Movie giant Disney had another massive year in 2018. With multiple weeks left to go in the year, Disney movies have collectively made more than $7 billion worldwide. Disney hit the milestone on December 9, according to Variety. This is just the second time ever that any movie studio has reached $7 billion in a year. The first studio to do it? You guessed it, Disney set the record with $7.6 billion in 2016.The movie industry's top movies of the year came from Disney. Avengers: Infinity War ($2 billion) was the No. 1 movie of 2018 based on box office performance, with Black Panther ($1.35 billion) following in second place. Universal's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($1.3 billion) was No. 3, with Disney's The Incredibles 2 ($1.24 billion) at No. 4Another 2018 Disney movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp, made $622 million worldwide to land at Number 6 for the year. The Star Wars spinoff, Solo: A Star Wars Story, currently sits at the No. 18 position with $392 million. Some of Disney's other 2018 movies included Ralph Breaks the Internet (No. 31 / $258 million), Christopher Robin (No. 36 / $197.4 million), The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (No. 41 / $151 million), and A Wrinkle in Time (No. 44 / $132 million). These numbers come from Box Office Mojo.Disney's movies made the most from international markets, where they collectively pulled in $4.07 billion, with $2.95 billion coming from the domestic market.Disney has one more very big movie coming up this year, Mary Poppins Returns starring Emily Blunt. The film is due out just before Christmas, and it is tracking to make $65 million in the US for its opening.Disney looks set to have another big year in 2019. Some of the studio's announced movies for next year include remakes/reboots of The Lion King, Dumbo, and Aladdin, as well as Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2, to name a few. Star Wars: Episode IX is due out in December 2019. Disney also owns Marvel, and some of the biggest releases from Marvel in 2019 include Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. So yes, we expect Disney to again do very well in 2019 at the box office.Info from Gamespot.com

Update: GTA V's new update is now live, and it's a significant one, rolling out all of the new Arena War content outlined below and seen in the trailer above. There are a total of seven different modes available as part of Arena War and 12 new vehicles to purchase through an in-game website. Additionally, logging in between now and December 17 will net you two free in-game shirts (pictured in the gallery below), and you'll be eligible for discounts on the following:Mk II Weapon Upgrades & Customization – 35% offLuxury Finishes – 25% offMG & Combat MG – 25% offSnipers – 25% offSMGs – 25% offShotguns – 25% offPistols – 25% offExplosives & Throwables – 25% offBody Armor – 25% offOriginal story: The next big update for Grand Theft Auto Online sounds like an exciting one. The "Arena War" update, as it's called, will add a competitive mode that sounds very intense."Enter Arena War, where ruthless gladiatorial combat meets the bleeding-edge of vehicular modification technology in one spectacular--and highly combustible--competition," reads a line from Rockstar's official description.The event will take place inside the Maze Bank Arena, apparently, and it will see players fighting until the grisly end, apparently. "Sign up and embark on an entirely new career under the stratospheric dome of the Maze Bank Arena, one that involves turning your opponent's brains into pulp on the steering wheel in the name of entertainment, courtesy of Alan Jerome Productions," reads another line from the description.Arena War will add new vehicle types that were custom made for it (check out the teaser image above to get an idea for what to expect), along with seven "explosive" new modes. In the Arena, you'll earn Arena Points, which you can use to move through the ranks and unlock more "toys," according to Rockstar.Arena War arrives in GTA Online for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on December 11. GTA Online is the multiplayer mode for Grand Theft Auto V.As it always said it would, Rockstar Games continues to support GTA Online even though the studio's newest game, Red Dead Redemption 2, is out. The western also has a multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, but it is still in the early, beta stages of its lifecycle.Info from Gamespot.com

Even NASA is getting in on the Avengers hype. The American space agency wants to help save Tony Stark from his tough situation in the new trailer for Avengers: Endgame.Writing on Twitter, NASA offered some advice for how to save Stark. He directed the rest of the Avengers to listen for a signal from Stark saying "Avengers, we have a problem." But if Stark's comms are down, what then? In that situation, NASA said it recommends teams on the ground to "use all resources" to scour the skies to find Stark.Hey @Marvel, we heard about Tony Stark. As we know, the first thing you should do is listen in mission control for “@Avengers, we have a problem.” But if he can’t communicate, then we recommend ground teams use all resources to scan the skies for your missing man pic.twitter.com/zavXrsPljq — NASA (@NASA) December 9, 2018Appreciate any help you can provide 🙏 — Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 10, 2018As you can see, Marvel Studios responded to NASA's tweet, saying it appreciates the help. If you zoom in on one of the desks at the back of the picture, you'll see one of the desk clumps is labeled "Thor," with the hammer leaning against it. What's that all about?NASA explained in another tweet that THOR is an acronym that stands for "Thermal Operations and Resource."The THermal Operations and Resource (THOR) officer is truly one of Mission Control’s mightiest heroes. They ensure the operation of multiple @Space_Station subsystems which collect, distribute & reject heat from critical equipment and payloads for the success of the mission — NASA (@NASA) December 9, 2018Tony Stark is looking like he's in a bad way in the new Endgame trailer. The trailer opens with Stark adrift in space with no food or water, with oxygen about to run out. He's recording a message to Pepper Potts saying he no longer expects to get rescued.The new Avengers trailer confirmed the movie's name, Endgame, a title that makes a lot of sense given what is expected to happen after the dramatic, cliff-hanger ending of Infinity War. The massively popular Avengers: Endgame trailer also of course raises a lot of questions, like what happened to Captain America's beard, how much time has passed since Infinity War, how Scott Lang seemingly got out of the Quantum Realm, and more. Check out GameSpot's rundown of all the big questions here.More: Avengers 4: Endgame Trailer Breakdown: Everything We Learned About The 2019 Marvel MovieInfo from Gamespot.com

