t look good for consumers. Xbox CFO Tim Stewart announced that the company expects to “continue to see supply shortages” until “the pre-summer months” next year. This means that many players may have to wait until April 2021 or later in order to get their hands on a next-gen Xbox. Nvidia has similarly seen demand outweigh supply with their RTX 3000 series GPUs which are largely expected to be unavailable until next year, and although Sony hasn’t announced anything concrete with the PlayStation 5, it seems likely that they will see significant supply shortages with their next-gen console as well.
2. Tachanka Returns
After spending more than a month confined to the test server, the reworked version of Tachanka finally arrived today on the Rainbow Six Siege live servers. Often considered one of the worst operators in the game, Tachanka received several significant improvements in the rework designed to change that impression. For example, Tachanka now has the Withstand ability and can use his LMG as a primary weapon. For a preview of everything the new Tachanka has to offer, you can check out the official rework gameplay trailer below.
3. Minecraft Star Wars
Minecraft just got a new Star Wars crossover event adding a host of intergalactic goodies to the game. The new content predominately revolves around the original Star Wars trilogy in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, but also includes other favorites like Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian. The Star Wars DLC is available now on the Minecraft marketplace; you can check out the trailer for the event below.
4. Overwatch Priority Pass
Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan revealed the upcoming new “priority pass” which will make significant changes to the game’s matchmaking system. The priority pass is designed to both improve queue times as well as reward players who are willing to flex their role. Here’s how it works: players who flex queue will earn a certain amount of priority passes based on whether they win or lose the match. Players can then use those priority passes to “enter a faster queue than you would normally get otherwise” when playing an impacted role in the future. Kaplan didn’t provide a concrete release date for the new matchmaking feature but did say that it would be “coming soon” to the test server.
5. Destiny 2 Insta Kill Exploit
It looks like even more bugs have arisen from Destiny 2’s massive new Beyond Light expansion. Just days after Bungie removed 2 weapons from the game for being overpowered, players have now found an exploit that enables the new Shadebinder Warlock subclass to instantly kill several of the game’s bosses. Bungie senior community manager Dylan Gafner acknowledged the bug by saying that the team “is investigating alternative fixes” but also said that there are “no plans to delay” the upcoming World First raid race on November 21.
We've got some great events happening this week on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
Destiny 2: Beyond Light Event:
Black Ops Cold War Event:
Among Us Weekly Event (Week 4):
The Daily Moot: Capcom Hack Exposed 350,000 People's Data
1. Capcom Hack New Details
Capcom has released new details regarding their recent ransomware attack finally giving an idea as to how severe the hack was. Between North America and Japan, Capcom estimates that approximately 350,000 people had their personal data compromised in the attack. This includes people such as customers, business partners, and shareholders, and data such as names, addresses, and phone numbers. Capcom stressed that no credit card information was exposed during the hack, but did say that at least 2 former employees had their passport information compromised. Capcom went on to extend its “deepest apologies for any complications or concerns caused by this incident,” and committed to “endeavor to further strengthen its management structure while pursuing legal options regarding criminal acts.”
2. Black Ops Cold War Double XP
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is currently holding a double XP event to help players grind their levels in the newly released game. Treyarch launched the event as a surprise yesterday and while it was initially scheduled to last just 24 hours, the company decided to extend it to 48 hours following player complaints about the short duration. Double XP works in both multiplayer and zombies game modes and is set to last from now until tomorrow, November 17 at 10 Pacific Time. You can check out the launch trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War below.
3. Microsoft Bethesda Update
Microsoft has finally shared some more concrete details regarding their plans with Bethesda. During a recent virtual conference Xbox CFO Tim Stuart said very plainly, “We don’t have intentions of just pulling all of Bethesda content out of Sony or Nintendo,” meaning Bethesda games will still be available on other platforms for the foreseeable future. With that said however, Stuart also declared that Bethesda games will be “either first or better on our platforms," suggesting that Xbox players will receive some additional perks in comparison to other platforms.
4. Deathloop Release Date
Following an apparent leak by the PlayStation Store, Bethesda has now confirmed the official release date for Deathloop. Deathloop is an upcoming first-person shooter assassin game developed by studio Arkane Lyon, best known as the creators of the Dishonored franchise, and features a supernatural time loop which players must struggle to break free from. Deathloop is set to launch on May 21 of next year; you can check out the release date reveal trailer below.
5. Daisuke Sato Sonic Game?
After more than 25 years at SEGA, Daisuke Sato has announced that he is finally looking to make a Sonic game. While Daisuke Sato is probably best known as the series producer for the Yakuza franchise, he has also worked on games such as Virtua Fighter, Super Monkey Ball, and Streets of Rage. In his statement Sato said, “When you hear SEGA you think Sonic. I'd like to get involved once at least.” Assuming that Sato gets his wish, he assures that his version would be “a completely different Sonic.” You can check out SEGA's complete interview with Daisuke Sato below.
The Daily Moot: Black Ops Cold War Launch
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is officially here. The 17th overall game in the Call of Duty series and the 6th installment of the Black Ops series, Cold War acts as a direct sequel to the original Black Ops and a direct prequel to Black Ops 2. Aside from the story mode, Cold War not only includes the familiar CoD offerings such as multiplayer and zombies, but also brings in the next era of the Warzone battle royale mode. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on both current-gen and next-gen systems; you can check out the official launch trailer for the game below.
2. Nintendo Game & Watch
Nintendo just released a brand new edition of their original handheld console, the Game & Watch. Called the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. edition, the new console comes alongside the celebrations for this year’s 40th anniversary of the Game & Watch, as well as the 35th anniversary of Super Mario. Although it’s likely more of a novelty than anything else, Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. does come preloaded with a few different games including Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Ball. You can check out the trailer for the Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. edition below.
3. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free game is The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia and is best described as a typeracer with bullet hell mechanics. You can grab your free copy of The Textorcist directly from the Epic Games Store from now until November 19. As long as you claim the game by November 19, it will stay in your library forever.
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games
4. Exit the Gungeon: Hello to Arms
Exit the Gungeon, the arcade-style twist on Enter the Gungeon, just got a new expansion today called Hello to Arms. The update introduces tons of new content to the game including new guns, items, and NPCs along with a brand-new boss and game mode. Hello to Arms is free for all players who own the base game; you can check out the trailer for the expansion below.
The Daily Moot: PlayStation 5 Has Arrived
1. PS5 Launch
The PlayStation 5 is officially here. The long-awaited, next-generation PlayStation finally launched today, joining the Xbox Series X/S in the new era of console gaming. Like the arrival of the new Xbox just 2 days ago, availability of the PS5 on release day has been sporadic and many retailers have been going through a cycle of selling out and getting new stock over the course of the day. This has been the case for both versions of the console, the standard edition of which costs $500 while the digital edition costs $400. You can check out the launch trailer featuring the new PlayStation-exclusive Demon’s Souls, which just launched today alongside the PS5, below.
2. Destiny 2 Guns Removed
The highly-anticipated Destiny 2: Beyond Light expansion just went live a couple of days ago, but Bungie has already had to make changes due to bugs and other unforeseen issues. This includes the complete removal of 2 of the game’s brand new exotic guns: the Rose hand cannon and Witherhoard grenade launcher. The Rose hand cannon was supposed to be nerfed in a hotfix from 150rpm to 140rpm but the fix didn’t work so Bungie disabled the gun entirely. The Witherhoard grenade launcher on the other hand had a bug that made its damage over time effect a guaranteed kill in PvP. Bungie is currently investigating a host of issues with the new expansion so it might be a few days before the guns find their way back into the game. In the meantime, you can check out the new Season of the Hunt trailer for Destiny 2: Beyond Light below.
3. Plague Inc: The Cure
Plague Inc now has a new expansion out called “The Cure.” In stark contrast to the game’s regular gameplay, The Cure game mode will have players attempt to “save the world by controlling the global pandemic response” amidst a plague. The new expansion, which developer Ndemic Creations is calling the game’s “biggest yet,” is available for free for all players who own the base game from now “until COVID-19 is under control." You can check out the teaser for The Cure expansion below
4. No Apex Legends Quads
Respawn has confirmed that Apex Legends will not be getting a 4-player quads mode. Apex Legends design director James McCord announced, “We don't have any plans to release Quads. It's chaotic in a negative way. We needed to decide this early on in testing. Trios is the magic number for us.” While it’s important to note that this announcement doesn’t rule out the possibility of a 4-player LTE mode, this certainly is not good news for those who were hoping for the arrival of competitive quads.
5. Half-Life: Alyx Developer Commentary
Half-Life: Alyx just got a new game mode featuring in-depth commentary from the game’s developers. The update adds more than 3 hours of new content to the game via 147 different “points of interest” which players can interact with to hear the developers talk about “every aspect” of the game. It's important to note that Valve highly recommends players beat the regular game before trying the developer commentary mode as it contains “significant spoilers.” You can check out the Half-Life: Alyx commentary update trailer below.
