Ubisoft is one of the big-time publishers coming to PAX Aus next week in Melbourne, and today the company announced its lineup for the show. Ubisoft's booth on the show floor (stand #1620 if you're looking for it) will feature 48 game stations where attendees can play the recently released Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, as well as a number of exciting upcoming games.The Division 2, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, Trials Rising, and Just Dance 2019 will be playable at Ubisoft's booth, while the VR arcade shooter Space Junkies will be available at the PAX Arena on Saturday.Ubisoft is also hosting a "Ubisoft Showcase" event at the EB Live Arena on Friday, 26 October at 5 PM AEDT. During this event, Ubisoft will provide an "in-depth" presentation for The Division 2 and Trials Rising. Ubisoft will also have a merch store featuring items from the Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, and The Division franchises.Another Ubisoft-related event happening at PAX Aus this year is the 2018 Six Masters event taking place on the ESL Stage where Rainbow Six Siege players will compete for a share of $25,000. This event takes place on 27 October, and you can stream it live on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook.PAX Aus kicks off on October 26 with a keynote address by Rhianna Pratchett, who worked on the Tomb Raider reboot and its sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider. She also wrote Mirror's Edge, Heavenly Sword, and the Overlord series. During her PAX Aus keynote, she'll be engaging directly with fans, answering questions about any number of topics.GameSpot's theatre, the GameSpot Dropbear Theatre, will have programming running Friday through Sunday. We'll be hosting panels on Fortnite's coverage in the mainstream media, voice acting featuring actors from Telltale's The Walking Dead and Fallout 4, and hacking a video game, among other topics. You can see the full programming lineup for the GameSpot Dropbear Theatre here, while a full list of every PAX Aus panel can be seen here.Also new for this year is that PAX Aus and another big-time Australian gaming show, the EB Expo, are joining forces. PAX Aus three-day tickets are sold out, but you can still buy single-day tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday here on the event's website. Info from Gamespot.com

Blizzard has announced a new round of balance changes for Hearthstone, and this one includes a major nerf to one of the Mage's classic mainstays. Two other changes hit cards that make for powerful combos and have made for strong archtypes of their own, but the biggest change by far is to one of the oldest cards in the entire game.Mana Wyrm has been around since the beginning. It's a Mage card from the Classic set, and its combination of high health for the Mana cost and a strong synergistic ability with spells has long made it an auto-include for all sorts of Mage decks--from aggressive ones that snowball its attack power to tempo decks that use it to pick off early threats efficiently. That will all be changing soon. The card cost is being changed from 1 Mana to 2, effectively doubling its investment cost and cutting it off as a decisive turn-one play."Over time, we've been moving away from powerful, early-game 1-drops like Mana Wyrm," reads the designer notes. "It can often feel like the outcome of a game is decided by whether Mana Wyrm was played on turn one, and if it could be removed quickly by an opponent. Mana Wyrm has also steered us away from making powerful low-cost Mage spells. We'd like Mana Wyrm to remain an option for decks it synergizes with, while preventing it from being a huge turn one threat."At (2) mana, it will be easier to deal with Mana Wyrm the turn it's played, and it will be harder to buff it with cheap spells early in the match. We still expect it to remain an option in decks that have a heavy focus on cheap spells, but it should be a less appealing option in decks that aren't built with that focus in mind."The other two announced balance changes are to cards that have been added in later sets, which means that unlike Mana Wyrm they'll both eventually cycle out of Standard play. The Mana Wyrm change, by comparison, is here to stay.The first comes to Giggling Inventor, a powerful Taunt card that has been eyed for a nerf since it debuted with the latest expansion. Its Mana cost will go to 7 Mana up from 5. The tipping point appears to be that Giggling Inventor has been far too powerful in Quest Rogue decks, which makes all minions 4/4 as the reward for completing the Quest."We think it's important to take risks when making powerful cards, especially when it comes to neutral taunts, given the role they can play in encouraging minion interactions and making games more interesting. However, Giggling Inventor has stepped beyond its intended role, and we don't feel that it should be as effective as it currently is," the notes read. "At (7) mana, we expect Giggling Inventor will find its way into fewer decks in general--and be much less effective in Quest Rogue--while remaining situationally playable within specific deck archetypes, such as Evolve Shaman."Finally, the Druid Legendary card Aviana will have its cost increased to 10 Mana from the current 9. This appears aimed at one very specific interaction: Aviana into Kun the Forgotten King. Since Aviana makes all minions cost 1, and Kun can restore all your Mana crystals, this combo allowed Druids to play a handful of huge minions in a single turn. While Blizzard notes it's still technically possible to pull this off with a Coin or Innervate, it will be less consistent. Plus, it notes, the cost change means the new card Juicy Psychmelon won't draw both parts of this powerful combo at once.All of these balance changes are planned to be implemented on October 18.Info from Gamespot.com

