Have you burned through all of Amazon Prime Video's movies and TV shows? If so, tell me your secret. Anyway, April is right around the corner, and that means there will be tons of new content to binge. If you have Hulu, the list for April is out as well.On April 1, Amazon is dropping most of its offerings for the month. There are plenty of movies of note, including all three Blade movies, but you might want to skip Blade: Trinity. It's bad, but the first one still holds up. The Marvel character help kick off the new renaissance of superhero movies, and the movie features Wesley Snipes as a vampire hunter, doing what he does best.Speaking of vampires (what a transition!), also hitting the service on April Fool's Day is the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt classic Interview With The Vampire. The movie is about a journalist, who interviews a vampire, who tells his story of life, love, and betrayal. If that's too much for you, then you could also watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze, which features wrestling superstar Kevin Nash as Super Shredder.There are a few Prime original series hitting the service that month as well. The most notable is Season 2 of The Tick, and the first season of which was a lot of fun. On April 5, the Tick and his partner Arthur continue their fight against crime, and it's just as silly as the original comic book series and Fox animated series.Below, you'll find the full list of everything coming to Amazon Prime Video fro the month of April.Coming To Amazon Prime Video In AprilApril 1Murder, She Wrote, Seasons 1-51492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)Addams Family Values (1993)An Invited Guest (1999)Beetlejuice (1988)Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)Blade (1998)Blade II (2002)Blade: Trinity (2004)Blown Away (1994)Case 39 (2009)Days of Thunder (1990)Diamonds Are Forever (1971)Die Another Day (2002)Dragonslayer (2011)Escape from L.A. (1996)An Everlasting Piece (2000)Everything Must Go (2010)Foxfire (1996)Funny About Love (1990)Goldfinger (1964)In a World... (2013)Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)Law of the Lawless (1964)Liberty Stands Still (2002)Little Monsters (1989)Live and Let Die (1973)Never Say Never Again (1983)Octopussy (1983)Primal Fear (1996)Racing with the Moon (1984)Sharkwater Extinction (2018)Six Degrees of Separation (1993)Starsky & Hutch (2004)Stories We Tell (2012)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)The Addams Family (1991)The Living Daylights (1987)The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)The Minus Man (1999)The Perfect Storm (2000)The Shawshank Redemption (1994)The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)The World Is Not Enough (1999)Up in Smoke (1978)Up in the Air (2009)You Only Live Twice (1967)April 2A Quiet Place (2018)April 5The Tick (Prime Original Series), Season 2April 8Finding Your Feet (2018)Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)April 12Bug Diaries (Prime Original Series), Season 1Diablo Guardian (Prime Original Series), Season 2April 17Overboard (2018)April 18Mid90s (2018)April 19Bosch (Prime Original Series), Season 5April 21Book Club (2018)April 22The Next Three Days (2010)April 27The Hole in the Ground (2018)Humans, Season 3April 27Welcome to the Rileys (2010)April 29Waiting for 'Superman' (2010)April 30Vikings, Season 5Info from Gamespot.com

Respawn surprise-launched Apex Legends, which quickly rocketed to higher player counts than many competitors in the battle royale genre. From the start, though, the studio acknowledged it was planning to produce regular seasons with an optional battle pass, and now that launch is about to arrive. The studio has released some details, and accidentally leaked others, giving us an altogether pretty clear idea of what to expect. And as of March 15, it even seems to be teasing one of its major additions--the new character Octane--in the game.What's Included?In Respawn's year-one roadmap for the battle passes, it stated that all four of this year's battle passes will include new weapons and loot like exclusive cosmetics, and at least one new Legend character. Each battle pass is said to include about 100 rewards. Several seasonal items will be unlockable through the course of regular play, while others will be exclusive to battle pass holders. Battle passes will also include random Apex Packs, giving you an assortment of random skins and other items to earn.PriceRespawn has not formally outlined its pricing plan for the Apex Legends battle pass. Its year-one roadmap was the most detail the studio has given on its assorted battle passes coming through 2019, and it didn't mention price anywhere in the announcement.However, an accidental update on the Origin storefront appeared to disclose the price. Respawn later acknowledged the mistake and called it an "unintentional update about Season 1." All that suggests that the leak was legitimate. If that's the case, the price will be 950 Apex Coins--or roughly $10.A Founder's Pack is currently offered for $30, which nets you 2000 Apex Coins--likely enough for the first two battle passes--along with other goodies: exclusive character and weapon skins, banner frames, and a Founder's badge.Release DateSo far, all we know regarding the release date for Apex Legends comes from the roadmap released by Respawn itself. The first battle pass is set to release in March, with others following in June, September, and December. When the