If you're like us and are always on the lookout for great deals on Xbox One games, it's time to head to Xbox Live. This week's Spotlight Sale and Deals with Gold promotion are now live, dropping prices on a selection of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. You'll need a Gold subscription to take advantage of most of this week's deals, but some are available to everyone. Let's look at the highlights of the sales running between now and December 17.The headliner this week is Monster Hunter World, on sale for $25. Not only is this one of the best games of 2018, but Capcom isn't done with it yet. A massive expansion called Iceborne is planned for release next year, and everyone's favorite gruff-voiced witcher will also make an appearance in the game. All of which makes now a great time to pick it up on sale to see what the fuss is about.While Xbox One owners missed out on the PS4-exclusive Castlevania Requiem, you can pick up Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon on sale for $7 right now. It's a retro Castlevania-style game made by some of the creative team behind many entries in the classic series. Speaking of retro games, Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Combo Pack and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 are on sale for $15 and $30 respectively.If you enjoy shooters, you can get Battlefield 4 or Battlefield Hardline Ultimate Edition for under $10 each. Anyone with an itch to play an action-RPG can grab Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition or The Technomancer for $10 apiece. Racing fans can rev up with MotoGP 17 for $12 or Valentino Rossi The Game for just $5.You can find more of our picks below, or check out all the games on sale on Xbox.com. The discounts are live between now and December 17, so make your purchases by then.Battlefield 4 -- $5 / £3.75Battlefield Hardline Ultimate Edition -- $9 / £10.50Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon -- $7 / £6.30Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition -- $10 / £8.75Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition - $10.50 / £8.75The Long Reach -- $6 / £4Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2 Combo Pack -- $15 / £10Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 -- $30 / £24Mirror's Edge Catalyst -- $5 / £5Monster Hunter World -- $25 / £20MotoGP 17 -- $12 / £12Persona 4 Arena -- $7.50 / £6The Technomancer -- $10 / £8.75Valentino Rossi The Game -- $5 / £4Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games has retired work on its mobile series Infinity Blade--and pulled all three games from the Apple App Store--just as it issued a new patch (7.01) to Fortnite that inserts the titular weapon into the game. The weapon is fittingly extremely powerful, serving as an homage to the studio's last mobile hit, but be prepared to have a tough time getting your hands on it.Unlike most weapons in Fortnite, there's only one Infinity Blade. Picking it up from its castle on Polar Peak, where it's always found, is currently very difficult--in most matches, you've got a ton of players wanting to use it, which leads to the situation you see in the video above. Expect to die a lot if you head to Polar Peak right now.Assuming you do get the sword, it will grant you double health and shields, you'll gain 50 health upon scoring a kill, and it will allow you to move faster than other players. It can also destroy players and structures very quickly. As a trade-off, though, picking it up sheds all of your other weapons and inventory items. There's only one Infinity Blade in any given match, and you can kill a player to force them to drop it.Naturally, this also makes the Polar Peak area extremely dangerous, since the allure of the weapon is bound to attract players and force bottleneck bloodbaths. It's possible that this weapon will only be available temporarily, similar to the powerful Thanos' Gauntlet--though that was in its own limited-time mode, rather than in the main battle royale.Infinity Blade was Epic's first big mobile release, pushing the power of its own Unreal engine on Apple devices to serve as a showpiece. It was a timing-based fighting game consisting of various boss fights. The name comes from the weapon itself, which is wielded by descendants of a warrior who was killed by the immortal God King. Each playthrough maintains the experience of your previous run, until you've confronted and defeated the God King and beaten him with the Infinity Blade. Later sequels added more RPG elements and a more detailed plot structure.This weapon addition is the first of its kind and was teased shortly after the Fortnite 7.00 patch released. That season changeover also introduced an aerial vehicle and a snowy makeover for the map. You can check out some pointers on how to complete all the new tasks in our Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup.Info from Gamespot.com

In the ever-shifting landscape of the video game industry, few franchises have managed to remain as consistently popular over the years as Pokemon. More than two decades after its humble debut on the Game Boy, the series is still one of Nintendo's most beloved and lucrative properties, and that popularity only reached new heights with the release of Pokemon Go. When the game first hit mobile devices in the summer of 2016, it seemed the whole world was once again overtaken by Pokemon fever. Stories of expectant fathers capturing Pokemon while their wives gave birth and athletes referencing the game during competitions dominated news headlines in the weeks and months following its release, and the title itself quickly became one of the most successful mobile applications of all time.Of course, no game can maintain that remarkable level of popularity forever, and before long, Pokemon Go's began to wane. Thanks in part to the slow rollout of new content and some controversial design changes, the game's active user base declined. It still enjoyed a healthy number of active users in 2017. In June of that year, the game had roughly 60 million monthly players--much fewer than the 100 million it had the previous August, but an impressive number in its own right. Still, it was clear the sway it once held over the public had diminished, and gone were the days when you'd see crowds of people stopping traffic just to capture a nearby Vaporeon.That wasn't the extent of the problems the game faced in 2017. Its first major live event, Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago, was an unmitigated disaster. The ostensible goal of the event was to encourage players to meet up and capture Pokemon together, but persistent technical issues rendered the game unplayable at the venue. Some attendees even filed a lawsuit against developer Niantic seeking reimbursement for their travel expenses. The entire ordeal prompted the company to postpone several live events that were scheduled to take place across Europe later that summer. Fortunately, future events would go off much more smoothly than the ill-fated Pokemon Go Fest, but it was nonetheless a portentous start for Niantic's plans.It's remarkable, then, just how much Pokemon Go has been able to rebound in the past year. While it would certainly be an exaggeration to say the game was ever running the risk of becoming a flop--even with its decline in active users, Pokemon Go still had millions of players worldwide and was generating millions of dollars in revenue every month--it was no longer the cultural phenomenon that it was the first few weeks after it debuted. Thanks to a regular stream of new content, features, and events, however, Pokemon Go has enjoyed the most success it's had since launch. This