May 24, 14:00


Kotaku Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:35 PM
    

Sony's new and improved PlayStation Plus program has already launched in some parts of the world, and players are seemingly running into all sorts of issues. But the one players are freaking out about the most right now is a potential wrinkle in how the pricing for upgrading works which could leave some of them on the…

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Kotaku Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:15 PM
    

After a four-year hiatus, the creator of the popular shonen manga Hunter x Hunter not only created a Twitter account today, but announced that he is working on four new chapters of the series.

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Kotaku Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:02 PM
    

While new titles compete for audiences, games such as Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V, and The Sims 4 are still some of the most-played games in the U.S., with each nearly a decade or more removed from their original releases. In fact, only three of the top ten most-played games (Madden NFL 22, Call of Duty: Vanguard,

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Kotaku Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:05 PM
    

The next-gen is finally starting to feel current-gen. A year and a half after the November 2020 launch of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S, it's a tiny bit easier to get your hands on a next-gen console. And while the true next-gen game remains rare AF, developers are starting to leave last-gen…

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Kotaku Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:50 AM
    

In what has surely been the strangest leadup to a new Destiny 2 season in some time, Bungie surprise revealed Season of the Haunted last night after it accidently leaked ahead of Tuesday's launch and some big things are happening. The giant Cabal ship from the first raid is back, its communing with the evil pyramid on…

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Kotaku Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:15 AM
    

Some folks are talking about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance again, and not just that: they're playing it, too. A 2013 hack-and-slash action game by PlatinumGames, it seems the nearly 10-year-old Revengeance really lives up to its name, a portmanteau of revenge and vengeance. Because if you look at a recent statistic

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PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:59 PM
     These DDR4 RAM sticks make me want a God of War gaming PC

Ever since playing God of War on my gaming PC, I've felt a longing desire to dive deeper into the franchise by playing the previous games in the series. Alas, Sony is yet to port Kratos's previous adventures to Windows, but I may have found a way to satiate my hunger for more mythology via an unlikely source: DDR4 RAM.

I found the Dato Ares Armor DDR4 RAM kit as I browsed through the virtual booths of Computex 2022, and it immediately invoked images of Grecian urns, Walt Disney's Hercules, and, naturally, God of War. While the meander pattern that lines its heat shield is unmistakably inspired by Ancient Greek pottery, I must admit that it's the RGB rainbow plume that drew me in.

Dato says that in taking Ares as the brand image for its memory, it wanted to symbolise the "speed, power, and efficiency" of the RAM's namesake and its capabilities. While the kit doesn't rank among the best gaming RAM by virtue of its DDR4 specifications, it's still got plenty to offer with speeds of 3,600MHz and capacities up to 32GB.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:56 PM
     Diablo Immortal loot boxes (likely) block release in some countries

Diablo Immortal loot boxes are causing trouble with fans and market regulators alike. Blizzard's mobile spin on the action-RPG game, which is now also coming to PC, is causing upset with its microtransactions and loot box model. The fantasy game will also not be released in Belgium or the Netherlands, two countries which have taken a firm stance against the sale of loot boxes.

In an interview with Dutch website Tweakers, an Activision Blizzard Benelux representative confirmed that Diablo Immortal will not be available in either country, citing 'the current operating conditions for games in those countries.' Belgium banned the sale of loot boxes in games in 2018 following uproar around their presence in Star Wars Battlefront II, while the Netherlands enforced a ruling against EA in 2020 imposing a €500,000 fine every week until loot boxes were removed from FIFA's Ultimate Team mode.

Diablo Immortal's loot boxes aren't proving any more popular with players, either. Fans on the Diablo subreddit have been expressing their displeasure with the decision to implement microtransactions and loot boxes that have a gameplay impact. The most upvoted comment at the time of writing reads, "I had no problem when they had microtransactions for cosmetic items. Now that there are microtransactions for game progression, I hope the game fails."


PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:38 PM
     Elden Ring Blaidd actor confronts the horniness of his fans

Elden Ring Blaidd voice actor Scott Arthur plays one of the most popular characters in FromSoftware's RPG game, and is apparently aware of how horny a section of the fanbase is for the wolf-man. Arthur was recently forced to confront this fact, which leaves him "warm" and "aroused".

In a new video interview by BuzzFeed (via Eurogamer), the Elden Ring actor was asked to read and respond to a number of tweets from the fantasy game's community. Arthur upfront admits that he knows that Blaidd has "caused quite a stir in the furry world", but is perhaps unprepared for the unbridled horniness that awaits him.

"Blaidd is so thicc and hot," reads one. "I want Blaidd to kiss me on the lips and tell me that we make a great team," states another, "I want him to pick me up and carry me to his little wolf hovel." "I could read these all day, I'm having a great time," Arthur replies, while trying to keep a straight face throughout.

RELATED LINKS: Best Elden Ring settings, Main Elden Ring bosses in order, The best Elden Ring classes

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:29 PM
     Destiny 2: what is the Timelost weapon this week?

Want to know what this week's Destiny 2 Timelost weapon is? Much like the Destiny 2 Nightfall weapons, every week a new Timelost weapon becomes available. They're essentially better versions of the basic Vault of Glass weapons, with an extra third and fourth perk slot and a slot for Adept weapon mods.

To get this week's Destiny 2 Timelost weapon, you will need to complete its particular challenge in the Vault of Glass on Master difficulty. You can check out our Destiny 2 Vault of Glass walkthrough for tips on how to beat it. Five encounters in the raid have a challenge associated with them, which is basically an extra condition to meet when completing the fight (for example, the 'Wait For It' challenge on Confluxes requires you to wait until the Wyverns have started sacrificing themselves before you kill them).

On normal difficulty, completing a challenge grants bonus loot, but on Master, this is how you get your Timelost weapon. Only one challenge is 'active' per week, and they rotate with the weekly update every Tuesday at 1pm EDT / 10am PDT / 6pm BST.

RELATED LINKS: Destiny 2: Beyond Light review, Destiny 2 exotics, Play Destiny 2

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:26 PM
     Pick up the Razer Enki Gaming Chair for $50 less on Amazon

Many of us spend more time at our gaming desks than on a living room sofa, so investing in the best gaming chair makes sense. That said, not everyone has spare funds to pick up a swish new seat, especially if you're saving up for new gaming PC parts. Thankfully, gaming furniture discounts rear their head from time to time, and you can currently grab $50 off Razer's Enki gaming chair right now on Amazon.

Over Amazon US, you can grab a Razer Enki gaming chair for $349.99, thanks to a 12% discount. While it's tempting to save money by just repurposing a dining room seat, your posture will thank you for using this ergonomic perch. Its built-in lumbar support will help keep you comfy during lengthy sessions, and it'll keep you from slouching while shooting in FPS games.

Unlike other gaming chairs, the Enki manages to avoid racing stripe aesthetics and instead embraces a subtle black colour scheme. In terms of materials, it features dual-textured, synthetic Leather that boasts durability and comfort while gracing your buns with plush textured fabric.

RELATED LINKS: Razer Thresher Ultimate review, Razer Blade review, Best gaming headset

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:11 PM
     Starfield fans desperate for news are staring at doors

You've got to hand it to Starfield fans. Following the Starfield delay into 2023, fans of Bethesda Games' new RPG game are desperately scouring for any news to sustain them through the long summer ahead. Recently they were digging through Starfield concept art for clues about guns, and now one post topping the Starfield Alliance subreddit is a humorous proclamation confirming the presence of doors in the upcoming space game.