Origin leak occurred, some fans suspected the release was imminent. But just as Respawn acknowledged that the leak was legitimate, it also stated that the battle pass was not releasing that day. For now, we still do not have an exact date for the first battle pass release.New CharacterThe leak also unveiled what appears to be the Season 1 character, Octane. We don't have official confirmation of his abilities, but one that was rumored is the ability to place jump pads. Sure enough, launch pads have begun appearing in-game that match that description. Based on coy responses from Respawn developers on Reddit, this sure seems like a deliberate tease for the addition of Octane.The Origin leak did give us a good look at the character itself. As with the pricing information, the Respawn acknowledgement that it was an unintentional update likely means Octane is legitimate. That said, datamining has revealed several other possible Legends, and these are much less certain. Respawn appeared to address these purported leaks in its statement as well."There's stuff in there that is very old, or things we've tried in the past and cut--remember our design process is to prototype and play lots of ideas--and some of it may be things we're still building for Apex Legends," said community manager Jay Frechette. "Finding this stuff by no means confirms that it'll ever come out. At best you should treat any posts about this as a rumor and the real info will come from us when we’re ready to show off what's coming next."Info from Gamespot.com

As the SXSW Gaming Festival kicks off today in Austin, there's another way the rest of us who aren't there can get in on the fun (well, sort of): by heading to Steam. The Texas Sale from SXSW Gaming has kicked off, so now until Sunday, March 17, you can get discounts as high as 75% off on an amazing batch of games. Here's a quick look at the best deals:Both Borderlands and Borderlands 2 are 75% off right now, and with Gearbox Software teasing an announcement for Borderlands 3 at this year's PAX East, there's no better time to dive in and get acquainted with this stellar series. While Borderlands' standard edition isn't on sale, its Game of the Year edition is for just $7.49; meanwhile, Borderlands 2 is only $5.On sale for just $3.29, Dishonored is an absolute steal right now. The stealth action game is set in a city struck by plague and full of infected citizens, and your character is an assassin named Corvo, who is pursuing revenge.Prey is marked down 50%, so you can get it for just $15 this weekend. The survival horror first-person shooter is set in a space station that's been overrun by hostile aliens, and you play as a character named Morgan, who must explore the station and attempt to escape.Packed with adrenaline-pumping action, the 2016 reboot of Doom is marked down to just $15 (25% off) this weekend. Playing as a space marine, you'll battle your way through Hell while fighting literal demons using a variety of different guns and other weapons.The entire Banner Saga series is on sale too, both individually and with a few different bundle options. The strategy RPG, which is deeply impacted by players' choices, is set in a world inspired by Viking legends and centers around a war between humans and an ancient race known as the Dredge.Shop the Texas Steam Sale »The full list of discounted games:Aven Colony -- $7.49Baby Hands -- $10The Banner Saga -- $10The Banner Saga 2 -- $10The Banner Saga 3 -- $17.49Battle Chasers: Nightwar -- $9.89The Beginner's Guide -- $2.49Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition -- $7.49Borderlands 2 -- $5Dishonored -- $3.29Doom -- $15Inner Space -- $5Job Simulator -- $18Orcs Must Die! 2 -- $3.74Prey -- $15The Stanley Parable -- $3.74Torn -- $10.19To The Top -- $10Town of Salem -- $2.49Info from Gamespot.com

Xur has returned to Destiny 2 once again, and for the second time in as many weeks, the weekend Exotic vendor has new things to offer. Not only does he have another Forsaken Exotic for Warlocks looking to complete their collections, but he's offering the first Invitation of the Nine, a special bounty that gives new information about Xur's enigmatic masters.You'll find Xur on Titan this week, hanging out in a small shed on The Rig. Head north from the spawn point and check in a small building toward the edge of the platform. There you can purchase Crimson, a phenomenal Exotic hand cannon that fires a burst of three shots at a time. Kills with Crimson heal you, and precision kills refill the magazine, making it a pretty devastating weapon, especially in Crucible. Crimson is a great hand cannon to take with you on the lengthy Crucible grind if you're working on the quest to get the new Exotic hand cannon Thorn--check out our guide for some handy tips, including where to find the start of the Thorn quest.For armor, Warlocks win this week with a Forsaken Exotic after missing out on getting one last week. It's Chromatic Fire, a chest armor piece that makes precision kills with your Kinetic weapon detonate enemies with elemental blasts. For Titans, there's Wormgod Caress, a set of gauntlets that increase your melee damage for every melee kill you get, with streaks lengthening the effect's duration. Finally, Hunters can snag the Orpheus Rig Exotic boots, which gives you more shots in the Moebius Quiver version of the Shadowshot super, and gives you ability energy for every enemy tethered by it.Here are all the Exotics Xur offers this week and what they'll cost