As its title suggests, CinemaCon is the annual convention for the National Association of Theatre Owners, and in recent years has become a vital part of early movie publicity. Unlike San Diego Comic-Con, it isn't a public event, but studios clearly realise that screening early footage for the industry and media can be a major help in building buzz for new films.Warner had a major presence at this year's CinemaCon, which is currently underway in Las Vegas. The studio previewed three of its highly anticipated upcoming DC movies, namely Joker, Birds of Prey, and Wonder Woman 1984.According to The Hollywood Reporter, the first Joker trailer was introduced by director Todd Phillips, who explained that rumors about the film's tone and plot "[haven't] been accurate." Phillips then described the movie as a "tragedy." As for the trailer, THR states that it includes footage of Joaquin Phoenix's lead character being attacked before trying on various costumes to find his iconic Joker look. [UPDATE: the Joker trailer is now online.]Unlike Joker, early footage of Birds of Prey was officially released in January, but CinemaCon attendees got see more of the movie, which arrives in February 2020 and sees Margot Robbie reprise her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn. Slashfilm described the new footage as "bright, bold, and bursting with neon colors," and it included a shot of Harley Quinn roller skating behind a moving vehicle. In addition, the Birds of Prey presentation revealed that Harley isn't actually a full-time member of the titular female superhero team.As for Wonder Woman 1984, although the movie isn't due for release until July 2020, it was shot before both Joker and Birds of Prey. According to Variety, there were several scenes shown, including footage of Diana (Gal Gadot) and Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) walking through Washington DC, Diana getting involved in some action in an '80s shopping mall, and Kristen Wiig's villainous Cheetah.Info from Gamespot.com

The first trailer for Joker is here. The upcoming DC universe film is the much-anticipated origin story movie about the Clown Prince of Crime and stars Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. It will hit theaters on October 3.As has been previously hinted, the trailer suggests that Joker is going to be quite unlike anything else the DC universe has released so far. It focuses on Phoenix's lonely, unstable Arthur, a stand-up comedian who clearly has trouble fitting into society. We see Phoenix being attacked on the street, visiting Arkham Hospital, and dressing up as a clown, while his voiceover hints at the dark criminal turn his life will soon take. Check it out above.Joker is directed by Todd Phillips, who previously helmed the Hangover movies. This origin movie of Arkham Asylum's most famous resident also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron.This trailer comes on the heels of a new Joker poster, which was shared just as Avengers: Endgame tickets went on sale.Joker is one of several movies on the way over the next couple of years from the storied comic book company of DC. It will be followed by Birds of Prey in February 2020, which sees Margot Robbie reprise her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn. An early teaser was released in January, and more details about the film emerged at the recent CinemaCon in Las Vegas.Beyond that, Wonder Woman 1984 is set to hit theaters in July 2020. There are also 2021 dates for the standalone Batman movie and James Gunn's Suicide Squad reboot, while Aquaman 2 will be with us in 2022.Info from Gamespot.com

After watching the first couple of Borderlands 3 trailers, you probably noticed that several characters from all across the series are returning. However, there are plenty of new faces entering the fray too. Like previous games, Borderlands 3 introduces a new set of playable Vault Hunters, who are each armed with their own unique abilities, skill trees, and personalization options. Below we detail everything we know about Borderlands 3's four playable characters. Be sure to check back often as we update this feature with more information as it gets announced. Though, if you'd like a breakdown of everything we know about Borderlands 3 in general, then read our in-depth roundup feature. You can now pre-order one of the game's many editions as well.Table of Contents [hide]Moze the GunnerAmara the SirenFL4K the BeastmasterZane the OperativeMoze the GunnerMoze the Gunner's main ability comes from her mech, Iron Bear, which instantly constructs around her when summoned. She's far more mobile than previous gunner-type classes, who often had to cater their strategies around stationary turrets. Another interesting feature of Moze's Iron Bear is that other teammates can hop onto it and use the turret mounted at its head. This adds what looks to be an emphasis on cooperation to Moze's playstyle. Although she seems well capable of defending herself, it seems she's much more dangerous and effective when a friend tags alongside her.Amara the SirenIt wouldn't be a new Borderlands game without the presence of the Sirens, a group of mysterious