Rocket League has issued a patch removing loot boxes in two countries, in order to abide by local laws forbidding the practice. With the 1.61 patch, players in both Belgium and the Netherlands are no longer able to open crates with earned keys "due to government regulations."Last year in response to concerns raised by games like Star Wars Battlefront 2, both countries declared that loot boxes constitute gambling and are therefore illegal. The governments of the countries determined that the practice could entice minors to gamble. In January, EA removed FIFA Points in Belgium for the same reason.Some countries have outlawed the practice, but it's far from settled across the board. New Zealand and France have both determined that loot boxes are not gambling, and investigations are still ongoing in the United States and Australia. That has left the practice inconsistent, as in the case of Rocket League and FIFA, where developers allow the microtransactions in some countries but not others.In February, a US Senator wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission criticizing the practice as predatory. Shortly after, the FTC announced a public workshop but declined to comment if it was conducting any formal investigation.Last year, the ESRB responded to the growing concerns by announcing new labeling tools to more clearly identify games with loot boxes and similar microtransaction schemes.Info from Gamespot.com

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has received a new PC patch on its test server, and it adds a feature that will be familiar to anyone who's played Rainbow Six Siege. Update 28, as developer PUBG Corp. calls it, introduces weapon charms as part of a wider weapon progression system that will be making its way to live servers "very soon."The progression system, which is called Weapon Mastery, allows players to level up weapons by doing well with each gun. You can level up each weapon individually to a maximum rank of 100. Weapon XP is awarded for dealing damage, getting headshots, and, of course, killing opponents. Extra XP will be gained if your kill counts as a Defeat, a new term PUBG Corp. says includes "knockdowns, killing the last member of a team, and killing solo players." The amount of XP awarded will also scale depending on how late in a match you performed the action.Leveling up a weapon can grant you three reward types that cannot be obtained through any other avenue. The first is the aforementioned charms, which appear to work in a very similar way to Rainbow Six Siege's equivalents. "Charms are keychain-like trinkets that attach to the left side on the barrel of each weapon," PUBG Corp. says. "You can equip and see which charms you have unlocked from inside the Mastery tab. We're launching with 20 unique charms that must be earned on a per weapon basis and it's a safe bet that there are more on the way."The second type of reward is emblems, which you'll gain when you rank a gun up to level 10, 20, 30, and so on up to 100. While these don't appear to do much at present, PUBG Corp. says it "will be exploring ways for you to show off your emblems to other players" over the next few months.Weapon Mastery's final reward type is medals, a "way of highlighting the awesome accomplishments you perform." Examples include one called Double, which is awarded when you kill two enemies in quick succession, and another named Frenzy that you'll get when you get five kills with the same weapon in a single match.You can read more about Weapon Mastery, which is separate to the battle pass system, on PUBG Corp.'s blog. Alternatively, check out the full list of patch notes for update 28 below, via PUBG Corp.PUBG Update 28 Patch NotesTable of Contents [hide]PUBG Update 28 Patch NotesNew Feature: Weapon MasteryGameplayErangel 2nd Loot RebalanceErangel Blue Zone Rebalance Test (Test Server Only)SR Damage Multiplier ChangesSound ImprovementsSmoke Grenade ImprovementVehicles Effects ImprovementOpen/Close Doors Animation ImprovementSurvivor Pass 3: Wild CardUI/UXStore UI OverhaulTeam UI OverhaulChanges in Display Mode SettingsSurvivor Title Season 3 Overview UI ImprovementsPerformanceCustom matchObserver Feature ImprovementsAdded timer UI for Smoke GrenadesRestored Kick Player FunctionReplay SystemSkins & ItemsBug FixesWorldGeneralNew Feature: Weapon MasteryWeapon Mastery has been added, a new feature that allows players to check their gun stats and earn rewards based on their skills!New Progression System Weapon Mastery is a new progression system where players can increase levels by gaining weapon XP based on players’ weapon use.It operates all the time without being affected by seasons.Weapon Mastery offers 100 levels for players to achieve per weapon.In the lobby, players can check their weapon use information, last match results, and the rewards they acquired thus far through the newly created Mastery tab.Weapon Mastery Rewards There are three types of Weapon Mastery rewards. These rewards can only be acquired through Mastery achievement. CharmsCharms are accessories that can be equipped to weapons.New charm can achieved at every five levels of progression per weapon.Charms can be used with any weapon skins. Acquired charms can be equipped/unlocked in the rewards page. Equipped charms can be seen in-game.Charms cannot be traded, sold, or exchanged for BP.Medals Medals highlight awesome accomplishments players perform with