you:Crimson (Exotic combat bow) -- 29 Legendary ShardsWormgod Caress (Exotic Titan gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsOrpheus Rig (Exotic Hunter gauntlets) -- 23 Legendary ShardsChromatic Fire (Exotic Warlock Chest Armor) -- 23 Legendary ShardsYou can also buy a Fated Engram, if you can afford it. Dropping 97 Legendary Shards on the item will grant you one Year One Exotic you don't already have for that character. Xur also offers the Five of Swords challenge card for free, which allows you to add difficulty modifiers that increase your score in Nightfall runs.Xur is also packing an Invitation From the Nine, a bounty that's new with the Jokers Wild expansion content. The first one requires players to farm enemies in the Lake of Shadows Strike, and you can expect a new one every week. The goal is to finish off nine of them to earn some special rewards.Info from Gamespot.com

If you own a PlayStation console and enjoy online multiplayer games, you're probably well-familiar with PS Plus, PlayStation's annual membership subscription that grants access to online multiplayer in games like Overwatch, Monster Hunter World, or Diablo III. While PS Plus membership is usually priced at $60 per year, it's cheaper than ever for a limited amount of time. From now until March 26, you can sign up for (or re-purchase) PS Plus for only $45 (25% off).The PlayStation Store is offering this deal as part of its Great Indoors Sale this month, which also features games up to 75% off with PS Plus. So once you snag a membership, you can pick up a bunch of games for even cheaper.If you're already a PS Plus member, you're also allowed to stack subscriptions, so you can still take advantage of the discount and save money in the long-term. Even if PlayStation launches a new console in the next few years (as it's rumored to), your PS Plus subscriptions will likely be valid on that platform.Notably, PS Plus is also discounted at third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop, likely to price-match the PlayStation Store's current deal. So if you prefer to shop at those stores, you can get the same exact deal, and still swing back over to the PlayStation Store for its latest PS Plus game deals.Besides access to online multiplayer, PS Plus membership comes with free monthly game downloads (March's free games are available now), better discounts on everyday deals, and online game saves (with 1 GB of online storage for PS4, 1 GB for PS3, and 1 GB for PS Vita).Buy PlayStation Plus 1-Year membership for $45PlayStation StoreAmazonBest BuyGameStopInfo from Gamespot.com

James Gunn has certainly been on a roller coaster of a ride with Disney and his role on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. First, he was fired after controversial tweets from his past surfaced. Then, Disney wouldn't hire him back despite an outcry, including from the stars of the films. Then, Gunn's script was going to be used despite his dismissal. And now, Gunn has been hired back to his former role on the movie.Shockingly, Disney has changed its tune about Gunn, according to Deadline. He will both write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which currently does not have a release date. Gunn has subsequently confirmed the news himself.On Twitter, Gunn announced his return to the movie by saying, "I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the past few months. I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be. I deeply appreciate Disney's decision and I am excited to continue making films that investigate the ties of love that bind us all. I have been, and continue to be incredibly humbled by your love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Love to you all."❤️ pic.twitter.com/gdMQjlqIjs — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 15, 2019Back in July 2018, Gunn was fired by Disney when controversial tweets, from many years prior, resurfaced where Gunn made joked about pedophilia and rape. Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said, "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him."In the aftermath, many of the movie's stars had Gunn's back. Most vocal was Dave Bautista, although the entire cast penned a passionate letter in Gunn's defense. Meanwhile, Horn met with Gunn to discuss Gunn's role multiple times, and the chairman found he was persuaded by Gunn's public apology to reinstate him in the third movie.Gunn has kept himself busy in the meantime, producing the upcoming May horror film Brightburn. Additionally, he will be writing and directing DC's Suicide Squad sequel, set to come out in 2021, which Will Smith recently dropped out of. Idris Elba will replace him as Deadshot.This is big news for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as both Guardians of the Galaxy movies were massive hits. The first film brought in $773 million, while Vol. 2 raked in $863 million and helped expand the MCU by telling stories that took place in the cosmos. However, don't expect Vol. 3 any time soon. With Suicide Squad 2 expected to begin production later this year, we probably won't see Vol. 3 until 2022. Info from Gamespot.com

