On June 22, Epic Games added a brand new gameplay mode to Fortnite, simply titled Fortnite Reload. While it's fundamentally similar to the main battle royale mode, Reload isn't a free-for-all since players form squads of four to become the last team standing. The mode seems to have proved popular, attracting well over 800,000 players at launch (according to tracking site Fortnite.GG), which means plenty of people want to know if Reload is a permanent fixture or if it will only be available for a limited time.
Is Fortnite Reload a permanent gameplay mode?
Image via Epic Games
At the time of writing, Epic Games has not explicitly confirmed if Fortnite Reload is permanent or not. However, a blog post about the mode on the official Fortnite website makes no mention of Reload only being available for a limited time. It's also not tagged as a limited time mode, so it's probably safe to assume that Reload's addition will be permanent and the mode won't suddenly be removed from Fortnite. We'll be sure to update this article should this ever change.
With Reload here to stay, it'll be interesting to see how Epic Games handles updating the mode. New Quests to complete for further rewards seems like a no-brainer, but additional weapons could help keep Reload fresh and exciting. So would changes or new POIs for the map. The Reload map brought back a few locations from Fortnite's very first map alongside remixed versions of areas from previous seasons, but perhaps it could receive even more re-imagined locales or entirely original ones. Although Epic would have to keep the map roughly the same size and not expand it. One of the points of Reload is that it features a much tighter map compared to the island from the main battle royale, making it easier to traverse on foot.
FromSoftware is known for making exceedingly challenging games, yet plenty of fans have found Shadow of the Erdtree, the first and only DLC expansion for Elden Ring, to be too difficult even for them. We have several guides for helping you in your journey through the Realm of Shadow (including one on the best early weapons in the DLC), but if you're really struggling, there are PC mods that aim to tone down the difficulty.
Such mods have been popping up over the weekend, and come in a variety of flavours. One simply titled Easy Shadow of the Erdtree just reduces the amount of damage enemies deal by 25%, while another reduces the damage you take by 50%, doubles your own damage output, gives you regenerating health and Focus Points, and lets you recover Runes immediately. That second one is fittingly dubbed Wolverine Mode.
Image via FromSoftware
Another one is called No more Scadutree grind, which outright removes the Scadutree fragments introduced in the DLC and readjusts the damage scaling to be similar to how it is in the base game. Scadutree fragments are how you increase your character's strength and defence in Shadow of the Erdtree but, clearly, some fans aren't too keen on it and would prefer if leveling up worked like it did in Elden Ring. There's also a mod that's meant for taking screenshots (appropriately named Screenshot Difficulty), though its creator advises against using this if you actually want to play the game since it "makes you take way, way less incoming damage."
It's fascinating seeing modders craft their own easy modes for Shadow of the Erdtree when people have been so vehemently against the idea of FromSoftware games adding difficulty options, since the high level of challenge is the point. And yet while Elden Ring has maintained an overall Very Positive user rating on Steam, user reviews on Shadow of the Erdtree are mixed. Some criticisms, though, aren't solely about how difficult the DLC is, and are lobbied against its performance and frame rate issues.
There are also more positive user reviews than negative, with plenty of fans perfectly content with how difficult the DLC is and, unsurprisingly, telling complainers to simply get better. Not to mention Shadow of the Erdtree has been a critical darling, earning high scores from most outlets and overtaking The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion as the best-reviewed DLC on Metacritic.
Something I never considered when FIFA and EA ended their partnership was how this would affect the former's own esports competition, FIFAe. With EA continuing its football game series as EA Sports FC, there's no new, officially licensed FIFA game to take its place. So, for this year's FIFAe tournament, the organisation has opted to run Rocket League instead.
"This move signifies a major step in FIFA’s commitment to embrace the entire ecosystem and drive the global growth of football esports globally," reads an announcement from FIFA. "The partnership brings the intensity and excitement of the FIFAe nations’ narrative to an electrifying new stage and allows players to fame their game in their nation colours. This inclusion represents a broader engagement with the community and embraces esports beyond traditional football simulations."
At first, this seemed a bit bizarre to me, but Rocket League is technically a football game. Sure, you're driving cars around the pitch, but the aim is to knock a ball into the opposing team's goal to score points. Plus, the game has remained incredibly popular since its 2015 launch and has cultivated its own esports scene, so it being the star of this year's FIFAe tournament should help draw more attention to it, or at least help it capture a new audience.
An exact date for the tournament hasn't been confirmed yet, but it will consist of 16 national teams, which will be chosen "based on the number of representatives from each country in previous Rocket League Majors." Director of eFootball and Gaming at FIFA Christian Volk added, "The FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League marks a new era for FIFAe, providing a groundbreaking platform for FIFA’s member associations to compete on one of the most relevant esports titles. This milestone partnership highlights our commitment to evolve our football esports ecosystem and continue to build the biggest stages for all communities to fame their game."
I do wonder whether this will be a long-term partnership considering FIFA does have plans to release officially licensed FIFA games again. After skipping 2023, it's been claimed that FIFA has formed a new deal with 2K, and that their first project together, FIFA 2K25, will launch later this year. If so, you'd think this would be the game FIFA would run for next year's FIFAe tournament, unless it decides to have separate competitions for the FIFA game and Rocket League.