their weapons.Each medal can be earned multiple times. There is even a counter that tracks how many medals have been achieved.Tier Emblems Players can earn emblems equivalent to their level brackets achieved per each weapon.Up to 10 tiers can be achieved.How to earn Weapon XP Weapon XP for is earned when one or more of the following elements is satisfied during a match. DamageHeadshotsDefeats Defeats is a new term used for tracking actions that includes knockdowns, killing the last member of a team and killing solo players.You can acquire extra weapon XP based on distance of defeats.When earning Weapon XP, the amount received will increase based on how long you survived.Defeats follow the existing judgment rules for DBNO/Kills currently used in the game. Additional information:Weapon Mastery does not count friendly fire/team damage.Weapon Mastery does not count downs caused by road kills or environmental factors (blue zone, red zone, fall damage, or drowning).Weapon Mastery does not count throwables or melee damage.There is a maximum limit on each weapon that can be getting weapon XP.GameplayA second round of Erangel loot rebalances has been made, as well as improvements to some sounds and effects related to gameplay.Erangel 2nd Loot RebalanceAs we have spoken previously in our Dev Letter: Erangel Loot Rebalance, we are constantly analyzing player feedback, play patterns and other data. With this update, we’re implementing a second round of changes to improve the player looting experience on Erangel.The total amount of items spawned in Erangel has been increased by approximately 28%.Increased the overall amount of items spawned, especially the spawn rates of those higher priority items. Spawn rate of AR has been increased by approx 64%.Spawn rate of DMR has been increased by approx 114%.Spawn rate of SR has been increased by approx 177%.Spawn rates of equipment and armor have been slightly increased, especially level 2.Spawn rates of healing items have been slightly increased.Erangel Blue Zone Rebalance Test (Test Server Only)During this test server phase, we’ll be testing some changes to the blue zone on Erangel. At this stage, these changes are purely experimental and we’re looking for feedback to understand how players feel about the direction of the changes.There is no expected date or certainty that these changes will come to live servers, but we greatly appreciate and are looking forward to your feedback as we experiment with the blue zone changes specifically on the test server this week.SR Damage Multiplier ChangesDecreased the damage modifier of SR shots to the torso from 150% to 130%.Decreased the base damage of the AWM from 120 to 105. The AWM will no-longer kill full health players wearing a level 2 vest in one shot with these changes.Sound ImprovementsWe’ve now added more sounds for item interactions. Previously items were looted, dropped, equipped and unequipped, some items had the same sound effects regardless of the characteristics of each item. Sounds will now vary more between items.Added vehicle suspension sounds. Sounds of moving vehicles’ suspension working can now be heard.Different sounds will be played in different situations. Vehicles moving on rough terrain or when landing from a jump will make unique sounds.Suspension sound volume is different between TPP and FPP.Smoke Grenade ImprovementSmoke grenades are now more accurately synchronized across all players and observers. Previously, smoke grenade duration for the viewer would start when coming into viewable range (1 km) of the smoke grenade. Smoke grenade plumes will now end at the same time for all players/observers.Vehicles Effects ImprovementAdded vehicle lighting effects. Vehicle headlights, tail lights and dashboard are turned on when the vehicle’s engine starts.The lights are only local visual effects and will not illuminate the surrounding areas.Open/Close Doors Animation ImprovementImproved the algorithm to determine when vehicles are blocking doors, preventing them from opening or closing.Survivor Pass 3: Wild CardAfter the launch of the Survivor Pass 3: Wild Card, we’ve been continuously collecting and analyzing mission result data. Additionally, we’ve been actively reviewing players feedback regarding specific mission difficulty. We have chosen to adjust and remove some missions which players found too difficult to complete.Daily Missions: Decreased the difficulty of 16 missions and deleted 4 missions which were too difficult.Weekly Missions: Decreased the difficulty of 16 missions and deleted 6 missions which were too difficult.Challenge Missions: Decreased the difficulty of 5 missions.UI/UXStore UI OverhaulAdded Zoom in/out feature to item previews. Use mouse scroll to zoom in/out of the part where the mouse cursor is pointing.When zooming on the character, character UI is shown on the bottom right. You can zoom in to 4 different parts (Head, Torso, Lower body, Feet).Zoomed in parts are highlighted in the character UI.Click on different parts of the character model to select a view of that part (Head, Torso, Lower body, Feet).Horizontal rotations are now enabled in weapon and equipment previews.Release the mouse button during weapon or equipment preview to reset the camera view.Team UI OverhaulTeammates boost gauges are now in the team UI visible while playing to enhance team play.Changes in Display Mode SettingsWhen using full screen mode, the window mode