EA has announced the next update for Anthem is now live. This update patches Anthem's loot system--specifically buffing the drop rates for Masterwork and Legendary items. The full patch notes are listed on EA's website.The new update has taken immediate effect on the server-side of Anthem so you don't have to actually download anything. If you boot up Anthem right now, the update should have already taken effect. Because of the update, drop rates for all Masterwork and Legendary items have been increased on Grandmaster 2 and Grandmaster 3 difficulties. Across all difficulties, Masterwork and Legendary items now have a higher chance of dropping from Anthem's harder enemies--which includes Legendary and Epic Titans, Legendary Furies, Legendary Acid Ursixes, and Legendary Luminary Elders.This new update comes out after BioWare community manager Jesse Anderson put together a lengthy response to a Reddit post that expressed concerns with Anthem. "All I'll say on this is that Anthem is here to stay. Do we have a lot of work to do to fix parts of the game? Yes, and the team is committed to making improvements and releasing new content," Anderson wrote. Anthem did not have the smoothest launch--releasing to mediocre review scores. BioWare even implemented a patch that accidentally fixed a bug that players wanted to stay in the game. However, BioWare seems to be taking most of the criticism in stride, and has repeatedly released follow-up hotfixes and large scale patches for the game in response to community complaints--which Anderson also pointed out in his Reddit post."For feedback, we've made a large number of changes based on what players have told us. Not wanting to run to the Forge every time to launch an expedition? We added the ability to launch anywhere in Fort Tarsis, that was because of player feedback. Wanted to visually see loot drop from bosses in Strongholds? Added because of player feedback," Anderson wrote. "If you are talking about feedback on loot in general...I've already said that the team is discussing and that more will be likely be shared in the coming days. I know everyone wants to know when, but I don't have that answer." He continued, "Like Chad Robertson said in a tweet, we aren't happy with where loot is either, so know that it's high on our priority list."In our Anthem review, Kallie Plagge gave the game a 6/10, writing, "Anthem has good ideas, but it struggles significantly with the execution. It's a co-op game that works best with no one talking; it buries genuinely interesting character moments and puts its most incomprehensible story bits at the forefront; its combat is exciting until you get to the boss fights and find your wings have been clipped. Even the simple, exhilarating act of flying is frequently interrupted by the limitations of your javelin, and you never quite shake that feeling of disappointment--of knowing, throughout the good parts of Anthem, that you'll inevitably come crashing back down."Info from Gamespot.com

Epic has released a roadmap for 2019, which includes the new features scheduled to appear on the Epic Games Store. The full roadmap can be viewed on Trello, but Epic has issued the disclaimer that the new features listed and the times they're scheduled for are "subject to change."Exact timetables are not provided for each feature, with each one falling into a category of one-three months, four-six months, or long-term (more than six months). In the short-term, Epic isn't implementing too many major features. The company plans to redesign the Epic Games Store's website, and add search tools that utilize both genre and tags. The Epic Game Store will also start hosting video, provide an "optimized delta solution" to help developers reduce the size of game patches, support DLC add-ons, and streamline the sign-in process to allow players to "get into their offline games faster." The one major feature during this window of time is cloud saves support--a long-requested addition from the Epic Games Store community.You'll see a lot more community-requested features added in the mid- to long-term. In four-six months, Epic plans on adding user reviews, wish lists, additional payment methods/currencies, player time tracking, and mod support. The Epic Game Store is also scheduled to see improvements to its newsfeed and follow features, as well additional sorting and filtering methods for its game library. In the long-term, the Epic Game Store will support game achievements, direct carrier billing, and a shopping cart. Epic also plans on overhauling the store's social features as well.Epic has a few more improvements scheduled for its game store that don't have any planned date. These include more generalized PC game store features, such as automated refunds and gifting, and specific ones, like an Arabic translation for the store and support for games that released in Korea. Epic also plans to have the Epic Games Store be accessible on Android devices.Getting these features out the door is important for the survival of the Epic Games Store, as many of them already exist on its number one competitor, Steam. The Epic Games Store has managed to attract an audience by securing several major triple-A 2019 releases, such as Metro Exodus and The Division 2. However, PC gamers have come to expect many of the features listed above, and will probably gravitate back to Steam if all the Epic Games Store can deliver is a few good exclusives.The Epic Games Store also offers a free game every two weeks. Right now, you can download the indie game Slime Rancher, which is normally $20 USD on PC. Slime Rancher will be available until March 21, when it will be replaced by Oxenfree.Info from Gamespot.com

