Adventure Time wrapped up a monumental, cult-classic 10-season run last year on its home turf of Cartoon Network, but the journey is far from over. Today, the upcoming streaming service HBO Max announced that it would be reviving the series for a slate of brand-new, hour-long special episodes under the name Adventure Time: Distant Lands.So, what exactly are the four episodes going to be about? We're so glad you asked. HBO has released not only titles but descriptions for each one. Check them out.BMO follows the lovable little robot from Adventure Time. When there's a deadly space emergency in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, there's only one hero to call, and it's probably not BMO. Except that this time it is!Obsidian features Marceline & Princess Bubblegum as they journey to the imposing, beautiful Glass Kingdom—and deep into their tumultuous past—to prevent an earthshaking catastrophe.Wizard City follows Peppermint Butler, starting over at the beginning, as just another inexperienced Wizard School student. When mysterious events at the campus cast suspicion on Pep, and his checkered past, can he master the mystic arts in time to prove his innocence?Together Again brings Finn and Jake together again, to rediscover their brotherly bond and embark on the most important adventure of their lives According to the press release, Adventure Time: Distant Lands will release in 2020, with BMO and Obsidian leading the charge and Wizard City and Together Again following sometime later. This news comes after last week's announcement that HBO Max would be the exclusive streaming home of Studio Ghibli favorites like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, making the service look like a must-have for fans of animation.HBO Max, the new streaming home for fan-favorites like Friends and The Big Bang Theory, is scheduled for release in spring 2020. Info from Gamespot.com

Tetris 99 has featured a handful of other Switch games for its Maximus Cups, but now the frenetic puzzler will be the star of its own crossover event. Nintendo has announced Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's next Spirit Board event will be based on Tetris 99, and it will introduce a handful of new Tetrimino Spirits to the game.The Spirit Board event kicks off at 11 PM PT on October 24 and runs through October 29. During that time, the following five new Spirits will appear periodically on the Spirit Board, and you'll receive extra gold for defeating them.I-TetriminoL-Tetrimino & J-TetriminoS-Tetrimino & Z-TetriminoT-TetriminoO-TetriminoThe Spirit Board event will overlap with Tetris 99's eighth Maximus Cup, which runs from October 25-28 and features a new theme based on the upcoming Luigi's Mansion 3. Players will be able to unlock the special theme by amassing at least 100 points by the end of the event. Previous Tetris 99 events have featured themes based on Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Super Kirby Clash, and Splatoon 2.As for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the game's latest DLC character, the bear and bird duo Banjo-Kazooie, arrived last month alongside a Mii Fighter costume of Sans from Undertale. The next add-on fighter will be Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury, and he's slated to join the roster sometime in November.One more as-yet unannounced fighter remains in Smash Ultimate's Fighters Pass, but that won't be the end of the game's DLC. During its big September 2019 Direct, Nintendo announced that even more DLC fighters will be added to Smash Bros. Ultimate in the future, although the company hasn't shared any more details beyond that.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft and Taco Bell have teamed up to offer a free 14-day Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial when you purchase from the fast-food company. This means you can play Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds when it arrives in the Xbox Game Pass vault this Friday.Purchasing any $5 Taco Bell box or $5 grande nachos through the app or website will secure you an email with a unique code. In order to receive the 14-day Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer, you will have to follow the link and input your code by November 24. According to Twitter user Wario64, you can get an additional 30 days for no extra charge when you turn on recurring billing, upping the trial from 14 to 44 days.44 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is "free" from Taco Bell when you buy any $5 box online or with app. https://t.co/TQaWPIjJkQTaco Bell will give you a code for 14 days of XGPU. Turn on recurring billing to get an extra month when you redeem the code. pic.twitter.com/ntOazZJKum — Wario64 (@Wario64) October 23, 2019Since the free trial is for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, it's worth noting that you will get access to Xbox Game Pass for PC as well. Further, any existing Xbox Game Pass subscriptions will be upgraded to Game Pass Ultimate.This free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial is part of a larger promotion by Taco Bell in which ordering a Double Chalupa box gives you the chance to win an Xbox One X Eclipse bundle.There are some pieces of fine-print to note. Taco Bell says participants must be a legal US resident of at least 18 years of age, and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer code must be redeemed through Microsoft. Taco Bell also reports that only 500,000 codes are available and only two may be redeemed per household.While Taco Bell's free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate trial doesn't sound long, it's a great way to dive into Obsidian's expansive action-RPG. It may take about 30 hours to finish The Outer Worlds's main campaign, but Xbox Game Pass also offers a bevy of shorter experiences as well, including GoNNER and Minit. The Outer Worlds News and Guides The Outer Worlds Review - The Right Stuff The Outer Worlds Review Roundup The Outer Worlds Has Huge Day One Patch; Unlock Times Confirmed The Outer Worlds Will Be Enhanced On Xbox One X And PS4 Pro The Outer Worlds will launch on October 25 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. If you're curious what critics think of The Outer Worlds, you check out The Outer Worlds's review roundup. Further, you can read our own review, where we awarded the game a 9/10.Info from Gamespot.com

