Tripwire Interactive's first-person shooter, Killing Floor 2, is free-to-play now on Steam through Tuesday, June 25. The free weekend kicks off this summer's Back & Kickin' Brass event, which adds a new mode, map, and weapons, running through July 31. As is usually the case with Steam free weekends, if you like the game and want to keep playing, you can purchase it at a 67% discount to keep it in your library after the weekend ends, retaining any progress that you made.Play Killing Floor 2 for free on Steam this weekend »Back & Kickin' Brass adds a new gameplay mode called Objective, in which players must defeat waves of enemies while also completing particular objectives, such as delivering an object from one point on the map to another. It also adds a new map, the Steam Fortress, which is compatible with the Survival, Weekly, Endless, and new Objective gameplay modes, as well as new weapons, such as the Seal Squealer, which launches exploding harpoons.First released in 2016, Killing Floor 2 picks up from the story of the first game, in which a mad scientist unleashed an army of clone soldiers onto the UK. Several months following the events of that game, the plague of Zeds had spread around the world, causing global chaos. Most of the action comprises taking on waves of enemies, often culminating in a boss. In his Killing Floor 2 review, GameSpot's Miguel Concepcion found the single-player gameplay to be a little thin, but as a suite of multiplayer modes the game was perfectly satisfying.Info from Gamespot.com

Destiny 2's Eververse Store has caused some derision since the game's release almost two years ago. Most of the items in the premium currency shop, which includes cosmetic items you can purchase with real money, can be earned by playing, but the most efficient way to get many of them was to take part in a convoluted scheme of spending money and converting in-game currencies. Starting in September, though, that'll no longer be the case.In a new post on the Bungie blog, game director Luke Smith detailed how the developer intends to change the Eververse Store starting on September 17 with the release of the game's next expansion, Shadowkeep. One significant change deals with Bright Dust, one of the currencies used in the Eververse Store, which you can earn as you play. Because of the way the Eververse Store is set up, some items are purchased with Silver--the premium currency you purchase with real money--and others with Bright Dust. As Smith details in the blog, the best way to get Bright Dust right now is to buy items in the Eververse Store and "dismantle" them, which gives you Bright Dust in return--which you can then spend on new stuff in the store.That results in players spending money on stuff they don't want, so they can potentially unlock stuff that they do. Bungie doesn't want that, so starting with Shadowkeep, Bright Dust will stop coming from Eververse items; instead, it'll only be a currency you earn in-game for playing. You'll still spend your Bright Dust in the Eververse Store on cosmetic items, but the difference is, you won't have the incentive to spend money on Silver, to get Bright Dust, to unlock the items you want.You also will no longer have to spend Bright Dust to regain items you previously purchased. As it stands now, reclaiming Eververse items from your "Collections," the big database of everything you've unlocked in the game, requires Bright Dust. That won't be the case going forward; you'll instead re-buy your previously unlocked gear with Legendary Shards and Glimmer, the currencies you earn as you play.Another change comes with some of the items you can buy at Eververse. The store's current version of cosmetic armor pieces, which you earn in-game from random drops or purchase with Bright Dust, is going away--and that'll make it easier to get spiffy premium clothes for your Guardian.Right now, Eververse armor includes various perks, just like armor you earn in-game. But as Smith noted, Bungie has worked to make Eververse armor perks kind of, well, bad. That's to avoid a pay-to-win system, where if you were willing to put up real cash, you could unlock better armor than other players earn just for playing. As a result, a lot of the armor in the Eververse Store gets ignored. Starting in September, Eververse armor will instead get changed to "ornaments," or items that alter the look of other items. When you get an Eververse armor ornament in Shadowkeep, it will just change the look of the existing armor you're already using. You'll keep the perks and mods of the armor you got for playing while transforming its appearance to that of the Eververse item.Those changes fit with a recent overhaul to the Eververse Store that came with Destiny 2's last content update, the Season of Opulence. Bungie changed the store to offer a lot more one-off items for purchase with both Silver and Bright Dust, streamlining the process of buying the things you want, and lessening the game's reliance on Bright Engrams, which are a bit like loot boxes.It sounds like the changes coming in September will further separate Silver and Bright Dust items, so there's less overlap between them. That should make Bright Dust items a lot easier to earn just by playing while making real-money purchases a bigger part in acquiring premium cosmetic items.Info from Gamespot.com

