The PS Essentials sale has come to an end, but a new selection of deals are now available in the US PlayStation Store. This week, Ubisoft is holding a sale on a number of its PS4 titles--with an extra percentage off available for PS Plus subscribers--while Epic Games is offering discounts on Fortnite's paid Save the World mode.Nearly the entire Assassin's Creed series is on sale this week, including its latest installment, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which is $30 for PS Plus members (while everyone else can pick it up for $36). 2017's entry, Assassin's Creed Origins, is down to $19.79, while Assassin's Creed Syndicate is $12.49. If you're interested in picking up some earlier titles, the Ezio Collection is available for $10, and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is $9.The Far Cry series is likewise on sale this week. Far Cry 5 is down to $15 for PS Plus members, while its predecessor, Far Cry 4, is $12. You can also pick up Far Cry 3 Classic Edition for $13.49 or Far Cry Primal for $10. Beyond that, Ubisoft's popular tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Siege, is $12.49, and Ghost Recon Wildlands is $15. Finally, the loot-driven shooter The Division is down to $10 if you're interested in picking it up before its sequel arrives next month.In addition to the Ubisoft sale, Epic is holding a sale on Fortnite: Save the World. Unlike the game's free Battle Royale mode, Save the World is currently only available as a paid download--although Epic has expressed plans to take it free in the future. In the meantime, if you're interested in jumping in, you can get its various Founder's Pack--which include access to the game along with other goodies--at a discount. The standard Founder's Pack, which typically runs for $40, is available this week for $20, while the Deluxe Founder's Pack is $30.You can see some other notable deals below; the full list can be found on the PlayStation Store. The Ubisoft sale runs until February 19, while the Fortnite: Save the World discounts will be available until February 13.Ubisoft SaleAssassin's Creed Odyssey -- $30 ($36)Assassin's Creed Origins -- $19.79 ($25.79)Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered -- $15 ($18)Assassin's Creed Syndicate -- $12.49 ($17.49)Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection -- $10 ($15)Assassin's Creed Unity -- $12 ($15)Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- $9 ($12)Assassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy -- $8.49 ($11)Far Cry 5 -- $15 ($21)Far Cry 4 -- $12 ($16)Far Cry 3 Classic Edition -- $13.49 ($16.49)Far Cry Primal -- $10 ($15)Tom Clancy's The Division -- $10 ($15)Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands -- $15 ($20)Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege -- $12.49 ($17.49)Fortnite: Save the World SaleFounder's Pack -- $20Deluxe Founder's Pack -- $30Super Deluxe Founder's Pack -- $45Limited Edition Founder's Pack -- $75Info from Gamespot.com

NetherRealm Studios has confirmed Kabal and D'Vorah will be in Mortal Kombat 11. Following a tease in January, Kabal was fully revealed during the first Kombat Kast, a regular livestream dedicated to the brutal fighting game. According to Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, Kabal is the first of a few fan-favorite characters that will be added to the roster. In the trailer for him, which you can watch below, Kabal is shown with his iconic meat hooks and puts his Nomad Dash to good use.At one point he's shown running off one side of the screen and appearing on the other to deliver his bone-crushing hook slam. He also has his buzz saw blades, which will be handy in controlling space and movement. His Fatality, meanwhile, involves grabbing the enemy and running at high speed with them in tow, before using his hooks to cut them in half.During the Kombat Kast, Ed Boon also teased the guest character, saying people will "freak out" when they see it. However, he stopped short of announcing the character.Later, during the Inside Xbox stream, Boon confirmed that D'Vorah, a character that made her debut in Mortal Kombat X, will also be in Mortal Kombat 11. However, we didn't get to see or hear much more about her.Mortal Kombat 11 was officially announced during The Game Awards, but it was fully unveiled on January 23, when NetherRealm showed off gameplay from it and revealed a few characters. Naturally, Scorpion and Sub-Zero are returning, along with Raiden, Sonya Blade, and Baraka. However, one new character added to the roster is Geras, who is capable of manipulating the time on the clock.Since the full reveal, NetherRealm has also shared details about Mortal Kombat 11's story, which takes place after the events of 2015's Mortal Kombat X and involves time travel of some sort. Of course, NetherRealm also showed off a few of the gruesome new fatalities in the game. You can see all the characters announced for Mortal Kombat 11 so far here.Info from Gamespot.com