Red Dead Redemption 2 is big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. Following an apparent look at the game size for PS4 Pro, the full file size on Xbox One has been revealed as well. The "Additional Information" section on the Microsoft Store lists its approximate size at 88.57 GB. [Update: Rockstar itself has now officially confirmed the specifics of how much space Red Dead Redemption 2 requires on both PS4 and Xbox One.]Weighing in at nearly 90 gigs puts it close to the leak from the PS4 Pro Bundle, which suggested it would be 105 GB. It's possible that the disparity can be chalked up to the Pro version downloading some extra textures, and that it would be similarly sized on Xbox One X.Red Dead Redemption 2 appears to be mind-boggling in its level of detail, though. Its weapon customization alone lets you personalize each of the 50 weapons with a variety of barrels, grips, sights, and scopes, all with metals, woods, varnishes, and engravings. It has 19 realistically rendered horse breeds, fishing, and more.Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser said the full campaign will last about 65 hours, which much more to do in the open world. That includes 2,700 actors performing 2,000 pages of script with another 1,200 doing motion-capture work. This all comes at a price, though, as developers had to put in some 100-hour work weeks. It takes influences from several recent Rockstar games like GTA5, Max Payne, and even Bully.Red Dead Redemption 2 is set to release on October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, will follow in November.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite v6.10 will add in-game tournaments, Epic has announced through its official site. Tournaments will be scheduled events open to all players to get in over the course of several hours and win as many points as they can. If you achieve the score goal, you'll get a pin to celebrate. Some special tournaments will use the pins as qualifiers for the next tier of a tournament or to win prizes. [Update: The new feature is now available, as update 6.10 has been released.]Tournaments will be open to all players, but you'll need to opt in for crossplay to compete. All players participating in a tournament will be treated as equals regardless of their control input--mouse and keyboard, controller, or touch. Epic says it was carefully watching pro players during the Summer Skirmish, PAX West, and Fall Skirmish events, and have concluded that controller players can be a match for mouse-and-keyboard players. The studio will be continuing to look at the competitive landscape and may offer limited tournaments for inputs or platforms.Matchmaking during a tournament session will match you against players with similar point standing. In the coming months, Epic will be developing tournaments to take place across multiple rounds with pins acting as qualifiers. Players can even earn a spot for the 2019 Fortnite World Cup using the in-game tournament system.The first tournament kicks off this week, and the initial tests will be continuing over the next few weeks. Check the first round of scheduled tournaments below.Alpha Tournament (Solo)Dates: October 16 - October 21Description: Participate in the first in-game tournament, spanning across several days of daily competition!Beta Tournament (Duo)Dates: October 23 - October 25Description: Grab a friend and take on the world - until you are the last two left.Friday Night Fortnite (Squad)Dates: October 19 - November 30Description: Join your friends every Friday and kick off your weekend with some exciting Squad action.Salty Springs Cup (Solo)Dates: October 27 - October 31Description: One week and three attempts to prove you're the saltiest that Salty Springs has to offer.Tomato Temple Cup (Duo)Dates: October 28 - November 1Description: Become legends of the Tomato Temple Cup.Info from Gamespot.com

Battlefield V returns to World War 2, which means a lot of focus on the heroism of a just cause, the Greatest Generation, and all the imagery that entails. The single-player story trailer embraces that spirit wholeheartedly with a cinematic presentation that intermingles personal sacrifices with the bombastic moments that come in a theater of war.In it we see a variety of characters as the globe-trotting campaign features War Stories from different regions' soldiers taking part in the conflict. It doesn't shed much light on the particular arcs of these disparate characters but we do get a good idea of the variety of backgrounds and settings for the battles.Battlefield this year is introducing Firestorm, a new Battle Royale mode with a 64-player max. It's also taking its time to make some adjustments following feedback from the open beta.If you're itching for Battlefield and you just can't wait until November 20, EA is giving away all four expansions for Battlefield 1 through October. The first two are free now, and the second two will likely swap out as the freebies later in the month. You can also find the game itself relatively cheap on all platforms, if you don't have it already. Of course, if nothing but Battlefield 5 will do, you can also play it a little early with EA Access--as long as your platform of choice is Xbox One. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's version 6.10 update is now available, adding tournaments and a new vehicle alongside some bug fixes. As has become customary, though, Epic also used the opportunity to add some new skins that we'll be seeing in the store, and they fit this month's spooky Halloween theme nicely.Fortnite Insider reports that the update added the Arachne and Spider Knight Legendary skins, Guan Yu Epic skin, and Onesie Rare skin. On top of that, it adds the Moonrise, Webbreaker, and Guandao pickaxes, Hatchling and Divine Dragon gliders, and the Long Legs, Spider Shield, and Loyal Shield back bling.The update also adds the in-game tournaments feature, the first of which is going on now. It's a Solo tourney appropriately named the Alpha Tournament, and lasts through October 21. A separate Friday Night Fortnite squad tournament will be going on this and every Friday through the end of November. Tournaments can earn you pins to show off your skills, and sometime in the future your pins could act as qualifiers for higher-tier tournaments.The update also adds a new Quadcrusher vehicle, which comes with a snowplow-like attachment and a special boost ability. It's a pretty hefty piece of machinery that seems engineered to cause destruction on the battlefield.Info from Gamespot.com

The release of Red Dead Redemption 2 is fast approaching, and you can be prepared to venture into the Old West by having it loaded and ready to go for launch. Alongside a new launch trailer, Rockstar has announced that pre-loading will begin on Friday, October 19 at 12 AM ET / 5 AM BST, or 9 PM PT on Thursday.In the tweet announcing the pre-load timing, the studio also gave word that the launch trailer will debut on Thursday at 10 AM ET / 7 AM PT. That should be our last long look at the game before its launch next Friday, October 26. Rockstar is giving plenty of time for the pre-load, which makes sense given that RDR2's install size is huge, as the company has now officially confirmed.Pre-loading also means you pre-ordered, which will net you a cash bonus for the story mode, and some bonus GTA$ for GTA 5's Grand Theft Auto Online. Those who pre-ordered by July 31 will also get a treasure map for a head-start on making their fortune on the frontier. The physical editions come with a wide variety of bonuses, including physical items in the Special and Ultimate editions. A separate Collector's Box, which doesn't include the game, comes with a bunch of tchotchkes like a pin set, bandana, playing cards, and tithing box with lock and key. You can read more details in our pre-order guide.The Red Dead Redemption 2 Launch TrailerDebuting tomorrow, Thursday October 18 at 10AM ETPre-order now on digital and begin pre-loading this Friday at 12AM ET: https://t.co/dvyUu5JJSO pic.twitter.com/76FjGrLwUr — Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) October 17, 2018It appears Rockstar has crafted a massive open world to explore, with no shortage of activities and detail. You can fish and hunt, your clothes will degrade, and dialogue will shift based on your personal hygiene. Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser estimates it has 500,000 lines of dialogue.All that ambition appears to have come at a cost, though, as Houser also stated that the studio has had 100-hour work weeks to deliver on the promise. He later clarified that he was referring only to a few senior members of the team having intensive writing sessions, and that the studio doesn't expect such long hours from its team as a whole.Info from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (read our review) has issued a new patch aimed at stability and crash fixes, but it still has some new gameplay tweaks to try out that will make a substantial difference. The biggest change is to Blackout, which is testing different player counts in a few of its modes.100-Player Duos and 88-Player Quads are now in the playlist under Blackout, in an effort to prod at different formulations of the player count. Some other multiplayer maps have gotten updates as well. The TDM playlist now supports parties of 6 up from 5, and the Featured multiplayer playlist has changed to Heist. Activision says these will regularly rotate and more details on how the Featured playlists will work are coming soon.Custom games have been fixed to conclude after one team wins six rounds, and the studio has fixed a crash caused by earning multiple Medals in a single match. Plus in Zombies mode, a fix has been issued to a UI error caused by a loss of Internet connection in split-screen play. The PC version has gotten a few bug fixes of its own as well.In the immediate future, the studio says it's keeping an eye and working on the Easter Egg quests in Zombies mode, reports of multiplayer audio volume bugs, and teammate names disappearing. On PC it's investigating a crash associated with the Hellion Salvo launcher, and on Xbox it's looking into some user reports that their Shadowman and Classified content isn't showing up.If you're just cracking into Black Ops 4, check out our tips for beginners. Or if you're still on the fence, you can make sure your PC is up to snuff and read all about how it compares to battle royale competitors Fortnite and PUBG.