will be changed to full screen (windowed) while in the lobby to prevent specific crashing caused by typing. In-game will remain full screen. Full screen: In-game: Full screen / Lobby: Full screen(windowed).Full screen (Windowed): In-game: full screen (windowed) / Lobby: Full screen (windowed).Windowed: In-game: Windowed / Lobby: Windowed.Survivor Title Season 3 Overview UI ImprovementsSeason reward chart now shows 4 stages of rewards instead of 3.Additional UI has been added which shows points required for the next title.PerformanceOptimized performance to decrease the time it takes to load into matches.Custom matchObserver Feature ImprovementsKill message improvements To prevent confusion and distinguish individual messages from team messages, the existing individual multi-kill messages (RAMPAGE / EXECUTIONER / MASTERFUL / CONQUERING) have been removed to focus on the number of kills.Team Multi-kill messages will remain the same.The images for team multi-kill messages are now each shown with a separate image.Added timer UI for Smoke GrenadesTo show the remaining time for the smoke grenades, each smoke will now have a timer UI showing the remaining smoke plume duration.The smoke timer lasts for about 40 seconds starting from the moment the smoke grenade plumes.When the timer hits approx. 20% remaining, the UI turns red and the icon shakes. When the timer hits 10% remaining, the icon shakes x2 as hard.The timer UI disappears when the spectator is farther than 100 m.The transparency of the UI changes depending on the distance.Restored Kick Player FunctionObservers can find the KICK button by right-clicking a player’s name on the player list. Click the left mouse on kick button to remove the player from the game. Players can be kicked in the middle of a game.Replay SystemIn the replay feature, click right mouse button to toggle the REPORT button. Click the left mouse button again to report a player.The replay feature version has been updated. Existing replays recorded prior to this update are no longer playable.Skins & ItemsThe PUBG 2nd Anniversary Cap will no longer be available after April 24th (KST) / April 23th(PDT). This is a free 2nd anniversary item, so don’t forget to redeem it within the availability period!Item sales for FACEIT Global Summit Hoodies and Mask will end on April 24th( KST) / April 23th (PDT). 25% of the item’s revenue goes to the teams participating in FACEIT Global Summit, support the teams by purchasing these items!Bug FixesWorldFixed an issue with some barbed wire fences blocking bullets.Fixed an issue where players are unable to pick up items that are placed under broken barbed wire fences.GeneralFixed the issue with center screen DBNO and kill messages being delayed.Fixed the issue with interaction UI remaining in spectator screen when is killed during interaction UI activated.Fixed the issue with certain maneuver could prevent motorcycles from flipping.Fixed the issue which a vehicle could constantly move when system menu was opened.Fixed an issue with different UAZ model variants having different maximum speeds.Fixed the awkward character movement when using an emote and rotating the mouse in FPP view.Fixed the issue with a frag grenade ground burn mark textures overlapping the player character’s modelFixed an issue where only one side of footsteps is output in certain situations.Fixed an issue which would remove player’s hair completely when equipping caps.Fixed a visual issue when punk knuckle gloves were equipped.Fixed a visual issue preventing belts from being visible when wearing a fur coat.Fixed an issue where character’s hair and face overlap when a female character equips specific hair styles and caps.Fixed a visual issue with shadows displaying incorrectly when swimming in FPP.Fixed a replay issue causing explosion effects to continue when moving through the timeline.Fixed an issue where players are unable to revive their teammates if casting UI freezes at 0 while reviving.Fixed an issue when using a scope and the character moves backward, the scope shakes.Fixed certain limb animations not playing while vaulting.Fixed an issue preventing the correct crosshair from being displayed after holstering a sidearm.Fixed an issue with Shirt (Plaid) icon not matching the in-game asset.Fixed a bug which prevented footsteps from being heard while walking over mud or water while wearing Harley Quinn Daddy’s Lil' Monster OutfitInfo from Gamespot.com

WWE's Superstar Shakeup has ended. Over the course of two days, both Raw and Smackdown programming switched things up by trading superstars between the two shows--and snagging some wrestlers from NXT. On Monday, Raw received plenty of new stars, strengthened their tag division, and gave War Raiders a cringe-worthy twist.The chaos continued on Tuesday night with Smackdown, as the blue brand saw 12 superstars head to the show, with the biggest names being Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, and NXT callup Kairi Sane. While the night was all about creating a "shakeup" for the roster, there were some entertaining moments throughout the evening. Here's everything you need to know about what happened on Smackdown.Finn BalorThe first person to head over to the blue brand is none other than Finn Balor, a man lost in the shuffle on Raw. Is there a rule that Balor and AJ Styles can't be on the same brand at the same time? Are we not allowed to see Bullet Club leaders