EA reported its third quarter financial results, expressing disappointment at its performance. But in the process of promising to make-good in the coming year, it quasi-announced two more games: a new Plants vs. Zombies, and a new Need for Speed."Looking forward, we're delighted to launch Anthem, our new IP, to grow Apex Legends and related Titanfall experiences, to deliver new Plants vs. Zombies and Need for Speed titles, and to add Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to our sports titles in the fall," said COO and CFO Blake Jorgensen, in the announcement.In a subsequent earnings call, the company confirmed the new PvZ game is a shooter, and the official game account tweeted that it's coming for PC and consoles. That would seemingly all but confirm it's a new Garden Warfare game.Last year a retail listing appeared to have leaked Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 3, but no official announcement has been made. In an interview with Edge Magazine (via Xbox Achievements), EA Motive's Jade Raymond mentioned another PvZ was on its plate, likely assisting PopCap. More recently, though, Raymond left EA Motive altogether, leaving Samantha Ryan (who runs the mobile, BioWare, and Maxis studios) in charge of that studio.The most recent Need for Speed game was Payback in 2017, which was among our worst-reviewed games of the year of its release. Either or both of these teases could mean mobile games or other spin-offs.Jorgensen's comment is also the second recent indicator that another Titanfall is still in the works. Respawn's Vince Zampella said that the studio is working on "more Titanfall for later in the year," alongside its new game Apex Legends. Apex takes place within the Titanfall universe, but doesn't use the series' mech combat or wall-running.Info from Gamespot.com

Blizzard is kicking off a new Hearthstone community event today that will spread a nifty reward around like a virus. The "Curse of Hakkar" event features a new exclusive card back that has been distributed to a small group of players, but will infect everyone who comes in contact with it.Playing against a player with the new "Mark of Hakkar" card back will reward you with it. Then you can equip it and begin spreading it to others. You'll need to play a full match to spread the item, so conceding or leaving immediately won't get you the reward. If you want to gift it to your friends, you can queue up friendly matches to distribute it to them.The community event is a reference to one of the cards from the most recent expansion, Rastakhan's Rumble. Hakkar the Soulflayer is a neutral Legendary card that shuffles "Corrupted Blood" into each player's deck upon dying. That Corrupted Blood replicates and multiplies itself, so if a match goes on long enough it makes going to fatigue much more risky. It also serves as a hard counter to Mecha'thun, which requires an empty deck to function.Recently Blizzard announced a new set of balance changes coming to Hearthstone, which strike particularly hard at classic mainstays that have been used in multiple decks across the game's lifespan. This all comes in advance of the new Standard rotation, which will cycle when the first expansion of 2019 releases. That will rotate out all the cards from Journey to Un'Goro, Knights of the Frozen Throne, and Kobolds and Catacombs, to make room for this year's new sets. Info from Gamespot.com

