Overwatch's next playable character, Siebren de Kuiper aka Sigma, has been slowly teased throughout the weekend, and now his arrival has come--at least for those on PC. Blizzard has released full details on his set of abilities, and he's now available to try out on the Public Test Region (PTR).As shown in the story trailer yesterday, Sigma is an ambitious scientist who was severely damaged in an experiment. He gained the ability to manipulate gravity, but his mind was unstable and so he was locked away. Talon subsequently broke him loose and used him as a weapon. The scientist from the Netherlands is also one of the older characters on the Overwatch roster, at 62.Sigma is a Tank character--very important to note given the new Role Queue feature, where players attach themselves to certain roles when heading into a match. His basic abilities and Ultimate follow below.Sigma AbilitiesHyper Spheres -- launches two charges that implode and damage an areaExperimental Barrier -- can be propelled to any location and then recalledKinetic Grasp -- converts incoming projectiles to shieldsAccretion -- gathers debris and then throws it at an enemyUltimate: Gravitic Flux -- lifts nearby enemies into the air and then slams them back down onto the groundA livestream with Jeff Kaplan and Brandon "Seagull" Larned showed off Sigma in action just ahead of his release. For more details, check out his official bio page alongside the rest of the Overwatch cast. You can also watch us try him out in the gameplay stream above.Info from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is just a few months away, but more information about the upcoming first-person shooter keeps trickling out. Ahead of next month's multiplayer gameplay reveal, Activision pulled the curtain back on a new "robust weapon customization" system.A blog post on the official Activision website details the breadth of options available once the Modern Warfare reboot launches on October 25 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The system is called "gunsmithing" and it allows you to find "the precise type and style of firepower you require for any type of multiplayer game mode." You're allowed to customize both the Primary and Secondary weapons to your heart's content, changing things like muzzles, optics, magazines, and more. But there's a catch--you can only fill five slots on any given weapon. So, an assault rifle will have nine different areas--the muzzle, laser, optic, stock, rear grip, magazine, underbarrel, barrel, and a perk--but only five of them can be filled at once. No other details about gunsmithing were revealed, but the blog post claims that Modern Warfare will boast "an impressive array of options." The official Call of Duty Twitter account posted a teaser showcasing the many variations available thanks to gunsmithing. You can check out the video below.Loadouts locked. Gear up for the #ModernWarfare Multiplayer Gameplay Premiere on August 1st. pic.twitter.com/vJIMbPZRyE — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) July 22, 2019We got a chance to check out the game's new 2v2 Gunfight mode, noting that the mode "is an excellent reminder of what gives Call of Duty's multiplayer its lasting popularity." It's likely that this new mode and gunsmithing will make an appearance during Infinity Ward's livestream on Thursday, August 1 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST on August 1 (3 AM AET on August 2).Info from Gamespot.com

The summer heat is reason enough to stay indoors now that we're nearing August, but the PlayStation Store just dropped an even bigger incentive to spend some quality time with your PS4 this season: its annual Summer Sale with four weeks of deals. The sale includes markdowns on everything from AAA titles to critically acclaimed indies, and it's live now through August 20 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.You'll find some of this year's biggest games included, like Devil May Cry 5 for $39.59, Resident Evil 2 for $36, The Division 2 for $39, and Mortal Kombat 11 for $45. Fans of the Persona series will be pleased to see Persona 5 among the mix, with the standard edition selling for just $14 and the Ultimate edition, which includes bonus Personas, costumes, items, and more, on sale for $51. Other highlights include Battlefield V for $24, FIFA 19: Ultimate Edition for $25, Metro Exodus for $36, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony for $30. Plus, don't miss Monster Hunter World for $25, as its hefty Iceborne expansion releases in September.See some of our picks from PSN's 2019 Summer Sale below, and browse the full offering of deals at the PlayStation Store. Please note that if you have PS Plus, some of the below prices will be even cheaper for you.See all Summer Sale deals at PlayStation StorePS4 dealsA Way Out -- $18 ($30)Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown -- $36 ($60)Ark: Survival Evolved -- $17.49 ($50)Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $24 ($60)Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 Ultimate Bundle -- $9 ($60)Battlefield V -- $24 ($60)Bloodbourne -- $15 ($20)Borderlands - Game of the Year Edition -- $18 ($30)Borderlands: The Handsome Collection -- $15 ($60)Burnout Paradise Remastered -- $5 ($20)Danganronpa 1/2 Reload -- $20 ($40)Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony -- $30 ($60)Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin -- $10 ($40)Dark Souls III -- $15 ($60)Dark Souls Remastered -- $24 ($40)Darkest Dungeon -- $10 ($25)Darkwood - Special Edition -- $12.59 ($18)Dead Cells -- $17.49 ($25)Devil May Cry 5 -- $39.59 ($60)Disgaea 1 Complete -- $30 ($50)Disgaea 5 Complete Bundle -- $20 ($40)Divinity Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition -- $36 ($60)Dragon Age: Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition -- $12 ($40)Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 -- $15 ($60)Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition -- $15 ($20)EA Sports 19 Bundle -- $30 ($100)EA Sports NHL 19 -- $9.59 ($60)Enter the Gungeon -- $7.49 ($15)Fe -- $5 ($20)FIFA 19 - Ultimate Edition -- $25 ($100)God Eater 2: Rage Burst -- $15 ($60)Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Online Edition -- $15 ($30)Human Fall Flat -- $6.74 ($15)Jump Force -- $30 ($60)Just Cause 4 - Digital Deluxe Bundle -- $23.09 ($70)Kona -- $6 ($15)Life Is Strange 2 - Complete Season -- $30 ($40)Metro Exodus -- $36 ($60)Metro Redux -- $7.49 ($30)Monster Hunter World -- $25 ($50)Mortal Kombat 11 -- $45 ($60)Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom -- $20.39 ($60)Nier: Automata: Game of the Yorha Edition -- $26.79 ($40)Outlast Trinity -- $11.79 ($59)Persona 5 -- $14 ($20)Persona 5 - Ultimate Edition -- $51 ($85)Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 - Deluxe Edition -- $1.24 ($25)Quantic Dream Collection -- $12 ($40)Red Dead Redemption 2 -- $39 ($60)Red Dead Redemption 2 - Ultimate Edition -- $55 ($100)Resident Evil -- $8 ($20)Resident Evil 0 -- $8 ($20)Resident Evil 2 -- $36 ($60)Resident Evil: Deluxe Origins Bundle -- $20 ($40)Salt and Sanctuary -- $9 ($18)Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $19.79 ($60)SoulCalibur VI -- $20.39 ($60)Star Wars Battlefront II -- $7.49 ($25)Subnautica -- $19.79 ($30)Tales of Vesperia - Definitive Edition -- $25 ($50)Tekken 7 -- $15 ($50)Tetris Effect -- $24.79 ($40)Tom Clancy's Franchise Bundle -- $40 ($100)The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Complete Edition -- $15 ($50)Tom Clancy's The Division 2 -- $39 ($60)WWE 2K19 -- $15 ($60)PS3 dealsBeyond: Two Souls -- $3.49 ($10)Borderlands -- $5 ($10)Borderlands: Ultimate Edition -- $15 ($30)Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin -- $7.49 ($30)Persona 5 -- $14 ($20)Ratchet & Clank -- $9 ($15)Resident Evil 4 -- $5 ($20)Urban Trial Freestyle -- $3.49 ($7)PS Vita dealsDarket Dungeon: Crimson Edition -- $12 ($30)God Eater 2: Rage Burst -- $10 ($40)Salt and Sanctuary -- $9 ($18)Urban Trial Freestyle -- $3.49 ($7)Info from Gamespot.com