The third annual Pokemon Go Fest took place in Chicago this past weekend, and as usual, developer Niantic held a series of Global Challenges during the event. As a reward for completing these challenges, the studio is making a variety of bonuses available in the game for a limited time, and it's also bringing the popular Legendary Raikou back to Raids for one day only.From now until June 25, players will receive twice the usual amount of Candy for capturing and hatching Pokemon. On top of that, Pokemon Eggs will hatch at half the distance they normally require. You're also guaranteed to receive one Rare Candy each time you participate in a Raid.Then, on Saturday, June 29, Niantic is holding a special Raikou Raid Day. On that day, the Legendary dog will reappear in Raid Battles from 4-7 PM local time, and you'll have a chance of encountering a Shiny Raikou. You'll also be able to receive up to five free Raid Passes during the event hours, which you'll need to participate in Raids. You can read more details about the Go Fest rewards on the official Pokemon Go website.In the meantime, you'll have another chance to catch Kyogre. The Legendary Gen 3 Pokemon has returned to Raid Battles until June 27, and this time, you may encounter its Shiny form when challenging it. Kyogre marks the second of three Legendary Pokemon Niantic is bringing back to the game. The final one, Groudon, will appear from June 27 to July 10.Niantic has two more Pokemon Go Fest events lined up this summer. The next one will take place in Dortmund, Germany, from July 4-7, with an event in Yokohama, Japan, following August 6-12. Even if you can't attend in-person, Niantic will hold Global Challenges during each event. Meanwhile, the game's next Community Day is scheduled for Sunday, July 21, although no further details have been announced yet.Info from Gamespot.com

After a long wait due to several delays, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has finally released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One (with its Nintendo Switch version dropping on June 25). If you're planning to grab the Metroidvania-style game on PC, here's a deal to put on your radar (or send to any friends who haven't bought the game yet). Bloodstained is $40 at full price, but Fanatical is currently offering the game for 21% off, which drops the price to $31.59. Plus, new Fanatical customers can save even more with GameSpot-exclusive promo code GAMESPOT25, which slashes an additional 5% off the price. If you've never shopped at Fanatical before, that means you'll get Bloodstained for $29.98--not bad for a new and highly anticipated game.To claim the deal, just add Bloodstained to your cart, and during checkout, you'll see a place to "redeem a coupon code" in the righthand sidebar. Enter GAMESPOT25, and you'll see the price drop to $29.98. But even if you're a Fanatical regular, it's worth noting $31.59 is still a great price (Steam is currently offering the game for $36). After completing checkout, you'll receive an officially licensed Steam key for Bloodstained that you can redeem right away.GET BLOODSTAINED: RITUAL OF THE NIGHT FOR $29.98 »Both the on-site deal and promo code discount will be valid until June 27 at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET (and 1 AM BST on June 28).Created by former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been marketed as a spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in terms of gameplay. The 2.5D, side-scrolling RPG follows the story of Miriam, an orphan who must fight her way out of a demon-filled castle using powers derived from cursed crystals on her body. Aside from Miriam, you'll also be able to play as Zangetsu from Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon at launch. A recent launch trailer also revealed Bloodstained will receive 13 free DLC updates post-launch, adding features such as local and online multiplayer, three new playable characters (including Shovel Knight), "nightmare" difficulty, speed run mode, character customizations, and more. Info from Gamespot.com

Having issues signing into Xbox Live right now? It's not just you. Microsoft has confirmed the service is down and suffering from issues right now, often producing the error code 0x87DD0006. This could mean you're unable to get online or play games on Xbox One, PC, and any other devices that rely on Xbox Live. These problems have lasted for several hours now, and we don't yet know how soon a fix might be implemented. [Update: Microsoft says it's beginning to see improvements, so you might now have luck getting online.]The news was confirmed on the Xbox Support Twitter account, which initially acknowledged reports of sign-in issues before delivering a more recent update that states, "We're currently still investigating error code 0x87DD0006 when attempting to sign into our services across devices, we appreciate your ongoing patience. We'll update again here, as well as our status page, when we have more info."We've caught your reports of sign-in errors on Xbox One and have sent this over to our engineering teams. We will update everyone here when we have information to share. Thank you for reporting. — Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) June 19, 2019The status page referenced in that tweet has slightly more encouraging news, stating, "We believe we have identified the issue causing some members to have problems signing in to Xbox Live. Thanks for your patience as the team works to resolve the issue." That update was posted at 1:58 PM PT.The page identifies the issues as impacting Xbox Live's "core services," which includes things like the ability to sign in--which is obviously essential for doing anything that relies on Xbox Live, such as playing games online or even accessing certain online-only games, like Fortnite: Battle Royale and Destiny 2.There's no word on when Xbox Live will come back online. We'll update this story when more details are shared. In the meantime, catch up on all the recent Xbox One news.Info from Gamespot.com