Acclaimed directors Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola recently sparked a cinematic debate with some sharp words for Marvel films and similar big-budget blockbusters. It's already resulted in a variety of responses, and the latest comes from Thor herself.Both of the directors have agreed that the cinematic roller coaster rides like Marvel films are "not cinema," prompting responses from across the film industry. Natalie Portman, star of the upcoming Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder, politely disagreed with a defense of escapism."I think there's room for all types of cinema," Portman told The Hollywood Reporter. "There's not one way to make art. I think that Marvel films are so popular because they're really entertaining and people desire entertainment when they have their special time after work, after dealing with their hardships in real life."Portman herself has a big role in an upcoming Marvel film, so it stands to reason that she sees the value in them. She's previously starred as Jane Foster, Thor's love interest in his first two movies. She's set to take on the hammer herself in Love and Thunder, adapting a comic story in which Foster became the superhero. But she has more traditionally artistic bona fides as well, having won a Best Actress Academy Award for her turn in the 2010 drama Black Swan.Several other creatives have stepped forward to voice their opinions as well, including fellow Marvel actor Samuel L. Jackson, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, and Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld. The tone of the feedback has been respectful of Coppola and Scorsese's contributions to cinema. Most recently, Disney CEO Bob Iger said he feels that the strong words are disrespectful to the people who work on them."It doesn't bother me, except I am bothered on behalf of the people who work on those movies," Iger said. "I don't take it personally. [Scorsese and Coppola] don't see how the audience is reacting to [Marvel movies], first of all. They're entitled to their opinions."Info from Gamespot.com

Google Stadia has set a release date of November 19, but you may not be able to play it right away--even if you ordered a Founder's Edition. Google says that the units will be shipped out on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you ordered yours closer to its sell-out date, you may have to wait as long as December to start streaming.The Verge reports that while Stadia officially launches at 9 AM PT on November 19, the company says not everyone who ordered one will have received theirs. The news was sparked by the announcement that Founder's Editions had sold out, and Google shifted to instead selling a new "Premiere Edition."This led to questioning if Premiere Editions would also arrive in time for the November 19 launch. The answer is no, they won't, since Premiere Editions won't ship by that date, but Google paired that with clarifying that Founder's Editions wouldn't necessarily have shipped either. They are instead set to "start arriving" on November 19, so you'll only get to jump in immediately if you were one of the first to pre-order.That said, the wait won't be too long. Google expects both Founder's and Premiere units to be delivered within two weeks from launch, so the latest yours should arrive would be early December.That's a wrap! Stadia Founder’s Edition has completely sold out. We can’t wait to welcome all of our Founders to play Stadia on November 19.Stadia Premiere Edition is now available for pre-order in all launch countries. Get yours today > https://t.co/FvgaT3vE15 pic.twitter.com/7Zo952wVDv— Stadia (@GoogleStadia) October 22, 2019The Premiere Edition is mostly similar to the Founder's Edition. It costs the same price, $130, but it comes with a white controller instead of the exclusive Founder's blue, and doesn't include the Founder's Badge on your account or the gift Buddy Pass for a friend. Plus by jumping in later you won't necessarily get to grab your unique Stadia username, which Google has promoted as a perk for early adopters. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.This is the second piece of surprising Stadia news recently, after Google revealed that at launch the Stadia controller will only work wirelessly with the Chromecast Ultra. A Chromecast comes with the Founder's and Premiere Editions, but that also means you can't just swap to a phone or tablet with ease.Info from Gamespot.com

At first glance, spending a Wednesday night in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida doesn't sound all that exciting. But if the particular suburb you find yourself in happens to be Winter Park that all changes. It's there that Full Sail University, the home of WWE's NXT brand, is broadcasting its weekly, live two-hour show, which showcases the talent WWE is planning to bank on for the future.It's evident to anyone who watched the weekly NXT shows on the WWE Network, before it moved to USA, that the energy inside the small studio at Full Sail was different. To the couple hundred fans packed into the bleachers lining the walls, NXT is home. It's a brand of wrestling they'd followed since its infancy, turning out week-after-week to cheer on the wrestlers trying to make a name for themselves.And when you're in the room as the cameras start rolling and the crowd chants "NXT" endlessly, it's hard not getting caught up in that excitement. This is a crowd that's not like the typical group of fans you'd see at a Raw or Smackdown taping. These are people who care less about the frills associated with typical WWE programming and more about the athletic contests in the ring. It's that fan, the ones that line up weekly at Full Sail, who have become the driving force in NXT finding its identity."I think part of it is that this was the groundswell