Academy Award nominee Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) seems to be getting busier. While voicing a brand new Rick and Morty character and taking the Thor: Love and Thunder director/writer reigns, the New Zealand filmmaker is closing 2019 strong with the satirical dark comedy Jojo Rabbit, which finally has a teaser trailer.Waititi took to Twitter to post the teaser while seemingly poking fun at both the language and nature of "teezer traylor[s]." The minute-long trailer shows a bunch of boy scouts doing very boy scout things: hammering sticks in the forest, jumping in a pool altogether, running with and away from Adolf Hitler. It's all in a day's work for the Hitler Youth in 1940s Vienna. You can check it out below.From "Visionistical" director, Teeka Wachichi, here's a "teezer traylor", for my anti-hate satire, #JojoRabbit, in theaters October 18. @rebelwilson @alfieeallen #ThomasinMcKenzie #RomanGriffinDavis @stephenmerchant #samrockwell #scarlettjohansson @jojorabbitmovie #visionistical pic.twitter.com/8o8X8cyJTD — Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) July 23, 2019Written and directed by Waititi himself, Jojo Rabbit is based on Christine Leunens' 2008 book Caging Skies, which follows a Jewish boy part of the Hitler Youth who discovers a Jewish girl hiding in a false wall of his parents' home. It stars Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect 3), Sam Rockwell (Vice), Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Stephen Merchant (Logan), and Thomasin McKenzie (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies). Along with leading the movie, Waititi plays a cooky Adolf Hitler.Jojo Rabbit is slated to hit theatres on October 18.In other news, Waititi's live-action Akira adaptation has been delayed due to "development concerns." A new release date has yet to be confirmed, but Waititi said in April 2018 that he has no intention of remaking the 1988 animated film. "A lot of the people freaking out haven't even read the books, and there are six gigantic books to go through. It's so rich."Info from Gamespot.com

Team Rocket has invaded Pokemon Go. After weeks of teases, the villainous trainers have begun appearing in the hit Pokemon mobile game following its latest update, and they come with Shadow Pokemon in tow--dark versions of monsters that feature glowing red eyes and a sinister aura.Just as in GameCube's Pokemon Colosseum, you can rescue these Shadow Pokemon from their trainers and "purify" them, but first you'll need to find the invading Team Rocket grunts and defeat them in a Pokemon battle. If you're unsure of where the Rocket grunts are lurking or how the process works, we've put together this handy guide to help you catch and purify Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon Go.Where To Find Team RocketTeam Rocket grunts are appearing around the world in Pokemon Go, but the villains aren't just hanging out anywhere; they can only be found at certain PokeStops. Fortunately, there are a few visual clues that indicate which Stops have been taken over by Team Rocket.First, the cube that denotes a PokeStop on the overworld map will twitch as though it were glitching out. Approach one of these PokeStops and you'll notice it is "discolored," appearing black instead of its normal shade of light blue. That's your cue that a Team Rocket grunt is lurking at the Stop. Spin its Photo Disc and the Rocket grunt will appear.At present, Team Rocket PokeStops are a rare sight, so your odds of coming across one are slim. When a PokeStop is taken over by Team Rocket, it will only be for 30 minutes at a time, giving you a brief window to battle the villains. You also need to be at least level 8 in order to encounter a Team Rocket PokeStop.How To Catch Shadow PokemonAfter taking a closer look with Spark, Professor Willow reported that Pokémon with some sort of mysterious aura were hanging around these discolored PokéStops. We hope they can get to the bottom of this! pic.twitter.com/MfzWa73WPN — Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 23, 2019 Once you've encountered a Team Rocket grunt at a PokeStop, they will challenge you to a Pokemon battle. As previously mentioned, each grunt will have a Shadow Pokemon, which is surrounded by a dark aura. Defeat the Rocket grunt in battle and they will leave their Shadow Pokemon behind, giving you an opportunity to capture it.How To Purify Shadow PokemonOnce you've added a Shadow Pokemon to your collection, you can choose to either keep it in its Shadow state or "purify" it. This can be done by exchanging a certain amount of Stardust and Candy from the Pokemon's information screen. While the Shadow Pokemon may look cooler, there are a few benefits to purifying them.First, purifying a Pokemon will cause its base stats to increase. Purified Pokemon will also require less Stardust and Candy to power up, and one of the moves they knew as Shadow Pokemon--Frustration--will be replaced by the strong Normal-type attack Return.Info from Gamespot.com

If you thought Monster Hunter Generations' Glavenus species were mean, try adding some acid to their DNA. That's exactly what Capcom has done in the new Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion, introducing the new Acidic Glavenus subspecies to the third-person action-RPG.A video posted to the official Monster Hunter YouTube channel states that the Acidic Glavenus "will test all aspects of your hunting skills and readiness." The new subspecies now has more precise control of its huge tail and debuffing abilities, making it far more deadly than the species already was. You can watch a player get knocked around without a moment to recuperate and catch their bearings in the video below.The Acidic Glavenus isn't the only subspecies coming to the Iceborne expansion. Along with Generations' Hellblade Glavenus, an electric version of the Anjanath and a "more vicious" version of the Odogaron will rear their heads. Capcom revealed that these new subspecies are "extreme, twisted variations that amp up the difficulty and require master-level hunting skills to defeat."Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will launch on September 6 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with PC to follow later this winter. You'll have to own the base game to access Iceborne, but Capcom is releasing a new Master Edition that bundles the two for $60 USD / $86 AUD / £48 GBP.Info from Gamespot.com

As long as the character of Harley Quinn has been around, there's been a discussion among Batman fans about her relationship with Joker, which is incredibly abusive. It was revealed in the 1994 comic The Batman Adventures: Mad Love that Harley was a former psychiatrist that fell in love with the Clown Prince of Crime, even though he regularly insulted and demeaned her--and held very little regard for her life.That's an aspect of Harley's history that was largely ignored in 2016's Suicide Squad, which saw Margot Robbie lay the character. However, the upcoming DC Universe Harley Quinn animated series, in which Kaley Cuoco voices the character, won't be shying away from it. Speaking at the TCA press tour, executive producer Justin Halpern explained, "That is something that we felt we needed to address in the show."Instead, Harley Quinn will deal with the horrible nature of the relationship as Harley removes herself from it in a bid to strike out on her own as a criminal queenpin. It's explored in the first episode of the series, which was screened at San Diego Comic-Con, but the aftermath of the breakup will seemingly reverberate throughout future episodes of the series."The idea was that we've all been in relationships with someone we felt maybe wasn't right for us, all the way to someone who was toxic for us," Halpern continued. "How you extricate yourself from that is really what this show is about. How you get out of that kind of relationship and figure out, 'What am I going to do now that I'm out of it? What do I want? I've been living somebody else's life for a really long time.'"So who will Harley lean on once Joker is out of the picture--or, rather, is kind of an enemy as she fights for control of Gotham City's criminal underworld? It's Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) that becomes the character's closest ally and friend, taking a page from the comics.It should also be noted that Harley Quinn is a very violent and vulgar animated series with blood flying as freely as the foul language. So while it likely isn't the right animated series for kids, it's refreshing to see this show deal with the incredibly problematic relationship between Joker and Harley, rather than simply treating it as an in-universe status quo.Harley Quinn will premiere later this year on the DC Universe streaming service.Info from Gamespot.com