women with incredible powers who are distinguishable by the tattoos that adorn half their bodies. Amara is the newest Siren to be introduced to the series; though, it's unclear how long she has existed in the Borderlands universe or where she comes from. Unlike Lillith and Maya, Amara is more melee-focused, which is made apparent by her ability to summon multiple ethereal arms to punch baddies with. Her muscular physique and destructive offensive power make her a solid fit as the brawler of the group.FL4K the BeastmasterFL4K is essentially the hunter class of Borderlands 3, but their most intriguing skill is the ability to command pet beasts. From early trailers, it seems FL4K is able to choose between a few different pets that each have their own unique abilities. Based on the screenshot above, FL4K is able to command either a Skag, a Spiderant, and another creature brandishing a gun. Currently, it's unclear how many creatures FL4K can have alongside them at a time or how they'll be controlled. If FL4K's appearance is a basis in which to discern the weapons they're most effective at using, then it looks like they're proficient at using close-to-mid range weaponry and grenades.Zane the OperativeIf you're a fan of Borderlands 2's Zero, then Zane is likely the Vault Hunter you'll want to choose in Borderlands 3. We're not just saying that because of both their names start with a "Z," but because of his decoy device, which draws aggro from enemies. All this isn't to say that Zane doesn't have his own unique abilities; he comes equipped with several gadgets, such as an attack drone that supports him in battle. Info from Gamespot.com

Gearbox Software has confirmed that Borderlands 3 will launch on September 13, 2019, as indicated by a leak earlier this week. The game will be available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Alongside the release date, Gearbox has also released a new trailer, which confirms that, at launch, the game will be distributed through the Epic Games Store on PC. Borderlands 3 will then come to additional PC digital storefronts in April 2020.The trailer is a showcase of Borderland 3's gameplay and also introduces the Vault Hunters players will take control of as they hunt for loot, the legendary Vaults, and take on the fanatical Calypso Twins. Among them is Moze the Gunner, Amara the Siren, FL4K the Beastmaster, and Zane the Operative. The studio also confirmed that a gameplay reveal event is slated for May 1. That should give us much more detail on the heroes and their powers, as well as any new mechanics or systems planned for Borderlands 3.Moze is able to summon a mech which other players can mount, Amara can summon ethereal arms to brawl using, FL4K controls beasts--as his class name implies--and Zane is very handy for distracting enemies, slipping into combat, doing damage, and escaping. For more on the characters, check out our Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter breakdown.The antagonistic Calypso Twins, meanwhile, are attempting to unite the various bandit clans with the goal of taking ownership of the galaxy's ultimate power.Whereas previous games were mainly focused on single, sprawling locations on Pandora, Borderlands 3 will give players the opportunity to travel to new worlds beyond it. Gearbox is promising that each one will feature unique environments and enemies.Another new feature introduced for the game is level sync, which makes co-op play a little more friendly by scaling the experience for each player, regardless if they are playing together online or locally in split-screen, or their level and mission progress. The tentpole feature for Borderlands 3 is vehicular combat, which is sure to inspire Mad Max-esque feelings in players, as they tear across savage lands engaging in combat with enemies.Watch the trailer above to see it all come together in gameplay footage. The trailer also invites players to pre-order the game for access to golden weapons. For more on the game, head over to our Borderlands 3 round-up, which brings together everything we know about the game so far.Info from Gamespot.com

Following its announcement last week during PAX East, Gearbox Software has shared a new trailer for Borderlands 3. The video gives us our first look at the game's four playable characters and confirms the title will launch for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on September 13. However, players hoping to pick it up on the latter will have to do so through the Epic Games Store, as the trailer reveals the PC version will initially be exclusive to Epic's storefront until April 2020, when it will expand to additional digital stores.Borderlands 3 is the latest in a growing number of games that are shifting their focus from Valve's Steam platform to Epic's nascent digital delivery service. In a statement, publisher 2K said this decision was in line with the company's efforts to embrace new delivery platforms."The PC gaming community has been an important part of the success of the Borderlands series, and we are excited to be partnering with Epic, who recognize its worldwide popularity and share in our commitment to bring Borderlands 