of fans saying, 'This is what we wanted,' and we gave it to them. If you are a hardcore fan, Raw and Smackdown are very much pop music," executive vice president of talent, live events, and creative Paul Levesque (Triple H) explained. "And it's built to attract the masses. And in NXT, we want to appeal to a little bit everybody, but we're there for the passionate fan: the fan that is really into this."Now, with NXT's transition to weekly live events on cable, that passionate group of fans is more important than ever as they are the representatives of the brand to a much larger group of viewers. Luckily, it's a task those who wrestle in NXT think the crowd is up for. After all, to NXT's superstars, the group that packs Full Sail every week is as vital to the success of the show as they are."I think that is maybe the most important component of NXT's success. I've had people come to NXT shows who don't watch wrestling, and they'll go there, and they'll go, 'That was so much fun. Those fans are crazy, I want to go do that again,'" NXT Champion Adam Cole told GameSpot. "That relationship, everyone here, is very aware of it and very aware of how important it is."It's that relationship that has made those who perform in NXT, which was initially considered a show that prepared wrestlers to debut on Raw or Smackdown, see a future where they stay put on the brand. "When I went out there and I said I'm NXT for life, I meant that my heart is here in NXT. I love this place," Johnny Gargano said. "I think Full Sail and that crowd are as big a part of the show as I am, as big a part of the show as Adam Cole is, as big a part of the show as Triple H is. I think they are such a special ingredient."Of course, that doesn't mean NXT will always keep its flag planted at Full Sail University. With Raw and Smackdown touring weekly--as well as NXT's Wednesday night competition All Elite Wrestling--it's not hard to imagine a future where NXT takes its show on the road more regularly. Until that day comes, though, Wednesday nights in Winter Park, Florida are going to continue to be very rowdy thanks to the NXT faithful and the superstars wouldn't have it any other way."We literally have the best fans in all of wrestling," Candice LeRae said. "They're so passionate about what we do, and it makes it so much more rewarding for us to go out there and like sacrifice everything."NXT airs Wednesday nights on USA.Info from Gamespot.com

We're fast approaching the dawn of Halloween sales, where spooky games get discounted and streamers try their hardest to look and sound scared right before the dawn of the actual scariest time of the year for us at GameSpot: Black Friday. Sure, we're not quite in the midst of any of that, but that doesn't mean there aren't video game savings to be had. The latest is the PS4's October Savings sale, which discounts a bunch of great games, none of which are spooky.The October Savings sale lasts until Tuesday, October 29, at 8 AM Pacific. The sale features this year's Remnant: From The Ashes, a challenging third-person shooter from Darksiders III developer Gunfire Games. We also have games like Battlefield 5 and Just Cause 4, in addition to smaller gems like Mark of the Ninja Remastered, Dangerous Driving, and Slime Rancher. Destiny 2's Festival Of The Lost Brings Skeleton-Themed Goodies Next Week Fallout 76's New $100-Per-Year Subscription Offers Private Servers Battlefield 5's Next Free Expansion Brings Back Iconic Pacific Maps All Rainbow Six Siege Halloween Skins From Doktor's Curse Event Sony Goes No Russian And Pulls Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare From The PlayStation Store In Russia The Outer Worlds Review - The Right Stuff Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Release Schedule And Preloading Times Borderlands 3's Next Event Starts Today, Rewards Twitch Viewing The Outer Worlds Review Roundup BioShock Creator's Next Game Is An Immersive Sim Remnant: From The Ashes - $32 ($40)Taking a lot of inspiration from Dark Souls, Remnant pits players against hard-as-nails enemies in a third-person shooter format. There is loot, but that's not really the focus. It's all about learning your enemy's movements, getting out of the way, and defeating them before they can defeat you. Just like Dark Souls, there's plenty of dying and satisfaction when you finally triumph over that challenging boss.For more info, check out our Remnant: From the Ashes review.Battlefield 5 - $19.80 ($60)Battlefield 5 brought the series back to World War II with classic multiplayer modes, and over time it's added even more, including a battle royale mode. The next free event, titled War in the Pacific, kicks off on October 31. Over the course of War in the Pacific, players will gain access to brand new weapons, two new factions, and reimaginings of classic maps Iwo Jima and Wake Island.For more info, check out our Battlefield 5 review.Just Cause 4 - $15 ($60)Just Cause 4 is the latest in the bombastic series, harnessing everything the series is known for and creating another exciting adventure as Rico Rodriguez. The satisfying traversal system--backed by the wingsuit, grappling hook, and parachute--returns, in addition to a multitude of tools built for destruction.For more info, check out our Just Cause 4 review.Games:Mark of the Ninja Remastered - $10 ($20)The Surge - $9 ($20)Hitman Go - $1.60 ($8)Jurassic World Evolution - $25 ($50)Elite Dangerous - $11 ($30)Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite - $13.20 ($40)Dangerous Driving - $21 ($30)Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright Trilogy - $19.50 ($30)Flashback - $10 ($25)Moonlighter - $8 ($20)Okami HD - $14 ($20)Slime Rancher - $12 ($20)Onimusha Warlords - $12 ($20) Info from Gamespot.com