It's been about two years since the initial release of Fortnite, and as it did last year, Epic Games plans to celebrate with an in-game birthday event. For Battle Royale players, this will kick off soon and run for one week, adding some birthday-themed elements and offering special rewards--and presumably challenges--for a limited time.The Fortnite Birthday Celebration event begins on July 24 and runs until July 31 (coinciding with the end of Season 9). As referenced in the newest Fortnite patch notes, birthday cakes and birthday presents will both be added to the map in Battle Royale. The presents can be opened for various in-game loot, while the cakes can be eaten to gain health and shields. Although the event begins on July 24, these two elements won't arrive until July 25.Also part of the Birthday Celebration is a bit of an overhaul to the Battle Bus, which will be adorned for the occasion and will have a music track to match.A pickaxe, wrap, and "more cosmetics" will be available during the event, although Epic has not yet shown off what these rewards look like or how you'll earn them. The safe assumption is that birthday event challenges will be offered. According to a dataminer, these will be fairly straightforward, with the exception of one that involves dancing in front of birthday cakes, which players were asked to do last year, too. Completing each challenge will reportedly net you a corresponding reward, while doing all four will earn you a fifth reward.These are the Birthday Challenges #Fortnite (via/@HYPEX) pic.twitter.com/G14my0urRQ — Guille-GAG // Fortnite Leaks (@Guille_GAG) July 17, 2019Datamined Fortnite Birthday ChallengesPlay matches (10)Dance in front of different Birthday Cakes (10)Outlast opponents (100)Gain health or shield from Birthday Cake (50)This event coincides with the Birthday Event in Fortnite's Save the World component and the introduction of Overtime challenges in Battle Royale, both of which are already live. The latter present some mostly simple objectives for players to earn last-minute XP before Season 9 ends. Season 10 is expected to follow, possibly as soon as August 1, although Epic has not yet announced a specific launch date or details.Fortnite first officially launched in July 2017 with what's now known as its Save the World mode, a PvE experience which remains in paid early access. The popular free-to-play Battle Royale mode followed later that year in the wake of PUBG's massive success, and it's this component of the game that has elevated Fortnite to its incredible heights. Fortnite, and Battle Royale in particular, continues to evolve on a regular basis, with one of its most recent events taking the form of a giant monster-robot fight.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite Season 9 is coming to a close very soon. The final set of weekly challenges from this season rolled out earlier this month, and a giant robot recently did battle with the monster that was once encased in ice beneath Polar Peak, changing the landscape of the island and setting the stage for Season 10 to begin in August.Before we get there, however, developer Epic Games still has some Season 9 content in store for players. Not only is there a Fortnite birthday event coming up this week (which is expected to introduce its own assortment of tasks to complete and rewards to unlock), the studio has released a set of Overtime challenges. These tasks encourage players to make the most of the remaining time in Season 9 by powering through Battle Pass levels and unlocking cosmetics.The first set of Overtime challenges is now live across all platforms, with additional tasks on the way over the next few days. Like weekly challenges, these are divided up into two categories, one of which is available to everyone, while the other is reserved for those with a Season 9 Battle Pass.We've rounded up all of the Fortnite Season 9 Overtime challenges available so far below. Check back often, as we'll continue to update this list as more challenges become available. If you need a little assistance with some earlier missions, you can check out our comprehensive Fornite Season 9 challenge guide, which we've been updating with guides and helpful information from the very start of the season. It has everything you could possibly need to know to get caught up fast.Fortnite Season 9 Overtime ChallengesBattle PassStage 1 of 2: Reach Battle Pass tier 23 -- Skin reward Stage 2 of 2: Complete free Overtime challenges (3) -- Skin rewardStage 1 of 2: Reach Battle Pass tier 71 -- Skin reward Stage 2 of 2: Complete free Overtime challenges (6) -- Skin rewardStage 1 of 2: Reach Battle Pass tier 87 -- Skin reward Stage 2 of 2: Complete free Overtime challenges (9) -- Skin rewardFreeEliminate others with the assistance of a Friend in your party (25) -- 2,500 XP rewardDamage opponents with shotguns [try Party Assist!] (2,500) -- 2,500 XP rewardVisit Loot Lake, Polar Peak, and Pressure Plant -- Ready to Fight loading screenVisit Loot Lake, Polar Peak, And Pressure PlantMost of the initial Season 9 Overtime challenges are fairly straightforward, but the one that'll require the most legwork asks you to visit three different locations: Loot Lake, Polar Peak, and Pressure Plant. Fortunately, this task is easy enough to complete. All you need to do is make your way to the aforementioned locations at some point during a match. You don't need to visit all three within a single round, so you can land in one, get yourself eliminated, then jump into a new match and glide to the others until you've visited all three. Complete the challenge and you'll unlock a special loading screen for your troubles.Info from Gamespot.com

New story details and images for Vader Immortal: Episode II have been revealed. The Star Wars VR experience sees you take control of a nameless salvager who's been captured by Darth Vader."You will get to use the Force in Episode II," Vader Immortal director Ben Snow said in an interview with StarWars.com. "The way we thought about this was, we wanted to give you the Vader equivalent of Yoda teaching Luke about the Force in Empire Strikes Back. So we wanted it to be slightly darker and more twisted. He talks about the power of the dark side as well as the things you can do with the Force."In Vader Immortal: Episode I, your character is captured by the Galactic Empire and taken to Vader's castle on Mustafar--first seen in the movies in Star Wars: Rogue One. After escaping from the castle's prison, you discover a lightsaber and attempt to sneak your way to freedom. Things ultimately don't go very well for you though, and Vader discovers you. Impressed with your skill with a lightsaber, the Sith lord makes you his apprentice--although seemingly only temporarily as you're just a means to an end for him."Our goal is to make the Force in Episode II as satisfying as the lightsaber felt in Episode I," Snow said. To that end, you'll primarily be using the Force--and not a lightsaber--to defend yourself and take on the enemies you encounter in Episode II.New concept art for Vader Immortal: Episode II (embedded above) reveals that the next chapter of the story will include more scenes of Black Bishop as well. Introduced in the first episode, Black Bishop is helping Vader discover the secrets to mastering death, most likely to revive Padmé Amidala. "[Black Bishop] becomes quite important in Episode II, and we learn about his background," Snow said.Vader Immortal is canon in the Star Wars expanded universe of stories, taking place directly after the events of Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire (between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One). The VR experience is available for Oculus Quest. A release date for Vader Immortal: Episode II has not been announced.Info from Gamespot.com