Commenters on the Reddit post were quick to jump aboard the speculation train, with one person saying, "I can already picture an enemy guard standing with the top of his pistol and head poking through it, while he shouts taunts at me for hiding on the other side" - a wry nod to the somewhat clumsy AI behaviour and collision detection of past Bethesda games such as Skyrim and Fallout.

Other comments took a more serious approach, reflecting on the realistic look of the doors. Several people claimed that they initially thought the image was a real-life photo of a door until they realised which subreddit it had been posted to.

RELATED LINKS: Starfield release date, Best space games, Elder Scrolls 6 release date

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:55 AM
     Zotac PC goes Ghostbusters for that standalone VR headset experience

There's a new VR headset backpack PC on the way, and it looks like a Ghostbusters proton pack. Designed with virtual reality and the metaverse in mind, the Zotac VR GO 4.0 aims to cut the cord while playing the best VR games, but it's also packing one of the best graphics cards on the market and 4K gaming monitor capabilities.

Revealed at Computex, the VR headset compatible rucksack rig aims to provide an immersive gaming PC experience. Naturally, carrying it around with you means you won't need the best gaming desk, but it also uses hot-swappable batteries for power and comes equipped with WI-FI 6 connectivity. If you use an Oculus Quest 2, you'll be able to eliminate wires entirely using Air Link, effectively eliminating any tethers to reality.

In terms of specs, Zotac's wearable VR PC doesn't hold back, as it's powered by an Nvidia RTX GPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Unlike an actual bag, this rig won't just unzip, so it's hard to determine how easy it is to upgrade. That said, Zotac specifies that it supports up to 32GB of memory, so perhaps opening up isn't as scary as unleashing a ghost trap.

RELATED LINKS: Nvidia GTX 1070 head-to-head

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:58 AM
     Destiny 2: what is the Nightfall weapon this week?

Want to know what this week's Destiny 2 Nightfall weapon is? Each week you've got a chance at a different weapon for completing Nightfall Strikes, and ever since Season of the Lost, fan-favourite legacy weapons from the original Destiny have been added to the rotation. Two new weapons were introduced into the pool in Season of the Risen, so it's more important than ever to know in advance the Nightfall weapon schedule.

In case you don't know what the Destiny 2 Nightfall weapon means, Nightfall: The Ordeal is a playlist available in the Vanguard menu, alongside the basic Strike playlist. Each week, a different Strike is chosen as the Nightfall, and offered in five escalating difficulties, with harder enemies, challenging modifiers, and enemy power levels cranking up.

The coveted Nightfall weapons have a chance to drop from any Nightfall Strike difficulty, but it's far more likely at higher levels. Your best bet for farming each week's Nightfall weapon is to set the Strike to Master difficulty, according to YouTuber Aztecross. You should also note that there's no automatic matchmaking above Hero difficulty, however, so you'll need to get a squad together.

RELATED LINKS: Destiny 2: Beyond Light review, Destiny 2 exotics, Play Destiny 2

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:38 AM
     SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro refreshes top-of-the-line gaming headsets

Back in 2018, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless exceeded all expectations by combining the multitude of features from the best gaming headset with the sound quality of an audiophile-grade pair of cans. Fast-forward to 2022, and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is ready to take over the mantle, complete with a good few upgrades and a refined new look.

Although it's an entirely different design, some things might seem a little familiar. The wireless version continues the trend with swappable ear plates, dual wireless connectivity, hot swappable batteries, and a base station to charge them. The wired version still comes with GameDAC attached to control the chat mix, but this time it's a second-generation booster.

The Arctis Nova series is far from a copy and paste job, though, as both headsets include a revised ComfortMax headband, height-adjustable earcups, an improved AI-powered noise cancelling microphone, 360-degree Spatial Audio, and enhanced hi-fidelity drivers that benefit from the customisability of the Sonar Audio software suite. According to SteelSeries, this is the first pro-grade parametric EQ for gamers in software form, so you don't need a gigantic mixer to tinker with every audio band. We'll need to wait for a hands-on to see how steep of a learning curve this is, but it'll likely be supplemented with a range of presets to ease you in.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:22 PM
     All the Zenless Zone Zero characters we've seen so far

We've had our first glimpse of the Zenless Zone Zero characters we'll be playing as in Hoyoverse's new action-RPG game, which was recently announced. It's immediately clear that this is going to be a different style of anime game than Genshin Impact with guns, anthropomorphic animals, and a contemporary cityscape featuring prominently in the announcement trailer. We don't know much about this new "urban fantasy" adventure, but its exuberant cast of characters were shown off in plenty of detail.

First off, a little context. In Zenless Zone Zero, players take the role of a 'Proxy', a person that is uniquely able to enter and explore 'Hollows', which are dimensional rifts that have caused the destruction of the wider world. Hollows are also inhabited by roaming monsters called Ethereals, and as a Proxy, you can form a squad drawn from a diverse cast of Zenless Zone Zero characters to embark on expeditions into these rifts.

Why? That part's a mystery for now, but one thing we do know is that the last surviving city of humanity - New Eridu - has survived partly because it has managed to find a way to exploit the Hollows for valuable resources, and there are plenty of factions in New Eridu that want to maximise these opportunities. So basically, the answer is loot. For now, let's take a look at everything we know about the characters of Zenless Zone Zero.

RELATED LINKS: Zenless Zone Zero characters, The best anime games on PC, Zenless Zone Zero system requirements

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:45 AM
     Nvidia GPU names are still confusing, thanks to Ti debate

Nvidia GPU naming conventions can be a touch confusing, but it looks like the green team is struggling with its own Ti terminology. While gaming PC enthusiasts will often argue about the pronunciation of the best graphics card variant, the company seems to be playing devil's advocate with the branding. Confused? So are we.

The Nvidia GPU confusion reared its head during Nvidia's Keynote at Computex, with senior vice president Jeff Fisher stepping in to discuss GeForce-powered laptops. With a singular sentence, Fisher added an extra layer to the age-old question of how to say 'Ti' by mixing up his pronunciation. Specifically, the vice president says RTX 3080 "Tie" and RTX 3070 "tee eye" in a single breath, ultimately crushing any sense of graphics card name clarity.

So, what does Nvidia 'Ti' actually mean? Well, the company says it stands for "Titanium", which is why it's often pronounced "tee eye". However, looking back on historical green team GPU unveilings suggests the company has been mixing up its terms from the get-go, with announcers switching things up while launching the GTX 560 Ti and 660 Ti. In other words, it seems like individuals within the firm can't agree on what to call the graphics card class, and they've still not sat down to work it out.

RELATED LINKS: RTX 4000 - everything we know, GeForce Now RTX 3080 review, Best graphics card

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:26 AM
     One Minecraft fan has recreated the Destiny 2 Last Wish raid

Minecraft is home to a lot of recreations inspired by other games, like this deadly take on Tetris. There's no end to the craft put into the best Minecraft builds, and it's a breeding ground for creativity and love letters to people's other favourite games. One fan's going for something a bit more recent - Destiny 2 is getting the blocky treatment.

Destiny 2 raids are brutally tough levels designed to be taken on as a team, and usually involve weird mechanics and nasty boss encounters. Clan Entropy on YouTube has recreated Last Wish, one of the toughest raids in the history of the series, in Minecraft - although it's sadly only the level itself, with none of the devious mechanics of the raid.

The YouTuber, posting on Reddit, confirms that their recreation includes the entire playable area of the raid built to a 1:1 scale. It was all done solo, and they began work on it back in November 2021 and have been working on it for six months.