The wait for Patty Jenkin's Wonder Woman follow-up, Wonder Woman 1984, has been considerably longer than anticipated, given the movie's delay from a release this year to June of 2020. But the good news is the light at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching. Warner Bros. has announced its plans for a special showcase presentation at Brazil's Comic-Con Experience or CCXP on December 8 where the film's first trailer will be shared.The special presentation will also feature a Q&A, presumably with Wonder Woman 1984's cast like Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, and Chris Pine, as well as other "big surprises," so start revving your theory-building engines now. For those unable to make the trip to São Paulo this December, the event will be livestreamed on Twitter under the @WonderWomanMovie as well as the @TwitterMovies usernames.Wonder Woman 1984 hits theaters on June 5, 2020. Info from Gamespot.com

EA has announced Battlefield V's next free update--and it is a big one. Chapter 5: War in the Pacific adds new maps, US and Japanese factions, more weapons, and additional pickups.The new maps in War in the Pacific are reimagined versions of classic Pacific maps, including Iwo Jima and Pacific Storm, both of which will be available at launch. Then in December, EA will introduce perhaps the most-anticipated map: Wake Island. This is one of the most iconic Battlefield maps ever, and it's exciting to see it finally coming to Battlefield V.As for the new weapons, War in the Pacific is adding the M1 Garand rifle, the bolt-action Type 99 Arisaka for the Recon class, and the Type 100 SMG for the Medica class. The final new weapon is the M1919A6, which is a smaller machine gun for the Support class.These weapons will be available at release on October 31, while others--including the M3 Grease Gun, Nambu Type 2A, Type 97 LMG, and M1918 A2--will be released over time through gameplay rewards. A new gadget, the Lunge Mine--which can destroy tanks--is also headed to Battlefield V with the new War in the Pacific update.War in the Pacific also introduces two new pickups--the katana and the M2 flamethrower. As with all other Battlefield V pickups, these weapons are found on the map.Additionally, there are new vehicles--the M4 Sherman and the Type 97 tanks--coming to Battlefield V with the new update. New amphibious vehicles, the LVT and Ka-Mi Light tanks, are also coming to Battlefield V alongside the speedy MB Jeep and Type 95 car.In the skies, the Battlefield V update adds the F4U Corsair for US troops and the Zero Fighter for Japanese forces. The update also introduces two new Elites--Jack Culver for US forces and Keisuke Nakamura for the Japanese troops. Elites are special characters that can be purchased with real money but do not impact gameplay.For more on the big new War in the Pacific update, go to the Battlefield website. Info from Gamespot.com

The new Breaking Bad movie, El Camino, was ridiculously popular on Netflix. The streaming network announced that more than 25 million households watched the film over its first week following its debut on October 11.Specifically, 25,734,392 homes watched the movie over its first week. Anyone who watches at least 70 percent of a movie (or TV series) is counted as a "viewer" according to Netflix.El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie was watched by 25,734,392 households in its first seven days pic.twitter.com/FDyPlYc8YO — Netflix US (@netflix) October 23, 2019The big first-week numbers for El Camino are no surprise. Nielsen previously reported that the show had a 6.54 million "average minute audience" over its first three days in the US, which indicated that the movie was off to a good start. GameSpot's El Camino review scored the movie an 8/10."If you love Breaking Bad and Jesse Pinkman, El Camino is a beautifully crafted kindness, and a chance to spend another hour or so with a character you care about," reviewer Meg Downey said. "If you don't have strong feelings about either of those things, El Camino may feel like a really spectacularly shot screen saver. Either way, the fact that it exists at all, and that Sony TV and Netflix were willing to put money behind what is so obviously an extremely niche passion project, feels like a good omen for franchise TV."Read next: Breaking Bad Creator Reveals El Camino Alternate Endings, Breaking Bad Creator Reveals El Camino Alternate EndingsInfo from Gamespot.com

Here at GameSpot, we've participated in Extra Life charity streams for several years to help raise money for kids in need at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, and this year is no different. Of the many wild and fun segments we have planned for our 72-hour livestream marathon, we present to you: The Hatsune Miku And Persona Rhythm Game Jukebox Session!We'll be dancing and jamming this Friday, October 25 at 6PM PT / 9PM ET and will go for two hours for this particular segment. I, Michael Higham, will be hosting while playing songs from five different rhythm games: Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future Tone, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X, Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight, Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight, and Persona 4: Dancing All Night (all on PS4).Here's where you come in. If you donate $10 to our Extra Life campaign, you can request a song for me to play from any of those five games. On our donation page, you can leave a note/comment, which we will read off and curate the songs to play. Make sure that the tracklists from these games feature your favorite Miku or Persona song(s), and I'll be happy to play the song(s) and try my best to get a perfect combo on hard difficulties. (Note that DLC songs may not be available and conditions are subject to change.)There are few things I love more than Persona, Miku, and rhythm games, so I'm calling on all fellow Persona and vocaloid fans to join in!Our 72-hour Extra Life live streamapalooza kicks off Friday, October 25 at 12PM PT (noon) / 3PM ET and will not stop until October 28 at noon PT / 3PM ET. Hang out in the chat, and watch several of GameSpot's staff play games and get silly; your donations will also contribute to getting us to do questionable things, which you can check out in our "Extra Life Battle Pass" (yes, we have a "Battle Pass").Please visit our official Extra Life 2019 campaign page. And remember, your generous donations are FOR THE KIDS! We look forward to putting on a show for you all this weekend. Info from Gamespot.com