in a rivalry? Regardless, with Balor comes the Intercontinental Championship. So, Smackdown will have both the United States and Intercontinental Championships, which is a bit weird. Maybe we'll at least get a Balor Club reunions with the Good Brothers, though.Kevin Owens + New Day = The BestThe New Day is in the spot they should be on Smackdown: the main event. They open the show, they bounce around during the middle, and they close things out. Yes, that's a lot of screen time, but it's no different than any other WWE champion. Adding Kevin Owens to the mix this week was a lot of fun. Nothing huge came out of this, but it was a delight.Where's Tyler Breeze?This is more of a complaint from my end, but what's going on with Tyler Breeze? I really thought he'd come over to Smackdown, especially after Xavier Woods said on live TV, "If I don't see Tyler Breeze on Smackdown by the end of this show, I'm going to lose my mind." Woods has made mention of this on Twitter a few times too. If you watch Up Up Down Down, then you know the two are friends, and if you have watched WWE programming, then you know Breeze is exceptionally talented in the ring and on the mic. What's going on?Lars Sullivan?Wait.... I thought he was on Raw. What is going on? Later on in the program, it was announced Sullivan was now on Smackdown. Wasn't he just announced as a member of Raw yesterday? Is WWE already retconning something for 24 hours ago? This makes utterly no sense.The Overly-Layered Women's SegmentDuring a Becky Lynch promo, Ember Moon and Bayley interrupted and announced they had moved to the blue brand. Moon is a fantastic addition to the roster and will bring a lot to the women's roster there. The Iiconics interrupted and talked about their championship titles. Then, continuing with the giant shakeup, Paige interrupted the interruption to introduce the challengers for the women's tag team championships--which was also interrupted by Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Anyway, the new tag team on the block is Asuka and the pirate princess Kairi Sane. Smackdown's women's division is looking stacked. I cannot wait to see Sane drop that elbow on everyone.The Continued Destruction Of 205 LiveIt's no secret the ranks of 205 Live are thinning, after [Mustafa] Ali joined Smackdown a few months back and Cedric Alexander moved to Raw on Monday. Now, Buddy Murphy is headed to Smackdown. You're probably more than familiar with the former Cruiserweight Champion, as he was consistently putting on a clinic on PPV Kickoff shows, defending his title. He is a more than welcome addition to Smackdown, even if WWE's main rosters are over-stuffed.Vince's Big AnnouncementVince McMahon came out to announce his big acquisition, and it's Elias. However, that wasn't all. Roman Reigns came out, beat up Elias and McMahon and announced he's part of Smackdown. With the Tuesday night show eventually moving to Fox, this is a great get for the weekly series, and they'll need a big name to draw in viewers.Full List of Smackdown Superstar ShakeupFinn BalorBayleyEmber MoonKairi SaneLars SullivanBuddy MurphyEliasRoman ReignsLiv MorganChad GableApollo CrewsMickie JamesInfo from Gamespot.com

The world watched in horror as fire engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Monday evening, spreading through the top floor of its attic and eventually collapsing the church's iconic spire. Across the globe, people have expressed their support for the French people, and already millions of dollars have been donated to the cathedral's restoration efforts. Ubisoft is the latest company to pledge its support; the French video game company announced today it will donate €500,000 (about $565,000) to aid the restoration and reconstruction efforts for Notre Dame.In addition, Ubisoft is giving away Assassin's Creed Unity for free--you can download it for PC (Uplay) at no cost now through April 25 at 3 AM (your local time). Once you download the game, it'll be yours to keep forever in your Uplay games library.Ubisoft has a special connection to Notre Dame and the city of Paris--the setting was virtually recreated to a precise level of detail in Assassin's Creed Unity. In fact, the virtual rendition of Notre Dame is so accurate that it may serve as an important piece of historical media. Assassin's Creed Unity level artist Caroline Miousse told The Verge in a 2014 interview that she spent two years recreating the cathedral from the inside out. "I made some other stuff in the game, but 80 percent of my time was spent on the Notre Dame," she said.Assassin's Creed Unity provides a unique opportunity, especially for those who have never been to Paris, to experience Notre Dame first-hand in its original glory, so be sure to pick up the game while it's free for the next week."Video games can enable us to explore places in ways we never could have otherwise imagined," Ubisoft wrote in its blog post. "We hope, with this small gesture, we can provide everyone an opportunity to appreciate our virtual homage to this monumental piece of architecture." Info from Gamespot.com