RELATED LINKS: Minecraft console commands, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:18 AM
     The era of PCIe 5.0 SSDs begins with Apacer and 13GB/s read speeds

There are currently no PCIe 5.0 SSDs on the market right now, which is understandable considering that your gaming PC probably doesn't support the interface standard. However, the era of faster solid state drives has officially begun, and the future certainly looks fast.

Announced today at Computex, the Apacer A2280F5 and Zadak TWSG5 are the first ever PCIe 5.0 SSDs. While the storage devices may have names that you'll be slow to remember, they boast blisteringly fast read speeds of 13,000MB/s and writes of 12,000MB/s. For context, these drives are almost twice as quick as the best SSDs for gaming currently available.

The major difference between theese SSDs comes down to their cooling solution, as the Apacer uses "high-quality metal cooling fins" versus the graphene or aluminium heatsinks available for the Zadak drive. Both devices should be more than enough for most systems though and are primed to use Microsoft DirectStorage. They each have five-year global warranties too for peace of mind.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:00 AM
     Lord of the Rings Gollum release date slinks into September

We come to it at last - Daedalic and Nacon have revealed the Lord of the Rings: Gollum release date, and the stealth game is not only still on track for the year, but it'll be out in three months' time. After a few delays - it was originally due out in 2021 - the journey of stinker and slinker is about to kick off.

It's certainly been a long and winding path getting here. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was announced way back in March 2019, and other than a few delays and a brief look at gameplay we haven't heard much about it.

If you weren't aware, Lord of the Rings: Gollum is an action-adventure game with a focus on stealth, where you play as Sméagol himself. It's a part prequel to the events of the Lord of the Rings, mostly set around Mordor, and it's unconnected to the movies or the upcoming Amazon series - so, no Andy Serkis. Daedalic previously confirmed Gollum would slink in around autumn 2022, but now we have a more specific date.


PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:26 AM
     Gaming PC modder transforms old laptop screen into case display

A gaming PC modder has come up with a recycling solution for your old laptop, and it involves sticking its screen inside your rig. The mod essentially sticks a display behind the tempered glass window of your PC case, transforming it into a sort of gaming monitor hybrid.

Created by Reddit user MikelIttoriz, the gaming PC laptop screen mashup mod is pretty much what you'd expect. While the idea sounds slightly absurd, photos of the build demonstrate a practical use, as the internal panel makes for a great way to display system stats like CPU temperature.

This PC case screen mod may appear complex, yet, it's actually easier than you think to repurpose an old laptop screen as a monitor. Providing you can successfully salvage a panel from an old portable powerhouse, you can pair it with a driver board that adds power input and HDMI output. We wouldn't advise tearing up the best gaming laptop just to make a custom display, but if you've got an old machine gathering dust in your cupboard, this might be a great way to keep it away from your local landfill.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:02 AM
     Six reasons why you need alt characters in Lost Ark

Lost Ark has quickly established itself as a must-play game of 2022. The free-to-play fantasy MMO sees players dashing around the land of Arkesia, trying to find a shattered ancient relic and restore peace. Obviously, this is no easy feat, and players will find themselves plagued by endless demons and enemies during their travels - leaving plenty of opportunity to beef up each character.

The character you build in Lost Ark is unique to you, with an incredible array of customisation choices available from the very start of the game. Before you start your quest, you'll have to choose which class you want to be from those available. This will determine the strengths of your character, as well as their weapon type and appearance.

Each character is so clearly defined and specialised through these classes, meaning that it's becoming more common for players to create additional characters to really get the most out of Lost Ark and see everything the game has to offer. Using alts can also help with gathering resources, questing, and taking down endgame foes.

RELATED LINKS: Best MMOS and MMORPGs on PC, Upcoming PC games, Best fantasy games on PC

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:00 AM
     Valorant patch notes 14.10 – Omen update may tease new map

The new Valorant patch notes for the 14.10 update are here, featuring a load of welcome changes such as tweaks to the Haven map, some improvements to ping and latency, and a number of bug fixes. However, the specific change to Valorant character Omen may tie in with Riot's new map tease.

Valorant 14.10 is now out and the patch notes are here, and while it's not quite as epic as the recent 4.08 update that introduced the multiplayer game's new agent Fade, one particular tweak may point to something bigger. The update's highlight is the improvements to the character model for Omen "to increase detail and fidelity". This would seem innocent, except that Omen is the focus of the weird 'Aquarium week' teaser that Riot posted this week - that a number of fans believe is a hint towards a new Valorant map reveal. It may not be a coincidence that Omen is the biggest feature of this new patch.

Elsewhere in 14.10, the Haven map has received a few tweaks to remove "some pixel collision" in a couple of key areas. There are a number of new performance graphs too, including one for "shooting error values for recent shots" to help players improve.

RELATED LINKS: Valorant characters: all agents and abilities, Valorant tier list, Valorant crosshair codes

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 8:17 AM
     The ultimate V Rising guide for beginners

After a V Rising guide to help you through your first few days outside of the coffin? Blending the base building of Valheim with the PvP raiding and persistent multiplayer of Rust, V Rising is, understandably, proving very popular with fans of survival games. However, that mix of gameplay styles means new players may struggle with the slew of systems and mechanics. On top of all that, you've got to pay attention to all the threats that face a fledgling vampire, like garlic and the dreaded sun.

After creating your vampire lord, emerging from the crypt, and battling through a cemetery, you find yourself in the relative tranquillity of V Rising's starting region, Farbane Woods. But what to do next? While developer Stunlock Studios provides a thorough introduction to the vampire game's systems in the form of a main questline, it can't beat a definitive V Rising guide as there's still a lot left unexplained, making your first steps pretty daunting.

So, join us as we help you over V Rising's early hurdles, answer some frequently asked questions, and set you on the path to vampiric victory.

RELATED LINKS: How to get V Rising leather, The best vampire games on PC, V Rising horse guide

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:57 AM
     The Quarry system requirements – hefty CPU and GPU specs

The masterminds behind Until Dawn have another horror game on the way, but before you can enjoy the thrill of the chase, you'll first need to check whether your gaming PC meets The Quarry system requirements. You have a good chance of being able to run the frightfest if your rig can play any of The Dark Pictures Anthology series, but the recommended specs are reserved for modern systems built within the past couple of years.

It's not clear what kind of resolutions or frame rates Supermassive Games aims for with The Quarry system requirements, but hitting the minimum is relatively easy. Much like other games in the developer's catalogue, you'll be able to boot with a decade-old gaming CPU, a six-year-old graphics card, the standard 8GB of RAM, and 50GB of space. It doesn't even require the speed of the best SSD for gaming, although it couldn't hurt if you wanted to pick up the pace of loading times.

To hit the recommended system requirements, The Quarry doesn't just demand processors released in 2020 onwards, but top-of-the-line chips at that. It lists the Intel i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 3800 XT, both of which are flagships of their respective lines and set a high bar for those that haven't upgraded in a while. Recommended GPU requirements aren't quite as extreme considering it targets entry-to-mid range and new Nvidia RTX 4000 graphics cards are just around the corner, but it's still punishing to those left behind due to lengthy chip shortages.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:02 AM
     MSI charges $1,000 for an Xbox Series S-sized cloud gaming PC

A new MSI MAG Trident cloud gaming PC is coming that looks like an uncanny Xbox Series S. Yet, despite its aesthetic, the mini machine's AMD Ryzen 7 APU doesn't match Microsoft's console specs, and its price could persuade you to get your Nvidia GeForce Now fix elsewhere.