Hold onto your hats, because the PlayStation Store's latest sale is here, and it's a big one. Hundreds of games for PS4, PS3, PSP, PS Vita, and PS VR are marked down, and it's all part of The Great Indoors Sale--a.k.a. more reasons to not leave the house in these final, dreary days of winter. Besides all of the game deals, one-year PS Plus subscriptions are also discounted at just $45 (and membership pricing is rarely that cheap). While the PS Plus deal is available only until March 26, the following game deals are all valid until March 29 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. And these discounts will be even greater if you're a PS Plus member.There are almost too many great games included here to name--but here are the highlights. You can get the complete edition of Horizon Zero Dawn for only $17, along with its amazing DLC, The Frozen Wilds, for $8. Bloodborne's DLC, The Old Hunters, is another worthwhile puchase at just $15. Red Dead Redemption is marked down to just $12.89, while Red Dead Redemption 2's special edition is $60. Borderlands 2 is down to just $5, The Last Guardian is selling for $14, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is $42, and The Witcher 3's complete edition is only $20. The list goes on and on. And if you're on a budget, there's even a handy section for all the cheapest deals--most of them are under $10.Shop PSN's Great Indoors Sale »Because there are literally hundreds of options, check out more of our picks below! Amnesia: The Collection -- $15Batman: Arkham Knight -- $10Batman: Arkham VR -- $14BioShock: The Collection -- $21Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC -- $15Borderlands 2 -- $5Borderlands: The Handsome Collection -- $25.79Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD -- $7.49Child of Light -- $6Destiny 2: Forsaken: Complete Edition -- $70Dishonored: Definitive Edition -- $12Don't Starve Mega Pack -- $12.14Dying Light -- $16The Evil Within 2 -- $30Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition -- $36Grand Theft Auto V -- $18Hitman: Game of the Year Edition -- $24Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition -- $17Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds DLC -- $8The Last Guardian -- $14Layers of Fear -- $8Marvel's Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps DLC -- $18.74Metal Gear Solid 5: The Definitive Experience -- $14Metal Gear Solid HD Collection -- $14Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor: Game of the Year Edition -- $12Overcooked -- $7.47Overcooked 2 -- $20Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight -- $42Red Dead Redemption -- $12.89Red Dead Redemption 2: Special Edition -- $60Slime Rancher -- $12Soma -- $15Trine 2: Complete Story -- $5The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Complete Edition -- $20Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus -- $36Wolfenstein II: The New Order -- $12Info from Gamespot.com

Sony has unveiled another new color joining the PlayStation 4 DualShock lineup. This time it's a color scheme evocative of a forest ski trip, titled Alpine Green. It sports an evergreen shade across the front, with a white backing and white buttons and sticks.The announcement states it will be available in the US and Canada in April for $65 US / $75 CAD. You can get a look at the new controller below or pre-order now.Last August Sony introduced four new colors at once: Berry Blue, Sunset Orange, Blue Camo, and Copper. Alpine Green is getting the celebrity treatment by comparison with the spotlight all to itself. Sony has been offering color variants for its DualShock controllers for quite a while, including some that are exclusive to special edition consoles. Microsoft similarly offers special edition controller colors, but also has a Design Lab feature to let you customize your own paint.If you're looking for something to play on your PS4 while you wait for your Alpine Green controller, you may want to peruse the Great Indoors sale. The giant PSN sale has more than 600 discounts and runs through March 29. Info from Gamespot.com

Out of nowhere, a new type of item--jump pads--have appeared in Apex Legends near Market. And these are not just any jump pads either; they're the ones the rumored new Legend Octane places as his Ultimate ability, suggesting that developer Respawn Entertainment could be teasing what's coming to the game soon.We've stumbled upon it ourselves (as you can see in the video above), and we aren't the only ones, as evidenced by posts on Reddit. Other players are reporting they've found Octane's jump pads as well. Respawn is just leaving coy-looking emoji comments in response, which implies this is a purposeful tease of what's to come, and not a mistaken leak on the developer's part.Prior to this, Octane has leaked a few times, which is why so many people believe he's the next scheduled character for Apex Legends. The first mention of the Legend was a leak that showcased the character's ability page. The leaked image stated Octane's Passive allowed him to heal over time while not in combat, his Tactical caused him to move 30 percent faster for six seconds at the cost of 10 percent of his health, and his Ultimate deployed a jump pad to launch Legends into the air.After that leak, another one--this time detailing the upcoming battle pass for Apex Legends--also showcased Octane, seemingly confirming he's the next playable character in the battle royale game. In this second leak, the Origin landing page had accidentally changed early, promoting the battle pass with a picture of the Borderlands-looking Legends. "Survive the