While it was not the only company to sit this year's out--Activision also sat out--there was no absence at E3 2019 more significant than that of Sony. With no PlayStation press conference or show floor booth, it was a much different sort of show. Many would argue it was a worse one without them there--and among those saying as much as is Xbox boss Phil Spencer, who says E3 is just not the same without Sony and Activision, and he wants them return in the future.Appearing on GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb's livestream at E3, Spencer spoke about the ongoing relevance of E3, and he suggested that the show's profile is hurt by Sony and Activision not being there. "I wish Sony was here," Spencer said. "E3 is not as good when they're not here," Spencer said about Sony and Activision dropping out of the big annual gaming show.E3 remains relevant and important to the gaming world, Spencer said. It's a time in the year when the whole world is watching gaming, and that's very important today when the industry is coming under criticism and judgment. One recent threat, Spencer said, was the World Health Organization's designation of Gaming Disorder as a recognized disease.He said E3 is an important time of year to show the world that gaming is not just kids in a basement. And without juggernauts like Sony and Activision, E3 could take a hit in terms of prominence, Spencer said.Spencer is on the board of directors at the Entertainment Software Association, the group that runs E3 every year, so he seemingly has a vested interest in seeing the show continue and flourish. Other board members include Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two, and Bethesda owner ZeniMax's CEO Robert Altman.E3 2020 dates have already been confirmed, reaffirming that this year's show will not be the last. But where things go from there, as companies increasingly opt to host their own dedicated events, remains to be seen.Explaining why it didn't come to E3 this year, Sony said it wanted to "innovate, think differently, and experiment with new ways to delight gamers." Ahead of the show, it's shared the first details about its next-generation PlayStation 5. It also showcased Death Stranding, revealing both an extended trailer and its release date. But beyond that, it's unclear when we'll next get details about other big first-party PS4 games, such as The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealed Info from Gamespot.com

Like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt's ambitious upcoming RPG Cyberpunk 2077 has multiple endings. Quest director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz confirmed this in an interview with YongYea at E3 2019.The Witcher 3 had three major endings. Which one you arrive at depends on the choices you make during the campaign. Tomaszkiewicz did not say how many endings Cyberpunk 2077 will have apart from confirming there will be multiple ways the story can end.Also in the interview, Tomaszkiewicz confirms that players can go through the entire campaign without using any augmentations besides the two that are automatically assigned to you during the Prologue. The rest of the augmentations are optional.The developer also confirmed that CD Projekt Red is considering adding a Photo Mode, though it is "hard to tell" if it will happen. CD Projekt Red is considering it "seriously," Tomaszkiewicz said. This is a big difference from September 2018 when the developers said they were planning for Cyberpunk 2077 to have a Photo Mode.Tomaszkiewicz added that the studio is also not committing to a level cap for Cyberpunk 2077 just yet.According to CD Projekt Red founder Marcin Iwinski, the studio is now in the polishing phase of development for Cyberpunk 2077. This is the most challenging part of the development process, Iwinski said, adding that he expects the team to be able to deliver "some amazing bells and whistles graphically" when the process is finished.Cyberpunk 2077 launches on April 16, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more on the game--which features Keanu Reeves in a lead role--check out GameSpot's preview of the new gameplay CD Projekt Red demoed at the show, as well as a look at its story.More E3 News:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Sarah Needleman's new profile of Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney for The Wall Street Journal covers a wide variety of topic about the Fortnite boss's life and career. Among those are how Epic convinced Sony to finally allow cross-play, how much the man is reportedly worth, how much money Fortnite makes from microtransactions, what food he likes best, and lots more. The full report is well worth a read, and we're highlighting a few of the big points.Starting with cross-play, WSJ reports that Sweeney spent six months in 2018 calling and emailing the leadership at PlayStation and Xbox to try to convince them to unlock cross-play. The conversations were intense, it seems."An