EA has released its financial report for the third quarter of its current financial year. Although the report began with a rather negative take on EA's 2018 performance, there was mention of a hopeful future for the company, including the confirmation that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is coming this fall."Looking forward, we're delighted to launch Anthem, our new IP, to grow Apex Legends and related Titanfall experiences, to deliver new Plants vs. Zombies and Need for Speed titles, and to add Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to our sports titles in the fall," EA COO and CFO Blake Jorgensen said.At E3 2018, Respawn Entertainment CFO Vince Zampella announced the new Star Wars game is scheduled specifically for 2019's holiday season. This suggested Fallen Order would arrive in late November or early December. It's probable this is still the case, although the use of "fall" in the EA financial report instead of "holiday season" could suggest the game is now scheduled to release a little earlier.Set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Fallen Order puts you in control of a Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66 and is now on the run. No other plot details or gameplay mechanics have been confirmed, but Zampella did announce that you'll be able to use a lightsaber.EA's history of developing Star Wars games hasn't been very good recently. Battlefront II, though mechanically sound, was plagued by unfair, pay-to-win microtransactions that players managed convinced EA to drop prior to the game's launch. Visceral was working on a single-player Star Wars game, but EA shut the developer down and transitioned the project to its Vancouver studio before cancelling the title altogether. Respawn is currently the only known EA studio continuing development on a Star Wars title, which it has been working on alongside the recently released Apex Legends and an unannounced VR title.Info from Gamespot.com

Electronic Arts announced earnings results for the all-important holiday season, and it wasn't the kind of performance the company wanted to see. Amid a "tumultuous" year, EA said the company overall did not perform up to expectations. One title that failed to hit targets was the World War II shooter Battlefield 5.The game sold a massive 7.3 million units in the time between launch in November and the end of the year, but this was 1 million short of what EA had projected. As for why the game struggled, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said the marketing campaign failed to capture the attention of players. The campaign lacked a "creative center," the company said, though it shared no other details.Wilson added that the game's delay from October to November hurt Battlefield 5 because it meant that the game was going up against titles already discounted for the holiday season. Not only that, but Battlefield 5 struggled because of "unprecedented competition," Wilson said. He mentioned Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and Red Dead Redemption 2 as titles that ate away at Battlefield 5's sales to some degree.Not only that, but Wilson suggested that EA's decision to prioritise Battlefield 5's single-player over the new battle royale mode, Firestorm, hurt Battlefield 5's sales. Firestorm is launching in March, and it won't be the first battle royale game from EA, as it just recently launched Apex Legends from Titanfall studio Respawn Entertainment.Overall, Battlefield 5's launch failed to catch on with players and it never caught up, Wilson said. Despite Battlefield 5's commercial underperformance, the game was generally well-liked by critics, and the franchise remains strong, Wilson said. As such, the focus for EA and developer DICE now is on bringing new players into the title going ahead.EA has many months of new content planned for Battlefield 5 over time, including new maps, customisation items, the battle royale mode, and more. Despite all the new content coming, EA said it only has "modest expectations" for Battlefield 5's live service revenue. The same can be said for Anthem, EA said, and this is because both titles have yet to prove themselves.You can read Wilson's full comments on Battlefield 5's performance below.Overall, EA generated $1.29 billion during the quarter ended December 31 and profit of $262 million. Keep checking back with GameSpot soon for more from EA's earnings report.Wilson's statement on Battlefield 5 performance:"We made some decisions on launch timing and key features of this game that we felt would improve the quality of the experience. For context, Battlefield V was designed from the beginning to offer a long-term live service. In August, we determined that we needed some more time for final adjustments to the core gameplay to fully deliver on the potential of the live service, so we moved the ship date to November to accommodate those goals. Unfortunately, the later release date meant the game launched deeper into a competitive holiday window where heavy price discounting was a big factor. In addition, we also made the decision to prioritize other features, including a single-player experience, at launch over a battle royale mode. This year, battle royale modes became incredibly popular in shooter games. As a result of these decisions, we struggled to gain momentum and we did not met our sales expectations for the quarter."Info from Gamespot.com

