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Here’s Everything We Know About Battlefield 6 (So Far)

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 13:17:53 GMT

The next addition to the Battlefield series is on the horizon, and although details are thin on the ground, there’s still a lot to unpack when it comes to Battlefield 6 (if that’s even going to be its name…) Here’s everything we know – and everything we think we know – about Battlefield 6.

Release

Credit: EA/DICE

DICE usually releases main instalments of the series around October time, but just because that’s been the tradition so far, it doesn’t mean the team should be continuing that quantity-over-quality approach. This isn’t Call of Duty, after all. We last got Battlefield 5 in 2018, and Battlefield 4 came before that in 2013. EA has previously stated that 2021 is looking like when we can expect the next game to launch, though with the global pandemic, that’s of course subject to change.

The latest news on the release year comes via VGC, who shared a statement from an EA spokesperson on the matter.

The statement reads as follows: “The team at DICE is working on the standalone Battlefield V update releasing this summer, and continuing their work on delivering Community Games,

“While the studio’s vision for Star Wars Battlefront II is now complete with this week’s The Battle on Scarif Update, the servers, in-game challenges, recurring events and game support will continue as the game lives on with players and the community. We’re looking forward to hearing players’ stories for both games, for years to come.

“Longer term, the studio is focused on the future of Battlefield that we’ll be bringing to players in 2021.”

Let’s hope there’s not going to be too many delays to that release window!

Setting

Credit: EA/DICE

Fans are more than ready for another great Battlefield game with a true sense of purpose and story. Longstanding Battlefield players mourn the loss of the proper community that used to surround the games, and a resurrection of that would be much appreciated.

This is exactly why some fans think that the Battlefield series is moving towards a modern-day, urban setting. Battlefield 4 (which was the 13th release for the series) was set in the modern day in the year 2020 – seven years in the future of the title’s 2013 release. The fact it’ll have been nearly a decade since the Battlefield series focused on a main title in a modern setting does support these hypotheses.

Further fuel is added to this rumour thanks to industry insider and VentureBeat reporter, Jeff Grubb, who recently took to Twitter with some claims on Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty 2020. Earlier this year, Grubb shared an article which claimed Battlefield 6 will be set in the present, adding simply: “Yup.” While this isn’t confirmation by any means, it does add some credibility to the rumours.

Scale & Gameplay

There’s a new rumour on the block that Battlefield 6 – or whatever its name may be – is going to be able to support at least 128 players, focusing still around 32v32 player combat.

Earlier this summer, known video games leaker Tom Henderson claimed to have new details on the game – specifically regarding its play counts.

The tweet by Henderson reads: “maps have been designed with 128+ players in mind. But 32 vs 32 will also be a standard playlist.”

Battlefield news; Maps have been designed with 128+ players in mind. But 32 vs 32 will also be a standard playlist.
— Tom Henderson (@_TomHenderson_) August 13, 2020

Though this might automatically spring the idea of 64vs64 matches to mind, Henderson went on to clarify: “It doesn’t necessarily mean 64vs64 is coming. The core game is still 32vs32.”

Battlefield 5 supports up to 64 players, splitting off into squads of 16.

Another rumour currently circulating is the potential addition of day and night cycles. This new lighting change would be ideal in making the world and gameplay feel even more realistic. Again, we’re still not sure on this one, so take it with a grain of salt.

Battle Royale

Credit: EA/DICE

Henderson also tweeted about the potential for a Battle Royale mode in the new Battlefield, writing: “There’s also been increased interest in Battle Royale due to the success of Warzone. No confirmation of a BR in the next Battlefield yet, but could EA and DICE be planning a F2P Battlefield experience?”

I’m sure lots of you are now sighing at the idea and hope that this is just Henderson spouting off, because the market is already so saturated with Battle Royales.

The Battlefield franchise has moved back over to Steam now anyway and since the move, the player count already started to restore for titles in the series like Battlefield 5. Whatever Battlefield 6 turns out to be, let’s hope that EA DICE has learned from its past mistakes and will make this the biggest and best Battlefield to date!

Featured Image Credit: EA/DICE

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Steam Breaks Their Record Number of Players

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 09:09:09 GMT

The online gaming website Steam has reached an incredible number of 23.4 million concurrent players during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

Two weeks ago today, Steam logged a record-breaking number of players as the online users count tipped over to 20 million. Fast-forward to the last week when Doom Eternal launched and the game had 100,000 concurrent players on the first day alone!

Counter Strike: Global Offensive can also rightly stake its claim to having made a large dent in that Steam record-breaking number with having 770,000 concurrent players – one of the highest concurrent player records on Steam.

Apparently other games that don’t usually scream out at us are racking up the hours too, like Mount and Blade.

#Bannerlord has over 145,000 concurrent players right now. It took 100 minutes to reach 100,000. +1250 reviews on Steam, 88% of them positive, in just 3 hours.

All these numbers make already @Mount_and_Blade II: Bannerlord the biggest launch in Steam in 2020.

THANK YOU
— Mount & Blade (@Mount_and_Blade) March 30, 2020

Mount and Blade is even coming up close to massively popular games like CS:GO and Dota 2.

#Bannerlord becomes the 5th most played game on Steam within 6 hours of its release in Early Access, at 160.000 concurrent players and preceded only by such games as CS:GO, Dota 2, PUBG and GTA V. And this is all thanks to you, warriors! Harvesting season is here! pic.twitter.com/BCHEmq2cm6
— Mount & Blade (@Mount_and_Blade) March 30, 2020

Why Are So Many Gamers on Steam?

The launch of popular new games like Doom Eternal coupled with the fact that coronavirus and furloughs are simply pushing more and more of us to seek out ways of spending our time has led to a surge in video game popularity.