3 to this rapidly expanding audience," said 2K president David Ismailer."Our mission, in addition to delivering the most engaging and captivating entertainment experiences, is to embrace new distribution platforms that will contribute to our effort to grow the audience for Borderlands 3," he added.Gearbox also said that the PC version has been developed with hardware manufacturer AMD. As a result, it has been optimized for AMD Radeon graphics cards and also and Ryzen CPUs.Borderlands 3 will also be available on PS4 and Xbox One from September 13. Gearbox has released a new trailer for the game, showing off some of its explosive gameplay and also providing us with a closer look at the four new Vault Hunters that players will take on their adventures. Gearbox certainly seems to be being more ambitious for its third entry in the series, and you can read about some of the new features coming to Borderlands 3 here.Info from Gamespot.com

Following an April Fools Day release date leak, Gearbox Software confirmed today that Borderlands 3 will release September 13. The studio also dropped a new trailer that showcased new gameplay and confirmed that Borderlands 3 will initially be distributed through the Epic Games Store on PC. The game will eventually be available on other digital storefronts, but this won't be until April 2020.The latest trailer, which you can watch below, introduces a host of new characters, including four new Vault Hunters: Moze the Gunner, Amara the Siren, FL4K the Beastmaster, and Zane the Operative. We also got a look at the villainous Calypso Twins. Check out our feature detailing everything we know about the four playable characters and their abilities, which will be updated as more information is revealed. Plus, get caught up on all the latest news about the game.When Borderlands 3 launches, there will be multiple versions of the game available to purchase on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In total, there will be four editions of Borderlands 3: Standard, Deluxe, Super Deluxe, and Diamond Loot Chest Collector's Edition. Each one has unique bonuses and extras available for those that are willing to drop the extra cash on them. Whether you're a Borderlands veteran or thinking about checking the series out for the first time, here's what you need to know about each version of Borderlands 3 so you can make an informed purchase.Borderlands 3 pre-order bonusesIf you pre-order Borderlands 3, you'll be given a weapon trinket and gold weapon skins for all guns in the game. The PlayStation Store is also giving away a free Borderlands 3 PS4 theme if you pre-order the game there. UK players also have access to another perk: if you pre-order at Game, you'll also receive a free Psycho Mask (which is a physical item), while supplies last.Borderlands 3 standard editionThe standard version is, as the name implies, just a vanilla version of the game (plus any pre-order bonuses) and costs $60 / £55.What's included:Base game + any pre-order bonusesWhere to pre-order:PS4Amazon -- $60GameStop -- $60Best Buy -- $60PlayStation Store -- $60Game (UK) -- £55Xbox OneAmazon -- $60GameStop -- $60Best Buy -- $60Microsoft Store -- $60Game (UK) -- £55PCEpic Games Store -- $60Borderlands 3 Deluxe edition The Deluxe version is $80 / £75 and has additional cosmetics packs, a weapon pack, experience and loot drop mods.What's included:Base game + any pre-order bonusesRetro Cosmetic Pack: Vault Hunter head and skin, Echo Device skin, weapon skinNeon Cosmetic Pack: Vault Hunter head and skin, Echo Device skin, weapon trinketGearbox Cosmetic Pack: weapon skin, weapon trinketToy Box Weapon Pack: 2 Toy guns, Toy grenade mod, weapon trinketXP and Loot Drop Boost ModsWhere to pre-order:PS4Amazon -- $80GameStop -- $80Best Buy -- $80PlayStation Store -- $80Game (UK) -- £75Xbox OneAmazon -- $80GameStop -- $80Best Buy -- $80Microsoft Store -- $80Game (UK) -- £75PCEpic Games Store -- $80Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe edition The Super Deluxe Edition includes everything that's part of the Deluxe Edition, plus the Borderlands 3 season pass. It will be available initially for $100, but the price will increase to $120 from September 17. In the UK, the Super Deluxe Edition will be exclusive to Game, and the price will remain £90.What's included:Deluxe edition of the game + any pre-order bonusesBorderlands 3 season pass: Four campaign DLC packs featuring new stories, missions and challengesButt Stallion weapon skin, weapon trinket, and grenade modBorderlands 3 steelbook caseWhere to pre-order:PS4Amazon -- $100GameStop -- $100Best Buy -- $100PlayStation Store -- $100Game (UK) -- £90Xbox OneAmazon -- $100GameStop -- $100Best Buy -- $100Microsoft Store -- $100Game (UK) -- £90PCEpic Games Store -- $100Borderlands 3 Diamond Loot Chest Collector's EditionFinally, the Diamond Loot Chest Collector's Edition will be available at GameStop for $250 / £250. It has everything in the Super Deluxe Edition, plus a plethora of collectibles, including a replica of the Diamond Loot Chest, 10 character figurines, a Sanctuary 3 snap model, and more. The Diamond Loot Chest Collector's Edition is also exclusive to Game for