Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's photo mode lets me see the trilogy in a new way

Hold your camera high and click

There are a lot of ways a remaster can change the way you look at a game. Bumping up the resolution, adding more dynamic lighting, and fine-tuning character models are all pretty straightforward, and more and more, photo modes have become a standard as well.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's photo mode might be one of its biggest boons, at least for returning players. It's fairly standard as far as most photo modes go: a handful of filters and sliders, and a surprisingly good depth-of-field slider can all result in some good images.

What's really making the photo mode stand out as I work my way back through this trilogy is what it adds in the first place: the ability to freeze and save a moment. The Mass Effect trilogy lived on a console generation before the ubiquity of a Share button; game capture certainly existed, but it was a luxury rather than a standard feature included in the box.

Photo mode lets me preserve these moments when I see them. It's been surprisingly fun, through each of the games, to stage my own photo opps. As someone working in media, photo modes are already a great tool—I basically have a solid headshot for every character in Mass Effect now—but it's also nice to just save incredible sights and memorable views.

These are, after all, games about people, places, and choices that affect them. Preserving the memory of a blasted-apart Normandy, the invasion of the Reapers, or just a nice moment hanging out with pals on the Citadel isn't just a way to snap some goofy antics; they're a scrapbook for a playthrough. I can look back and remember the set pieces I blasted through and wild locales I explored with my cast of space outcasts.

Re-experiencing the trilogy in this remastered form has, so far, been pretty incredible. And commemorating it all through photo mode means that, even if I get a little burned out after blasting through the trilogy in one go, I can look back fondly on some photos to relive those moments.

If you've got some good photo mode shots, share 'em below! And if you're just starting out on the series, I wrote up some tips for newcomers you can find over here.

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E3 2021 will host an awards show on its final day

Anticipating the Most Anticipated

This year's online E3 will conclude with an awards show. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today that E3 2021 will end with an official awards show on June 15, the last day of the virtual show.

Editors from IGN, GameSpot, PC Gamer, and GamesRadar+ will determine winners from among the exhibiting publishers and developers, determining the "Most Anticipated" game of E3 2021, as well as the most anticipated game from each publisher and developer.

The results will be announced during the E3 2021 broadcast on Tuesday, June 15, which will be airing on the E3 Twitch and YouTube channels.

While lofty expectations can sometimes be a little worrisome, hopefully the games shown this year can drive some keen anticipation for what's to come over the next few years. We've already seen a few big reveals and have more on the schedule, so there won't be a shortage of games to anticipate.

E3 2021 will be running from June 12 through 15 through both streams and its online portal.

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Review: Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown

The Godfather of 3D fighters returns

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown is the fourth iteration of the fifth mainline entry in Sega's legendary 3D fighting franchise — the first release since 2010's (now suspiciously titled) Final Showdown. The core aim of Ultimate Showdown is to reignite Virtua Fighter's admittedly niche competitive scene, offering players an alternate to FGC giants such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat 11. Mighty opponents indeed. Still, if any title has the pedigree to make such a comeback, it'll be Sega's iconic slugfest.

Carving out a prime spot in a crowded esports market is an unenviable task, particularly given the current global climate and the unpredictable nature of its eventual aftermath. Sega will be required to go all-out in its efforts to market and, crucially, to support Ultimate Showdown as a title worthy of a fresh turn in the premier league of competitive fighters.

While no-one would deny Virtua Fighter the mantle of one of the finest and most influential titles ever to hit the scene, Virtua Fighter 5's initial release was a bone-rattling 15 years ago. Can Sega's formative 3D fighter shine once again on the main stage, particularly when toeing the line against such stiff competition? Until the return of the global tournament scene, we'll have to be patient for those answers. For now, let's take a look at what Ultimate Showdown brings to the ring.

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown (PS4)
Developer: Sega AM2 / Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Sega
Released: June 1, 2021
MSRP: $29.99 (includes DLC bundle)

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown is a joint production of Sega's pioneering AM2 division and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, who themselves are no strangers to skull-busting, having developed both the Yakuza and Judgment franchises. The two talented teams have recreated Virtua Fighter 5 within RGG's Dragon Engine, accurately retaining the gameplay and mechanics of its earlier iterations, while offering a fresh coat of paint to the decade-old visuals and tweaking its under-the-hood technology.