Season 2 of Apex Legends is just around the corner. The new season of Respawn's battle royale game kicks off on July 2, and as EA revealed during E3 2019, it'll introduce a new playable character to the game, as well as new skins, other cosmetics, and a few new weapons, which we've now learned some more details about.In a post on Reddit, Respawn's principal weapons designer on Apex Legends, Sean Slayback, discussed some of the weapon changes coming in Season 2, starting with the L-Star LMG--a returning weapon from Titanfall. The L-Star fires slower projectiles than other guns in the game; however, these projectiles are also much larger than normal, allowing players to get good hits in even if their aim isn't completely accurate.Respawn warns the L-Star will also overheat if you hold the trigger down too long; when this happens, the gun's lens will break and need to be replaced. The developer says this process "takes some time," so you'll need to be careful using the weapon. The gun also comes with a limited supply of ammo, and you won't be able to find additional rounds for it, so once you've run out, you'll no longer be able to use the gun.Beyond the L-Star, Respawn is also introducing two new hop-ups to the game in Season 2. The Disruptor Rounds are compatible with the Alternator and RE-45, and they dish out more damage to shielded enemies; the Hammerpoint Rounds, on the other hand, can be used with the P2020 and the Mozambique, and they deal increased damage to unshielded foes. Respawn is also adding new Energy Mag attachments for the Havoc, Devotion, and Triple Take guns.Additionally, Season 2 will introduce a new set of gold weapons in King Canyon; Respawn says the full list of these will be shared in the Season 2 patch notes. The developer is also making some other balance tweaks to the Arc Star and adjusting ammo stack sizes. You can read more details on Reddit.Season 2's new Legend is Wattson, a young technology prodigy who can lay down electrical walls and pylons. Like Fortnite, Season 2's Battle Pass will also be challenge-based, and Respawn is adding a new competitive Ranked mode. Season 2 is still a couple of weeks away, but ahead of it, dragons have started appearing in the game, potentially heralding some kind of world event ahead of the new season.Info from Gamespot.com

PLACEHOLDERInfo from Gamespot.com

Executives from Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, and mega-publisher Electronic Arts, appeared in a United Kingdom government committee meeting today where they got grilled by lawmakers over loot boxes and microtransactions in their games.The game executives, which included EA vice president of legal and government affairs Kerry Hopkins and EA UK Country Manager Shaun Campbell, as well as Epic executives Matthew Weissinger (director of marketing) and Canon Pence (general counsel) spend more than two hours answering all manner of questions about their games and how they handle loot boxes and microtransactions.EA's VP of legal and government affairs refuses to use the term 'lootboxes' in favor of 'surprise mechanics', compares them to Kinder Eggs, says they are not gambling and 'quite ethical'https://t.co/IbRqMwvJea pic.twitter.com/bJ8t3Fkib6 — Nibel (@Nibellion) June 19, 2019In one particularly interesting breakout, Hopkins says she sees loot boxes not as gambling, but instead as "surprise mechanics." This is similar to things like toys that come with surprises such as Kinder Eggs and Hatchimals. You can watch the breakout segment in the video embedded above.She also described EA's loot boxes--which are most popular and prominent in EA's sports titles with the Ultimate Team mode--are "quite ethical." She added that EA believes loot boxes do not constitute a form of gambling, as gambling commissions around the world have already said. People enjoyed being surprised, and this is no different in video games with loot boxes, she said.The executives from both EA and Epic also confirmed during the committee meeting that neither company works with psychologists or behavioural scientists to understand the mental state of the player.Fortnite's executives added during that they were taken aback by Prince Harry's comments about Fortnite being addictive. They also discussed how they are not interested in maximizing profit in the short-term but instead they aim to offer microtransactions that are "generous" and "sustainable."You can watch the entire broadcast here, and you really should to get a full and complete idea about the context surrounding their comments. It is a fascinating examination of loot boxes, microtransactions, and other topics that is well worth a watch for people interested in these subjects and hearing from two of the biggest companies in gaming.Earlier this year, the UK government announced it would launch an investigation into things like loot boxes, as well as game addiction and more, and this hearing was one part of that. This was only an oral evidence session, so it remains to be seen if any legislative action will take place. Info from Gamespot.com