After years of post-launch content--ranging from the well-received Universe expansion to the occasionally decent DLC character hire--GameSpot is trying something new. In Year 23, we're kicking off Season 2 with a battle pass.GameSpot's first battle pass isn't all that extensive, especially in comparison to the multitude of rewards being offered in Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 1 and Apex Legends Season 3: Meltdown, but there are at least a few good rewards in there. The battle pass will be available for a limited time and launches in conjunction with the website's annual 72-hour Extra Life livestream. The event, and the battle pass, will be accessible on October 25 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST, which is October 26 at 6 AM AEST.First released in May 1996, GameSpot has followed the traditional three-month system for its seasons (so Year 1, Season 1 was that first May through July, for instance). As you can surmise, this creates an immediate problem with this season's battle pass. Year 23, Season 2 will end with October, leaving the Extra Life stream the only time to make any significant headway in the battle pass before it ends. If you want to unlock its rewards, you'll have to tune in during the Extra Life livestream and participate.Even if the GameSpot battle pass doesn't have as many rewards as you may be used to, there are several fun-sounding unlocks to look forward to. For example, there are a few visual cosmetics you can earn for GameSpot staff, such as no beard versions of global head of news Tamoor Hussain and managing editor Peter Brown.Unlike most other battle passes, which offer you vanity items in return for your hard-earned money, the GameSpot battle pass will be dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of others. All money spent on the battle pass will be donated to the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, which has a dedicated and passionate team of doctors, nurses, and other staff devoted to helping kids. By partaking in the battle pass, you will be helping them and the children they care for.As it's connected to the Extra Life 2019 event, completing the battle pass is fairly straightforward. Each reward is tied to a specific monetary milestone in the battle pass, so as players donate to the event, they'll all be working together to unlock the in-website rewards. Certain rewards in the battle pass will be permanent unlocks that can be continuously enjoyed as the website evolves in future updates, but several rewards are specifically tied to Year 23, Season 2.GameSpot has also added loot box microdonations as another donation incentive.TLDR: GameSpot is doing Extra Life again this year and we're using the concept of a battle pass as the framework for our stretch goals. Donate to help the kids! Info from Gamespot.com

During this year's Extra Life, GameSpot is introducing several new post-launch changes, including a battle pass. For more immediate gratification, however, you can donate to the stream this year through a loot box microdonation.Like the battle pass, GameSpot's loot boxes are exclusively tied to this year's Extra Life event, so you'll have to tune in and watch if you want to donate and win one of its prizes. As per tradition, the Extra Life stream will continue for 72 hours. It will go live--alongside the new battle pass and loot boxes--on October 25 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST, which is October 26 at 6 AM AEST.Though the battle pass is where you'll find the most grandiose rewards--such as eating challenges and new legendary cosmetic skins for certain GameSpot staff members--there are numerous other prizes to unlock via a loot box microdonation. Don't worry, they're not predatory at all. Our very own executive fiduciary intern, Michael T. Ransactions, assured the rest of GameSpot staff that our new surprise mechanics are very fair.GameSpot's loot boxes are very straightforward. When tuning into Extra Life, every $30 USD donation will also earn you a loot box--the contents of which are left up to chance. Of course, you can buy as many microdonations as you want. If you want to go ahead and donate $90 USD to unlock three boxes, we won't stop you.So what can you earn in a GameSpot loot box? Plenty. You can nab the new voice pack that changes GameSpot staff members' accents, for example. Or you might win the chance to watch us read, live on stream, through our cringe-inducing Facebook posts from our middle school and high school days. The rest of the possible rewards are outlined below. We don't go into all the specifics (like every possible skin and emote you can unlock) just to keep the list manageable and to make it more fun. To see every reward, you'll have to tune in to Extra Life 2019.GameSpot Year 23, Season 2 Loot Box RewardsNew GameSpot Staff Video Game And Anime Character Cosplay SkinsGameSpot Staff Play "Hand In A Box"New GameSpot Staff EmotesPersonal Video MessageForce A GameSpot Staff Member To Call Someone On Their Contacts ListForce A GameSpot Staff Member To Rewatch The First GameSpot Video They Were Ever InChange A GameSpot Staff Member's Twitter Profile PictureForce A GameSpot Staff Member To Read Their Facebook MemoriesGet Featured On GameSpot's HomepageGameSpot Staff Do A Live Re-Enactment Of Update DayMake A New Instagram Story For One GameSpot Staff MemberGameSpot Staff Play "Hot Ones" With Gaj's Hot SauceThrow A GameSpot Staff Member In The Trash (where we all belong)Force A GameSpot Staff Member To Smash Bread With Their FaceGameSpot Staff Switch AccentsSo if you're feeling lucky (or you just desperately want to see us do one of the painful or embarrassing "rewards" for your amusement), consider donating $30 USD while watching the stream this weekend. Remember, it's for the kids.GameSpot's microdonations are dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of others. All money spent on the loot boxes will be donated to the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, which has a dedicated and passionate team of doctors, nurses, and other staff devoted to helping kids. By partaking in these limited-time microdonations, you will be helping them and the children they care for.TLDR: GameSpot is doing Extra Life again this year and we're using the concept of loot boxes as the framework for donation incentives. Donate to help the kids! Info from Gamespot.com

