One of the most talked-about developments in gaming over the past year has been Fortnite developer Epic establishing a new digital store and its pursuit of exclusives--of which there have been many. In addition to paying for exclusives, Epic's store gives creators 88 percent of revenue compared to 30 percent on Steam and others. Publisher Ubisoft no longer releases new titles on Steam because they believe the 70/30 revenue split is "unreasonable."Now, one of the founders of boutique game publisher Devolver Digital (Hotline Miami, Genital Jousting, Fall Guys) has spoken up to defend Steam and call for a "reset" of the wider conversation that can at times paint Steam as the bad guy.Devolver is publishing MediaTonic's wacky battle royale game Fall Guys"I feel like this conversation needs to be reset," Graeme Struthers told GameSpot at PAX Aus. "The conversation never really took place properly in my opinion."Struthers said the launch of Steam more than a decade ago changed the landscape of PC gaming. Steam was an integral part of the success of Devolver and other studios, he said.One part of what made Steam appealing then and continues to now is that developers are paid every month, which is not the case with every store."Every month we were getting paid, and you were being paid accurately," he said. "We've all got our horror stories about doing audits on our publishers and finding huge discrepancies about what was being reported in sales. Here's Steam--every month, accurate, straightforward, and transparent."Regarding the revenue share model, Struthers pointed out that Steam's 30 percent cut was a more generous offering than others at the time. The payment scheme that Steam offered allowed publishers to offer more favorable terms to developers, Struthers said."To come out of a model [before Steam] where we were, as a games publisher, maybe making 25 percent, and that's if you were successful. To be in a 70/30 relationship, it was transformative in every sense," he said. "And that led to realignment with relationships with developers. If there is more money and it's more frequent, you can have better terms with developers.""Steam has invested I don't know how many hundreds of millions of dollars in their platform; Epic have yet to do that." -- StruthersWith the launch of competing game stores--including Epic's--developers have more options, and this competition is good overall for the industry, Struthers said. At the same time, Struthers stressed that comparing Steam to Epic directly is not fair or helpful.Steam has been around for more than a decade; it's a refined platform with important toolsets and features for developers and consumers alike that make for a better overall experience, Struthers said."Competition is going to come along at some point. Epic have taken a view that their way of bringing content to their platform is far more generous revenue share and obviously they've been pushing exclusives--that's great," he explained. "And it's giving developers and publishers a choice. You can't compare the two things however as like for like. Steam has invested I don't know how many hundreds of millions of dollars in their platform; Epic have yet to do that. I'm not saying they won't, and hopefully they will. In terms of the features and in terms of the toolsets for developers, there's a ways to go. But competition is good."Finally, Struthers said all the drama and controversy over Epic paying for exclusives "doesn't really hold up" because exclusivity has been a part of gaming since the beginning."The rise about developers and publishers going to Epic and exclusivity, it doesn't really hold up," he said. "I play games on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, and Devolver--we've done console exclusives with Sony, with Microsoft--I think it's good, but I think we have to respect Steam for what they've done. Without them, none of this would have been a conversation in the first place."In addition to paying developers a larger share of revenue, Epic gives studios money up front to convince them to make games exclusively for Steam. Games like The Division 2, Metro Exodus, and Borderlands 3 are all currently exclusive to the Epic Games Store, though they will also release on other PC stores at a later date. The next big exclusive for Epic is The Outer Worlds from developer Obsidian; it launches on October 25.Info from Gamespot.com

The Shadowkeep expansion and the Season of the Undying are in full effect, which means there are a whole lot of new pieces of gear to hunt down in Destiny 2. there are several other sources for new guns and armor, like the Vex Offensive event and the Garden of Salvation raid. But if you're still working on Deathbringer don't have the team or the time to complete the very complex quest to unlock the raid Exotic, Divinity, Exotic vendor Xur is here to give you another opportunity to get some of the best gear in the game. And good news: his inventory now includes all those Exotics you could only get from random drops in Year Two.Here's where you can find the Agent of the Nine and what he has to offer.Where Is Xur?Drop by the Tower to find Xur hanging out in the Hangar. From the staircase where you enter the area, turn left and head up the stairs to find Xur standing on a catwalk near the edge of the Tower. Destiny 2 Recent News Destiny 2 Divinity Exotic Guide: How To Get New Shadowkeep Raid Trace Rifle Where Is Xur Today? Destiny 2 Exotics Location, Weapon, Armor (October 11-15) Destiny 2 Shadowkeep Raid Guide: How To Beat The Garden Of Salvation Destiny 2 Shadowkeep: How To Power Above 900 And Get Raid Ready What Is Xur Selling?Like last week, there's not much of note in Xur's haul today. Leading the list is The Jade Rabbit, an Exotic scout rifle that's been in the game for quite a while. It's very useful if you're trying to get the Crucible's new Ritual Weapon, however.More useful to most returning players is the fact that Xur's Fated Engram, which gives you one Exotic you don't already have per week, now includes more possibilities. Xur's inventory has been expanded to include all the random Year Two Exotic drops from the Annual Pass, which means Exotic armor from the Season of Opulence is now available from the expensive engram. If you're a PC or Xbox One player taking advantage of cross-save, you can now potentially get Wavesplitter from the Fated Engram as well.Xur also carries the Five of Swords challenge card that lets you add modifiers to standard Nightfall Strikes, and if you're looking to work through Annual Pass content from Year Two, you can also get an Invitation of the Nine bounty from him.Xur Item Lineup (October 11-15)The Jade Rabbit (Exotic Scout Rifle) -- 29 Legendary ShardsMechaneer's Tricksleeves (Exotic Hunter Gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsThe Stag (Exotic Warlock Helmet) -- 23 Legendary ShardsAshen Wake (Exotic Titan Gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsThe Jade RabbitIf you're hunting the new Crucible Ritual Weapon, Randy's Throwing Knife, and need scout rifle kills, you might want to pick up The Jade Rabbit. The scout rifle is great for racking up kills in PvP. It gives you increased damage on your headshots when you chain them together with body shots first, and returns ammo to the magazine when you successfully activate the perk.Mechaneer's TricksleevesIf you're a Hunter who likes sidearms in emergencies, Mechaneer's Tricksleeves are the gloves for you. They increase your handling and reload speed for sidearms generally, and give you increased sidearm damage when you're critically wounded--making them great for those panic moments when you absolutely need to kill whoever's about to kill you.Stats:Mobility: +4Resilience: +6Recovery: +16Discipline: +6Intellect: +6Strength: +10Total: 481 EnergyThe StagAnother handy death-related Exotic, The Stag lets Warlocks help out their teammates even when they fall in battle. The helmet gives you Rift energy when you're critically wounded, which means you can more quickly save yourself if you're using Healing Rift. If you should die, the helmet creates a Healing Rift on your corpse to make it easier for a teammate to revive you.Stats:Mobility: +6Resilience: +6Recovery: +14Discipline: +6Intellect: +10Strength: +6Total: 481 EnergyAshen WakeTitans get their Fusion grenades amped up a bit by Ashen Wake. Instead of lingering on the ground, Fusion grenades you throw while using the Exotic explode on impact. You also get increased throw speed, so you can fastball your grenades into enemies.Stats:Mobility: +6Resilience: +8Recovery: +10Discipline: +12Intellect: +6Strength: +6Total: 481 EnergyInfo from Gamespot.com