It would make sense for FIFA to pick 2K to helm new FIFA games since it already has its own sports sims for basketball and golf, and 2K getting its own football series could make for some good competition with EA Sports FC. There's little else challenging EA on that front, although the upcoming free-to-play UFL had a very successful beta session earlier this month, with over one million players taking part.
UPDATE: GAME has called claims of it ending in-store physical game sales "categorically not true" in a statement to Eurogamer. The retailer assured it would continue to support the physical games market, and keep selling boxed games and hardware.
Our original story follows below...
For years, GAME was my go-to store for buying video games. I would run in every time I passed by as a kid, and getting to peruse it for new and old titles was always so exciting, even more so when my parents agreed to buy one for me. Now, though, games will be the one thing GAME won't be stocking on its shelves.
According to Gfinity, which spoke with sources familiar with the UK retailer's plans, GAME plans to end sales of physical video games as well as hardware in store. You'll still be able to pre-order physical copies of new releases (so my Sonic X Shadow Generations pre-order thankfully isn't going to be cancelled), but anyone who wanders in going forward won't be able to just grab a boxed copy of upcoming releases like Star Wars Outlaws or the new Mario & Luigiand take it straight home to play. This could mean an end to midnight console launches as well if GAME isn't planning to stock new hardware like the Nintendo Switch 2.
Image via Supergiant Games
As disappointing as this news will be for some people, this was perhaps a long time coming. Earlier this year, GAME opted to no longer accept trade-ins, and thus stopped selling pre-owned games as well. It's also spent the last several years becoming a more general toy store, in part due to declining interest in physical media. In a 2023 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, managing director Nick Arran said, "We wanted a new proposition that attracted new customers. ... Our main industry is in decline so we need to plug that gap, but also for the future to bring in these new customers, and get them off of online retailers."
Arran also vowed GAME would be the "last man standing selling physical video games," adding, "We see our place in the market as proving that there is a place for physical, whether that be the collector's editions, which we see as the vinyl of video games, or the gifter who doesn't want to wrap up a download code for Christmas." Although he admitted that he had to be realistic: "We have a business to run and the expectation is this will decline. So we need to fill that gap."
Even so, the retailer's shift away from traditional video games has, according to Gfinity, upset a number of GAME staff. Combined with a string of low-level layoffs back in April, with it reported that staff would be offered zero hour contracts, it's suggested there's very little faith in the brand nowadays. Who even knows if GAME primarily being a toy shop will keep its doors open for the foreseeable future.
Ultimately, this is another worrying blow to the physical games market, and it's not the only one either. As spotted by Lost in Cult marketing director Ryan Brown on Twitter, the website for online UK retailer Hit, which has been one of my go-to sites for new video game releases, suddenly shut down over the weekend with no warning. I can confirm the website is down at the time of writing, only bringing up a 404 Not Found notice.
One Reddit user was able to get in contact with Hit, which confirmed it had "ceased to trade," but promised the business would be reorganised and return at some point. However, it's been suggested Hit had been struggling financially beforehand, making the odds of its supposed comeback quite unlikely. This one's a real shame since Hit's prices were cheaper than most competitors. All in all, the future of physical games distribution is looking bleaker than ever.
In 2013, Intelligible Games released the Ace Attorney-inspiredSocrates Jones: Pro Philosopher for web browsers, where instead of catching murderers in over-the-top courtroom dramas, you debated with real-world philosophers from throughout history to deduce the true nature of morality. It saw a full remake on Steam in 2023 but, 10 years after the original, the same team is back with a proper sequel; one that shifts its focus towards that oh so favoured of topics among gamers: politics.
Titled Pro Philosopher 2: Governments & Grievances, I was able to test out a short demo ahead of its release as part of Steam Next Fest (it should be available for download by the time you're reading this). And by short, I do mean short; you can easily clear it in 20 minutes. However, it does succinctly sum up what you can expect from the full game: interesting topics of debate, a fun sense of humour, and a lot of blatant similarities to Ace Attorney.
A part of me feels bad directly comparing Pro Philosopher 2 to Capcom's visual novel series, but one look at it and you'll see Pro Philosopher 2 doesn't just wear the Ace Attorney influences on its sleeves; it's dressed head to toe in them. Not only are its core gameplay mechanics functionally identical, but even aspects of its presentation borrow liberally from Ace Attorney. Characters have exaggerated reactions when taken by surprise, and they let out cries of "Nonsense!" during arguments, which have the same energy as Phoenix Wright's iconic "Objection!", right down to the word smacking into the screen in bold red letters. This may risk costing Pro Philosopher 2 any semblance of its own identity, but it's clear these similarities come out of reverence for Ace Attorney and not a cynical attempt at copying it in the hopes of recreating its popularity. Plus, as a die-hard Ace Attorney fan myself, I can't help but crack a smile at the ways Pro Philosopher 2 lifts elements from Capcom's work.
Image via Intelligible Games
The thought of a game that requires you to engage in political debates and point out the flaws in each philosopher's way of thinking sounds like a daunting and difficult task, but it's easy to get to grips with if you've played even one Ace Attorney game. Instead of tangible evidence, you have an idea slate, which holds ideas and concepts you can use to challenge your opponent's statements, no different to spotting contradictions in an Ace Attorney testimony. Challenging incorrectly will reduce your Credibility, and if that runs out it's game over.