GameSpot is once again hosting its annual 72-hour Extra Life livestream. For three days, GameSpot's teams will take turns hosting a livestream where staff members play all types of video games and help raise monetary donations for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.Every cent that GameSpot raises will be donated to the San Francisco-based hospital, which has a dedicated and passionate team of doctors, nurses, and other staff devoted to helping kids. By donating, you will be helping them and the children they care for. You'll also be helping GameSpot reach certain stretch goals that unlock a wide variety of rewards--many of which are at our expense and all of which are for your amusement.Below are details on how Extra Life is going to work this year, including the new loot box microdonations and battle pass. There's also an outline for the overall schedule for the event and a list of the approximate times for when certain GameSpot staff members will be on the stream and the segments they'll be doing.Table of Contents [hide]Extra Life 2019 Start TimeWhere To Watch GameSpot's Extra Life LivestreamHow To DonateUncommon And Epic Donation IncentivesLegendary Donation IncentiveDonation Stretch GoalsGameSpot Extra Life 2019 ScheduleFriday, October 25Saturday, October 26Monday, October 27Livestream Segment ExplainersExtra Life 2019 Start TimeThis year, the worldwide Extra Life marathon begins on November 2. And, like always, GameSpot will be hosting its livestream the weekend before--so October 25. As per our tradition, we'll be upping the usual 24-hour long gaming marathon to a 72-hour one.Specifically, GameSpot's Extra Life livestream will begin airing on October 25 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST, which is October 26 at 6 AM AEST. The stream will continue until October 28 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM BST, which is October 27 at 6 AM AEST.Where To Watch GameSpot's Extra Life LivestreamYou can watch this year's GameSpot Extra Life marathon on YouTube, though we'll be streaming through the website as well--just go to our homepage and you'll see the stream in one of the top promo slots. GameSpot's Twitter and Facebook accounts will be promoting links to the stream all weekend too, and they will also alert you to which GameSpot staff members are playing on the stream next.Though it won't be hosting the stream, GameSpot's Instagram account will be capturing behind-the-scene looks all weekend, allowing followers to see what mischief the GameSpot staff members are getting up to once off-camera. We're a strange bunch and we'd love for you to come join us in our tomfoolery.Extra Life Livestream (YouTube)Extra Life Livestream (GameSpot Website)GameSpot TwitterGameSpot FacebookExtra Life Behind-The-Scenes (Instagram)How To DonateTo donate, simply go to GameSpot's Extra Life page. At the top is a big green "Donate" button. Click it, and then fill out how much money you're willing to give. You can donate as many times as you'd like, and the page accepts payments from Credit/Debit cards, PayPal, and Amazon Pay.Unless you would prefer to remain anonymous, please also add your name or preferred online handle to the donation. This makes it easier for us to thank you for the donation and for your help in supporting UCSF Benioff.Also, it will help us know who to blame if you're specifically giving money to unlock one of the many donation incentives that will force GameSpot staff to participate in any manner of embarrassing or painful activities. And speaking of incentives...Uncommon And Epic Donation IncentivesWe've added a new type of incentive to this year's GameSpot Extra Life marathon: microdonations. You can buy a loot box with a $30 USD donation, allowing you to randomly unlock one of several different rewards. These aren't physical items that we'll be sending to you though. The prizes within these loot boxes are commands for GameSpot staff to do something that's dumb and/or embarrassing--like calling someone's mom or forcing two people to switch accents while speaking.For $15 USD, GameSpot staff will spin a wheel on the stream. Like the loot boxes, the wheel offers several different stream rewards for you all to enjoy. The main difference is that the wheel's offerings will likely change with each segment, as the rewards are either tied to the game being played or the people who are playing. The loot box rewards are constant throughout the stream.Legendary Donation IncentiveAs you most likely know, not all loot box rewards are created equal. Our loot boxes are the same, with uncommon and epic prizes making up the bulk of the rewards and one legendary prize that is harder to win--a chance to be featured on GameSpot.If you unlock a loot box and win the legendary prize, this section of this article will be changed into a personalized "thank you" post that our staff puts together to show our appreciation for your support of our articles and videos, as well as your donation to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.However, if someone else happens to win the legendary reward (and let's face it, by sheer probability that's likely over a 72-hour period), this section will be adjusted to show our appreciation for them. So if you do happen to win the legendary reward and you want an everlasting reminder that you were in a GameSpot article, be sure to screenshot this page when you're featured on it.Donation Stretch GoalsBuying microdonations isn't the only way to unlock special prizes though. This year, GameSpot's Extra Life marathon will also have a battle pass, and donating money--regardless of how much--will work towards unlocking the marathon's largest prizes. Unlocking the battle pass is a GameSpot community team effort.Our initial goal is to raise $1,500 USD