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft is once again teaming up with Taco Bell to give away a frankly absurd number of Xbox One consoles as prizes. This year, though, the special edition Xbox One X consoles are customized to remind you of Taco Bell with the restaurant's bell "ring" sound whenever you power on your console.Yes seriously.Purchasing a $5 Double Chalupa Box between October 18 and November 21 will enter you to win the Xbox One X Platinum Limited Edition Bundle. That includes the Taco Bell branded Xbox One X, a white Elite Wireless Controller, and three months of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold. To sweeten the pot, the prizes will be given out approximately every 10 minutes throughout the promotion, and they'll be distributed to the winners a zippy 72 hours after winning. That translates to roughly 5,000 Xbox One X consoles altogether.The Double Chalupa Box includes the oversized double chalupa or spicy double chalupa, a crunchy taco, cinnamon twists, and a beverage. It also includes a code you can text to the number provided to check if you're a winner. You can check the official rules for the fine print and to enter the contest with no purchase necessary."We are excited to partner again with Xbox, but this time on a collaboration that is entirely exclusive to fans of both Xbox and Taco Bell," said Taco Bell brand officer Marisa Thalberg in the announcement. "It delights us to delight our fans with unique experiences, and what better way in this case than through the best in 'boxes.'"Info from Gamespot.com

IO Interactive has announced its first Elusive Target mission for Hitman 2, and it stars none other than the man of many lives (and deaths), actor Sean Bean. Bean plays Mark Faba, an MI5 agent gone rogue as a freelance assassin. Faba has gained a reputation for faking his death, even earning the nickname "The Undying." Agent 47 might have a thing or two to say about that.The Undying will release as the first Elusive Target on November 20, one week after the release of Hitman 2. The mission takes place in Miami, where Faba is trying to complete his own contract at the Global Innovation Race event in Miami. You'll have ten days to complete it. As with the first Hitman, Elusive Targets are free, temporary missions that you'll only have one chance to complete.A live-action trailer accompanying the announcement stars Bean as Faba, talking with a therapist about his life as an assassin and describing the various ways he's eluded death. The role as an expert in faking his own death serves another purpose as a meta-joke, as Sean Bean has become known for playing characters who ultimately die. This is similar to the last Hitman game, which set actor Gary Busey as an Elusive Target.Hitman 2 adds a new Sniper Assassin mode, which lets you take down targets from a distance solo or paired with a partner. You can gain access to that instantly by pre-ordering, or pre-order a Silver or Gold Edition for more bonuses like extra gear. The Gold Edition also includes four days of early access to the game. You can read more details in our pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com

Chinese networking and mobile giant Huawei introduced a new smartphone this week that it claims is a competitor in the video game space to the Nintendo Switch. The Mate 20 X is a 7.2-inch smartphone that CEO Richard Yu boasted as "the best portable mobile gaming machine."Variety reports that the event was ostensibly to debut two new phones, but Huawei finished its presentation with the surprise announcement of the Mate 20 X as well. After comparing its performance to phones like the Galaxy Note9, Yu showed a gamepad add-on and began comparing the Mate to the Switch, complete with side-by-side comparisons.Yu said the Mate 20 X has a larger screen than the Switch at 7.2 inches, higher resolution with a 1080p OLED screen, and a larger battery. It features a vapor chamber and graphene film designed to keep the chips working at lower temperatures. As a phone, it comes equipped with a 40 MP camera. And it comes in two colors, Phantom Silver and Midnight Blue. You can check out the full specifications here."We bring you an extra display, extra power and also extra performance," Yu said.The Mate 20 X is priced at €899 or around $1,040. That makes it significantly more than a Nintendo Switch, and aligned more with the price of higher-end iPhone models.The Switch has provided a financial boom for Nintendo, joining its mobile and console markets. It's clear enough why a mobile manufacturer would want to position its latest device as a direct competitor. Some of Nintendo's success, though, comes down to Nintendo's own first-party games and third-parties getting on-board with specialized software. Huawei is a huge name in China, so it may use that leverage to attract its own development community.Info from Gamespot.com

