The Farm 51 has announced that the first-person shooter World War 3 will release in early access on October 19. The game costs $28 USD to download and play, and you can see it in action in the video above.World War 3 takes tactical, modern day combat and puts it on a global battlefield. Where Halo is sci-fi, Battlefield has destructive environments, and Call of Duty fantasizes high-speed combat, World War 3 is aiming for a more authentic experience. Your character can't perform superhuman feats and the ballistic system for each gun behaves as it would in the real world. You'll have to be careful and rely on your teammates if you hope to win matches.Multiplayer matches host 64 players at a time, and the tide of the war will have your team constantly switching between attacking enemy positions, or defending your own. So far, World War 3 has two modes, Warzone and Recon. In Warzone, you travel to real-world locations--like Berlin and Warsaw--to engage in massive battles where your team will need to respond to multiple threats while planning your own attacks. Recon mode is much smaller, tasking squads with securing "high-value targets in hostile territory" where individual decisions have a more immediate impact.World War 3 launches in early access on PC. The Farm 51 is also considering bringing the game to consoles at a certain point, but nothing has been decided yet.Info from Gamespot.com

Fallout 76 is a very different kind of Fallout game, with a new focus on multiplayer across a massive open world. Bethesda is putting it through its paces with a beta test releasing later this month, and you can join in to help explore the wastes and gather technical feedback before its official launch. There's even a pre-beta stress test that a select number of fans will get access to. Here's everything to know about the beta.When does the beta start?The beta for Fallout 76 will begin on October 23 on Xbox One, and then expand to PC and PlayStation 4 the following week on October 30. Even if you've received a code, though, you may not necessarily be invited to the first wave. Bethesda plans to start small to stress test the game and expand slowly, so your actual start date may vary.A separate pre-beta stress test also took place starting on October 13. That one is exclusive to Xbox One Insiders who have pre-ordered the game, and even then fulfilling those criteria only enters you into the pool of possible participants. Players of this stress test will be under NDA and unlike the beta, game progress will not be saved.How long will the beta last?Bethesda has not given a specific end-date for the beta, but it has explained that the servers won't be available 24/7 during the beta period. The studio says it will be running "targeted time frames" to force interested players together at the same time, which in turn will mark a better technical test. The game may be available for 4-8 hours on any given day, with Bethesda making adjustments and fixes during the off periods. This process will repeat until a few days before launch on November 14.How do I get in?The beta will be available exclusively for those who pre-order the game across PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Digital pre-orders will be entered into the pool automatically, while physical pre-orders will receive a code to enter into the accounts page once the beta has gone live on your platform of choice.It's important to note that this code is not the beta code you enter to access the actual game download. Instead, the pre-order code is the one you enter into Bethesda's system to be put into the pool for code distribution. A separate code, which gives you access to the install, will follow at a later time as Bethesda rolls out its invites.In the meantime, you can be sure you're prepared by creating a free Bethesda.net login. Also, make sure you have an active Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus membership if you're playing on either console, since those will be required to access the online-only game.Is the beta the full game?The Fallout 76 beta is the full experience, and Bethesda says it is currently planning to allow players to carry progress over into the full game. However, console players will need to redownload the launch version, whereas PC players will not need to download a new version upon launch. The beta will be 45 GB.How do I submit feedback?Bethesda is inviting feedback across its variety of social media channels.What else will I get for pre-ordering?Aside from beta access, pre-ordering will get you 500 Atoms--Fallout 76's in-game currency. Atoms allow you to purchase cosmetic items from the shop. Bethesda has indicated that Atoms will be plentiful, but as we haven't seen the shop or prices yet, it's hard to say just how far 500 Atoms will go.Info from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's release is here, and you may be wondering if your PC can handle the lift. Activision has released its minimum and recommended specs through its official support site so you can check before dropping in on the action.The specs are almost identical to those of the Black Ops 4 beta, with a few notable differences that actually make it easier to handle. The full game allows for an Intel Core i3 instead of an i5 in the minimum specs, and an i5 instead of an i7 in the recommended specs. So overall, you actually need a slightly less beefy machine to handle the full game. And naturally, you need more hard drive space--80 GB instead of the 25 taken up by the beta.If you're playing on consoles, meanwhile, you'll need to download a sizable day-one patch before you can begin playing. You'll be able to jump into the new battle royale mode, Blackout, once the game is about 30% installed, but it'll be a longer wait before multiplayer and Zombies are ready to go. For more on the game, check out our buying guide for details on the different editions and their associated goodies, as well as our Black Ops 4 review. Minimum specs:OS: Windows 7 64-Bit or laterCPU: Intel Core i3-4340 or AMD FX-6300 processorRAM: 8GB RAMHDD: 80GB HD spaceVideo: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2 GB or Radeon HD 7950 2 GBDirectX: Version 11.0 compatible video card or equivalentNetwork: Broadband Internet connectionSound Card: DirectX Compatible Recommended specs:OS: Windows 10 64-bitCPU: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD Ryzen R5 1600X processorRAM: 12GB RAMHDD: 80GB HD spaceVideo: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4 GB / GTX 1060 6 GB or Radeon R9 390 / AMD RX 580DirectX: Version 11.0 compatible video card or equivalentNetwork: Broadband Internet connectionSound Card: DirectX CompatibleInfo from Gamespot.com