It's a very simple idea in practice and, much like how you can press for further testimony in Ace Attorney, you can ask for clarification if you think a specific statement is too vague, or ask your opponent to back up their claim with evidence. Doing these can result in new ideas for the idea slate or additional statements. There's no punishment for using the Clarification and Backing options on every statement, which is perfect for the most cautious of players (you'll also get some amusing dialogue out of it). And reaching the end of a statement earns you a slight hint on what to do should you be completely lost.
I got to grips with the demo incredibly easily, but I have to imagine the full game will prove far more challenging. One extra gameplay mechanic is alluded to but isn't featured in the demo, and given the very nature of the political debate and its complexities, there could be some real head-scratching puzzles that'll leave more than a fair share of players stumped. It's obviously too soon to tell how these will be handled, and whether the difficulty will be fairly balanced or not. At the very least, the Ace Attorney-esque presentation and fun banter between protagonist Ari and her fellow cast members should keep you engaged, and may even help you learn some new things about the history of politics.
Image via Intelligible Games
Pro Philosopher 2's slightly goofy sense of humour won't be for everyone, but it definitely got some light chuckles out of me. Mostly from how it portrays actual philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli as this arrogant genius, regularly cracking a smug smile as he lords his superior intellect. Liberties are absolutely going to be taken with how these real-world figures are depicted, but it makes for an entertaining experience nonetheless. You also have the option during debates to just insult your opponent with a "You stink!," which is designed to never work and cost you credibility. Yet I can see players using it anyway if only to see how each philosopher reacts to being dragged into your average Twitter argument.
What will likely make or break Pro Philosopher 2, however, is exactly how it handles its choices of debate topics. Based on the demo, it fortunately doesn't feel as if it will try and pursue a neutral stance throughout. Machiavelli argues in favour of blatant totalitarianism, believing a stable state of government is only possible with a single ruler in charge; one untethered by pesky morals. I like to think we can all agree that's an awful idea, and it's one Ari (and by extension the game and the development team) completely refute, but will this same approach be taken with future debates? What if the game requires the player to make an argument they fundamentally don't agree with? Will Pro Philosopher 2 even broach the more controversial topics, or will it play things safe and stick to dismantling outdated or unpopular arguments that don't hold water in the 21st century? It's a tricky balancing act, though I'd rather see the game take at least some kind of stance instead of flaking out at the last minute and pulling some "all sides are equally valid" nonsense.
Regardless, Pro Philosopher 2 is one to watch for anyone with an interest in visual novels, logic puzzles, and/or political discourse that doesn't quickly devolve into hurling slurs at one another. It sounds like it'll be a pretty meaty experience too, with it promising more philosopher opponents than the five its predecessor had, though an exact number hasn't been confirmed. A couple of examples shown in trailers are 17th century Englishman John Locke (who looks delightfully foppish) and Chinese philosopher Confucius, so there's already some decent variety to the kind of views that players will need to engage with. Mechanically, Pro Philosopher 2 seems perfectly sound, and building a game all around political debate, especially in the current climate, is a gutsy decision I applaud Intelligible Games for making. I just hope it has actually interesting or insightful things to say about its various debate topics.
Lately, there has been chatter of Kingdom Hearts, everyone's favourite mash-up of Disney magic and Final Fantasy-esque action, getting a movie adaptation. These rumours come courtesy of Disney fan site The DisInsider and film industry insider DanielRPK, but I'm not here to discuss the validity of their claims. Rather, I want to talk about how if Disney really does want a Kingdom Hearts movie, it faces an incredibly steep uphill battle.
I can imagine pitches for a Kingdom Hearts movie adaptation have floated within Disney for a while, especially in more recent years. After decades of embarrassments, video game movies have been popping off lately, with the likes of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the Uncharted movie, and both Sonic the Hedgehog movies proving profitable for their respective IP holders. Kingdom Hearts is a big name, big enough for non-fans to recognize it, and its inclusion of beloved Disney characters would undoubtedly attract people who don't even know what a Sora is. However, I do not think you can meaningfully translate Kingdom Hearts from a video game into a movie; not without some audience-alienating compromises.
You'd have to assume any Kingdom Hearts movie would be based on the original 2002 game which, despite the series' reputation for having extremely complicated lore, does feature a fairly simple storyline. A young boy named Sora sets out on an adventure spanning multiple Disney worlds, alongside Donald Duck and Goofy, to save the universe from dark monsters while searching for his missing friends. I'd say that's an apt and easy to understand summation of Kingdom Hearts' story, but it also barely scratches the surface. There is a lot going on in Kingdom Hearts; too much to condense into even a two-hour movie. Movie adaptations typically and understandably cut out chunks of their source material in order to fit their runtime, but when it comes to Kingdom Hearts, there's nothing you can cut without it feeling incredibly jarring.