Many gamers are picking up games which they’ve not had time to enjoy in a long while and others are reaping the opportunity to level-up on their favourites, like Rainbow Six: Siege. I wonder what the rise of platinums and diamonds is currently looking like…

Featured image credit: Steam

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CSGO Source 2 Engine Could be Confirmed

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:28:24 GMT

Eagle-eyed fans poured through leaks within the community and discovered information that points to Counter Strike: Global Offensive being ported to the Source 2 Engine.

About Source 2 being released in CSGO in 2 months: it seems trustworthy because I heard from reliable sources BUT with Valve you can never be 100% confident with unofficial dates. Better multiply it by two.

Anyway I’m not sure about it yet, have to check personally and ask more.
— Nors3 (@Nors3) March 23, 2020

About Source 2 being released in CS:GO in 2 months: it seems trustworthy because I heard from reliable sources,” he said, “but with Valve you can never be 100% confident with unofficial dates.”

As the Tweet referring to the leak says, this is speculative information so may not be 100% authentic CSGO news, but we could be getting a port of Counter Strike: Global Offensive onto the Source 2 Engine in as little as two months time.

From last Dota2 update…

CS:GO Source 2 strings pic.twitter.com/aoHHnepyos
— Nors3 (@Nors3) February 3, 2020

What Does This Mean For CS:GO Fans?

Fans have pestered Valve for years to have a Source 2 integration of the popular first person shooter Counter Strike: Global Offensive. This leak means that fans’ requests may finally be getting answered!

ESL’s One Rio CS:GO major has been postponed until November 2020. The Source 2 port of CS:GO was rumoured to originally be taking place after the initial ESL Rio scheduled event. Does this mean we will still get our port? Who knows at this stage…

The May 2020 @CSGO Major in Rio has been rescheduled to November 19-22 due to the COVID-19 situation. The event will remain at Jeunesse Arena and the prize money will be added to the November Major, upping it to $2,000,000https://t.co/WXxJGdSkbK
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 23, 2020

What is the Source 2 Game Engine?

Before Valve handled the development of Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Source was the successor on the scene. The Source 2 game engine is a 3D engine that’s used in the development of many popular video games, like: Dota 2, Half-Life: Alyx and Artifact.

Valve released Source 2 to the public for free after it was implemented into Dota 2 on June 17 2015. The engine would remain free to use so long as it was for the creative projects of fans and gamers, so not for commercial use or development.

If you’re familiar with CS:GO, you’ll have heard of Panorama UI. This aspect of CS:GO, along with other elements, are already indications that Source 2 is in use.

Featured image credit: Valve

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Was The Best Selling Game In February

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 10:22:47 GMT

According to stats released from the NPD Group, Call of Duty has continued its sales resurgence thanks to Modern Warfare. Infinity Ward’s latest entry into the FPS franchise was the top-selling game of February 2020 despite releasing last October.

February 2020 saw no new releases enter the top 20 of the US’ best-sellers, which allowed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to reclaim its crown, most likely helped by the release of its second content season.

The top five was rounded out by NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto 5, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and The Division 2, which was on sale for as little as $3.

Credit – Rockstar

NPD said that overall software sales were down 36 percent compared to this time last year but believe that’s due to a far slower release period, with no major titles released in February as developers begin to prepare for the next generation of home consoles.

Currently, figures aren’t available for March, but CoD will be in for much tougher competition as it faces some big names like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX and Doom Eternal.

But the franchise isn’t out of the running yet. Call of Duty has its own new release. Call of Duty: Warzone released in mid-March and has so far proven to be massively popular.

Within its first 10 days, Call of Duty’s take on battle royale had recorded over 30 million players across all platforms. Those numbers will probably continue to rise as the game grows in popularity day by day. And, with a remastered Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reportedly ‘in the works’, who knows where this successful franchise could end up?

That said, it faces serious competition from Doom Eternal for the title of Best Selling Game in March. This classic has proven to be a smash hit. Following the release weekend of id Software’s hellraising first-person shooter the game’s publisher – Bethesda – announced:

“Doom Eternal has quickly broken the franchise record for opening weekend sales, doubling the launch revenue of DOOM (2016). DOOM Eternal was the best-selling game on Steam for the week and immediately soared to over 100,000 concurrent players on the platform.”

Credit – id Software

Doom, as with other games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Call of Duty Warzone, has most likely benefitted from the ever-increasing number of lockdowns and quarantines spreading across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning NPD may well be reporting a surge of software sales for the next month.

Featured Image Credit – Activision

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ESL Is Taking The CS:GO Pro League Online For Season 11

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 12:29:02 GMT

It’s official – Season 11 of Esports League’s (ESL) popular CS:GO Pro League will be battled out online! This decision has been made to try and minimise the risk of players, crew and fans contracting coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruption for sporting events across the globe. Some leagues have been postponed or cancelled, while others have looked for a unique solution – moving to the online world.

Credit – ESL

When the ESL announced the new format for the CS:GO Pro League, they also explained some changes to ensure fair competition from home, guaranteeing minimal risk for participants and fans.

Following the announcement that Season 11 of #ESLProLeague would be played online, we are instituting some necessary changes to ensure that the tournament will run smoothly.

Full details: https://t.co/MNm2JHjWp0 pic.twitter.com/raE2Ft4SRJ
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 13, 2020

The revamp has completely changed the outlook for the season. We’re seeing all sorts of new stuff – new regional divisions, team replacements, new groups and seedings as well. This is all alongside a full daily schedule, featuring information about the league’s Playoff stage and Finals.

Credit – ESL

What Are The Changes to CS:GO Pro League?

The changes include split regional divisions to minimise potential network issues and to ensure players can play in more or less their time zone (since they won’t be travelling around much anymore).

