When HBO's take on the celebrated comic book Watchmen premieres in October, it may not be what fans of the Alan Moore story are expecting. While it's already known that the series is set after the events of the comic, executive producer and writer Damon Lindelof admitted at the TCA press tour that there might be some fans that don't recognize the world on display."Whether or not the show feels like it's Watchmen is in the eye of the beholder," he said. Still, Lindelof made sure to note that the events of Watchmen's 12-issues are canon in the story. "We re-explore the past, but it's canon," he explained. "One of the rules we had as storytellers and writers was that everything that happened in those 12 issues could not be messed with."So what is there to say about the world of HBO's Watchmen without spoiling? While most plot details remain under wraps, Lindelof said the show is set in 2019, in a world that's a mix of actual and alternate history. In the series, people don't have the internet and smartphones were banned by President Robert Redford--yes, the actor.It was teased in the comics that Redford could potentially run for president in the future, and in the show, it's something that actually happened. "Robert Redford is the president of the United States and has been since the early '90s when they abolished term limits," Lindelof teased.The central conflict, based on what Lindelof had to say, seems to be between police and what looks to be a white supremacist group that has appropriated the words and mask of Rorschach, using them to rise up against the government. It's not immediately clear who the villains or heroes are, which is intentional."If you're asking are the police presented in a heroic light, are they the heroes of the story, after just seeing the first episode, I'd say the answer is no," Lindelof said.Ultimately, whether or not this continuation of the Watchmen story lines up with what fans expect from this universe, it's coming from someone who treasures the comics. "All I can say is I love the source material," he promised.Watchmen premieres on HBO in October.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite isn't the only battle royale game on the cusp of a new season. PUBG Corp. has rolled out PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' Season 4 update on PC, introducing some big changes to the shooter, including a revamp of its original map, a new Survivor Pass with an assortment of new missions to complete and rewards to unlock, and more.The biggest changes come to the aforementioned map, Erangel, which has received a major visual overhaul. PUBG Corp. says it has "improved the graphical quality of Erangel's various areas and terrains across the board," ranging from improved textures to updated terrain. According to the developer:"We've updated existing terrain, signage, and buildings and have added a small number of buildings to some areas as well. To better illustrate Erangel's history, terrain elements have been added or revised. Trenches, blast marks, camo nets, and abandoned tanks have been added across different areas of the map."Additionally, PUBG's Season 4 Survivor Pass, dubbed Aftermath, is now available. The pass can be purchased on Steam for $10 USD and grants holders access to a variety of seasonal, premium, and weekly missions to complete, which will level the pass up and unlock an assortment of new cosmetics and other rewards, such as emotes, clothing items, and weapon skins.The Season 4 Survivor Pass also introduces a new cooperative mission system. Much like Fortnite's Party Assist feature, this allows players to team up with friends and contribute to a mission's progress. New weekly missions will go live every Wednesday throughout the season. The Season 4 Survivor Pass will be active until October 15.In addition to those changes, the Season 4 update also makes balance adjustments to many weapons and vehicles. You can find the full patch notes for the update on the PUBG website. PUBG Corp. says Season 4 will also be coming to the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game this summer, although no exact date has been announced just yet.Info from Gamespot.com

The X-Men have a bit of a reputation for being, well--complicated is probably putting it lightly. Divisive may be a better buzz word. There's a tendency in fan circles for people to fall into one of two categories: The kind whose eyes light up at the mere mention of a mutant and the kind who instantaneously go gaunt and fearful the moment they realize they're about to have to engage in an X-Men related conversation. This reputation is certainly well earned--X-Men live-action films pre-date the MCU, their cartoon series is second only to Batman: The Animated Series in terms of Saturday morning nostalgia bombs, and the team's most famous members are more readily recognized and understood by the general population than most of the Avengers.It's just that their comics are also notoriously insurmountable, their stories are the absolute epitome of everything that makes superhero comics seem absurd, and their continuity seems to be in an almost permanent state of flux. Trying to figure out just how and where to engage with X-Men stories can feel like the worst kind of homework, where well-meaning fans will spout off list upon list of classic stories that are required reading, and then follow them up with list upon list of caveats to explain which parts need to be remembered, which parts should be cherry-picked and forgotten, when the dead characters come back, where the time travel kicks in, how Cyclops is the worst, how Cyclops is the best, how Jean Grey's powers are changed and then changed again--and so on, and so on.The past several years of Marvel comics publication haven't really helped the problem. The X-Men status quo has been up in the air, split between multiple color-coded team books with key players like Charles Xavier tabled, time-travel plots bringing duplicate past versions of characters like Jean Grey and Bobby Drake to the present, and mutantkind itself being all but wiped out because of an Inhuman disaster that may or may not have been thanks to some behind-the-scenes movie rights conflicts between Fox and Disney. Thankfully those