Another new Shiny Pokemon has arrived in Pokemon Go. Beginning today, February 5, players will have a chance of encountering the Shiny form of the series' newest Mythical Pokemon, Meltan, but it'll only be around for a limited time.Meltan is unique among Pokemon in that its appearance is tied to the Mystery Box--a special item you'll receive in Go when you transfer a Pokemon over to either Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee on Nintendo Switch. Once the Mystery Box has been opened, Meltan will spawn in the wild for 30 minutes. After that time has elapsed, the Mystery Box will close, and you'll need to wait seven days before you can transfer another Pokemon to Let's Go and open the item again.Thanks to this new event, any time you open the Mystery Box through March 4, you'll now have a chance of finding a Shiny Meltan in the wild. You can tell the Shiny variant apart from a typical Meltan by its slightly darker head and blue (rather than red) tail. Moreover, Niantic has reduced the time you need to wait to open the Mystery Box by three days, allowing you to find Meltan much more quickly than before.Unlike other Mythical Pokemon, Meltan is capable of evolving, which means this is also your first opportunity to get a Shiny Melmetal. You can read more on how to catch the Mythical Pokemon in our Meltan and Melmetal guide. Additional details about the Meltan event can be found on the Pokemon Go website.In addition to Shiny Meltan, Pokemon Go players have their first chance to catch Shiny Spoink as part of the game's Lunar New Year event, which runs until February 13. As part of the event, players will also receive twice the normal amount of XP for catching and evolving Pokemon, and certain monsters such as Dratini, Electabuzz, and Torchic will appear more frequently in the wild.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft and 343 have announced a traveling Halo event filled with in-universe activities and games, panels with the Halo creators, and more. The weekend-long Halo Outpost Discovery will kick off this summer and visit five major cities across the United States.The announcement promises you can explore a Halo Ring, see a real Warthog, play Halo-themed laser tag, and take part in VR simulations of Halo adventures. You can also attend a panel to hear the creators talk about their work building the Halo universe, or take part in one of the community themed panels revolving around livestreaming or cosplay. Finally, hundreds of game stations will let you kick back and just play some Halo.Halo Outpost Discovery boasts a 300,000 foot area, and will debut in 2019 with stops in Orlando, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, and Anaheim. Check below for the full schedule and read more details at the official site.It's been quite a while since 343 has brought out a major Halo release. Halo 5 Guardians released in 2015, and since then the only hint at something new that we've seen has been teases for Halo Infinite. The studio has clarified that Infinite is Halo 6, but we still have no idea when to expect it. The Outpost Discovery does begin after E3, though, and Microsoft has promised it's "going big" this year, so the event may boast some Infinite content.Halo Outpost Discovery:July 5-7 – OrlandoJuly 19-21 – PhiladelphiaAugust 2-4 – ChicagoAugust 16-18 – HoustonAugust 30-September 1 – AnaheimInfo from Gamespot.com

Microsoft Game Studios has rebranded as Xbox Game Studios, a change that corporate vice president Matt Booty says reflects the company's evolution. "As we've expanded our focus beyond the console, the Xbox brand has also evolved from its original roots," he explained."Xbox is our gaming brand across all devices, no matter how or where you want to play, or who you want to play with. In that spirit, I'm pleased to share that we are changing the name of our game development organization from Microsoft Studios to Xbox Game Studios."Xbox Game Studios is comprised of 13 teams including "343 Industries, The Coalition, Compulsion Games, The Initiative, InXile Entertainment, Minecraft (Mojang), Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games, Rare, Turn 10 Studios, Undead Labs, and [Xbox's] Global Publishing Group."According to Booty, these teams are "working hard to deliver incredible exclusives, original IP, and all-new chapters from your favorite franchises." Looking ahead, he noted that 2019 will offer Xbox owners Crackdown 3 (coming later this month), Gears 5, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, all of which will be available on both Xbox One and PC and through Game Pass.In 2018, Microsoft went on an acquisition spree, adding seven new game studios to its roster. While the new games these teams are working on haven't been revealed, Booty said, "as a gaming organization, [Xbox has] never been in a better position to deliver a diverse line-up of exclusive games for Xbox fans now, and in the future."Of course, the projects these new studios are working on may not be targeting Xbox One as, at E3 2018, Microsoft confirmed work on new Xbox hardware was underway. Whatever the case, we might learn more in June, as Microsoft has teased big E3 plans.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has revealed the second in its Sports series style of Xbox One controllers. The new version, named the Sport Red Special Edition, is, well, red, and "inspired by the world of activewear and sports lifestyle."The new controller, which boasts rubber grips on its rear, launches worldwide on March 5 and costs $70 in the US. International pricing has not been announced. Microsoft says the pad includes a 14-day trial for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass "in select regions."In addition, the publisher has unveiled a matching Pro Charging Stand, also in Sport Red. The charging stand comes with a six foot cable for long-distance charging and launches on May 1 in North America for $50. It's unclear whether Microsoft plans to bring the Sport Red charging stand to other territories.Elsewhere in today's Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced a free play event for Sea of Thieves and revealed the free February Xbox Game Pass titles. Crackdown 3 is the headliner of the month, and like other first-party games it will be included on its release date, February 15, for Game Pass subscribers. Shadow of the Tomb Raider and more will also be added as the month progressesInfo from Gamespot.com