"Physical software is being disrupted with digital, therefore GameStop is dead."This line, or some approximation of it, is a popular comment in discussions about retailer GameStop's fortunes and future. It's one that GameStop chief customer officer Frank Hamlin brought up and acknowledged in recent interview.But it's a short-sighted and incomplete story of GameStop's outlook, he believes. Hamlin spoke with GameSpot recently about the present and future of GameStop. The conversation takes place with the backdrop of tough times of late for the Grapevine, Texas-based outfit.The company's share price is at close to an all-time low, hovering around $4 currently. That's down from around $55 back in November 2013 around the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and it's down from a high of $60 USD back in 2007. It's clear the company has seen better days.Hamlin, who returned to GameStop in August 2018 following his initial run at the company as chief marketing officer from 2014-2016, told GameSpot that it's too simplistic--only an "inch-deep" analysis in his words--to say that GameStop is doomed because of the proliferation of digital games and services.He spoke to us about how GameStop is pushing even further into the collectibles category, while he also expanded on GameStop's plans to become the "local church" or "Mecca" for gamers through its in-store educational campaigns including its partnership with Complexity Gaming for gaming workshops. Not only that, but GameStop is branching into a new area with its launch of prototype stores with very different layouts; the company is also experimenting with stores that only sell retro games and wares.Physical game sales are still big business. But the percentage of game sales that are digital are increasing at all the major publishers. Not only that, but digital subscription services are poised to take a bigger share as offerings like Xbox Game Pass, Uplay Plus, and EA/Origin Access, along with Google Stadia and Microsoft's xCloud coming in the future. There is a generally agreed-upon expectation that video games will eventually edge closer and closer to the movie, TV, and music industries that skew even higher toward digital and away from physical. Hamlin says GameStop remains agnostic in regards to meeting the consumer wherever they want to be and however they want to spend their money. When the video game industry more fully adopts digital, it will need a distributed sales force, and Hamlin maintains that GameStop is well-positioned to deliver that.At the same time, Hamlin points out that the video game business is unlikely to embrace digital completely anytime soon. Microsoft's new console, Project Scarlett, is capable of delivering 8K graphics, and this could make a game like Red Dead Redemption II balloon to a 400 GB file size, Hamlin estimated (this is only a speculative projection, however). This, combined with internet connections not being available or capable everywhere, means that discs will remain popular for some time to come, Hamlin argues. Not only that, but games to some people are similar to tattoos or trophies on the shelf; something to collect and look at daily. The idea of owning a physical product will continue to be important for some portion of the game-playing audience, he believes.GameStop is experiencing some friction in this new, more digital world, however. The company is refusing to sell Microsoft's all-digital Xbox One S. Hamlin declined to go into specifics as to why, but he said conversations are ongoing as to how the two companies can come to terms.Also in the interview, Hamlin teased that the retailer is investigating, at least in a preliminary stages, a manner in which it might be able to re-sell digital games. He also spoke about GameStop's recent decision to wind down ThinkGeek, what happened with the GameStop sale discussions, and what it means to have a new CEO, George Sherman, at the helm.You can read our interview with Hamlin below; it's been edited and condensed for clarity. The interview took place the same day as Nintendo announced the Switch Lite. All of the answers are from Hamlin excerpt where noted.The Nintendo Switch Lite model was announced over night. I was wondering if you had any reaction to that first, before we dive into the questions. Hamlin: We're incredibly excited about it. I think it's a real opportunity to grow the Switch penetration within a family. I think it's really also a good adjunct if you haven't gotten into the Switch yet, as a way to get into the Switch ecosystem, if you're presently playing on other systems. We're very excited about it.You guys were obviously trying new things. One of which is the further investment into eSports. Can you talk to me about your thinking behind that, and what kind of opportunity you see going forward in esports specifically?What you'll learn about me ... Sometimes helpfully, and sometimes to my own detriment I speak in tongues, and metaphors, and clumsy analogies.You go to E3, you go to Comic-Con, you go to these places, and you see the people at those events celebrate video game culture in real life. It is a really powerful thing to witness. My question around GameStop is, if you take the analogy of that Vatican, or Mecca, or the Wailing Wall, why isn't GameStop the local church, synagogue, or mosque?A similar analogy I think is appropriate when it comes to esports. esports is no secret at all, but it's this massive cultural phenomenon. It is punching way above its weight I would argue, in terms of its cultural importance. It is attracting a boatload of eyeballs. The breath of those eyeballs is predominantly folks who are gamers themselves. If you go to an Overwatch League event, you will see virtually 60, 70 percent of the audience is somebody who is a hardcore Overwatch player.If that Overwatch League, to use a similar analogy is, the equivalent of the NFL in traditional American sports... Why isn't GameStop the amateur sports, YMCA, Pop Warner league, that's taking advantage of the long tail of all of the consumers who enjoy video game competition, but don't have a forum to do it? The strategy for GameStop esports is to become that virtual Pop Warner league for esports. It's not about the professionals, in the sense that we're running a sponsorship, and we're glomming off of the professionals to get name recognition for the GameStop name.Rather, what we're doing is harnessing the expertise that those individuals have in playing the game, and presenting that exclusively to our customer base so that they can learn to become better competitive players themselves.Obviously related to that is your investment in your Performance Center, and then your gaming clinics for top pros in competitive games. Can you talk about why you wanted to move in that direction in terms of ... what you just said, but as it relates to, there's a lot of