past May, the game had its most active users since summer 2016, and just last month alone, it grossed an estimated $80 million worldwide.This impressive resurgence can be attributed to the generous slate of updates and new content Niantic has released for the game in 2018. Throughout the year, the developer rolled out new features and hosted numerous events to entice players back to the game. In January, Niantic held the inaugural Pokemon Go Community Day--the first in what would become a series of monthly events that offer players an opportunity to earn in-game bonuses and capture rare Pokemon. Unlike Pokemon Go Fest, Community Days aren't hosted at a particular location, but rather during a specific window of time, meaning players around the world can go to any nearby park or other gathering place during the designated times and participate. Not only is it easier to take part in Community Days than other live events, each also offers players a chance to encounter a highly sought-after shiny Pokemon and even learn a special event-exclusive move that typically can't be obtained by other means, providing a compelling incentive to return to the game each time an event rolls around.In addition to Community Days, Niantic has been introducing new Pokemon to Go much more frequently this year. The first wave of Gen 2 Pokemon--those that originated in Pokemon Gold and Silver--didn't arrive until February 2017, some seven months after the game launched, while Legendary Pokemon wouldn't be introduced until later that summer. Since then, however, Niantic has been steadily rolling out Gen 3 and, more recently, Gen 4 Pokemon in Go. This year also saw the arrival of Alolan forms--tropical variants of certain monsters from Pokemon Sun and Moon. On top of that, the developer has been releasing new Legendaries on a near-monthly basis, ensuring there's always a reason to fire up the app and see what's new.Complementing the regular stream of events and Pokemon has been a slew of compelling new features, beginning with a quest system. Now when players spin a Photo Disc at Gyms and PokeStops, they'll collect Field Research tasks along with the usual assortment of items they'd receive. These tasks can range from catching a certain number or type of Pokemon to making a number of Great throws. Not only do these give players structured goals to aim for as they play Pokemon Go, but completing enough will reward them with a chance to capture a rare or Legendary Pokemon. Alongside Field Research tasks, Niantic also added Special Research to the game this year; these are story-based missions assigned by Professor Willow, and they typically culminate in an encounter with a Mythical Pokemon such as Mew or Celebi.This year also saw the arrival of some features fans have been clamoring for ever since Pokemon Go first launched. This past summer, Niantic finally implemented friends lists and trading in the game. While there are some restrictions in place for the latter--as of this writing, you can only trade Pokemon with friends in-person--it is still a welcome addition. Most recently, the developer revealed that a PvP system is on the way to the game. Before, players were only able to team up and battle against Raid Bosses at Gyms, but the new Trainer Battle system will allow them to finally compete directly against other players--an option the game has been sorely lacking to this point.Niantic's continual improvements to Pokemon Go have helped it stand out as one of the year's best evolving multiplayer games. But it is its integration into the Pokemon series' latest mainline installments, Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee for Nintendo Switch, that has truly solidified its importance to the franchise. For the first time, players are able to transfer Pokemon over from Go and use them in a proper Pokemon RPG. Moreover, connecting the two games is the key to unlocking a brand-new Mythical Pokemon named Meltan, which was revealed in Pokemon Go following September's Community Day, making it the first Pokemon to debut in the mobile title rather than a main game. Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee themselves also take some cues from Go, most notably incorporating its capture mechanics, opening the gameplay up to players who may have been introduced to the series through the mobile game.Between the release of Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee for Switch and the generous Year of Legendary Pokemon campaign, which saw The Pokemon Company give away a different Legendary Pokemon for Pokemon Sun, Moon, and their Ultra counterparts nearly every month, the past year has been a strong one for Pokemon. But it's Pokemon Go's impressive string of updates that have defined 2018 for the franchise. With other new features, such as a PokeStop nomination system, on the way to the game and more generations of Pokemon to be added, it doesn't appear Pokemon Go will slow down any time soon. Meanwhile, a "core" Pokemon RPG is on the way to Switch next year, ensuring that 2019 will be another big year for the perennial franchise.Info from Gamespot.com

As promised, Epic has released a new update for Fortnite. Today's new patch 7.01 is now live across PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile, bringing the recently teased sword weapon (good luck getting it) and a new limited-time mode to Battle Royale, as well as a ton of tweaks and new features to Creative mode and a handful of bug fixes for Save the World. Here's what's new, along with the full patch notes.Headlining this week's update is the aforementioned sword: the Infinity Blade, a callback to Epic's now delisted mobile series of the same name. According to the patch notes on the developer's website, the Infinity Blade is a Mythic melee weapon, making it the first of its kind in Fortnite. Only one of these swords will appear in a match, and it can be found in a pedestal atop Polar Peak.Fittingly, the Infinity Blade is a powerful weapon that "deals big damage and destroys structures." The player who wields the sword will also be granted additional abilities, including increased max health and shields, increased movement speed, and more. However, if you pick up the Infinity Blade, you'll drop all your other inventory items with the exception of building materials. All of that said, the sword being located in only one spot means there are tons of players swarming to get it--making it a true challenge to actually get your hands on it, as you can see in the video below. Along with the Infinity Blade, the 7.01 update brings back the Close Encounters LTM to Battle Royale. As its name suggests, this mode is all about close-quarters combat. The only weapons available here are shotgun variants and jetpacks. The latter can be found along with Heavy Shotguns in chests and supply drops, while other shotguns can be picked up as floor loot. Partway through the match, the storm will also close in more quickly than it does in a standard round.Rounding out the 7.01 update are a slew of additions to the new sandbox-style Creative mode, including a fifth island to build on and an Island Code system that allows players to load others' creations--although Epic says this feature will initially be limited to certain players. Finally, the developer is bringing back the Ralphie's