Epic continues to hint that some big changes are in store for Fortnite in Season 11. The current season of the hit battle royale game is scheduled to end this Sunday, following an in-game event ominously known as "The End." It appears that event could lead to an entirely new start for the game, if a supposed leak turns out to be accurate.Numerous Fortnite players on Reddit and other forums have discovered an image for "Fortnite: Chapter 2" on the Italian App Store that suggests the game will be rebranded and revamped following the end of this season. While not confirmed, rumors have been swirling that the next season of Fortnite would bring an entirely new map, after dataminers discovered a list of new location names within the game's code.The name of this weekend's big event also seems to suggest that Fortnite as players know it will be changing significantly. Further, a recent tweet by the Fortnite Twitter account teases that "The End is near" and shows the Battle Bus leaving the familiar island, playing into the rumors that a new map is coming. You can see the teaser below.The End is near.48 hours... pic.twitter.com/yjt1zVXWt6 — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) October 11, 2019According to the in-game countdown timers, the End event is scheduled to take place at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on Sunday, October 13. Just what the event will entail is anyone's guess, but it presumably has something to do with the Visitor. The mysterious character first appeared in Season 4 of the game and built a rocket, which caused a rift to form in the sky. The Visitor returned in Season 10 and is building another rocket at Dusty Depot, so the countdown timers may signal when it will launch.Ahead of the event, Epic has rolled out one final set of Season 10 challenges for players to complete. A number of these involve tracking down recordings left behind by the Visitor, further suggesting he'll play an important role in this weekend's event. You can find maps and guides for the Visitor recordings, as well as this season's other challenges, in our complete Fortnite Season 10 challenges roundup.Epic hasn't yet confirmed when Season 11 will officially begin, but new seasons typically kick off shortly after the previous one begins, so it will presumably start sometime next week. Similarly, the developer hasn't shared many concrete details on what players can expect from the new season, but we do know one change that'll happen. As part of its recent matchmaking tweaks, Epic will be adding bots to Fortnite. You can catch up on everything else we know about Fortnite Season 11 so far here. Fortnite News Fortnite: Chapter 2 Seemingly Leaks As Season 11 Teases Big Changes Fortnite Visitor Recordings In Starry Suburbs And Gotham City (Season 10 Out Of Time Challenge) Fortnite: Where To Collect Visitor Recordings In Moisty Palms And Greasy Grove (Season 10 Overtime) Fortnite Season 11: The End Event Date, New Map, And Everything We Know So Far Info from Gamespot.com

One of the founders of Devolver Digital, the boutique publisher behind games like Hotline Miami and Genital Jousting, is eager to see Sony and Microsoft launch their next-generation platforms. Speaking to GameSpot at PAX Australia, Graeme Struthers said he's excited about the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Project Scarlett in 2020 in part because those systems are expected to be attractive to all developers big and small.This wasn't always the case, as Struthers--who has been with the company since he co-founded it in 2009---pointed out that the PS3/Xbox 360 generation wasn't the most inviting for indie developers."It's great," Struthers said of the upcoming release of the PS5 and next Xbox. "The previous generation, the one we're coming to the end of, was the one for companies like ourselves--we were allowed in. Previously it was pretty hard to be on PS3 and Xbox 360. For next-gen, we're in at the start. given the same opportunities as anybody else, which is great."While Struthers is indeed excited about the potential for the PS5 and next Xbox to grow the gaming category overall, the executive observed that the new consoles seem to be more iterative in nature instead of dramatically different or improved versions of their predecessors."I think it is ever harder to tell the differences [between new consoles] but it's also cool that they're both coming in with a new generation [of consoles] because it means they are going to invest more money in this space, which will create more users," he said. "It's good for everyone. And to have Nintendo in such good, vibrant health as well, you've got three console platforms and Apple Arcade to mull over and Steam and Epic."Devolver releases some of its games on consoles, but the company has always been and continues to be a PC-first and PC-focused publisher.Struthers isn't the first gaming industry executive to speak in this way about the next generation of consoles. Atsushi Inaba, the head of Bayonetta developer Platinum Games, said in an earlier interview that the PS5 and Project Scarlett are "more of the same."Sony just recently officially confirmed that its new console will be called the PlayStation 5. The company also began to discuss its plans for a next-generation controller.Microsoft, on the other hand, hasn't shared much about its new Xbox. The console continues to be known only as Project Scarlett. What we do know, however, is that it will work with any Xbox One and Xbox One controllers you may already own, while the backwards compatibility support also extends to Xbox 360 and Original Xbox games. Microsoft will release Halo Infinite as a launch title for the new console.One of Devolver's biggest upcoming releases is the wacky, weird, and wonderful-looking sorta-battle royale game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout for PC and PS4 that's due to launch in 2020.GameSpot's conversation with Struthers spanned numerous other topics, including secrecy in the video game industry, why subscription plans like Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and others might hurt independent games, censorship in Australia, the origins of Devolver's absurd E3 press conferences, and more. GameSpot will publish more from the interview in the time ahead, so keep checking back for more.For more on the next generation of consoles, check out the stories linked below:PS5 Vs. Xbox Scarlett Comparison: How The Next-Gen Consoles Are DifferentAll The Games We Think Are Coming To PS5 And Xbox ScarlettNext-Gen Xbox Scarlett Won't Just Have Prettier Graphics Info from Gamespot.com

For the fourth episode of True Fiction, we're delving into the creation of one of the most beloved fantasy universes of all time: Middle-earth. For many, reading the Hobbit or watching Lord of the Rings was their first entry into a fantasy world of Elves and Orcs, Dwarves and Ents, but not everyone knows the origins of it all are in a tragic real-world event.J. R. R. Tolkien hasn't overtly confirmed that Lord of the Rings is an allegory for the first world war, but the parallels are obvious. Not to mention, Tolkien's own personal experiences very obviously have manifested in different ways within Middle-earth. We dig into all of this, and more, in the episode which you can watch below.You can check out True Fiction on the GameSpot Universe YouTube channel, where new episodes will be released every Sunday. In previous episodes we explored the real-life inspirations between Twin Peaks, Godzilla, and Nightmare on Elm Street. Info from Gamespot.com