Unveiled during Computex, MSI describes its MAG Trident gaming PC as a "desktop dedicated to cloud and mobile gaming." The company also says its small system caters to living room setups, with Game Stadium software helping to facilitate a console-like experience.

In terms of specs, MSI says the gaming PC packs an AMD Ryzen 7 APU, with Excaliberpc listing the chip as a Ryzen 7 5700G. While the manufacturer claims tech like FidelityFX Super Resolution can boost fps on the remarkably small rig, it's not going to keep up with the Xbox Series S. Essentially, the machine is more of a cloud streaming box than an at-home hardware solution, but its $1,000 USD price tag means you're better off investing in another streaming solution.

RELATED LINKS: MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC review, MSI GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X Trio review, Best gaming motherboard

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 8:18 AM
     How to find Minecraft diamonds in 1.18

Looking for the best Minecraft 1.18 diamond level? You'll have to dig a little deeper to find this rare mineral, but it will be worth it when you strut into battle donning your sparkling war attire.

Minecraft diamonds are used to craft high tier and extremely durable weapons, tools, and armour, and can also be used to create an enchantment table which is needed for Minecraft enchantments. You can craft diamonds in Minecraft from a block of diamond or by mining diamond ore. By using a block of diamond in the crafting grid, you'll obtain nine diamonds.

You can craft a bunch of glam gear from diamonds in Minecraft, as well as trading diamonds with villagers at Minecraft villages. If you're looking for diamonds out in the blocky wilds, instead of relying on loot chests, then you'll either need to mine for them deep underground or search caves. Here's where you'll find diamonds in Minecraft, as well as everything you can create using this rare and valuable mineral.

RELATED LINKS: Minecraft console commands, Minecraft skins, Minecraft mods

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:06 AM
     Hitman 3 system requirements

The Hitman 3 system requirements may seem a little confusing at first, with three separate specs for standard rasterisation, ray tracing, and VR. Thankfully, we're here to help you understand what exactly your gaming PC is capable of when it comes to running Agent 47's latest and final adventure.

Regarldess of which Hitman 3 system requirements you're aiming to meet, we recommend that everyone make use of Nvidia DLSS or AMD FSR. These upscaling technologies are one of the easiest ways to boost fps with minimal impact to image quality, benefitting both budget pixel pushers and the best graphics cards.

All three games in the Hitman trilogy can now be played in VR, but there are a host of other visual improvements that have been madeto the game's Glacier engine as well. Ray traced reflections and shadows are finally here, meaning you'll be able to enjoy a richer atmosphere and see your target's final moments reflecting perfectly on 47's shiny head.

RELATED LINKS: Best SSD for gaming, How to build a gaming PC, Best gaming CPU

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:43 AM
     Destiny 2 solar 3.0 confirmed in season 17 and the Leviathan is back

Bungie has confirmed a Destiny 2 solar 3.0 rework as part of the FPS game's upcoming season 17, now revealed to be 'Season of the Haunted,' which begins today (May 24) at 6pm BST. The new Destiny 2 update also features the return of Emperor Calus's world-eating ship the Leviathan from the Destiny Content Vault, which longtime players will remember as the site of the game's first raid. Though we've seen Destiny 1 locations return, this will be the first Destiny 2 content to be 'unvaulted', so it'll be interesting to see how it's changed.

Probably the most anticipated news from the new season is the confirmation of solar 3.0 - a rework for all solar subclasses, following the void 3.0 subclass rework in Destiny 2's The Witch Queen expansion. This reworked kit will be available to all players regardless of whether or not they purchase the Season of the Haunted pass.

The Leviathan's return signals the narrative direction of the new season, with the once-opulent ship returning from - well, wherever it's been - now corrupted and crumbling. Earlier in the game we learned that Calus made contact with an entity of the Darkness during his exile in deep space, which, following its reveal in the events of the Witch Queen, seems likely to be The Witness, the commander of the 'Black Fleet' of pyramid ships. With Calus returning from the vault and his sights set on the Moon pyramid, we can clearly expect a ton of story in the new season.

RELATED LINKS: Destiny 2: Beyond Light review, Destiny 2 exotics, Play Destiny 2

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:29 AM
     Vampire Survivors update 0.6.1 is the most insane patch yet

Vampire Survivors update 0.6.1 has dropped, adding a one to the end of the 0.6 patch notes revealed at the weekend - and that's the least of this update's surprises for the roguelike game, as it adds three new characters, a merchant, a new stage, and a ton of surprises. It's the biggest, craziest patch yet.

Developer Poncle describes the unassuming update as "the weird one" in the Vampire Survivors 0.6.1 patch notes, but also claimed it would have "less content than usual". Players shouldn't have believed this for a second, as Poncle has often left things out, such as swarms of angry cats. Right on cue, update 0.6.1 (wait, what does the menu screen say?), is actually possibly the vampire game's most significant patch ever.

Head to the Moongolow stage, talk to the new merchant, buy all his wares, and be prepared for the trippiest experience in Vampire Survivors yet. There are three new characters - none of which are mentioned in the notes - two new freezing-focused Arcana power-ups called Jail of Crystal and Out of Bounds, and a new relic called the Yellow Sign.

RELATED LINKS: The best survival games on PC in 2022, Vampire Survivors weapon evolution guide, The best Vampire Survivors build

PCGamesN Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:59 AM
     How to unlock secret characters in Vampire Survivors

Want to know how to unlock secret characters in Vampire Survivors? When you start your first run you only have a handful of Vampire Survivors characters and a few weapons available. However, on each playthrough, more items, weapons, and characters unlock for you to use in future attempts.

These items are vital if you wish to use Vampire Survivor weapon evolutions to maximise a weapon's damage output. The game also locks new characters behind requirements, such as leveling up your gear to a certain threshold, finding items in a level, or slaying a quota of monsters. Later on, you can also find Arcana to give your weapons unique bonuses to annihilate your foes.

Some of these unlock conditions are vague and confusing, so we thought we'd list how you can get all of the Vampire Survivors characters, weapons, items, and levels. We also have a cheat code that you need to type to get another hidden vampire slayer and steps to access a secret character that requires you to tinker with the game's code.

RELATED LINKS: The best survival games on PC in 2022, Vampire Survivors weapon evolution guide, The best Vampire Survivors build

Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Joining the scandalously overlooked Blast-Axis and the more recognised Overload in the pantheon of Descentants this week, it's Zerograve. Is this a genre revival now? Three solid contenders (that I'm aware of) must surely bring us close.

It's fully 3D space-ish combat, this time with colourful stylised levels, somewhere between technicolour neon and oddly minimalist. I don't want to start on a downer so let's say that my opinion of it improved the more I played it.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:39 AM
    

Vampiric survival sandbox V Rising has, according to Steam's player counts, entranced itself quite a following. That includes RPS' own Ed, whose otherwise glowing preview mentioned some performance issues on Nvidia GPUs.