Revenge gun to Save the World. You can find the full patch notes for update 7.01 below.Fortnite v7.01 Patch NotesGeneralUIPlayers are no longer brought to the Battle Royale lobby when clicking "Creative" in the game mode select screen.Battle RoyaleLimited-Time Mode: Close EncountersThe only weapons in this mode are Shotgun variants. Jetpacks & Heavy Shotguns can be found in chests & Supply Drops.Other Shotgun variants are spawned as floor loot.The Storm moves in more quickly than normal at mid to late game. Typical match length is about 15 minutes.Stats are enabled for this mode.Weapons & ItemsInfinity BladeThis Mythic melee weapon can be found on Polar Peak.Primary Fire delivers a powerful sword slash. It deals big damage to enemies and destroys structures in one blow (75 damage to players).Alternate Fire allows the player to leap great distances, destroying objects in its path. Upon landing, it delivers damage and a knock-up to nearby players (25 damage).The wielder of the sword is also granted additional abilities: An increased pool of max Health and Shields (200 Health/200 Shields).Regeneration of effective Health over time up to max Health and Shields (1 HP per second).An instant burst of effective Health upon elimination of an enemy (50 HP).Increased movement speed (130%).The first player to pull the Infinity Blade from its pedestal will be instantly healed to full Health and Shields.If a player picks up the Infinity Blade, all other inventory items aside from building materials will be dropped.When the wielder of the Infinity Blade picks up an item (aside from building materials), the Infinity Blade will be dropped.The Infinity Blade will be dropped when the wielder is knocked out or eliminated.Only one Infinity Blade will appear per match.GameplayX-4 StormwingWhen a plane is shot down, the driver and all passengers of that plane will now take 25 damage from the explosion.Bug FixesSpeculative fix for players moving after being eliminated.Fixed players being ejected from vehicles if they lost the icy feet effect.CreativeIslandsThe Block New 5th Island to build on. Provides the exact block that appears in Battle Royale where your creation could appear.Featured Islands Added 4 featured island Rifts. Featured islands will be changed over time as we feature the communities creations. Featured maps can be played the rules are set by the creator. Also, use the featured rifts to enter codes from other creators.Island Codes system Use codes to load creations that have been shared with the Island Code system.Initially, only a limited number of players in the Support a Creator program will have access to this feature.Over time we will expand the number of players that can publish islands as we polish this feature.To use a code, go to a Feature Rift and select "Enter Code" and follow the instructions.Post your creations to Reddit, Youtube, Twitch, or any of our other social channels! We may reach out and provide you the ability to publish your creation.Bug FixesFixed an issue where respawning on Creative Hub could cause your player to leave the Island.Fixed various problems with Island Rifts not functioning correctly.Fixed Island Rifts not showing the correct Island name and player count in some cases.Fixed an issue that prevented player inventory from being reset when returning to Creative Hub.Fixed players appearing to fall through the ground in Replays when teleporting between islands.Fixed bug where the same friend's server could appear multiple times in Creative server select.Fixed an issue that prevented players from placing building tiles on certain islands.Fixed an issue where players would not be able to spawn on your island when building tiles or props were in the way.Prefabs6 New Lucky Landing PrefabsObstacle Course The Obstacle Course gallery was split into four separate gallery Prefabs: Floors, Walls, Roofs & Stairs and Parts.New props were added to the Parts gallery.Indestructible Gallery This gallery contains props that cannot be destroyed by weapons.New indestructible props and building tiles were added to this gallery Prefab.A few other Prefabs were updated with new building tiles and props.DevicesNew: Item Spawner - Drop any item on this device to have it spawn one item at a time during games.New: Player Checkpoint Plate - Run across the checkpoint during a game and the next time you die you'll respawn there.Player Spawn device can now be customized to spawn only players on a specific team number. The team number is displayed on the plate (except when in the game is in progress.)Player Spawn device can now be set to be an Island Start instead of a game start. This can be used to set where players arrive when they visit your island when not in Play mode.Bug FixesFixed issues with multiple devices able to be placed on top of one another.Fixed Damage Rails being able to be placed on top of themselves.Fixed vehicles not being removed when their Vehicle Spawner is deleted.Fixed a problem that could cause devices to malfunction after being saved and loaded.Fixed certain devices becoming indestructible after loading your Island on a new server.GameplayNew settings in "My Island" menu: "Starting Health" can now be set to "Invincible." This prevents players from taking any damage on your island.“Building Damage in Game” This can be disabled to prevent island structures from being damaged in game.Has no effect on structures built by players during the game.When stopping a game, players are now returned to where they were before the game started.Bug FixesPlayer inventory is now reset when a game is started and also after it finishes.Fixed games being called "Minigames" in the UI in some places.Fixed eliminated players respawning on the same spawn pad in some cases.Fixed the "Down But Not Out" game setting not functioning correctly.Fixed players not being able to damage structures in game after editing privileges were revoked by the island owner.Fixed a bug where disabling falling damage would not be remembered when loading your island.Creative Tools & PhoneAdded Collision option Collision can now be turned on and off when moving props.Toggle collision using V (Hold) on a desktop, or D-Pad Left (Hold) on a controller.When collision is off, props can be freely moved through any other object (but not under terrain!)Grid Snap Snap now uses better settings for each individual prop. This allows props to align better to the Fortnite world grid.Renamed help text for certain actions to be more clear "Pick up" is now "Cut"While holding something, "Copy" is now "Paste"Your phone's settings are now remembered as you move between islands, respawn, or play games on islands.Vehicles can no longer be deleted while players are using them.Added some additional sound effects when toggling options on the phone.Bug FixesFixed props and building tiles being able to be placed outside of the island's saveable area.Fixed props sometimes not placing exactly where the hologram preview shows it will when the Drops option was enabled.Fixed an issue with grid snap where props would not actually align to the grid when placing them down quickly.Fixed various problems when interacting with mirrored building tiles.Fixed some issues with placement of props being denied unexpectedly.Fixed an issue where props could vanish after you pick them up.Fixed some props