- Esports
Marvel vs. Capcom Tournament With Special Rules Lets Pro Mess With Opponent’s Controls
This weekend’s Battle For The Stones allowed players who had won past Marvel vs.Capcom: Infinite tournaments to activate “infinity gems.” In the case of Justin Wong, this meant the right to change his opponent’s controls before a game. Justin had gained the Reality Stone by beating its bearer one set earlier in the tournament. Pit…
By Eric Van Allen Published December 9, 2017 - Esports
The Weekend In Esports: Capcom Cup
2017 continues to wind down but not before some of the year’s biggest tournaments play out in full. This weekend features the annual culmination of endless Street Fighter tournaments with Capcom Cup 2017 as well as lots of action in the world of competitive Call of Duty and Counter-Strike. Below you’ll find where and when…
By Ethan Gach Published December 9, 2017 - Esports
This Weekend’s Marvel vs. Capcom Trophy Is A Light-Up Infinity Gauntlet
Most trophies take the shape of a cup, goblet, or maybe the side of a mountain. For this weekend’s Battle For The Stones, Capcom has opted for a giant replica of Thanos’ gauntlet, complete with light-up infinity stones. The game (Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, as we are reminded by the commentators’ backdrop) is all about…
By Eric Van Allen Published December 9, 2017 - Esports
Major Call Of Duty Tournament Delayed Twice After Separate Bomb Threats [Updating]
The Call of Duty World League Dallas tournament was put on hold twice this weekend due to two separate bomb threats, one on the opening day of the event and the second on finals day Sunday. Update [12/10, 5:10 p.m. ET]: Sunday, matches were put on hold as officials on-site evacuated the building. According to…
By Eric Van Allen Published December 8, 2017 - Uncategorized
Soon, All That Will Matter In High-Rank Overwatch Matches Is Whether Your Team Wins
Overwatch’s competitive mode has been a source of much wailing, gnashing of teeth, and flogging of one-tricks since its inception, and it’ll probably remain that way until the end of time. On the upside, Blizzard is taking aim at two of its biggest issues. In a new forum post, principal designer Scott Mercer announced that…
By Nathan Grayson Published December 8, 2017 - Uncategorized
Hey, Nintendo Didn’t Delay Any Games This Year
When Nintendo unveiled its lineup of launch-year games for Switch back in January, most people had the same thought: Which of these is gonna get delayed? I mean, delaying games is what Nintendo does. So who could have suspected it would actually release everything this year? Nintendo’s 2017 sounded typically ambitious. Although Switch’s launch day…
By Chris Kohler Published December 8, 2017 -
UncategorizedRiding A Motorcycle In Breath of the Wild Is As Rad As It Sounds
Breath of the Wild’s Champions’ Ballad DLC has an amazing reward for anyone who bests its numerous trials. Prove yourself a champion and you’ll get to ride the Master Cycle Zero. Here’s how it looks in action. I’ve spent all day tackling The Champions’ Ballad and unlocking its secrets. After a ton of shrines and…
By Heather Alexandra Published December 8, 2017 - Culture
PUBG‘s Desert Map Makes The Game Feel New Again
The desert. Unanimously voted “the place nobody really wants to be” every year since the beginning of time, it might seem like an odd spot for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ second-ever map. Despite the oppressive conditions, however, the map is a breath of fresh air. The map, called Miramar, is more than just a reskin of PUBG’s…
By Nathan Grayson Published December 8, 2017 - Culture
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for snow, one of the greatest things that exists. Also, video games. I am making all sorts of Witcher 3 progress again, delightfully. I’m also going to check out Floor Kids on my Switch, as well as the host of super-exciting changes in The Long Dark’s latest patch. So much to do! What…
By Riley MacLeod Published December 8, 2017 -
UncategorizedHawaii State Rep Is Drafting Bill Barring Minors From Buying Games With Loot Boxes
Imagine a 17-year-old gamer tossing a copy of the Teen-rated Star Wars Battlefront 2 onto his local GameStop’s checkout counter, only to be asked: “Sir, may I see your ID?” A Hawaii in which games with microtransactions are illegal for minors to purchase is one that state legislator Chris Lee is now hoping to realize.…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published December 8, 2017 - Uncategorized
The Division’s Free 1.8 Update Is Better Than Its Paid Expansions
After numerous multiplayer-centric patches and expansions, The Division finally got a big improvement for solo players this week. The new update is shockingly large and shockingly good. It seems designed to make every type of Division player happy. Update 1.8 adds two new, enemy-filled zones called West Side Piers to the game’s Manhattan-based map, throws…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 8, 2017 -
UncategorizedThe Live-Action Alita: Battle Angel Trailer Exists And It’s Uncomfortable
The guy who produced Avatar is adapting the classic manga Battle Angel Alita to the big screen, because that’s certainly what we needed, and there’s a new trailer for it. Although Avatar writer James Cameron wrote the screenplay (argh), Robert Rodriguez, who directed Sin City, will be directing Alita: Battle Angel. Cameron has saidthat the…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published December 8, 2017 -
UncategorizedXenoblade Chronicles 2 Is Pretty Darn Different In Japanese
I played a lot Xenoblade Chronicles 2 before its release. I had to wait until after its release to download the Japanese voiceover DLC. Using the in-game cutscene viewer, I rewatched every cutscene I’d seen so far in the game, in Japanese this time. I made a video cataloging some of the little differences I…
By Tim Rogers Published December 8, 2017 - Uncategorized
‘Dungeon Run’ Is The Single-Player Mode Hearthstone Always Needed
Hearthstone’s Kobolds and Catacombs expansion is live, and for perhaps the first time in Hearthstone history, even players who didn’t spend money have a way to enjoy the expansion: a totally free new game mode called “Dungeon Run.” It’s something Hearthstone has needed for a long, long time now. The concept should be familiar to…
By Joshua Calixto Published December 8, 2017 - Uncategorized
I’m In Love With A Final Fantasy Trading Card Game I’ve Never Played
I can’t stop buying Final Fantasy Trading Card Game booster packs. The iconic artwork printed on high-quality card stock—I particularly love how the textured card backs feel on my fingers. And the gameplay, well… I’ve never actually played it. I’m sure it’s nice. It’s Square Enix’s fault. The company sent me a couple of starter…
By Mike Fahey Published December 8, 2017 - Uncategorized
Six Free PS4 Games Worth Playing
You can have a damn good time on the PS4 without spending a dime thanks to a number of free-to-play games populating the PSN store. Some of these free offerings rival what you’d expect out of a full-fledged $60 game, if not surpass them. Here are our picks for the most worthwhile F2P PS4 games.…
By Patricia Hernandez Published December 8, 2017