Due to the widespread disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, some teams have dropped out or been replaced. ESL has officially confirmed four of its teams have been swapped out.

Due to health concerns around travelling, Renegades have been replaced by Swole Patrol
Sharks have decided not to participate in the tournament, citing safety concerns, they’ve been replaced by MIBR
BOOM has been replaced by Team Spirit due to recent “developments in Brazil”
Heroic has been replaced by BIG as they were not able to confirm an available roster.
All teams that have decided to participate are not disqualified and may return for the next season of the Pro League.

Credit – Valve

One thing that has not changed is the competitive format. Games have still been played as best-of-three matches with production out of the ESL Studio in Cologne, Germany. ESL has been trying to maintain the standard level of entertainment for the event.

The only significant format change has been that Groups C and D have been played in the last slot of the day, while some 6 PM matches feature teams from North America.

Featured Image Credit – ESL

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Here’s Everything We Know About Riot Games’ Valorant So Far

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:00:14 GMT

While there’s a lot more to find out about Valorant, the world has come a long way since Riot Games’ debut first-person-shooter game was announced as Project A during their 10th Anniversary stream.

Currently, there isn’t a specific release date for Valorant, but it is believed to on schedule for a summer 2020 release. While a beta version has been confirmed by Riot, there is also currently no set date for that, either.

On its release, there are to be around 10 character to choose from, with their abilities featuring similarities to both Overwatch and Counterstrike.

All characters will have four unique abilities, and two of which you’ll need to buy with money you obtain each round. Once your character has been chosen, you’re locked in for a 24 round match, which can result in sudden death should it result in a tie.

Riot Games has detailed the first eight characters already and what to expect from them.

CHARACTERS:

Phoenix / Riot Games

Phoenix is apparently the game’s most aggressive character. His abilities resemble that of Leroy Jenkins, and if you’re looking to rush into battle as fast as possible, he’s you’re go-to guy, partnered with his affinity to fire.

Hot hands → Throws a fireball that covers a small area of flames after a few seconds, or when it hits the ground. These flames damage enemies but heal you.
Blaze → Summon a wall of fire that blocks the line of sight and injures all agents that pass through it.
Curveball → Throws a flashbang.
Run it back (Ultimatum) → Marks your current location and starts a timer. When the timer expires — or you die — you are resurrected to the point marked with all your HPs.

Viper Riot Games

Viper’s biggest tool is fuel, and she is mostly equipped with toxic, poisonous weapons and gas jets.

Snakebite – Fire a projectile that creates a pool of acid.
Poison Cloud – Throw a gas bomb that emits a cloud of poisonous smoke at the cost of fuel. You can retrieve the gas bomb and throw it again after a short cooldown.
Toxic Screen – Creates a line of gas emitters that can be activated to create a wall of toxic gas at the cost of fuel.
Viper’s Pit (ult) – Creates a poison cloud that blankets a large area, letting Viper easily pick off enemies trapped within it.

Sova Riot Games

Sova is the Katniss Everdeen of the gang, and if you’re looking for a bow and arrow specialist he’s the character that knows it best.

Shock Bolt – Fires a bolt that radiates damaging bursts of static energy on impact.
Owl Drone – Use a pilotable, flying drone to scout the map and fire darts that reveal enemies.
Recon Bolt – Fires an arrow that emits sonar waves that marks and reveals nearby enemies for as long as it remains in place (can be destroyed).
Hunter’s Fury (ult) – Fires up to three energy blasts that pierce walls and travel the length of the map. Any enemies that are hit take near-fatal damage and are revealed to your team.

These are just a few, but there are more detailed character descriptions online where you can really get to grips with the squad. But for now, here’s a mini run-down of the characters and their main abilities.

Sova – Fires magic arrows that penetrate walls and can travel clear across the map and deal big damage.
Phoenix – Can curve flashbangs around corners.
Cypher – A defensive powerhouse who can lay tripmines and stick a camera to a wall to watch for flanking attacks.
Jett – Can leap into the air and throw knives for quick, surprise kills.
Viper – Can unleash poison clouds that blind enemies or zone them into a deadly ambush.
Brimstone – Calls in orbital bombardments that either help friends or obliterate enemies.
Sage – Valorant’s resident medic can heal or revive allies.
Omen – A shifty rogue who can get behind enemy lines or temporarily blind them.

With the release of official gameplay already making its way online, it’s only a matter of time before players will be entering the realm of Valorant themselves, and I for one can’t wait to see what Riot have pulled out of the bag with their exciting new debut.

[Featured Image Credit: Riot Games]

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PUBG Celebrates Third Birthday With New Items And Future Plans

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:32:33 GMT

On March 23, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds turned three-years-old, and to celebrate the anniversary following the game’s original beta 2017 release, PUBG Corp has announced that a range of exciting new additions will coming in the future.

Credit: PUBG Corp

The PUBG team dropped an exciting blog post where they thanked everyone who had contributed to making the game what it is today, while also hinting about exciting new items and future plans that are coming into fruition from now until their next birthday.

“While there was plenty new, we saw 2019 as a year of building a foundation for PUBG. Going forward, we want to continue to improve upon what’s made PUBG so popular these last 3 years. This will include map reworks, new maps, new weapons & mechanics, additional game options such as Arcade’s Team Deathmatch, and of course quality of life improvements & bug fixes for some of your most pressing issues.”

“The first of those reworks has already been talked about! Thanks to the help of our PUBG Partners, you all got a first look at the updated Vikendi. We’re pouring over your data and feedback from the test to get it polished up before the train leaves the station. We want each new and reworked map to bring an entirely new experience to you all with fun and exciting new mechanics, so a big thank you to everyone in our community who tested it out and sent in your feedback.