We may see some form of Diablo announcement at BlizzCon this year, but a set of merchandise with a new name isn't an accidental leak, according to the studio. A set of new items listed on the Blizzard Gear Store raised eyebrows with a conspicuous subtitle: "Diablo Reign of Terror." However, Blizzard has told GameSpot these are not related to any new content being prepared for the show.The items include a poster and a men's and women's T-shirt, all showing the frightful visage of the series namesake himself. That raised suspicions that "Reign of Terror" could be the subtitle of a new game or expansion, especially given that Diablo hasn't had either since Reaper of Souls in 2014. But not so, says Blizzard."These are names and copy used for some of the new products available at BlizzCon this year, and not direct references to content at the show," a spokesperson told GameSpot.We first began expecting to see a Diablo announcement due to Blizzard's own schedule for BlizzCon 2018. The "Diablo: What's Next" panel follows first after the main stage keynote. The existence of a "What's Next" panel itself isn't telling--just about every ongoing Blizzard game gets one--but coming just after the main stage presentation is usually reserved for the biggest announcement of the event. Diablo also has a second planned panel about the world of Diablo, scheduled for the following day.Blizzard has previously indicated it has multiple Diablo projects in the works. We know about one of them, since Diablo 3 was announced for Nintendo Switch, but the phrasing definitely implied more than one is in development. "Some of them are going to take longer than others, but we may have some things to show you later this year," said community manager Brandy Camel.BlizzCon 2018 kicks off on Friday, November 2.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

You can tell a game has hit it big when it starts appearing on the talk show circuit. Fortnite has made a handful of appearances outside the traditional gaming media and now hit once again with an extended spot on Ellen. In it, host Ellen DeGeneres explained following a rabbit hole from the Orange Justice dance to Fortnite to the notable streamer, Ninja.Ninja made an appearance on the show, ostensibly to explain how to play and show Ellen the ins and outs. The result is a lot like fellow talk show host Conan O'Brien's ongoing Clueless Gamer, with the host cracking jokes at her own expense against the backdrop of playing a game.Those seeking advice on how to play Fortnite like Ninja will have to look elsewhere, though, as the lesson only touches on the barest essentials of the game. Ellen comedically bumbles her way through very slowly dropping into position, finding and promptly wasting her one firearm, and ultimately getting killed. Not quite enough to get rich streaming.For actual tips on Fortnite, check out our challenges guide to get the most out of your Battle Pass. This season the Darkness Rises theme brings all sorts of new skins and cosmetics like the Dire Wolf. It also brought a destructive new vehicle and it appears that more Halloween themed cosmetics are on the way.Disclosure: CBS is GameSpot's parent company.Info from Gamespot.com