With just over a week to go until the release of Avengers: Endgame, the promotional videos are hitting hard and fast. We've already had two new TV spots this week, and a now a third has been released.This one might be short but it actually features quite a bit of new footage. There's Rocket coming through a doorway, Hawkeye (aka Ronin) getting into a fight on a street, and a great exchange between War Machine and Ant-Man. Check it out below.This promo follows a longer one that took a look back over the last decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there wasn't much new footage in that one, it was a thrilling montage for fans. There was also this TV spot featuring new footage of Captain Marvel's new suit, a teaser that focuses on the team's mission, and the first full clip from the movie.To get ready for Endgame, you might also want to check out our guide to the best order to rewatch the MCU movies. But be warned--it also looks like the ending to the movie has leaked online, so be careful while searching for Endgame information.Avengers: Endgame releases on April 26, 2019. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Danai Gurira, Paul Rudd, and Josh Brolin. So far ticket presales have far exceeded those for Captain Marvel, Infinity War, Aquaman, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi combined.Info from Gamespot.com

The puzzle gem BoxBoy is coming to Nintendo Switch next week, with a newly cooperative adventure called BoxBoy + BoxGirl. If you're new or just want to brush up on your boxing skills before the release, you can now try a demo for the game.The demo includes both single- and multiplayer modes, showing you the ropes of the game mechanics and a handful of early puzzles. The "Tale for Two" multiplayer mode is recommended for two players, but you can take on the challenges solo if you wish by swapping back and forth between Qbby and Qucy.BoxBoy + BoxGirl also introduces another new playable character, Qudy. The rectangular hero creates boxes that are extra-long or tall, which adds a new layer of complexity to the challenges. As usual, efficient puzzle solving will earn you medals you can use to unlock outfits, items, and accessories. The game also introduces a new timed balloon challenge mode.BoxBoy was first introduced in 2015 by HAL Laboratories on the Nintendo 3DS. It was designed to look simple and monochromatic, similar to a Game Boy game. This is the series' first entry on the Nintendo Switch, and the first time the cast of characters has come into their own as playable. It will be available on April 26 for $10.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Go's April Community Day may have only recently ended, but Niantic is already looking ahead to next month's event. The developer has now shared the first details for May's Community Day, which is scheduled to take place around the globe on Sunday, May 19.As usual, next month's Community Day will run for three hours, from 3-6 PM local time. During that window, players will be able to earn triple the usual amount of Stardust for every Pokemon they catch, and any Lure Modules that are used will remain active for three hours.The featured Pokemon this time around will be another Gen 3 starter: Torchic. Throughout the Community Day, the Fire-type Pokemon will spawn in the wild more frequently than it normally does, making it much easier to add some to your collection. Going by previous Community Days, you'll likely also have your first chance to capture a Shiny Torchic.Finally, if you manage to fully evolve a Torchic into Blaziken up to an hour after the Community Day ends, it'll learn a special, as-yet-unannounced event-exclusive move. Niantic typically reveals what the special move is the week of the event. You can find more details about next month's Community Day on the official Pokemon website.In the meantime, there are a few other big events going on now in Pokemon Go. First, the Legendary Eon Pokemon Latios returned for a special week-long Raid that's scheduled to end on April 22. Niantic is also holding the annual Eggstravaganza event until April 23, which gives you more chances to hatch baby Pokemon and even capture a Shiny Buneary.Info from Gamespot.com

The historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught flame Monday evening, collapsing its spire and severely damaging parts of the building including its roof. Now as the government looks toward restoration, it may tap an unexpected source: Assassin's Creed Unity.CBS News reports that restorers may need to utilize the expertise of a Vassar College architecture historian and the artist team for Ubisoft's 2014 video game. The detailed models could help provide a functional understanding of the building's measurements and specifications that isn't possible with still photographs.Unity is set during the French Revolution, and was noted for its accurate rendering of 1700s Paris. The Verge reports that level artist Caroline Miousse spent roughly two years modeling Notre Dame Cathedral, saying about 80% of her work on the game was that landmark alone.Notre Dame is a cathedral that has undergone multiple expansions and restorations over the centuries, and Miousse's recreation is modeled as closely as possible to the structure as it was at the time--at least, for the most part. The team found that playtesters missed the spires, so Miousse added them to the cathedral despite the fact that they weren't actually added until later.For its part, Ubisoft said on Twitter it is not currently involved in any reconstruction efforts, but is "more than happy to lend our expertise in any way we can." The company is helping out in another way, however. It has committed more than $500,000 to reconstruction efforts, and made Assassin's Creed Unity free for a limited time in honor of the cathedral."Video games can enable us to explore places in ways we never could have otherwise imagined," the company said. "We hope, with this small gesture, we can provide everyone an opportunity to appreciate our virtual homage to this monumental piece of architecture."Info from Gamespot.com