Screenshot by Destructoid
One of the main draws of the series is getting to visit all these faithful recreations of worlds based on beloved Disney movies. The first game alone is full of gems, from the madcap world of Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland to the gothic streets of Halloween Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Besides some of its outlandish story beats, this is what general audiences know Kingdom Hearts for, so you'd think a movie would make this a big focus. The problem is you wouldn't be able to fit all of the first game's nine Disney worlds into a rough runtime of two hours. Plus, with how self-contained most of these worlds are, only occasionally nudging the main plot forward, jumping from one to the next would feel incredibly jarring, even if Disney cut the number down to, say, only three worlds. It'd feel like one of those old direct-to-video Disney sequels, like Atlantis 2, which claimed to be movies but were clearly hastily stitched together standalone episodes of a TV show that never got off the ground.
On top of that, making the Disney visits the priority risks giving little time to the elements original to Kingdom Hearts. In the game, the opening hour is spent introducing Sora, his friends, and his island home before it's all taken away from him. This is followed by his meeting with Donald and Goofy and learning about their quest, the threat of the Heartless, and the magical weapon known as the Keyblade. It's the kind of set-up you can't condense into the first 20 minutes of a feature-length film, not without it being haphazardly rushed or confusing to anyone who's not touched the games.
So, is the answer to prioritize those elements and maybe skip over the Disney world stuff? Well, no, because then you're eliminating an easy way of getting non-fans to watch the movie. I know some game fans wish the series would ditch the Disney element completely, but it's a key part of its identity. Take that away, and you have another typical Square Enix RPG. Even if a movie were to put less emphasis on them, Disney characters would still be present, but would your average Disney lover be willing to sit through a Kingdom Hearts movie if the only characters to make an appearance were Donald, Goofy, and maybe Mickey Mouse himself? I don't think so. Perhaps the only other alternative would be to completely overhaul the first game's story to better fit it into the style of a movie, but then you're left with something completely unrecognizable to fans.
Image via Square Enix and Disney
No matter what, it feels like a direct movie adaptation is a no-win situation. It's why I think the smartest thing to do would be to follow Amazon and Bethesda's example with their Fallout TV show, and have a completely original plot set within the Kingdom Hearts universe. That way, you can craft a story that's perfectly suited to the medium of film, rather than awkwardly truncate roughly 30 to 40 hours of video game. Unfortunately, that's not entirely viable either, since it'd only really appeal to established fans. The average movie-going audience is far less likely to be intrigued, especially if it requires a deep understanding of Kingdom Hearts lore. Knowing this series, I can absolutely see a potential movie incorporating important plot points mandatory for understanding Kingdom Hearts 4 or something, like Square Enix did with the mobile games.
If anything, the structure of Kingdom Hearts would be a much better fit for a Disney+ TV show. In the games, each world acts like their own story arc, and can quite easily be condensed into one or two episodes. A show could even expand upon each world with new story elements. Die-hard fans already know there was a pilot for such a TV show back in 2003 that obviously never got the greenlight. If Disney wants to bring a new audience to the games, a Disney+ series would be a smart way of doing it.
I would not be surprised if this rumoured movie is real, but ultimately gets shot down before any actual progress is made for whatever reason. Some pitches simply never get off the ground. However, the current climate could embolden Disney to give it a shot. Cross-promotion works as evidenced by Amazon's aforementioned Fallout show increased sales and player counts for Bethesda's games.
That's not the only example; Nintendo's enjoyed a boost in sales thanks to the Mario movie (per this financial report), and The Last of Us saw renewed interest thanks to its own TV adaptation. A well-made movie combined with the launch of Kingdom Hearts 4, whenever that is, could be huge for Disney and Square Enix. I do not envy whoever is put in charge of such a project, though, because it is far too easy to get catastrophically wrong, resulting in a product that fails to sell Kingdom Hearts to potential new fans while angering the ones it already has.
Fortnite's v29.40 update brings a bevy of new Star Wars content to the battle royale in time for Star Wars Day on May 4. The update should hopefully be live by the time you're reading this, so we've put together a rundown of all the brand-new Star Wars related content you can acquire with your V-Bucks.
All new Star Wars skins for Fortnite
Image via Epic Games
Here is a list of every new Star Wars skin added to Fortnite on May 3, along with an explainer on how you can unlock them. As a reminder, owning a skin in the battle royale will also make it available at no extra cost in Lego Fortnite, which has its own Star Wars crossover going on.
Chewbacca—Everyone's favorite Wookiee has made his long overdue debut in Fortnite. However, he's not available in the item shop; you can only get this skin by purchasing the Lego Pass: Rebel Adventure in Lego Fortnite for 1,400 V-Bucks.
Lando Calrissian—An old friend of Han Solo's, Lando Calrissian is available from the item shop for 1,500 V-Bucks on his own, as well as part of a special bundle for 1,800 V-Bucks.
Dagobah Luke—Luke Skywalker returns to Fortnite, this time in the outfit he wore while training with Yoda on Dagobah. This skin costs 1,200 V-Bucks, and it also comes as part of a Dagobah Luke bundle for 1,800 V-Bucks.
AWR Trooper—Also known as a Death Trooper, this black-clad Stormtrooper can be bought from the item shop for 1,500 V-Bucks.