effort in international diplomacy," Sweeney said. "Given the long-term rivalries, it was a series of contentious discussions."Microsoft and Nintendo started allowing cross-play in Fortnite and other titles beginning in June 2018, but Sony held out.After cross-play support went live between Xbox One and Nintendo Switch for Fortnite, WSJ reports that Sweeney shared data with Sony that apparently demonstrated that cross-play "dramatically" increased engagement. This might have been part of what contributed to Sony eventually unlocking cross-play.In September 2018, Sony finally agreed to cross-play, beginning with Fortnite. "It was one of the greatest moments in Epic's history," Sweeney said. "I was pleased and tired."Moving on, the piece also reveals that Fortnite has generated $3.9 billion in revenue from microtransactions, according to numbers from research firm SuperData. Sweeney himself is worth $7 billion, according to the Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.He's been wealthy for a long time; by the age of 30 he owned a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. People who didn't know him thought he was a drug dealer, he told WSJ.He's now 48, and he says he lives a "fairly simple life," noting that he is single, unmarried, and has no kids. He enjoys spending his down time hiking. Related to that, he has spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying up land (more than 45,000 acres so far!) in his home state of North Carolina for conversation efforts.Also in the piece, Sweeney says his favorite food is fried chicken from Bojangles because "it strikes the perfect balance between tasty food and time commitment." He also said he enjoys the fact that Epic Games is in North Carolina because it's far away from the influence of "Silicon Valley groupthink," according to WSJ.Read the full WSJ report here.Fortnite almost didn't exist. Epic's former director of production, Rod Ferugsson, said recently that he would have canceled Fortnite had he stayed at Epic. Info from Gamespot.com

Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey has come forward to respond to how the hit HBO fantasy show wrapped up the fate of her character, Cersei. You can see her full quotes down below the image; beware, these are significant spoilers.Cersei and her brother-lover Jaime died in Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 when they were crushed under rubble during Daenerys' assault on King's Landing. Many fans remarked that her death scene left much to be desired, and it turns out that Headey also wanted something different.She told The Guardian that she hopes to catch up with Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff over a few drinks, at which time she'll tell them she wanted Cersei to die another way."I invested as a viewer and I have my favourite characters. And I've got a few of my own gripes. But I haven't sat down drunkly with David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] yet." She said she'll tell Weiss and Benioff, "I wanted a better death."Over the years, Game of Thrones has aired some gut-wrenching and climatic death scenes, but Cersei's lacked the same kind of emotional punch in the eyes of some viewers. Headey admits that no death scene will please everyone, but she still wished for something more."Obviously you dream of your death," she said. "You could go in any way on that show. So I was kind of gutted. But I just think they couldn't have pleased everyone. No matter what they did, I think there was going to be some big comedown from the climb."Overall, though, Headey said she enjoyed the years she spent working on Game of Thrones. "It was amazing," she said. "And things end and you move on."Info from Gamespot.com

Epic's Fortnite is a massive success that's achieved a level of popularity that few could have ever imagined. It's a worldwide phenomenon that boasts a huge player base and has had a cultural impact far beyond that of most games. The free-to-play game almost didn't even exist, however, it's been revealed this week at E3 2019.Rod Fergusson, the former director of production at Epic Games, has revealed that he wanted to cancel Fortnite when he was at the company. At the time, the project did not have its battle royale component (which has driven the game's success), and it was facing some challenges."If I stayed at Epic, I would have canceled Fortnite. Absolutely," Fergusson told Game Informer. "Before I left I tried to cancel Fortnite. When it was just Save the World, that was a project that had some challenges. As the director of production at the time, that game would not have passed my bar for something we should have continued to keep going."Fergusson did not elaborate as to what the difficulties were with Fortnite at the time. He left Epic in 2012, going on to join Irrational Games to help close out the development of BioShock Infinite. He then joined Microsoft when the company bought the Gears of War franchise from Epic, and he now