that were not able to be moved using the Phone.Fixed hologram animations not playing on certain props when you pick them up.FlyYou can now switch to Fly while your Glider is deployed by double-tapping the Jump button.Holding down the Jump button on will now consistently fly upwards, even on a keyboard.Improved Fly animations, especially when using items or interacting.Bug FixesFixed Bouncers being destroyed when flying on top of them.Fixed certain Devices not affecting respawned players who were eliminated while flying.TeamsPlayers will now be on the same team (and voice channel) when entering a server.Players who join a session in progress will now always be added to Team 1.Players are now spread evenly between available team spawns when possible.Players on the same team will now see team identifiers during a game.Removed redundant Team Spawn Pads option.Bug FixesFixed players not all starting on the same team when first entering an Island.Fixed players not being on correct teams when starting a game.Fixed players being able to switch teams while in the middle of a game.Fixed players not being able to switch to specific teams in some cases.Weapons & ItemsBug FixesFixed not being able to stack Port-a-Fortress grenades in Creative.UI & SocialAdded a new tutorial pop-up to inform users about changing island permissions when another player joins the session.Players can no longer join your session in progress when your party is set to private.Bug FixesFixed wrong Creative server being selected in some cases when choosing a server using a controller.Interacting with chests and Supply Llamas now takes the intended amount of time.Fixed the Creative Inventory not being displayed while skydiving or gliding.Fixed the wrong number of players showing next to names in the friend list.Fixed friends' servers showing on Creative server select after they become empty.Fixed various issues with friend status in Creative and player counts.Fixed being able to access Creative Inventory when in the Creative Hub in certain cases.Fixed various problems with in-game tutorial pop-ups.PerformanceImproved the load times of island content when first starting a server.To improve server performance, the maximum number of Vehicle Spawners on an island has been limited to 32.Reduced memory usage when switching between Islands on the same server.Improved performance of particle systems with large numbers of placed traps.MobileAdded a new button that toggles Collision on the Phone.Added new states to some creative buttons to make their actions more clear.Bug FixesFixed the "Memory Used" bar being covered up by other mobile UI.Save the WorldMissions & SystemsBug FixesStorm Shield Defenses no longer grant reduced primary rewards if the 80% health bonus objective is failed.Weapons & ItemsRalphie's Revenge is returning and will be available in the Weekly StoreAccurate and slow firing air rifle that has a massive headshot bonus. Remember to always wear your eye protection!Available from December 12 at 7 PM ET until December 19th 7 PM ET.Info from Gamespot.com

It seems like we just wrapped up Destiny 2's Halloween-themed in-game event, the Festival of the Lost, and already the people of the Tower are slapping up their holiday decorations for the game's next celebration. That event is the Dawning, Destiny's version of a snow-covered space holiday season, which is usually marked by players going around giving NPCs gifts.The Dawning returns with the latest Destiny 2 weekly reset on December 11, and with it comes the usual holiday giving event--but this time, it's all about baking. As Bungie noted in its blog post about the event, the major single-player event of the Dawning will be all about making and delivering cookies to spread holiday cheer. You'll get recipes for certain cookies and earn ingredients as you work through the missions, but you'll have to discover the most delicious cookie combinations on your own.Facilitating all this cookie-sharing is Eva Levante, a Destiny character who's been missing from the game since the launch of Destiny 2. There are even lore items tied to Eva's story, so visiting her will likely fill in some interesting backstory gaps.As with every big in-game event, the Dawning comes with a whole new batch of cosmetic items to earn or buy, too. They're mostly winter-themed, but the most interesting additions are two-player emotes, which let you activate a cool animation like high five or fist bump with another player.The other big activity returning with the Dawning is Mayhem, a Crucible playlist we haven't seen since the first Destiny. As the name implies, this one is pure, hilarious chaos. Power weapon ammo drops much more frequently, and Super abilities charge up super quickly--meaning everyone in the match is constantly zapping, stabbing, hammering, and exploding each other.Finally, there's a minor patch to Destiny 2 that comes with the Dawning. Update 2.1.2 gives a bit of a fix to Prime Engrams, making them drop more frequently and with higher power levels to help you grind up to the Power cap and get ready for the Black Armory's new raid, Scourge of the Past.Check out the full patch notes below.Items and EconomyGeneralPrime engrams will now drop more frequently and with larger power bumps for players under 600 PowerMiscGeneralFixed an issue where players could not purchase the Annual Pass from the Director nodeInfo from Gamespot.com

The latest weekly reset marks the start of Destiny 2's holiday event, the Dawning, and with it comes a bunch of new cosmetic items to earn and the return of the Mayhem Crucible playlist. But in terms of the standard refresh, another Ascendant Challenge is now available, this one returning from the third week of Forsaken. Here's where its portal is located and what to do inside.If you've done an Ascendant Challenge before, you'll have an idea of how this goes overall. Start out by buying the appropriate bounty from Petra in the Dreaming City. Alongside that, you'll need a Tincture of Queensfoil. Once you consume that, you get the Ascendance buff that allows you to see the Taken portal--after you've found it.This particular portal is located in the Spire of Keres; you can see its location in the video above. Go through it to visit the Ascendant Plane, where are tasked with climbing a tower made of rocks without dying. Enemies will try to snipe you, and Taken rifts will try to boop you off the tower to your death. Be careful with where you move as you go toward the top; once you're there, kill the boss to complete the Ascendant Challenge.Your reward is a chest that may not have anything special inside, but you'll also complete the bounty you picked up from Petra. This offers a piece of Powerful gear, making it a task worth tackling. With the recently released Black Armory expansion, the Power cap for characters has been raised to 650, so it's definitely worth revisiting the Ascendant Challenge as you grind up to those new heights.As noted above, the prerequisite for doing an Ascendant Challenge--aside from access to the Dreaming City, which only comes after finishing the Forsaken campaign--is a Tincture of Queensfoil. These can be obtained through chests and Public Events in the Dreaming City, but that's not the only means.The video above details a location you can go to trade 50 Baryon Boughs, the planetary material you earn in the Dreaming City, for a Tincture of Queensfoil. If you're desperate to get your hands on one to try the Ascendant Challenge, follow our video guide to help you find your way to the spot where you can trade with Huginn.Info from Gamespot.com