Major game publishers rarely share unit sales figures or projections publicly, but that happened today when EA announced how many copies it expects BioWare's Anthem to sell right away.CFO Blake Jorgensen said EA is modeling sales of 5-6 million units by the end of March. Anthem launches on February 15, so this would only represent sales for about a month and a half. Lifetime sales could end up being higher. Jorgensen said the popularity of the recent Anthem demo gives EA confidence that Anthem will perform well commercially when it launches.Not only that, but management said it expects Anthem to make even more money from its microtransactions, which EA calls "live services." It's too soon to say how lucrative Anthem's live service component might be, however, EA acknowledged.People who played the Anthem demo discovered placeholder pages for Anthem's microtransactions, with some players expressing concerns about the pricing. EA responded in a Reddit post by saying nothing is decided yet."We are iterating on our economy design and balance almost daily, so you're seeing a snapshot of one iteration. This is why we tend to not discuss things like pricing, because it's one of those iterative things that's sure to change frequently right up until the day you play the game," BioWare said.In other news, EA announced that Battlefield 5 failed to meet the company's sales targets. The game sold 7.3 million copies, and while that it a massive figure that most games will never achieve, it was 1 million units short of EA's expectations. Info from Gamespot.com

February is upon us, and Microsoft has announced the next round of Game Pass games that will hit the service for Xbox One over the coming month. This is the shortest of all months but the company still has plenty of games slated for its all-you-can-eat games subscription service.Crackdown 3 is the headliner of the month, and like other first-party games it will be included on its release date, February 15, for Game Pass subscribers. As you may expect if you've played other Crackdowns, you're a super-powered agent taking on a gang-filled city. This one adds the new Wrecking Zone 5v5 multiplayer mode. We recently had a look at it and came away surprised.The rest of the month is no slouch. Hot on the heels of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, which was added on January 31, you can play Shadow of the Tomb Raider on February 7. Since Rise of the Tomb Raider is already on the service too, that makes the whole trilogy right available to play through from start to finish. The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season is also coming on February 7, as is Pumped BMX Pro. Then on February 14, De Blob will be added to the service. Finally, on February 21, Batman: Return to Arkham brings back Arkham Asylum and Arkham City with all of their post-launch content, and enhanced for Xbox One X to boot.These all join the growing library of Game Pass games, which includes a wide array of Xbox One games, along with a handful of Xbox 360 and original Xbox games playable through backwards compatibility. Check out the full Game Pass listing, and see below for a handy list of notable dates this month.February Game Pass GamesShadow of the Tomb Raider - February 7The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season - February 7Pumped BMX Pro - February 7De Blob - February 14Crackdown 3 - February 15Batman: Return to Arkham - February 21Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has announced a nice new deal for Sea of Thieves that lets you invite friends to play for free for a limited time. If you own the game--or possess an active Xbox Game Pass subscription--you can gift copies of the pirate-themed game to three people, who can then play for free until February 13.The offer starts on February 6. All you need to do is visit the Sea of Thieves website to grab your codes. After the promotion ends on February 13, anyone who received free play codes can purchase the game permanently at a 35% discount. Note your friends will need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play on either Xbox One or PC.Developer Rare has also teased "big news" for Sea of Thieves scheduled for its one-year anniversary on March 20. The company has continued to support the multiplayer adventure since launch last year with all sorts of free DLC.Elsewhere in today's Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft revealed the free February Xbox Game Pass titles. Crackdown 3 is the headliner of the month, and like other first-party games it will be included on its release date, February 15, for Game Pass subscribers. Shadow of the Tomb Raider and more will also be added as the month progresses.Info from Gamespot.com