heads up Gears 5 studio The Coalition.Fergusson said he doesn't lose sleep over leaving Epic before Fortnite exploded in popularity. "I'm super happy for their success," he said.He again reminded people that Fortnite might not exist if he stayed at Epic. "That game you love, the worldwide sensation, it would not exist had I stayed at Epic," he said.Fortnite's battle royale mode was released in September 2017, following the initial Save the World mode. This is when the game really took off.Fergusson likely had no idea Epic wanted to make Fortnite a battle royale game, as he left the company a half-decade before the game was even released.In other news, BAFTA gave a special award to Epic this week at E3 for its "impact on the global games industry."More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealed Info from Gamespot.com

CD Projekt Red blew up E3 2019 with the reveal that Keanu Reeves has a very big part in next year's Cyberpunk 2077. Reeves stole the show (although Ikumi Nakamura arguably stole it back during the reveal of Ghostwire Tokyo during Bethesda's press conference) when he appeared on stage during Microsoft's E3 press conference. We later found out later just how extensively we'll be Reeves-visiting his character, Cyberpunk 2020 mainstay Johnny Silverhand: Reeves is the second-most prolific character in the game, after player character V.Johnny's presence in the story runs throughout the game, lead quest designer Pawel Sasko told GameSpot during the show. He's a "digital ghost" who resides in V's head, which means he'll pop up often to quip about stuff and to give you a bit of guidance as you play the game. But Johnny is a character in his own right, too. He has an agenda of his own that doesn't necessarily align with V's, and how you shape your relationship with him through the choices you make will be impactful on the story as it develops.There's a lot of backstory about Johnny in Cyberpunk 2020, the pen-and-paper RPG from which Cyberpunk 2077 is adapted. Before he existed as your almost-imaginary friend, he was a revolutionary and the lead singer of the band Samurai. He died in one of the Cyberpunk 2020 sourcebooks, but though he lacks corporeal form, he still speaks and appears to V in the game.Johnny's musical background raises one essential question, however: Will we get to hear Keanu Reeves serenade us when we play Cyberpunk?"Oh, I can't talk about it at this point," Sasko said when our Jordan Ramée put the question to him.via GIPHYBut it's not like Cyberpunk 2077 isn't acknowledging Johnny's musical legacy all over the place. Look at how loaded this screenshot released during E3 is:A guitarist playing under a big graffiti sign asking about Johnny? Could they be any more obvious about setting up Johnny Silverhand's music in the world? They might as well just come out and release a trailer of Keanu singing right now. Like today. Like later this evening. They're not fooling anyone.There was also some provocative set dressing in the room where CD Projekt sent journalists to hang out while they waited for their demo:It's a rough photo (sorry, my fault), but you can clearly see a Silverhand record displayed here, plus an actual guitar. Johnny might be dead in Cyberpunk, but the preponderance of circumstantial evidence I've gathered suggests his music is alive and well in 2077. And what has music? That's right: video games.And you don't hire freakin' Keanu "Ted 'Theodore' Logan" Reeves as a cyborg singer in a band that's central to the franchise and just, like, not ask him to sing, right? That would be, and I cannot stress this enough, absolute madness.This would be specifically ridiculous because Keanu is an actual singer! He was in a band! When he shreds air guitar in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, that's (probably) not acting--he knows how to play guitar!via GIPHYI MEAN LOOK:And then there's the most glaring piece of pro-Keanu-crooning (Krooneanu) evidence: CD Projekt dodging the question. If Reeves doesn't sing in Cyberpunk, wouldn't Sasko have just said so? Saying he can't talk about it means there's something to talk about, and that thing is that Keanu sings in this game, probably to you specifically because he lives in your head: a private concert in your brain, and by extension, your living room (or wherever your PC is I guess).The pieces all add up. I'm calling it: Keanu sings confirmed.Info from Gamespot.com