Cyberpunk 2077 is finally releasing in April 2020, and it appears launch will be just the beginning for The Witcher developer's next big RPG. The game's UI coordinator, Alvin Liu, told Prima Games that he expects the game to receive expansions after launch, just like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt."We want to make sure everything's complete, but we also want to build open worlds," he said. "I know when I was playing The Witcher 3 and I finished everything, I still want to know what everyone was up to. I think we're going to have opportunities like that as well for Cyberpunk 2077."Throughout Cyberpunk 2077, players will encounter characters and see them develop over time. The ending to the main game will be "rewarding," Liu said, though there may still be room for additional storytelling just like The Witcher 3."So I don't want to spoil anything right now, but very satisfying story arc, right? You're going to see characters and you'll see them develop," he said. "You're going to see them go through conflicts and resolve those conflicts. It'll be a very rewarding ending. We're not withholding content, we're not withholding story for the future to try to, you know, monetize it or sell it in pieces or anything like that. You're going to get the whole, full value game here."The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt offered heaps of free DLC before it released two major paid expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.CD Projekt Red has yet to officially announce any expansions or post-release content for Cyberpunk 2077, which makes sense given the studio is focusing on preparing the base game for release.Cyberpunk 2077 launches on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on April 16, 2020. The Matrix actor Keanu Reeves plays a major role in the game, though unfortunately he won't sing. Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red's most recent game, The Witcher 3, is headed to Nintendo Switch.Info from Gamespot.com

New game consoles from Microsoft and Sony are in development, but the head of Bayonetta developer Platinum Games is not all that excited by them, apparently. Studio head Atsushi Inaba told Video Game Chronicle that the new systems, the PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett, are "more of the same.""It's OK. And by that I mean, I'm sure that things will move faster, graphics will be better and maybe it will be easier with less wait times… that's good for the consumer," Inaba said. "But it's more of the same, quite frankly, compared to previous generations. It's nothing that's disruptive or super innovative, if you ask me."Inaba went on to say that in the past, game consoles formerly featured "custom chips" that were not possible on PC. But today? "Now you look at it and they're just grabbing stuff that already exists," Inaba said.He pointed out that the Nintendo Switch uses the Tegra chip that was used in other systems before it, even if it was updated or changed in some ways. The PS5 and Project Scarlett, meanwhile, feature custom chips from AMD. We don't know all the specifics yet about each console, but both companies have said their new systems will offer things like backwards compatibility, ray tracing, and faster load times, while they will also apparently feature faster load times thanks to solid-state drives.Inaba said he's more excited about cloud gaming instead of "stuff that kind of already exists but has been repurposed to a certain degree.""That's why for me, things like cloud platforms represent innovation and something very, very different--they're platforms that excite me and where I feel there is a lot more innovation happening," he said.Project Scarlett is launching in Holiday 2020, while Sony's PlayStation 5--which has only been revealed at a high-level--is said to also release around that time.Platinum is currently working on a number of projects, including Bayonetta 3 which is coming to Nintendo Switch. Info from Gamespot.com

During the NHL Awards tonight in Las Vegas, EA Sports officially announced NHL 20, and the developer is promising some big changes for this year's instalment across gameplay, presentation, modes, and more. It appears to be one of the biggest and most substantial changes to the NHL series in years. EA released a lot of details about NHL 20, and to help make sense of it all we've broken it down by section into the key categories of things you need to know.Auston Matthews is NHL 20's cover starNHL 20 Cover StarAuston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs--a three-time All-Star and 2016 No. 1 overall draft pick--graces the cover of 2019's game. He had a monster debut season, scoring 40 goals and taking home the Calder Memorial Trophy for best rookie. In February 2019, the Leafs invested heavily in Matthews' future on the team when they signed him to a five-year, $58 million deal.RPM Changes And ImprovementsMoving to new gameplay features, EA Sports updated its Real Player Motion (RPM) technology with new "Signature Shots." This brings the unique shots of NHL superstars into the game, including Matthews' toe-drag wrist shot and PK Subban's heavy and powerful slapshot. Alexander Ovechkin's smooth-as-butter one-timer has also been brought into the game for NHL 20. Overall, EA Sports is promising "hundreds" of new shot animations.What could be a bigger update are changes to passing and puck pick-ups. In the past, players had to slow down to execute passes or perform skill moves. But now, these happen faster and more fluidly, according to EA Sports. Creative director Will Ho tells GameSpot that EA's playtests show that the speed of play feels faster, even if it actually isn't in practice. The overall aim is to replicate the speed of the real NHL, Ho says. Additionally, goalie AI has been changed with a "full offensive threat analysis" so players won't get as many cheap or scrappy goals.Doc And Eddie Are OutOn the presentation side, EA is changing things up substantially. Famed NBC commentators