days are behind us.It wasn't that the stories themselves were bad, per se, but trying to find somewhere to start that didn't leave you feeling like you'd missed a few seasons was all but impossible--especially if you were someone who really just wanted to read a story about your favorite big-screen X-Men without needing to graduate from a college-level course in X-Men history to understand it.But thankfully, there is a light at the end of that particular tunnel, and it's coming from an unexpected quarter. Legendary writer Jonathan Hickman, whose work on Avengers provided a ton of the groundwork that went on to inform movies like Avengers: Infinity War, has teamed up with artist Pepe Larraz for an X-Men reboot like no other--one that is intended to completely overhaul the way X-Men stories work for the foreseeable future, and provide the perfect gateway for anyone and everyone to finally start reading X-Men comics.The plan is relatively simple. Hickman and Larraz are kicking off their effort with two dueling mini-series called House of X and Powers of X with alternate release schedules. House of X #1 hit shelves today while Powers of X #1 will hit shelves next Wednesday, and so on. Then, in the conclusion of each mini-series, a "new era" of X-Men stories will begin in earnest with new ongoing X-Men titles kicking off for monthly consumption, picking up threads laid in HoX and PoX to move the ball forward.So, in theory, everything you could need to know about the future of mutants in the Marvel universe is contained in these two mini-series, and should you choose to engage, the next twelve weeks will become your one-stop crash course in X-Men.Senior editor in charge of X-Men comics, Jordan D. White, spoke with GameSpot at this year's San Diego Comic-Con about what, exactly, HoX and PoX are setting out to do. "House of X is the story of the most eventful month in the history of the X-Men, where the big, huge changes are happening in the present," White said. "It has to do with Xavier's master plan--[which] we haven't heard about until now...Whereas Powers of X is the story of the past, present, and future of mutantkind, all connecting to that master plan. So the two stories really, really are two halves of the same whole. They weave together."Though they're definitely accessible for people who have never picked up an X-Men comic before, White also assured us that they won't be holding anything back. Anyone who's read a Hickman comic, or just sat through Infinity War, would know enough about his style to expect a little bit of mind-bending--but don't let that put you off."If you feel overwhelmed, the people who know a lot feel overwhelmed too," White laughed. "Let me say that. Jonathan likes to throw big ideas out there. If you were reading Avengers for 50 years before he wrote Avengers, you still were going, 'Whoa!' And that's the same with X-Men. So I think everybody is going to be on the same level playing field. You're going to go in, your mind's going to be blown, but you're going to be ready for it."White continued, "[The point of these stories is to] reaffirm what is great about the X-Men while making people see them in a new way. It repositions them. I mean, Jonathan's very big on that. [He understands that] you definitely need to be connected to what came before. You need to give people that feeling that this is all one piece. But at the same time, if you're not doing something new, you're not doing your job. Ideally, in a year, you will be reading a completely different kind of X-Men stories than you've ever read."If you've picked up House of X #1 today and are feeling particularly amped--don't worry. White was also kind enough to give us a list of his favorite classic X-stories for new readers. These aren't essential to understanding the new stories, of course, but if you're hungry for some mutants and the week-long wait between issues feels like too much, these are for you.Astonishing X-Men vol. 1: GiftedNew X-Men vol. 1: E is for ExtinctionDays of Future PastX-Men: The Dark Phoenix SagaX-Men SchismHouse of X #2 hits shelves on August 7, while Powers of X #1 arrives next week on July 31. Info from Gamespot.com

For a long time now, Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista has made it known that he wants to play Marcus Fenix in the upcoming Gears of War movie. The actor has now commented on how that campaign is going; it's not looking good.Bautista said on Twitter that Hollywood is "listening" to his campaign to play Fenix, but "they could give [a f**k]!" he said. "Believe me when I say I've tried everything to make this happen," he said.They’re listening. And they could give AF! 🙄.. but thank you for the support. Believe me when I say I’ve tried everything to make this happen. https://t.co/8THxKLkbdV — Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) July 23, 2019In June, Gears of War boss Rod Fergusson said he agrees that Bautista "would be awesome" in the role of Marcus Fenix. However, he said he wields no power over casting decisions. Not only that, but there are no plot details available yet for the movie, so it's not even confirmed that Fenix will be in it.Whatever the case, Fergusson said it's exciting that someone of Bautista's caliber is interested in being in the Gears of War movie. Fergusson went on to say that the movie's producers have told him that actors have reached out seeking roles in the movie. He teased that people you wouldn't necessarily think about have inquired about roles.The Gears of War movie has been in various stages of development for 12 years already. The Lord of the Rings studio New Line Cinema purchased the rights to make a movie based on the game originally back in 2007, but in October 2016, Microsoft confirmed that the Gears of War movie was in the works with Universal Pictures.The Gears of War movie has gone through multiple writers. In June, Fergusson confirmed that a new draft is currently being written, though he didn't say who the writer is. F. Scott Frazier (xXx: Return of Xander Cage) was hired to write a draft of the script in November 2018.No director has been announced for the movie. The late Tony Scott, who directed Top Gun and Man On Fire, reportedly wanted to direct the Gears of War movie.The next Gears of War game is Gears 5, which releases in September for Xbox One and PC. The game's first multiplayer tech test was held over the weekend, and the second one kicks off on July 26. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more. Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft is launching a new streaming service, currently codenamed xCloud, in public trials this October. The company has now shown off more of how it works and talked about the service at a high level. xCloud, or whatever name Microsoft ends up giving it, allows you to stream high-end games to your phone or presumably a variety of other internet-connected devices.The games themselves run from datacenters that Microsoft operates around the world. In a new Fortune video, Xbox streaming boss Kareem Choudhry showed off the actual guts of the server rack that powers xCloud games. The core innards of eight Xbox One S consoles are fit into a 2U rack unit that was specifically designed for a data center.The racks are physically located in 13 regions around the world, Choudhry said. You can see it for yourself in the video below, beginning at around 1:45.It's not the flashiest of reveals, but it's neat to see the guts of how something as broad and ambitious and technically demanding as xCloud operates in a way you can see with your eyes.Also in the video, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talks about how Microsoft does not expect cloud gaming to really take off anytime soon. Instead, the version of xCloud launching this year in public trials is seemingly being positioned as a foundation on which to build the program over the years. Spencer specifically said the groundwork being laid today will support xCloud for a decade to come.He also talked about Microsoft's ambition for game-streaming to reach more people around the world over time than traditional gaming has been able to thus far. The thinking is that by removing the need to buy a console, Microsoft can reach a much larger population of gamers. As Microsoft has said time and again, consoles aren't big-time money-makers--it's software and services that bring home the bacon. With xCloud, seemingly every phone in the world is a potential Xbox Live subscriber, and that could become an incredibly lucrative opportunity for Microsoft if it pans out.That being said, Microsoft continues to develop traditional consoles and it will for a long time to come. Microsoft's efforts into streaming are meant to complement the traditional console-based experience, not replace it. For Microsoft, it is all about giving people an option of how they want to play. Microsoft's next home console, Project Scarlett, launches in Holiday 2020.xCloud's public trial launch in October is just ahead of when Google's own streaming service, Stadia, is pegged to debut in November. Info from Gamespot.com

Rainbow Six Quarantine was revealed at E3 this year with a vague "early 2020" release window. Now, publisher Ubisoft has narrowed that time frame a little further, although we don't yet have a precise release date.The company stated in its most recent earnings call that the game will launch before the end of the current financial year (via Game Informer). That means we'll be playing Quarantine by March 31, 2020 at the very latest--barring any delays, of course.Quarantine is a multiplayer PvE game, in contrast to Siege's predominantly PvP gameplay. The mode appears similar to Rainbow Six Siege Outbreak, a popular limited-time mode. Ubisoft has now decided to split off PvE into its very own game."We set out to create a radically re-designed co-op experience built on the foundations of one of the best shooters of this generation. What Siege is to the PVP shooter genre, we want Quarantine to be to co-op," Ubisoft said about the game when it was announced last month.Like the company's entire library, it will be included in the Uplay+ service set to launch this fall.Quarantine is designed to sit alongside Siege, rather than replace it. The latter continues to evolve, and its latest Operation Phantom Sight update makes a bunch of Operator changes. You can see more on the new spin-off game, meanwhile, in the video above.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite has rolled out its 9.41 content update patch with loads of new goodies. The centerpiece is the new storm-tracking rifle, but you'll also find some special celebration items alongside the balance changes and tweaks. Read on for a rundown and the patch notes.The Storm Scout sniper rifle, as it's called, is unique for one key reason. It scope has what Epic calls "an embedded weather map," and this lets you know where upcoming storm circles will be located before the in-game minimap begins to display them. That should give you an edge in allowing you to get there early and position yourself to take out enemies who show up late. The gun is available as both an Epic and Legendary drop, and it does 81/85 damage and uses heavy ammo.Epic has added birthday presents and birthday cakes to celebrate Fortnite's second birthday. These, along with the Prop Hunt limited-time mode, will actually make it into the game on Thursday, July 25. We might also see new birthday events challenges arrive on that day; you can read more on what we know about Fortnite's birthday event for further details.The presents are legendary items, and opening them up will give you some surprise loot to commemorate the occasion. The cake will restore some health and shield.The update also adds new Overtime challenges; the first of these are now available, and primarily they reward XP and loading screens, although those who own the Battle Pass can also get new styles for certain skins.Creative Mode has added movie set prefabs and highlighted a community-created Prop Hunt LTM. Save the World mode got updated with a new Pulsar 9000 sci-fi shotgun.One larger-scale feature is a new picture-in-picture feature for viewing matches. Epic points out that you can use this to watch the Fortnite World Cup Pro-Am and Finals while also playing the game.This all follows a mech vs monster showdown that took place in-game over the weekend. As usual this made some big changes to the map, which will probably come into play as the game