It appears PS4's PSN service is currently experiencing some issues. Players across social media are reporting they aren't able to access certain games and online features on PS4.It's currently unclear how widespread these issues are. GameSpot unsuccessfully tried to join a party on PS4, and many players on Twitter are reporting similar issues. However, we were able to log into both Apex Legends and Borderlands 3, so these issues don't appear to be affecting all titles. Sony's PSN status page claims "all services are up and running." [Update: GameSpot has verified that PS4's party feature is once again working. We'll update this story with any further developments.]The issues coincide with Fortnite's big "The End" event, which saw a black hole swallow up everything in the game. Since the event, players have not been able to join any new games of Fortnite, but they are still able to log in and watch the mysterious black hole, although those on PS4 appear to be having a much harder time logging in due to these issues.Developing...Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite Season 10 concluded with a big in-game event that looks to be ushering in significant changes for the wildly popular battle royale title. Developer Epic Games has been teasing that "The End" was coming over the last few weeks, and we finally know exactly what that means.As expected, once the countdown clocks struck zero, the new rocket the mysterious Visitor had built at Dusty Depot launched, creating a new rift in the sky. This set off a chain reaction. The other rifts around the island began pulsating, and multiple rockets emerged from them and zipped around the sky until they all converged and smashed into the "zero point" beneath the giant meteor, sucking the meteor into the rift.After a moment of stillness, another rift opened up in the sky, and one final rocket emerged and honed in on the zero point, setting off a massive shockwave that knocked players into the sky. The rocket was followed by the meteor, which also smashed into the zero point, creating a cyclone of energy that sucked players, the Battle Bus, and everything else in, leaving nothing but a black hole.It appears that series of events really did mark the end of the game--at least for now. Players who remain in the event playlist can do nothing but watch the black hole, and those who exit the game and try to log into a new match are unable to. Epic hasn't formally said anything about what transpired, but following the event, the official Fortnite Twitter account also updated its banner to a picture of the black hole. If you missed the event, you can watch a replay of it above.It remains to be seen what this all means for the future of Fortnite, but rumors about the new season and upcoming changes to the game were plentiful online and in the various gaming communities. Before Epic had even hinted at what was to come, there were reports of new locations and gameplay changes. One leak indicated that a new Fortnite map was indeed on the way. Fans also recently spotted an apparent leaked image for "Fortnite: Chapter 2" on the Italian App Store, suggesting the game will be rebranded following the end of Season 10.Ahead of the big Season 11 event, Epic issued the last set of Season 10 challenges, many of which paved the way for the new season. These involved finding recordings left behind by the mysterious Visitor. You can see the guides for the Visitor recordings and the other challenges from the season in our complete Fortnite Season 10 challenges roundup.Epic still hasn't announced when Season 11 of the game will officially begin, but we do know one thing the new season will bring: bots. As part of its recent matchmaking changes, Epic says it will introduce AI-controlled opponents to Fortnite beginning next season to help players hone their skills. You can catch up on everything else we know about Fortnite Season 11 so far in our roundup. Fortnite News Fortnite: Chapter 2 Seemingly Leaks As Season 11 Teases Big Changes Fortnite Visitor Recordings In Starry Suburbs And Gotham City (Season 10 Out Of Time Challenge) Fortnite: Where To Collect Visitor Recordings In Moisty Palms And Greasy Grove (Season 10 Overtime) Fortnite Season 11: The End Event Date, New Map, And Everything We Know So Far Info from Gamespot.com

Stop me if you've heard this before, but this episode of New Releases has a bunch of exciting games for Nintendo Switch owners. The portable console is getting ports of Overwatch and The Witcher 3, plus some new experiences. The workout-focused Ring Fit Adventure and the cutesy RPG Little Town Hero both launch this week too. Meanwhile, PS4, Xbox One, and PC gamers can get their hands on Plants vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville.Overwatch: Legendary Edition -- October 15Available on: SwitchThis edition of Blizzard's hero shooter includes the main game and 15 bonus skins. Since new heroes are added to the game for free, you can jump right in and choose from 31 different tank, damage, and support characters. The Legendary Edition also includes three months of Nintendo Switch Online multiplayer for those who've yet to sign up for the service.More Coverage:Overwatch On Switch Is A Great Way To Revisit Blizzard's Online ShooterOverwatch Review The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition -- October 15Available on: SwitchThis version of The Witcher 3 includes Geralt's 2015 adventure plus all previously released DLC and two full expansions: Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine. Altogether, that's potentially hundreds of hours of RPG questing and monster-slaying to dig into. Not bad for a port that came together in just 12 months.More Coverage:The Witcher 3 On Switch Is Available For Pre-Order Now--Here's Everything IncludedThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Review Little Town Hero -- October 16Available on: SwitchLittle Town Hero comes from Game Freak, best known for the Pokemon series. This RPG is set in a single town that the citizens never leave...until monsters start showing up. Little Town Hero's combat doesn't rely on grinding--it's all about strategizing at whatever power level you've currently reached. Also the soundtrack is composed by Undertale creator Toby Fox, so that's pretty rad.More Coverage:Pokemon Dev's Original Switch RPG Gets New TrailerNintendo Direct: Pokemon Dev's Switch RPG Gets Release DateRing Fit Adventure -- October 18Available on: SwitchRing Fit Adventure is a follow-up to Wii Fit, but with more ways to actually get you up and moving. Ring Fit includes an adventure mode, custom workout playlists, and minigames, all of which are played using the new Ring-Con peripheral and leg strap. Prepare for some serious sweat.More Coverage:Nintendo Switch's Ring Fit Adventure Feels Like Wii Fit With Stronger Gameplay HooksNintendo Switch's Ring Fit Is A Serious WorkoutPlants vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville -- October 18Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PCBattle for Neighborville is the latest in the Plants vs Zombies shooter series, once again pitting the fighting flora against the living dead. This entry includes three new classes for both the plants and zombies, plus a new team-up option that lets two troopers combine into a stronger unit. You can hop into competitive multiplayer modes or explore Neighborville itself in co-op.More Coverage:New Plants Vs. Zombies Game Available Now, Sort OfPlants vs Zombies: Founder's Edition | GameSpot LiveOctober has more remasters to come, including MediEvil next week. The next episode of New Releases will take a look at that re-release, plus some hotly anticipated new titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and The Outer Worlds.Info from Gamespot.com

