Over the last week, we revealed what we believe are the 10 best games of 2020. Today, December 17, we reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Best Game of 2020. You can follow along with all of GameSpot's other end-of-the-year coverage using our Best Games of 2020 hub.It's never easy coming to a consensus when choosing our Game of the Year here at GameSpot, especially in 2020 which was packed with games that affected us in profound ways. During our discussions, some of our team waxed poetic about the blessings that Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave in a year we mostly spent away from friends and family. Some spoke to the awe-inspiring ways Final Fantasy 7 Remake defied expectations to deliver powerful multifaceted messages to its players. And others were right about Hades being an absolute marvel of creativity and craft--and the same goes for all the other games that made it in our list of the 10 best games of 2020. Ultimately, we could only choose one winner, and after hours of deliberations as a group, our award for Game of the Year goes to Half-Life: Alyx.Mainstream VR devices have been available for several years, but VR itself is still not in the mainstream of gaming. That may make our decision to award our Game of the Year to a VR title puzzling for some--after all, despite the increasing affordability of VR hardware, it's still relatively costly to get into this space. The physical accessibility barrier that can hinder playability certainly played an important factor in our deliberations, too. We also recognize that as GameSpot staff, we're privileged to have access to the proper hardware. But our selection criteria also weighs quality, innovation, enjoyment, and how these experiences transform our idea of what games can be. Half-Life: Alyx excels in every regard, pushing the medium forward as something wholly unique. It exceeded the monumental expectations of a beloved yet enigmatic franchise that went dark for 13 years, and did so in such convincing fashion.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Words like "simp" and "incel" will be banned from Twitch streams and comment sections in a revamped conduct policy that outlines clearer guidelines on what is and isn't harassment.In a blog post about the change, Twitch writes that the new rules are going into effect because the company "prioritizes minimizing harm to our users over freedom of expression, and we will limit some expression with the goal of preventing [and] protecting users from ... hateful behavior and harassment." As such, a number of phrases will be banned on the platform."Simp," "incel," "virgin," and words that negatively target another person sexually and/or insult another person's sexual activity are "not allowed under this new policy," COO Sara Clemens said during a town hall. "We're also proactivity denying emotes that include the term 'simp'. We've removed [and] recorded them, and we'll keep doing that once the policy changes."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

It's been 32 years since Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall starred in John Landis' iconic comedy Coming to America. Next year, Prince Akeem and his trusty friend Semmi, as well as the rest of the royal family are reuniting in Coming 2 America, which arrives March 5, exclusively on Amazon Prime.This time around, while Akeem prepares to become king, he learns that he fathered a son (played by comedian Jermaine Fowler) with a local woman, Lavelle, played by SNL alumni Leslie Jones. Joining Fowler and Jones as newcomers to the series are KiKi Layne, Tracy Morgan, rapper Rick Ross, and Wesley Snipes. Returning to Queens we have Coming to America alums Shari Headley, Paul Bates, John Amos, Louis Anderson, and James Earl Jones.These first look pictures from #Coming2America feel like if only the people we wanted to see showed up to our high school reunion. pic.twitter.com/0QTsQaouwB — Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) December 17, 2020"I';m a kid of the ‘80s, and so that means I'm a student of Eddie Murphy," director Craig Brewer told EW. Brewer, who had previously worked with Murphy on Netflix's Dolemite Is My Name, explained the importance of Murphy's impact on pop culture and what he meant personally to him growing up.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Few co-op games have hit the heights of Left 4 Dead. Developer Turtle Rock Studios' four-player zombie shooter worked specifically because it was deep and dynamic, shifting from playthrough to playthrough to keep players on their toes. With Back 4 Blood, Turtle Rock is relying heavily on that successful formula. This is, for all intents and purposes, Left 4 Dead 3, but with a focus on amping up the original's best aspects--teamwork and replayability--even further.Turtle Rock recently gave GameSpot a chance to play through one of the campaign levels of Back 4 Blood ahead of its closed alpha test. The level, Evansburgh, is cut into four acts in which you and your team of three others try to cross through a monster-infested town. As in Left 4 Dead, you're constantly fighting off low-level zombies--the parasite-infected "ridden" in this game--and aiming at reaching a far-off safe room where you can have a quick breather before setting out again.Mixed in with the weaker (but numerous) regular ridden enemies are stronger, grosser mutants, each with special abilities that make them more dangerous. The huge Bruisers have one long, heavy arm they use to smash you; Hockers can climb and leap, spitting a spider web-like gunk that immobilizes players; Retches puke acidic bile, explode if they're shot too much, and can draw the horde down on you if you're showered with their guts; and Snitches scream to alert nearby infected and create disaster situations if they're not killed in time.