BioWare's Casey Hudson (general manager) and Mark Darrah (Dragon Age: Inquisition executive producer) are retiring from the studio to make way for a new wave of creators. Hudson will be replaced by interim general manager Gary McKay (senior director of development operations) and Darrah's role will be filled by Christian Dailey (BioWare Austin studio director)."It's not an easy decision to make, and big changes like this always come with a certain degree of sadness," Hudson wrote in a farewell post on the BioWare blog. "I will miss being able to work every day with our inspiring developers on the biggest and most exciting projects I can imagine. But I also know that this is a good time for a change, for both myself and BioWare."Darrah echoed Hudson's sentiment, saying he's confident in BioWare's pedigree as a studio and is certain the Dragon Age series will live on without him spearheading development.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Prophecy dungeon launched in Destiny 2 back in June, adding another inventive, high-level activity to the game that wasn't one of its six-player raids. But when the Beyond Light expansion was released, a whole slate of Destiny 2 content was removed from the game, with no information as to when (or if) it might return. Prophecy wasn't quite in the same boat as destinations like Mars, Mercury, Titan, Io, and the Leviathan--Bungie always said it would come back after Beyond Light's release--but we didn't know exactly when, until now.Bungie included an update on Prophecy's return in its latest This Week at Bungie blog post. We now know that Prophecy will be back in the game very soon: December 8. That's the date of the game's next weekly reset, which will see a new patch, Update 3.0.1, that fixes some issues and adds a few extra elements along with Prophecy.Those extra goodies are the next-generation upgrades that Destiny 2 will receive for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S players. Right now, the game is available on both platforms, but only as the backwards compatible version for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The update coming to Destiny 2 on December 8 upgrades the game for next-gen players, amping up framerates to 60 fps, offering 4k resolutions, and speeding up load times.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

It's a big news day over at the house of Warner; the studio announced that all of its movies, including tentpole features like The Suicide Squad, The Matrix 4, and Dune, will appear on HBO Max day-and-date with their movie theater debuts. WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar took to Medium to talk about the news, and let a little detail slip that should get Game of Thrones fans excited.After talking about the decision to shift those big movies to HBO Max, Kilar talked about other Max-exclusive content like Zack Snyder's Justice League and the upcoming Friends reunion. Kilar signed off, and then dropped a post-script at the end."Principal photography starts on the next Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragon, in a few months. Look out for dragons overhead!" Kilar wrote.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Whenever I find out that a game I like has been picked up for a film adaptation, I cringe a bit. We're more likely to get something like Street Fighter: The Movie than we are Detective Pikachu. The people who make these movies so often seem to completely misunderstand what makes these games special. While we won't know if Monster Hunter is another dud until it actually comes out later this month, we at least know that if it fails, it's not because director Paul W.S. Anderson doesn't understand the source material. Talking on a recent Twitch stream with Capcom USA, Anderson revealed that he took some inspiration from the most obscure of obscure places: a side quest in a Metal Gear Solid handheld game.Anderson is in deep. He's already said that he first played Monster Hunter 12 years ago, well before it hit American shores in any significant way, and has been trying to adapt it for nearly as long. One of the things that worried fans of the games in initial trailers is that our main character, portrayed by Milla Jovovich, isn't a native inhabitant of the Monster Hunter world. Rather, she's from our world; she and her team get pulled into Monster Hunter through a storm, and she has to adapt, working with Tony Jaa's character, "The Hunter," to survive and thrive.There are two reasons why Anderson made Jovovich's character, Lieutenant Artemis, military.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Destiny 2's toughest multiplayer challenge, the Trials of Osiris, has been disabled for more than a month. Bungie says it has found the issue that led it to cancel Trials soon after the release of the Beyond Light expansion, and we now have a date for when we can expect Trials to return: December 18.Bungie released the date on Twitter alongside its This Week at Bungie blog post. The fix for the issue is coming in a future update--but since Bungie didn't identify it as part of a hotfix coming to the game on December 8, we can probably expect the patch with the weekly reset on December 15.The team has identified the issue and is currently developing a future Hotfix. Trials of Osiris is currently planned to return on 12/18. https://t.co/tfGUvyG2lL — Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) December 3, 2020Trials of Osiris is the peak player-vs.-player challenge that Destiny 2 offers, with loot rewards to match. Available only on weekends, it requires players in teams of three to take on other teams in a series of elimination matches. The goal is to win seven matches in a row without losing any, which is known as "flawless." Starting with Beyond Light, teams that can manage a flawless Trials run can win special Adept weapons, which offer stat boosts that aren't available anywhere else in the game.