prepares to cycle over into Season 10, which could be coming fairly soon. Check out the full patch notes below.Fortnite v9.41 Content Update Patch NotesBattle RoyaleWhat's New?Storm Scout Sniper RifleStay one step ahead of the Storm by scoping in to see it’s next location!Birthday PresentsThey say the best gifts are surprises. Open up these Legendary items commemorating Fortnite’s second birthday to see what loot awaits.Birthday CakeCelebrate another year of Fortnite with some Birthday Cake! Find this sweet treat around the map and get some Health & Shield.Weapons + ItemsStorm Scout Sniper Rifle The scope on this sniper rifle contains an embedded weather map that displays upcoming storm circles before they are revealed on the minimap.Available at Epic and Legendary Rarities.Damage: 81/85 Headshot: 202/2121.1 Rounds per second.Uses Heavy Ammo.Reload Speed: 2.84s/2.7s.Birthday Presents Available in Legendary Rarity.Can be found from Floor loot, Chests, Vending Machines, Supply Drops, and Llamas. Not available in Arena and Tournament playlists.Presents have six possible packages of loot.Birthday Cake Found around various POIs. Not available in Arena and Tournament playlists.Grants 5 Health and 5 Shield.GameplayOvertime ChallengesUnlock rewards and gain XP with the Season 9 Overtime Challenges. Jump in-game now for more details!UIPiP (Picture-in-Picture) StreamingDrop into the Fortnite lobby to begin your viewing of the Fortnite World Cup Pro-Am and Finals… while playing the game! Get wins while you watch your favorite competitors do the same. For more information, check out our blog.CreativeWhat’s New?Movie Set PrefabsLights. Camera. Action! Set the scene for the next blockbuster using the Movie Set prefabs and galleries.Prop Hunt LTMFace off in a thrilling game of hide and seek with a twist. Play StrayKite’s Prop Hunt game as an LTM!GameplayBug FixesPlayers can now edit pre-built structures during a game.Coins are no longer disappearing while in Create mode after finishing a game.Prefabs & Galleries4 New Movie Set Prefabs Movie Set WarehouseMovie Set Helicopter CrashMovie Set DocksMovie Set Ceremony3 New Galleries Movie Set GalleryMovie Set Prop GalleryNature Tree Gallery BWeapons + ItemsStorm Scout Sniper Rifle The scope on this sniper rifle contains an embedded weather map that displays upcoming storm circles before they are revealed on the minimap.Available at Epic and Legendary Rarities.Damage: 81/85 Headshot: 202/2121.1 Rounds per second.Uses Heavy Ammo.Reload Speed: 2.84s/2.7s.Save The WorldWhat’s New?Pulsar 9000Ready… Aim… PLASMA! Unleash piercing plasma shots on the Husks with this new Sci-fi Shotgun.Weapons + ItemsPulsar 9000 added to the Weekly Store. Energy shotgun that shoots large rings of plasma. Shots pierce enemies!Available in the Weekly Store from Wednesday, July 24th at 8 PM ET until Wednesday, July 31st at 8 PM ET.Info from Gamespot.com

Sega has announced it is bringing one of its best PC games of 2018 to consoles. Two Point Hospital, the spiritual successor to Theme Hospital, is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in "late 2019."The game will come to those platforms both physically and digitally, and the new versions will include all the updates and new features the PC edition received after launch. That also means the game's two expansions, Bigfoot and Pebberley Island, will be packed in. Pricing has not been announced.Our critic, James Swinbanks, enjoyed the management sim and awarded it an 8/10 in GameSpot's Two Point Hospital review. "It's remarkable that it’s taken so long for a spiritual successor to Theme Hospital to show up, but now that it's here, it feels like it’s been well worth the wait," he wrote."The exaggerated, cartoon look and relaxed approach to management make it inviting enough for most players, while the deeper aspects of its economy are enough to keep seasoned players engaged. Two Point Hospital not only re-works an old formula into something modern and enjoyable, it also iterates on the classic brand of irresistible charm and wit, making something that’s truly wonderful."Info from Gamespot.com

More than a month after it was officially announced, Grand Theft Auto V's new Diamond Casino & Resort is open for business. The long-awaited casino is now live in GTA Online on PS4, Xbox One, and PC as part of the game's latest update, which also introduces a wealth of new clothing options, vehicles, bug fixes, and other tweaks to the online mode.Located on the corner of Vinewood Park Drive and Mirror Park Boulevard, the Diamond Casino & Resort is a new facility where you and other players can enjoy the nightlife. The casino floor features all of the activities you'd expect to find in this type of establishment, including Three Card Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, and Slot Machines, with some enticing prizes at stake, including some new "high-end" vehicles. You can also bet on virtual horse racing and spin a wheel for free to earn various in-game prizes.You'll receive a free daily allotment of chips that can be used to play the various casino games. However, you can also purchase these chips with the game's GTA$ currency (which itself can be purchased with real-world money).Additionally, high rollers can purchase a penthouse at the Diamond Casino & Resort, which can then be customized to your liking with a media room, spa, garage space, and other options. Those who purchase a penthouse will also gain "VIP" access to certain areas of the casino as well as a new storyline involving the Diamond family. If you have a Twitch Prime account, you can score a penthouse for free if you link your accounts by the end of July 19. More details can be found on Rockstar's blog.Alongside the Diamond Casino & Resort, the latest GTA Online update adds seven new vehicles to the game: the Truffade Thrax, Obey 8F Drafter, Weeny Issi Sport, Vapid Caracara 4x4, Annis S80RR, Enus Paragon R, and the armored Enus Paragon R, which can be unlocked by completing the new casino story missions. Rockstar says more than 400 pieces of clothing and artwork for your penthouse will also be available through the casino store, and new collectible playing cards can be found hidden across Los Santos. There are 54 in total, and each one