Sure, 'tis the season to be jolly. But 'tis also the season when retailers have their winter sales, dropping prices on video games of all kinds. Newegg is the latest online store to launch a seasonal sale, which means you can save money on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC games. A number of the deals end on December 15, so don't wait too long to make your purchases or you might miss out.Some of the biggest games from recent months have gotten the discount treatment, which is good news to anyone who held out through the launch hype. Among those is Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, a game that comes with three robust online modes: multiplayer, Zombies, and a new battle royale mode called Blackout. It's on sale for $40 across all platforms. Now is also a great time to jump into Destiny 2: Forsaken - Legendary Collection, because not only is it packed with endgame content, but it's on sale for $25 on PS4 and Xbox One.And if you own a Nintendo Switch, you can pick up Diablo III: Eternal Collection for $40, a good deal on one of the best dungeon crawlers ever made. It comes with all the content Blizzard has put out for the game. Switch owners who enjoy polygonal platformers can also pick up Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy for $30.Speaking of retro platformers, Spyro Reignited Trilogy is down to $30 on PS4 and Xbox One. Sports fans can pick up NBA 2K19 or WWE 2K19 for $30 each, or UFC 3 for $20. Lastly, a handful of digital Xbox One games are on sale, but you have to enter a promo code to get the discounts. You can find the details below to save on games like Forza Horizon 4 and Sea of Thieves.PS4Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $40Destiny 2: Forsaken - Legendary Collection -- $25Diablo III: Eternal Collection -- $25NBA 2K19 -- $30Overwatch: Legendary Edition -- $25Spyro Reignited Trilogy -- $30UFC 3 -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Xbox OneCall of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $40Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy -- $30Destiny 2: Forsaken - Legendary Collection -- $25Diablo III: Eternal Collection -- $25Forza Horizon 4 (digital code) -- $35 with promo code EMCEREE62NBA 2K19 -- $30Overwatch: Legendary Edition -- $25Sea of Thieves (digital code) -- $26 with promo code EMCEREE68Spyro Reignited Trilogy -- $30Starlink: Battle for Atlas (digital) -- $54 with promo code EMCEREE67UFC 3 -- $20WWE 2K19 -- $30Nintendo SwitchCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy -- $30Diablo III: Eternal Collection -- $40PCCall of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- $40Overwatch: Legendary Edition -- $25Info from Gamespot.com

We're giving away free PC codes for Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 Battle Edition to thirty (30) lucky fans! Scroll down to enter.This is not an instant win. No purchase necessary. Competition ends at 12:00 PM PT on December 19, 2018, in which 30 winners will be chosen at random and emailed a code for the full game (MSRP: $30).Enter below: Info from Gamespot.com

Overwatch's annual Winter Wonderland update has gone live on all platforms, letting you throw down in some holiday-themed events and introducing a load of new winter skins. The festivities will last until January 2.This year the game brings back the Yeti Hunter and Mei's Snowball Offensive modes from previous years, but it doesn't include any new Brawls. The Blizzard World, Black Forest, King's Row, and Hanamura maps were all given wintery makeovers for the event too. Naturally the event also includes loads of new skins alongside the return of winter skins from last year at reduced prices.A teaser video that announced the event showed the Blizzard World map redone as a holiday village. The Overwatch Twitter has also shown off several of the new skins: Snowboarder Zarya, Snow Fox Lucio, Sugar Plum Fairy Mercy, Biathlon Widowmaker, Gift Wrap Bastion, Figure Skater Symmetra, and Krampus Junkrat. Check out a gallery of the skins below.These winter events tend to be themed around Mei, the cold-based climatologist. This is also the first Winter Wonderland event since the game has introduced Brigitte, Wrecking Ball, and Ashe, so they're bound to have an impact on the meta for any returning holiday game modes.Blizzard recently introduced a massive overhaul for Overwatch. It made players redownload the game in full, but it was aimed at streamlining the game and getting rid of some legacy issues to make it all smoother under-the-hood. While skins are the major draw of these regular annual events, Blizzard may need to tinker with those soon too. Both the US and Australia are considering investigations into loot boxes.Info from Gamespot.com

Since the release of his 2017 directorial debut Get Out--which snagged the Best Original Screenplay award at the 90th Academy Awards ceremony earlier this year--fans and critics alike have been anxiously awaiting Jordan Peele's follow-up, Us. Though information has been sparse leading up to its Spring 2019 release date, Slashfilm has revealed the plot synopsis for the upcoming horror film.According to Slashfilm, Us' plot "sounds similar to that of Darren Aronofsky's divisive thriller Mother!" However, Us differs from the film we called "a singular work of art that film fans shouldn't miss" with the addition of children, something Mother! only briefly introduces during its 121-runtime. Slashfilm also suggests that, though the plot is "clearly intentionally vague," it may offer "an ominous tone and promises Jordan Peele will do something unexpected with a premise we’ve heard before."You can read the full synopsis below:"A mother (Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o from Black Panther, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and 12 Years a Slave) and a father (Winston Duke from Black Panther) take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends (including Emmy winner Elizabeth Moss from TV series The Handmaid's Tale). But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited."Alongside the actors announced in the plot synopsis, Us will feature Tim Heidecker (Tim & Eric, Ant-Man and the Wasp), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Greatest Showman, Aquaman), Anna Diop (Everybody Hates Chris, Titans), Shahadi Wright Joseph (The Lion King), Evan Alex (Sesame Street, Kidding), Madison Curry, and twins Cali & Noelle Sheldon (who play the same character in 2007's crime drama tv show Life).Us is scheduled to debut in theatres on March 15, 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