P.S. We've got some great events happening right now on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
Destiny 2: Beyond Light Event:
PS5 Celebration Twitter Event:
The Daily Moot: Next-Gen Gaming Has Arrived
1. Xbox Series X/S Launch
Next-gen gaming is finally here. With today’s launch of the Xbox Series X and Series S, the next generation of consoles has officially arrived, ushering in a new era of console gaming. The Xbox Series X will enable players to enjoy 4K resolution gaming at up to 120 frames per second and provides the improved hardware that developers need in order to make more demanding, resource-intensive games. The all-digital Xbox Series S is slightly less powerful than the Series X, but significantly cheaper at $300 compared to $500. Both consoles are available now but most retailers have had intermittent availability so it may require some looking around before you find a store that has one in stock. You can check out the official launch trailer for the Xbox Series X/S below.
2. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has officially launched. The 12th mainline game in the Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set during the Viking invasion of Britain and has players assume the role of a fictional Viking raider named Eivor. The game was originally expected to launch on November 17, but Ubisoft decided to advance the release date in order to coincide with today’s launch of the Xbox Series X/S. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available on both current-gen and next-gen systems and will be arriving on the PlayStation 5 when it launches on November 12. You can check out Ubisoft’s official deep dive trailer for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla below.
3. Fortnite Monthly Subscription?
It looks like Fortnite may soon be getting monthly subscriptions. No announcements have been made yet, but Epic Games has reportedly been sending surveys to players asking for opinions on a monthly subscription package. The package would include the current season battle pass, an outfit pack that will give players cosmetic items before they arrive in the shop, and 1,000 V-bucks each month. The proposed price points range from $5 to $19 and it seems like player reception has been positive overall. It’s important to note that none of this news means that Fortnite will actually be getting a monthly subscription for certain, but it’s clear that the idea is very much on the Epic Games radar.
4. Genshin Impact Leaking Phone Numbers
Genshin Impact has apparently been accidentally exposing users’ phone numbers. The issue revolves around the password recovery process which prompts users to verify the mobile phone number associated with their account. Instead of providing a censored version of the phone number for verification, a bug made it so that the page displayed the entire uncensored number for some users. This meant that any hacker who tried to steal an account by resetting its password was also able to acquire the phone number linked to the account. Developer miHoYo has since fixed the issue, but it’s unclear how many users had their data leaked before the bug was patched.
5. Cyberpunk Release Date Confirmed
CD Projekt Red has re-confirmed the release date of Cyberpunk 2077 to be December 10. This news comes after rumors recently began circulating claiming that the long-awaited game would be getting delayed yet again. CD Projekt Red responded by saying, “As a rule, we don’t comment on rumors or speculation” but would confirm “the new launch date of December 10.” While this wouldn’t be the first time that the game got delayed after the studio “100% confirmed” its launch date, this news should still be reassuring to the many fans who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cyberpunk 2077 just one month from today.
P.S. We've got some great events happening right now on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
PS5 Celebration Twitter Event:
Among Us Weekly Event (Week 3):
The Daily Moot: PS5 FAQ Reveals New Details
1. PS5 New Details
Sony just posted a massive FAQ revealing “everything you want to know about PlayStation 5.” The list shares “in-depth details about the PlayStation 5 hardware, the DualSense wireless controller, system features, software details, and much, much, much more,” and while many of the points were already well known, there were a few new details unveiled as well. On the plus side, we now know that all games on the PS5 will be region free, meaning that you’ll be able to play a game even if it didn’t get an official release in your country. Unfortunately there was also some bad news revealed, including the fact that the PS5 will not support 1440p resolution and will not allow users to store PS5 games on an external USB drive. The PlayStation 5 is set to launch on November 12; you can check out Sony’s complete FAQ for the console below.
2. Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Destiny 2’s massive expansion Beyond Light is almost here. Although Bungie has yet to make any official announcements, they are expected to host a small end-of-season pre-expansion event tonight in the Tower as a celebration for the upcoming DLC. Once the event ends around 7pm Pacific Time, the servers will shut down for extended maintenance and players will not be able to log back in until the expansion officially arrives on November 10. You can check out the launch trailer for Beyond Light below.
3. Genshin Impact Visual Novel
It sounds like Genshin Impact will soon be getting a short visual novel adaptation as part of the upcoming “Stone Harbor Treasure Journal” event. The Stone Harbor Treasure Journal will be a text-based adventure similar to a visual novel and will have players travel to Liyue where they can complete various tasks and jobs around the city. Players will learn about the game’s 2 upcoming new characters in Zhongli and Childe, and be able to earn up to 200 Urgestein and 50,000 Mora by finishing the event. Developer miHoYo hasn’t announced when Stone Harbor Treasure Journal will launch yet, but it seems that the event will likely start alongside the arrival of update 1.1 on November 11.
4. New Mass Effect Game
It looks like a new Mass Effect game is in the works. During the recent N7 Day event, BioWare announced that “a veteran team has been hard at work envisioning the next chapter of the Mass Effect universe.” Although very few details have been released yet, the small amount of artwork that has been revealed is leading many fans to believe the game will be a sequel to Andromeda. In addition to the new game, BioWare also announced the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a 4K remaster of the original Mass Effect trilogy, which will be arriving sometime next year. You can check out the official teaser trailer for the Mass Effect Legendary Edition below.
5. The Master Chief Collection Halo 4
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is finally set to come to a close. Along with a brand-new trailer, developer 343 Industries announced that the final game in the collection, Halo 4, will be arriving on November 17. In addition to Halo 4, the collection now includes Halo 1-3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo: Reach. Fans have called for the studio to add Halo 5 to the mix, but 343 Industries stated that it “is not currently in our plans for MCC right now.” You can check out the new Halo 4 trailer for the Master Chief Collection below.
The Daily Moot: The Future of Call of Duty: Warzone
1. Warzone Synchronization
Infinity Ward and Raven Software have finally unveiled “The Future of Call of Duty: Warzone.” While the name is a bit dramatic, the post essentially explains how the battle royale mode will progress and work across multiple different generations and games following the imminent release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Warzone will have its own overall levelling system but will also share aspects with both Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War (as well as any future title) such as weapons, operators, maps, and cosmetics. For the full breakdown of how Warzone’s synchronization will work you can check out Infinity Ward’s “The Future of Call of Duty: Warzone” post below; Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set to launch November 13.
2. Rockstar Next-Gen Plans
Rockstar has revealed their next-gen plans for Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. The studio announced that both games will be backwards compatible and that the current PS4 and Xbox One versions will be playable on their next-gen counterparts. Unfortunately Rockstar didn’t say whether or not they plan to provide free upgrades of the games once their dedicated next-gen editions arrive, but we do know that an enhanced edition of GTA V is already in the works and that a PS5 version of GTA Online is set to launch in 2021.
3. K/DA All Out
“All Out,” the debut EP from League of Legends virtual K-pop group K/DA, is officially here. The album contains a total of 5 tracks, 3 of which are brand new. The songs are technically performed by Ahri, Kai'Sa, Evelynn, Akali, and Seraphine from League of Legends, but feature vocals from popular artists such as (G)-IDLE, Twice, Bea Miller, Wolftyla, and Aluna. You can check out the new EP on most music streaming services including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
4. Kerbal Space Program 2 Delayed
Kerbal Space Program 2 has been delayed once again. This marks the 3rd time the highly-anticipated sequel has been delayed, but creative director Nate Simpson indicated that the team is clearly looking long-term as he stated, “Quality is paramount. We’re creating a reliable foundation on which players and modders alike can build for another decade or more.” Initially expected to arrive this year, then delayed to 2021, Kerbal Space Program 2 is now set to launch sometime in 2022.
5. Capcom Hacked
Capcom has been hacked and is apparently now being extorted for $11 million. Capcom issued a press release acknowledging the hack earlier this week, but new details have emerged suggesting that the attack was ransomware designed to get the company to pay to avoid having their sensitive data leaked. The ransom note in this case claims to have downloaded “accounting files, banking statements, intellectual property, and clients and employees personal information,” with the attackers saying that the “data will be published and/or sold through an auction to any third-parties” unless Capcom pays the hackers $11 million. Capcom stated that no user data was obtained in the breach, but has yet to comment on the reports of extortion.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54840768
P.S. We've got some great events happening right now on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
Rainbow Six Weekly Event (Week 16):
Among Us Weekly Event (Week 3):
The Daily Moot: Fortnite Returning to iOS?
1. Fortnite Returning to iOS?
It sounds like Fortnite may soon be returning to Apple devices albeit in a roundabout way. According to a recent report by the BBC, Fortnite will soon be playable via Nvidia’s GeForce Now game streaming service. The report goes on to state that although GeForce Now is not currently available on iOS devices, an announcement confirming its launch is expected to arrive “before the winter holidays.” Because GeForce now will be accessible through Safari’s web browser, players should be able to play Fortnite on iOS without having to worry about Apple’s ban on Epic Games apps. Both Epic and Nvidia declined to confirm the rumors, but assuming the report is true, we’ll likely be receiving some more official information by December.
2. Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Neon Dawn
Ubisoft has released a new teaser trailer for the upcoming Rainbow Six Siege expansion Operation Neon Dawn. Operation Neon Dawn will be the game’s 19th expansion and will introduce the game’s newest operator, Aruni. A laser-wielding defender with a prosthetic arm, Aruni will be the 57th operator on the Rainbow Six Siege roster, as she follows the release of Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher as codename Zero. Operation Neon Dawn is set to be officially revealed on November 8; you can check out the teaser trailer for the upcoming expansion below.
3. PS5 No Expandable SSD on Launch
Sony has revealed that the PlayStation 5 will not support expandable SSD storage on launch despite the console having an internal slot dedicated for it. It will be available in the future, as Sony explained that it’s “reserved for a future update,” but the company didn’t indicate a time frame as to when the update might arrive. The PlayStation 5 will still support external USB storage on launch, so players shouldn’t have to worry too much about having access to all their favorite games.
4. EA’s Next-Gen Plans
EA has officially unveiled their plans regarding next-gen upgrades and improvements for their games. Some of the highlights include free next-gen upgrades on both Xbox and PlayStation for Madden 21 and FIFA 21, as well as performance improvements for Apex Legends and Star Wars: Squadrons. For all the details, you can check out EA’s game-by-game breakdown below.
https://www.ea.com/news/ea-nextgeneration-backwardscompatibility
5. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. Originally expected to be Wargame: Red Dragon, this week’s free game will instead be Dungeons 3. You can grab your free copy of Dungeons 3 directly from the Epic Games Store from now until November 12. As long as you claim the game by November 12, it will stay in your library forever.
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games
The Daily Moot: Apex Legends Season 7: Ascension
1. Apex Legends Ascension
Apex Legends Season 7: Ascension officially launches today, bringing several highly-anticipated updates to the game. Perhaps the most notable of all is the introduction of the brand new map Olympus, which will serve as the game’s primary map for the season. Season 7 also welcomes Horizon to the game, a new Legend who helped save the planet Olympus from destruction but ended up losing her young son in the process. Last but not least, the start of Ascension also marks the launch of Apex Legends on Steam, as well as EA’s new cross-platform integration. Apex Legends Season 7 is set to go live tonight at 8pm Pacific Time; you can check out the gameplay trailer for Season 7: Ascension below.
2. Xbox Series S Storage Capacity
New details have emerged suggesting that the all-digital Xbox Series S may be lacking in storage capacity. Although it’s been marketed as having a 512GB custom SSD, it seems that only 364GB will actually be available for games and apps. While it should be noted that this news hasn’t been verified, if true it would mean that just one game like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which has been confirmed to require more than 130GB on next-gen consoles, could take up a significant amount of your total storage space. While the vast majority of games aren’t nearly as large as the upcoming CoD, it does seem that storage space is something for potential buyers to keep in mind when the Xbox Series S launches alongside the Xbox Series X on November 10.
3. World of Warcraft Banning Multi-Boxing
Blizzard has officially announced that they will be banning multi-boxers in World of Warcraft. Multi-boxing is the usage of third-party software to control multiple accounts at the same time, which Blizzard says “is used to support botting and automated gameplay.” Blizzard will “soon begin issuing warnings to all players who are detected using input broadcasting software” as one final warning before it becomes an actionable offense in the near future. The punishments for violating the new policy will “include suspension and, if necessary, permanent closure of the player's World of Warcraft account.”
4. Among Us Road Map
Innersloth has released a new road map for Among Us revealing the developer’s plans for the game. It’s clear that they are very much focused on reducing the “cheating and hacking going on,” but the roadmap also mentioned that there are significant issues with bugs and said “rushing anti-hacks is what caused the bugs.” Aside from the technical improvements, Innersloth also shared some of the new features they’re hoping to implement in the near future, including official game accounts and a new map. It’s unclear when the new map will be released but we do know that accounts are scheduled to arrive sometime in December.
5. Spelunky 2 Olmec Changes
Spelunky 2 just got a big new update which changed one of the game’s most time-consuming bosses in Olmec. Specifically, Olmec will now only throw bombs while players are below him and his floaters have had their life reduced to just 1 hitpoint. The update also included several quality of life changes, such as enabling players to grab ladders and ropes while attacking and making it so that “physics should no longer crush the player as easily as before.”
P.S. We've got some great events happening right now on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
Rainbow Six Weekly Event (Week 16):
Among Us Weekly Event (Week 2):
The Daily Moot: Machine Learning to Fight Toxicity
1. Overwatch Toxicity
During Blizzard’s recent Fireside Chat, president J. Allen Brack revealed some new details about Blizzard’s approach to toxicity in Overwatch. Specifically, Brack explained that the company’s use of machine learning has been extremely successful, leading to “an incredible decrease not only in toxic text chat, but an overall decrease in reoffense rates” as well. Although the system originated in Overwatch, Blizzard has now started to implement it in other games such as Heroes of the Storm and World of Warcraft. Brack went on to say that Blizzard is “continuing to improve the speed and the accuracy of this system” and are looking to make small steps which “can add up to a lasting change.” You can check out the full Fireside Chat video below.
2. AGDQ 2021
Awesome Games Done Quick 2021 has been announced. The annual speedrunning charity fundraiser will look to top 2020’s record-setting drive which raised more than $3 million for cancer research. Some of the games that will be featured at AGDQ 2021 include Celeste, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Cuphead, with several speedrunners looking to set new world records. AGDQ 2021 will be online only and is set to kick off on January 7.
3. Watch Dogs: Legion Corrupted Saves
It appears that Watch Dogs: Legion may have a problem with corrupted save files. Many users have been reporting issues with the game’s save system which has apparently caused several players to lose all of their progress in the game. The corrupted save bug happens when players turn off their systems while the game is saving or don't exit the game properly. The root of the issue however is that the game often freezes when saving to exit, causing many players to turn off their systems to fix the freeze. Ubisoft has announced that they are aware of the issue, but said that they likely won’t have a patch ready until November 9.
https://www.pcgamer.com/au/watch-dogs-legion-corrupted-save-fix-may-be-several-days-away-ubisoft-says/
4. Fall Guys Godzilla
Fall Guys now has a Godzilla costume. The costume is part of an official collaboration with Godzilla distributor Toho, and arrives in celebration of Godzilla Day and the annual G-Fest Godzilla Festival in Japan. If you want the costume, it’s available for 10 Crowns in the Crown Store but will only be here for a limited time. You can check out the trailer for the Godzilla costume below.
5. TwitchCon Announced
Twitch has officially announced “GlitchCon,” a virtual version of TwitchCon set to happen later this month. Not many details about the event have been revealed yet, but the announcement mentions an “interdimensional portal” and encourages users to “step inside.” Although Twitch didn’t give an exact time, they did say that GlitchCon is scheduled to take place on November 14.
The Daily Moot: Fortnite Next-Gen Enhancements
1. Fortnite Next-Gen Enhancements
Epic Games just revealed new details about Fortnite’s next-gen enhancements. Both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X players will be able to enjoy the game in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, but the Xbox Series S will be capped at 1080p. The Xbox Series X will also have an improvement over the Series S with its “dynamic visuals and physics,” while the PlayStation 5 version will take advantage of “DualSense controller immersion” and its haptic feedback capabilities. The Xbox Series X/S is set to launch on November 10; the PlayStation 5 will arrive 2 days later on November 12.
2. Ruined King Revealed
Ruined King, the upcoming new single-player game based on League of Legends, has officially been revealed. League of Legends has been one of the most popular games on the planet for more than a decade now, and fans have long called upon Riot Games to create a more lore-heavy version of the game. Riot has finally addressed those wishes with Ruined King, with the company saying, “We are excited to take this plunge into exploring stories and champions that players have enjoyed over the years, and can’t wait for our players to embark on this new adventure with us.” Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is set to arrive in early 2021; you can check out the announcement video for the game below.
3. Old School RuneScape Player Numbers
It looks like Old School RuneScape has more players now than ever. Following the recent start of the new limited-time event “Leagues 2: Trailblazer,” OSRS set a record for its all-time high player count at over 157,000 concurrent players. Trailblazer is a variant of the game featuring special rules where players can acquire powerful relics, but the mode will only be around until January 6. You can check out the trailer for Leagues 2: Trailblazer below.
4. Shadow of Mordor Cutting Online
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor will soon be cutting its online features. Nemesis Forge, Vendetta missions, leaderboards, and WBPlay will all be removed from the game by the end of the year. Some of the unlockable content from the affected modes, including the Orc Hunter and Gravewalker runes, will be automatically awarded to all players once the change goes through. Online play is expected to be removed from the game entirely on December 31.