At long last, there's been a major development in the creation of Showtime's upcoming TV adaptation of the Halo video game franchise. We still don't know when it will premiere, but we are finally ready to meet Master Chief.The mysterious masked figure, who is at the center of the video game franchise, has been cast by the network. According to Entertainment Weekly, Orange is the New Black and American Gods alum Pablo Schreiber will fill the role. A character description reads, "Earth's most advanced warrior in the 26th century and the only hope of salvation for a civilization pushed to the brink of destruction by the Covenant, an unstoppable alliance of alien worlds committed to the destruction of humanity."What remains to be seen is whether fans will ever actually see Schreiber's face. In the games, Chief's identity remains a mystery. While you might assume that would change for the series, Showtime president of programming Gary Levine previously said whether Chief would unmask "is a key question and an important part of our series."Schreiber isn't the only new cast, though. EW reports newcomer Yerin Ha had also been added to the show as Quan Ah, "a shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the Outer Colonies who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both."Halo is expected to begin production this fall in Budapest, with Kyle Killen and Steven Kane serving as co-showrunners. Black Mirror alum Otto Bathurst has signed on to direct and produce the series. Showtime describes its take on Halo as "weaving deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future."Disclosure: Showtime is a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation. CBS is GameSpot's parent company.Info from Gamespot.com

If you're in the market for an Xbox One and have been waiting to buy it for less than $200, here's a solid deal for you: An Xbox One S bundle with Battlefield V is available for $175 via GamerCandy at Rakuten right now. While listed at $200, members get $25 off their purchase, and all you have to do is set up a free Rakuten account. Once you're signed in, just apply coupon code GAMEC25 during checkout. It'll drop to $175, complete with free shipping and no sales tax.This exact bundle is selling for between $200 and $250 at other retailer sites, so this is currently the best discount you'll find. The coupon is only valid for the rest of today, April 17, so hurry if you want to claim this deal.BUY XBOX ONE S BUNDLE W/ BATTLEFIELD V AT RAKUTEN »This deal follows the announcement of Microsoft's new Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, which doesn't have a disc drive for playing physical games or DVDs, but is otherwise identical to the regular Xbox One S. That all-digital console is selling for $250, a price some fans have felt is too high considering the Xbox One S is regularly on sale for $250, $200, and as Rakuten shows, sometimes even less. We can only wait and see how the price fluctuates on the digital Xbox One down the road, but for now, you can pick up the original Xbox One S--disc drive and all--for the very reasonable price of $175 while this promotion lasts.Info from Gamespot.com

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's big 3.0 update wasn't the only Smash news Nintendo had to share this week. The company has also announced that a trio of new Amiibo figures are on the way, and they're slated to hit stores this summer.Starting July 26, players will be able to pick up the Pichu, Pokemon Trainer, and Isabelle Super Smash Bros. Amiibo at retailers. Nintendo hasn't specified how much these new figures will cost, but previous Smash Ultimate Amiibo have run for $16 USD each. You can take a look at images of the new figures below.Nintendo has released nine other Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Amiibo thus far, with even more on the way this year. The most recent batch, which consisted of Young Link, Daisy, and Ken, arrived earlier this month. Figures of Squirtle, Ivysaur, Snake, and Simon Belmont are also slated to release sometime in 2019.In the meantime, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's 3.0 update arrives today, April 17. The biggest addition is undoubtedly Persona 5's Joker, who is joining the roster as a playable character. Joker arrives alongside a new stage, Mementos, as well as an assortment of music tracks taken from the Persona series. The whole Joker pack is available for $6 / £4.49, or as part of the $25 Fighters Pass.In addition to Joker, the 3.0 update introduces a Stage Builder to the game, allowing players to create and share their own levels. Additionally, the Nintendo Switch Online phone app is receiving an update that adds the previously announced Smash World hub, which lets players view user-created videos and stages. Finally, the update adds a new assortment of Persona and Sonic Mii Fighter costumes to purchase.Info from Gamespot.com