Blizzard recently found itself embroiled in controversy when it banned a professional Hearthstone player and rescinded his thousands of dollars in prize money after they expressed support for the Hong Kong protests in China.The player, blitzchung, made his statement during a victory interview--and this was in violation of "rules he acknowledged and understood, and this is why we took action," Blizzard's president J. Allen Brack said in a statement.Brack went on to say its decision was not driven by its relationship with its partners in China. "The specific views expressed by blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision," Brack said.The executive went on to say that Blizzard enforces rules about what can and cannot be said during player interviews to "keep the focus on the game and on the tournament." For this reason--and this reason alone--Blizzard decided to take action against blitzchung."If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same," Brack said.While Blizzard is standing by its decision to punish, Brack acknowledged that the company made some mistakes in how it handled the situation and specifically how it determined the penalties against blitzchung. "We've had a chance to pause, to listen to our community, and to reflect on what we could have done better. In hindsight, our process wasn't adequate, and we reacted too quickly," Blizzard said."We want to ensure that we maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all our players, and that our rules and processes are clear. All of this is in service of another important Blizzard value--Play Nice; Play Fair."Brack said that blitzchung competed in the Hearthstone tournament in a fair manner, and as such, he still should have been paid the prize money he earned. "We now believe he should receive his prizing," Brack said.However, Brack said "playing fair" encompasses conduct during match play and after, which would include his Hong Kong comments from the post-match interview.In terms of his suspension, Brack said a six-month ban is "more appropriate" than the one-year suspension that was announced earlier. "There is a consequence for taking the conversation away from the purpose of the event and disrupting or derailing the broadcast," Brack said.The shoutcasters were also caught up in the controversy, and Blizzard is banning them as well for steering the conversation away from the game. "With regard to the casters, remember their purpose is to keep the event focused on the tournament. That didn't happen here, and we are setting their suspension to six months as well," Brack said."One of our goals at Blizzard is to make sure that every player, everywhere in the world, regardless of political views, religious beliefs, race, gender, or any other consideration always feels safe and welcome both competing in and playing our games."Responding to Blizzard's statement, blitzchung said in his own statement that he is grateful for Blizzard for reducing his ban. He added that, at the time he deviated from the script and spoke about the Hong Kong protests, he knew he "might have penalty or consequence for my act." Going forward, blitzchung said, "I will be more careful on that and express my opinions or show my support to Hong Kong on my personal platforms."Regarding the reinstatement of his prize money, blitzchung said he spoke with Blizzard on the phone and he accepts their decision. Regarding the reduction in time of his suspension from one year to six months, blitzchung said he appreciates Blizzard reconsidering, but maintains that six months is still too long."To be honest, I think six months is still quite a lot to me," he said.And on the subject of the penalties that some Hearthstone shoutcasters received, blitzchung said, "I wish Blizzard can reconsider about their penalty on the two casters involved."While blitzchung will be able to compete again in professional Hearthstone tournaments, he's not sure if he will. "Honestly, I have no idea on that yet. Since my next tournament is very likely to be the grandmaster tournament of next season, it's probably at least a few months from now on," he said. "I will take this time to relax myself to decide if I am staying in competitive Hearthstone scene or not.""Hearthstone changed my the way I live, I really love this community. Blessing to all the players out there, and blessing to Blizzard."Blitzchung's statement can be read in full below.After Blizzard announced its action against blitzchung, whose real name is Ng Wai Chung, the response was fierce, with gamers calling for boycotts and some deleting their accounts. US Senators criticized the move as censorship, some Blizzard employees staged their own protest, and host personalities like Brian Kibler announced they would no longer shoutcast Hearthstone events. Most recently Hearthstone's first ever World Champion, James Kostesich aka "Firebat," called the penalty ridiculous and unreasonable.Blizzard's big fan convention, BlizzCon, is scheduled to November. A group of gamers are organizing a protest over the Hong Kong situation at the event.Full Blizzard Statement:"Hello Blizzard Community . . .I want to take a few minutes to talk to all of you about the Hearthstone Grandmasters tournament this past weekend. On Monday, we made the decision to take action against a player named blitzchung and two shoutcasters after the player shared his views on what’s happening in Hong Kong on our official broadcast channel.At Blizzard, our vision is “to bring the world together through epic entertainment.” And we have core values that apply here: Think Globally; Lead Responsibly; and importantly, Every Voice Matters, encouraging everybody to share their point of view. The actions that we took over the weekend are causing people to question if we are still committed to these values. We absolutely are and I will explain.Our esports programs are an expression of our vision and our values. Esports exist to create opportunities for players from around the world, from different cultures, and from different backgrounds, to come together to compete and share their passion for gaming. It is extremely important to us to protect these channels and the purpose they serve: to bring the world together through epic entertainment, celebrate our players, and build diverse and inclusive communities.As to how those values apply in this case:First, our official esports tournament broadcast was used as a platform for a winner of this event to share his views with the world.We interview competitors who are at the top of their craft to share how they feel. We want to experience that moment with them. Hearing their excitement is a powerful way to bring us together.Over the weekend, blitzchung used his segment to make a statement about the situation in Hong Kong—in violation of rules he acknowledged and understood, and this is why we took action.Every Voice Matters, and we strongly encourage everyone in our community to share their viewpoints in the many places available to express themselves. However, the official broadcast needs to be about the tournament and to be a place where all are welcome. In support of that, we want to keep the official channels focused on the game.Second, what is the role of shoutcasters for these broadcasts?We hire shoutcasters to amplify the excitement of the game. They elevate the watchability and help the esports viewing experience stay focused on the tournament and our amazing players.Third, were our actions based on the content of the message?Part of Thinking Globally, Leading Responsibly, and Every Voice Matters is recognizing that we have players and fans in almost every country in the world. Our goal is to help players connect in areas of commonality, like their passion for our games, and create a sense of shared community.The specific views expressed by blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision.We have these rules to keep the focus on the game and on the tournament to the benefit of a global audience, and that was the only consideration in the actions we took.If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same.OK, what could Blizzard have done better, and where do we go from here?Over the past few days, many players, casters, esports fans, and employees have expressed concerns about how we determined the penalties. We’ve had a chance to pause, to listen to our community, and to reflect on what we could have done better. In hindsight, our process wasn’t adequate, and we reacted too quickly.We want to ensure that we maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all our players, and that our rules and processes are clear. All of this is in service of another important Blizzard value—Play Nice; Play Fair.In the tournament itself blitzchung *played* fair. We now believe he should receive his prizing. We understand that for some this is not about the prize, and perhaps for others it is disrespectful to even discuss it. That is not our intention.But playing fair also includes appropriate pre-and post-match conduct, especially when a player accepts recognition for winning in a broadcast. When we think about the suspension, six months for blitzchung is more appropriate, after which time he can compete in the Hearthstone pro circuit again if he so chooses. There is a consequence for taking the conversation away from the purpose of the event and disrupting or derailing the broadcast.With regard to the casters, remember their purpose is to keep the event focused on the tournament. That didn’t happen here, and we are setting their suspension to six months as well.Moving forward, we will continue to apply tournament