for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. But we've created 10 stretch goals that are unlocked at different tiers in the battle pass--leading all the way up to $15,000 USD. At $6,000 USD, the GameSpot staff will temporarily stop playing games to take a class to learn how to floss (a very important life skill to have), for example, and at $12,000 USD Peter and Tamoor will shave each others' beards.GameSpot Extra Life 2019 ScheduleUnfortunately, GameSpot's UK office will not be participating in Extra Life this year, but staff members from the San Francisco and Australia offices (as well as contract workers from other locations, like Canada) will be on camera to entertain you with some of their favorite games. As the stream is around the clock, you can tune in anytime throughout the weekend. If you can show up, please stop by and say, "Hi!" Even if you can't donate, we enjoy spending time with you all.This year, we have a jam-packed schedule. After a year of writing articles and producing videos for incredible, but lesser-known games--like the mobile titles that make the platform worthwhile for gaming and the story about a plague that manages to capture what it feels like to be an older sibling--Edmond, Eddie, and Jess from the Australia office are playing through a collection of games that you probably haven't gotten around to yet but should definitely check out. They've left room for more mainstream games too, though, like The Sims 4 and Mortal Kombat 11.The San Francisco office is primarily tackling mainstream titles this time around, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Bloodborne, Rocket League, Destiny 2, and Pokemon Ruby. Be sure to check out at least parts of the larger blocks, like Michael leading a raid in Final Fantasy XIV or Tamoor and Jake having a speedrunning competition through Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. You can find all the times in the schedule below. Keep in mind, all times are listed in PT.Friday, October 2512 PM - 2 PM -- Jack Box Party Pack 6Lucy James, Tamoor Hussain, Michael Higham, and Mat Paget kickstart the stream with the roster of minigames included in the newest Jack Box Party Pack.2 PM - 4 PM -- Metal Gear Solid Challenge RunTamoor Hussain, Jake Dekker, Ben Janca, and Matt Espineli take a nostalgic trip through the original Metal Gear Solid. Viewers can weaponize their donations to make the experience more difficult (and way more fun to watch).4 PM - 6 PM -- Lynel HuntingMax Blumenthal, Peter Brown, Evan Langer, and Rob Handlery participate in a competition to see who can hunt down the most Lynels in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.6 PM - 8 PM -- Monetize MikuMichael Higham and Ben Janca steal away Hime's girlfriend to host a Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Future concert. Viewers can request songs by donating.8 PM - 12 AM -- The FFXIV Raid Block PartyMichael Higham, Ben Janca, Matt Rorie, and Jan Ochoa embark on a 24-player Final Fantasy XIV raid with members of the GameSpot and Giant Bomb community. Afterward, viewers can donate $10 USD to enter into a Glamour Competition for the chance to win 1 million gil.Saturday, October 2612 AM - 3 AM -- Rock(et) BandRob Handlery, Peter Brown, and Jordan Ramée dunk on fools in Rocket League. Viewers can donate to unlock the trio's true power: using musical instrument video game controllers to control their supersonic acrobatic rocket-powered battle-car.3 AM - 5:30 AM -- Destiny 2 Dungeon Speed RunningDestiny 2 veteran David Ahmadi leads novice Jordan Ramée and newbie Evan Langer through some of the loot shooter's dungeons. Viewers can donate to make the experience more difficult for the fireteam.5:30 AM - 8 AM -- Becoming A LegendJordan Ramée, David Ahmadi, and Evan Langer jump into ranked Apex Legends to raise their respective rankings to Gold tier or higher. Viewers can donate to unlock penalties that will make that journey much more difficult.8 AM - 11 AM -- Competitive SekiroJake Dekker and Tamoor Hussain face off in competitive Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, with points allocated for killing enemies and bosses. To ensure fairness, the competition will be overseen by Lucy James, Mat Paget, Peter Brown, and Kallie Plagge.11 AM - 1 PM -- Spooky Dreamcast GamesTake a walk down memory lane with Peter Brown, Mat Paget, and Jean-Luc Seipke as they play through some of the scarier games found on the Sega Dreamcast: Illbleed, Zombie Revenge, and Nightmare Creatures II.1 PM - 3 PM -- Devil May Cry 5 Stylish RunAlessandro Fillari shows off some of the coolest combos in Devil May Cry 5 while Jean-Luc Seipke, Ben Janca, and Matt Espineli cheer him on. Viewers can mess with Alessandro's flow by donating and unlocking in-game debuffs.3 PM - 5 PM -- Battle For The GridSamantha "Persia" Hancock is joined by the combat developers for Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. Viewers are encouraged to boot up the game and challenge us--by donating, they can force the devs to play with certain restrictions.5 PM - 6 PM -- Let It Rip! The Beyblade HourTamoor Hussain, Lucy James, and numerous other members of the team break out the ol' plastic stadiums to oversee the first inaugural GameSpot Beyblade Battle Tournament.6 PM - 9 PM -- Pokemon Ruby Nuzlocke RunThe SF office's resident Pokemon expert Kallie Plagge embarks on a journey through the Hoenn region, with the stipulation that she can only catch the first Pokemon she encounters in each area and must abandon any that faint. Lucy James, Jake Dekker, Ben Janca, and Tamoor Hussain will commentate and viewers can donate to add rules and make the run harder. See how far she can get!9 PM - 10 PM -- Vine TheaterGameSpot meme Slack channel leaders Lucy James, Ben Janca, Tamoor Hussain, Kallie Plagge, and Jean-Luc Seipke showcase some of their favorite Vines and try and get to the bottom of why they love them.10 PM - 12 AM -- The Definitive Smash Bros. Cop RankingJake Dekker, Jean-Luc Seipke, Kallie Plagge, Ben Janca, and Tamoor Hussain discuss how much of a cop each of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's