this content that people can find on YouTube, or other places where they look for tips and tricks. What does GameStop offer maybe people can't get elsewhere?Well, as we move forward into this, it's going to be an almost curriculum-based education. It's a lot more formal instruction as we get into a given game, and we're going to go into it more deeply. As you move forward into us becoming the cultural center of gaming in every neighborhood, and we're the local church using that metaphor.Eventually we will be hosting tournaments and education. In there consumers will be able to badge themselves as, "I'm a green belt, yellow belt, or black belt in Fortnite. I've been through a training regiment." Much like somebody who goes to, here's an Australian analogy, John Newcombe's tennis camp in Texas, and comes out of it they're a better tennis player.They may or may not have any desire to become a professional tennis player, but they're trying to become the best tennis player they want to be. Given their time, and money constraints, and how interested they are, and then their own physical limitations.The Complexity center, what that is, is a beehive of activity for us. Another analogy is we're the Jimmy Kimmel Show, or the Jimmy Fallon Show. That's the studio. That's the streaming center. A lot of the content that we're going to be producing is with the Complexity team, but we've also done partnerships with team Envy, with Optic Gaming. We've already hosted over 250 tournaments online. We've partnered with the Collegiate Starleague. All of these things are building the foundations so that we become, part and parcel of how an amateur competitive player goes down their journey of game competition.The bet that we're making is people doing these things in real life is a more fun, obviously more visceral, and more meaningful experience. We've seen a lot of investment from other retailers and publishers in general into eSports. It's not always a money-making initiative. Is this going to be something we see on GameStop's bottom line ... Are you making money from this, or is this more a marketing effort?I'm a marketer so marketing makes money. The initial money making of that is ... we're aggregating an audience, building a community, building magnetism within that community, becoming an authority within that community. Which has a hail effect in terms of traffic, and sales to the core business. As we get into new conceptual store designs, and those kind of things, I think you'll see ways that it's more thoroughly monetized.Right now it's ... Think of it just like you would running a social media channel. It's a worthy marketing expense, and we can measure ROI on it, but the ROI is the magnetism, and the relationship that you build with that consumer, and measure that over the lifetime of that customer.Obviously it is a rich, massive market, with lots of interesting storylines and things like that. I think everyone is coming together with it now, trying to figure out best practices.It's very much a brave, new world. I don't think there is an [anyone involved in eSports] there that would say, "The future full revenue model of eSports is fundamentally known at this point." I will say, as a retailer, I'm not interested in doing sponsorships that get me a logo in front of a bunch of eyeballs. I'm interested in doing activations that generate foot traffic, and magnetism to my brand, and my location. I think it's actually a great sponsorship for that, when you look at who the consumers of the esports content are: is they're players themselves. In regards to the way you'll be communicating this out, is this going to bet email blasted out to your PowerUp Reward members, or will it be associates in the stores? How are you getting this message out there?Yes. All of those notions. Through our app, through our communications at the store level, through our channels themselves. Much of it is also happening in partnership through the social channels, and influence ability of the team members themselves through Complexity's social channels etc.GameStop was in the news recently for the moves you made with ThinkGeek [to wind it down]. I think you've said part of this was a strategic business transformation aimed at helping secure your position in the future. What does that actually mean without all of the business legalese? Why did you make this move to scale down ThinkGeek in the way that you did?I think we've been public around our cost structure, our desire to focus more intently on gaming. ThinkGeek, it's a way to streamline our business platform. The products from ThinkGeek are still available. ThinkGeek.com is an experience that exists within the GameStop website. We're still operating ThinkGeek stores, and we're big proponents of ThinkGeek. Collectibles is a very meaningful business for us. This is just a business redundancy thing that you work through from a streamlining perspective."Collectibles as a component of our business is the highest growth component." -- HamlinAs you kind of just alluded to, is GameStop still committed to growing its toys and collectibles business? I think there was a statement put out years ago, that GameStop wanted to transition its business to have the mix be moving more towards toys and collectibles. Obviously not away from video games, but having toys and collectibles be a bigger and bigger mix of your sales. Is that still the case?That is very much still the case. Collectibles as a component of our business is the highest growth component. I would have to say it's our fastest growing business. It's a massive opportunity. The way forward I believe is to make GameStop this cultural center, and collectibles is very much a big part of delivering on that value proposition. There's souvenirs for your own gaming cultural passion, or pop culture passion.Is the main thinking there, the margins, or the opportunity profiles are just better on toys and collectibles, you're really doubling down on that? Is there any other reason you want to push so hard in that direction? Further to that, what specific plan do you have to grow this toys and collectibles business?We're just following customer demand, and there's insatiable customer demand for unique, personalized, interesting collectibles according to any individual fandom. The psychology of it is similar to a tattoo. Which is, these things help badge me as an individual unique, and separate from my best buddy who doesn't like the collectible I have. I think this is a burgeoning, cultural phenomenon that ... Yeah, there's definitely money in it. The money is because we're being customer centric in learning what customers are excited about consuming.I guess I'd also like to ask what are you hearing from consumers in any kind of surveys you put out about? The past few times I've gone into GameStop stores in America, and here in Australia as well at EB Games, you go in there, and it looks like GameStop is purely becoming a toys and collectibles business based on how much space they get in the store. What's your response to that kind of perception that maybe GameStop is becoming more toys and collectibles, and less video games?I don't think it's true. You look at the financials it's not ... it's the fastest growing category within the business. I don't think that the name of a company ... it's GameStop. The reason people [come into the store] is around video game releases, product releases etc. Collectibles are very much fun items to buy when you're in the store. They're not necessarily the main motivator for traffic to our stores.Obviously the toys and collectibles you sell now are coming from different companies. You've got Funko Pops to T-shirts, everything. Have you ever considered creating these things in your own centers, building these products on your own?That's a great idea. Yes. That's very much in consideration. I think you need