All new Star Wars cosmetics for Fortnite, including Back Bling, Pickaxes, emotes, and more
The update has brought several other miscellaneous Star Wars items to Fortnite. Here is a list of them, covering everything from Back Bling to emotes. Some items don't have confirmed prices yet, but we will update this list once we find out:
Yoda (Back Bling)—Yoda himself may not be a skin, but you can carry him into battle on your back. This one pairs perfectly with the Dagobah Luke skin; in fact, it comes bundled with it for 1,800 V-Bucks, or you can buy it separately for 1,000 V-Bucks.
Yoda's Cane (Pickaxe)—The closest you can get to roleplaying as Yoda in Fortnite is by bopping people on the head with his cane. It comes with the aforementioned Yoda Back Bling for 1,000 V-Bucks, as well as the Dagobah Luke bundle.
Disassembled C-3PO (Back Bling)—Remember when C-3PO got taken part and had to be carried in pieces by Chewie back in The Empire Strikes Back? You can recreate this moment by purchasing this Back Bling for 500 V-Bucks.
Wookiee Battle Staff (Pickaxe)—Made with wood from the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, this Pickaxe will likely be available in the item store. It currently doesn't have a confirmed price.
Cloud City Model (Back Bling)—This replica of Cloud City is appropriately included in the Lando Calrissian bundle, which costs 1,800 V-Bucks.
Vibro-Ax (Pickaxe)—Lando wielded this weapon during his time at Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi. As such, you can get it as part of the Lando Calrissian bundle for 1,800 V-Bucks, or you can buy it on its own for 800 V-Bucks.
AWR Pack (Back Bling)—This pack belonging to the AWR Troopers can't be bought from the item store, but it's fairly simple to acquire. All you need to do is complete 10 Star Wars quests in the battle royale, and it's yours for free.
Lil' AT-AT (Emote)—Summon an adorable miniature AT-AT to ride around on. This emote costs 500 V-Bucks in the item shop.
Growling Chewbacca (Emote)—Express yourself on the battlefield with this emote of a growling Chewie. It can likely be bought from the item shop, but it doesn't have a confirmed price yet.
Galaxies Collide (Loading Screen)—Celebrate the Star Wars update with this loading screen that represents the entire crossover across all of Fortnite's modes. We don't yet know how you can unlock it.
New Adventures (Loading Screen)—This loading screen depicts key artwork for the Lego Fortnite crossover. We don't yet know how you can unlock it.
Chewie Wrap—Decorate your guns with this Chewbacca inspired wrap. We don't yet know how you can unlock it.
AWR Armor Wrap—Intimidate opponents with this black weapon wrap based on the AWR Troopers. We don't yet know how you can unlock it.
All new Star Wars weapons for Fortnite
There's actually only one new Star Wars weapon added to Fortnite with this update: the Wookiee Bowcaster. There are Imperial Roadblocks scattered around the battle royale island, and these have special Imperial chests which may contain the Bowcaster. Chewbacca himself is being held prisoner at one of these roadblocks and, if you save him, you're guaranteed to receive the Bowcaster as a reward. The return of Darth Vader as a boss means you can once again obtain his lightsaber if you manage to defeat him, and defeated Stormtroopers and Imperial chests can drop E-11 Blasters.
If you've been enjoying Helldivers 2 exclusively on PC since launch, whether due to preference or because you don't own a PlayStation 5, Sony is now demanding you get a PlayStation Network account anyway. If you don't, then you can't play the game anymore.
In a May 3 news post on Steam, Sony has alerted PC players that PlayStation accounts will become mandatory for brand-new players starting from Monday, May 6. The mandatory log-in won't appear for current PC players until May 30, and then they'll have until June 4 to link their accounts or be forced to stop playing.
You may be wondering why Sony is enforcing this change roughly three months after Helldivers 2's launch, but this was always supposed to be the plan. Back in February, the launch period suffered from its fair share of technical issues, partially because of how many people were trying to play Helldivers 2. As such, Sony decided to temporarily make linking Steam and PlayStation accounts optional.
"Account linking plays a critical role in protecting our players and upholding the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games," explains Sony. "This is our main way to protect players from griefing and abuse by enabling the banning of players that engage in that type of behavior. It also allows those players that have been banned the right to appeal."
While signing up for a PlayStation account is completely free, plenty of PC players are not happy with the sudden change. In fact, initial responses on Steam and under the official Helldivers 2 Twitter account show people are so angry about it, that they're threatening to quit the game entirely. Some frustration is understandable when you don't have a PlayStation console, meaning you're never going to use the account for anything else. What's worse is there are some countries you can't make a PlayStation account in, as highlighted by this Reddit post. So, there are going to be a bunch of people that simply won't get to play Helldivers 2 anymore. Affected players could use a VPN to get around this, but you can get banned from the game for pretending to be in another country.
Could this mark the end of Helldivers 2's months-long popularity? That's not something that can be easily predicted. While I don't doubt some players will drop off, willingly or otherwise, the complaints could be part of a loud minority, with most players simply not caring about needing to get a PlayStation account. Still, Sony clearly expected some degree of backlash considering it acknowledges this "may be an inconvenience to some of you." At the very least, it should come up with an alternative solution so those who literally can't get PlayStation accounts can keep playing Helldivers 2.
Anyone looking for a gritty, realistic, tactical FPS to sink their teeth into will want to keep an eye on Gray Zone Warfare. If this sounds like your kind of game, we've compiled everything you need to know about it below, including its release window and launch platforms.