Credit: PUBG Corp

“Community is the backbone of any online game and as such celebrating our 3rd year also means celebrating you. This is why we recently ran our first ever Community Skin Design Contest in which members of the PUBG Community from all around the world submitted their own skin designs to be voted on by you.

“The winners of this contest had their designs created and they will be available to all PC and Console players for free during this celebration. Details on the winners can be found below!

“PUBG has come a long way since March of 2017 and we fully understand that there is still much to do, but it is because of all of you that we’ve been able to take our little game and grow it into one of the biggest games of all time. We know an achievement like this comes with a big responsibility to you all and we’re working hard this year to do better.

Credit: PUBG Corp

“We hope to share these efforts and our plans for 2020 soon but for now let us thank you once again for being a part of this incredible journey. From all of us here at PUBG to all of you around the world, happy 3rd anniversary!“

Happy third birthday, PUBG!

[Featured Image Credit: PUBG Corp]

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Remastered Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Reportedly ‘In The Works’

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:19:12 GMT

Rumours have been swirling that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered is in the works after artwork hinting about the game’s arrival were ‘leaked’ online.

The artwork found in the game files https://t.co/cZjrRclQIC pic.twitter.com/6Fny3KkM8m
— Call of Duty News (@charlieINTEL) March 27, 2020

While there has been no official confirmation from Activision that the artwork is actually tied to any upcoming releases, it’s caused a lot of excitement among fans.

Call of Duty blog Charlie Intel and Eurogamer both reported that, according to their sources, the remaster will only include the single-player campaign, and new evidence has since supported this. No multi-player function? No problem.

Just last week, the first rumours of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered were brought to light courtesy of known video games leaker, Nibel on Twitter, who recently shared a link to the South Korean games ratings board. Following the link will show you that “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered” has been rated.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered rated in South Koreahttps://t.co/zQjcSEUjuX pic.twitter.com/4Z8Ro2IT05
— Nibel (@Nibellion) March 20, 2020

In other CoD news, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone now launched, supposed details of the 2020 edition of the franchise are coming to light. As always will rumours like these, take them with a pinch of salt for now.

Credit: Activision

The new rumour comes from known CoD leaker The Gaming Revolution, who has been more correct than not when it comes to previous leaks.

This time around it’s being claimed that the 2020 Call of Duty game will be a reboot of Black Ops, in a similar vein to the 2019 reboot of Modern Warfare. According to the leak, the game is being developed by Treyarch, which aligns with what we’re expecting for the series.

Credit: Activision

Excitingly for CoD fans, there’s a lot that The Gaming Revolution has leaked, including the game’s campaign and multiplayer mode.

The campaign will allegedly be set in the time of the Vietnam War and the Cold War, which is a rumour we’ve heard before. The game will reportedly have a focus on realism, and will try to be darker and grittier than 2019’s Modern Warfare.

Credit: Activision

It’s claimed that the game will explore the narratives of different areas, including South Vietnam, the Viet Cong and the United States. Returning characters allegedly include Alex Mason and Frank Woods, though they’ll be played by different voice actors.

Featured Image Credit: CharlieINTEL Twitter / Activision

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DOOM Eternal’s First Week Steam Numbers Are ‘Earth-Shattering’

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 14:25:06 GMT

DOOM Eternal has only been out a week, and yet its numbers are showing that id Software has done it again, and brought out a worthy sequel to its 2016 predecessor.

Despite facing tough adversary in the form of Tom Nook, on just its first day alone DOOM had over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam at one point.

Ron Seger, senior vice president of global sales at Bethesda, issued a statement about the first week of DOOM’s release, saying: “Despite thousands of retail stores closing, we are pleased so many fans have been able to enjoy DOOM Eternal. We want to thank our millions of fans for their enthusiastic support of this amazing title.”

DOOM Eternal: *Finally introduced Cyberdemon*

Me: lol k pic.twitter.com/dKl1E1Rrda
— Dave Eternal (@DaveOshry) March 25, 2020

While DOOM’s ability to smash franchise records with its latest release could also equate to the fact the world is in currently stuck in quarantine, reviews suggest that had the game not come out during a global pandemic, it would have been just as well-received.

According to Bethesda, DOOM Eternal has even had double the amount of launch revenue when compared to DOOM 2016 – and it’s only going to get bigger when those who couldn’t afford the game manage to get hold of it on their respective paydays.

Sorry for all the constant DOOM: Eternal posts as of late.

I just love the game so much, there is so much to talk about! pic.twitter.com/XCH1UfZDJw
— Haruka (Mister No Life) (@BackupMister) March 24, 2020

Reviews are now coming in hot, and many are even going as far to say that the new addition to id Software’s line-up has even ‘ruined their love of the 2016 version’, due to its upgraded features and gameplay.

Demons are now ‘actually a threat’, and those who found themselves normally playing on extreme difficulty mode are having to rethink their choices and move to a more normal gameplay setting.

Credit: id Software

This truly is a hardcore Shooter that doesn’t rely on melee-spamming, and quite frankly myself and other players are more than here for it. After all, there’s a reason that it’s performed so well in its first week, especially as far as Steam numbers are concerned.

[Featured Image Credit: DOOM / id Software]

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Half-Life: Alyx Modded To Soon Be Playable Without VR

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 13:07:56 GMT

Players have been eagerly awaiting a flat mode version of Half-Life: Alyx, and it seems like Valve has confirmed that it won’t be much longer to wait until that dream becomes a reality.

Credit: Valve

Talking to Polygon, Valve’s Robin Walker said “it’s going to happen”, however did warn that the flat mode would definitely be under-whelming in comparison to its VR counterpart, as it will clearly depict to users ‘why they chose to put it as just a VR concept in the first place’.