The fall release season means the biggest games, and it doesn't get much bigger than Activision's annual Call of Duty franchise. This year revisits one of its most popular series with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. But for the first time in the long-running franchise, this one eschews a single-player campaign altogether in favor of more multiplayer modes and standalone stories with each of its operators.Reviews are rolling in, and the conclusion from critics appears to be that the lack of a traditional campaign hasn't hurt the total package. Our own Black Ops 4 review found that the three main modes were substantial enough to make up the difference, and the depth and breadth of the multiplayer offerings kept reviewer Kallie Plagge from missing the usual bombastic story mode. Read on for a variety of critical responses, and take a look at GameSpot's sister site Metacritic for more reviews from around the industry.Game: Madden NFL 19Developer / Publisher: Electronic ArtsPlatforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox OneRelease date: August 10Price: US $60 / £60 / AU $69GameSpot -- 8/10"Black Ops 4 isn't short on content, and its three main modes are substantial. Multiplayer introduces more tactical mechanics without forcing you into them, and it largely strikes a good balance. Zombies has multiple deep, secret-filled maps to explore, though its returning characters don't hold up and prove distracting. Finally, Blackout pushes Call of Duty in an entirely new direction, making use of aspects from both multiplayer and Zombies for a take on the battle royale genre that stands on its own. Sure, there isn't a traditional single-player campaign, but with the depth and breadth of what is there, Black Ops 4 doesn't need it." -- Kallie Plagge [Full review]Game Informer -- 9.5/10"Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 makes a sacrifice that's sure to be off-putting to some with the lack of a campaign, but the surrender of tradition comes with sweeping and significant benefits. Blackout is the best battle-royale experience available today, zombies offers crazy customizable co-op, and multiplayer keeps things grounded for those looking for the classic core." -- Daniel Tack [Full review]VentureBeat -- 90/100"I hope that Treyarch and Activision see this as a new jumping off point, with frequent updates to add new experiences and maps to Blackout and the other modes. But we'll see just how much the Call of Duty community appreciates what Treyarch has done." -- Dean Takahashi [Full review]EGM -- 8.5/10"This always seemed like the inevitable conclusion we faced as Call of Duty fans. With the exception of the side-thought that is the Specialist HQ, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a wholly social experience, and it stands all the stronger because of it. Committing to three full-fledged multiplayer modes was a necessary risk for making a Call of Duty game that will likely have longer legs than any installment before it. Quality single-player campaigns are always welcome in our Call of Duty games, but if this is Treyarch's new direction for the series, that works too." -- Nick Plessas [Full review]Destructoid -- 8/10"Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 can't just operate with the same business-as-usual mentality from Activision, now that it's taken this step. Blackout has the potential to be its own game in the same way Epic tore its Battle Royale mode from the main package as a separate entity. Leave it to Treyarch to create a conundrum after introducing a non-traditional project into the fray." -- Chris Carter [Full review]Variety -- No Score"While it lacks the reinvention of some of its predecessors, Call of Duty: Black Ops IV is dutifully crafted, meticulously polished, and the best Call of Duty multiplayer outing in years." -- Luke Winkie [Full review]Info from Gamespot.com

Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's next giant open world epic, but its impending release has been marred this week by a controversy. In an interview, co-founder Dan Houser seemed to imply that the studio had undergone a hard "crunch" cycle with 100-hour work weeks. He quickly clarified that he was only referring to a handful of senior members of the writing team, including himself. But in a continued effort to clear the air, the studio is now encouraging employees to speak for themselves.Tools programmer Vivianne Langdon spoke extensively in a Twitter thread about her own experiences. She said she's never worked more than 50 hours in a week, that such overtime was her choice when she was "in the zone" on solving a tricky problem, and that she was compensated for it with overtime pay. She stressed that she's not being compensated for making these disclosures, and also cautioned that her experiences may not be universal.Another employee, interior artist Miriam Bellard, has been retweeting several employees who say they do not feel overworked, and expressing frustration with the controversy.Seeing people's responses to the "100 hours" articles has been so disheartening and honestly quite upsetting to read. It's been horrible seeing friends and fellow devs sharing posts that don't reflect the current situation and telling others to boycott the