What is Gray Zone Warfare?
Described as an immersive tactical FPS with a "maximum focus on realism," Gray Zone Warfare sees you join a PMC sent to an island in Southeast Asia; one that was completely evacuated following a "mysterious event." Your goal is to investigate the island's secrets and bring back anything of value, but you'll have to contend with AI-controlled enemies as well as other players.
The game is set in a "persistent" open world environment that "keeps on living even when you’re not playing," and features fully customizable weapons and gear. It also boasts a unique health system that aims to simulate the human body, where injuries to certain body parts can hamper your performance in different ways, requiring you to specifically identify injuries and figure out how to deal with them.
Who is the developer of Gray Zone Warfare?
https://youtu.be/seIwrT7NZBk?feature=shared
The studio working on Gray Zone Warfare is called Madfinger Games. A developer and publisher based in the Czech Republic, it was formed in 2008 and is made up of former employees of 2K Czech. It's mostly worked on shooters for mobile devices, including Shadowgun (which saw a couple of sequels) and the zombie themed Dead Trigger games.
When will Gray Zone Warfare release?
At the time of writing, Gray Zone Warfare is only slated for a vague 2024 release. While the goal is to have it out before the end of the year, it's entirely possible it will need to be pushed back into 2025. Furthermore, Gray Zone Warfare will release as an early access title, so it will be missing a number of features. As for how long it will be in early access, Madfinger Games has said on the game's Steam listing that it could be for several years depending on player feedback. The early access version will receive continuous updates to add more content and fix bugs.
Which platforms is Gray Zone Warfare available for?
So far, Gray Zone Warfare is only in development for PC, specifically via Steam. Madfinger has made no mention of bringing it to consoles or other PC platforms, but we will update this article should that change.
If you're looking to add the mythical Celebi to your Pokémon Go collection, you need to complete the A Ripple in Time Special Research tasks, which were added to the game back in 2018.
There are 22 tasks to complete across eight sections, and we've listed all of them below, along with their respective rewards, so you can plan ahead by knowing what Pokémon Go expects of you. We've included some tips on how to complete certain tasks as well, but a lot of them will simply require a lot of time and patience.
As a dual Psychic and Grass type, Celebi is naturally a good counter against Water and Fighting types, particularly with its Psychic and Magical Leaf attacks. However, it's not considered an optimal choice for PvP or PvE battles due to its low damage output and lack of moveset versatility. You get Celebi more for completion's sake than anything else.
Pokémon Go: A Ripple in Time tasks and rewards
Image via Niantic
Part 1
The first set of tasks are:
Power up a Pokémon 5 times—Requires Stardust and Candy, which can be acquired simply by catching Pokémon or hatching Eggs
Battle in a Gym 2 times—This only applies to regular Gym battles, not Raids. Also, you don't need to worry about winning; just battling in a Gym is enough
Battle in a Raid
Your rewards for completing these tasks are 10 Poké Balls, a Fast TM, and a Super Incubator for hatching Eggs.
Part 2
The second set of tasks are:
Make 3 new friends—If you don't know enough people to complete this one, there is a dedicated subreddit and website where other players will happily share their Friend Codes
Evolve an evolved Grass type Pokémon—This refers to Pokémon that have evolved once already, such as Ivysaur and Bayleef
Catch a Pokémon 3 days in a row
Your rewards for completing these tasks are 1,500 Stardust, a Sun Stone (which you'll need for the next set of tasks), and a Premium Raid Pass.
Part 3
The third set of tasks are:
Reach level 25—You will earn player experience just by playing the game and completing these tasks, but you can use Lucky Eggs to double the amount of experience you earn for 30 minutes. You can buy a Lucky Egg from the in-game Shop for 80 PokéCoins or a bundle of eight for 500 PokéCoins
Use a Sun Stone to evolve Gloom or Sunkern—Both of these Pokémon can be found in grassy areas, especially in sunny weather
Hatch 9 Eggs—Use the Super Incubator you got from Part 1 to help expedite this. You can purchase more Super Incubators from the Shop for 200 PokéCoins each
Your rewards for completing these tasks are an Eevee encounter (be sure to capture it since you'll need for the next part), a King's Rock, and a Premium Raid Pass.
Part 4
The fourth set of tasks are:
Walk 10km with Eevee as your buddy to earn Candy—This will also contribute to evolving Eevee into Espeon
Evolve Eevee into Espeon during the day—After completing the previous task, Eevee must be given 25 Candy during daytime to evolve into Espeon. Make sure it's still your buddy before you evolve it, otherwise it won't turn into Espeon. If you've never acquired an Espeon before, you can nickname your Eevee "Sakura" to trigger the evolution
Send 20 Gifts to Friends
Your rewards for completing these tasks are another Eevee encounter (again, keep this Eevee for the next section), 2,500 Stardust, and a Metal Coat.