When the game was first announced, Valve faced a lot of backlash considering that not everyone has access to the VR headset required for gameplay, and while some things are best in their true form, Valve are definitely caving in to the pressure and releasing the game in a more ‘accessible’ form to the masses.

While it currently isn’t playable without a VR headset, Twitch streamers have found themselves gaining astronomical viewing figures while debuting the exclusively obtained game on their channels – but just watching a game being played is never as good as trying it out for yourself, so the news is bound to make a lot of Half-Life fans happy.

There’s currently around 10,000 people playing the game on Steam, and it’ll be interesting to see whether it receives a rise in popularity when flat mode is enabled.

While those numbers don’t exactly sound impressive (it’s currently the 85th most-played game on Steam), VR users reportedly make up to just 1% of Steam users, so that in itself is pretty impressive.

Despite its 13-year hiatus, the bold move to place the game in VR has clearly worked, but it’s only going to rise further once flat mode is enabled to the masses.

Credit: Valve

No exact date has been given by Valve soon, but hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later, and player’s will have another addition to keep them busy during the inevitable Coronavirus-filled boredom.

[Featured Image Credit: Valve]

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Borderlands, BioShock And XCOM Collections Are Coming To Nintendo Switch

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 12:23:55 GMT

On Thursday’s Nintendo Direct, it was announced that Borderlands, BioShock and XCOM would all be making their way to the Switch console later this year.

Considering it was classed as a ‘mini’ Direct, the exciting new offerings were far from slim, and fans were left excited to find out that they’d be able to play ports of some of their favourite 2K Games titles.

All three BioShock games, which consist of BioShock Remastered, BioShock 2 Remastered and BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition will be available to play from May 29, along with BioShock: The Collection – meaning all three titles will. be available as a bundle, if you’d rather get them all at once.

On the very release day, Borderlands Legendary Collection will also be available to buy, which includes Borderlands, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Because clearly, six different games just aren’t enough to keep anyone busy, you’ll also be able to get your hands on the full XCOM 2 Collection for your Nintendo Switch, ALSO released on May 29th. In the XCOM bundle, you’ll find all the classics, the War of the Chosen expansion and an array of DLC packs.

I saw this and scream WTF!! I need to use my switch more, and borderlands 1 alone is a great excuse lol I can’t wait. Bioshock also. The switch is great
— Jeremy Jensen (@Jxnsxn) March 27, 2020

One of the most exciting elements players are raving about is the fact that some of their favourites from 2K Games will now be able to be played while on the go.

Buying bioshock for the switch would be my fourth owned copy? Mean if you count both the original and the remaster on steam, and then the collection of ps4 ???
— i gave ya a 90% majima discount (@aishiterumajima) March 27, 2020

I bought Bioshock a billion years ago on Steam but I never really played it because I kinda hated playing on my computer. But… It's coming to the Switch. I dunno. Maybe this time. Maybe not.
— Vaughn Pinpin (@vaughnpinpin) March 27, 2020

Which game are you most excited to come to the Nintendo Switch? Or do you personally think that the collection’s didn’t need to be converted to the console?

[Featured Image Credit: Nintendo / 2K Games]

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10-Year-Old Arrested For Pointing Nerf Gun At A Truck

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 11:55:59 GMT

A 10-year-old boy has been arrested for pointing a toy Nerf gun at a truck after playing a ‘real-life’ game of Fortnite outside near his home.

His mother shared on social media that her son had been playing outside last July aiming his toy at oncoming traffic, and that

“We waited to tell our story until now because we had to wait until this was expunged from his record,” the boy’s mother wrote. “The less people that knew the better until this nightmare was officially over.”

Sounds eerily similar to a video animation we just shared by Brewstew Films…

The young boy had been waiting outside his grandparents’ house, imitating a game of online multiplayer, Fortnite with his friend using an unloaded toy Nerf gun, but after he began aiming it towards oncoming traffic. One of the cars that had been ‘aimed at’ stopped his car and called the police following a tense confrontational discussion.

The 10-year-old was then handcuffed and taken into police custody before his parents had chance to arrive. Despite his parents’ efforts to get the charge immediately removed from his record, El Paso County Sheriff’s refused to alter the charge, meaning the young boy had to take part in community service, conduct a written essay and take part in various tasks in order to be considered for a ‘clean slate’.

While his parents agreed that the young boy deserved to be punished for his actions, they also argued that the situation had been so severe that it has left him ‘fearful of the police and authority’. “This is an extremely hard post to write as this has affected our whole family immensely,” the boy’s mother continued. “Especially our [child’s name], who is terrified of law enforcement now and occasionally has flashbacks of the terrifying event.”

“I thought Colorado would be the state that we came back to as a family after [family member] retires from the military,” she wrote. “But after all of this it is confirmed we do not want to EVER come back to this state.”

[Featured Image Credit: Nerf / Fortnite Epic Games]

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BoomTV Hosting $300,000 Apex Legends Charity Tournament Today

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:48:17 GMT

On Wednesday, BoomTV announced that they would be hosting a $300,000 Apex Legends charity tournament to be held on Thursday March 26 at 12PM PST (7pm GMT).

Excited to announce our $300,000 #CodeRedCharity Tournament ft. @PlayApex!

$250k will be donated to @ifrc to support the ongoing COVID-19 efforts.

Starts TOMORROW (Thursday) 3.26.20 at 12 PM PST.

Catch all the action on our official Twitch channel below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Ki4kxuW5z5
— BoomTV (@GoBoomTV) March 25, 2020

Writing on their official Twitter account, BoomTV told followers they would be donating $250,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross in a bid to support the COVID-19 relief efforts:

“Excited to announce our $300,000 #CodeRedCharity Tournament ft. @PlayApex! $250k will be donated to @ifrc to support the ongoing COVID-19 efforts. Starts TOMORROW (Thursday) 3.26.20 at 12 PM PST. Catch all the action on our official Twitch channel.”