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Warzone players ran into another major glitch in Activision's mega-popular battle royale. Players had found that they'd become invisible if they switched to the gunner seat in a chopper, crash it, and then revive themselves among the wreckage. Invisible players became menace to the game before choppers were removed. Some players took it upon themselves to destroy all the helicopters on the map as soon as the game started so no one could take advantage of the glitch. Activision, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software responded by removing the chopper from the game altogether. There is no timeline on a fix for the issue.Teammate killed an invisible player / god mode glitch cheater to win the game from r/CODWarzoneThis is the latest of many of Warzone's game-breaking bugs that have frustrated players. They have taken advantage of other bugs--like one that lets them spawn multiple juggernaut suits--to gain an advantage over the competition. The most recent update that merged Black Ops Cold War and Warzone has caused a number of other issues as well.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Epic has kicked off its annual Holiday Sale, which includes big discounts on a wide variety of PC games. Not only can you get games like Immortals Fenyx Rising, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and others for their lowest prices yet on PC, but you can also save even more on your purchases thanks to nifty, unlimited coupons. The Holiday Sale runs until January 11, so you have a few weeks to take a look around. See all deals at Epic Like other big sales at Epic, the extra promotion make the discounts even more enticing. If you have an Epic Games Store account (which is free), you simply need to sign in to claim a $10 off coupon. The coupon works on all games priced $15 and up. Best of all? You'll get a new coupon with every eligible purchase. This means every game on the Epic Games Store priced above $15 is effectively $10 cheaper than the advertised discount. Coupons will expire at the end of the sale.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

HBO's upcoming Suicide Squad spin-off Peacemaker has reportedly gained four new cast members. Chukwudi Iwuji (When They See Us) will be a series regular, while Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale), Annie Chang (Shades of Blue), and Christopher Heyerdahl (Togo) will each be recurring guest stars, according to Variety.They will join previously announced cast members Danielle Brooks, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick, Jennifer Holland, and Chris Conrad--and of course John Cena in the titular role (which he's said will essentially be a "douchey Captain America").All that's known about the most recent cast members is the name of the characters they will be portraying. Reportedly--and this still doesn't tell us much--Iwuji will play a character named Clemson Murn, Munro will play Larry Fitzgibbon, Chang will play Detective Sophie Song, and Heyerdahl will play Captain Locke. For now, anything beyond this information would unfortunately be speculation.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Warzone now includes 30 new weapons from Black Ops Cold War and players are having trouble adapting to them. They've found that the new weapons are at a disadvantage compared to ones that have been in Warzone since March."These guns cannot and will not be able to compete with the current Modern Warfare guns," said Redditor ruckh in a thread about the new update. "It boils down to the attachments--specifically the barrel, the suppressors, and the grips."Black Ops Cold War weapons were brought to Warzone with all of their original attachments and stat types--which are different to the ones used in Modern Warfare and Warzone. The attachments they do have can't compete with ones that were available before the update.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Following a surprise release on Nintendo Switch after the December 2020 Indie World Showcase, Among Us is now available on Xbox Game Pass for PC.In a blog post detailing the announcement, Microsoft specified that Among Us is currently only available on PC through Xbox Game Pass or as a standalone $5 purchase. An exact release date for when Among Us will be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S is unknown, but developer Innersloth's social deduction game will hit Xbox consoles sometime next year.Among Us, which originally launched in 2018 but catapulted to success this year on the back of popular streamers, is also now available on Nintendo Switch. The game features cross-play between mobile devices (Android and iOS), PC, Switch, and now Xbox Game Pass for PC.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

It's a fun-filled yet informative week for Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot's professional wrestling podcast. Both Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring are doing deep dives into two incredibly bizarre moments in wrestling history: one from the early days of Impact Wrestling, when it was known as TNA, and the other from WWE. If you blinked, you might have missed them, but we're here to remind you.First up, the guys are opening back up the Unsolved Wrestling Mysteries bag to explore who was really behind the mask of the Imposter Kane. We're not talking about the time Undertaker was Kane though. This was a storyline that only lasted a few weeks that saw a masked Kane take on an unmasked Kane during a very short Vengeance PPV match. Many say it was actually Luke Gallows wearing Kane's old attire, but we know the truth, and it somehow involves The New Day.Later, Chris is diving back in to 2002 TNA stable that was a lot like NWO, but didn't even last six months: Sports Entertainment Xtreme. Yes, that spells out SEX. Headed by Vince Russo, the stable wanted to takeover the promotion but make it sexy. And yes, we read all of the members names in this group as sexy as possible. Did Russo's plan work? Well, no, but we're still going to try and figure out why it happened.