Part 5
The fifth set of tasks are:
Walk 10km with Eevee as your buddy to earn Candy—Yes, you have to do this again, but you need to anyway for evolving Eevee into Umbreon
Evolve Eevee into Umbreon at night—Just like with Espeon, you need to give Eevee 25 Candy and evolve it at nighttime while it's your buddy. You can nickname it "Tamao" to instantly trigger the Umbreon evolution, but this only works if you've never acquired an Umbreon
Trade a Pokémon—Trading costs Stardust, so stick with trading a regular Pokémon for one you already own since this trade is the cheapest. You can only trade with a player who's within 100 meters of your location, so you'll need to find a local group if you don't know anyone else who plays Pokémon Go
Your rewards for completing these tasks are a Star Piece (which awards 50% more Stardust for 30 minutes), 15 Pinap Berries (which, when fed to wild Pokémon, double the amount of Candy they drop when captured), and an Up-Grade.
Part 6
The sixth set of tasks are:
Visit PokéStops 7 days in a row
Use 25 Pinap Berries while catching Pokémon—Aside from the ones you earn from completing Part 6, you can acquire Pinap Berries from PokéStops and Gyms
Use items to evolve Pokémon 2 times—The King's Rock, Metal Coat, and Up-Grade items you've earned so far can be used to complete this task, but any item-based evolution will count
Your rewards for completing these tasks are 3,500 Stardust, a Dragon Scale, and 5 Silver Pinap Berries (which, when fed to a wild Pokémon, increases the odds of catching it and how much Candy it drops).
Part 7
The seventh set of tasks are:
Catch 40 Grass or Psychic type Pokémon—Grass types can be found in any grassy areas. Psychic types can be harder to find, but can show up in grassy and urban areas. Exeggcute and Exeggutor are dual Grass/Psychic so catching these will help
Make an Excellent Curveball Throw—If you're struggling, there are guides on YouTube to show how it's done
Earn a Gold Johto Medal—This is earned by catching 70 Pokémon from the Johto region AKA ones that debuted in Pokémon Gold & Silver. Examples include Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile
Your rewards for completing these tasks are a Charged TM, 10 Silver Pinap Berries, and an encounter with Celebi.
Part 8
At this stage, Celebi will appear, and you can capture it. Celebi will teleport, so you'll need to constantly turn your camera to look for it, but you'll be granted an unlimited amount of Poké Balls for this and there's no time limit. Just keep throwing Poké Balls at it and, once you've hit it three times, it'll be yours. You'll also be rewarded with 5,500 Stardust, a Super Incubator, and 20 Celebi Candy.
After more than a decade since its initial announcement, Throne and Liberty finally launched in South Korea in December 2023. However, this still leaves hopeful Western players wondering when it'll become available in their regions.
The good news is, at the time of writing, Throne and Liberty is planned for a Western release. The game is developed and published in South Korea by NCSoft but, back in February 2023, Amazon announced it had entered an agreement to publish Throne and Liberty in North America, South America, Europe, and Japan. So, it's a matter of when it'll come out in the West, not if.
What is Throne and Liberty?
Image via NCSoft
From the same publisher responsible for other MMORPGs, like Guild Wars 2 and City of Heroes, Throne and Liberty is a fantasy MMORPG set in a world called Solisium, which is under threat by the villainous Kazar and his army. Your goal is to defeat Kazar, and you'll have access to a wide range of weapons and skills, including the power to transform into animals, as you engage in PvE and PvP battles. The game promises evolving battlefields that can be affected by the weather, the time of day, and other players.
When will Throne and Liberty release in the West?
Currently, Throne and Liberty has no exact release date, with it only said to be aiming for a 2024 launch. NCSoft did run a closed beta in select Western territories from April 10 to April 17, which is hopefully a sign the full game will be on track to be released before the end of the year. We'll be sure to update this article once NCSoft and/or Amazon confirm a proper release date or a delay.
Which platforms will Throne and Liberty release for?
Throne and Liberty will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Following its release in South Korea, it's safe to assume it'll come to all three platforms at the same time once the game comes to the West. So, console owners won't need to wait a while longer after the PC version or anything. We will update this article should that not be the case.
Fallout 4 already lets you play in first-person, but if you want an even more immersive experience, there's a separate VR version of the game you can buy on PC. What's more, it has its own modding community who have made their own optional improvements.
If you own a VR headset, like the Valve Index or HTC Vive, and you've been hankering to get into the Fallout series after watching the excellent TV show, or are simply looking for a new way to play Fallout 4, Fallout 4 VR should be right up your alley. Before you start, though, be sure to go through our list of some of the best Fallout 4 VR mods available that should make for a more optimal experience.
Fallout 4 Script Extender
Let's get the most boring one out of the way. The Fallout 4 Script Extender is practically mandatory, since it ensures any other mods you download work properly. Some won't work at all without it. So before you do anything else, make sure this is installed.
Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch
Another necessary mod is the Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch. To be blunt, Fallout 4 was kind of a buggy mess when it launched in 2015. While that's to be expected from Bethesda games, it was nonetheless frustrating, and dedicated fans took it upon themselves to fix all the issues Bethesda itself never got round to. This mod removes hundreds of bugs related to quests, NPCs, items, and the like, although it does mess with a couple of aspects of the VR version. To resolve those, get the Unofficial Fallout 4 VR Fix as well.
Idle Hands
Image via Nexus Mods
In the world of Fallout 4 VR, your player character is apparently a telepathic wanderer without arms, since all your tools and weapons just float in the air when you use them. This makes the whole experience far less immersive, so if that sort of thing bothers you, download the Idle Hands mod. It grants you visible hands, which you can customize with different styles and skin tones, as well as an arm to attach your Pip-Boy too. It also pairs nicely with the Kabuto VR mod, which gives Power Helmets their own HUD to make it really feel more like you're wearing one.