the [sic] arena, meet the Apex Games' latest Legend, Octane, wield new weapons, and score unique loot. The Season 01 Battle Pass is here, purchase it at the in-game store for 950 Apex Coins," the launch page said.After these leaks--and a few other less credible ones--Respawn responded, clarifying the battle pass would not launch on March 12 like some data miners had suggested and that not everything on the internet should be taken at face value. "There's lots of stuff that has been datamined from Apex since launch and is swirling around the Internet," Respawn community manager Jay Frechett wrote. "We know this stuff is fun to dig up and speculate about, but you should not treat any of that info as a source of truth. There's stuff in there that is very old, or things we've tried in the past and cut--remember our design process is to prototype and play lots of ideas--and some of it may be things we’re still building for Apex Legends."There seems to be some semblance of truth to Octane at least. Respawn hasn't clarified whether his launch pads will stick around near Market or eventually be removed from the game when the Legend does officially release--which is due this month. Apex Legends is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

The Guardians of the Galaxy will, indeed, live to fight again with director James Gunn at the helm. Well, at least some of them probably will. Who knows what's going to happen in Avengers: Endgame? However, the news that Disney has rehired James Gunn to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after firing him last summer has been met with unabashed positivity by fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as Gunn himself.In his first tweet since he was fired in July 2018, Gunn shared a message on the heels of his being hired once again by Marvel Studios. "I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the past few months," he wrote. "I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be. I deeply appreciate Disney's decision and I am excited to continue making films that investigate the ties of love that bind us all. I have been and continue to be incredibly humbled by your love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Love to you all."❤️ pic.twitter.com/gdMQjlqIjs — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 15, 2019Gunn was first removed from the project after years-old tweets surfaced, in which he made jokes about rape and pedophilia. At the time, Gunn apologized and noted that he had apologized in the past. At the time, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn explained the director's dismissal, saying, "The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James' Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio's values, and we have severed our business relationship with him."His return to the project--and the Marvel Cinematic Universe--was celebrated by Gunn's fellow MCU directors. Ant-Man and the Wasp director Peyton Reed tweeted, "Welcome back, James." Meanwhile, Doctor Strange helmer Scott Derrickson offered up a "GLORY HALLELUJA" to the news. Lastly, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi joked, "What the hell?? I thought I was going to do it!!" Waititi has formerly been rumored as a replacement for film, though he previously confirmed that he had no intention of taking over out of respect to Gunn.Welcome back, James. pic.twitter.com/UeFv45LSM9 — Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) March 15, 2019G L O R Y H A L L E L U J A https://t.co/Yex7f34DO2 — N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) March 15, 2019What the hell?? I thought I was going to do it!! https://t.co/Emdfiw6Opa — Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) March 15, 2019With Gunn back in the driver's seat, it's now believed Guardians Vol. 3 will go into production following the director's commitment to the Suicide Squad sequel he's signed on for. The Suicide Squad sequel, which is reportedly eyeing Idris Elba as a replacement for Will Smith in the role of Deadshot, is expected to begin filming later this year.Story updated to include Taika Waititi's statement.Info from Gamespot.com

Like many games in this genre, The Division 2 plays best with a well-coordinated squad of friends covering each other and using unique abilities to fend off mobs with tactical efficiency. Even a squad of random players simply taking down enemies together is sufficient enough to get through most of the game's missions. But sometimes I just want play as a lone wolf and go at my own pace without the pressure of keeping up with others. And I often ask with these types of games, how viable is it go solo?It's the same question I had recently with Fallout 76 and Anthem, and one I've been asking since jumping into the original Destiny. Naturally, I thought about the same thing going into The Division 2, and I'm glad that more so than other loot shooters, playing by yourself turned out to be an enjoyable experience that still captures many of the game's high points.My Division agent can take care of the evil that's permeated Washington DC on her own.Something about The Division 2 makes the lone wolf approach work. I mainly attribute it to the fact that it revolves around being a cover-based shooter that taps more into a tactical mindset rather than your ability to eliminate enemy hordes and huge bosses that soak up tons of damage. Don't get me wrong, The Division 2 has elements of that, but your ability to