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The holidays are fully upon us now, and that means that winter-themed events will soon come to all of your favorite multiplayer games. Apex Legends is the most recent game to show off its holiday offerings in its Holo-Day Bash event, which features the return of the Winter Express limited-time mode, as well as winter-themed cosmetics for both old and new Legends.As shown in a lengthy video, Winter Express has been fine-tuned for its 2020 return. If you missed its 2019 debut, it's a king-of-the-hill mode where Legends compete to conquer a moving train. This year, slain players will respawn aboard flying loot ships that they can then parachute from to get back in the fight. The developer has also added a fifth train station so that respawning players have more chances to take the train back before the game's end.The video also goes over the new Apex-themed merch available for purchase for the holidays. This includes sweaters, lounge pants, and even a onesie for those who enjoy really relaxing when you're trying to clutch the win. The event also includes new winter cosmetic items for Legends that weren't in the game during the previous holiday event, which includes Loba, Rampart, Revenant, and Horizon.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In lieu of patch notes, it's left to players to uncover whats's new and different each time a Fortnite: Battle Royale update rolls out. With a particularly large update like the 15.00 patch that kicks off Season 5, there's a huge array of potential changes to dig into. Large swaths of the revamped Fortnite map are now covered in sand, and if you stand still for a moment, you'll discover a sneaky new way of getting around.By remaining stationary for a few seconds while standing on any deep sand (which is to say, any sand that isn't simply covering up a road), you'll sink in, making yourself hard to see. You aren't entirely invisible, as you'll create a round lump on the surface, but as disguises go, it's not bad. But you aren't stuck in place once you do this: You can actually move under the surface, and while the sight of a speeding pile of sand might draw some attention, you can move more quickly than you can on foot. The trade-off, aside from needing an extra moment to pop out and ready your weapons, appears to be that initial wait to sink into the sand, which you likely won't have time for during a fight.Sand covers a large part of the interior of Fortnite's Season 5 map, so getting a good handle on how to best use this--perhaps to flank an unsuspecting foe--may give you an edge. Just be sure not to unwittingly bump into any areas you can't stay underneath, as doing so will pop you out and further expose you to enemy fire.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's Season 5 began with a bang earlier today when it brought a semi-new map, Baby Yoda, and the Mandalorian to the battle royale. Players were quick to dissect all the changes that came with the new season--including a mysterious secret skin.There is an entire set of cosmetics listed under a "Mystery Rewards" tab in Fortnite's battle pass menu this season. They include a skin, back bling, harvesting tool, built-in emote, and more. There are no clues as to what the skin is, although players believe it'll be the Agent Jonesy character we saw in the Galactus and The Device event. Other players hope it'll be a different skin that goes along with Season 5's hunter theme. (And it's possible, although unlikely, that this relates to the leaked Fortnite Kratos skin.)Previous seasons had additional skins like this as well, but they weren't hidden. Season 3 featured Aquaman with different unlockable styles and last season had Wolverine as an additional reward. Both were revealed at the beginning of the season. Players could earn them by completing character-specific challenges. Season 5's mystery rewards also have challenges but they haven't been revealed yet.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Call of Duty: Warzone might soon be getting a new map to wage war on, according to several map leaks attributed to this year's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.Fans of Black Ops 4 might recall recognize the landmass too, with the leak (via BlackOpsLeaks on Twitter) suggesting that Alcatraz will play host to Warzone gameplay soon. The splash screen isn't enough to determine whether this will be an addition to the existing map or a much smaller, new map to play on, but both prospects are equally exciting.In addition to the leak of "Rebirth Island," two more maps for Black Ops Cold War were also shared. The first takes place in and around a snow-covered mall, while the second brings back another Black Ops classic in the form of Raid. It's not clear yet when these might be added to multiplayer, if at all.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Christofer Sundberg, cofounder of Avalanche Studios and creator of its most recognizable game, Just Cause, has returned to the gaming industry and opened a new studio, Liquid Swords.After taking a year off from game development, Sundberg says he is reenergized on focused on going back to a style of game development that is all about entertainment over redefining storytelling in games. Also, lots of explosions, which shouldn't be too surprising given Sundberg's background."After living and breathing the Just Cause franchise from the day I started Avalanche Studios to the eventual sale of the company, I am excited to come back and create spectacular experiences for players to explore, share and enjoy," Sundberg wrote on Facebook. "We have no intention of reshaping the world of storytelling as we know it. Our road to leaving our mark and making a difference in the industry is built first and foremost on games that are immediately accessible and consistently rewarding."