Your PC has the ability to be as powerful as you want it to be and the flexibility to allow you to use it in the way you want to, which has always made it a great place to play video games. If you wanted to play a multiplatform blockbuster in 2018 and were concerned with making sure it looked and performed the absolute best it could--giant monsters rendered stunningly in 4K resolutions, dense environments filled with hundreds of characters running at a smooth 60 frames per second--the PC was still the place to do that.But it's not all about graphics, of course--the PC's open nature makes it a natural spawning ground for refreshing innovations and never-before-seen ideas. This year, we were reminded that truly great games can be born and refined in early access programs with the participation of players and an open dialogue with developers. The PC also reminded us that sometimes the most cohesive, risky, and brilliant experiences can be executed superbly by just one or two people. The PC had fantastic games both big and small in 2018. Now, in ascending order of development team size, here are our picks for the best PC games of 2018.Return Of The Obra Dinn[Read the review]Lucas Pope, the creator of Papers, Please, continued his trend of building gripping narrative experiences around menial administrative jobs in 2018. Return of the Obra Dinn sees you in the role of an insurance adjuster, and it's your job to board the titular ship Obra Dinn and investigate the fates each and every one of its 60 crew members. Your tools are limited to an incomplete in-game notebook, your own powers of mental deduction, and a magical pocket watch that shows you the last moment of a deceased person's life.Return of the Obra Dinn gives you only the briefest glimpses into what happened over the course of the game's narrative, and its potency lies in the trust it puts into you to piece things together using your head. The game gives you broad strokes, but you need to fill in the details by deducing identities and causes of deaths based on faces, accents, movements, probable cause, and more. Obra Dinn excels at making you feel like a real detective, and the thrilling eureka moments you get when you successfully solve even the smallest part of the overall mystery feels nothing but extraordinary.Return of the Obra Dinn is restrained, yet rich in narrative and characterization, with a cohesion between its haunting visual aesthetic, stirring sound design, and pointed mechanics that must be experienced. It is one of the definitive PC games of 2018.Into The Breach[Read the review]Justin Ma and Matthew Davis, the creators of 2012's FTL, knocked it out of the park again this year with their elegant isometric turn-based tactics game, Into The Breach. As a time-traveling mech squad, it's your job to counter an ever-growing infestation of giant bugs with your unique skills--but it'll be hard to make sure everything comes out unscathed.Into The Breach is a masterful piece of game design, thanks in part to its concise, no-frills design and the transparency of its systems--the effects of every enemy action are made visible to you before they happen. Its ingenuity lies in the process of working out the most effective way to mitigate the damage to a number of critical objectives before it happens with the use of your limited toolset. But a lot of the time, not everything can be stopped, meaning each turn is a satisfying conundrum of prioritized compromises that are revolved in a wonderfully choreographed ballet of kinetic push and pull, redirected attacks, near misses, and controlled collateral damage.A large variety of distinctive squads showcases the breadth of the game's unique and obtuse ideas, and the minimally evocative writing and music from Chris Avellone and Ben Prunty, respectively, tie perfectly into the game's focused aesthetics and design. In a year filled with exceptional PC strategy games, Into The Breach is the one to keep jumping back into again and again and again.Dead Cells[Read the review]Chances are good that you've already heard a lot about how great Motion Twin's Dead Cells is. The 2D roguelike takes some of the most enticing fundamentals of the Metroid and Castlevania strain of platformers and twists it into its own refreshing package that's difficult to stop playing. There are countless different methods in which to tackle the labyrinth, and with each new randomized run, each life, and each death, you'll come across new surprises and challenges that will test your wits and reflexes. It weaponizes a continual feeling of incremental triumph, progression, and improvement that echoes the most morbidly seductive aspects of Dark Souls and Spelunky. It's a compulsive feeling that causes Dead Cells to stay with you for a long time.Dead Cells has been particularly good on PC throughout 2018 because of the game's availability in Steam Early Access from mid-2017 right up until its official launch in August 2018. The transparent relationship and dialogue between Motion Twin and the Dead Cells community during this period accomplished implementations of feature requests, bug fixes, and general feedback. In a way, Dead Cells as we have it today is born from the PC platform, but no matter where you decide to play it, there's no denying that Dead Cells is one of 2018's paragons.Hitman 2[Read the review]IO Interactive might have had to brave some rocky roads during Hitman 2's development (it transitioned publishers from Square Enix to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2017), but the game as it launched in 2018 was an excellent showing regardless. The game builds upon the already strong systems IO had established in its Hitman reboot, but more significantly, Hitman 2 is a brilliant showcase of the team's talent for creating interesting, dense, and multi-layered sandbox levels full of possibilities.Entertaining mission stories highlight the environments, their characters, and the big opportunities available to you, but each stage still holds dozens of obscure opportunities that invite you to embrace their allowances for flexibility, to break from the mold, experiment and try and achieve things in the most elegant or ludicrous way possible. Regardless of whether you succeed or fail, pushing against the limits of levels, systems, and your own creativity are what Hitman 2 is all about, and the content updates that have occurred since launch have continued to convince us that IO knows exactly what makes this game great. Hitman 2 is one of the best PC games of 2018, but expect the magic to continue into 2019.Monster Hunter World[Read the review]2018 was the year that Capcom would bring its enormously popular Monster Hunter series to PC for the first time. Monster Hunter World released in January to great acclaim--this was the most accessible the series had ever been, though most of its endearing complexities remained. The result is that a whole new audience was able to discover the thrills of what made this series so beloved to begin with: getting together with friends, tracking down giant beasts, and working furiously to exploit their weaknesses and bring them down with a ridiculous arsenal of enormous weapons.Monster Hunter World came to PC in August 2018 with improved matchmaking, faster mission onboarding, capable keyboard and mouse controls, and the potential for an even more spectacular visual presentation, making it a platform favorite. On top of being a meaningful and robust evolution for the Monster Hunter series, World is one of 2018's most defining multiplayer experiences that has remained strong since the beginning of the year.GameSpot will be unveiling our picks for the best games and entertainment of 2018 throughout December. Head to our Best of 2018 hub to see all the winners so far.Info from Gamespot.com