Electronic Arts has offered a tease about bringing a subscription service to a new platform, and it could be EA Access for PlayStation 4. During the company's latest earnings call, management said, "In the year ahead we plan to offer a subscription service on another major platform."No further specifics were divulged, but EA Access for PlayStation 4 lines up with the tease. It is one of EA's subscription services, and PS4 certainly is a "major platform."EA Access launched in 2014 on Xbox One, before coming to PC in 2016 under the name Origin Access. A Sony representative said in 2014 that EA Access "does not bring the kind of value PlayStation customers have come to expect.""We don't think asking our fans to pay an additional $5 a month for this EA-specific program represents good value to the PlayStation gamer," Sony said at the time.That's a hard line against EA Access, but Sony also initially refused to allow cross-play before eventually allowing it for Fortnite and later Rocket League. Things can change.Reached for comment, an EA representative told GameSpot that the company has "no further details to share at this point" regarding the tease made during the earnings call. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.EA Access is a subscription service that, for $5/ month or $30/year, gets subscribers access to a growing library of free games, along with discounts on all EA digital content. Not only that, but members can play EA's upcoming games ahead of time. Because no version of EA Access is on PS4, it's the only platform where the game is unplayable perform launch. There are also perks like bonuses in new EA games like Apex Legends.EA is also working on a new streaming subscription service of its own as part of its ridiculously ambitious-sounding Project Atlas platform. However, the comment from the earnings call about the subscription service coming to "another" platform suggests it's an existing service not a new one.Would you be interested in EA Access on PS4? Let us know in the comments below!Info from Gamespot.com

Video game giant Electronic Arts reported earnings today for its fiscal third quarter ended December 31, and it could have gone better during the all-important holiday period. While EA did post gains in revenue and profit, the company said in its official remarks that it was a "difficult quarter" that saw the company fail to meet its commercial expectations.CFO Blake Jorgensen said in prepared remarks that 2018 was a "tumultuous" year for the gaming industry overall. Though he did not share any specifics, he might have been referring to the way in which the absolute juggernaut Fortnite shook up the industry in the past year. Not only that, but Red Dead Redemption 2's release in October might have impacted sales of EA's games.While it might not have been the quarter EA wanted, Jorgensen said EA is "making adjustments to improve execution and we're refocusing on R&D." EA CEO Andrew Wilson said the company is looking to "sharpen" its execution going forward.One title that struggled during the period was Battlefield 5. The World War II shooter sold a massive 7.3 million copies, but this was 1 million shy of what EA expected. For more on this underperformance, you can check out this story that explains the downturn.EA just recently launched the free-to-play Titanfall battle royale game Apex Legends, and it's off to a fantastic start with 2.5 million players and 600,000 concurrent users after just one day. Beyond that, EA will launch BioWare's new game, Anthem, later in February, and it's expected to sell as many as 6 million copies by the end of March. Additionally, EA is working on new Plants vs. Zombies and Need for Speed games, along with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for this year. On top of that, more Titanfall is coming, while all of the usual sports games are expected as well.This is all to say that while EA's latest financial quarter might not have been the rosiest, the company is still doing just fine and it has a pipeline of major titles in the works. It made $1.29 billion in revenue over the three-month period and a profit of $262 million; both figures are up year-over-year. Despite those gains, EA's stock price is free-falling; it's down more than 15 percent in after-hours trading currently.Info from Gamespot.com