Epic Games has filed suit against two game streamers for posting videos of cheats in Fortnite and directing users to purchase those cheat tools. Brandon Lucas, who goes by "Golden Modz," is being sued for violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, breach of contract, and "tortious interference." Colton Conter ("Excentric") who often appears with Lucas in his streams, was also named in the suit.Engadget reports that Epic is requesting that Lucas and Conter earnings be disgorged--giving Epic an extra share of their profits since they were obtained unjustly--along with standard damages and court costs. It has also requested that YouTube pull several videos. The studio isn't exactly hurting for money, so the tough legal stance appears aimed primarily at sending a message to cheaters.Lucas, for his part, has said that other streamers were participating in similar behavior, and so he didn't think of his videos as problematic.Cheating has been a pervasive problem for Fortnite. On top of the usual rationale of protecting the sanctity of its game, Epic has reason to be concerned about phishing schemes from sites claiming to give away cheats-enabled versions. The studio is aiming to beef up its anti-cheat mechanisms in the game itself, but cutting off the source by discouraging streamers from promoting cheats could help mitigate the need for those later steps.For help making progress the old fashioned way, check out our challenges guide. That will help you earn progress toward your Battle Pass to earn this season's cosmetic items. Or for some lighter entertainment, watch daytime talk show host Ellen playing Fortnite with Ninja.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.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

As we approach the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, now is the time for the publisher to promote the game with impressive stats about just how much work went into the final product. But one number has been raising eyebrows, forcing Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser to issue a clarification.In a lengthy interview, Houser suggested that the team worked 100-hour weeks several times throughout 2018. But now in a statement to Kotaku, he has elaborated that he was referring to the senior writing team, not the entire Rockstar development team."After working on the game for seven years, the senior writing team, which consists of four people, Mike Unsworth, Rupert Humphries, Lazlow and myself, had, as we always do, three weeks of intense work when we wrapped everything up," he said. "Three weeks, not years. We have all worked together for at least 12 years now, and feel we need this to get everything finished. After so many years of getting things organized and ready on this project, we needed this to check and finalize everything."His clarification does square with the original piece in Vulture, which used the 100 hours quote immediately after explaining rewrites and edits. Houser's clarifying statement also goes on to explain Rockstar's general policy towards "crunch"--the widely used practice in AAA game development to put in long hours, especially near the end of a project that's preparing to ship."More importantly, we obviously don't expect anyone else to work this way," he said. "Across the whole company, we have some senior people who work very hard purely because they're passionate about a project, or their particular work, and we believe that passion shows in the games we release. But that additional effort is a choice, and we don't ask or expect anyone to work anything like this. Lots of other senior people work in an entirely different way and are just as productive--I'm just not one of them! No one, senior or junior, is ever forced to work hard."This all has a tone of history repeating itself. When the first Red Dead Redemption was nearing completion, an anonymous letter alleged poor working conditions at Rockstar San Diego, including mandatory overtime. That prompted mediation from the IDGA. Houser's clarification suggests the studio does not expect its employees to work such long hours.Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming October 26. Its online mode, Red Dead Online, will follow in November.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

If you've tried logging onto PlayStation Network or playing an online game on PlayStation 4, you may have found yourself unable to connect. That's because PlayStation Network is suffering from various outages at the moment, without any indication of when they'll be resolved. [Update: It appears the issues are now resolved]The PSN status page lists two important categories as experiencing trouble right now: Account Management and Gaming and Social. PlayStation Now, Video, Vue, Music, and the PlayStation Store, all of which previously had been listed as out, have now gone back online. The details underneath the Gaming and Social category state, "You may have some difficulty launching games, applications, or online features. Our engineers are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible, and we thank you for your patience."We're aware that some users are experiencing issues logging into PSN. Thanks for your patience as we investigate: https://t.co/AHRZfHtRvq — Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) October 16, 2018True to form for such an all-encompassing outage, the details also list PS Vita, PS3, PS4, and web applications as down. It gives no indication of how quickly the outage will be resolved. Sony's official Twitter account is equally quiet on the timing. As always, it could be a matter of minutes or hours. We'll report back as soon as we receive any more information.Meanwhile, a potentially serious issue involving a message sent to PSN accounts has been resolved. If you were affected, Sony has laid out a few simple steps to get your PS4 in working order.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

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. Rockstar has announced that pre-loading will begin on Friday, October 19 at 12 AM ET, 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 it weighs in at a whopping 90 GB.Pre-loading also means you pre-ordered, which will net you a cash bonus for the story mode, and some bonus GTA$ for 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