game. — Lucy 🎃 (@lucyofrivia) October 18, 2018Just wanted to point out that I was never asked to work anything near a 100 hour work week in the 18+ years I have been working at Rockstar. Overtime? At my own discretion, yes. — Rich Rosado (@RichRosado) October 18, 2018Some employees have pointed out that Rockstar has had difficult crunch periods in the past, but that the studio has made real strides in recent years to reduce the impact of these long overtime hours.It is getting better, but it still absolutely happens. Normal crunch for me nowadays is more like 50-55 hours, and I've not personally had it as bad as other colleagues I know. I have several friends who have recently worked until the early hours of the morning many times. — Hall🎃wain (@Ploddish) October 18, 2018And others have stated that they were encouraged to speak openly and honestly.Nope. We were told we could say good and bad things and not to sugarcoat anything. — Wesley Mackinder (@WesleyMackinder) October 18, 2018On the whole, the impression given by Rockstar employees speaking on social media is that it has gone into overtime, but within reason--not the 100-hour overtime some people interpreted Houser's initial comments as. On the other hand, employees with less positive things to say may feel apprehensive about coming forward on social media, regardless of Rockstar's encouragement to be honest.This all comes alongside the official launch trailer, and very soon you'll be able to begin pre-loading the game through the PlayStation and Xbox digital stores. Red Dead Redemption 2 launches for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26. Its online mode, Red Dead Online, will follow in November.Info from Gamespot.com

Developer Psyonix has announced that it has pushed its plans for expanded Rocket League cross-platform functionality into early next year. However, one silver lining is that Sony's recent announcement of cross-play support--led by demand for Fortnite among others--means that the studio can prep its plans to work across all platforms, including PS4.The announcement came as part of the Rocket League roadmap. The backbone of the feature will be RocketID, its connected account system that will allow features like friends lists and parties across all platforms. That system is apparently taking longer than the studio expected."While our goal was to release RocketID before the end of 2018, we've made the difficult decision to push its release into early 2019," the announcement said. "The good news is that with Sony's recent announcements regarding full cross-platform functionality, we can now make additional changes to prepare RocketID for ALL platforms should we receive permission to do so! We're working incredibly hard to ensure that it’s as intuitive, stable, and polished as possible, before releasing it to the world."That mention of permission is also key. Sony has let Fortnite begin to work cross-platform as a beta test, but it has been unclear about when and which games will be prioritized next for the functionality. Rocket League is one commonly requested game, and actually had been generating demand for cross-platform play before Fortnite drove demand up even further. Psyonix had expressed frustration with Sony for refusing to budge on cross-platform play, despite having figured it out early.Rocket League fans do have a few things to look forward to this year, though. An update in early December will give Xbox One X players 4K with HDR and 60 FPS. That month will also introduce the next Rocket Pass, and another round of premium DLC. Plus, the studio is going to be launching another Frosty Fest event.Info from Gamespot.com

You can get to the battle royale a little faster in Fortnite, thanks to a buff of sorts to the Battle Bus. Epic has rolled out an update that makes it move 25% faster while flying, so you can start jumping out and heading for the fray that much quicker.Epic didn't give a specific reason for letting the Battle Bus driver hit the gas. Presumably as the audience has grown more accustomed to dropping onto the battlefield, Epic feels it can speed up the process slightly. A 25% increase is substantial enough to be felt, but not so fast that it will be too disorienting. Maybe it can be attributed to people thanking the bus driver.In a follow-up tweet, Epic noted that demand for the Alpha Tournament was high, and made a cheeky joke about running out of Battle Buses. It then wrote that a small patch was being deployed to help tournament crashes and Android issues.The Battle Bus is test driving an engine upgrade and now travels 25% faster while flying.Remember, always buckle up and thank your driver! — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) October 17, 2018The Alpha Tournament is the official kickoff of the new in-game tournament feature introduced in the 6.10 patch. A separate tournament called Friday Night Fortnite will be held every Friday night through the end of November. Tournaments are in a testing phase right now and the pins you can earn are mostly for bragging rights. Epic has said that in the future those pins may serve as your entry fee for higher-tier tourneys.If you need a leg up on earning your challenge rewards once you've touched ground, check out our ongoing challenge guide for the latest.Info from Gamespot.com