only look, there's numerous businesses out there that play a very interesting role in customized collectibles. Clearly we think that's a potential opportunity for us."When the industry moves to digital subscriptions, and all of those things, the industry will need a distributed sales force to do that, and we think we play a very vibrant role in doing so." -- HamlinThe video game industry is increasingly moving towards digital in almost every sector. How is GameStop adapting, or evolving its business model to follow this?We believe that we are the distributive sales force for the industry. We have 3700 locations in the United States that are within a car ride, or skateboard ride in 85 percent of the U.S. population. Within those stores are 40,000 associates that are dedicated exclusively to video games, and video game culture. Clearly an eyes wide open industry. The consumption of digital in many cases is an appropriate occasion for the consumer. In other instances the consumer wants physical. We are agnostic as to how a consumer wants to consume. What we know, and what every partner in this ecosystem that we partner with knows, is that we are the proselytiser for the industry that helps create discovery, and awareness of new IP.And, [we help] direct the consumer with a real human being that understands human motivations as to what's the next appropriate game for me to buy, or console for me to buy, or accessory for me to buy, or collectible for me to buy. When the industry moves to digital subscriptions, and all of those things, the industry will need a distributed sales force to do that, and we think we play a very vibrant role in doing so.Related to that we just saw Microsoft release a console without a disc drive. Which was a big deal, because they were one of the first to do that. Is that something you're excited about?We're absolutely excited about it. We're not presently selling it. Microsoft is a wonderful partner, and we are in conversation about how that could be a possibility. Is there any update that you can provide on what those conversations are like? What would Microsoft have to do? Would it be come kind of digital attach ... what would make it more attractive for you?I don't want to get into it, but it's in the negotiations. I'm sure you can understand that.Another question about digital would be, as you alluded to, there's a lot of streaming services coming out that are poised to be potentially the next big sector in games. Is that something that GameStop ... given your relationship with so many publishers around the world. Theoretically it seems GameStop would have the infrastructure, and the expertise to be able to work in a space like that. what are your thoughts on getting into subscription based gaming, or if you're not doing it what are your thoughts in general?We believe that ... Exactly as what you described, we're agnostic as it relates to the consumer and how a consumer wants to consume gaming. We're also agnostic as to all of our wonderful vendors in the ecosystem. We're an interesting match-maker between those two constituencies, because any other channel that you go through for a subscription is going to be somewhat myopic according to the content creator. That's not how the consumer wants to ingest the subscription we don't believe. We feel that we have the relationship with the customer to design the appropriate subscription that bundles the right games from multiple publishers, and the first-parties. Yes, we think that's an enormous opportunity for us.Something else that comes up in this more digitally focused world, is that GameStop's lucrative business model of buy-sell-trade doesn't exactly carry over or adapt in a digital world. What's your thinking on maybe potentially evolving the buy-sell-trade model, could this ever work in a digital landscape?Yeah. There are companies out there, that right now are experimenting with using blockchain as a notion of provenance within digital gaming. It's not necessarily a path that we desire to go down in the short run, but it's something that's interesting, and we're keenly aware of and watching it. The other thing that I would point out is, there is a rabid continual used business in hardware, accessories, controllers, headsets, etc. I don't see that business going away for a very long time. We are an enormous purchaser of used mobile phones, used electric devices that creates trade currency that ploughs back into your digital experiences.I agree that as the world gets more digital, physical software as a pre-owned source of revenue is not as important as it used to be, but there's plenty of other categories where they're extremely vibrant. As you get into the next console cycle, the ability to trade in an old console for a new cycle for a new console is a really compelling proposition.I think you've said in the United States, you have the biggest share of new console sales. It must be a very exciting time for you guys now. Looking to next year when these new consoles are said to be coming out, in addition to the fact that, they both said they're both going to have disc drives. Do you have a response to these new consoles coming, and what it means for your bottom line, and your thinking going forward?It's widely known in the industry ... the customer behavior associated with the release of a new console. As you get right up to the release of the console, developers hold back on releasing games, because they want to release it on the latest and greatest technology, the best video card, best processor speed etc. We're keenly aware of that nature of this business, and very much prepared to help initiate the new relationships with all of the video game world as these things come out. To comment on the disc drive notion ... I think both Microsoft and Sony are keenly aware that the consumer needs that optionality. We're very much a believer in helping our customers and our guests ... sell them a physical game when they want it, because there are occasions, and we know through our research the main reason folks wouldn't want a physical video game is when it's a compelling experience they know they want to remember for a long time, it's much like a collectible. They like the collectability, the trophy on the shelf.That tangibility is something that's extremely important for the right game experience. Not giving the customer the privilege of having that is something I think both Sony and Microsoft are aware, would be a foolish thing to do."These games become more and more immersive, and as they do their file size gets exponentially larger." -- HamlinThe technical notion of this as well is ... Sony hasn't technically announced, but Microsoft is announcing [Project Scarlett is] an 8K experience. It's a geometric increase in file size when you go to the number of pixels, and then multiply that times time over the game. The file size is going to be geometrically larger for an 8K experience. Then means transfer from that large file size ... Unlike movies, these are massive, massive files. For the larger, more immersive games, I think a physical experience is actually going to be a better get-you-gaming quicker experience, even on increasing bandwidth speed. Which remains to be seen.I think that's why the customer doesn't want to throw away that optionality. It's not like movies, where the file size of a movie is pretty much the same file size for every year after. These games become more and more immersive, and as they do their file size gets exponentially larger. Just stepping back a bit. You guys obviously have new CEO George Sherman now running things. Can you talk about what's new, and what's changed? I think I heard in a past interview, you said he is myopically and maniacally focused on gaming. Certainly, Gen Zs and millennials, just the way that they go through life... I've got a son who is a big Fortnite player, and