Virtua Fighter 5 has never looked so flashy. The work done by RGG to improve the fighter's light and shadow effects are exemplary, while individual textures for material, hair, and skin — always a VF standout — have also seen a noticeable upgrade. Additionally, Virtua Fighter's gallery of sun-streaked battlegrounds — among some of the most idyllic in the genre — sparkle like never before. Sega's love of neon-soaked cities, bright blue skies, sparkling seas, and sun-washed beaches is in full effect.

Despite this glow-up, some of the character models don't quite match up to the quality of other 3D fighters. While pugilists such as Akira and Eileen look fantastic, others stumble occasionally, even feeling like a step down from their prior appearances. Perhaps we've been spoiled by the stellar work performed by Team Ninja for VF's turn in Dead or Alive, but while Ultimate Showdown's textures and visual effects are most certainly improved, mileage on the characters themselves varies. Overall, Ultimate Showdown looks great, better still if you use the delightful VF 1 retro models, available separately as paid DLC.

The meat of any fighting game lies in the blood-pumping action once fists and feet start flying. Ultimate Showdown has lost nothing in the transition to its new engine, delivering the exact same satisfying and compelling gameplay that has been a franchise trademark since its 1993 inception. Virtua Fighter has always been a joy to play, its ingenious three-button system is all the innovation it has ever needed. While the fighting game genre has reinvented itself time and again in the ensuing decades, VF's mechanics are galvanized, and as solid in Ultimate Showdown as they have ever been.

While RGG successfully retained both the visual style and the excellent gameplay of Virtua Fighter 5, one important feature has not made a similarly impressive transition. Ultimate Showdown's cutomization mode is severely lacking compared to both Final Showdown and even the original Virtua Fighter 5. The fun costumes and wide variety of clothing and accessories are gone, with Ultimate Showdown offering three (admittedly nice) outfits for each character, alongside a basic selection of color choices and a handful of different hairstyles and jewelry.

A possible drawback facilitated by the new engine, the fun customization options of prior releases have been lost in the process, with elements such as unlocking items, character crossover skins, and hidden winposes nowhere to be found. While the clothing textures look mighty fine, it's the weakest customization mode in Virtua Fighter 5 to date. Hey, if can't turn Vanessa Lewis into KoF's Leona Heidern, or Sarah Bryant into Space Channel 5's Ulala, what even is the point?

The stripped-down customization mode is indicative of something that hangs heavy over Ultimate Showdown: a lack of single-player content. Designed specifically as a tournament tool, Ultimate Showdown is, first and foremost, a Vs.-centric release. Players can create smart and highly customizable lobbies, stacked to the rafters with bracket builders, spectator options, passcode locks, emote windows, and a huge slew of rule variables for all your tournament needs. Very commendable. For solo players, however, the features on offer here are extremely thin.

Arcade Mode is available, as is a solid Tutorial and an excellent, in-depth Training mode. There is, however, no Time Attack, Survival, Combo Trial, or a return for VF 5's beloved Quest Mode. Ultimate Showdown makes no bones about its "PvP Comes First" intentions, (Hell, it's even titled "Virtua Fighter eSports" in Japan), but this prioritizing results in a skeletal package for anyone disinterested in competitive play. "Ultimate" Showdown does not quite live up to its moniker from a "complete" perspective. It's a shame to not see Sega go all-out to ensure that this release is the culmination of Virtua Fighter 5's entire lifespan.

Let's suplex the elephant in the room: online play. Despite Ultimate Showdown going all-in on its competitive features, Sega has not developed brand new technology to host online battles — something of a self-defeating decision. Ultimate Showdown uses a tweaked version of Final Showdown's online technology, which I'm pleased to report remains very solid. At the time of writing, I've had around 80 fights with around 30 opponents. Of all of these opponents, only a handful caused any lag hiccups whatsoever. A positive first impression, at least.

I intend to continue playing today, and will update this review with my findings once the game is in the public's hands. Ultimate Showdown sacrifices single-player content specifically to focus on competitive options. As such, that multiplayer content is a core element in the title's overall value and bears scrutiny.