Among the surprises that Microsoft had in store its E3 2019 press conference was Phantasy Star Online 2. Years after its release in Japan, the game will finally launch in North America. And while its presence on Microsoft's stage at E3 assured us an Xbox One release is in the but Xbox head Phil Spencer has confirmed the game will arrive on other platforms--although whether that means PS4, Nintendo Switch, or something else remains to be seen..Spencer sat down with Giant Bomb's Jeff Gerstmann to talk about Xbox's presence at E3 2019. The nearly 50-minute interview saw the two chat about the excitement surrounding the MMO's Western reveal. "I'm not trying to say this is because of me but I said [to Sega], 'You know, so many of the constructs in today's online console games were born in Phantasy Star and 90 percent of the gamers today don't know what a Phantasy Star Online is,'" Spencer told Gerstmann.The Western Localization trailer revealed during E3 2019, above, announces that Phantasy Star Online 2 will finally make its way to North America. And while Spencer couldn't confirm whether the game will appear in other regions like Europe and the Middle East because "Sega's ultimately responsible for it," he did say the game isn't console exclusive. "Yes, it will end up on all platforms."There's no specification on what "all platforms" means, and Gerstmann didn't press for clarification on this statement, but Spencer is certain the MMO will not just be exclusive to the Xbox family. Spencer "happens to have a soft spot" for Phantasy Star Online, believes "it can be a meaningful franchise," and is just excited to work with Sega again.Phantasy Star Online 2 will arrive sometime in Spring 2020.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

The DC Universe is gearing up for the return of the fan favorite team up book, Batman/Superman, with the creative team of Joshua Williamson and David Marquez this August--and to celebrate, they've released a first look at the first five pages of the first issue, which you can check out below.Here's some context if you've lapsed on your DC reading over the past year or so. Remember that evil, fanged Robin who just introduced himself as Billy Batson? He's a member of the Batman Who Laughs' crew--a team of monstrous, brainwashed youths who run around with crowbars gnashing their teeth at whatever their evil overlord points them at. And, for a while, that's all their really was to it. The Batman Who Laughs and his underlings are all invaders from an evil alternate reality called the Dark Multiverse (because comics, don't worry too much about it) so of course, it just went to follow that an evil Batman would have evil Robins, right?But there's more to the story now, apparently--and one of the Robins has revealed himself to actually be none other than Shazam, himself: Billy Batson. No, not our Billy Batson--at least, not that we can tell--but a version of Billy Batson from the Dark Multiverse who was corrupted by The Batman Who Laughs. Maybe, at least. From the context of the preview, it's hard to tell whether or not this is the Billy from our universe or not.ither way, he's definitely in some serious trouble.Batman/Superman plans on delving deep into the mysteries of The Batman Who Laughs and the "sleeper agents," a new Rebirth-era "Secret Six," who he's planted across the world--superheroes he has corrupted who continue to live and exist in their normal lives none-the-wiser but who can be transformed into the evilest versions of themselves at any moment. Anyone could be a potential threat and when the truth is finally uncovered, the DC Universe will never be the same. So what does this mean for Billy and his heroic counterpart, Shazam? Only time will tell--but it's probably nothing good.Batman/Superman #1 hits shelves August 14.Info from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 has finally concluded, which means it's time to reflect on the convention's biggest news and show-stealing announcements. There is a lot to dissect out there, from the new Xbox Scarlett system to Final Fantasy VII Remake and so much more. Be sure to head over to our E3 hub to read up on all the headlines as they slowly tumble in. For now, check out the list of the best game trailers from this year's E3 we've compiled below.Challenger Approaching: Banjo-Kazooie In Smash Bros. UltimateSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster is getting bigger, with both Dragon Quest heroes and Banjo-Kazooie entering the ring, Nintendo revealed during the company's E3 2019 Direct. The honey bear-red breegull duo will arrive sometime this fall, and though no price has been confirmed, the two are part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Fighter Pass, which retails for $25 USD / $31 AUD / £20 GBP.Cyber-Keanu-Punk Reeves 2077Not only did CD Projekt Red get Keanu Reeves to star in Cyberpunk 2077, but the prolific action star also attended E3 2019 to reveal the sci-fi, first-person shooter's release date. Cyberpunk 2077 launches on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020.Watch Dogs Legion And Helen The Retired AssassinHelen looks like a nice old lady, but this isn't your grandma's grandma. She's packing heavy heat and isn't afraid to get down and dirty, easily becoming Watch Dogs Legion's breakout star assassin. Watch Dogs Legion launches on Google Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on March 6, 2020.Final Fantasy VII Remake Trailer SmorgasbordA lot of information came out of Square Enix's E3 2019 press conference, including