I'm duty-bound to investigate any potential hardware hitches, though since V Rising is only in early access, this isn't going to be the usual appraisal of how it performs on various PC hardware. That can wait until it's had more of the spit 'n' polish treatment that typically comes with the status of actually being finished. That said, I have done a full sweep of V Rising's graphics settings and their performance impact, so if your FPS count is melting like a Nosferatu on an ill-considered Corfu holiday, have a look below to see if you can make some fruitful tweaks.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:50 AM
    

Just imagine for a moment what the world would've been like if Jesus, rather than forgiving us for our sins on the cross, had rolled out of the tomb with a proper nark on instead. That's the basis of Polish author Jacek Piekara's series of novels, now set to become third-person action adventure I, The Inquisitor, from developers The Dust. Somebody probably ought to consult the Archbishop of Canterbury for the PEGI rating, like. Watch the trailer below.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:00 AM
    

I recently got a hands-off look at The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum, Daedalic's upcoming third-person stealth game which sees Mr Precious himself take centre stage. Flanked by devs and squidged between other journos, I saw two short demos, one right at the start of his adventure, and the other much further in. I saw him clamber around Mordor (I think; it was mountainous at the very least) and then stealth around an Elven king's abode. It was... fine. Yes, I saw an early build and things could change, but I left that booth feeling a bit underwhelmed, in all honesty.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:59 AM
    

Destiny 2's seventeenth season starts today and will be the Season Of The Haunted, Bungie have revealed. This time around your Hunter, Warlock or Titan will get to become an 'eater of fear'. Sounds tasty? "Where once we banished the nightmares," the trailer says, "a new terror rouses them from their slumber." Watch the video below and try not to check over your shoulder.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 8:00 AM
    

Happy Volcano's raucous comedy driving game You Suck At Parking has come a long way since we last saw it in the autumn of 2020. When Imogen (RPS in peace) last sucked at stopping her colourful cartoon car in its devilishly placed parking spots, she did so alone in an alpha demo for its single player campaign mode. Last week, however, James, Liam and myself went hands on with an exclusive build of its new 8-strong multiplayer mode, accompanied by five members of Happy Volcano's development team to test it out - and let me tell you, if the battle modes of recent Mario Karts have left you feeling increasingly cold over the years, this is looking to be just the thing to grease those competitive wheels again.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:55 AM
    

One-man games industry Geoff Keighley has revealed that third-party publishers won't be staging as many showcases of their own this summer. Keighley made the comments in a Twitter Spaces cast over the weekend, probably to everyone's great relief. Of course, he immediately followed up by explaining that the publishers with fewer games to show will be rolling their presentations into Keighley's own Summer Game Fest, as well as first-party shows such as the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase.

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Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:17 AM
    

Quality assurance testers working for Activision Blizzard at Raven Software have voted to unionise within the Communication Workers of America, the first notable such union at a US-based studio. Three members of the Game Workers Alliance (GWA) group voted against, while 19 voted in favour. The vote means legal recognition for the group at the Call Of Duty: Warzone developers, which first organised in January in response to layoffs at the end of last year.

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Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:52 PM
     The brand new RSI Scorpius has been made available on Star Citizen, and Cloud Imperium Games released a trailer and new images.

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:37 PM
     Following with the trend from last season, Season 17 of Destiny 2 will be seeing a new Solar subclass change dubbed Solar 3.0. This ability/class update is all about making the fire elemental attacks mean so much more. As Design Lead Kevin Yanes puts it: We have both the extremely lovely warmth of the sun, […]

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:18 PM
     Riot Games is about to roll out another update for Valorant, which typically means a new weapon skin bundle is about to roll into the store's rotation and this time is no exception. The 'Neptune' weapon skin bundle was actually teased earlier this week as having an aquatic theme, and it turns out that's exactly […]

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:43 PM
     Today Activision made the first official reveal of the upcoming Call of Duty game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:09 PM
     EA released an extensive video in which the developers of Battlefield 2042 explained some of the changes coming with season 1 and beyond.

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:07 PM
     Today, Netflix announced an exciting new movie would be heading to its platform this July. Starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, The Gray Man is a spy thriller and is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. You can check out the official trailer alongside the star-studded cast and a brief description below. Ryan Gosling is […]

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:25 AM
     Warner Bros. Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment released a new trailer of the upcoming open-world Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy.

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:08 AM
     Riot Games' latest update for Valorant isn't a big one, but it does introduce some new tweaks and changes to its network systems that should increase performance across the board. A dedicated article published by the development team earlier today goes into detail explaining what Riot's fixes for "a few issues that can occur after […]

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:58 AM
     Earlier today on the Pokemon GO YouTube channel, the debut of the first Ultra Beast was teased in a relatively short 15-second trailer. It looks like the Rock/Poison-type Nihilego will be the first of the Ultra Beasts to be introduced to Pokemon GO. At the end of the trailer, we also see the back of […]

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:43 AM
     Today, Curve Games and IronOak Games announced the highly-anticipated sequel to the successful multi-platform franchise, For the King. Simply titled For the King II, this sequel combines the original game's challenging blend of strategy, RPG combat, and roguelike elements with plenty of new features, including four-player co-op. You can check out the announcement trailer and […]

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:04 AM
     Hello there! (Sorry, we couldn't resist.) Welcome to our latest Twinfinite trivia quiz. With the much-anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show debuting on Disney+ later this week, we thought that now would be the perfect time to brush up on your knowledge of the famous English Hollywood star. All you have to do is identify these […]

Twinfinite Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:00 AM
     Unveiled at the end of 2021, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum finally has a set release date. Announced via a press release today, the game will be released for PC and consoles on Sept. 1. Here's the official description of the game: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, based on the legendary The Lord […]

Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:30 PM
    

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker New Madara Uchiha DLC Confirmed

Another version of Madara Uchiha is coming to Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker as DLC. The official Twitter account for Naruto video games shared the first screenshots of the character. However, if someone hasn't finished Naruto Shippuden, the pictures of the forms are a spoiler.

Editor's Note: There will be spoilers for Naruto Shippuden and Madara Uchiha below.

Madara Uchiha first appeared as a DLC character in Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker in Season Pass 1 back in April 2019. This was a base version of the figure. He's a Ranged type. The new one appears to be based on the Sage of Six Paths version of Madara Uchiha that is part of his final jinchuriki transformation. As such, one of his attacks in the screenshots even has the Truth-Seeking Balls behind him.

Here are the four screenshots showing the new version of Madara Uchiha heading to Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker as DLC.
[gallery columns="4" ids="927920,927921,927925,927926" link="file"]

As a reminder, multiple updates will arrive in 2022. New characters will appear in Season Pass 5. Existing fighters will be rebalanced. There will be stage renovations over the year. Also, Inn adjustments are coming.

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker is available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and Season Pass 5 DLC characters will appear in 2022.

The post Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker New Madara Uchiha DLC Confirmed appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:30 PM
    

Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Seregios Armor Shown

There's a new Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak video clip, and this time it looks at the Seregios armor. The returning monster's appearance was confirmed in the beginning of May 2022. Given the monster has appeared in games before, the equipment should look quite familiar. They look much like they did in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.

Here's the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Seregios armor video. First, it begins with the male hunter Blademaster version of the armor. Then, there's the female Blademaster version. (The Gunner variants look slightly different.) After that, it shows a Palamute dressed up. This is the first time a Palamute got Seregios equipment. Finally, the video closes with a peek at the Palico version of the armor.

Capcom's been sharing quite a few videos of armor sets in Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak ahead of this Seregios reveal. For example, it showed off the Garangolm and Lunagaron suits first. Then, it showed off the Blood Orange Bishaten and Shogun Ceanataur equipment.

The company's also been going over weapon changes coming in the expansion. People can see videos showing off the things like the Sword & Shield, Switch Axe, Gunlance, Bow, and long sword.

Monster Hunter Rise is available for the Nintendo Switch and PC. Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak will release for PC and Nintendo Switch on June 30, 2022.