characters is, and then decide on a definitive, completely correct tier list.12 AM - 8 AM -- GameSpot After HoursChastity Vicencio, Ben Janca, Evan Langer, and Alessandro Fillari amp up the stream all through the night with intense multiplayer sessions of Killer Queen Black and Tekken 7, followed by an energizing Just Dance competition and Deadly Premonition spooks.8 AM - 10 AM -- More Rocket LeagueRob Handlery and Peter Brown return to play some more Rocket League. This time, they're joined by Ben Janca.10 AM - 12 PM -- Fortnite Tips From A 10-Year-Old And Ninja's BookRandy Ramsay brings in his kids who will first explain how adults are playing Fortnite incorrectly and then delve into how you can use Ninja's Tips For Influencer Success to become a pro gamer. If there's time, there will be a special follow-up makeup tutorial segment.12 PM - 2 PM -- The Bard's Tale SingalongAs GameSpot's Australia office takes over, Jess McDonell kicks things off with The Bard's Tale. There will be singing too. Donate for a solo or donate for them to stop, totally up to you.2 PM - 5 PM -- Gaming MashupEddie Makuch dives into a trio of games, switching things up every hour. He'll first play the opening hour of Strange Brigade, then show off some of the wacky challenges in What the Golf, and finish his time with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the latest entry in the shooter franchise. Ask him to eat an onion like it's an apple--he'll do it! (If you donate).5 PM - 7 PM -- Sims 4 Speed RunJess McDonell is going to get her Sim famous as fast as possible. Or get them to the top of the career ladder. She hasn't decided--but one thing is for sure: she has a system and a plan. Viewers can influence said plan by donating and helping or hurting her track to Sim stardom.7 PM - 8 PM -- Some Very Dangerous, Life-Threatening KombatEdmond Tran plays an hour of Mortal Kombat 11.8 PM - 9 PM -- Spin RhythmEdmond Tran plays an hour of brand new rhythm action game, Spin Rhythm XD.9 PM - 11 PM -- Taking On The Blair WitchEddie Makuch dives into the creepy world of Blair Witch while Jess McDonell tries to keep the shrieks to a minimum. Every big scare comes with a reward for those who donate so come for the laughs and the spooks!11 PM - 12 AM -- SpyPartyJess McDonell, Eddie Makuch, and Edmond Tran rotate roles in SpyParty, a two-player game where one person must guide characters through a mission at a party filled with NPCs and the other person is a sniper who must figure out who the player-controlled characters are and kill them.Monday, October 2712 AM - 2 AM -- Siege The DayJean-Luc Seipke, Mat Paget, and Evan Langer jump into some Rainbow Six: Siege online multiplayer matches as the stream reverts back to the San Francisco office.2 AM - 4 AM -- Luigi's MansionIn preparation for the release of Luigi's Mansion 3, Jean-Luc Seipke and Evan Langer play the opening hours of the original GameCube game.4 AM - 8 AM -- Jackie Chan StuntmasterKurt Indovina and Evan Langer play through True Fiction-related video games, make balloon animals, shoot confetti, and reveal strange facts about one another's lives. Things get weird at four o'clock in the morning.8 AM - 10 AM -- Baby's First BloodborneRob Handlery has never played Bloodborne, but he hears it's a decent game so he's going to try it out. Bloodborne fanatics Tamoor Hussain, Jake Dekker, Kurt Indovina, and Mat Paget are on standby to make sure he doesn't make any significant blunders.10 AM - 12 PM -- More Call of Duty: Modern WarfareMichael Higham concludes this year's Extra Life with more online multiplayer matches in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Kallie Plagge (who's reviewing the game) and Jake Dekker will be joining him to commentate on his performance or take over if he needs a break.Livestream Segment ExplainersSome of the segments in this year's Extra Life marathon are a bit more complex than the others. Below, you'll find a list of articles that expound on certain Extra Life segments in a bit more detail.Monetize Miku: Hatsune Miku And Persona Rhythm Game Jukebox SegmentThe FFXIV Raid Block Party: Final Fantasy XIV Alliance Raid Party SegmentInfo from Gamespot.com

Former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra has announced his next job--and it's a big one. Ybarra confirmed on Twitter that he will join World of Warcraft and Overwatch studio Blizzard.He will be the company's executive vice president and general manager. He starts at the Irvine, California-based company on November 14, which is after BlizzCon (though he will attend the show). "We will work with all our energy to serve gamers with incredible content and experiences," Ybarra said of his new role. "I can't wait to be part of this team."I'm very happy to announce I'm joining @Blizzard_Ent as Exec. Vice President and GM starting 11/4 (will be at #blizzcon!). We will work with all our energy to serve gamers with incredible content and experiences. I can't wait to be part of this team. #lucky #humble #gamers #serve pic.twitter.com/kZ8dRuF3pe — Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) October 24, 2019Ybarra formerly worked on Microsoft for nearly 20 years. He most recently served as a vice president at Microsoft, a position he held from January 2017 until he left earlier in October.Ybarra joins Blizzard at a tumultuous time for the company. Blizzard recently came under fire for the actions it took against a professional Hearthstone player who expressed support for the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. Although Blizzard reinstated the player's prize money and reduced his ban, that hasn't ended the controversy. A group of lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, wrote a letter to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to express their concern about Activision pursuing financial interests ahead of freedom of speech. Many are calling for Blizzard to address the ongoing controversy at BlizzCon next month, though it remains to be seen if the company will. The company is also expected to announce Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.Info from Gamespot.com