you collect will reward you with RP and Chip bonuses.Rounding out the update is a litany of bug fixes and stability improvements. You can see a portion of the patch notes, courtesy of Rockstar, below. For more details on the Diamond Casino & Resort update, check out Rockstar's new blog post.GTA Online Diamond Casino & Resort (Title Update 1.47) Patch NotesNew Content - PS4, Xbox One, PCThe Diamond Casino & Resort has been added to GTA Online. The Diamond Casino & Resort is a shared location for players to enjoy together. The Casino offers a wide range of activities and provides multiple Guest Services for players to use.The Casino Penthouse has been added to GTA Online. Players can purchase a Casino Penthouse from The Diamond Casino & Resort website and can be customized with a choice of optional extras such as a media room, a spa, a private dealer, garage space, and much more. The Penthouse also provides owners with a VIP membership that gives access features including with new Casino Story Missions, Freemode Missions, and two new arcade games.Hidden Playing Card Collectibles have been added to GTA Online. Players can find these Hidden Playing Card Collectibles scattered around Los Santos and collect them for a reward. Collectibles progress can be tracked by using the new ‘Collectibles’ option in Interaction Menu.Seven new vehicles have been added to GTA Online: Truffade ThraxObey 8F DrafterWeeny Issi SportVapid Caracara 4x4Annis S80RREnus Paragon REnus Paragon R (Armoured)Over 400+ items of clothing and artwork for the Penthouse will be made for sale for Male and Female characters in the Casino Store that rotates items weeklyNew Races have been added to GTA OnlineSix new player actions have been added to GTA Online: Cut ThroatCry BabyStinkerShadow BoxingKarate ChopsThe WoogieNew Daily Objectives have been added to GTA OnlineEleven new Awards have been added to GTA OnlineNew Features & Updates - PS4, Xbox One, PCUpdates have been made to the ‘Passive Mode’ option in GTA Online: Passive Mode can now no longer be active when using a weaponized vehicleA Passive Mode cooldown of 2 minutes is now in place for players who have just killed another playerPlayers now must wait 5 minutes before they can activate Passive Mode again after disabling itPlayers now must wait 30 seconds before they can disable Passive Mode after activating itUpdates have been made to the ‘Go Ghosted’ option in GTA Online: The ‘Go Ghosted’ option is now available to players after 2 deaths instead of 3The length of time players remain ghosted to each other has been increased from 2 minutes to 5 minutesThe window of time for consecutive kills to count has been increased from 5 minutes to 10 minutesUpdates have been made to Daily Objectives in GTA Online: A number of PVP related Daily Objectives have been removedThe first Daily Objective in the list will now be the same for all players each dayThe cash reward for completing the Daily, Weekly, and Monthly streaks has been increasedA new ‘Services’ option has been added to the Interaction Menu that allows players to view and change options for all large vehicle properties such as: The TerrorbyteThe AvengerThe Mobile Operations CenterThe Galaxy Super YachtUpdates have been made to Series in GTA Online: ‘Featured Adversary Mode’ has been renamed to ‘Featured Series’Target Assault Series has been removedEach Series type now only has one trigger on the mapSeveral help text entries regarding existing Series have been removedUpdates have been made to Series help text appearance ratesPlayer Elevation Indicators are now present in all Instanced Content such as Adversary Modes, Heists, etc.Time Trials now pay out $100,000 upon successful completionThe Stone Hatchet has been added to CreatorsThe Declassee Impaler is now purchasable on the arenawar.tv websiteArena Traps have been added to the Arena CreatorThe Race type of Arena War Races are now forced into being a ‘GTA Race’Players can now use the laptop in their Arena Workshop to see all of the Sponsorship Tier unlocks they have been awarded The Nightclub popularity gained for completing a Nightclub Management Mission has been increased from 10% to 25%Info from Gamespot.com

The Pokemon Company has released another free-to-play Pokemon game on iOS. Pokemon Rumble Rush is now available on Apple devices, after having soft-launched for Android in certain regions in May.In Rumble Rush, you search a series of islands for strong and rare Pokemon, and battle them by tapping the screen. The islands will change every two weeks to keep you coming back to explore and finding new monsters. Clearing stages will get you ore you can use to upgrade your roster, and once you've powered up your party enough you can take on Super Boss Rush mode to face a gauntlet of tough opponents.The F2P game offers microtransactions ranging from $1 to $25. Most of those are different amounts of Diamonds, the in-game currency, but there are also several packs selling boosters of different types. Those include a Starter Set ($4), Plenty of Pokemon Set ($4), and Really Refining Set ($6) for purchase.Another Pokemon mobile game, called Pokemon Masters, is said to be on the way soon as well. That game will pit teams of three famous trainers and partner Pokemon against each other. Then this fall the main series will get its next new entries, Pokemon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch.Info from Gamespot.com