The post Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Seregios Armor Shown appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Hunter x Hunter Creator Confirms Manga's Coming Back with New Chapters

The Hunter x Hunter manga is coming back, as the series creator Yoshihiro Togashi joined Twitter and teased new chapters. Nibel noted Yusuke Murata, the One Punch Man mangaka who is also on Twitter, confirmed the authenticity of the announcement. There's no release window for the new chapters yet. [Thanks, Nibellion!]

Here is Togashi confirming work is being done on the Hunter x Hunter chapters, with a photo of a bottom of a page. This is apparently page six, and chapters tend to be 19 pages long.

And here is Murata's confirmation that this is real.

The last chapter released by the Hunter x Hunter appeared in November 2018. Chapter 390's title was Clash: Part 1, suggesting the start of a new situation and storyline in the Succession Contest arc. The last released manga volume is 36. It only covered up to chapter 380. This means not counting these new upcoming chapters, there are 10 known chapters still not collected in a physical form.

Viz Media handles the localization of the Hunter x Hunter manga. The anime adaptation is streaming on Crunchyroll. There's no release date for the new chapters of the manga yet.

The post Hunter x Hunter Creator Says Manga's Coming Back with New Chapters appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:30 AM
    

FFVIII Balamb Garden Track and 3,000 Free Mythril Coming in Chocobo GP Season 2

Major changes are coming to Chocobo GP in season 2, and Square Enix released some early patch notes going over the May 31, 2022 update. In addition to new characters, other content will be added to the game. For example, The Demon Series and a FFVIII Balamb Garden track will appear in Chocobo GP. There will also be adjustments to characters and Magicite, you'll be able to buy more characters with Tickets, and people who play the free Lite version can play online. People will also get 3,800 free Mythril.

When Square Enix announced Chocobo GP, it confirmed new characters and tracks would appear regularly. There are no FFVIII courses yet, and Balamb Garden will be the first. This comes after Squall appeared in-game as a season 1 racer folks could purchase with earned gil.

Speaking of purchasing characters, the way the shops all work and their contents are changing following the May 31, 2022 update. Characters and Prize Level rewards will be sold in the Ticket Shop, even past their current season. As for the Prize Pass, it will only feature gil after level 21. The Gil Shop will only sell customization items going forward. These will include new character colors.

As for the free Mythril, the Chocobo GP bonuses are being doled out for two reasons. The 3,000 Mythril is an apology gift for Team Sticker issues. The remaining 800 will be a celebratory reward. It's designed to celebrate the start of season 2 in Chocobo GP.

Here are the full Chocobo GP version 1.1.0 update patch notes from Square Enix.

Ver.1.1.0 update contents:
1. Players of the Lite edition are now able to participate in online multiplayer modes.
2. The new track "Balamb Garden" has been added to the game.
*This track can be selected in Multiplayer, Time Attack and Custom Race modes.
*This track will appear in Chocobo GP mode once Season 2 has started.
3. New series "The Demon Series" has been added to the game.
*This series can be selected once you have earned a rank of 3rd place or higher in the Omega Series.
4. From Season 2 onwards, mirrored versions of tracks will appear in Chocobo GP mode.
5. Some character capabilities have been adjusted.
・The following characters will now take less damage when attacked with abilities and will only crash rather than being wiped out:
Steiner
Mecha Chocobo
Cactuar
・It has been made easier for the following characters to fill their ability gauge:
Gilgamesh
Maduin
6. The Magicite obtained during races has been altered
7. Magicite can now be used while taunting.
8. Gil remaining at the end of a season can now be carried over to the next season.
9. The number of crystals required to obtain an Item Ticket has now been fixed at 10.
*Please be aware that when this update is applied, the total number of crystals a player has collected will be reduced down to a single digit (the units value is retained, with tens and hundreds removed).
10. The in-race BGM select feature can now be used from the start.
11. Improvements to issues where characters were getting caught on the terrain of some tracks.
12. Other improvements and bug fixes.

Operating Policies for Season 2 and beyond:
1. Premium Prize Passes, Level-Up Tickets and Team Stickers are being taken down from sale.
*Team Stickers will now mainly be earned as prize level rewards and will not be available from the shop in future.
*Prize Passes (e.g. the non-premium Prize Passes) will still be sold.
To commemorate the start of Season 2, all players will be gifted an 800 mythril log-in bonus.
2. As a basic policy, all costumes and other products added to the mythril shop will remain on sale for the subsequent season and beyond.
3. The size of scores obtained through playing Chocobo GP has been increased.
4. Mythril has been added to the prize level rewards
5. The composition of prize level rewards has been re-assessed so all major items can now be obtained by the time you reach level 20.
*Level 21 and beyond are now extra levels that are mainly focussed on earning gil.
6. The characters and other reward items earned as prize level rewards will also be sold in the Ticket Shop.
*As a rule, there will be no limited availability period for items on sale in the Ticket Shop and they will still be available to purchase during the next season and beyond.
*If a player has already purchased the same item from the Ticket Shop when they earn it as a prize level reward then they will receive an amount of gil instead.
7. Items added to the Gil Shop will only be Premium colours and Wallpapers from now on.
*The new characters added for Season 2 will all be available as prize level rewards and sold at the Ticket Shop.
*The items available for Season 1 that were not Premium colours or Wallpapers will remain on sale in the Gil Shop.
8. Adjustments to challenges
・ The number of daily challenges issued will be limited to one.
・ The victory conditions for weekly challenges will be made easier to achieve.
・ The rewards for each challenge will be changed to gil only and the actual amount received will increase.
9. Weekly log-in bonuses (50 mythril) will be abandoned.

During Season 1, there were a number of different issues that led to Team Stickers disappearing and this caused great inconvenience for players. We sincerely apologise for the trouble caused.
As mentioned above, Team Stickers will no longer be on sale at the shop from Season 2 onwards, and will be obtained as prize level rewards instead.
Going forward, we will be offering the following log-in bonus to all players, to enhance everyone's enjoyment of Chocobo GP.
Bonus:
・ 3000 mythril
Availability period:
・ From the start to finish of Season 2 (Can only be claimed once)

Chocobo GP is available for the Nintendo Switch in paid and a free lite version.

The post FFVIII Balamb Garden Track and 3,000 Free Mythril Coming in Chocobo GP Season 2 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:00 AM
    

A Skullgirls Valentine Redesign Will Remove Her Crosses a

A new Skullgirls Valentine redesign is on the way, and this one will remove the cross design completely from the character. Hidden Variable made the announcement, which is the latest evolution of her look. All cross instances on her outfit will be changed to shuriken, as a nod to some of her attacks. Her pupils will still remain in the shapes of crosses. She will be changed later in 2022. Ileum and Last Hope's crosses will also be removed.

The reason for the new Valentine redesign is attributed to two different factors. One is that the first change in her look was done "hastily." The other is potentially prepare the series and her for unrevealed "opportunities." (In some instances, imagery like crosses are removed from games for releases in certain regions.) The changes will appear in game and in art book sections and segments.

To prepare people for how the new Valentine design will look in Skullgirls 2nd Encore and the mobile release, new art was revealed. First, here's Future Club Lead Animator Mariel Cartwright's design. It highlights the new shade of pink being used.
A Skullgirls Valentine Redesign Will Remove Her Crosses

There's also an initial character sprite showing how she'll look in-game going forward.
A Skullgirls Valentine Redesign Will Remove Her Crosses 2

Valentine's first redesign appeared in Skullgirls back in 2014. This is due to her original design being too close to the Red Cross symbol. As a point of reference, here's the official art showing how she looked with the fuchsia crosses.
Valentine Cross

Skullgirls 2nd Encore is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Vita, and PC. Skullgirls is available on mobile devices. The Skullgirls Valentine redesign will appear in both games sometime in 2022.