anyone who lives in the UK.What's included:Super Deluxe Edition of the game (including season pass) + any pre-order bonusesDiamond Loot Chest Replica -- features a functional retractable lid so you can store your real-world lootTen Borderlands 3 three-inch character figurines -- the whole crew is here, including the four new Vault Hunters, the Calypso Twins, and more of your favorite characters from the Borderlands universeSanctuary 3 snap model with stand includedFour Vault Key keychainsCloth galaxy map of the BorderlandsFive character art lithographs -- character prints starring the new Vault Hunters and fanatical Calypso TwinsBorderlands 3 steelbook caseWhere to pre-order:PS4GameStop -- $250Game (UK) -- £250Xbox OneGameStop -- $250Game (UK) -- £250Info from Gamespot.com

A new in-game event is now underway in Pokemon Go. Coinciding with the debut of Giratina Origin Forme, Niantic has kicked off the game's first Bug Out, a week-long event featuring increased Bug Pokemon spawns and other bonuses--including a new Shiny Pokemon.From now until April 9, Bug-types such as Scyther, Paras, Wurmple, and Yanma will appear in the wild more frequently than normal. Not only that, but players will have their first chance to encounter a Shiny Scyther during the event, and Bug Pokemon like Shuckle and Ninjask will appear as Raid bosses.In addition to increased Bug Pokemon spawns, Incenses will last twice as long as they normally do during the Bug Out event, and they'll attract more Pokemon than usual. Players will also be able to obtain special Field Research tasks focusing on Bug Pokemon from Poke Stops. You can read more details about the event on the Pokemon Go website.Beyond the Bug Out event, Pokemon Go players now have their first chance to capture Giratina in its Origin Forme, the serpentine appearance it takes in Pokemon Platinum. This variant of the Legendary Pokemon will appear in Raid Battles until April 29 and has more offensive stats than its Altered Forme. You can find tips on how to catch Giratina here.Shortly after the Bug Out event end, Niantic will host Pokemon Go's next Community Day. This month's event is scheduled to take place from 3-6 PM local time on Saturday, April 13. During those hours, players will have an easier time finding the rare Dragon Pokemon Bagon. Also happening this month is Niantic's second annual Earth Day campaign. If enough players participate in their local cleanup events, the developer will add Shiny Diglett to Pokemon Go as a reward.Info from Gamespot.com

Superhero movies obviously existed prior to the 21st century, but it was the likes of the first X-Men and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man at the start of the 2000s that helped make the genre the box office monster it is today. The current stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are some of the best known actors in the world, and it's hard to think of other performers in those roles.But what if the superhero movie craze had happened a decade earlier? With the exception of three Batman movies and smaller films such as Blade, the 1990s were largely free of big screen superheroes, despite the number of hugely iconic actors associated with that decade. Luckily, thanks to YouTube fan-edit channel What's The Mashup, we now have an idea of what a '90s Avengers movie might have looked like.The WTM team presents a trailer for the The Avengers in '90s style, complete with a dated VFX and a distinctive VHS look. Best of all, they have inserted some of the biggest stars of the time, using footage from other movies, and cast them as the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. So if you ever wanted to see Tom Cruise as Iron Man, Brad Pitt as Thor, or Sarah Michelle Gellar as Captain Marvel, here's your chance. There's more in there too--but we won't spoil the surprise of who has been cast as Captain America. Check it out below:As for the real Avengers, the much-anticipated Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26. The latest promo video revealed loads of new footage--check out GameSpot's breakdown of this new video. In addition, tickets for Endgame are now available. The pre-sale has broken records and caused several ticketing sites--including Fandango and AMC--to crash.Info from Gamespot.com

A third-party controller for the Nintendo Switch promises to bring one of the most requested features to the platform: easy in-game voice chat. PDP's Faceoff Deluxe+ wired controller is slated for launch this summer, and it boasts the first controller to use a separate chat functionality.The Faceoff Deluxe+ uses the audio SDK developed by Vivox, the studio behind Fortnite's in-game chat. It offers a 3.5mm audio jack and built-in audio controls, which will let you plug in a standard headset and chat normally, without going through Nintendo's awkward mobile chat app.The controller also features interchangeable face plates and two programmable buttons, like the previous Faceoff Deluxe controllers. Pre-orders will begin in May. According to the company blog, it will cost $25 and come in Red Camo and Purple Camo at launch.Last year, outgoing Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime defended the company's decision to tie its voice chat to mobile devices, claiming it's easier for consumers because your phone is "always with you." He also pointed out that Nintendo tends to make unconventional choices for features like online play.Nintendo Switch Online is another component of its current online offerings, which enables online multiplayer for select games and includes a selection of free NES titles every month, sometimes with special save states. The April offerings include Punch-Out!!, Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, and Star Soldier. If you're not a member, you can get it included with a Twitch Prime subscription.Info from Gamespot.com