Hearthstone's upcoming Saviors of Uldum expansion brings back the league of explorers in an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure full of deadly tombs and traps. But it's no pulp adventure without secret cultists preparing dangerous rituals, and GameSpot can reveal one of the wildest cards of the new set that we've seen so far: the Mogu Cultist.The unassuming 1-Mana 1/1 minion appears harmless enough on its own. But of course, its real power comes if you can gather several of them together at once to complete their dark ritual. At that point, they'll all vanish and summon Highkeeper Ra, who has one of the most powerful effects ever seen in Hearthstone history.Highkeeper Ra doesn't automatically win the game like Mecha'thun, but he and his cultists are a potentially game-ending effect regardless. He damages all enemies for 20 at the end of every turn, which would wipe out just about any enemy minion and could kill your opponent if you've chipped off some health beforehand. With 20/20 in stats, Ra is also very difficult to take down if your opponent doesn't have any removal spells or a card like Big Game Hunter waiting in the wings. If they can't remove him immediately, he'll just continue to do damage into the next round and beyond.The result is a build-around card that is itself a puzzle. How do you gather up seven Mogu Cultists in a game that limits you to two copies max? For some theory-crafting on that and more from the team at Blizzard, check out our interview with game designers Peter Whalen and Alec Dawson. And for more Hearthstone cards from the upcoming expansion, check out our full gallery of all the cards revealed so far.Hearthstone's Saviors of Uldum expansion launches on August 6. Pre-purchases are now available in bundles of 50 packs for $50 with an Elise Starseeker card back and a random Golden Legendary, or a bundle of 80 packs for $80 with those bonuses and an Elise Starseeker Druid hero portrait. Info from Gamespot.com

After a few days with a preview demo of The Surge 2, it certainly feels like developer Deck13 listened to fan feedback when it came to 2017's The Surge. There have been noticeable changes to how combat works that make for more enjoyable duels. If the demo is any indication though, The Surge 2 does stumble in one regard when it comes to its predecessor.The Surge 2 takes place after the events of the first game and sees us take on the role of a new, nameless protagonist instead of Warren. The game is set on a dystopian Earth where humanity has used up most of the planet's natural resources and automated drones have created mass unemployment. This has forced middle- and lower-class individuals to augment themselves with exo-skeleton rigs to increase their strength in an attempt to remain competitive with robot workers. It doesn't work and the rich stay rich, so most humans now modify their exosuits with all manner of armor or weapons and survive by killing other people and stealing their food, water, and weapons. In The Surge 2, you're an escaped convict that finds themselves in Jericho City, a metropolis created by a wealthy elite but full of gangs and dangerous scavengers.In terms of combat, The Surge 2 is a much faster game than its predecessor. The general conceit is still the same: manage your stamina as you wear your opponent's defenses down and end the fight with a brutal evisceration of their head, torso, or one of their limbs. Aside from the aforementioned focus on body part removal, it's a very Souls-like inspired combat system. Though this suggests a careful approach to combat is the way to go (like in The Surge), additional mechanics and features in The Surge 2--namely in regards to healing--encourage an aggressive playstyle, one that prioritizes quick decision-making.Gain A Nice Bonus For DyingThis is most true in one of the best new features in The Surge 2: the benefit of dying and losing your scrap. Much like Dark Souls' souls, you collect scrap in The Surge 2 from every enemy you defeat and you can use it to craft new weapons and armor as well as level up and improve your stats. And just like Dark Souls' souls, you lose all the scrap on your person when you die and can only reclaim it by traveling to the spot of your death and looting your fallen stash before being killed again.The Surge 2 adds an interesting wrinkle to this by having your dropped scrap emit a healing beacon. If you stand near the scrap and don't pick it up, your health will slowly regenerate. Like the original though, you have a limited amount of time to pick up your scrap before it's gone for good, so you can't just leave it on the ground and keep returning to it as a way to heal. This creates an exhilarating risk vs. reward dynamic for challenging fights, especially bosses. Now when you die, you can use your fallen scrap as a way to boost your health in the subsequent run. Of course, if you die again without picking up the scrap, or simply become too distracted by the boss and forget to grab it before the timer runs out, you'll lose it all. This implements a welcome level of strategy into the currency recovery process.New Tricks For Recovering And Playing DefenseBlocking is unreliable in The Surge 2. It requires large amounts of stamina and some attacks--typically long-range ones--can break through your guard and damage you regardless if you're blocking or not. In the first Surge, that meant you were mostly regulated to carefully attacking and dodging, hoarding your limited amount of health items to recover from tanking attacks too quick or long-reaching to dodge.To speed up combat and make it more exciting, The Surge 2 implements directional parrying and a new health replenish mechanic. If you block in the direction of an attack, you can parry and counter an enemy--a mechanic that encourages you to stay in the thick of things instead of dodging out of the way. The battery charges you use to pull off a dismemberment are now also tied to your health, so you can also use one of your charges to heal while in combat. Battery charges fill up by attacking enemies, so as long as you keep landing blows, you'll keep gaining the ability to heal.Together, directional parrying and battery healing allow you to more easily engage with enemies and bosses in frantic duels where you get to set the pace of the fight instead of just reacting to attacks and staying out on the fringes of an opponent's reach. Plus, the ability to replenish your available health charges allows you to survive longer without returning to a med station, encouraging exploration.Deal Damage From AfarEnemies are a bit smarter this time around and work together to surround and punish you the second you let your guard down. More weapon types mean you've got more types of attacks to work with, but that means the same goes for the enemies you're fighting. The Surge 2's drone helps out in this regard.Initially, the only weapon affixed to your drone is a pistol, which helps with shooting down enemies that are out of reach. However, you can loot additional attachments from dismembering enemies, ranging