rules to ensure our official broadcasts remain focused on the game and are not a platform for divisive social or political views.One of our goals at Blizzard is to make sure that every player, everywhere in the world, regardless of political views, religious beliefs, race, gender, or any other consideration always feels safe and welcome both competing in and playing our games.At Blizzard, we are always listening and finding ways to improve—it is part of our culture. Thank you for your patience with us as we continue to learn.Sincerely,J. Allen BrackPresident of Blizzard Entertainment"Blitzchung Statement"Thank you for your attention in the past one week, this is a personal statement and my view on Blizzard's latest decision. First of all, I'm grateful for Blizzard reconsidering their position about my ban. Earlier this week, I told media that I knew I might have penalty or consequence for my act, because I understand that my act could take the conversation away from the purpose of the event. In the future, I will be more careful on that and express my opinions or show my support to Hong Kong on my personal platforms.Many people has been asking me if I accept the latest decision of Blizzard, I will discuss that on two parts. Tournament prizing and suspension. For tournament prizing, I quoted what Blizzard said on the official website, they mention that I played fair in the tournament and they believe I should receive my prizing. This is the part I really appreciate, Blizzard also said they understand for some this is not about the prize, but perhaps for others it is disrespectful to even discuss it. People from Blizzard had explained this to me through a phone call and I really appreciate that and I accept their decision on this part.For second part about the suspension, Blizzard had changed their suspension on me from a year to six months. Once again, I appreciate for their reconsideration on this. To be honest, I think six months is still quite a lot to me. But I also being told that I can continue to compete in the hearthstone pro circuit which they mean the grandmaster tournament. I appreciate for this decision they made because grandmaster is currently the highest level tournament in competitive hearthstone. However, I wish Blizzard can reconsider about their penalty on the two casters involved.Lastly, many people wants to know if i would be competing in hearthstone in the future. Honestly, I have no idea on that yet. Since my next tournament is very likely to be the grandmaster tournament of next season, it's probably at least a few months from now on. I will take this time to relax myself to decide if I am staying in competitive hearthstone scene or not.Hearthstone changed my the way I live, I really love this community. Blessing to all the players out there, and blessing to Blizzard."Info from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is one of 2020's most-anticipated games, and it came to PAX Australia this week in a big way for its first public showing in the country. On PAX Aus Day 1, CD Projekt Red filled the Melbourne Convention Centre's biggest theatre with excited fans who got the special treat of seeing nearly an hour's worth of gameplay footage that showed off more of Night City and a number of new abilities. Also in Melbourne for PAX was CD Projekt Red's John Mamais, the head of the company's Krakow office. The studio is creating about one-third of the content for Cyberpunk 2077, while it also developed the game's new cutscene technology and other aspects of the title. GameSpot spoke with Mamais--who has been with CDPR since 2011 when he was a producer on The Witcher 2--and he told us more about local issues like potential censorship from Australia's Classification Board, mutiplayer support for Cyberpunk 2077, and the possibility of a Nintendo Switch port.In terms of potential censorship of Cyberpunk 2077 in Australia, Mamais said he does not think the game will have any issues clearing the local Classification board like other titles, including South Park: The Stick of Truth, have in the past."I was [concerned about censorship] because I know Australia has issues with drugs and the other thing is sexualised violence--those are the two things that can kill your product [in Australia]," Mamais said. "But I've been looking into it [over] the last couple of days. It seems like we're safe. You don't get rewarded for [using] drugs as far as I know in the game. The player doesn't do any kind of sexualised violence at all where it's really tasteless; we wouldn't do anything like that."On the subject of multiplayer in Cyberpunk 2077, Mamais teased that CD Projekt Red as a company is now finally expanding enough to be able to work on multiple AAA games simultaneously. One of these could be a multiplayer-focused Cyberpunk game, though it could also be a Witcher title, a new IP, a licensed game, or something else entirely."It's public knowledge that we want to make multiple AAA titles at the same time in the company. We haven't been able to but now we're growing to a certain extent and we might be able to do that in the future; at least we hope so," he said. "We'll see how well Cyberpunk does. It's not for me to say what they'll be. I can tell you what I hope they'll be. I like Cyberpunk, I'd like to keep making Cyberpunk games. I also like The Witcher, I'd like to keep making Witcher-type games. It could be anything. Some new IP or some licensed IP. Who knows? It's not decided yet.Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch in April 2020, which is a few months before the PlayStation 5 (which is now officially confirmed!) and the next-generation Xbox are expected to release in Holiday 2020. Mamais didn't confirm if Cyberpunk 2077 will be upgraded or improved for these consoles, but he said more powerful systems will afford CD Projekt Red a number of new and exciting opportunities."It's going to be awesome," Mamais said of the coming next-gen consoles. "It's always cool to have new consoles coming out and I can't wait to work on those things. We'll see what we can do with those. It's fun watching games evolve; they're looking more and more realistic, which is--I like working on games like that. The more powerful the technology, or the consoles, the more it is [good] for me as a game developer."You can check out the biggest talking points from our interview with Mamais about Cyberpunk 2077 below. The game is slated for release across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in April 2020.PAX Aus runs October 11-13 in Melbourne, and GameSpot is on hand at the show all weekend to bring you news and further coverage. For more, check out a rundown of all the panels in the GameSpot Theatre.Read Next: Cyberpunk 2077: Gameplay, Multiplayer, Release Date, And Everything We Know So Far On Potential Australia CensorshipI was [concerned] because I know Australia has issues with drugs and the other thing is sexualised violence--those are the two things that can kill your product. But I've been looking into it [over] the last couple of days. It seems like we're safe. You don't get rewarded for [using] drugs as far as I know in the game. The player doesn't do any kind of sexualised violence at all where it's really tasteless; we wouldn't do anything like that.On Multiplayer In Cyberpunk 2077It's public knowledge that we want to make multiple AAA titles at the same time in the company. We haven't been able to but now we're growing to a certain extent and we might be able to do that in the future; at least we hope so.We'll see how well Cyberpunk does. It's not for me to say what they'll be. I can tell you what I hope they'll be. I like Cyberpunk, I'd like to keep making Cyberpunk games. I also like The Witcher, I'd like to keep making Witcher-type games. It could be anything. Some new IP or some licensed IP. Who knows? It's not decided yet."I think it's a bad idea to do microtransactions after you release a game. It seems like it's very profitable, though." -- MamaisOn MicrotransactionsI think it's a bad idea to do microtransactions after you release a game. It seems like it's very profitable, though. It's probably a hard decision for the guy that runs the business to decide if we should do it or not. But if everyone hates it, why would we do something like that and lose the goodwill of our customers?On Post-Release Plans For Cyberpunk 2077[The Witcher 3's free DLC with big