5. Marvel’s Avengers Prices Reduced
Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have permanently reduced the prices of some of the in-game cosmetics in Marvel’s Avengers. The change is essentially a permanent extension of last week's sale, with Takedowns and Emotes now costing half the amount of credits that they used to. This news comes via a new in-game message which reads, “Based on your feedback, we are keeping the 50% discounts on Takedowns and Emotes from last week's sale and making them the new regular price of these items.”
The Daily Moot: Black Ops Cold War is 250GB
1. Black Ops Cold War Specs
Activision has released the hardware specifications for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on PC. Much like Modern Warfare, Black Ops Cold War will be absolutely massive. Given the specs that Activision revealed it appears that the game will require up to 250GB of space for the full game or 50GB for just the multiplayer mode. Activision has not revealed the specs for PlayStation or Xbox yet, but the game will likely require a significant amount of space on consoles as well. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set to launch on November 13.
2. Ubisoft Next-Gen Plans
Ubisoft has revealed their plans for next-gen upgrades and cross-progression. Several titles including Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Siege, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will receive next-gen upgrades free of charge. Many games will also have full cross-progression across all platforms, meaning that players can progress on the same account regardless of which platform they’re playing on. You can check out the entire list which breaks down each title game-by-game below.
3. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free games are Blair Witch and Ghostbusters: Remastered. You can grab your free copy of these games directly from the Epic Games Store from now until November 5. As long as you claim the games by November 5, they will stay in your library forever. The Epic Games Store is also having a Halloween sale right now with discounts of up to 75 percent off games such as Dead Cells, World War Z, Control, and Crysis Remastered. The Halloween sale is set to run from today until November 5.
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games
4. Genshin Impact Update Trailer
Genshin Impact just released a new trailer for their massive upcoming 1.1 update. The trailer not only teases the 4 new characters that will be joining the game, but also some of the new content and quests as well. Version 1.1 is set to arrive on November 11; you can check out the trailer for the update below.
5. Everspace 2 Postponed
Rockfish Games announced that they have decided to postpone the launch of Everspace 2. Much like Path of Elixe’s announcement yesterday, this is due to the studio’s desire to not compete against Cyberpunk 2077 which launches on December 10. Rockfish Games explained, “We are aware that Everspace 2 fans will be unhappy, but competing with the arguably most anticipated videogame in history is just not a good idea.” Originally expected to launch in early access in December, Everspace 2 will now arrive in January.
The Daily Moot: Watch Dogs: Legion
1. Watch Dogs: Legion
Watch Dogs: Legion has officially launched. Set in near-future London, the highly-anticipated game is the third in the Watch Dogs series and gives players the ability to “play as anyone,” as each character in the game is able to be recruited to your party. The Xbox version of the game launched with a game-breaking bug that prevented players from progressing in the campaign once they reached the aptly named mission “404,” but the issue has now been hotfixed. Watch Dogs: Legion is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One; you can check out the story trailer for the game below.
2. Cyberpunk Causing More Delays
The most recent delay of Cyberpunk 2077 is apparently causing other gaming studios to delay their upcoming games and content as well. For example, developer Grinding Gear Games announced that they would be postponing the launch of Path of Exile’s end-game expansion from December 11 to January 2021 so that they would not have to compete with the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. This is despite Grinding Gear Games claiming that the expansion is “in a very stable and polished state” and will be finished “by early/mid-December.” Cyberpunk 2077, which was expected to launch on November 19, is now set to arrive on December 10.
3. Shadowlands Release Date
World of Warcraft’s upcoming Shadowlands expansion now has an official release date. Shadowlands was originally expected to launch on October 27, but was delayed until “later this year” in order to “polish the expansion and shore up the endgame.” The Shadowlands expansion will be World of Warcraft’s eighth major DLC, and will have players exploring the game’s version of the afterlife. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is set to arrive on November 23 with a pre-launch event starting November 10; you can check out the newly-released story trailer for the expansion below.
4. Far Cry 6 Delay
During their recent earnings report, Ubisoft announced that the launch of Far Cry 6 will be delayed. The studio said that both Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six Quarantine encountered “production challenges caused by COVID-19” which led to their delays. Although Ubisoft didn’t specify an exact release date, they said that Far Cry 6 won’t be coming out until April 2021 at the earliest, meaning that it will miss its planned launch day of February 18. You can check out the reveal trailer for Far Cry 6 below.
5. Final Fantasy 16 Details
Square Enix just launched the official website for Final Fantasy 16, unveiling a ton of new details about the upcoming game. Some of the highlights include the reveal of the protagonist’s name: Clive Rosfield, as well as several of the other main characters in Joshua Rosfield (Clive’s younger brother) and Jill Warrick who is a childhood friend of the brothers. Although the website shares plenty of exciting information for Final Fantasy fans, it does not reveal any expected release date window for the game. The developers did note, however, that the “next big information reveal is scheduled for 2021.” In the meantime you can check out the Final Fantasy 16 official reveal trailer below.
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The Daily Moot: Halo Infinite Project Director Steps Down
1. Halo Infinite Project Director Steps Down
Chris Lee, the lead project director for the highly-anticipated Halo Infinite, has left the project after the game’s most recent delay. In his statement Lee said, “I have stepped back from Infinite and I am looking at future opportunities.” Lee is the third director who has now left Halo Infinite, following the departures of creative director Tim Longo and lead producer Mary Olsen. Halo Infinite was originally slated to be a launch game alongside the upcoming Xbox Series X/S, but is now expected to arrive sometime next year.
2. Valorant Rollback
Riot Games has rolled back yesterday’s Valorant update, calling it a “technical nightmare.” Patch 1.11 marked the long-awaited arrival of left-hand view as well as Valorant’s newest agent, Skye, but was only live for a couple of hours before Riot decided to abandon ship and roll the game back to a previous version. It’s unclear when exactly Patch 1.11 will re-launch, but Riot said that they plan to wait until later in the week once they “can figure out a less disruptive time for the Valorant First Strike Qualifiers.”
3. K/DA “More” Music Video
League of Legends K-pop group K/DA has premiered the music video for their latest track “More.” More marks the debut appearance of the newly-released champion and K/DA member Seraphine, and features vocal performances from artists such as (G)I-DLE, Lexie Liu, and Jaira Burns. The virtual group will be releasing their first album “ALL OUT EP” on November 6; you can check out the music video for More below.
4. Dave Kosak Leaves Blizzard
Dave Kosak has left Blizzard Entertainment. Kosak had been with the studio for 12 years and had served as the lead narrative designer for World of Warcraft and the lead mission designer for Hearthstone. In his statement, Kosak said that it was time to “move on” from Blizzard and announced that he will be taking on an “important role” at the newly established studio Deviation Games. Deviation Games has yet to share any details about their debut outing, but Kosak said it’s a project that “will make you go whoa.”
5. AMD GPUs Revealed
AMD has finally revealed their RX 6000 series GPUs. Set to go toe-to-toe with Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series GPUs, AMD claims that their “Big Navi” RX 6900 XT is able to achieve benchmarks comparable to the RTX 3090, but it appears that AMD’s card requires “rage mode” enabled in order to do so. The first batch of RX 6000 series GPUs are set to arrive on November 18; you can check out AMD’s reveal of the cards below.
The Daily Moot: Cyberpunk Delayed Again
1. Cyberpunk Delayed Again
Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed once again. Despite the fact that the game went gold earlier this month, which means that it’s officially been approved for launch, CD Projekt Red has decided to push back the release date in order to continue “working on it and raising the quality bar.” CD Projekt explained that although the game is technically ready, their “biggest challenge” with Cyberpunk right now is optimizing it for “current-gen, next-gen, and PC at the same time,” which requires the studio to “prepare and test” 9 different versions of the game. Studio head Adam Badowski said, "We feel we have an amazing game on our hands and are willing to make every decision, even the hardest ones, if it ultimately leads to you getting a video game you'll fall in love with." Originally expected to launch on April 16, then September 17, then November 19, Cyberpunk 2077 is now set to arrive on December 10.
2. Xbox Games on PC
Xbox head Phil Spencer has confirmed that all next-gen first-party Xbox games will be coming to PC. Specifically, Spencer said, “if we are shipping a first-party game on PC it's coming to Steam and our own store,” but also acknowledged that Xbox console players may get some perks regarding “when certain things happen,” suggesting that timed exclusives are still a possibility. While this confirmation only applies to first-party games, it seems Spencer is hoping to apply this policy to third-party Xbox exclusives as well, but said that there “maybe little anomalies every so often and because of relationships and certain developers that want to do certain things.”