from Molotov cocktails to assault rifles, and customize what your drone is carrying at any time. You are limited by the number of bullets and grenades it can hold at any one time though.The drone is a versatile tool that adds some new strategies to combat. You can throw it out to delay the advance of an enemy while focusing on their partner, blow away a foe's protective body shield, or just augment your own attacks by hitting the same foe from two sides. By far, the best use of the drone is attracting one enemy at a time to your position, though. In the first game, you typically had to try and bait one enemy at a time to follow you to a safe spot when confronted by groups of three or more, a strategy that worked with various levels of success. In The Surge 2, you can just shoot whichever enemy you want to attract the attention of, making it much easier to dwindle down the numbers of a large group.The Direct Path Isn't Always The Best OneUnlike the first game, The Surge 2 is spread out over different environments. In the demo, we got to explore the first three and they're all fairly distinct--fixing the homogeneous look of the original Surge. Better yet, the environments are designed with multiple paths, allowing you to occasionally tackle the same fight from multiple angles.For example, early in the second area, you're tasked with reaching a certain building. To reach the bridge connected to it, you need to cross an intersection that's being guarded by a Molotov throwing scavenger and his buddy, who's armed with a powerful rifle. You can rush them, but the enemy with the rifle will carve a huge amount of health out of you if you're not careful or quick enough. So instead, you can circumnavigate the pair by going down a side street, crossing a reservoir by running along some pipes, and then climbing some scaffolding. Weaker enemies guard this path and it puts you directly behind the rifle-wielding enemy, allowing you to get an easy backstab and then take out their Molotov throwing companion.In The Surge, you could start out with a tank-like exosuit or nimble one to decide which type of character you wanted to play as. The Surge 2's environments allow you to switch up your strategy on the fly. If you think you're equipped to rush ahead, then you can, and the inclusion of alternative routes allow you to stealth your way into getting the drop on an enemy if you'd prefer a less direct approach. As environments are built with a more vertical focus as well, there are specific locations where you can ride a lift to change your latitude in relation to an enemy and then shoot them from afar with your drone--letting you take on a challenging foe from out of their reach.Enemies Are Pretty Much The SameThough combat in The Surge 2 is mostly an improvement over the first game, there is one area where it seemingly falls short. At least in the first three areas, The Surge 2 has very similar enemy types. Despite the diversity of those three areas--a prison, city streets, and a junkyard--the enemies are mostly human, all look like slight variations of each other, and all utilize similar battle tactics. The major difference between them comes through in the types of weapons they use and where on their body they're wearing armor, but the position of the environment has a larger impact on what type of strategy to use, not the enemies themselves.The Surge had machine, drone, zombie, and nanite enemies to change up combat in the latter half of the game, encouraging the player to evolve how they react to the world. Zombie enemies wouldn't come alive until you stepped near them, for instance, creating a need to be aware of corpse-looking piles in every new room, while nanite enemies would relentlessly keep attacking until they were overloaded--adding another consideration when encountering them within a crowd of enemies. It's disappointing to not see more unique enemy types in the early hours of The Surge 2. Hopefully, more will be added further into the story, as some of the battles near the end of The Surge 2 demo were beginning to feel repetitive.Info from Gamespot.com

Hearthstone's upcoming Saviors of Uldum expansion is introducing cards with enormous new effects, like our own reveal of the Mogu Cultist card. The 1-Mana 1/1 minion appears very weak on its own, but if you can gather lots of them together they summon the mega-powerful Highkeeper Ra.The result is a build-around card with a huge effect, but how do you even make it work? We talked with game designers Peter Whalen and Alec Dawson for their thoughts on how to pull off the Cultist combo, where the concept came from, and much more surrounding the Saviors of Uldum."This is a card for the people who think, 'I want to figure out how to make this crazy thing happen,' so here's this puzzle that's actually pretty hard to solve," Whalen said. "And if you do solve it, you get something truly amazing. There are players who really like that thing, so we try to make cards that appeal to them."The clearest way to solve the puzzle is to build a Rogue deck around copying your Mogu Cultists. The cards Togwaggle's Scheme and Augmented Elekk can make several copies of the Cultist and put them into your deck, but that still requires you to stay alive long enough to draw all seven Cultists.Whalen and Dawson pointed out that this could pair well with a card like the Rogue Legendary Tak Nozwhisker, which places copies of cards into your hand when you shuffle them into your deck. That could potentially give you seven copies of Mogu Cultist instantaneously, but it would require your hand to be almost empty when you pull off the combo. That would limit your survival options, making this a high-risk, high-reward strategy. If paired with a card like Baleful Banker, you could even play all seven Cultists and then add another Highkeeper Ra to your deck.Other classes have less obvious paths to pulling off the Mogu Cultist requirements. Whalen points out that Priest could use Resurrect spells, or other classes could use neutral replicating cards like Faceless Manipulator. "It's not easy," he jokes, but you could pull it off.The idea of having the player go through a lengthy ritual for a big reward was a design priority from the start, and it fits into the