Start Me Up Redux
In Fallout 4, your player character wakes from cryogenic sleep in a Vault 200 years after the bombs dropped, only for a pair of strangers to murder your spouse and kidnap your baby son, setting you on a mission of vengeance. Not everyone wants to roleplay as this character, though, or at least they don't want to sit through that lengthy opening section every time they start a new playthrough. The Start Me Up Redux mod not only lets you skip the opening so you can get right to the game, but it also gives you the option to play as a different Vault dweller or a Wastelander. As such, it features entirely new dialogue and is described as a "whole-game story overhaul."
Virtual Holsters/Virtual Chems
Image via Nexus Mods
These two mods have very similar functions so we're combining them into one section. Normally, you need to equip weapons and use Chems via the Pip-Boy menu, which isn't bad by any means. However, with the Virtual Holsters mod and the Virtual Chems mod, you can equip weapons and Chems to your person. So, if you've got a pistol strapped your hip, you can whip it out with one fluid motion without the need to open the menu. Aside from adding another level of immersion, it's just really cool to do and can make you feel like a badass.
Sim Settlements
Image via Nexus Mods
In Fallout 4, you can build and manage various settlements, which can be populated with NPCs and can help you gain important resources like food, scrap for crafting, and just general experience. Not everyone enjoys how much micromanaging it requires, though, which is where the Sim Settlements mod comes in. It's practically a complete overhaul of how settlements work, making it closer to something like Sim City where you can place down zones for your settlers to make buildings for you. It also gives the settlers more varied backgrounds and adds a level of randomness to keep things a bit more challenging and engaging.
Be Seated Fallout 4 VR Edition
This is another mod for those who want as an immersive experience as possible. Since you're probably going to be standing up while playing Fallout 4 VR, it can be a bit distracting whenever your character takes a seat yet their height doesn't change, making it seem as if they're standing on the chair. The Be Seated mod fixes that, and you can then sit down in your own chair to match your character.
Fog Remover—Performance Enhancer
Image via Nexus Mods
Fallout 4's performance isn't the best, but before you pull a Dragon's Dogma 2 and go around slaughtering NPCs to improve it, how about you try installing this performance mod instead? The Fog Remover mod, as the name implies, removes any instance of interior fog, steam, dust etc. from the game, allowing the whole thing to run a lot smoother. It doesn't work on any exterior fog, though, since that's tied to the weather system.
True Storms—Wasteland Edition
Image via Nexus Mods
Speaking of the weather, the True Storms mod was originally made for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, but eventually received a Fallout 4 version that you can use in VR too. Fallout 4 already has a pretty immersive real-time weather system, but this mod adds even more variety, allowing for dust storms, heavier and lighter rain, and even hazardous radiation rain. It also promises new sound effects, textures, and particle effects, and storms can provide a sneak buff for you and any companions you have travelling with you.
FallUI
Image via Nexus Mods
Fallout 4 VR unfortunately doesn't have dedicated UIs and instead re-uses the same ones from the original Fallout 4. Since they're not tailor-made for playing in VR, they can make the experience less pleasant, which is why one person decided to create multiple mods, dubbed the FallUI series, to address the various UIs. This link will take you to one that optimizes the main HUD that you can also configure to your liking, but the same creator has ones for the inventory screen, the map, the workbench, and a few others. So, you're free to pick and choose which ones you want, or you can install the whole set from the get-go.
Capcom has announced a new Dragon's Dogma 2 patch for later this month, and it will make adjustments to the game's most polarizing mechanic: Dragonsplague.
An exact release date hasn't been shared, but Capcom's announcement Twitter says the patch should be ready before the end of April. Although it does add these new fixes and adjustments will be added to "each platform as soon as they are ready," which may mean the patch will release at different times across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Regardless, the biggest inclusion is an adjustment to Dragonsplague, which has been wreaking havoc in Dragon's Dogma 2 since it causes infected Pawns to go on a killing spree and raze entire villages if left untreated. It's also very tricky to spot, and the game makes little effort to warn you should one of your Pawns catch the virus. While some players welcome the extra level of chaos and danger it brings to the game, others flat out hate how disruptive it is. There are even PC mods that remove it entirely.
While Capcom has no intention of disabling Dragonsplague itself, the patch will at least make it less common by "reducing the infection frequency," and also make its symptoms, such as the glowing eyes, easier to spot. That's not all the patch will do though. Aside from miscellaneous bug fixes, it will add an option to zoom in your Arisen and Pawns' faces in certain menus, and adjust Pawn behavior in multiple ways. For example, Pawns should become less likely to fall off cliffs and certain lines of dialogue won't repeat as often.
Dragon's Dogma 2 launched on March 22 and for all the complaints lobbied against it for the Dragonsplague, its performance, and microtransactions, Capcom looks to have another smash success on its hands. In a press release on April 2, Capcom confirmed the action RPG had sold over 2.5 million units in less than two weeks. By comparison, it took the first Dragon's Dogma over a month to sell one million units, according to this 2012 Capcom press release.
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