Eddie Olczyk and Doc Emerick are out, and the entire NBC licensing package is gone. The new commentators are Ray Ferraro (who appeared in previous NHL games as a rink-side analyst) and hockey broadcaster James Cybulski. Ho, the game's creative director, tells GameSpot that EA went with new commentators because they better represent the kind of youth and energy that fans want to see. Not only that, but they were able to record 300 hours' worth of commentary compared to 30 hours for Doc and Eddie due to their relatively busier schedules. Doc and Eddie are based in Chicago, and this was not very convenient for EA. Not only that, but Doc and Eddie were likely expensive, given their history in the league.Doc and Eddie are two of the biggest and best-known commentators in hockey, so some fans will surely miss them, but this is not uncharted territory for EA Sports. EA's Madden NFL series dropped Jim Nantz and Phil Simms from the franchise's broadcast booth in favor of lesser-known, more youthful commentators in recent years. With NHL 20, Ho says Cybulski and Ferraro have a more playful and lighthearted banter that comes across as more natural-sounding.Celebrity Commentators And New GraphicsAnother interesting element of NHL 20's broadcast package is that EA plans to bring in celebrity guests. Hockey fans will no doubt recall Snoop Dogg and Will Ferrell as his Anchorman character Ron Burgundy doing commentary for L.A. Kings games. It helped bring more attention to the sport of hockey, and EA appears to be attempting to do something similar with NHL 20.The developer isn't confirming any celebrity guest appearances yet, but a slide shown to GameSpot included people like Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell, Drake, and Wayne Gretzky.Also in terms of presentation, NHL 20's graphics and scoreboards will look different this year. You'll immediately notice that the scoreboard is now on the bottom of the screen, while there are brand-new overlays and motion graphics, too. Additionally, there are new sequences that aim to showcase the flashiest and most exciting moments in NHL 20. This includes "play of the period" and "play of the game" highlights that showcase those moments, as well as new celebration animations.NHL 20 Adds Battle RoyaleMoving to game modes, NHL 20 is adding battle royale--yes, really. Called "Eliminator" in NHL 20, this competitive mode is a "winner-take-all competition inspired by battle royale," EA says. It comes in two versions: Ones and Threes Eliminator.In Ones, 81 players compete against each other--though not at the same time--in what EA calls a "survival tournament" that plays out until one player wins. The Ones mode was introduced in NHL 19, and it features groups of three players duking it out solo. These matches will continue until one player is crowned grand champion. In the Threes variation of Eliminator, which is basically Squads from battle royale, teams of three will compete until one team remains.NHL 20 is not EA's first sports title with a battle royale mode, as FIFA 19 introduced its own version of battle royale. Pond Hockey Gets An Offline Mode And New VenuesOne of the biggest criticisms of NHL 19 was that its pond hockey mode, Ones, was only playable through online multiplayer. NHL 20 adds an offline, local multiplayer mode for Ones where players can compete against other humans or the computer. Also new for Ones this year is even more outdoor ponds to skate on, including one set on a glacier and another based on the Rideau Canal in Canada.Hockey Ultimate Team Adds Squad BattlesThe Hockey Ultimate Team mode, meanwhile, adds a feature called Squad Battles. Similar to Squad battles from FIFA Ultimate Team, this has players competing with their fantasy team against squads made by famous people like singers, athletes from other sports, and hockey influencers. Additionally, more Icon players are being added to Hockey Ultimate Team mode, bringing the total number of them up to more than 400.New Stuff For World Of ChelFinally, the online hub, World of Chel, is updated in NHL 20 with new weekly in-game events, called Chel Challenges, that players can complete to earn customization items and character XP. Some of the newly added items include ski goggles and various caps. In total, NHL 20 will offer more than 2,000 customization items for players to create a unique character.Hockey Is A Bruising SportOne element of ice hockey that is synonymous with the game is hitting and general physicality. It makes the sport exciting to watch in real life, and in the game the physics and collision engine adds to this as well. At the same time, there is a human cost to hockey's physical nature, as demonstrated recently and on a longer timeline with regards to head injuries and concussions.We asked Ho for his thoughts on EA's responsibility as a developer to making NHL 20 fun to play but also a game that respects and demonstrates how dangerous the game can be."As developers, we want to the game to mirror the real-world sport as closely as possible, while still being fun first," Ho said. "Physicality is definitely an element that adds to fun gameplay and so it's an important part of our game, just as it’s an important part of hockey. That said, we do have a responsibility not to encourage or celebrate the negative side effects of physicality, like injuries; which is why we take great care to make sure our game enforces rules, the same way the NHL does, and doesn't celebrate those negative consequences."We think the NHL has done a great job of prioritizing player safety in the real world and we want to do the same. We’re proud