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown will find its aligned PlayStation Plus release will do a lot of heavy-lifting. There's no denying that Ultimate Showdown is an excellent fighting game, but its bare-bones release, niche branding, and emphasis on PvP combat would make it a tough sell to anyone who wasn't a dyed-in-the-wool Virtua Fighter player.

However, as PS+ title, Ultimate Showdown will naturally find its way into the libraries of almost every single PS4 fighting game player on the planet, affording the release a broad introduction to both new and returning players. One wonders how much broader that audience could be had Sega chosen not to make Ultimate Showdown a platform exclusive.

Ultimate Showdown is a great release, if one of mixed intent. Seemingly for each of its advancements, there is a odd retraction. The new visuals are great, but the customization is weak. The lobby and online options are absolutely superb, but there's very little here for offline engagement. The product leans heavily on PvP gameplay, but re-uses decade-old netcode. Thankfully, despite these mismatched visions, the quality of Virtua Fighter 5 as a fighting game shines through brilliantly, while the budget price/PlayStation Plus angle makes the title's negatives far easier to parry.

15 years on, Ultimate Showdown finds Virtua Fighter 5 just as engaging as it ever was, maintaining its long-held reputation as one of the genre's classiest and most enduring fighters. Woeful single-player content and receding features prevent the package from achieving its full potential but, despite its flaws, Ultimate Showdown costs little, looks good, and plays great. A welcome return to one of gaming's most distinguished rings. Now… about that sequel…

[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]

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Destiny 2 needed a win, and it got one with the Vault of Glass re-release

They cut D2 content, but added Vault of Glass remixed

Things have been a little roughly lately for Destiny 2, but the new Vault of Glass helped a bit.

Backing up, the egregious transmog system (which is still implemented as-is) has been universally panned. The clear intention to get players to basically buy up cosmetics has been sniffed out, amid a tiered monetization system that has both microtransactions and season passes on top of premium releases. It's a little silly. But Destiny 2 got a win with the Vault of Glass raid, which just hit last week.

Interestingly, the Vault of Glass is actually the perfect raid to re-release for multiple reasons. It was at the height of Destiny's hype, before more polarizing raids like Crota entered the fray; and some consider it the best raid in Destiny history even today. Today, it's a free raid that doesn't require the most recent expansion, which is a win.

So what changed? Not a whole lot from a macro-perspective, but a few boss fights have an interesting "Simon" memorization game now (shooting the Oracles in order). And by "interesting" I mean a nightmare to run in Vault of Glass pick up groups where everyone is on a completely different page. You know who was on the same page, though? Clan Elysium, who snagged the world first clear.

Of course, it had some classic Bungie trials and tribulations first. After joking about "funny business," Bungie emphatically qualified their statement about teams using glitches to beat the vault; specifically the trick of "pushing raid bosses off ledges." Hilariously enough this same type of bug existed in the original. Never change, Bungie.

Oh, and uh, there wasn't much of a lore reason to actually go back here, and there wasn't a concerted effort to actually do a "big deal" story tie-in. That's sort of Bungie's thing these days, as the web of Destiny has become far too large to spin in a cohesive manner. Still, Vault of Glass!

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Tell Me Why is free for Pride

The sudden surge of rainbow Twitter icons can only mean one thing: corporate America is ready to co-opt Pride Month. As we continue the stupid fight over kink at parades, the LGBTQ+ community can expect a full month of pandering and rainbow products, starting today with some goodies from Xbox. The brand announced it's added some Pride-ified items to the Xbox Gear Shop, and for the entire month of June, it's giving away the adventure game Tell Me Why free for Pride.

Developed by DontNod Entertainment, Tell Me Why tells the story of Tyler and Alyson Ronan, who travel to their hometown in Alaska to investigate the death of their mother. The game garnered significant attention when it was announced that Tyler is a transgender man. DontNod worked with organizations like GLAAD to ensure an authentic portrayal of his character.

Pride is also invading a few Xbox games. A pride flag livery is available in Forza Motorsport 7 and Forza Horizon 4 and a Pride-themed nameplate can be yours in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. There is a new Pride theme you can download as well and new Pride gamerpics. Microsoft is also donating $150,000 to LGBTQ+ non-profits.