Indiana Jones-like flavor of the Uldum expansion as a whole."Highkeeper Ra is one of the [larger than life] stories we can tell here," Dawson said. "Unobtainable and so powerful that you had to go through this whole process. ... We wanted to create a ritual. It was actually in the [design] sheet pretty early, and it stuck around the entire time. It felt like you were playing a combo deck where you had something in mind the whole time."Whalen added that the idea is similar to another popular card, Rin the First Disciple. That Warlock Legendary card from the Kobolds & Catacombs set also had you go through a lengthy ritualistic process, ending in the huge effect of destroying your opponent's entire deck. Highkeeper Ra actually began less overpowered, doing only 10 damage instead of 20, but the designers felt he needed a bigger impact to justify jumping through so many hoops.The Saviors of Uldum expansion introduces or brings back a few other mechanics as well. A new Reborn keyword brings minions back to life with one health after death. We've seen very limited Reborn minions so far, and so far they've been in the small- to mid-range, but Whalen assures that the keyword will go on some big minions as well. Some new area-of-effect spells, like the new powerful Plague spells, were built to counter the new keyword.The expansion will also bring back Quests, a mechanic that hasn't been in Hearthstone since Journey to Un'Goro. Whereas old Quests gave you a card that could be played for a powerful effect, the new Quests will automatically trigger a new Hero Power upon completion. This isn't necessarily the roadmap for any Quests going forward, but it does help Blizzard balance these new Quests. Some of the previous Quests had a "huge spike in power," according to Dawson, so these new ones assure "there's still going to be a game afterwards."Hearthstone's Saviors of Uldum expansion launches on August 6. For more Hearthstone cards from the upcoming expansion, check out our full gallery of all the Saviors of Uldum cards revealed so far. Info from Gamespot.com

After numerous teases over the past couple of weeks, Team Rocket has finally invaded Pokemon Go. The villainous team was added as part of the title's latest update, but now Rocket grunts have actually begun appearing within the game, giving players around the world an opportunity to battle them and capture their new Shadow Pokemon.The Team Rocket grunts can be encountered at certain PokeStops. These locations will appear black instead of the usual light blue, making it easy to tell which ones hide a lurking Rocket grunt. Spin the Photo Disc at one of these PokeStops and the grunt will reveal themselves and challenge you to a Pokemon battle. The villains use the aforementioned Shadow Pokemon. Unlike a typical monster, Shadow Pokemon are surrounded by a dark aura, and each one knows the attack Frustration. If you defeat the Rocket grunt, they'll leave behind their Shadow Pokemon, giving you a chance to capture them. You can then spend Stardust and Candy to "purify" the monster, which will remove its dark aura, raise its stats, and replace Frustration with the attack Return.Team Rocket isn't the only new addition to Pokemon Go. A One Piece collaboration event is also now underway in the game, adding a Pikachu wearing Luffy's iconic straw hat. The special Pikachu will appear in the wild around the world until 1 PM local time on July 29. Niantic is also offering matching straw hat avatar items for your trainer through the in-game Style Shop.There's still a little more time to capture Pokemon Go's latest Legendary, Armored Mewtwo. The Legendary Psychic Pokemon will appear as a boss in five-star Raids until July 31. Unlike a typical Mewtwo, this version is donning the armor it wears in the Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution movie. It also boasts different stats and is capable of learning different attacks than a regular Mewtwo, so you don't want to miss your chance to add one to your collection.Info from Gamespot.com

While Marvel Studios unveiled a smorgasbord of plans for Phase Four of the MCU, the best was saved for last--Blade is getting rebooted. As revealed just before the company ended its Comic-Con panel, the vampire hunter will be played by Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) this time around. Though the news was shocking, former Blade star Wesley Snipes (Chi-Raq, Demolition Man, The Expendables 3) wants everyone to "chillaaxx."GameSpot sister site Comic Book got Snipes' thoughts on Ali's casting as Blade. "To all the DAYWALKERS losing their minds right now, chillaaxx. Although the news comes as a surprise, it's ALL GOOD," Snipes told the site. "Such is the 'business' of 'entertainment!' Much peace to the MCU crew--always a fan... So, 'nah fret nah worry, it's not de end of de story.'"In direct response to Ali donning Blade's swords and fangs, Snipes seems to be excited that someone as "beautiful and talented" as Ali is in the role. "Congratulations and Salaam to Mahershala Ali, a beautiful and talented artist whose expressions I look forward to experiencing for many years to come. Inshallah, we will someday work together," Snipes said. "Welcome to the Daywalker Klique."In between comments, Snipes was keenly aware to send all the love, "honor and respect to the grandmaster Stan [Lee]," who passed away late last year due to heart complications.There are currently no other details about the Blade reboot, including director, writer, or release date. However, Comic Book confirmed that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said the rebooted Blade will take place in Phase Five of the MCU.The Phase Four release rollout is just below, including movies and Disney+ TV shows. For a complete panel recap, check out our rundown on everything announced at the Marvel Studios panel.May 1, 2020 -- Black WidowFall 2020 -- Falcon and Winter SoldierNovember 6, 2020 -- The EternalsFebruary 12, 2021 -- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 RingsSpring 2021 -- WandaVisionMay 7, 2021 -- Doctor Strange 2: In The Multiverse of MadnessSpring 2021 -- LokiSummer 2021 -- "What If?" animated seriesFall 2021 -- HawkeyeNovember 5, 2021 -- Thor: Love and ThunderInfo from Gamespot.com