Noted invisible professional wrestler and former WWE Champion John Cena may finally be throwing his hat into the superhero movie ring. The self-proclaimed "Doctor of Thuganomics" is reportedly in talks to join the cast of the Suicide Squad follow-up being written and directed by Guardians of the Galaxy helmer James Gunn.The news comes from Variety, which says Cena may join Margot Robbie and Jai Courtney--who starred in the first Suicide Squad as Harley Quinn and Captain Boomerang, respectively--as well as Idris Elba in the film. At this point, Elba and Cena's roles remain a mystery, as does the state of the rest of the Squad. However, Variety previously reported Will Smith would not reprise his role as Deadshot.Interestingly, this wouldn't be Gunn's first time working with a WWE star. He previously directed Dave Bautista in both Guardians films, with a third installment in the works. It would, however, be Cena's first role in a movie adaptation of a comic book. His previous big screen work includes roles in Bumblebee, Blockers, and the animated film Ferdinand. He'll next be seen on the big screen in Project X-Traction, alongside Jackie Chan.Gunn's Suicide Squad film hasn't started filming yet but is scheduled to hit theaters on August 6, 2021. As for Cena, he recently made his WWE return at Wrestlemania during a segment with the guitar-strumming Elias, though there's been no mention of him getting back in the ring anytime soon.Info from Gamespot.com

Sony shared a few tidbits about its next-generation PlayStation console--which doesn't yet have an official name but will likely be called PlayStation 5--in an interview with Wired this week. Among other things, PS4 lead system architect Mark Cerny confirmed the new console will be backwards compatible. One of the biggest questions surrounding the system, however, is its price, but Sony suggests it will be offered at a good value.While the subject of price didn't come up in the interview, Wired writer Peter Rubin did broach it during his discussion with Cerny, and he shared their exchange on Twitter. Naturally, Cerny was coy about saying too much about the topic, but he did tease the system will launch with an "appealing" price tag. "I believe that we will be able to release it at an SRP [suggested retail price] that will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set," he said.Of course, Cerny's response leaves a lot of wiggle room, and his comment about the console's "advanced feature set" suggests it won't be cheap, although we likely won't know just how much it'll cost until closer to launch. As for when that will be, Sony hasn't yet announced a release window for its next console. Last May, however, head of PlayStation John Kodera said the new system was three years off, so it presumably won't arrive until 2020 at the earliest.In addition to confirming backwards compatibility, Cerny revealed that the PS5 will use an AMD chip with a CPU based on the third-generation Ryzen, as well as a custom version of Radeon's Navi graphics chips. The system will also support 8K and utilize solid-state drives, allowing for much faster loading times.Beyond that, Sony didn't share many other details about its upcoming console, and it's unclear when the company will reveal more information. For the first time since entering the gaming market, Sony is skipping this year's E3, so any more news about the system will likely be reserved for its PlayStation Experience event or new State of Play streams, assuming the company plans on revealing it this year.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has announced the latest patch for The Division 2, Title Update 3, is delayed. Originally scheduled for April 25, Title Update 3 is now releasing sometime in May."The final release date of Title Update 3 will be based on results from further testing and balancing of the game," Ubisoft wrote in a blog post. "Operation Dark Hours will be your biggest challenge to date, and we want to make sure that we've properly tested the large amount of balance changes that are coming to both PvE and PvP and listen to your feedback about the changes before introducing the raid."To test these changes, Ubisoft has opened the Public Test Server (PTS) on the PC version of The Division 2. "The plan is to structure the PTS in phases, each lasting a few days and focusing on a specific part of the game," Ubisoft wrote. "We will have surveys and dedicated forum threads (together with our traditional general and technical issues forums) to cover these topics."The PTS is now live, and includes every piece of new content coming in the Title Update 3 except for the raid. Although the raid is the major piece of new content in Title Update 3, the patch also implements several Talent buffs and nerfs as well. There are some balancing changes for Conflict and Dark Zones. Ubisoft hasn't released the full patch notes for the update, but YouTuber Arekkz Gaming has outlined all of the major changes.In our The Division 2 review, Edmond Tran gave the game a 9/10, writing, "The range of enemy types continues to keep combat encounters challenging, the equipment I earn and pick up continues to feel different, valuable, and asks me to consider new ways of play. The ravaged environments continue to intrigue, and sometimes they're so stunning I find myself needing to take screenshots before I move on. It might not have much to say, but The Division 2 is a perpetual cycle of tension, relief, and reward that's difficult to stay away from."Info from Gamespot.com