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has announced that Season 4 of The Division 2's Warlords of New York expansion will go live on December 8 alongside Title Update 12 for all platforms. The latest update includes a new rogue agent to hunt, improvements to The Summit, and quality-of-life enhancements.The headlining feature of Title Update 12 is specifically for owners of the Warlords of New York expansion: The start of Season 4. The new season of content sends players to hunt Faye Lau, a former commander that held a rather prominent role in the first The Division game. Players must first kill off her subordinates, four ex-Division operatives recruited by the major enemy faction Black Tusk, before they can pinpoint Lau's exact whereabouts. Of course, taking Lau and her accomplices out will reward players with a bevy of gear and weapons.Warlords of New York expansion owners will also get access to additional pieces of equipment once Title Update 12 drops next week. There are new seasonal outfits and gearsets (like the Rigger, which focuses on faster deployment and lethality of skills), skill variants (such as Achilles Pulse, a scanner that reveals enemy weak points), and three more Exotics (the Capacitor assault rifle, Scorpio shotgun, and Waveform holster) that players can earn in-game.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has purchased the esports tournament organizing platform Smash.gg, according to the banner on the front page of the platform's website."Since we started in 2015, our goal has been to build active esports scenes around the games people love to play," Smash.gg's website reads. "Today we're excited to take the next step in that journey by joining Microsoft to help strengthen our existing relationships and explore new opportunities. Smash.gg will continue as a self-service esports platform available to tournament organizers from all game communities."It's unclear what this means for Microsoft and Smash.gg, though there is a possibility the two could collaborate on an official application or organize tournaments around popular Xbox games like Halo and Killer Instinct. Microsoft hasn't publicly commented on the acquisition.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Fortnite is no stranger to crossovers with other franchises, and the next one has--as is often the case--already leaked. With Season 5 underway, it looks as if a character from a major PlayStation franchise will be showing his face in the battle royale game in the near future: God of War's Kratos. If a leak is to be believed, Kratos will be getting a Fortnite skin, although exactly when it's coming and how you'll get it--or indeed, its very existence--have yet to be confirmed.Popular Fortnite leaker HypeX tweeted out an image of Kratos, saying that he'll be added to the game "soon." It hasn't been confirmed by Epic Games yet, but HypeX has a notable track record of leaking credible Fortnite news early. It's unclear how soon the skin will be released or if it might be an exclusive to PS4 and PS5 in some fashion. Season 5 will run for the next two-plus months.Kratos will be a skin soon! (Reposted for a better image) pic.twitter.com/S6lgYMcGJR — HYPEX (@HYPEX) December 2, 2020More hunters are supposed to be added as Season 5 plays out, so Kratos could be added as part of a new set of characters at any point in the season. He will most likely be available in the item shop for around $20 (with a back bling and other cosmetics included). That's been the price of other recent characters like Ghost Rider, Venom, and Daredevil, although it's worth noting that those tied into last season's theme and weren't a part of one specific platform's IP.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Developer Undead Labs has announced that State of Decay 2 on Xbox Series S and Series X has been optimized, alongside the launch of some other year-end updates and content.State of Decay 2 players on Xbox Series S and Series X can now enjoy the benefits of the newer hardware. This includes faster load times, improved world and shadow detail, and other graphical enhancements. Both consoles will also run at 60 fps and up to 4K resolution.A feature coming to all State of Decay 2 players is Lethal difficulty, which further reduces the resources in the open-world, makes enemies hit way harder, and increases the deadliness of blood plague. Lethal difficulty also causes plague hearts to grow faster, and there's no guarantee of safety after one has been destroyed. Furthermore, the special "freak" zombies, malformed zombies that take on unique attributes and characteristics, have been replaced with a souped-up blood plague variant. Of course, Lethal difficulty settings can be mixed and matched with Custom difficulty, so players can fine-tune their State of Decay 2 experience.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A few days ago, Larian announced in a Baldur's Gate 3 pre-patch update that players would have to restart their campaigns from the beginning if they updated their game to the latest patch. Considering the game is in early-access, this isn't exactly a surprise. Now that patch is out and Larian took to Steam again to explain everything in Patch 3, now called Inspiration, Freedom & Pacifism. The first change Larian noted is that going forward, players will be able to gain more experience rewards for avoiding combat situations, whether that's through dialogue or exploration and environmental puzzle-solving. Another notable behavior change is that of your companions. Larian noticed that companions tended to drop approval ratings relatively easily, even if they weren't actually involved in a given situation. To fix that, companions have been tweaked to focus on the bigger picture while still maintaining their personal beliefs. They also won't be able to disapprove of situations they're not present for. Arguably one of the most exciting changes coming with Patch 3 is that certain dialogue sequences with particularly harsh skill checks have been rebalanced so it's not quite as easy to be locked out of content based on a bad roll. Instead of failing an entire encounter based on one bad roll, your odds of succeeding on that roll have instead been adjusted to be a bit more favorable.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com