If you want to play in this TOMORROW, please DM @GoBoomTV with your stream link!

We’re looking for 2 streamers or pros who want to play in this w/ WNBA star @aerial_powers23! #CodeRedCharity https://t.co/McMqE6FoIE
— BoomTV (@GoBoomTV) March 26, 2020

For those who are planning to tune in to the tournament from Europe, you’ll be able to check it out from 7PM.

There’s currently some big names in esports and streaming signed on for this week’s tournament, including A_Seagull – who is a former professional player for the Dallas Fuel competing with Dummy (ex-Overwatch professional). Other big names include NRG content creator LuluLuvely, and the whole TSM squad.

Oh and before you ask…

It’ll be 3 games on Kings Canyon & 3 on World’s Edge.
— BoomTV (@GoBoomTV) March 25, 2020

The tournament will feature six matches in total; three on Kings Canyon and three on World’s Edge, as confirmed on BoomTV’s official Twitter.

To check out the tournament, you just need to head over to BoomTV’s official Twitch stream to see all the action take place. Anything that can help fight the COVID-battle right now is worth supporting, especially when it’s esports-related!

[Featured Image Credit: BoomTV / EA]

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Ubisoft Confirms Three Anno 1800 DLCs For 2020

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:47:38 GMT

For any fans of the city-building sim Anno 1800, there’s a lot more content coming your way, as Ubisoft has confirmed three DLCs will be coming throughout 2020.

One of the DLCs, Seat Of Power, which has already been released since March 24, allows players to create a new palace in their cities along with government buildings to ‘increase their city’s might’.

Credit: Ubisoft Blue Byte

As well as making cities more aesthetically pleasing, Ubisoft also confirmed that the first DLC’s palaces house several departments that offer both passive bonuses and access to various policies that can influence elements of the game’s city life.

Bright Harvest is the second DLC confirmed for ‘summer 2020′, which will allow players to incorporate agricultural aspects such as tractors and other tools to boost farm efficiencies, and the third DLC is called Land Of Lions where players ally with an emperor on the Southern continent and bring irrigation to a desert. Land of Lions’ release date is currently unknown. All of these DLCs can only be accessed with the Season 2 pass, and each are purchased separately.

Credit: Ubisoft Blue Byte

A description for the game (assuming you haven’t played it yet) reads from Ubisoft: “Welcome to the 19th century, a time of industrialization, diplomacy, and discovery, Rich with technological innovations, conspiracies, and challenging allegiances, this era presents the perfect setting for classic Anno gameplay. Anno 1800 provides players many opportunities to prove their skills as a ruler as they create huge metropolises, plan efficient logistic networks, explore, settle new lands, and dominate their opponents by diplomacy, trade, or warfare.”

Credit: Ubisoft Blue Byte

Anno 1800 is currently nominated for best Strategy/Simulation Game Of The Year by the D.I.C.E Awards. The game, which first debuted back in 2019 also received the most successful first week of the entire series, selling four times more than Anno 2205.

[Featured Image Credit: Ubisoft Blue Byte]

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Halo Infinite Devs Discuss Potential Delay Due To COVID-19

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:09:48 GMT

With Microsoft releasing their latest console, Xbox Series X and Halo Infinite as a launch title alongside it, there’s a lot riding on the current climate to ensure that the game AND console will both still retain their 2020 release date.

343 Industries

As the Coronavirus pandemic brings companies to a stand-still, it would be understandable (albeit slightly heartbreaking) to find out that the game and console release would be pushed back, however if the Devs behind Halo Infinite have anything to say about it, they’ll be fighting against that as much as possible.

343 Industries has released a statement regarding Halo’s development on their official blog, and although they basically scurried around discussing the release date, we can only assume that the game is still on to arrive ‘Holiday 2020’.

“We’re removing all the obstacles in our path and tracking well, but need to be mindful of our current limitations and understand that the coronavirus situation may get worse before it gets better,” 343 claimed in the post.

“Rest assured that every single one of us is doing everything in our power to continue developing and delivering quality Halo experiences while we adjust to this new way of life.”

The post continues: “Both 343 and Microsoft’s leadership teams have been providing constant updates with how the COVID-19 situation is progressing, how our projects are progressing, and recommendations on how best to stay safe during these unprecedented times,”

343 Industries

“Please remember that this is bigger than games and bigger than Halo. Practice social distancing whenever possible … wash your hands, and do your best to keep it clean. We’re all in this together.”

This statement is also aimed towards the upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection for PC, which is in ongoing development. Halo 2 Anniversary is also expected to launch and the beta test following in the coming weeks.

[Featured Image Credit: 343 Industries]

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Starring In A New Predator Game

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 11:30:41 GMT

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the action icons of the 1980s and he’s reprising one of his most iconic roles in a video game adaptation of Predator.

The Austrian-American actor is well known for his acting in movies like The Running Man, Total Recall and the Terminator franchise. He appeared in all 6 Terminator films, despite being in his 70s when Terminator: Dark Fates released.

One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic roles was the protagonist Dutch in the 1987 movie Predator. This role launched a franchise that he’s not since returned to. He wouldn’t actually voice the character he played – fans think that he might even be voicing Predator.

Credit – 20th Century Fox

According to the co-writer of the 2018 reboot “The Predator”, a brief cameo role was written. Sadly, it never came to pass. That means it’s now been 30 years since Dutch was on our screens.

Credit – Sony

What Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Say About Predator?