3. Ubisoft Next-Gen Enhancements
Ubisoft has revealed some of their next-gen enhancements for games like Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Immortals Fenyx Rising on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The exact enhancements vary between consoles and from game to game, but it’s clear that the vast majority of titles will be able to enjoy 4K resolution at 60FPS (with Rainbow Six Siege getting 4K resolution at 120FPS) and will be able to take full advantage of each console’s improved load speeds. Certain games, such as Watch Dogs Legion, will also be able to use raytracing technology, although this seems to be more of the exception than the rule. You can check out Ubisoft’s game-by-game breakdown of their next-gen plans below.
https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/24pOdAVM0hnCzWWFiXxPga/ubisoft-on-the-next-generation-of-consoles-get-the-details
4. Baby Yoda Coming to Squadrons
Baby Yoda will soon be making his way to Star Wars: Squadrons as part of the upcoming “Mandalorian Supply Drop” update. This news is somewhat surprising considering that EA previously stated that Squadrons would not be getting any additional content after launch. The Mandalorian Supply Drop will introduce 8 new items to the game, but it seems that each of them will merely be cosmetic. The Mandalorian Supply Drop is set to hit Star Wars: Squadrons tomorrow, October 28.
5. Chris Metzen Warchief Gaming
Chris Metzen, the former longtime senior vice president of Blizzard, has now opened a new tabletop gaming company called Warchief Gaming. Metzen retired from Blizzard in 2016 after 23 years with the company, saying at the time that he wasn’t planning on “starting up new projects.” The former creative director for games such as Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, it will be interesting to see what kind of vision Metzen can bring to the new platform in tabletop. You can check out the official announcement for Warchief Gaming below.
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The Daily Moot: Black Ops Cold War PlayStation-Exclusive Game Mode
1. Black Ops Cold War Zombies Onslaught
Call of Duty has revealed Zombies Onslaught, a new game mode which will be exclusive to PlayStation in the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Described as a “two-person, fast-paced Zombies experience,” Zombies Onslaught will enable players to earn special rewards each season, and players will be ranked based on how many elite zombies they’re able to take down. Unfortunately for PC and Xbox players, Zombies Onslaught will be exclusive to PS4 and PS5 for an extremely long time, with other platforms forced to wait until November 2021 to get access to the new game mode. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set to launch on November 13; you can check out the trailer for Zombies Onslaught below.
2. Fortnite Marvel Integration
Donald Mustard, the worldwide creative director for Epic Games, has unveiled some of the studio’s future plans for Fortnite. Specifically, Mustard explained that Nexus War is only the beginning of Fortnite’s major crossover with Marvel, and said that the teams “have planned for many years of Marvel integration.” This not only reveals that Marvel will likely have a permanent foothold in the Fortnite universe, but also that Epic Games has already come up with “many, many, many years” worth of content and lore for Fortnite. Mustard also mentioned that “the island is the main character” in Fortnite and that it will go through a protagonist’s “traditional arc,” so players can likely look forward to many more significant changes to the Fortnite island in the future.
3. Apex Legends Promise
In Apex Legends’ latest Stories from the Outlands trailer “Promise,” Respawn has unveiled Season 7’s upcoming new legend, Dr. Mary Somers. Also known as Horizon, Dr. Somers is a time traveller from the planet Olympus who is on a quest to find her abandoned son after she left him behind when embarking on a successful mission to save her homeland. EA revealed that Olympus will serve as the new map for Season 7, but has yet to unveil many concrete details about the map itself. Season 7 of Apex Legends is set to begin on November 4; you can check out the Promise trailer below.
4. PUBG Lore
PUBG Corp has now created an official website entirely dedicated to PUBG’s lore. Some of the features include narrative stories, character breakdowns, and the origins of artifacts such as the Paramo Stone. While the newly-launched website only offers a relatively small amount of content right now, it’s clear that PUBG Corp plans to add much more lore to the page over time. You can check out “the official home of PUBG lore” below.
5. Fallout 76: Steel Dawn
The Brotherhood of Steel will soon be coming to Fallout 76. Bethesda announced the news with a new teaser trailer for the upcoming expansion Steel Dawn, explaining the group’s re-emergence by saying, “Paladin Leila Rahmani and her troops have arrived from California to establish a new Appalachian chapter.” Players will be able to join in on the Brotherhood’s mission to rebuild society by working “with or against the other Factions to achieve success.” The Steel Dawn expansion will be free for all Fallout 76 players and is set to arrive in December of this year; you can check out the brief teaser trailer for Steel Dawn below.
The Daily Moot: Minecraft to Require Microsoft Accounts
1. Minecraft to Require Microsoft Accounts
Minecraft will soon require all players to have a Microsoft account in order to play the game. This news is targeted at the large percentage of players who own the original version of Minecraft, the Minecraft Java Edition. This change means that players who currently sign into Minecraft with a Mojang account will be forced to migrate their Mojang account to a Microsoft account. Microsoft has made it very clear that “migrating from Mojang to Microsoft accounts is mandatory” and emphasized that “if you don’t make the move, in several months you won’t be able to log in anymore.” Microsoft will be migrating players in batches but reassured fans by saying that there is “no need to worry, because we’ll give you detailed and clear instructions on how to do so.” The first batch of migrations is set to commence in early 2021; you can check out Minecraft’s “Java Account Migration” announcement video below.
2. Genshin Impact Resin Changes
Genshin Impact has now improved certain aspects of its Resin system. Resin is required to complete many of the game’s various activities and is particularly necessary once players near the end game. The update has now increased the maximum amount of Resin players can store from 120 to 160 and also reduces the cost of the weekly battle pass challenge from 1600 Resin to 1200. Despite the improvements, many players have argued that the changes fail to address the root of the problem: the rate at which Resin is generated. Players currently earn just 1 Resin every 8 minutes, meaning that players, especially those near the end game, are often able to drain their Resin much more quickly than it regenerates. With that said however, it doesn't look like Genshin Impact has any plans to adjust the rate any time soon.
3. Apex Legends Coming to Steam
Apex Legends will soon be coming to Steam. This is just the latest game in the Electronic Arts library to make the move as EA slowly continues their migration back to Steam. The Steam version of Apex Legends will include full crossplay support with Origin and console devices, and players will be able to use the same account for both Origin and Steam and will have the ability to swap between them at any time. Players who login to the Steam version of the game at any point during Season 7 will be able to earn some free gun charms based on Valve’s Half-Life and Portal. Apex Legends will arrive on Steam alongside the launch of Season 7 on November 4.
4. Gears 5 Story DLC
Gears 5 developer The Coalition has announced that a Gears 5 story DLC is in the works. Zoe Curnoe, the lead producer for the game, didn’t provide many details about the upcoming DLC, but said, “the title is Hivebusters, so it might give you a little hint as to what that content might contain.” As of right now, the Hivebusters squad currently exists in the Gears universe via the Escape game mode, but they never actually make an appearance in the game’s campaign. The Hivebusters DLC is set to arrive sometime in December of this year and will be available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Seires X/S.
5. Ghost of Tsushima: Legends Raid
Sucker Punch Productions has announced that an end-game raid called “The Tale of Iyo” will soon be coming to Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. Sucker Punch describes The Tale of Iyo as “the culmination of the story in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends” and strongly recommends that players complete all story and survival missions prior to attempting the raid. The raid itself will be divided into 3 separate chapters, each requiring a pre-arranged team of 4 high-level players with “excellent coordination and communication.” The Tale of Iyo update will also introduce weekly challenges to the game, enabling players to earn max-level gear for the raid, but Sucker Punch warns that “these missions are Nightmare Difficulty, intended to put you and your team to the test, and will be very difficult.” The Tale of Iyo is set to arrive on October 30.
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The Daily Moot: Fortnitemares 2020
1. Fortnitemares 2020
Fortnitemares, Fortnite’s annual Halloween celebration, is back. This year’s edition is officially named “Fortnitemares 2020: Midas’ Revenge” and follows the plot of Shadow Midas who has taken over The Authority and is now transmogrifying fallen players into Shadows. Shadows are able to return to the land of living and wreak havoc against the remaining players, taking advantage of their newly acquired spooky skills such as the ability to possess vehicles. There’s also widespread speculation that a Ghostbusters crossover will emerge during the event, but Epic has yet to confirm the rumors. Despite the frightening theme of the festivities, Fortnitemares brings with it some pretty happy news for PC players: the update has reduced the total game size by more than 60GB on PC. Aside from the game changes, Fortnitemares will also be including a J Balvin concert, which will begin at 6pm Pacific Time on Halloween night. Fortnitemares 2020: Midas’ Revenge is live now and is set to run through November 3; you can check out the trailer for the event below.
2. EA Loot Box Lawsuit
Electronic Arts has just been hit with a huge lawsuit in Canada claiming that EA’s loot boxes serve as an “unlicensed, illegal gaming system.” The lawsuit specifically names more than 50 different EA titles ranging from 2008 to the present day, including popular franchises such as FIFA, Madden, Battlefield, Mass Effect, and Apex Legends. The suit goes on to claim that “loot boxes contribute towards videogame and gambling addiction,” and states that “gaming is strictly controlled and licensed” in Canada and that EA acted “in breach of these laws.” EA has yet to comment on the matter.
3. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free games are Costume Quest 2 and Layers of Fear 2. You can grab your free copy of these games directly from the Epic Games Store from now until October 29. As long as you claim the games by October 29, they will stay in your library forever. The Epic Games Store is also having a Halloween sale right now with discounts of up to 75 percent off games such as Dead Cells, World War Z, Control, and Crysis Remastered. The Halloween sale is set to run from today until November 5.
4. New Kojima Project
It looks like Hideo Kojima is working on a new game. After teasing a new project back in June, it seems that the unnamed game has finally started development as Kojima Productions listed a series of job openings searching for “best-in-class talent.” Unfortunately, Kojima hasn’t unveiled any details about the project, which means that fans will likely be rife with speculation for the foreseeable future. Silent Hills, Death Stranding 2, and a new Metal Gear Solid game all seem to be candidates, but it’s entirely possible that the upcoming game will be something new altogether. At any rate, considering that the game is just now beginning development, it will likely be quite some time before Kojima reveals anything concrete about the project.
5. Hearthstone Massive Update
Hearthstone has just unveiled a massive new update which will completely revamp several key aspects of the game. In what Blizzard is calling “Hearthstone’s biggest systems update ever,” the popular collectible card game has introduced a new progressions system which is broken up into 4 parts: a new “Achievements System,” a “Central Rewards Track,” a “Quest Revamp” with both daily and weekly quests, and an “Updated Profile Page” where players can track all of their stats. In addition to the progressions update, Hearthstone has also received a new game mode called Hearthstone Duels which combines Dungeon Run with head-to-head battles. Hearthstone Duels is live now in early access, but the progressions revamp won’t arrive until November 12. You can check out Blizzard’s breakdown of all the changes below.
The Daily Moot: Ubisoft Connect
1. Ubisoft Connect
Ubisoft has announced a next-gen player service called Ubisoft Connect, which will replace and expand upon both Uplay and Ubisoft Club. Ubisoft Connect will act as a cross-platform “universal interface” and will enable players to easily track their progress across all Ubisoft games as well as provide exclusive rewards through its loyalty program. This will enable complete cross-progression between devices and will include a cross-platform friends list, stats sheet, and leaderboard. Furthermore, Ubisoft Connect will also introduce a new “smart intel” feature which will provide gameplay tips and challenges for each Ubisoft game. Ubisoft Connect is set to arrive alongside the launch of Watch Dogs: Legion on October 29.
2. PUBG Season 9
PUBG Season 9 is officially live. While Season 9 introduces several changes to the game, the brand-new map Paramo is certainly the most significant. Paramo is by far the most dynamic map that PUBG has ever released as it evolves over the course of each match, presenting new challenges and opportunities as the terrain changes. On the rewards side of things, Season 9 will be split up into 2 different season passes, each lasting for 2 months with another sizable update between them. PUBG Season 9 is live now on PC and will arrive on console on October 29; you can check out the Season 9 Paramo launch trailer below.
3. Amazon Luna Early Access
Luna, Amazon’s new cloud gaming service, has now entered early access. According to the announcement, Amazon has “received hundreds of thousands of requests for early access” and “will begin granting invitations to a small set of customers in the U.S.” starting today. As of right now, Luna is available on PC, Fire TV, and iOS, with an Android version “coming soon.” In terms of pricing, the early access version of Luna will cost $6/month, with subscribers able to “play 50 games to start, with more added over time.”
https://blog.aboutamazon.com/devices/amazon-luna-early-access-begins-today
4. Ghost of Tsushima Sequel?
It looks like Ghost of Tsushima may be getting a sequel. According to a new job listing from Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch, the studio is looking for a narrative writer with the “desire to write stories set in feudal Japan.” While the listing doesn’t mention Ghost of Tsushima by name, it has understandably attracted the attention of fans as it aligns perfectly with the game’s theme and setting. Of course, considering that the job listing was just recently posted, it will likely be quite some time before the game actually comes to fruition if it is indeed a Ghost of Tsushima sequel. In the meantime, PlayStation players can enjoy the game’s free new co-op expansion, Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, which just launched last week. You can check out the launch trailer for Legends below.
5. 2K Addresses NBA 2K21 Ads
Following widespread outrage, 2K Games has finally addressed the unskippable in-game commercials that were recently added to NBA 2K21. Specifically, 2K said that the ads were “not meant to run as part of the pre-game introduction” and promised that the issue “will be fixed in future episodes.” That said, 2K is still planning to keep the ads in general, they’re just going to be removing them from the pre-game introductions and instead have the ads “integrated into 2KTV segments.”
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The Daily Moot: The Haunting of Verdansk
1. The Haunting of Verdansk
The Haunting of Verdansk is officially underway. As Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone’s Halloween event, The Haunting of Verdansk is bringing some big name horror collaborations to the game. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Saw have both made their way into the Call of Duty universe via new items and cosmetics such as the Billy skin for Morte, the Leatherface skin for Velikan, and the Phlebotomozier Lethal Equipment piece. The Halloween-themed limited-time event also introduces a new trick-or-treat reward system alongside multiple new game modes for both Modern Warfare and Warzone. The Haunting of Verdansk is set to run from today through November 3; you can check out the trailer for the event below.
2. Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods
Doom Eternal’s first major DLC “The Ancient Gods: Part 1” is now available. The paid expansion adds plenty of new content to the game including 3 new campaign maps, new support runes, and the Maykr Slayer cosmetic collection. Alongside the launch of the DLC, Bethesda has also released the game’s third free update with minor improvements such as bug fixes, an upcoming “THANKSGIBBING” event, and new Battlemode features. You can watch the launch trailer for The Ancient Gods: Part 1 below.
3. Destiny 2 Beyond Light Story Trailer
Bungie has released a new story reveal trailer for Destiny 2’s upcoming major expansion, Beyond Light. The trailer reveals that Guardians won’t be the only ones with new powers, as Eramis, a Fallen Captain who has sold her faction out to the Darkness, has acquired the power of Stasis. The Beyond Light expansion is set to launch on November 10; you can check out the story reveal trailer below.
4. Hyper Scape Halloween Event
Hyper Scape continues to make improvements and attempt to regain some of its former glory, this time with a new Halloween event. The limited-time event includes 2 new game modes: The Crown Rush Solo mode which existed previously but this time will have Second Chance enabled, and the brand-new Dark Haze Squad mode which will arrive on October 27. As expected, the Halloween event also introduces plenty of cosmetics with a variety of new paid and free offerings available every day of the event. The Hyper Scape Halloween event is live now and will run until November 3; you can watch the trailer for the event below.
5. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Post-Launch Plans
Although Assassin’s Creed Valhalla won’t come out until next month, Ubisoft has already revealed some of their post-launch plans for the game. Along with a variety of free seasonal content, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will also be getting 2 major paid expansions shortly after launch. The first, which is expected to arrive in Spring 2021, is called Wrath of the Druids and will focus on an ancient Druidic cult in Ireland. The second expansion, The Siege of Paris, will arrive in Summer and will explore the saga of “the most ambitious battle in Viking history." Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set to launch on November 10; you can check out the post-launch and season pass trailer below.
The Daily Moot: Rainbow Six Siege Xbox Game Pass
1. Rainbow Six Siege Xbox Game Pass
Rainbow Six Siege will soon be coming to the Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft announced the news by posting a picture depicting a medieval siege with 6 rainbows overhead on their Xbox Game Pass Twitter account, hinting at the upcoming collaboration. Rainbow Six Siege will be available on both the PC and console versions of the Xbox Game Pass, and Ultimate subscribers will be able to play Siege on Android devices via xCloud as well. Rainbow Six Siege is set to arrive on Game Pass on October 22.
2. Watch Dogs Legion: Aiden Pearce
In a recent AMA, Watch Dogs Legion producer Lathieeshe Thillainathan shared some details about the game’s inclusion of original Watch Dogs protagonist Aiden Pearce. Specifically, players will be able to replay the entire game with Aiden Pearce in their party, not just the DLC, and the team is “writing the full single player story again with Aiden’s personality.” Watch Dogs Legion is set to launch on October 29; you can check out the Aiden Pearce teaser trailer below.
3. NBA 2K21 Unskippable Ads
NBA 2K21 has now added advertisements to the game. Not only have these commercials taken the place of loading screens, they are entirely unskippable and take significantly more time than the previous loading screens. Furthermore, players are no longer able to edit their lineups during the new advertisements. This has understandably caused outrage amongst fans, especially considering that 2K chose to wait a month after the game’s release to introduce the ads, meaning that most players purchased the game prior to the “feature” being added.