paid expansions] was a good model for us; it worked pretty well for The Witcher 3. I don't see why we wouldn't try to replicate that model with Cyberpunk 2077. We're not talking about that yet, but it seems like that would be the smart way to go.On Confidence In Hitting April 2020 Release DateA lot of people do [feel good about the April 2020 date and] some people are scared about the date. It's a normal kind of mixture of feeling about that date in the studio. That's the directive; we need to keep that date.On The Vibe At CD Projekt Red Right NowEveryone is working really hard right now because it's a tight deadline for us; the game is really big and large-scope. We're pushing it to the wall. I guess the vibe in the office is there's always a level of excitement there based on results that we get from going to conferences like this [PAX Aus] and seeing people really excited about the game. So that keeps the hype up but it also puts some pressure on, so that's kind of the vibe. You're in a vice, in a way, which takes its toll on the team but there is ... a healthy, extrinsic kind of pressure to make [the team] really excel."Everyone is working really hard right now because it's a tight deadline for us; the game is really big and large-scope. We're pushing it to the wall." -- Mamais On CDPR Krakow's Specific Contributions To Cyberpunk 2077In terms of content, maybe it's about a third of the game [developed by CDPR Krakow]. We're doing some specific things. For Cyberpunk, for the narrative part, for the cinematic part, there is something new called a Scene System. It's like our dialogue and cinematic system that occurs within the context of the gameplay of the game. It's really important because one of the pillars of the development of the project is the idea of full immersion and this new Scene System is all about full immersion. You don't break into a letterbox formula and see this cutscene taking place, you're actually in the cutscene and you can control the character or the camera, there are different levels of control depending on the cutscene. It's fully immersive; it doesn't take you out of the experience at all. So we're doing that and also other things too.On The Power Of New ConsolesIt's going to be awesome. It's always cool to have new consoles coming out and I can't wait to work on those things. We'll see what we can do with those. It's fun watching games evolve; they're looking more and more realistic, which is--I like working on games like that. The more powerful the technology, or the consoles, the more it is [good] for me as a game developer.On What He's Personally Learned From Working On Cyberpunk 2077Something that we need to do better, from my perspective, is finish story sooner. Story is so important to the process for the games we make. We iterate on it quite a long time. Since everything else revolves around the narrative, the sooner it's brushed up the better it is for the development of a game. It's a catch-22, you don't know [how good the story is] until you get it in the game and start playing quests and see how it feels. If something doesn't feel right, you have to change it again. So it's kind of a tug of war. The more you can get done up front, conceptually, and locked in, the better off you are. On Feature CreepIt's very controversial in a way, for game development in general, feature creep--how do you control it. Sometimes you can control it and sometimes you can't. It depends on if a director thinks we should do something or whomever thinks we should do something and it doesn't fit the schedule, it's like, if it's good enough you have to make it fit the schedule by pushing something else out or you have to confront the idea and say, 'Okay we're not going to do that, we can't afford to do it.' Unfortunately, it's not so black and white. Sometimes you have to do everything, and it requires more work.On A Possible Switch Port Of Cyberpunk 2077Who would have thought a game like The Witcher 3 would be possible on Switch, so who knows? I guess we'll see, if we `decide to put it on the Switch, if we can do it. Probably not.On If There Will There Be Multiplayer Support For Cyberpunk 2077 At LaunchNoOn The Netflix Witcher TV ShowWe're friends with those guys--it's Platige, the guys who worked on a lot of cinematics for us in the past. We're not involved with that series at all in any way as far as I know. Maybe some kind of personal connections in the studios, but not in any official capacity.On The Reaction To Keanu Reeves In The GameI think the deal is kind of locked down. We defined what his role was going to be and we're sticking to that. But the reception has been huge. I didn't expect it to be so huge. [The marketing team] are probably sitting around now thinking about what else can we do with Keanu because it was so well received.On The Story Of Cyberpunk 2077On the surface it's a pretty simple story. I hope I'm not saying too much because the story is implied in the marketing material at PAX--it's about this immortality chip that it's like a quest of yours to find this technology. The whole story revolves around this tech, and I can't give anything else away about this idea."It's really important for the studio. We don't want to fail at this. I don't think that would be very healthy for the studio." -- Mamais On The Stakes For Cyberpunk 2077It's really important for the studio. We don't want to fail at this. I don't think that would be very healthy for the studio. The studio is comprised of other kinds of companies as well but the majority of our people are working on Cyberpunk. There are a lot of internal financial expectations for it to do well.Why He Loves Making GamesThe stuff we're working on is really cool. Technology is really interesting, to be part of the way things are evolving technically. As hardware grows, so does the software and the tech around it. To see this stuff come to life and to be part of that process is really interesting. It kind of becomes your life. You sign up for that when you get into this because, and I don't mean to sound too arrogant, but it's kind of like a higher art form in a way. So it's cool to part of that process.You sacrifice some things to do that and be part of that. There are a lot of people who come into the industry that are fresh; they don't really understand what it takes to do it. So we get a lot of new guys coming in, and they go, 'Oh god, this is like too much.' But then we have other guys come in from Rockstar Games, and they're like, 'This is not even crunch!' We're doing the best we can to keep the work under control. But sometimes when you're doing some big-ass game like this, it's not always possible to do that. It takes really hard work to make it really awesome.Info from Gamespot.com

The Elder Scrolls Online launched on PC in 2014, but the release wasn't as smooth or as successful as developer ZeniMax Online Studios might have wanted. Just a year after release, ZeniMax announced that the game would drop its mandatory subscription requirement and launch a console version to help turn things around.It worked. The game is in a much better place today, with a reported 13.5 million people signing up to play the game to date. Creative director Rich Lambert, who has worked on the game for 12 years, said in an appearance in the GameSpot Theatre today at PAX Aus that ZeniMax is planning to continue supporting ESO for a long time.Speaking during a panel regarding the games-as-a-service model, Lambert said change is "core" to the experience of a games-as-a-service title. "With single-player games, you release a game and essentially you're done," Lambert said. But with an MMO like ESO, continuing to support and update the game and support and embrace the community is paramount to finding success.Lambert did not offer any specifics on ESO's content plans for 2020 and beyond, however.Also during the panel, Lambert spoke about the importance--and the challenges related to--being transparent and communicative with fans in the development process. Lambert said one challenge is that fans can sometimes take a developer's comments as "gospel" and expect that big changes will be released quickly. But game development can be a lengthy process with numerous behind-the-scenes challenges."We f**k up, we make mistakes, we get it wrong sometimes," Lambert said. "It's hard to admit you get it wrong. The community will always tell you when you get it wrong."ESO is considered a comeback story not unlike Warframe in that it launched to a middling reception before growing to become more successful over time. Lambert recalled that ESO "wasn't the game people wanted" at release in 2014. The studio worked hard as a group to turn things around with the Tamriel Unlimited update and the console release, he said. "It was hard," Lambert recalled.Another important milestone for ESO was the release of the One Tamriel update in 2016. Lambert pointed out that this major update helped improve the accessibility of ESO and draw in new players. The update drops a number of gates that restricted access to some content for some players. This changed with the One Tamriel update, and it helped further fulfill the Elder Scrolls fantasy of being able to go anywhere and do anything, Lambert said.PAX Aus runs October 11-13 in Melbourne, and GameSpot is on hand at the show all weekend to bring you news and further coverage. For more, check out a rundown of all the panels in the GameSpot Theatre. Info from Gamespot.com