It seems, however, that Arnold Schwarzenegger might well be about to make his triumphant return in video game form. According to fan website TheArnoldFans, Schwarzenegger has admitted to putting his voice to an upcoming Predator video game:

“The other day Predator came on, and I said to my girlfriend, “Let’s watch the beginning.” And we ended up watching the whole thing because it still held up today. Other movies don’t hold up, but movies like Predator and the first Terminator really hold up, and it was really fun to watch. Interesting enough, a week later I was asked to do some voice-over for a video game that is coming out about Predator. So it was great that I watched it to get back in that mood again to do the voice-over.”

Predator Hunting Grounds Gameplay Trailer
Not long now ????
Posted by FragHero on Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Arnie didn’t mention what video game he’s lent his voice to. But it seems most likely to be the upcoming multiplayer shooter Predator: Hunting Grounds. This game is allegedly meant to see players face off as either Humans or Predators.

But it could also be possible that Schwarzenegger has accidentally revealed a currently unannounced game in the Predator franchise.

Credit – Sony

Whichever it is, it looks like Predator is ready to make a star-studded return to video games very soon.

Featured Image Credit – 20th Century Fox

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Twitch Bans Streamer Kaceytron Over ‘Controversial’ Coronavirus Joke

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 18:53:45 GMT

Veteran Twitch streamer Kaceytron has been suspended indefinitely from the platform after appearing to make a joke around the on-going Coronavirus pandemic.

The streamer made the offensive joke during an episode of ‘The Rajjelor’, which is Rajj Patel’s series that mimics ABC’s The Bachelor reality television show and adapted for Twitch featuring streamers with big personalities.

When Kacey was asked if she would kiss fellow streamer Quackity if he was ‘infected’, she replied: “yes, and we would leave quarantine, and we would try to spread it as much as possible because the world would be a better place without old and poor people.”

Following her controversial remark, Twitch made the decision to suspend Kaceytron’s account, which the streamer confirmed in a series of tweets last week.

I’ve been indefinitely suspended because of an insensitive comment I made lastweek. I don’t condone hatred towards any person and it was a poor reflection of my character. I’m just trying to take this all in right now. I ask that my audience please remain calm and rational. pic.twitter.com/EOu0pn4vF8
— kaceytron (@kaceytron) March 17, 2020

In the statement, Kacey told her followers: “I’ve been indefinitely suspended because of an insensitive comment I made last week. I don’t condone hatred towards any person and it was a poor reflection of my character. I’m just trying to take this all in right now. I ask that my audience please remain calm and rational.”

She continued: “I apologize to anyone who has been hurt or offended by my comments. I do not hold hatred towards the poor or elderly. Over the past month I have been extremely worried about my parents, as many have. I’ve also been extremely worried about my families financial situation.

I apologize to anyone who has been hurt or offended by my comments. I do not hold hatred towards the poor or elderly. Over the past month I have been extremely worried about my parents, as many have. I've also been extremely worried about my families financial situation.
— kaceytron (@kaceytron) March 18, 2020

“I’ve always used humor as a coping mechanism, when I said “poor and old people are a plague” it was me letting out my frustration and mocking a system that I have felt like has tossed the poor and elderly aside.

“I realize that it was an insensitive joke and that’s not an excuse for it, I accept my punishment. I just hope that you all can realize I am human, I’m not infallible, I make mistakes.”

Reddit users took to the platform with mixed feelings about Kacey’s suspension, and while most were shocked and impressed that Twitch had taken such a drastic action, others argued that Twitch were showing a lack of compassion and understanding for her ‘dry and sarcastic humour’.

No word has been updated on whether or not Kacey will be able to appeal her Twitch ban in the near future as of yet. Clearly, Twitch aren’t here for COVID-19 jokes.

It’s not the first time Kacey has been known to be offensive online, as you’ll see in the below Tweet capturing her sexually explicit callout to Dr DisRespect fans.

So… @kaceytron ???????? where you at though?! #RetweetPeeps #KaceyTron #Eggplant #PatientlyWaiting pic.twitter.com/5aMENHz83y
— Michelle Von (@That_Von_Girl) February 6, 2018

Featured Image Credit: Kaceytron Instagram

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Tales From the Borderlands Could Be Getting a Remaster and Sequel

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 12:24:24 GMT

A mysterious trailer has recently been leaked that hints towards the fan-favourite Tales From the Borderlands getting not only a remaster, but a sequel as well.

Tales From the Borderlands was released in November 2014. It was the last “original” game in the Borderlands franchise, until the release of Borderlands 3 five years later. This gave it a big place in fans’ hearts. Sadly, once Telltale went under, many fans had to admit they may never see Rhys and Fiona again.

Credit – Telltale

But a Reddit post may have just revived fans’ hopes. The post links to a trailer for a remastered Tales From the Borderlands. If this is true, and it really is in development, we can see why. Borderlands 3 has received massive praise since launching last September. So it makes sense to us Telltale would cash in on the Borderlands universe whilst it’s hot.

View post on imgur.com

Even more exciting, however, is that the trailer ends by highlighting the number 2 on-screen. Fans think the “2” is on-screen too long to be an accident and could possibly be the first hint of a sequel in the works.

Credit – Telltale

What Would a Remaster and Sequel Mean For Telltale?

After Telltale Games collapsed in October 2018, many fans would’ve been forgiven for assuming they might never see any more content from one of the gaming industry’s best storytellers.

The studio had hit on a niche that let them play to their strengths. They had the ability to license content within pre-existing franchises that tugged on gamer’s heartstrings like nothing else.

Unfortunately, following some poor business decisions and amid unsustainable revenue shares from their licensers, the studio was shut down and their games got taken off Steam.

Credit – Telltale

But a few months later, in August 2019, LCG Entertainment revived the studio. They announced their plans to start republishing Telltale’s iconic backlog. These included fan favourite titles like Batman and The Wolf Among Us – the latter even had a teased second season. However, questions remained over what other titles this new Telltale could publish.