control combat scenarios and find clever ways to handle sometimes overwhelming firefights are much more important factors.One particular experience solidified this feeling. The initial firefight in the Air And Space Museum mission proved more difficult than anything before, despite me being the proper level for it. I was downed in short time, twice. In the first attempt, I got caught out of cover for a little too long, and on a second try, flanked by enemies while desperately trying to find safety as my riot shield got torn to shreds. On the third and successful effort, I scouted for higher-level (purple) enemies so I could plan to take them out first before a full-on firefight broke out. With the use of my chem launcher skill and a few well-placed sniper shots, I took out the biggest threats at the outset.I made my way through the rest of the mission consistently challenged, but ultimately relying on smart use of cover and taking advantage of openings. In the final phase of the whole mission, things played out differently; it forced me to think my way out of a heavily-armored boss pressuring me and encroaching on my space of limited cover. With my back against the wall, I pulled out all the stops; grenades, skills, unloading both primary weapons directly on a weak spot, while dancing around a slim pillar to keep changing my cover angle, I finished the fight by the skin of my teeth.After 15 hours spent as a lone wolf, I'm still going, and I think that says a lot about how great it executes the core gameplay loop in a playground of fascinating set-pieces.These moments aren't unique to solo play by any stretch, but they illustrate why The Division 2 works as a single-player experience. You're constantly on your toes, considering your position in these battles and trying your best to take out enemies before they get the jump on you and catch you off guard. Of course, there were a number of cases where I simply took aim and landed precision shots with a semi-auto rifle to get through the many phases of missions, but even fairly standard tactics still have a definite satisfaction thanks to a variety of tools at your disposal that have an effective, impactful feel upon using.Another thing to consider is that playing solo means no one is around to revive you. Missions are usually generous with checkpoints and keeping your progress even when you get killed, but it's not always the case. As a result, the not-so-forgiving phases give combat somewhat higher stakes like 'no respawn zone' phases. Dying in the open world also forces you to respawn at a fast travel point and run back to what you were doing. It's not ideal, but it does play into how carefully you approach combat when you're alone.The Air And Space Museum is rich with detail and real exhibits.The Division 2 makes the lonesome journey worthwhile in another capacity--I had the time and space to embrace the wonderfully detailed--albeit dilapidated and abandoned--environments. This is a fairly accurate rendition of the nation's capital after all, and I'll be damned if I didn't treat it as a little field trip. I found the ViewPoint Museum mission to be utterly fascinating as a display of history, media, and politics just as much as the American History Museum's Vietnam War exhibit. Calling back to the Air And Space Museum, I took the time to actually examine what was on display. It's a testament to the incredible set-pieces featured in several of the game's main quests, real-world locations, and museums and landmarks that communicate a history that eerily complements the dark backdrop of The Division's storyline.Speaking of story, there's unfortunately not much to see here. I often go into these types of games solo in order to soak up narrative bits, reflect on in-game events, and make sure I speak to every NPC possible to get the full picture, but that's certainly not the case. In the original Division, I loved finding ECHOs, which painted a vivid picture of New York was before the Dollar Flu and right when poor folks scrambled to survive, and in turn, tried to understand an entirely new lore. However, The Division 2 falls short in delivering a story worth caring about. The canon has already been built, we know how dire the virus made things, and it rests on that. It's a generic story about rebuilding with perfunctory attempts at emotional stakes. Factions exist to put a name and evil archetype on enemies that you don't feel bad fighting against. And NPCs primarily serve functional purposes at settlements and bases, nothing more. In a way, The Division 2's design flows like it's specifically tuned for the squad that wants to churn through missions at a rapid pace with narrative as an afterthought. If anything, this approach keeps the action moving and places less emphasis on a weaker aspect of the game.It's not an entirely seamless experience on your own; there will be times when waves of Hyenas or True Sons just become too much to handle, and prove more frustrating than challenging. These are often scenarios that would've been easier with a mate or two to pick you up when you get downed, lay down covering fire, or take out imminent threats. Admittedly, I haven't delved too deep into the Dark Zone, so I can't speak to how one of the more captivating features of this game fares with no one to watch your back. But for the majority of The Division 2's main questline, a solo player should be just as excited to engage in the game's satisfying combat system while being able to handle its bigger fights.At some point, you'll inevitably squad up with randoms or friends because, of course, that's what a multiplayer shared-world game is going to push you to do. But overall, the grind of The Division 2 delivers plenty of fun and a challenge that's manageable, especially when incorporating more of your skills and devising ways to move from cover to cover and create your own flanking routes. After 15 hours spent as a lone wolf, I'm still going, and I think that says a lot about how great it executes the core gameplay loop in a playground of fascinating set-pieces.Info from Gamespot.com