details about combat for the hotly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake. Sporting two discs worth of gameplay content, the action-RPG launches on PlayStation 4 on March 3, 2020.Groundhog Day In 12 MinutesMicrosoft's E3 2019 press conference came with quite a thrill, as the company showed off a tense psychological thriller called 12 Minutes. Published by Ashen and Florence publisher Annapurna Interactive, 12 Minutes launches on PC and Xbox One sometime next year.Link's New Look In Zelda: Link's AwakeningPreviously announced back in February 2019, Nintendo showed a decent amount of footage of the reimagined Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening during the company's E3 2019 Direct, including an official release date. The cutesy Link's Awakening launches on Nintendo Switch on September 20.Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel TeasedNintendo closed its E3 2019 Direct with a brief announcement that a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel is now in development for the Nintendo Switch. No release date or window has been confirmed, but we do know Link will return to Hyrule for yet another adventure.Lego's Speed To Forza Horizon 4Forza Horizon 4's DLC continues to surprise us, with Microsoft unveiling the Lego Speed Champions expansion for the open-world racing game during E3 2019. Forza Horizon 4 is available now for PC and Xbox One, and Lego Speed Champions is available to purchase now for $20 USD / $29 AUD / £16 GBP. The expansion comes at no additional cost for those who own the Ultimate Edition, or either the Expansions or Ultimate Add-Ons bundles of Forza Horizon 4.Halo Infinite Returns To Xbox As Launch TitleMicrosoft gave details about its next-gen console, codenamed Project Scarlett, during E3 2019. Alongside the announcement of when to expect the new Xbox Scarlett system, Microsoft also announced Halo Infinite as a day-one launch title, both of which will arrive holiday 2020. Marking the first time a Halo game was an Xbox system launch title since 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo Infinite will also launch on PC and Xbox One.Back To Hell In Doom EternalBethesda showed off some extensive Doom Eternal gameplay during the company's E3 2019 press conference. We also got a look at a new asymmetrical multiplayer mode coming to the upcoming hell-infested, first-person shooter--and it looks devilishly gory. Doom Eternal launches on Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 22.Frights Return In Luigi's Mansion 3Luigi's off on another ghostly adventure in Luigi's Mansion 3, Nintendo unveiled during the company's E3 2019 Direct. Along with a release window, we also saw some gameplay of the ghost-wrangling adventure game. Luigi's Mansion 3 launches on Nintendo Switch sometime this year.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Hot on the heels of Fortnite's 9.21 update, a new set of challenges is now available in Epic's hit battle royale game. As usual, this week's missions arrive in two categories: a small handful that are available to everyone, and some that are reserved for those who've purchased a Season 9 Battle Pass.As has been the trend this season, most of Week 6's challenges are self-explanatory and can be completed fairly easily with a little persistence. On the free side, there are two multi-stage challenges. The first begins by asking you to land at Lucky Landing, while the second starts off with searching chests at a Hot Spot. The final free challenge is to deal 500 damage to opponents using SMGs.Battle Pass owners have access to an additional four challenges to complete. These are likewise fairly straightforward. You'll need to deal damage to a vehicle driven by an opponent; use the new Storm Flip item in three different matches; eliminate three opponents either in The Block or Fatal Fields; and use two different vehicles in a single match. You can see the full list of this week's challenges below:Fortnite Season 9, Week 6 ChallengesFreeStage 1 of 5: Land at Lucky Landing -- 1 Battle StarDeal damage with SMGs to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle StarsStage 1 of 3: Search chests at a Hot Spot (3) -- 3 Battle StarsPremiumDeal damage to a vehicle driven by an opponent (200) -- 5 Battle StarsUse a Storm Flip in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle StarsUse different vehicles in a single match (2) -- 10 Battle StarsEliminate opponents in The Block or Fatal Fields (3) -- 10 Battle StarsIf you own a Season 9 Battle Pass and complete any four of this week's challenges, you'll earn 6,000 XP for your troubles. Each challenge will also reward you with Battle Stars, which will help level your Battle Pass up and, in turn, unlock more of this season's new skins and other cosmetic rewards. If you need help clearing any previous challenges from this season, you can find guides for the trickier ones in our complete Fortnite Season 9 challenges roundup.The aforementioned 9.21 update arrived on June 12 and added another new weapon to the game: the Proximity Grenade Launcher, which lobs bouncing explosives at opponents. It comes in Epic and Legendary varieties and can be found in chests, supply drops, vending machines, or from Loot Carriers. The update also kicked off a new, PvE limited-time mode called Horde Rush, which comes with its own assortment of challenges to complete. You can find the full patch notes for the update on Epic's website.Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo had another strong showing at E3 2019, sharing exciting details about upcoming Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and Zelda games, among others, during the Nintendo Direct presentation. If all of the upcoming offerings inspired you to finally bite the bullet and buy a Nintendo Switch, Best Buy is here to help you get set up right by throwing in a free SanDisk 128GB microSDXC memory card with every Switch purchase. Simply add one of the basic Switches to your cart (note that the deal does not encompass bundles) and the memory card, listed as a $68 value, will be automatically added. There is no end date listed on the sale, so get in on it while supplies last.Get a Nintendo Switch with a free 128GB memory card for $300 »Once you've got your Switch, there are lots of great deals right now on games and accessories as well. Newegg is offering 10% off of gift cards to the Nintendo eShop, which you can then use to get even further discounts on Nintendo's own E3 sale. Check out our overall list of must-have games and accessories for the Switch so you can get squared away with everything you need.A new version of the Switch didn't make an official appearance at E3, like many suspected it would, but a report released during the show suggested that new Switch models are entering production. Nintendo didn't need new hardware to make its fans happy, however, with reveals like The Witcher 3 coming to Switch, Banjo-Kazooie coming to Smash Bros., and--probably the most exciting--the first tease of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2.E3 News:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

The character that The Matrix and John Wick actor Keanu Reeves plays in Cyberpunk 2077, Johnny Silverhand, is key to the story. This much we already knew. But now CD Projekt Red founder Marcin Iwinski has shared some insight into just how big a role Silverhand plays in the game this week during E3 2019.Appearing on the E3 Coliseum stage this week, Iwinski said he wants fans to know that Reeves has much more than a cameo role in the game. In fact, only one character speaks more lines than Silverhand does (that's presumably the main character, V)."He's the No. 2 character in terms of lines of spoken text across the entire game," Iwinski said. He added that Reeves spent 15 days recording voice lines for Cyberpunk 2077."You will see a lot of Keanu and hear even more of Keanu," Iwinski said.He added that CD Projekt Red approached Reeves about a year ago for the role. After some back and forth with his representation, Reeves read the game's script and he "immediately" got into it and wanted to be a part.Silverhand appears as a hologram in your character's head, and he is a key character in the story. "He's a primary character in the game," lead quest designer Pawel Sasko told GameSpot.Cyberpunk 2077 now has a release date: April 16, 2020. Look out for more Cyberpunk news as E3 goes on, including how the team got Keanu Reeves involved in the first place, and our preview of the new gameplay CD Projekt Red demoed at the show, as well as a look at its story.More E3 News:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Marvel's Avengers, the ambitious new superhero game from Square Enix, will feature microtransactions like many other AAA games do. Crystal Dynamics lead Shaun Escayg confirmed this to IGN at E3 2019. He said, "There will be custom outfits that you can purchase in microtransactions."The game, however, has no random loot boxes or pay-to-win mechanics, Crystal Dynamics confirmed during the Square Enix E3 2019 briefing. Lead combat designer Vincent Napoli told IGN that players will be able to purchase customization extras, though "there is nothing that affects the gameplay" that you can buy. As of yet there is no word on what these customization options will be, but you can imagine different skins or emotes or things like that.In an effort to keep the Avengers game community together, Crystal Dynamics will offer the game's post-release characters and locations for free. It's unclear what will be added, but there's a wide range of characters in the Marvel universe to consider.The Avengers game launches on May 15, 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A beta will be held prior to launch, and PlayStation 4 users can get in first. After a long wait, the game was finally unveiled during publisher Square Enix's press conference at E3, leading to a negative reaction from fans. Despite