The post A Skullgirls Valentine Redesign Will Remove Her Crosses appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:30 AM
    

Genshin Impact Animate merchandise

More new Genshin Impact merchandise will appear at Animate. The Japanese store chain specializing in anime and game character goods announced that it will open a shop section dedicated to Genshin Impact from late May to early July 2022.

The newest Genshin Impact merchandise lineup will feature Inazuma characters like Raiden Shogun, Kujo, and Kokomi. Animate will also resell merchandise from previous physical events, such as the 2021 concert and the Shanghai festival.

For every 1,100 yen (~$8) made from Genshin Impact-related item purchases, Animate will hand over a free postcard containing one of twelve characters chosen at random.

Genshin Impact Animate postcards

The seventh floor of the Animate Akihabara store building will exclusively sell these Genshin Impact items for the duration of the limited shop event. The store chain will also set up support stores selling some of the goods at several branches in Tokyo and other cities like Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka. The items will also be available on Animate's web store, but it will only process the shipments after the event ends on July 3, 2022.

Genshin Impact is available on the PS5, PS4, PC, iOS, and Android devices. A new content update that raises the game's version to 2.7 will appear on May 31, 2022. Animate will open a store dedicated to the game in Akihabara from May 28 to July 3, 2022.

The post Animate Will Open Genshin Impact Limited Shop in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:00 AM
    

Sony Confirms People Can't PS3 Games to a Vita (1)

When the May 10, 2022 PS3 and Vita firmware updates arrived, people reported an inability to transfer games from a PS3 to a Vita. Now Sony offered an official update. This is not a bug. Rather, it is a permanent change to the systems' functionality. [Thanks, Resetera!]

Sony noted this change only affects PS3 game transfers to a Vita. It does not alter the ability to transfer content like games and save data to and from a PC. For that, a Vita owner could get the Content Manager Assistant and connect to a Windows or Mac PC to manage content.

In the past, people could download things like PlayStation games and transfer them to a Vita via a PS3. This would allow people to have access to the games and save files on the handheld.

In the update, Sony also said people can still access downloads on the PS3 and Vita. However, people do need to enable 2FA on both systems now. A device setup password is necessary following the 3.74 Vita and PSTV and 4.89 PS3 firmware update.

As a reminder, this isn't the only recent feature removal. As of October 2021, people couldn't use a credit card, debit card, or PayPal on either system.

The post Sony Confirms People Can't Transfer PS3 Games to a Vita appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:00 AM
    

Street Fighter V Chun-Li Pink Costume statue by Prime 1 Studio

Chun-Li will have new figures modeled after her alternate pink-colored costume in Street Fighter V. Prime 1 Studio has opened global pre-orders for the Chun-Li Pink Costume statue on its website. The statue will cost $1,099 in total.

The 1/4 scale statue will have a total height of around 30 inches, including the pedestal. The package will also include two swappable head parts. It will let the owner switch between Chun-Li's normal face and another version where she is winking and grinning.

Street Fighter V Chun-Li Pink Costume statue by Prime 1 Studio - Swappable Head Parts

All buyers must pay a non-refundable deposit of $109.90 via PayPal when they place an order for this Chun-Li Pink Costume statue. They will be able to pay the remaining $989.10 through multiple installments. Prime 1 Studio will only produce 150 units of this statue, and it will close the pre-orders once it has reached that limit.

Capcom is working on development for Street Fighter 6, and it will publish more details about the latest sequel to the fighting game series in Summer 2022. It also collaborated with other companies to bring skins modeled after Street Fighter characters, including Chun-Li, to Fortnite and Brawlhalla.

The Chun-Li Pink Costume statue will release between December 2022 and March 2023. Prime 1 Studio will use her alternate color costume from the PS4 and PC fighting game Street Fighter V as the basis.

The post Prime 1 Studio's Chun-Li Pink Costume Statue Will Cost Over $1,000 appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 8:00 AM
    

psyduck toy kfc

KFC China's dancing Psyduck toy has gone viral on sites such as Weibo, with some even selling for over $100. The Psyduck does a simple dance where it bounces up and down while raising and lowering one arm after the other. Netizens are sharing videos and GIFs of the Psyduck dancing with items such as cards taped to its hands, which may be why the toy is so sought after. [Thanks, ZhugeEX!]

https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/1529024893307715585

The Psyduck toy from KFC is part of its Children's Day promotion. June 1 is International Children's Day in China. Celebrations can include rallies and shows, as well as a reduced fare at parks and museums. Perhaps the Psyduck's dance is to celebrate children all around the world. There is also a Pikachu toy, though it has not received much attention.

Psyduck, as one of the original 151 Pokemon, has had plenty of time to endear itself to people of all ages and nationalities. Junichi Masuda, a producer for Pokemon, says it is his favorite, and he even participated in a Pokemon Go world championship tournament with his Psyduck. The Pokemon often appears in stores. For example, you can buy a Psyduck teapot or a life-sized Psyduck plush.

This is not the first time that a kids' meal toy from a fast-food chain has become an Internet sensation. In 2010, a Sasuke toy that McDonald's released became incredibly popular because it could somehow balance anything on its head. Pictures popped up of Sasuke balancing items ranging from a rice cooker to a gun to a motorcycle.

The Psyduck toy is available at KFC stores in China for a limited time. It is also available overseas through sites such as eBay. However, there is a rather significant markup from its original price.

The post Dancing Psyduck Toy From KFC Becomes Viral Sensation appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:00 AM
    

Square Enix announced that FFXIV Eorzea Cafe locations will open in Kyoto and Nagoya for a limited time, which will include collaboration with capsule hotels. The Eorzea Cafe locations in Kyoto and Nagoya will remain open from June 15 to August 31, 2022. Reservations will begin on June 1, 2022. Each location will feature unique inspired rooms at a designated capsule hotel. The Kyoto FFXIV Eorzea Cafe location will have 6 themed rooms available, whereas the Nagoya location will have 12.

The FFXIV Eorzea Cafe capsule hotel themes at the Kyoto location include:

  • Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood
  • The Garlean Empire

The themes available at the Nagoya location will be:

  • The Crystarium
  • Eulmore
  • Il Mheg
  • Amh Araeng
  • The Rak'tika Greatwood
  • The Tempest

Each room will feature a collage of images to reflect its individual theme. They will include pictures of significant characters, along with the area to create a sense of atmosphere. Additionally, those who stay at one of the capsule hotels during the collaboration period will be given a special keychain.

[gallery columns="2" ids="927869,927868" link="file"]

And, as always, the FFXIV Eorzea Cafe locations in Kyoto and Nagoya will feature themed menus. Square Enix has provided a preview of several menu items. The general theme of the cafe in Nagoya will be based on the Shadowbringers expansion, specifically the Eulmore location. The Kyoto location will see a menu inspired by the Stormblood expansion. Consumers who order from the menu will also be given a special placemat. The design will vary depending on location.

[gallery columns="4" ids="927867,927866,927865,927864" link="file"]

Final Fantasy XIV is available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

The post FFXIV Eorzea Cafe in Kyoto and Nagoya Will Have Capsule Hotels appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:30 AM
    

Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary T-Shirts UNIQLO

UNIQLO has announced that the Final Fantasy 35th anniversary t-shirts will be reprinted and resold in Japan in late June 2022. This is due to the high demand for the shirts and the popularity of the collaboration. The online store will see a complete restock, whereas only select physical locations will have the shirts available again. Additionally, the Final Fantasy playing card sets and anniversary box will not be available, as these items were exclusive to the first run of the collaboration.