to be able to provide players with a really fun, physical experience that doesn't come with any risk of injury in the real world." Franchise Mode UpdatesThere are a number of granular changes coming to NHL 20 in regards to the Franchise mode. Scouting was introduced in NHL 19, and in the new game you can hire--and fire--coaches. Additionally, there is a new "line chemistry" feature that allows players to select players who match the right chemistry for a particular line to have the most success. NHL 20 also adds a new Trade Finder feature that should make the trading process easier. It was a laborious process in NHL 19 to make a trade, but now the CPU will auto-propose trades and then you can choose to accept or reject. Alternatively, players can also propose their own specific trades.No Nintendo Switch Or PC VersionsNHL 20 is confirmed to launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Fans have been clamoring for years for EA to bring the game to PC, but it's not happening--at least not this year. Additionally, there is no Nintendo Switch version, though Ho tells GameSpot that EA is constantly thinking about which platforms are the right fit for the NHL series.NHL 20 Release DateNHL 20 launches on September 13 for PS4 and Xbox One. The NHL 20 Deluxe and Ultimate Editions, which come with various digital extras, unlock three days early on September 10. Additionally, EA Access subscribers can play a trial of NHL 20 starting on September 5. Info from Gamespot.com

Developer Epic Games continues to change Fortnite week-by-week, and the new update, version 9.30, introduces more new elements to the free-to-play battle royale phenomenon. Update 9.30 is live now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, adding a new item, removing weapons, and making a notable change to how quickly shotguns can be equipped. Read on for the full patch notes and a rundown on its biggest additions and changes.This week's new item is the Chug Splash, a throwable that allows you to heal other players. "Upon impact, the item splashes liquid in a small area," Epic's official blog post states. "All players within the splash radius will be instantly granted 20 health/shield."If you're injured, you'll receive 20 health, while those with full health will be given 20 shield. "Chug Splash can heal allies, enemies, and can extend the duration of the 'knocked' state for knocked players." Chug Splashes are available in rare variants only from floor loot, chests, vending machines, supply drops, and llamas. They drop in stacks of two, up to a maximum of six.Three limited-time modes enter the battle royale fray this week. Sniper Shootout Duos sees teams of two fight off with sniper rifles only, while Trios is classic battle royale with three-person squads, and Solid Gold Squads increases the abundance of legendary weapons.Elsewhere, explosive availability has been drastically reduced: Epic has vaulted (removed) the Boom Bow, Dual Pistols, and Dynamite. The developer didn't offer much in the way of explanation for the change, merely stating, "These vaults are primarily targeted at adjusting the availability of explosives, putting them more in line with where we think they should be."Shotguns have also been tweaked. The Combat Shotgun's long-range damage has been reduced. More importantly, there is no longer a delay when switching to shotgun weapons--unless you have multiple shotguns in your inventory. This delay was originally introduced to prevent players from switching between multiple shotguns to speed up how quickly they can be fired. Epic says of the new change, "This is a Quality of Life change to prevent the swap delay system from interfering with players who do not have multiple shotguns in their inventory. As with all changes, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this and make adjustments if necessary."Take a look at the full list of Fortnite: Battle Royale patch notes below, via Epic.In other Fortnite news, it was revealed last week how the game was nearly canceled. It has, however, gone on to be extremely successful, with Epic recently being given a BAFTA special award.Fortnite Update 9.30 Patch NotesTable of Contents [hide]Fortnite Update 9.30 Patch NotesWeapons And ItemsBug Fixes And AdjustmentsGameplayBug Fixes And AdjustmentsPerformanceBug Fixes and AdjustmentsAudioBug Fixes And AdjustmentsUIBug Fixes And AdjustmentsReplayBug Fixes And AdjustmentsMobileBug Fixes And AdjustmentsWeapons And ItemsChug Splash On impact, this thrown item splashes liquid in a small area. All players within the splash radius will be instantly granted 20 Health/Shield. Grants health unless you are full health, in which case it will grant Shield.Chug Splash can heal allies, enemies, and can extend the duration of the ‘knocked’ state for knocked players.Rare variant.Drops in stacks of 2.Max stack size: 6.Can be found from Floor Loot, Chests, Vending Machines, Supply Drops, and Llamas.Shotgun Swap Delay Removed Shotgun cooldowns now only apply when the player is carrying multiple shotguns, regardless of Shotgun type. This is a Quality of Life change to prevent the swap delay system from interfering with players who do not have multiple shotguns in their inventory. As with all changes, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this and make adjustments if necessary.Reduced the Combat Shotgun’s long-range effectiveness Reduced damage at medium distances by 10% 2.44 tiles to 4.88 tilesReduced damage at long distances by 20% 4.88 tiles to 9.76 tilesThe Combat Shotgun's accuracy uniquely enables players to hit shots from longer distances compared to other