Fortnite, for him, has become almost as much his social media forum than it is just the fact that he's playing the game. It's the way that he interacts with this friends. Which is a really interesting, important role that video games now are playing, and as this industry evolves and becomes more intertwined in the fabric of our lives, that's an enormous opportunity. The role for a specialty retailer, to me, is an incredible optimistic role and we just have to re-envision ... where this world is going, and what is the retail experience that moves to how consumers intertwine gaming into their everyday life. We think the bet that we're making is this cultural center of gaming bet, and George is 100% a proponent of that. And so to me, it's very exciting to have him on board.And then on your own personal career trajectory. You're obviously at GameStop. You left and then you came back. What was it that encouraged you to come back? What was the opportunity that you saw at GameStop?It's that very thing. I wasn't... and this gets in the business strategy, but this is a personal comment... the notion of diversification, to me, was leaving an opportunity on the table, which is, in any business, you have only so many resources and where do you deploy those resources. And I felt like our resources were better deployed within the category that got us there, rather than trying to deploy those resources elsewhere. And through conversations ... through George coming back... this myopic, maniacal focus on video gaming is the thing that's attracted me back, because I fundamentally believe that that's where the opportunity lies.And we have millions of customers we already have a relationship with. We already have traffic track patterns dealt with, and we just need to rethink what's the magnetism between our stores, our associates, and those customers. And I think there's an incredible way forward for that. As you look forward to the future of the business, do you see GameStop retaining its existing level of scale, in terms of headcount and store count? Just basically, what are your ambitions, in regards to scale?I'd say that's a first derivative question, and the first question should be, "What is the role of GameStop in the brave new world of modern digital video gaming?"And once we've answered that question, then the first derivative question is, so what does that mean, in terms of what is the appropriate size of the store, what is the appropriate footprint of stores, how many locations do you need, et cetera, et cetera. If you put a gun to my head right now, I would say that the way we are distributed is a very appropriate way to be the local church, which is... it's a very flexible real estate model with small boxes that are extremely convenient, and they're not in places that are hard to park. And you can just go right up to it. If you want to sit down and play some games, you can do that. If you want to attend the cosplay event, you can do that. It's all just very, very convenient and conducive to being a cultural center in every neighborhood. I would knock that chip off my shoulder, before I said we would need to fundamentally change the architecture and footprint of our store.There was a period of time last year when you... obviously pursued a sale to an outside company. People were speculating, in numerous ways, about what this could have meant. Is there anything more you can say about that process, now that you're on the other side of it? Obviously not looking for business particulars or anything like that from the inside, but just at a high level, what was this all about and what have you learned, now that it's over? I wasn't here when that happened. I didn't return until August of '18. Anything I'd say, it would be speculation at this point. The thing you said, I don't think is necessarily true. I think we were approached, I don't think we were pursuing.[Joey Mooring, Senior Director Corporate Communications]: As you probably saw on the news during that time period, third-parties that were interested did approach us. As a publicly traded company, we have to entertain all those opportunities, explore what's right for the shareholders, and for the business. And so as we engaged with those third-parties doing their due diligence, when the decision was made... we announced that they were not able to secure the financing that they were looking for, we realized that we had, as Frank shared with you, we see opportunities to continue to grow and expand our presence in the gaming industry, and really growing our collectibles and toys business. We saw that as a viable opportunity for us to really focus and double down on video games. And that's where we're marching. That's the story that we told, once we shared with the folks in Wall Street that the conversations had ended.Would you be open to these kind of acquisition talks again in the future? Or as you said, it's just something you have entertain as a publicly traded company. But is that door shut going forward, or would you still consider those things?[Joey Mooring, Senior Director Corporate Communications]: We don't really get into the practice of speculating on what-ifs and look-what-happens. I just would say that again, as a publicly traded company, you pursue those opportunities and avenues that make sense for the business and for its shareholders. As far as speculating what the future holds and what opportunities... it's truly not a practice that we do.Okay. And then Frank, one of the things that you've said in a previous interview was, Wall Street overlooks or doesn't completely understand the impact of lower income gamers, who oftentimes pay in cash, as opposed to card. So I was just wondering, what's your response to those? After telling me everything that you've said today, what's your response to those people on Wall Street or in general who doubt GameStop's ability to turn things around and get back on a good path?I don't want to take issue with it. I think it's an inch-deep kind of analysis that says the old business model was based on physical software. Physical software is being disrupted with digital, therefore GameStop is dead. I think there's a lot more there there, and it starts with the human relationships that exist and are incredibly magnetic, and continue to be incredibly magnetic ... between our store associates and our customers. And the reason customers love the GameStop brand is that associate that's in that store, and it's a... often a dumb analogy, but it's the sherpas that help each individual get up whatever gaming mountain they're trying to climb. That is the beauty of GameStop, and I think that's... not an impenetrable fortress, but I think it's pretty damn close to impenetrable.And then a lot of the analysis is yes, on the shift to digital, like we're just talking about the new console. Imagine... Red Dead Redemption [2], I think last year was well over 100 gigabytes. Imagine Red Dead Redemption at 8K. I think it's more than double the size.From what I understand, and I'm not a technical individual, but I think it's probably something like four times the size to get to 8K. So then you're talking a 400 GB file. If you're low income, imagine the bandwidth cost that you have to pay to be able to have a decent download experience for 400 GB. And then go run the model on how many people have that level of bandwidth in the world.Yeah, I mean I can just speak to here in Australia, specifically. The Internet is not as great as it was back home in America. So yeah, and this is a major market in this part of the world.Yes. The point is, these are huge files. Certainly AAA games. Info from Gamespot.com