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers was released in mid-2019 to an almost unanimous standing ovation from the community and critics alike. One of the strengths of this expansion is its reverence for the stories that have been told in installments past. However, it tells these tales not through the sweeping statements about morality and the nature of war that veteran players might be used to, but rather through a focus on well-known characters within the game as well as their relationships to the world around them and each other.Natsuko Ishikawa, the lead main scenario writer for Shadowbringers, and Takeo Suzuki, art team lead, are some of the minds who were responsible for reframing established character narratives and refining familiar systems in order to carry out the above. The design philosophies adopted by their respective departments have been instrumental in allowing this expansion to have delivered what is arguably the game’s most engaging content to date. GameSpot spoke to both Suzuki and Ishikawa to gain some insight into their process.Natsuko Ishikawa (center) and Takeo Suzuki (right) during the Shadowbringers Post-mortem at PAX West 2019. (credit: PAX)The latest installment in Final Fantasy XIV’s already-impressive canon has been praised for the way that it managed to weave in years of old lore whilst still managing to serve up a story that is potentially the biggest and the best that Square Enix’s flagship MMO has ever told. Stormblood, its predecessor, felt a little more like a clean slate in terms of expansion design when it took the Warrior of Light to a whole new continent and to a whole new conflict that really had only parts of it hinted at in previous quests.By comparison, one might wonder whether or not the team at Square Enix felt constrained at all by the sheer amount of callbacks in the lore and threads of plotlines from A Realm Reborn that made up such a significant part of Shadowbringers. However, Ishikawa adopted the same core philosophy towards writing the Main Scenario for this expansion that she had when she was in charge of writing scenario content for Stormblood. "With Shadowbringers, it feels like it’s just a similar approach but on a larger scale. You’re pulling from other elements that have existed and kind of connecting the dots from there, creating one big story from there," maintained Ishikawa. "We can’t say that there wasn’t any sort of limitation at all, but it was still a really fun experience for me, that I’m able to carry on the narrative that existed for a while and to expand upon it and building another story."This ability to draw on the wealth of established lore with Final Fantasy XIV is something that the design team at Square Enix sees as a strength. Suzuki, who has been working with the company since the Chrono Cross days, agrees with Ishikawa that what they’ve done with Shadowbringers is one of the great advantages of the game and that referencing its storied past is a boon.This philosophy that focuses on the building blocks and small moments drawn from familiar reference points is perhaps best illustrated by the design process behind the cities of Eulmore and Amaurot: two new environments for you to explore in Shadowbringers that conveyed very poignant tales whilst also clearly being quest hubs. This meant that their primary mechanical focus was to place players convincingly within the central conflict of the game’s world. Eulmore, in particular, was a symbol of the corruption and the antagonism that seethed below the surface of Norvrandt for a large portion of the expansion.Eulmore is a lavish upper-class utopia with a very ugly side.In order to accurately convey the unsettling nature of Eulmore and its surroundings, Suzuki’s team had to consider not only the aesthetic of the location but also to put themselves in the shoes of the NPCs inhabiting the world in that particular area. After the art design team received information about the basics of each town, step one for Suzuki was to think about the type of people who would live in Eulmore."We do have the poorer people living at the base of that area, and so the background design team would try to imagine ‘What kind of life do these characters live?’ in that slum area. They then start to think about what elements we want to place in that world," he elaborated. "From there, it’s very interesting, because it goes back to the game planning team and the game design team. They see certain elements like ‘Oh, they utilize pieces from broken ships’ or ‘There’s a flower they planted there’ and go ‘Oh, that’d be cool if they tied into a quest we wanted to place in that area’".This collaborative process is reflective of the emphasis that Square Enix has placed on interconnecting elements in Shadowbringers, ranging from the approach to developing new in-game lore to ensuring character continuity and growth for fan-favorites like the Scions (who have been around since A Realm Reborn). When quizzed on how familiar faces in the new expansion have grown and changed in an empathetic way, both Suzuki and Ishikawa identified characters that they had a soft spot for.Ishikawa noted that Urianger had come a long way since his introduction in the base game. "When he was first introduced in A Realm Reborn you kind of had this Shakespearean feel; you had no clue what he’s saying," she noted. "But by the time Shadowbringers hit, he’s choosing his words more carefully, and you actually see that he’s trying to choose words that people can "get." I think the people that he traveled with have impacted him and he’s started to become more considerate about how he’s relaying and conveying what he feels."While Urianger’s manner of speech and his behavior have long been a source of amusement for fans, the way that the writing team incorporated those subtle changes to his demeanor whilst also crafting an entirely new personal arc for the Elezen gave both meaning and nuance to what was previously seen as a hammy, over-the-top affectation.We can’t say that there wasn’t any sort of limitation at all, but it was still a really fun experience for me, that I’m able to carry on the narrative that existed for a while and to expand upon it and building another story. - Natsuko IshikawaIt’s finding those little pockets of storytelling and capitalizing on them which helps balance Shadowbringers on that knife’s edge between characters being so different that they lose their relatability, and characters being so firmly entrenched in old lore that they don’t grow with the world around them. The most famous legacy character referenced in the latest expansion, Ardbert, could very easily have fallen into the latter category especially considering Suzuki’s fun fact that the team had actually repurposed his art assets for the expansion."When Ardbert was first introduced, he was the Warrior of Darkness that was responsible for the First falling under the influence under the flood of Light," said Suzuki, who was of the opinion that Ardbert’s story didn’t initially conclude very well. "But through Shadowbringers, you talk with him and it feels like he gets a sort of resolution to his regrets and what he felt he was not able to accomplish, so that was very memorable for me."Small moments of storytelling were put into the Trust system; Alisaie keeps her composure during tragic events.Suzuki