The Division 2 will add its first big late-game world event this week, with the Tidal Basin update. The new area will open on April 5 as a free update to all players, but it's not for rookie agents. You'll need a high-level character to take on the new challenges.If you have a Tier 4 agent with at least 450 gear score, you'll unlock a new set of challenges in Tidal Basin. It will also open up the ability to reach Tier 5, and you'll be able to take down a new Black Tusk stronghold.This is the first big update for Ubisoft's open-world shooter. Other plans include Operation Dark Hours, the first eight-person raid, and a story episode called D.C. Outskirts: Expeditions slated for the summer. Similar story episodes are planned for fall and winter.Each of these additions are free for all players, so if you own the game you're already in. Ubisoft is also selling a Year One Pass for the game, which gives you seven-day early access to all of the episodes, along with instant access to any new specializations. Plus, pass holders get eight Classified Assignments and some exclusive cosmetic items. You can purchase that for $40. A separate in-game apparel store sells individual cosmetics as well."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," Edmond Tran wrote in GameSpot's review. "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

Another major name has joined All Elite Wrestling. The promotion announced that Jim Ross, the former WWE agent best known for his commentary work during the company's Attitude Era, has signed a three-year contract that AEW describes as "the most lucrative deal in pro wrestling commentary history."AEW says Ross will take on the role of Senior Advisor "effectively immediately." His first in-ring appearance for the promotion will be at its first major event, Double or Nothing, which is scheduled to take place on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The company says Ross will also "work closely with the senior leaders at AEW on their roadmap to shift and reinvent the wrestling landscape.""I'm moving on in a very positive way to this timely opportunity to be on the ground floor of one of the most exciting moments in the history of pro wrestling," Ross said in a press release. "I’ve known Tony [Khan, president of AEW], Cody [Rhodes], The Young Bucks, and Kenny [Omega] for a long time, and I know they're going to change the world of pro wrestling."AEW is the brainchild of Rhodes and The Young Bucks. The promotion was officially announced back in January and has already attracted a number of major names in the world of wrestling, including former WWE champion Chris Jericho, former WWE cruiserweight champion Pac (née Neville), and many others. You can check out the full AEW roster to see all of the wrestlers signed to the promotion thus far.Info from Gamespot.com

Respawn Entertainment's latest update to Apex Legends, Update 1.1, is out for PC and console players. It caused some early problems for players, resetting some accounts, according to Respawn's Reddit post--but Respawn says those issues have been fixed.Update 1.1 includes some interesting quality-of-life changes for Apex Legends that should make it even easier to create better, longer-lasting squads of the players you meet when firing up the game. Apex now includes an option that lets players invite the members of their last squad back into their party--perfect for those times when your team of randos from matchmaking actually turn out to be pretty good.The option for squad invites is now on the Friends menu, which means you can opt out if you don't want any matchmade players trying to follow you back to your squad. The patch also has a few other changes worked in, including access to a Mute button on the Legend select screen, and more options on PC for reporting players for cheating or other issues. PC players will also get more information if the game crashes to help them deal with the trouble.You can read the full patch notes below. It'll give you something to do, since Apex Legends is currently down while Respawn deals with the progression bug.Update 1.1 Patch Notes:Quality Of Life Added the ability to party up with the last squad you played with. After the match you will see buttons in the lobby that display the last two people you played with and can invite them to your squad.Additional behind-the-scenes improvements for squashing cheaters.Added Mute button during the intro and Legend selection.When using the Report Player button for PC, you now have the option of selecting Cheat or Other.Added informative messages that appear on PC for crashes due to: Running out of memory.CPU errors best explained by overclocking/overheating.Added better collision to the turrets on Supply Ships.Stability fixes to all platforms.Bug Fixes Fixed issue where the Battle Pass rewards page would not have a default item selected, resulting in a mostly blank page.Fixed bug for PS4 and X1 where sometimes attempting to use a keyboard to chat could cause a fatal script error.Fixed bug with Banner Cards not showing up during and at the end of a match.Jump Pad Phase Walk InteractionsOctane’s Jump Pad no longer affects players when using Into the Void ability.Info from Gamespot.com