shotguns. However, the damage at those longer ranges was a little higher than desired.Vaulted Boom BowDual PistolsDynamiteThese Vaults are primarily targeted at adjusting the availability of explosives, putting them more in line with where we think they should be.Removed the ability to ride Proximity Grenade Launcher projectiles Due to the faster speed of this projectile, it was causing problems with level streaming. You can still ride rockets launched from Rocket Launchers.Added short delay to start damaging players from Storm Flip on entry, to mimic normal Storm gameplayAdded Storm Flip to Audio Visualizer when it is activatedToys no longer will show up in the elimination feed on Starter IslandBug Fixes And AdjustmentsPlayers could shoot immediately after using a Rift to Go.Supply Drones would sometimes spawn underground in areas with water.Adjusted the area of around the Reboot Van that players cannot build to prevent the placement of floors and traps under the Van.The Proximity Grenade Launcher was auto reloading while aiming down sights. This is fix makes it consistent with Snipers and will reload once unscoping or after next attempt to fire.Adjusted the timing for the effects of consumables to help situations where players would switch away from the consumable before it finished activating.Reboot Cards will no longer fall to the ground. They will remain where they spawn.Reboot Cards were remaining available on the map even after the timer had expired.Campfires could block explosion damage at specific angles.The Shadow Bomb double jump ability could be activated while under the effect of a Boogie Bomb.Boogie Bomb effects would continue playing on players while they were skydiving.Empty Shadow Bombs could not be discarded correctly if eliminated while the effect was active while in respawn game modes.Players that had a Rift to Go used on them at the same time they were being rebooted would sometimes not be put into the skydiving state.Storm Flip would deal incorrect damage if two were overlapped on each other.Storm Flip was able to stop a Supply Drop from fallingWeapons were showing while using emotes while on a DriftboardGameplayMade the “Hold to Swap” feature an option. This defaults as OFF. With the option OFF, pickup is now back on the initial button press instead of button release. This should result in more responsive pickup behavior.Made the Fortbyte Pressure Plate Puzzle NW of The Block easier to complete. Once unlocked the Fortbyte will be available for up to 15 seconds.Parking all vehicles on the pedestals will trigger them, except the Hoverboard.Slipstreams now fade out the visual effects and play audio cues to warn that they are shutting off before the collision and forces are disabled, to give players more advance warning.Added Storm Flip color switch effects, depending on Storm intersection points.Bug Fixes And AdjustmentsSkydiving from the bus toward a slipstream was not auto-deploying gliders at the correct height.Storm Surge was not activating in Phase 8Player health could be improperly rounded when receiving damage.The health bar for structures could disappear when hitting a wall and swapping to build mode.Lava was dealing damage to players too quickly.PerformanceRendering optimizations on player built walls to help end-game situations with thousands of building pieces.Added general optimizations for audio visual indicators.Bug Fixes and AdjustmentsResolved an issue causing poor performance in the lobby on Mac when in a large party.AudioImprovements to Grenade Launcher and Grenade fuse sounds Added a close-range fuse loop that is attenuated based on damage radius.Sound ramps up as the projectile get close to exploding. If you hear this you’re going to take damage unless you block the explosion.Lowered the volume of vehicles in a Slipstream that doesn’t have a driver/passenger.Increase the range for the enemy 1x1 pickaxe impact sound from 1 tile to 1.5 tilesBug Fixes And AdjustmentsFixed an issue with audio device hot-swapping when switching between outputs.One-shot sounds could re-trigger when walking into audio range. This was most noticeable with harvesting, explosion, and gunshot sounds.The Victory Royale sound no longer gets affected by the slow-motion effect when a match is won.The Combat Shotgun had the wrong fire sounds on mobile/Switch.The Baller suction sounds were playing 2d if someone piloted a baller that you’d previously dismounted.Sounds for consumables would not play if approaching a player while they were already using themFootstep audio for the "Take the Elf" emote wasn’t playing.UIHiding the vehicle health bar that appears above a vehicle if you are the player operating it to avoid two vehicle health bars from being displayed. The vehicle health bar that appears above a players health and shield will remain in the HUD.Bug Fixes And AdjustmentsThe direction-to-safety vector lines were not appearing properly on the map when in game modes where respawn was enabled.ReplayBug Fixes And AdjustmentsScrubbing a replay could cause the unique font color on Golden points of interest to disappear.MobileIncreased the size of the auto-pickup radius for itemsBug Fixes And AdjustmentsGraphical Improvements: Lava textures were not appearing properly in the Floor of Lava Limited Time Mode on Android.Resolved HLOD issues that were occurring at Loot Lake on Mobile.Fixed the Quinjet Glider deploy animation on the Google Pixel 2.The collar of the Instinct Outfit was clipping into the hood.The Fiend Wrap and Turbulent Wraps were not displaying properly on certain Mobile devices.The icon for the Wonder Outfit was displaying as pixels.The FPS counter was not being properly displayed in-game when enabled.While the map was opened, pressing anywhere outside of it was making that press count as if it was the joystick.The Cycle Weapons HUD Layouts weren’t visible after jumping from the Battle BusFixed an issue where the “Require Access to Contacts” prompts was appearing for Mobile players.Sound effects and music were not playing properly on the Moto Z2Force and HTC U11 devices.Reloading a Shotgun was being impeded when Tap Anywhere was active.Using a bluetooth controller was assigning players to the incorrect matchmaking bucket.Player character models weren’t appearing after returning to the Lobby from the Item Shop.The Controller UI was appearing on screens even when a controller wasn't connected.Info from Gamespot.com