The Arbalest is the latest Exotic to pop up in Destiny 2--and the last of the Season of the Drifter. It's comes as part of the Revelry event, and is earned through completing Triumphs tied to the event and its new activity, the Verdant Forest. Like the other Exotics that come from lengthy quests, it requires a fair bit of grinding to get to the reward.While you'll need to spend some time blasting through the Verdant Forest and working on other activities to get your Arbalest, that doesn't mean it has to take you until the end of the Revelry on May 7 to get it. There are 10 Triumphs to earn in the Revelry, but you only need seven of them to unlock your Arbalest. With the right approach, you can knock out the Triumphs relatively quickly, provided you know what you're doing.Here's how you can knock out the Revelry Triumphs most quickly, and grab your Arbalest with the least pain and grinding.Visit Eva LevanteYour quest for Arbalest starts when you visit Eva Levante at the Tower. She'll give you the Reveler's Tonic, which gives you special perks when you spend a new item called Reveler's Essence that drops in various activities. She'll also send you to fight through the Verdant Forest, a new version of the Infinite Forest.Start by completing your first run in the Verdant Forest--it doesn't matter how well you do, but clearing all five bosses at the end can get you some of the Revelry armor set, which you want--then head back to Eva. Once you do, she'll offer you weekly and daily bounties. You'll need them to get your Arbalest as quickly as possible.Clear Some StrikesYou'll be doing a bunch of Verdant Forest runs, but first you might want to complete Eva's weekly bounties, because they drop Inaugural Revelry armor. Wearing pieces of that armor set (and the Vernal Growth set you can get from Eververse) increases the effectiveness of your Reveler's Tonic perks. Once you get four of them, bosses you kill in the Verdant Forest will start to count toward your Budding Fashion Triumph, so getting the armor earlier is better.While you're running Strikes, activate the grenade or melee perks with your Reveler's Tonic. That'll make your grenade or melee abilities recharge super quickly--like once every two or three seconds. As you're running Strikes, use your abilities constantly; kills with grenades will count toward your Fireworks Triumph, and melee kills count toward the Melee Mayhem Triumph. You'll need to finish five Strikes to complete the bounty, and that should be plenty to get you the kills you need for one or both of the Triumphs as well.When you're not getting grenade kills, focus on precision kills. They have a chance of generating extra Super orbs thanks to the Revelric Light perk from the Revelry, and count toward another weekly bounty. Use those orbs to rack up as many Super kills as you can in every activity you do, since they all count toward the Super Celebratory Triumph.Get CompetitiveThe same thinking about Strikes applies to Crucible or Gambit matches. You'll probably want to go with Gambit, as it'll give you more opportunities to generate Orbs of Light, snag grenade and melee kills, and get Super kills. You'll need to complete five matches to clear the weekly bounty and unlock another piece of Revelry gear. Snag enough precision kills between Strikes and Competitive matches and you'll finish another weekly bounty to gain a third piece of Inaugural Revelry armor.Wear Your Revelry Armor To The Verdant ForestNow you're ready for some Verdant Forest runs. Wear any Inaugural Revelry armor you've got, including the Vernal Growth armor from Eververse--both sets together seem to count toward the Budding Fashion Triumph. Your goal in the Verdant Forest is to clear as many branches as you can before the timer runs out, because more branches means more time for the boss fight at the end. You'll face five bosses in the final encounter, and if you can defeat all of them, you'll get a Powerful drop that often includes more Revelry armor.As you fight through the Verdant Forest, try to get as far as you can (use our guide to help), but focus on precision kills and Supers to generate as many Orbs of Light as possible. The goal is to clear out the Verdant Light Events Triumph, which requires you to earn 200 orbs in the Verdant Forest or in Black Armory forges. You'll also get through the Spring Cleaning Triumph, which needs 50 cleared branches to unlock, but that should be doable in two or three runs with a decent team.When you get to the boss fight section, killing three bosses in one go will get you the Spring Hunt Triumph; killing 20 bosses with four pieces of Revelry armor on unlocks the Budding Fashion Triumph.After that, it's just grinding: get Super kills to finish off the Super Celebratory Triumph; grenade kills and melee kills in Strikes and Competitive matches for the Fireworks Triumph and Melee Mayhem Triumph; and 50 branches for the Verdant Light Events Triumph. In total, with five Strikes, five Competitive matches, and anywhere between four and eight or so Verdant Forest runs, Arbalest should be yours.Arbalest is a pretty sick weapon if you use it right. It's a lot like the Queenbreaker linear fusion rifle, but it's a kinetic weapon, rather than a power weapon. It does a ton of damage when you hit enemies in the head, and it does bonus damage when you use it to break shields. The only drawback is that it doesn't carry much ammo, so make sure you use it wisely.Info from Gamespot.com