Fans of the Borderlands series can rest easy, as developer Gearbox announced Borderlands 3 during its PAX East panel last week. Also during the panel, Gearbox confirmed the remaster of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition. The release date for the remastered Borderlands: GotY is nearly here--here's exactly when it unlocks and how to get it for free on PC.[Update: Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition is out now on PS4 and Xbox One. You can pick it up from the PS4 and Xbox One digital stores right now; if you're waiting for the PC version (free upgrade or otherwise), it'll be live later this afternoon, as noted below. Additionally, Gearbox has shared a bunch of new information about Borderlands 3, including confirmation of its release date: September 13. We also got the first details on its playable characters.]The official Twitter account confirmed that Borderlands: GotY drops tomorrow, April 3. It'll be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET. Steam customers who own the existing Game of the Year Edition can download an update for free at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. It's possible to obtain physical copies of the game on consoles, but they're limited to US and Canada stores only.Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition drops TOMORROW with new weapons, visual upgrades, character heads, gold chests and keys, all 4 add-on packs, and more!âžœ https://t.co/ud6BPxbt1u pic.twitter.com/QnuNPlb2Zq — Borderlands 3 (@Borderlands) April 2, 2019When the Borderlands: GotY launched in October 2010, it gathered the original Borderlands with all four of its DLC packs--The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, and Claptrap's New Robot Revolution--into one package. This remastered version will do the exact same, but will also bring about some new additions like gameplay tweaks (such as a new minimap, for example), a series of new guns, new character customization options, and more. Gearbox is also altering the campaign's final boss, making it "more engaging, challenging, and rewarding."Further, an Ultra HD texture pack for Borderlands: The Handsome Collection will be available the same day as the Borderlands: GotY drops. According to the official Borderlands website, the UHD texture pack will affect "characters, vehicles, weapons and environments." Gearbox didn't specify how the UHD texture pack will affect the game, so it's unclear if it's receiving more frames per second, higher graphical fidelity, or both.Borderlands: GotY is currently not live on neither the PlayStation 4 nor Xbox Store. However, it's currently available for pre-order through GameStop for $30 on both platforms.Info from Gamespot.com

It's been about 25 years since Goichi "Suda51" Suda had a hand in a Fire Pro Wrestling game, but he's coming back to lend his storytelling chops to the retro-style wrestling series--it's where he got his start, after all.Suda's made a name for himself and the team at Grasshopper Manufacture with bizarre concepts for unconventional narratives that have turned into cult hits, such as Killer7, Shadows Of The Damned, and the No More Heroes franchise. If you've been paying attention to games he's worked on, you've seen the love of professional wrestling throughout his body of work; Travis Touchdown suplexes enemies to finish them off and Mask de Smith's whole persona was based on a luchador-masked wrestler with the proper moveset to fit. All that can be traced back to Fire Pro Wrestling.Back in 1994, Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special hit the Super Famicom in Japan, and in addition to its intricate gameplay, it had a surprisingly involved and twisted narrative called Champion Road. As director and writer, Suda hit us with an unexpectedly dark scenario that involved a series of devastating character deaths blending into the story's wrestling events (it also featured a Ric Flair stand-in named "Dick Slender"). It concluded with the main character eventually becoming champion. However, the final scene cut to a frame of his house and an audible gunshot, implying that he had committed suicide. It's a grim premise to begin with and a difficult one to build from, but that's what Suda is doing. And this time around, it seems to be more hopeful than what he wrote over two decades ago.This new scenario--that's coming as DLC for last year's Fire Pro Wrestling World--was