Madden NFL 20's official release date is August 2, but with the way EA games work, you can start playing much earlier if you're willing to pay extra. EA Access subscribers can start playing a trial of the game beginning on July 25. EA Access has been available on Xbox One since 2014, but the service launches on PlayStation 4 this week, so owners of Sony's console can play Madden NFL 20 early as well through EA Access. Madden NFL 20 is also launching on PC, and those with memberships to Origin Access can start playing early, too. There are reports online that Madden NFL 20 early access through Origin Access Premier begins July 24, but this is seemingly unconfirmed.If history is any indication, the Madden NFL 20 early access trial on console and PC will let you play the full game (or presumably most of it) for a set number of hours, the exact number of which is unclear at this stage. All of your progress is likely to carry forward if you choose to buy the game outright. EA/Origin Access members save 10 percent on all EA digital content, which knocks down the price of Madden NFL 20's standard version from $60 USD to $54 USD. Another way to play Madden NFL 20 early is to pre-order one of the game's more expensive premium versions. The Ultimate Superstar ($100 USD) and Superstar ($80 USD) editions unlock three days early, beginning on July 30. These premium SKUs also include various in-game extras.Madden NFL 20 promises a series of updates and improvements. Among its most notable new additions is college football; a small selection of college football teams, including Florida and Oklahoma, are featured in the game's new Face of the Franchise career mode. You can check out a preview of the mode in the video embedded above. Also new for Madden NFL 20 are X-Factor super-abilities for some of the league's best players. Info from Gamespot.com

Quentin Taratino's ninth movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is opening in theatres this weekend. The movie stars a long list of huge names, but viewers won't get to see James Marsden as originally promised. Collider confirmed that Marsden played the actor Burt Reynolds in the film, but the part was cut for the theatrical version.Reynolds himself was set to play George Spahn, the owner of the Spahn Ranch and an associate of the Manson family. However, after Reynolds passed away, Tarantino recast the role with Bruce Dern.Marsden confirmed in June 2018 that he had a role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but it wasn't said what it was until this week. Collider's editor, Jeff Sneider, wondered aloud if Marsden's scene or scenes were cut from the movie following Reynolds' death. Whatever the case, Reynolds gets "Special Thanks" in the movie's end credits, according to Collider.Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the fading actor Rick Dalton and Brad Pitt as his stunt double; Margot Robbie portrays Sharon Tate. Daktona Fanning, Lena Dunham, Timothy Olyphant, Margaret Qualley, Austin Butler, Kurt Russell, and Damon Herriman also feature. Luke Perry also appears in the movie in his last screen role following his death.GameSpot's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood review scored it a 9/10."It succeeds immensely at being a fairy tale--a recounting of a time and place, an attempt to capture the essence of Hollywood's golden age, one that came to an end in 1969--but, maybe for Tarantino, never really ended at all," reviewer Michael Rougeau said.In other news, it was recently reported that DiCaprio was paid $15 million USD--or $5 million USD below his normal per-movie fee--to star in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. However, he could end up making $45 million USD or more when all is said and done. Info from Gamespot.com

The battle royale genre, or mode depending on how you think about it, continues to be immensely popular. Franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield have introduced battle royale modes, while battle royale games themselves like Fortnite and Apex Legends continue to dominate. One franchise that isn't jumping on the battle royale bandwagon for now is Gears of War.Multiplayer director Ryan Cleven told GameSpot that Gears 5 won't have a battle royale mode at launch. Developer The Coalition are "big fans" of battle royale as a genre, he said, adding that the studio will listen to feedback from fans and consider what to add after release."Gears 5 does not include a battle royale mode," Cleven said. "We're big fans of the battle royale genre, but we would want to ensure we bring a battle royale mode to Gears in a meaningful way. We're actively listening to our Gears community and will look to further evolve our game modes based on player feedback post-launch."The Coalition boss Rod Fergusson previously explained to IGN that the studio doesn't want to "chase" the battle royale genre just for the sake of getting in on the bandwagon. Meanwhile, Cleven told IGN, "As a fan of the genre I would love to see it, but bringing the intimate combat of Gears to the open kind of organic encounters of a battle royale is difficult. They're two very different modes of combat. It's not that it’s impossible. It's just to do it right would require really focusing on it."While Gears 5 doesn't have battle royale, the game features a series of other modes. These include the standard Versus multiplayer, along with Horde, Escape, and campaign--all of which can be played with friends. Not only that, but there is cross-play support between Xbox One and PC for them.Gears 5 launches in September, but The Coalition is inviting people to play early to test the Versus multiplayer mode through technical tests. The first was held last weekend, and the second one begins July 26. Info from Gamespot.com

It turns out, that sort of out-of-place Natalie Portman cameo in Avengers: Endgame was a little more important than we might have guessed. Portman, who hasn't played a major role in any MCU movie since 2013's Thor: The Dark World, is making her return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reprising her role as Jane Foster in Thor: Love And Thunder. There's one major caveat to go with her return, though: she'll be wielding Thor's hammer, Mjolnir.Director Taika Waititi took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con during the massive Marvel Studios panel to surprise fans. Moderator Jessica Chobot prompted Waititi with a question about what comic book storylines had inspired him, which Waititi was quick to answer. "When we were shooting Ragnarok, I was reading Jason Aaron's Mighty Thor, and it introduces female Thor [Jane Foster]. So, there's only one person who can do that."Natalie Portman herself then took the stage to massive applause, before being handed her own replica Mjolnir to really drive Jane's new MCU status quo home."This feels pretty good," Portman laughed, "I've always had a little hammer envy."Jane's turn as Thor came after Thor Odinson was rendered unworthy by a cosmically aware Nick Fury (don't ask), who confirmed that a villain named Gor the God Butcher, who believed all gods in the universe were fundamentally horrible and wrong, was "right." By whispering that simple phrase: "Gor was right," Thor found himself experiencing such a crisis of confidence that he could no longer lift Mjolnir.Thankfully, Mjolnir's powers have some strings attached, if you remember its inscription--"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." During Thor's crisis, Jane, who had actually been battling fatal cancer, was able to lift the hammer and become imbued with the powers. As a deity, Jane's cancer was also "cured," but only while she was in her Thor form, creating a dangerous catch-22 when she would revert back to her mortal self.It's unclear what the set up for Jane's transformation in the MCU will actually be, since as far as we know she has been in perfect health, but with Doctor Strange 2's introduction of the multiverse, it seems like anything and everything is possible.Thor: Love And Thunder will hit theaters on November 5, 2021. Info from Gamespot.com