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Jeremy Bullock, the actor who first wore the armor of mysterious bounty hunter Boba Fett, has passed away at the age of 75. Daniel Logan, the young actor who played Boba as a child in Attack of the Clones confirmed Bulloch's passing and sent out a message of condolence and gratitude. View this post on InstagramA post shared by #DanielLogan (@instadaniellogan)"It brings me to tear to announce Jeremy Bulloch has [passed] away," his Instagram posts reads. "I'll never forget all you've taught me! I'll love you forever!! Conventions won't be the same without you. May the Force be with you always."Additionally, Bulloch's website posted its first update in over two years, announcing the actor's passing. "Jeremy died peacefully on 17th December 2020 following health complications, including several years living with Parkinson's disease. He spent his final weeks in the wonderful care of staff at St George's Hospital in Tooting, close to the house where he and his wife Maureen had lived together for more than fifty years. Maureen and two of his sons, Jamie and Robbie, were with him during his final days."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In a year where movie theatres have closed down and our options for entertainment outside the home have dwindled, many people have opted to improve their home entertainment setups. Whether that's buying a new TV or improving a sound system, the home theater experience has been adopted by the masses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But if you already have a great entertainment center, there are still a number of ways to spice things up in your living room. I've been testing the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for the last few months, using it as a way to sync my Philips Hue lights with my games and movies, and I've found it to be a great way to enhance the experience of watching movies and playing certain games.The Hue Play Sync Box is an HDMI splitter that features four HDMI-in ports and one HDMI-out port but can also be synced to any compatible Hue lights. That means you need the Sync Box, Hue lights, and a Hue Hub, the latter of which makes it possible for all of your Hue devices to communicate with each other. It's a lot to ask for in both setup and cost, but if you want a great lighting experience to accompany your movies and video games, this is an excellent way to get it. Hue Play Sync Box $230 See at Amazon Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Nintendo is giving away another free item pack for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For a limited time, Switch Online subscribers can grab the free Spirit Board Challenge Pack 7, which includes an assortment of helpful items for the game's Spirit Board mode.This particular pack contains items that will make it a little easier to battle tough Spirit Board foes. You'll receive the following:3,000 Spirit Points5 Rematch5 Damage 50%5 Weaken Minions5 Health DrainTo claim the free item pack, select the Nintendo Switch Online icon from the system's dashboard and highlight Exclusive Offers on the left sidebar. You'll see the item pack listed among the other freebies. Alternatively, you can go into the Switch Online tab in the eShop and find the item pack listed there.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

This year's all-remote Game Awards got a lot of attention. Receiving over 83 million livestreams last week, the annual award show increased 2019's 5.2 million livestreams by over 83%. Globally, 8.3 million viewers tuned in at peak time, an increase from 2019's 7.5 million viewers.This year #TheGameAwards viewership grew over 83% to more than 83 million livestreams. This is beyond our wildest expectations; I was just happy we could even produce the show this year.Thank you for watching and being a part of this global community. pic.twitter.com/gAKIb68jHp — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 17, 2020According to Stream Hatchet, live hours watched increased more than 129% across Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming. Over 2.63 million concurrent viewers tuned in at peak time on Twitch, doubling 2019's numbers. The number of YouTube viewers also reportedly doubled, but numbers were not disclosed.Audience participation in both voting and tweeting increased during 2020's Game Awards. Vote count more than doubled from 2019 on The Game Awards' website and Bilibili in China. People on social media also discussed The Game Awards at a greater volume than in 2019. On Twitter, there was a 31% increase in conversation volume year over year and a growth of 65% unique authors.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Anna Megill--the lead writer of Control and narrative lead of Dishonored: Death of the Outsider--has moved over to Playground Games to spearhead Fable's writing team.Megill shared the news on Twitter, announcing that she will be the project's lead writer. Megiil's due to make a move to the studio's stomping grounds in Leamington Spa, England, where she said she will "live in an English country cottage and write fairy tales."Megill briefly touched on her relationship with the Fable series in a Twitter thread announcing her new position. "Fable holds a special place in my heart," Megill wrote. "It came out the year I started in [game development], and it's the first game I played with a developer's eye."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com