4. Spelunky 2 Now Easier
Spelunky 2 is now a little bit easier. The long-awaited sequel to the critically-acclaimed roguelike platformer Spelunky, Spelunky 2 certainly hasn’t pulled any punches when it comes to difficulty. In fact, it turns out that a large percentage of players have been unable to get past even the very first area “Dwelling.” The game’s development team acknowledged the early-game difficulties by saying, “We know Dwelling is causing players frustration and think there's some fair criticism there.” The area has now been patched with “tuned monster spawn chances” in the early Dwelling zones, as well as “more room variety in the last Dwelling level.” While these changes still won’t make things easy, players who have struggled thus far should now find the early game to be at least a little less difficult.
5. Stardew Valley Split Screen Co-Op
Stardew Valley will soon be getting local split screen co-op. Developer Eric Barone has announced that the feature will be introduced with the upcoming Patch 1.5, although no release date for the patch has been revealed yet. Barone confirmed that split screen co-op will support up to 4 players on PC, but noted that it might be limited to 2 players “on some other platforms.” Stardew Valley has long supported online co-op, but the addition of local co-op is great news for families and friends who are hoping to play together without having to own multiple copies of the game.
The Daily Moot: Xbox Series X & Bethesda Update
1. Xbox Series X/S and Bethesda Update
Xbox head Phil Spencer has shared some new details about the upcoming Xbox Series X/S as well as Microsoft’s plans with Bethesda. In general, the news sounds somewhat ominous for both Xbox and PlayStation fans. Specifically, in terms of the upcoming next-gen console release, Spencer said, “I think demand is just going to outstrip supply of pre-orders. For us and PlayStation,” suggesting that there’s a very real chance that many hopeful players will be unable to get their hands on the console of their choice come launch day. This is similar to the issue that Nvidia is currently experiencing with their inability to supply the demand for their RTX 3000 series graphics cards for PC players.
In regards to Microsoft’s plans with Bethesda, Spencer reiterated that the “deal was not done to take games away from another player base,” but also asserted that Microsoft could easily recoup their $7.5 billion investment without selling Bethesda games on PlayStation consoles. It sounds like Microsoft will likely approach each game on a case-by-case basis, but Spencer was rather non-committal on the issue, saying, “I don’t have to go ship those games on any other platform other than the platforms that we support. Whatever that means.” The Xbox Series X/S is set to launch on November 10; the PlayStation 5 will arrive 2 days later on November 12.
2. StarCraft 2 Stopping Major Development
It looks like StarCraft 2 is finally entering its twilight phase. In an open letter to the StarCraft 2 community, Blizzard has announced that the game will no longer be receiving any major updates or for-purchase content. While this means that no significant changes to the game will be made, Blizzard will continue to support the game’s stability via minor balance changes, season rolls, and bug fixes. StarCraft 2 first launched nearly 10 years ago and has been one of the world’s top competitive real-time strategy games ever since. While this certainly seems like the end of an era, Blizzard also suggested that there may be some silver lining for StarCraft fans by saying, “the good news is this change will free us up to think about what’s next, not just with regard to StarCraft II, but for the StarCraft universe as a whole.”
3. Wild Rift Open Beta
Wild Rift, the official mobile version of League of Legends, will soon be entering open beta on both Android and iOS. Unfortunately for most players however, the beta will be limited to only a handful of countries for the foreseeable future. Players in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand will all get access to the Wild Rift open beta on October 27. Europe, the Middle East, and Russia are expected to gain access sometime in December. Players in North America and South America on the other hand will likely have to wait an additional 6 months as Riot Games is targeting a spring 2021 release date for the open beta in those regions. While the delay may be a disappointment to the many League of Legends fans in the Americas region, Riot Games promises that the game “is a polished, legitimate LoL experience that’s worth players’ time.”
4. The Future of Marvel’s Avengers
In their recent State of the Game Update, Crystal Dynamics has outlined the future for Marvel’s Avengers. Although the game attracted widespread attention when it first launched last month, much of its popularity has quickly declined and players have been leaving the game in droves. In their statement, Crystal Dynamics admitted that “a number of issues detracted from players’ enjoyment of the game” and committed to releasing “rapid updates to address bugs, improve game stability, and refine the matchmaking system.” Furthermore, the developer explained that they intend to focus on more robust late-game content with feedback-driven features. In the meantime, players will be receiving some freebies via the “digital thank-you bundle,” as thanks for sticking around despite the game’s turbulent start.
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The Daily Moot: PlayStation 5 UI Revealed
1. PS5 UI Revealed
The user interface for the PlayStation 5 has been revealed. With their latest “First Look” video, Sony provides an in-depth breakdown of the upcoming console’s new user experience, and it’s significantly different from the PlayStation 4. The home layout is broken down into various “cards” which act as portals to things like news, games, and your recent recordings and screenshots. In regards to games, the cards provide a surprising amount of information about your progress, including your current objectives and a personalized estimation of how long it will likely take you to complete them. The video itself is a bit lengthy at 11 minutes long, but it’s definitely worth watching if you’re planning on picking up a PlayStation 5 once it launches on November 12. You can check out the video below.
2. Cyberpunk Vehicles
CD Projekt Red has unveiled several of Cyberpunk 2077’s vehicles via the new “Rides of the Dark Future” trailer. It looks like there will be no shortage of options to choose from with some of the trailer’s highlights including a retro 1977 Porsche 911 (which would be 100 years old in the game), futuristic hypercars and armored vehicles, and a modified version of one of Keanu Reeves’ very own Arch motorcycles. Cyberpunk 2077 is set to arrive on November 19; you can check out the Rides of the Dark Future trailer below.
3. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free games are Kingdom New Lands and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. You can grab your free copy of these games directly from the Epic Games Store from now until October 22. As long as you claim the games by October 22, they will stay in your library forever.
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games
4. TMNT Smite
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will soon be coming to Smite. This marks the second Smite x Nickelodeon collaboration after Aang, Zuko, and Korra from Avatar: The Last Airbender were introduced to the game earlier this year. As for TMNT, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo will all be joining the god-filled fray. Like the Avatar crossover, the Turtles won’t be completely new characters with their own unique abilities, but rather skins of existing characters with new animations and models. The crossover is set to commence via the Smite Battle Pass in November; you can check out the trailer for the collaboration below.
The Daily Moot: Fortnite Daredevil Cup
1. Fortnite Daredevil Cup
A new Fortnite tournament called the Daredevil Cup has arrived. The first of 4 Marvel Super Series tournaments, the Daredevil Cup features a trios showdown, but unlike other Fortnite tournaments in the past, it will not involve the Battle Royale game mode. Instead, the Daredevil Cup will take place in the new Marvel Knockout mode which empowers players with abilities aligned with various Marvel superheroes. If you’re able to rank near the top of your region’s leaderboard, then you’ll earn the new Daredevil skin as well as accumulate points towards an eventual $1 million tournament final on November 21. If you’re not so fortunate, you can still pick up the Daredevil skin when it arrives in the Item Shop in the near future. The Daredevil Cup will run today from 5pm-8pm local time, with players able to participate in a maximum of 10 matches during the 3-hour window.
2. Blizzard Employee Strike?
It looks like Blizzard employees may soon be going on a strike. This news comes in response to Blizzard’s recent announcement saying that they will be shutting down their Versaille office. The closure will allegedly cause 285 employees to lose their jobs during the pandemic, drawing the attention of 3 major labor unions in France: CGT, SPECIS-UNSA, and CFE-CGC. A joint statement between the unions addressed the issue by saying, “This comes as a shock for employees. Many of us left their homes to join the company and truly invested their whole lives into Blizzard success." The unions are demanding Blizzard to cancel the closure of their Versaille office, and are calling for employees in France to strike until their demands are met.
https://www.pcgamer.com/unions-representing-blizzard-workers-have-called-for-a-strike/
3. Runescape Steam Launch
Runescape has officially launched on Steam. One of the most popular MMOs of all time, Runescape shows no signs of slowing down despite being nearly 20 years old at this point. Of course, the game has experienced many changes over the past 2 decades and another major update, “Orthen Digsite,” is set to arrive on October 19. Players who already have an existing Runescape account can link it to their Steam account and enjoy full cross-progression and cross-platform play between Steam, PC, and Mobile.
4. PUBG Paramo
A new map called Paramo has arrived on the PUBG test servers. One of the major updates for the upcoming 9th season of PUBG, Paramo will be the game’s smallest map yet, featuring a 64-player showdown across a 3x3km battlefield. Interestingly, the terrain of Paramo will evolve over the course of each match, creating a dynamic layout that is designed to force players to adapt their playstyle to their new surroundings. PUBG Season 9 is set to hit live servers on October 21; you can check out the teaser trailer for Paramo below.
5. Baldur’s Gate 3 Sales
Despite launching in early access just last week, Baldur’s Gate 3 has already sold more than 1 million copies on Steam. This is particularly big news considering that developer Larian Studios decided to launch the unfinished Dungeons & Dragons-inspired game at full price. Furthermore, Larian Studios admitted that the current version of the game is likely to contain plenty of bugs and other issues, but clearly players have not been deterred. Baldur’s Gate 3 is set to expand massively between now and its targeted official launch in 2021, with the game’s first major patch arriving today. You can check out our brand new lounge on Moot for Baldur’s Gate below.