All 16 Final Fantasy 35th anniversary t-shirts are going to be reprinted, which will give consumers another opportunity to get their hands on this special collaboration merchandise. Special sizes for the shirts will also be produced and made available through the online store. It is unclear if this reprint will only be available in the Japanese region or if it will extend to North America and Europe as well. More information regarding that could appear in the future.

As mentioned previously, the collaboration features a total of 16 t-shirts. One t-shirt for each mainline Final Fantasy game is available to purchase, including one for Final Fantasy XVI. Each t-shirt features a piece of iconography or notable text from the game. The shirts are immediately available in North America, Europe, and Japan.

The post Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary UNIQLO T-Shirts to be Reprinted in Late June appeared first on Siliconera.


Siliconera Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:00 AM
    

FFXIV 6.11a Patch Notes

Square Enix released patch notes for FFXIV Patch 6.11a, which detail further adjustments to PvP and Job Actions. Additionally, they reveal that players will no longer be automatically logged out of the game after 30 minutes of inactivity. This was originally put in place due to server congestion during the initial release of Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker. Months later, Square Enix has now chosen to remove the timer. However, the most significant information in the FFXIV 6.11a patch notes concerns various adjustments to PvP.

The patch notes detail that changes to various Job Actions have been made based on the win rate and playability of each individual Job Class. Job Classes that will see adjustments through the patch include:

  • Gunbreaker
  • Bard
  • Machinist
  • Dancer
  • Black Mage
  • Summoner
  • Red Mage
  • Astrologian

Black Mage will be the most significantly changed Job Class. Further adjustments to job actions will appear through FFXIV Patch 6.15 once it releases. Additionally, some adjustments have been made to the Crystalline Conflict matching system. Players who are in the Crystal tier are now able to match with players who are Diamond 3 (with 1 Rising Star) or higher. The matching system will be adjusted through future updates.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

The post FFXIV 6.11a Patch Notes Detail PvP Adjustments appeared first on Siliconera.


PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:00 PM
     I the inquisitor gameplay trailerA gameplay trailer has just released for The Dust's upcoming I, the Inquisitor. This is the latest RPG to be based on a Polish dark fantasy series. Unlike The Witcher, this one takes a very different turn with a dark twist on Jesus Christ. I, the Inquisitor was first teased in May 2021, but we haven't heard much about it since then. However, with today's trailer, we've got our first proper look at how I, the Inquisitor plays. Based on the Inquisitor book series by Polish author Jacek Piekara, I, the Inquisitor is set in a world where Jesus ended up on the dark side. In this universe, he is a vengeful figure who does not forgive sinners. The story is set 1500 years after Jesus' crucifixion and presents a world that is much darker and crueler, but perfect for exploration and solving crime.   I, the Inquisitor's gameplay trailer presents a dark world The gameplay trailer for I, the Inquistor shows off the general idea of the title. Players assume t...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:30 PM
     Raven Software Union Featured ImageThe quality assurance team at Raven Software has officially voted to unionize. 22 employees took part in the vote, with 19 voting in favor of unionizing. This union at Raven Software is now the first union at a major games studio in North America. Creating a union was not an easy task for the group. It has taken several months of work with Activision trying to shut down the movement throughout. The Call of Duty publisher had been sending emails to employees encouraging them to vote no. Furthermore, Activision told employees that unionizing would impede game development and affect their chances to receive promotions and benefits.   The push to unionize at Raven Software began last year. After months of promises regarding better compensation, Activision instead laid off a third of its QA team. In protest, the workers staged a strike that lasted a few weeks and led to the initial formation of the union. Another motive for the union was the ongoing cultural issues present at Activisio...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:00 PM
     Hardspace Shipbreaker Review (28)Any type of mundane activity becomes a lot cooler when you do it in space. Shipbreaking is far from mundane, however, so taking it to space just supercharges the concept. I'm pleased to announce that Hardspace: Shipbreaker takes that concept and readily fulfills its premise. In the future, life on Earth is bad. So bad, in fact, that people will sign up to be orbital shipbreakers for the Lynx Corporation. We're talking full company-ruled living and indentured servitude treatment here. A shipbreaker incurs more than a billion space dollars in debt upon signing up. They have to repay the money via work, while also buying Lynx consumables vital for salvaging and survival. You also have to pay Lynx rent on habitat and tools, debt interest, cloning fees after death, and so on. You better hope you're really good at space scrapyard tasks.   Zen and the Art of Mackerel Maintenance Compelling story about workplace exploitation and the power of collective action aside, Hardspace: Shipb...

PC Invasion - FeedDDD Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:11 AM
     The Lord Of The Rings Gollum Release Date September Pc Steam EyeThe first full-fledged game set in Middle-earth in quite some time is at last confirmed for this year. LOTR: Gollum, or The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, has a release date for early September. Gollum, unlike more traditional games set in author J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world, presents a different style of gameplay. It eschews swords and sorcery, favoring a more sneaksy approach. Granted, you could sneak around in the Middle-earth: Shadow games, but it's more of the focus here. Gollum, while not completely weak, can't match up to the larger threats found in The Lord of the Rings. The game hinges on you staying alive by stealthily exploring areas and avoiding most dangers. Gollum uses his acrobatics to climb and grapple up walls, swing across chasms, and, of course, squat down in bushes to keep from being spotted.   We finally know a bit more about LOTR: Gollum, now with its release date for September 1 in the books. Gollum isn't all about slipping through ene...

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:00 PM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:00 AM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:00 AM
    

Tabletop Gaming News Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:00 AM
    

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:00 PM
     The Lands Between is laden with bosses and min-bosses, and it's no cakewalk to defeat them. In a world where beating even frailly and timid boss like Endtree Burial Watchdog requires considerable patience and strategy, you can expect fights with demigods like Godrick the Grafted to be excruciatingly difficult. While you can still beat everyone […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:00 PM
     Mining can be lengthy and time-consuming if not done correctly. This guide will show you how to efficiently mine and make your gaming life more manageable. Ever since Minecraft was first released, it has become a big part of the gaming community—racking up tons of fans worldwide. Beloved by newbies and veterans alike, Mojang has […]

Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:00 AM
     Elden Ring is as diverse as can be, playing host to numerous bosses, enemies, spirits, NPCs, merchants, and so on. You'll encounter these entities around the game world wherever you go. This boss fight in particular against Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree might seem a bit familiar at first glance, and that's because it is. […]

Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:30 PM
    

Conversations had with NBCUniversal reportedly "fell apart within the last month."

The post EA Reportedly Looking for a Buyer with Apple Being a Frontrunner Among Disney and Amazon appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.


Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:00 AM

Level Up Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:54 PM
     It is important to keep in mind what is going on within Activision Blizzard at…

Level Up Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:35 PM
     <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/05/06/take-a-look-at-lord-of-the-rings-gollum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lord of the Rings: Gollum</a> has secured its release date along…

Level Up Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:00 PM
     The newest Magic: The Gathering set is on its way in just a couple of…

Level Up Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:54 AM
     A new <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/opinion/2022/02/21/destiny-2s-recent-season-conclusion-shows-the-good-and-bad-of-living-game" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Destiny 2</a> trailer showcases the galaxy's creepy side with the…

Level Up Tuesday, May 24, 2022 8:24 AM
     Marvel Studios has released a new <em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em> trailer that runs more than…