born out of the idea: what if the main character from the original story had a kid? It's sort of a sequel, essentially Champion Road 2 in spirit, starring the son who is now 24 years old and in a tag-team called The Vanishing. When I had a chance to talk with Suda briefly about it, he said, "I'd been kind of mulling it over for a while and it's been 25 years since the last scenario, and now it's kind of the right time. I decided, okay, I'm going through with it. That's how this character came about."The teaser image for the Fire Pro Wrestling World DLC, a story scenario starring the tag-team The Vanishing.A lot has changed in the years since. With the original story being brutally dark and utterly ridiculous, and Suda's body of work built from unconventional, experimental types of games, there are so many directions this could go. What kind of tone should we expect from a new Fire Pro story? How does Suda feel about the original story; did it go too far, or did he wish he'd done it differently, in retrospect?"The original scenario was pretty traumatic: the main character rises up to the top and then ends up dying, you know?" Suda said. "When thinking about what to do with this one, I do have a general idea of where to go and what to do with it. But put simply, it's sort of a story of his growth and development. As I started writing it, the character started coming to life on his own. And to be honest, at this point, I'm not sure where this character is going to go. I don't know how it's going to end until I actually finish it!What I want to portray is sort of the inner-mind of a pro wrestler. When he's fighting, what is he feeling? What is he thinking? What kind of stuff is he struggling with? It will be a bit more serious and a lot more introspective. - Suda51"I hit the original Champion Road with my unbridled passion for the sport and the result was intense and over-the-top in a way only pro wrestling can be. Reading it now, the prose is pretty rough, so I’d like to rewrite it given the chance."Suda's latest game, Travis Strikes Again, channeled a lot of what made No More Heroes stand out with fourth-wall breaking and self-references, some very on-the-nose, but thematically fitting. They almost gave a sense that he was trying to talk the player through the game. But it seems that the new Fire Pro scenario is aiming to be a bit more measured for now."With [No More Heroes'] Travis, he's always kind of been like that," Suda said. "He's got a really deep connection with video games, so I felt that he was that sort of character that would talk directly to the players. For this game [Fire Pro], I mean obviously it's a pro wrestling game, and thematically it is a bit different. And rather than have, for example, the wrestlers speak directly to the player or laying out the central themes, what I want to portray is sort of the inner-mind of a pro wrestler. When he's fighting, what is he feeling? What is he thinking? What kind of stuff is he struggling with? It will be a bit more serious and a lot more introspective."With Suda in full control over the scenario writing, it'll be nice to see him have a hand in gameplay elements for The Vanishing tag-team, especially having directed Fire Pro in the past. But that aspect may have to be left to Spike Chunsoft's development team."Since I haven't finished writing the first scenario yet, I'm not sure if stuff like that might pop up, but basically I'm thinking of just leaving the gameplay stuff all up to the studio," Suda explained. "There are a few things, these wrestlers are going to have their own unique special moves and stuff. For things like that I'm going to put in requests like, 'okay I want them to have these moves that work this way.' But apart from that, I'm planning on pretty much just leaving it up to the studio."Suda helped promote Fire Pro Wrestling World before it launched in 2017, but now he's actively developing the DLC.For those not familiar with Fire Pro Wrestling, its had a storied history that began in 1989 as a PC Engine game by a now-defunct studio called Human Entertainment. Former members of Human eventually formed Grasshopper Manufacture which Suda heads up as CEO. As for Fire Pro Wrestling, Spike Chunsoft picked up the reins in 2000, and in total there have been more than 20 releases within the franchise--most of which are only available in Japan, where pro wrestling had breakout success, coinciding with the popularity of the games."Human had actually been putting out the game since before I joined the company, but originally it started out as a straight up wrestling simulator," Suda said. "And so I decided that, kind of like the scenario I wrote for [Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special (1994)], I wanted to do something similar where it wasn't just a simulator but really giving it proper themes and giving it a sense of story. The originals came out, and they were the sort of games where you don't really have to be into pro wrestling to get into it. There were a lot of gamers that didn't know anything about it who tried the game and were like, 'oh, this is actually pretty cool, I kind of like pro wrestling now,' and that