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The Daily Moot: Amazon's Crucible Shutting Down
1. Amazon’s Crucible Shutting Down
Crucible, Amazon’s short-lived free-to-play shooter, will be shutting down for good. After the game launched to an overwhelmingly poor reception earlier this year, Amazon decided to un-launch it and bring it back into a closed beta period for improvements. Well, it seems that those improvements will never see the light of day as Amazon has now announced that they are shutting the project down entirely, saying, “ultimately we didn’t see a healthy, sustainable future ahead of Crucible.” While the game itself was free to play, it did include in-app purchases which Amazon will be offering full refunds for. The servers are set to shut down permanently on November 9.
2. Valorant Act 3
Valorant Act 3 is officially here, at least mostly. While Act 3 technically launched today, players will still have to wait somewhat for its 2 most highly-anticipated introductions: Icebox and Skye. Icebox is the game’s latest map and features a frosty terrain with a new zipline mechanic, but it will be restricted to the Unrated, Spike Rush, and Deathmatch queues for at least 2 weeks in what Riot describes as a “beta state.” Similarly Skye, the game’s upcoming new support Agent, won’t be arriving until October 27. In the meantime, players can enjoy the new battle pass along with a revamped Deathmatch mode which now supports up to 14 players and features extended match lengths with safer spawns. You can check out the battlepass trailer for Valorant Act 3 below.
3. Overwatch Halloween Event
Overwatch Halloween Terror 2020 is officially underway. The limited-time Halloween event brings back the co-op PvE mode Junkenstein’s Revenge, with this year’s edition introducing Baptiste and Ashe to the roster of playable heroes. Junkenstein’s Revenge will last for 3 weeks and each week will have 2 different challenge missions which add new mechanics to the game mode. As with every Overwatch LTE, Halloween Terror 2020 will have plenty of new cosmetics up for grabs including 5 new legendary skins, one each for Genji, Hanzo, Winston, Sigma, and D.Va. You can watch the trailer for Halloween Terror 2020 below.
4. Civilization 6 Pirates
Pirates will soon be making their way to Sid Meier’s Civilization 6. The new scenario will feature a sea-bound quest for treasure between 1-4 players, each with their own unique faction: Dread Pirate, Privateer, Swashbuckler, or Hoarder. The mode itself seems to be a throwback to one of Sid Meier’s very first games, “Sid Meier’s Pirates!” which first launched on the Commodore 64 back in 1987. The Pirates update is set to arrive on October 22 and will be free for all players who own the base game; you can check out the trailer for the update below.
5. Terraria’s Final Update
Terraria has just received its final update. Called “Journey’s Actual End,” today’s update follows up on the “Journey’s End” expansion which was released earlier this year. Although Re-Logic has made similar claims before, the studio expects that Journey’s Actual End truly will be the game’s final major update, bringing a close to nearly 10 years of Terraria expansions. In terms of content, the update includes balance changes, new achievements, and, most importantly, the game’s final NPC. You can watch the very brief "trailer" for Journey’s Actual End below.
The Daily Moot: Microsoft Backs Epic vs Apple
1. Microsoft Store Changes Back Epic
Microsoft has announced a new approach to the Microsoft Store which seems to be a tacit endorsement of Epic Games in their battle against Apple. In what they describe as the “10 principles to promote choice, fairness, and freedom in the Microsoft Store,” Microsoft has highlighted their new internal guidelines which are built upon the tenets outlined by the Coalition for App Fairness. While the 10 principles don't explicitly mention the ongoing lawsuit between Epic and Apple, they directly address the major points of the dispute via principles such as “We will not block competing app stores on Windows” and “We will not block a developer's choice of which payment system to use for processing purchases made in its app.” The legal battle between Epic Games and Apple is set to go to trial in May 2021.
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/10/08/app-store-fairness-caf-interoperability-principles/
2. PS5 Backwards Compatibility Details
Sony has just revealed new details about the upcoming PlayStation 5’s backwards compatibility features, particularly in regards to the current-gen PlayStation 4. Most notably, Sony has confirmed that save files can be transferred from PS4 to PS5, meaning that players won’t have to worry about having their progress reset when playing older games on their next-gen system. Furthermore, Sony said that the “overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 games are playable on PS5 consoles,” with only a mere 11 titles being incompatible. Lastly, Sony announced that all of the compatible games will benefit from increased performance on PS5 consoles via the system’s “Game Boost,” but games will have to be played natively, rather than streamed, in order to take advantage of the technology.
3. Epic Freebies
Another week of freebies from Epic Games is here. This week’s free games are Abzu and Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. You can grab your free copy of these games directly from the Epic Games Store from now until October 15. As long as you claim the games by October 15, they will stay in your library forever. You can check out Ryan’s review of Abzu below.
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/free-games/
4. Developers Can’t Get RTX 3080s
Not only have consumers been unable to get their hands on Nvidia’s next-gen GPUs, even major development studios are having trouble sourcing them. This news comes after Larian Studios, which just released an early access version Baldur’s Gate 3 earlier this week, essentially begged Nvidia to send them an RTX 3080 because they still haven’t been able to get one. While the next-gen GPU shortage is certainly annoying for the many PC players who are looking to upgrade, it’s a significant problem for developers because it means that studios are unable to reliably patch their games in a way that ensures compatibility and stability with the new cards. In the case of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian has now managed to fix the game’s “graphical quirks on Nvidia 3080 cards,” but this type of issue is likely something that will arise again in the near future, especially when it comes to smaller, independent studios.
5. Kingdom Come: Deliverance Movie?
A live-action adaptation of Kingdom Come: Deliverance is apparently in the works. This comes via a collaboration between the game’s developer, Warhorse Studios, and media producer Wild Sheep Content. It’s currently unclear whether the project will be a series, such as Netflix’s The Witcher, or a movie like Wild Sheep’s recently-announced adaptation of Yakuza, but we do know that it will consist of live action rather than CGI. It sounds like things are still in the very early stages of production for whatever this Kingdom Come: Deliverance project turns out to be, so it will likely be quite some time before it actually comes to fruition.
The Daily Moot: Fall Guys Season 2
1. Fall Guys Season 2
Fall Guys Season 2 is officially here. The second season brings plenty of new content and features to the game including 4 new levels, the new “show selector,” and tons of medieval-themed cosmetics. The show selector feature essentially allows players to choose from a handful of different playlists, meaning that you can now avoid any levels that you truly hate and instead spend more time playing the ones you love. Fall Guys Season 2 is live now; you can check out the launch trailer for the season below.
2. Tachanka Rework
Rainbow Six Siege’s big Tachanka rework is set to arrive on test servers tomorrow. One of the most notorious operators in the game, Tachanka has long had the unfortunate reputation of being a terrible character to play. Ubisoft is finally looking to change that. Some of the improvements include giving Tachanka the Withstand ability, the removal of the tripod from his LMG, and most importantly, the addition of a new gadget called the Shumikha incendiary grenade launcher. You can check out Ubisoft’s breakdown of the Tachanka rework below.
3. OPL Shutting Down
Riot Games has announced that they will be shutting down the Oceanic Pro League for League of Legends. First established in 2015, the OPL serves as the main competitive league for players in the Oceanic region, including Australia and New Zealand. Riot Games said in their statement, “Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of our teams and players, the OPL has not met our goals for the league.” OCE players will now be able to join North America’s LCS teams without being considered an “import,” but it’s difficult to see the avenue for players to get the experience and attention they’d need in order to be scouted by LCS teams without having a major competitive league in their own region. Riot Games will also be closing its entire Sydney office, suggesting that the future is grim for Riot-based esports across the board in Oceania.
4. Mortal Kombat Rambo
Rambo will soon be coming to Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate as part of the upcoming Kombat Pack 2. While Rambo is certainly the most surprising addition to the game, the pack will also be bringing back 2 Mortal Kombat veterans in Mileena and Rain. Unlike The Terminator, which was introduced to the game last year but did not feature voice acting from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rambo will actually be voiced by the man whose likeness the character is based on in Sylvester Stallone. Mortal Kombat Pack 2 is set to arrive on November 17; you can watch the unsurprisingly gory trailer for the DLC below.
5. Outriders Delayed
The upcoming third-person shooter Outriders has been delayed once again. A collaboration between Square Enix and People Can Fly, Outriders is set to be a co-op looter-shooter taking place in a dark sci-fi world with a heavy emphasis on storytelling and RPG elements. The game will launch with seamless crossplay between PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Stadia, and players who purchase Outriders on a current-gen system will be eligible for a free next-gen upgrade of the game should they purchase a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S in the future. Originally expected to launch this summer and then this holiday season, Outriders is now expected to arrive on February 2 of next year. You can check out the release date announcement trailer for the game below.
P.S. We've got some great events happening right now on Moot with awesome prizes up for grabs. Check them out below!
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