that, the controversial look of the characters will not change.GameSpot saw the new Avengers game at E3 this week, and you can check out our impressions in this story: E3 2019: Seeing The Avengers Game In Action Left Us With Big QuestionsMore E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red could have developed The Witcher 3.5 and made a quick buck. However, the studio opted instead to make Cyberpunk 2077 because churning out a sequel runs counter to the company's ambition to always push the boundaries and try new things. That's according to founder Marcin Iwinski, who said at E3 this week that CD Projekt Red is "not a games factory.""We would love at a certain point to tell more stories about The Witcher, but when and how I cannot tell you now," he explained at the E3 Coliseum. "We are not a games factory. We treat games as an art."Iwinski said CD Projekt Red's ambition is to "push the bar higher" with every new release. As such, while the Polish studio theoretically could have made The Witcher 3.5, it decided to try something completely new with Cyberpunk 2077 instead."We want to push the bar higher with every single game release. It's not about getting The Witcher 3.5 out there which would be fairly easy--of course it's very difficult. Using the same engine, telling the same stories; the technology is established. And making a quick dollar. But that's not [what we do]," he explained.In working on Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red will learn a lot about making new games, and some of these learnings could be applied to a new Witcher game potentially, Iwinski suggested. Overall, Iwinski said CD Projekt Red's vision to always develop "new amazing gaming experiences."Also in the interview, Iwinski said CD Projekt Red wanted to create two main development teams inside the company after The Witcher 3 so it could be working on multiple big projects simultaneously. However, this proved too difficult for a variety of reasons and it didn't happen. As such, the team that worked on The Witcher 3 shifted over to Cyberpunk 2077, Iwinski said.Iwinski's comments on The Witcher 3.5 are similar to what Halo studio head Bonnie Ross said recently. She spoke about how Microsoft considered developing Halo 5.5, but abandoned those ideas and instead pursued a much more ambitious game with Halo Infinite.Finally, Iwinski said CD Projekt Red is currently in the polishing phase for Cyberpunk 2077. This is the most challenging part of the development process, Iwinski said, adding that he expects the team to be able to deliver "some amazing bells and whistles graphically" when the process is finished.Cyberpunk 2077 launches on April 16, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more on the game--which features Keanu Reeves in a lead role--check out GameSpot's preview of the new gameplay CD Projekt Red demoed at the show, as well as a look at its story.More E3 News:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Square Enix officially revealed its new Avengers game this week at E3 2019, and the reaction was mixed. Specifically, people on the internet were upset about the new character designs for main characters Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner. The designs are new for the game, with some criticizing them for being bland. Others have taken issue with the fact that they are not based on the actors' likenesses from the MCU films; they also feature different voice actors.Given the outcry, will Square Enix change the character designs in the wake of the criticism, like what's happening with the Sonic the Hedgehog movie? No. Square Enix is committed to the character designs it's created for the game, according to lead creative director Shaun Escayg of developer Crystal Dynamics."We are always listening to, and welcome feedback from our community. There are currently no plans to change our character designs," he said.While the character designs are not going to change for the Avengers game, Escayg reminded fans that the footage shown so far is from a very early, pre-alpha version of the title. As such, the game should look better and better over time."The level of detail and overall polish of the character models will absolutely continue to improve as we get closer to launch," he said.Escayg told The Hollywood Reporter that the development team never considered using the likenesses of the actors from the MCU movies. "We wanted to clearly show that this was our spin on the Avengers," Escayg says.There was plenty of news included in the Avengers game presentation this week, including an upcoming Avengers beta coming to PS4 first and its release date. The action is cinematic in the game's trailer and Square Enix's announcement included details like cooperative gameplay, free post-release DLC, and the all-star voice cast includes Troy Baker, Laura Bailey, Nolan North, Travis Willingham, and Jeff Schine.More E3 news:E3 2019's biggest newsZelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com