Keanu Reeves might be best known these days for his lead role in the John Wick series, or a surprise role in Cyberpunk 2077, but it was the Bill & Ted movies that made him a star. It's been 27 years since Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, but Reeves has reunited with co-star Alex Winter for the upcoming third movie, Bill & Ted Face The Music. Some new images have been released.The film has started production, and the images show new cast members Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine, who are playing the daughters of the now middle-aged metal-loving pals. They were posted by co-writer Ed Soloman, who states that the comparison pictures of Weaving and Lundy-Paine with the young Reeves and Winter are on the wall of the production office. In a nice touch, Bill and Ted have named their kids after each other--Billie and Thea. Check it out below:On my wall in the production office. pic.twitter.com/td2vx0p1Ow — Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) June 14, 2019After years of rumors that Winter and Reeves might return for a third movie, in March the pair confirmed Bill & Ted Face the Music was finally happening. They recorded a short video thanking the fans for their dedication to the series and announcing that the movie would start shooting this summer.Bill & Ted Face the Music hits theaters on August 21 2020, and is directed by Galaxy Quest's Dean Parisot. Solomon created the series with Chris Matheson, and the pair have written this one too. William Sadler is also set to return to the cast, reprising his Bogus Journey role as the Grim Reaper.As for what the plot of the film will be, it was revealed by Solomon in January 2018 that the story finds Bill and Ted in the modern day, as family men that go back in time to revisit their younger selves, using footage from the original film.Info from Gamespot.com

Just as Microsoft's E3 sale on all things Xbox wraps up, Amazon swoops in with another great deal on Xbox One controllers paired PC wireless adapters, which are priced at $45 down from the listed $80. Microsoft is still offering $10 off many of its controllers directly, but Amazon's deal is better so long as you don't mind the standard, black model. You can save even more if you don't care about the wireless adapter, and get it with a cable instead for $40.37 total.Get an Xbox Wireless Controller and Adapter for $45 »The Xbox wireless controller is currently compatible with all members of the Xbox One console family (original, S, and X) as well as Windows PC. You will likely only need one wireless dongle on PC, but each supports up to eight separate controllers. Apple made waves at its most recent WWDC event by announcing that the controller would also become compatible with iPhone and Apple TV when iOS 13 rolls out this coming fall. During its recent presentation at E3 2019, Microsoft also gave us an initial preview of Project Scarlett, its next console, and offered assurances that current controllers would be compatible with the upcoming platform.Once you're set up with a controller, what else do you need? Best Buy is offering a good deal on certain Turtle Beach gaming headsets, including several that are compatible with Xbox One and Windows PC. You can also head over to our general roundup of the best accessories for Xbox One.Info from Gamespot.com

Get ready for a cold snap. Monster Hunter World is preparing to kick off beta sessions for Iceborne on PlayStation 4, in preparation for the expansion launch later this year.The beta will let you try out three quests. A Great Jagras hunt will be welcoming for newcomers to get your feet wet. The wyvern Banbaro offers a mid-level challenge, and Tigrex will challenge the most seasoned hunters. You'll also have access to all 14 weapon types across all three challenges and the training area. Weapons will include new features along with the Clutch Claw grapple and Slinger tools. Completing each challenge will earn you an item pack of consumables that will be waiting for you in the full version of Iceborne, when it launches.The first Iceborne beta will be exclusive to PlayStation Plus users and begin on Friday, June 21. The second will be available or all PS4 owners and begin on Friday, June 28. You'll be able to pre-load in advance, and you won't need the base game to participate in the beta.Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is coming on September 6 to PS4 and Xbox One, with a PC release following in the winter. You will need Monster Hunter World to place the full Iceborne expansion, and you'll need to have finished the main story through Hunter Rank 16 to play the Iceborne content.PlayStation Plus Exclusive Beta: June 21-June 243 AM PT12 AM ET11 AM BST8 PM AESTPlayStation 4 Wide Beta: June 28-July 13 AM PT12 AM ET11 AM BST8 PM AESTInfo from Gamespot.com