Finally, Xbox also created a new Pride-themed Xbox Wireless Controller you can see pictured below. Unfortunately, you won't find that on store shelves. The controller was only made available to key influencers and certain members of the gaming media. I'll certainly download Tell Me Why if it's free for Pride, but hot damn, I would pay good money for that controller.

Xbox Pride Controller

Celebrate Pride and LGBTQIA+ Players and Creators with Xbox [Xbox]

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Capcom producer heads to Bungie, amid the rumors of their new hero shooter

Another hero shooter, eh?

Destiny 2 is still trucking along, packing in microtransactions on top of premium expansions on season passes. But how long can it last? That's why Bungie is clearly branching out. Maybe into the hero shooter realm?

Amid multiple investments, we now have some idea of what that might entail. Earlier this year Bungie announced an Amsterdam expansion slated for 2022, and the company rolled out a vague plan of "2025" for additional projects. What type of new projects? Well get this! A job application for sandbox designer refers to a "multiplayer action game" that is "currently in incubation" and will focus on "character action."

Sometimes these projects never see the light of day, sometimes they're repurposed (see Overwatch). Either way, Bungie is working on something. And since Destiny 2 is clearly past the incubation phase, a new hero shooter project would make so much sense. I mean Bungie already basically made that with Destiny 2 and the classes/aspects they utilize; it just has a different shell. If they really wanted, they could just copy and paste all of the elemental nuances onto 12 different characters (four each for Warlock/Hunter/Titan).

Time to leave

And they're going to get some help with all that, it seems. Long time Capcom producer and found of global production at Capcom Japan Peter Fabiano announced that he was leaving the company recently, and is going to…Bungie! The farewell was simple: "Thanks to everyone both in and outside the studio that have supported me over the years. I've taken a new position at Bungie working with some great people and continuing my journey." It's a pretty big get, and a loss for Capcom. If multiplayer is their passion, hopefully they can oversee something with a little more oomph than…basically all of the Resident Evil multiplayer projects. I completely forgot that there's another one coming!

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Battlefield reveal has been set for June 9

Play the Battlefield jingle

Electronic Arts has set the date for the reveal of the next Battlefield game. The new entry will be unveiled on June 9, just ahead of E3 2021.

According to the Battlefield account's post, the reveal will air at 7 a.m. PDT on June 9. It will air on the Battlefield YouTube channel.

EA and the Battlefield team have been teasing some news to come regarding Battlefield for some time, both in terms of its next major entry in the series and a forthcoming mobile title. The reveal also comes just ahead of E3 2021, which is taking place virtually from June 15 through 17.

Despite the timing, Electronic Arts itself is planning to host its own EA Play Live event in July. With events on either side of E3, it certainly seems like the publisher might have a great deal to talk about this year; and between Battlefield, a growing Respawn Entertainment, and two big projects at BioWare, it will hopefully have some stuff to show this summer.

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Are you brave enough to do 'no fast travel runs' in games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild?

Sometimes I love fast travel, sometimes I don't

Man, the whole "fast travel" discussion is super interesting, and goes back to….when it was invented ages ago.

I'd have this debate all the time. As a kid, it was super common for folks to take the high road. "I don't use fast travel." Sure! I respect the hell out of it. Some open worlds are more interesting than others, and coming across a super rare item before the dawn of widespread easy-access guides was a treat. Now, folks can just grab a mod and get the exact X and Y coordinates of the treasured "Gold Sword+1" carefully hidden away by an overzealous developer. It's a completely different world.

Some of us are also all grown up! Not everyone has the time to eschew fast travel. They'd never finish anything! Nonetheless there are some games that I do play the old school way, and here's a perfect example: SmokeStackLight1ng's recent "how it's going" video for Zelda: Breath of the Wild. My favorite part? Probably the Yakety Sax music coupled with the random laser blasts from Guardians. SmokeStackLight1ng says they're roughly 35 hours in so far using this method, and regrets not remembering "that five-speed horses exist" until far too late into their run. Don't make the same mistake!