Most of Telltale’s best-loved games were licensed titles, which has caused issues for LCG Entertainment. This means the rights to many of these games, like all of The Walking Dead’s seasons, had reverted back to their original owners. Which means they might never see a re-release under the Telltale banner.

Credit – Gearbox Software

What Are The Potential Issues To A Tales From the Borderlands Sequel?

Firstly, (SPOILERS FOR BORDERLANDS 3), the protagonist Rhys and his friend Vaughn both appear in Borderlands 3. This means that a sequel would have to tread carefully to fit inside Borderlands’ growing story.

Credit – Gearbox Software

The other major issue is Rhys’ voice. The veteran voice actor Troy Baker originally voiced Rhys in Tales from the Borderlands. He had a falling out with Gearbox, who refused to recognise the Voice Actor’s union sometime before Borderlands 3. He was replaced by Ray Chase, but it’d be a shame to see his voice changed for his triumphant return to the adventure game genre.

Despite that, the idea of Telltale rereleasing what is perhaps their best game has us excited. There’s been no official confirmation yet, but keep your eyes peeled for more details!

Featured Image Credit – Telltale

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Smooya Screams Like Goat As Team Wins Clutch in Flashpoint

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:44:44 GMT

Flashpoint kicked off this month with a bang – or should I say scream – as pro players went head-to-head for their chance at winning the $1,000,000 USD prize pool.

smooya goes crazy during Flashpoint 1https://t.co/yGZ8zotFhB
— TheGamer Clips (@ClipsThegamer) March 19, 2020

Owen “smooya” Butterfield plays for Chaos Esports Club in the newly founded Counter Strike: Global Offensive league Flashpoint. The highlight of the play-offs was when he uttered a high-pitched war cry – which casters compared to a goat’s scream – when his team took the win in a gut-wrenching CS:GO clutch play against team Made in Brazil.

Smooya yelled “QUE OTA” at the Brazilian team, as you can hear in the above clip, meaning “want another?”, a.k.a “think you can take more?!”. It was a hilarious moment and is exactly the type of banter that this new esports league is looking for.

This huge win certainly had MIBR player Epitácio “TACO” de Melo regretting his confident group swap to pit his team against Chaos. These were his regretful last words before the match:

I would like to swap Cloud9 with Chaos because I want to play against smooya.

TACO passando na sua timeline para desejar para você um excelente final de semana!@TACOCS passing through your timeline to wish you a great weekend!#SomosMIBR pic.twitter.com/qYlF2NUyR7
— MIBR (@mibr) February 29, 2020

Flashpoint is a mature new gaming league that’s been set up by the biggest names in Counter Strike esports to put on a show, something which it’s creators felt has been lacking in the industry.

It’s time to reveal the next generation of CS:GO competition. pic.twitter.com/UBifU8Ilwu
— Flashpoint (@Flashpoint) February 5, 2020

Flashpoint is all about drama and personality, so it’ll come as no surprise to you that the Creative Director is Duncan “Thorin” Shields, someone who’s known as the “Esports Historian”.

The league has 12 teams with matches now taking place online after Los Angeles’ response to coronavirus. You can catch matches running up until April 19 2020. The winning team in first place is set to take away a whopping $500,000 USD! Here’s the full team list for Flashpoint:

– HAVU
– MAD Lions
– c0ntact
– Copenhagen Flames
– Chaos
– MIBR
– Gen.G
– Envy
– Cloud9
– Orgless
– Dignitas
– FunPlus Phoenix

You can find out more about this new CS:GO esports league here, including which teams are founders and what the playoff format looks like.

Featured image credit: Flashpoint (Twitch)

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Ubisoft Says Unhappy Rainbow Six Siege Pros Are Actually a Good Thing

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 11:18:46 GMT

Rainbow Six Siege pros across the world are unhappy as Ubisoft Montreal unveils drastic new changes for Year 5 and 6. These changes will completely overhaul the game, including a reworked Operator and Tachanka. But Ubisoft Montreal is delighted to see unhappy professional players – they say it’s a sign the game is “going in the right direction”.

After dropping the patch notes for Rainbow Six Siege’s Void Edge patch, which marks the beginning of the game’s Year 5 content, Siege’s creative director Leroy Athanassoff, took questions.

Credit – Ubisoft

Alongside teasing the upcoming rework for Russian machine gunner and ironic fan favourite Tachanka, Athanassoff discussed the reactions from unhappy Siege pros to some of the upcoming changes being made for Year 5 and Year 6.

During the blog post he discussed some new features. He claims that Ubisoft “recently tested some of the features we want to introduce in Year 5 and Year 6 in a workshop with pro players, and they were unhappy, to say the least. They are the people that make their living from being good at this game, so they are the people in our population of players that most want to have control of the game. The more they are in control, the better they are at their profession. If you are a professional, you don’t like that the rules of something are changing constantly, because it challenges you to stay at the highest level.”

Credit – Ubisoft

Athanassoff then went on to explain that he feels this is a good thing for the development of the game. He says “if they are not happy (with our proposed features), then to me that means we are going in the right direction.”

How Will These Changes Impact Gameplay For Rainbow Six Siege Pros?

As for Tachanka’s highly anticipated rework, Leroy Athanassoff promised some big changes. He says, “what we want with a rework is for you to have new gameplay”, before adding, “You are going to have to relearn the Operator. You’re going to have a new way of playing them.

Credit – Ubisoft

As for when the rework will be completed? There’s no clear answer yet. What we do know is that Rainbow Six Siege will be streamlining its patches by removing smaller ones. Whilst there’s no word on a dedicated stream mode patch yet, we hope this is still in the works.

Credit – Ubisoft

Featured Image Credit – Ubisoft

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