We're a few years into the rebirth of virtual reality gaming, and while hardware manufacturers continue to iterate on headsets that will one day (hopefully) bring us closer to the promise of untethered, uncompromised VR, game developers are hard at work pouring their creativity into what's possible with today's technology. The best VR games of 2018 represent a variety of different genres, proving that the popularized image of VR being all about realism and physical immersion isn't the sole end goal, but one of many potential avenues with which to take the medium.In no particular order, the list that follows is a rundown of what we at GameSpot think are the five best VR games to come out in 2018. When you're done reading, be sure to check out our comprehensive look back at the VR landscape as a whole in 2018. And for more roundups focusing on the best games of 2018, be sure to visit our Best of 2018 page for all of our content reflecting on the year that was, and ahead to what we're looking forward to most in 2019.Beat Saber[Read the review]Beat Saber is a demanding rhythm game that pushes your reaction times and physical perseverance--prepare to sweat! With a VR controller in each hand, you wield virtual lightsabers and cut through incoming colored blocks that arrive in time with the music. It's a simple concept that doesn't need a lot of explaining, but getting good requires a lot of practice, poise, and precision. Beat Saber originally released on PC in early access, and that version may one day see an exclusive, custom track creator, but the PSVR release snuck in before the end of the year with exclusive content all its own. Despite some potential for tracking discrepancies compared to the PC version, the extra content makes the PSVR version the one to get today if you have the option (and a pair of PlayStation Move controllers).Tetris Effect[Read the review]Tetris may be timeless, but it doesn't immediately look like a natural fit for VR. Now that Tetris Effect is out on PS4, you might think twice before assuming what a good VR game looks like at first glance. Designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his team at Enhance Games took the standard Tetris formula and molded rhythm-game elements around it. It's still the puzzle game you probably know and love, but it's also a captivating blend of sight and song. Color and rhythm are used to instill a range of emotions, and the connected sound effects that come from rotating a tetromino, dropping it, and clearing a line, help form a connection between your puzzle-solving duties and the tone of a particular stage. It all makes for an engrossing experience outside of VR, but isolating yourself in a headset is the best way to understand everything Tetris Effect has to offer.Though Tetris Effect lacks any kind of competitive multiplayer, it does feature a rewarding asynchronous co-op mode. Players can participate in a cumulative effort during special event weekends where high-scores from across the globe are tallied up towards a milestone set by Enhance Games. So far, the community's success has resulted in new stages and songs, such as the one themed after the wildly popular Game Boy version of Tetris, pale greens and all. Tetris Effect's main stages are enough of a treat, but this arrangement ensures that you will have new reason to revisit one of the surprise hits of the year on a regular basis, and hopefully enjoy a new set of challenges and rewards along the way.Astro Bot Rescue MissionWhen Sony launched PSVR in 2016 it also handed us the keys to The Playroom. This pack of mini VR games featured scenes filled with expressive little robots. They would jaunt about and play as if that's all they've ever known, and it was their infectious joy that made the rather simple interactive tech demos feel as fun as they did. That said, nobody could have guessed at the time that a full-fledged follow-up game would arrive in 2018, and that Astro Bot Rescue Mission would make for one of the best VR games of the year.Astro Bot is a 3D platformer where you control a bot, but also a representation of your controller that acts as a Swiss-army knife of useful gadgets. Your Bot friend may be cute, but it's not very capable, so you'll need to help it solve puzzles, free it from danger, and provide a home for the other bots you rescue along the way--who adorably scurry into your controller's virtual representation by way of the hatch-door touchpad. This would all make for a fine game outside of VR, but a big part of its allure is feeling like you're along for the ride with your charming companion in a bustling cartoon world. Astro Bot feels like the product of creators who recognized both the potential of the character at their fingertips and the unique strengths of VR, and the result is a lovely game that remains a delight to play from beginning to end.Moss[Read the review]Moss can be viewed in the same vein as Astro Bot, but with a different set of qualities that make its third-person, 3D adventure stand on its own four furry legs. The star of Moss is Quill, a mouse packing a sword and shield to defend itself in a fantasy world that immediately brings Brian Jacques' Redwall series of books to mind. You directly guide her during moments of platforming and combat, but you also serve as a deity with the power to manipulate the environment as a means to solve puzzles or open new paths ahead.Most importantly, you can also interact directly with Quill, giving her high-fives and head scratches for a job well done. And like a true partner, she'll help guide you towards puzzle solutions when it’s clear that you're unsure of what to do next. This sometimes involves getting a closer look and peering around environments for hidden items or pathways, giving you a glimpse at life through Quill's eyes. Moss is a great VR game that brings its lead character to life, and in turn leaves you with lasting memories of a friend you only wish you could find in the real world.Wipeout VR (Omega Collection)[Read the review]Wipeout is the breakneck racing series that helped kick off the PlayStation's popularity way back in the mid '90s. The simple mix of high-speed racing, weaponry, and adrenaline-pumping music remains effective today, over 20 years later. The Wipeout Omega Collection in 2017 offered a massive collection of the game's recent outings under one roof that by and large played and felt great. But with the VR mode update that came in 2018, the experience of steering a speeding-bullet-like racecraft around tight turns amidst incoming enemy fire felt more riveting than ever.If Tetris Effect is the surprise hit for VR, Wipeout is the no-brainer. Sitting in the driver's seat means that you don't need to worry about pairing your physical movement in the real world to that of a virtual character, and because Wipeout iterates on a winning formula that's worked for decades, you know almost exactly what you're going to get. You may not be prepared, however, for the increased demands of racing at such speeds from the view of a cockpit, but that just means your eventual mastery will be all the more satisfying. Wipeout in VR feels like the realization of a dream that began with the PlayStation brand, and it's a definite selling point when considering PSVR as a whole. Info from Gamespot.com