In all seriousness Zelda: Breath of the Wild is kind of the perfect "no fast travel" game. There's so much to explore, and each shrine you randomly stumble upon will help you out, especially if you're playing on a higher difficulty. In fact the first time I played it, I had ample time to test it out and finish it before my review, and took a similar approach. It was pretty much the only thing I needed to focus on at the time, and I had zero distractions and no guides available. It was just me and the open road. And the regret that I didn't know some tips ahead of time to make everything go a little faster!

The run

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Evo announces new series of community tournaments ahead of Evo 2021 Online

Get ready for the next challenger

The fighting game tournament series Evo is back this year for an online event. And alongside Evo 2021 Online, the organization is also hosting a number of community events to spotlight side games, newcomers, and get competitors warmed up for August.

The first series, PlayStation Tournaments FGC Arcade: Evo Edition, runs June 10 – 22. Evo was purchased by Sony Interactive Entertainment and RTS last year, and this first series will feature a number of competitions on PlayStation, including Granblue Fantasy: VersusMortal Kombat 11Tekken 7, and Guilty Gear Strive, with the pro-am tournament centering on newcomers.

June 26 through July 13 will be the PlayStation Tournaments Evo 2021 Online Warm-Up, a series of matches with rewards like themes and avatars. On July 8 and running through Aug. 3, Evo 2021 Online will also host its side tournaments, featuring some smaller communities in games like Them's Fightin' Herds. And on Aug. 6 through 8 and 13 through 15, the two-weekend Evo 2021 Online series kicks off. You can find the full schedule and sign-ups on Evo's site.

Each tournament series is offering a prize pool as well, so there's a little extra incentive to show up and compete. But after a year without Evo, it's nice to see the fighting return once again. As more companies add some modern, solid netcode and make it easier to play online, I'm looking forward to some weekends of close matches, big combos, and hype moments.

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Destruction AllStars will get bots, but what about more content…and more platforms?

I typed it as 'Destructoid AllStars gets bots'…twice

Destruction AllStars has been on a collision course for a while, and now…let there be bots!

Lucid Games is responding to some of the feedback though, as evidenced in this new developer blog this past weekend. The idea is that they're adding global parties, playlists, and you guessed it…bots. The former two features are pretty easy to get down with, but the latter? Yeah, that's going to have some pushback depending on how its done.

Without outright saying it, Lucid Games notes that the lack of players in Destructoid AllStars is to blame. Here's their carefully-worded reasoning: "With a community the size of Destruction AllStars, spread out across the world we do have peak times and low times of player activity for online matchmaking." That's a good save, but I'm sure Sony putting it out as a PS5 exclusive when they're extremely hard to find isn't contributing to this….at all. The studio further explains, "We want to ensure that matches are filled to capacity with as many real players as possible, but when missing X amount of players when queuing for a match, AI bots will take the remaining places. The exception to this is Blitz, as a competitive mode, Blitz will never feature bots."

Now that last part is extremely important, and seems to be going over well with the community. Having a competitive mode stuffed with random bots would probably kill the game, so it's great that they aren't going that route. With that said, as someone who used to love the idea of bots in single player games, you kind of don't want to rely on them for online experiences like this. Small quality of life features (like changing the way slams and ghost hits work) are also on the table, but are they enough?

Also, did you catch the "Destructoid AllStars" above? Yeah, I left it. You know what Sony didn't leave though? The free PlayStation Plus price tag. I totally forgot that they converted this to $20 after a few months. Which, uh, might hurt your playerbase if people couldn't find a PS5 until then! Yeah, this probably should have come out on PS4 too, with cross-play.

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PSA: Sega is re-releasing coveted collector's items in the 'Ultimate 30th Anniversary pack,' here's how to grab it

You'll need to import it

A long long time ago, before some of you were born, people practically trampled each other for anniversary Sonic merch. I mean the little blue guy still can whip up a consumer frenzy every now and then, but the 10th anniversary pack bundled with Sonic Adventure 2 was something else. Sold in limited quantities as part of 2001's Sonic Adventure 2 rollout, the pack ended up becoming super rare. For reference it came in a really cool box, a soundtrack CD emblazoned in tacky gold coloring, and a factoid booklet.