Valve has announced it's revisiting user reviews on Steam in order to combat review bombing. In a blog post, Valve wrote it will now "identify off-topic review bombs, and remove them from the Review Score.""We define an off-topic review bomb as one where the focus of those reviews is on a topic that we consider unrelated to the likelihood that future purchasers will be happy if they buy the game, and hence not something that should be added to the Review Score," Valve continued. The company admits there's still a bit of a grey area with this definition, so it's developed a tool that "identifies any anomalous review activity on all games on Steam in as close to real-time as possible."After the tool has identified possibly troublesome reviews, it will inform Valve and the company will then begin an investigation. If Valve decides the user reviews are an off-topic bomb, the company will inform the developer that every review within the time period of the review bomb will be removed from the game's overall Steam score. At this point, however, the user reviews will still be live. It will be up to the developer's discretion over which are deleted.The downside to this process is that every user review during an off-topic review bomb will be removed from a game's overall Steam score, even the good ones. "But as we mentioned back in our first User Review post, our data shows us that review bombs tend to be temporary distortions, so we believe the Review Score will still be accurate, and other players will still be able to find and read your review within the period," Valve wrote. Plenty of negative comments that focus on DRM or EULA changes will also be considered off-topic review bombings as well.Developers who don't want this new tool combing through their games' comments and Valve declaring when an off-topic review bomb is happening can opt out of the process by going into their Steam Store options. Valve is working on a few more changes to user reviews as well, but they'll be shipped out at a later date.Info from Gamespot.com

As Game of Thrones Season 8's April 14 premiere date quickly approaches, one question dominates all others: Who will sit on the Iron Throne when all is said and done? This is the show's final season, after all, and unlike George R.R. Martin's forever-in-progress books, the HBO production will actually have a conclusion.We had that all-consuming question in mind when we recently got the chance to sit down with Harry Lloyd, who's set to play Charles Xavier--Professor X--in the third and final season of FX's X-Men adaptation Legion. Game of Thrones fans, however, will probably know Lloyd better as Viserys Targaryen, Daenerys's abusive brother from back in Game of Thrones Season 1.Lloyd couched his opinion in the fact that he's "not quite up to date, shamefully," though he plans to catch up before Season 8 arrives. But his nomination for Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, King or Queen of Westeros, and Warmer of the Iron Throne is nevertheless perfectly valid: nobody."I kind of want no one on it, to be honest," the actor said, grinning. "I just want it to become a really nice, kind of democracy."He did offer one more alternative, though: "I'll tell you what, I always wanted Hodor to be in charge," he continued, laughing--clearly aware of the character's fate in Season 6. "But, yeah--maybe with some time travel?"With this line of questioning begun, we couldn't stop at one. To this day, Viserys's gruesome death at Khal Drogo's hands in Season 1--with a pot of molten gold poured over his dome--stands as one of the show's best. We asked Lloyd whether there's been another since then that topped it. Surprisingly, he went all the way back to another Season 1 death. "You know what one of my favorite deaths has always been, was just a couple of episodes after mine, in Episode 8 of Season 1, when Khal Drogo rips that guy's tongue out," Lloyd said. He remembered discussing the scene with Jason Momoa, who played Khal Drogo (and, of course, went on to portray Aquaman in Justice League and his own standalone movie). According to Lloyd, the scene was written as a more straightforward sword fight, but Momoa had other ideas.Momoa apparently got involved personally, asking the art department to whip up a convincing tongue that looked like it had been ripped out root and stem. "And it's Game of Thrones, so the art department, you know, they rustled one of them up--they probably had a couple already on file," Lloyd recalled."I just thought that was a wonderful little sequence, and the fact that it was so collaborative,even in that first [season]," he continued, "I always liked that."Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres April 14 on HBO. Check out our favorite fan theories, the full season's episode run times, and what author George R.R. Martin knows about Season 8.Info from Gamespot.com