and Ishikawa’s observations on the care that went into fleshing out the supporting cast of characters only reaffirms that Final Fantasy XIV’s latest expansion isn't another re-do of the Chosen One trope but rather a story that places immense value on the power of friendship in the face of adversity. This is especially true of the Trust system, which Ishikawa recalls fondly even though she admitted to struggling with how to depict the various NPCs and their reactions to dungeons to account for player variability. "I also had to consider where I draw the line in depicting these NPCs and their reactions," said Ishikawa. "To what point do we want to have these NPCs react to their environment and still make it enjoyable either way, whether you take them to the dungeon or not?"This focus on adaptability and worldbuilding is one of the hallmarks of Shadowbringers. Through main scenario writing that focuses on those two elements and the game’s companions, players are given the chance to feel the impact of in-game decisions made as far back as A Realm Reborn. This was especially true for Ardbert, who is just one of many examples where lore has been refined over the course of a title in a humanizing way that is both relatable and meaningful, and ties into forward-looking content created specifically for the expansion like Eulmore and Amaurot. "It’s something that we wouldn’t be able to accomplish with a single standalone game," says Ishikawa of the creative process behind this expansion, and she’s right. Shadowbringers is not shy about embracing all the lore that came before; it has evolved the precepts that made old content and characters so enjoyable, and it tells the most compelling tale in Final Fantasy XIV’s history because of it.Info from Gamespot.com

Humankind is the latest project from the minds behind the Endless franchise, a hit in the 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate) and turn-based strategy markets. Endless Legend in particular, which arguably put developer Amplitude on the map, told an entirely original tale rife with politicking and questions about the conception of freedom and humanity. The strategy-patterned chariot of the gameplay fed into those themes, with its branching narrative quests that touched on probing questions dealing with survival, religion, and the things that divide cultures and colonies.Amplitude’s latest is ambitious in the way that it seeks to do the same thing, though the lessons it seeks to impart are less divorced from our own realities. Humankind is, quite literally, a choose-your-own-adventure look at the “glorious trajectory of human history,” according to the narrative director, Jeff Spock. The premise of the game is fairly straightforward. Featuring more of the 4X sensibilities that drove the studio’s previous titles, Humankind’s focus is no longer based in fantasy, as Endless Legend was, but on our real-world legacies.From a demo we were shown, players start out in the Neolithic age, on the cusp between the Stone and the Bronze Age. You immediately have choices to make, as in any strategy game: Where will you roam? What will you prioritize? How will you ensure that your tale isn’t lost to time? Humankind asks you all of those questions and invites you to answer them by engaging in what can only be described as an exploration of humanity and its cultures. Your faction, usually locked by race or creed in other 4X games, is mutable. You can choose to play as an ancient Chinese dynasty one era and the Mayans the next, learning from every new culture that you choose to embrace.The vagaries of your win conditions follow the same theme. It’s no longer a matter of being the most industrious, or being the most diplomatic out of a bunch of people who might be raving warmongers. Humankind asks you to leave your mark on the world. Whether it’s infamy or charity, you’re asked to make an impact as all of the different civilizations you get to play as have done. It feels like learning from actual human history and trying your best not to repeat its mistakes. You can choose to be more isolationist and to stay loyal to one faction for your entire playthrough, or pursue assimilation, rejection, or something in-between.According to Spock, Humankind is a labor of love for Amplitude. They were clear that this is the game they have always wanted to make: a title to interrogate history, diversity, and politics in today’s political and social climate. Those are challenging things to attempt, and we haven’t seen enough of the game to see where it falls on the spectrum between on-the-nose and ambitious.Still, Spock believes that it’s “important to have a game asking those questions and to answer them if one wants to be a responsible game developer.” Seeing end-game footage of brutalist Western architecture perched alongside Qing-era pagodas in a sprawling megapolis made the studio’s idea real, even just for a few minutes. Amplitude maintains that there's a lot of affection for humankind in Humankind, and we’re curious to see where it takes us, complete with the triumphs and foibles of our own history.Info from Gamespot.com

One of 2020's most anticipated games, Cyberpunk 2077, had a big debut at PAX Australia today. Local publisher Bandai Namco showed off about an hour's worth of gameplay, and in it, we saw a couple of new and interesting abilities.The first of these was "Demon Software." The player character, V, can use this ability to make an enemy attack itself. In the demo shown at PAX Aus, V used the ability targeted at an enemy's arm, and then that arm attacked the rest of the enemy's body. It was pretty wicked the way the enemy became possessed and then fought against itself.One of the other Cyberpunk 2077 abilities shown during the demo was the Nano Wire. Players can use this wire to hack into or connect with other characters in Night City. Alternatively, the wire--which glows orange--can be used to slash and kill enemies.The Cyberpunk 2077 demo shown at PAX Aus today was seemingly the same behind-closed-doors demo that was released during Gamescom in August. The demo, which was played live on stage by a CD Projekt Red developer, has not yet been released publicly. If history is any indication, that will happen at a later date.PAX Aus runs October 11-13 in Melbourne, and GameSpot is on hand at the show all weekend to bring you news and further coverage. For more, check out a rundown of all the panels in the GameSpot Theatre.Cyberpunk 2077 launches in April 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The futuristic game also features movie star Keanu Reeves in a big role. Info from Gamespot.com

Shannon Noll, a singer-songwriter known for his appearance on Australian Idol and for being a meme, is starting a competitive gaming team. Announced at PAX Aus in Melbourne today, Noll has been named the captain of the "Motley Squad" team that will compete in the upcoming Legion of Champions Series IV tournament presented by Lenovo. Noll's gamer name is apparently "Nollsie."Motley Squad is currently recruiting "celebrity" gamers to join him, though no other names have been announced or hinted at thus far. "I can't wait to begin recruiting some fellow celebs to take on some of the regions top gamers in November at Lenovo's Legion of Champions tournament," Noll said in a statement. "People still have an outdated idea that only hardcore gamers are interested in gaming. That’s just not true. My kids play, and I'm here at PAX meeting all kinds of people--from lawyers to doctors, kids to grandparents."I'm excited to assemble the rest of the Motley Squad and show how people with different lives and experiences can come together to enjoy gaming together."Popular pro gamer FaZe Hazz is working with Noll and the other celebrity members of Motley Squad to help them improve their skills. "I know we'll have to work hard to get a team in shape by November, but I'm excited to open up the world of gaming to a new group of people," Hazz said in a statement. "While the competition may be stiff, and the team inexperienced, the passion of a new group of gamers is sure to make for an exciting journey. Keep your eyes peeled for who Nollsie ecruits, and how they do."PAX Aus runs October 11-13 in Melbourne, and GameSpot is on hand at the show all weekend to bring you news and further coverage. For more, check out a rundown of all the panels in the GameSpot Theatre.Info from Gamespot.com