Segabits explains the snap-in-time anniversary situation perfectly, while telling us how we can all rectify this mistake. And if you weren't born yet, why didn't your parents buy you one preemptively to present to you as a family heirloom?!

The 10th anniversary pack

We're since long removed from the "10th" celebration, and now Sonic is entering adulthood with the "Ultimate 30th Anniversary pack." As Segabits explains this one will be an import-only affair, but it doesn't seem to be as insanely limited as it once was. As you can tell by the image the CD, coin, and book are still intact, it'll just come with Sonic Colors Ultimate instead. You can grab it off Amazon (PS4/Switch), the Ebten Sega Store (PS4/Switch), or retailer AmiAmi (PS4/Switch). As someone who imports quite a bit, I've used both the former and the latter on numerous items. As Segabits points out, the Sega store option will require a proxy service such as ZenMarket, given regional shipping limitations. The whole shebang will run you roughly ¥9,889, or $90-ish US before shipping.

The DX pack

Or you can spring for the "DX" anniversary pack which comes with different goodies. It has a lunch mat, wall scroll, a pouch, a bag, an acrylic stand (of Eggman, his robots, and the captured wisps) (PS4/Switch). That one is only on the Sega store. Good luck!

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For Honor is hitting Xbox Game Pass this week along with a few other additions

For Honor is a pretty big get

Xbox Game Pass is about to get a little more full this week.

On top of the recent additions that Microsoft unleashed in the past few weeks, June is getting a little spicier as soon as today. The Wild at Heart is actually coming out now on mobile cloud devices, with Backbone arriving on June 8 on PC and Darkest Dungeon is coming out on June 10 on mobile, consoles, and PC. Man it's so annoying that I have to clarify where each game is coming and not just "Game Pass," but maybe Microsoft can smooth that out one day. Right?

Oh and I almost forgot the big one! For Honor is hitting the service on both mobile and console on June 3. I mean, it's entirely possible that you already own For Honor for free on PC because of one of several "giveaways." But if you don't, or are a console person, you can grab it on Xbox Game Pass and just hack and slash away.

Again, this is a fairly big get for Microsoft. For Honor is somewhat of a lifestyle game, with Ubisoft hosting all sorts of events for it and players coming in by the droves at any given time. It's also gotten a decent amount of support, as well as quality of life patches and numerous gameplay upgrades over the years. It's one of the several "turnaround success stories" the publisher has been enjoying in recent years. Imagine that, putting actual time and effort into development and having it pay off.

But going back to Game Pass, you can find the full list below!

Week of May 31: 

  • The Wild at Heart, June 1 (Cloud)
  • For Honor, June 3 (Cloud and Console)

Week of June 7:

  • Backbone, June 8 (PC)
  • Darkest Dungeon, June 10 (Cloud, Console and PC)

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343 Industries reminds people to sign up for 'upcoming tests'

Hopefully Infinite is a part of 343's plans

343 Industries had the gargantuan task of taking over Halo from Bungie. It was an unenviable position, and despite a few misses, they've done a pretty good job at becoming the new kid on the block. So much so that I don't even consider them new, given that they've been around for roughly 14 years at this point. Just on one series! It's an interesting cottage industry situation. To that end 343 has blossomed to roughly 750 employees, and is still cranking out Halo games every few years. Now Microsoft has lessened the scope of all of those spinoffs and the like, but still, we have Infinite coming up and the Master Chief Collection is still alive and well on multiple platforms; including Series X/S.

About that. So recently, 343 did a blog post of what's been happening lately, and although it's one of the rare few that didn't contain a massive amount of info on Halo Infinite, it does tell us what to watch out for in the near future. Here's the rub: "We rely on community participation to help test and flight content prior to release. This can range from MCC Seasons, features, and more. If you'd like to participate, signing up is easy. You can head over to the 343 Halo Insider Program page and register today!" Right now it's clearly limited to Master Chief Collection (MCC) seasonal changes, but it would behoove you to sign up and be ready for a potential Infinite test rollout. A rollout, mind, that could happen as soon as E3. As a reminder, Microsoft (and Bethesda's, weird!) conference is being held on June 12.

Does anyone else think Halo Infinite will get a November 2021 release date at E3? I mean it was almost ready to go for the launch of the new consoles!

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