was a pretty big thing in Japan at the time."With this latest one, I feel like it's the same type of game, where you don't need to know anything about pro wrestling, you don't have to really be into it; just try playing it as a game. People who just chekc it out just as a game will hopefully get into pro wrestling through this! The scenario that I'm writing up again is a proper story, so it's not just about men as wrestlers. It's got this realness as well, and I'm hoping it will help people get more into the game and then, by extension, pro wrestling."If you dig the games that Suda and company have made over the years, you may owe it to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), but he called back to how he used to despise the sport. It wasn't until the break out of a particular persona in the NJPW scene--who's based on an old Shonen Jump manga series--sparked something in Suda and sort of set things in motion."I actually used to hate pro wrestling," Suda admitted. "I thought it was really gritty, people always bleeding all over the place and stuff. But the moment I saw Tiger Mask debut on NJPW, I was like 'wow, this is something different.' It was pretty much that moment I got really into it, just from seeing that guy. If Tiger Mask hadn't made his debut, I probably wouldn't even be into pro wrestling."And if it wasn't for the break out of Tiger Mask, he probably wouldn't have worked on Fire Pro all those years ago.Editor's Note: Translation for the interview with Goichi Suda was done by Spike Chunsoft.Info from Gamespot.com

Respawn has provided another update on the Apex Legends bug that emerged on Wednesday. In a post on Reddit, it explained that "players were unintentionally moved to the wrong servers that didn't have their persistence and this caused players accounts to appear reset with all progression lost." It confirmed that it hadn't actually lost players' progress and that it shut down live servers intentionally in order to get things back on track.Because of this, Respawn said your progress should be intact--that is, up until update 1.1 went live at 10 AM PT on Wednesday. Anything you did after that, assuming you did install the update, has been reverted, however. Here's what Respawn said exactly: Any in-game purchases and progress acquired during the time between 1.1 going live and the fix will be reverted - levels earned, items unlocked, packs opened, and spent currency. If you continued to play and didn't patch then this will not affect you.Any currency purchased, spent or not, will be carried back over to their original account state. i.e. - if you bought $20 worth of coins, and spent $18, then you will get $20 after the fix. With all of this sorted out, you can now go about checking out what's new in the latest patch. The highlights, as noted below, include a way to party up with squadmates you've matched up with, among other things. The original story follows.Respawn has put out a warning that there's a pretty serious bug in Apex Legends right now. It's tied to the battle royale title's latest update, patch 1.1--which is live now--and it deletes your in-game progress. Meanwhile, the game's servers appear to be down at the time of this writing. To stave off the bug, Respawn wrote a quick post on Reddit advising all players to "not buy or craft anything" until the issue is resolved. The post did not list any specific platform, so it's implied the bug is affecting all versions of Apex Legends on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. There's no time table for how long it will be before this is fixed, or if impacted players will be able to recover their lost progressionIt also seems like players can no longer log in to Apex Legends' servers either, regardless of platform. Specifically, players are getting an error stating "no servers found." It's possible that the servers have been deliberately shut down in order to stop players from logging in and losing their progress. However, Respawn has not issued an official statement in regards to the server shutdown.The update in question, Patch 1.1, is (ironically enough) a quality-of-life patch for Apex Legends. Patch 1.1 adds a feature that allows you to invite the squadmates you just played with to join you in a party. So if there's ever a random teammate you meet online that you want to play with again, you can easily find them. The update also implements a mute button on Apex Legends' intro and character select screens, and creates an option to report players for cheating or "Other." Octane's jump pads no longer affect Wraith while she's using her Into the Void ability as well.Patch 1.1 implements a few bug fixes too. The three of them are outlined below. If you're curious, Respawn has posted the full patch notes for Apex Legends' latest update on Reddit.Apex Legends Patch 1.1 Bug FixesFixed issue where the Battle Pass rewards page would not have a default item selected, resulting in a mostly blank page.Fixed bug for PS4 and Xbox One where sometimes attempting to use a keyboard to chat could cause a fatal script error.Fixed bug with Banner Cards not showing up during and at the end of a match. Info from Gamespot.com