Riot is holding a set of Valorant tournaments to celebrate its June 2 launch. The tournaments, which will be streamed and hosted by Twitch Rivals, will feature a $200,000 prize pool with creators and teams from North America, Brazil, Europe, Korea, Japan, and other parts of Latin America participating.To celebrate launch, we’re teaming with competitive FPS creators to hold a global tournament and crown 1 winning team from each region. Up for grabs is a $200,000 prize pool and the right to count themselves among the first global VALORANT champs. https://t.co/8KTOqeVsck — VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) May 28, 2020Few details have been announced yet, but Twitch Rival tournaments usually feature a combination of professional players and streamers. Specific tournament times during the launch weekend have also not been announced.Valorant left beta on Thursday, becoming unavailable to players until the free-to-play shooter fully launches on June 2. Riot plans to reset player accounts and patch in fixes and new content during the down period. The studio will also be adding new servers--located in Atlanta, Dallas, London, Madrid, and Warsaw--to help lower Valorant's latency so that the player experience is as smooth as possible.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has captured the hearts of scores of players since it first launched back in March, and it's become something of a phenomenon. If you're like us, you're probably still playing almost every day (perhaps even for multiple hours), checking your turnip prices, fine-tuning your town layout, breeding flowers, and more Animal Crossing goodness.But even if you love the game like we do, you probably have a few nitpicks by now. If you've crafted tons of fish bait or gotten really into terraforming, there might be a few features you'd like to see--just those little quality-of-life updates that tweak the minor issues that crop up when you've played a game for 200 or more hours. And because New Horizons is already getting ongoing support and new content updates, we can really dare to dream.We put our heads together to come up with nine quality-of-life updates we'd love to see come to New Horizons. Let us know in the comments what other features you want to see come to the adorable life/gardening/friendship sim! And Nintendo, if you're reading: We say all this with love.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Microsoft has rolled out a new update for Xbox One. The May 2020 update is aimed at improving the overall UI experience, specifically in regards to simplifying the Guide and making it easier to navigate."The new Guide is designed to be cleaner and easier to read," Xbox Experience principal program manager lead Jonathan Hildebrandt wrote in a blog post. "We've reduced the total number of tabs by combining related experiences and introduced a new default, left-to-right tab order, making it simpler to move around. App and system notifications are now found with the rest of your Alerts, right when you open the Guide."Here's a quick rundown of all the changes:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Developer Dontnod Entertainment, the studio best known for its critically-acclaimed adventure series Life is Strange, has announced that it is expanding internationally by opening a new studio. The studio, which is based in Montreal, Canada, will allow Dontnod to "produce even more immersive, engaging, and innovative video games."According to a press release, this Montreal studio will allow Dontnod to be "closer to its North American players' community." Further, this new team will be supported by a brand-new project, though Dontnod has not specified what this project is."Our goal is to create video games as close as possible to our community's expectations," Dontnod CEO Oskar Guilbert said. "With this new international team, we will be able to envision even more ambitious titles and keep writing wonderful stories for our players."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Mafia II: Definitive Edition, the new version of the 2010 game available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, opens with a message that primed me for a game that might not have held up well. It reads:"Mafia II: Definitive Edition presents the game's narrative content in its original form from 2010. The game includes culturally sensitive content and themes, and is intended only for mature audiences."In some ways, this feels like an abdication of responsibility for some elements of the game that have aged poorly. And indeed, as I replay the game on my PS4, there are many such parts. Mafia II was never the most sensitive game, and in 2020 the "culturally sensitive content" made me squirm more than it might have 10 years ago. The game's plot contains few women with any real agency, and the script is full of slurs against them, as well as various racist slurs. When your character goes to prison, there are the prerequisite homophobic jokes about the showers.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

More than ever, people are turning to streaming services in order to get their entertainment. Whether it be watching moves, TV shows, or originals content, these services offer up programming just as good--and sometimes higher quality--than what cable or satellite TV can provide. And watching on-demand services has never been easier, as users can watch on-demand video on their computer, television, phones, and video game consoles. Premium channels like HBO and Showtime are also getting into the streaming game as well, offering standalone apps. But for those who aren't ready to leave cable, there are also services streaming local channels to your streaming device as well. Live TV streaming services are also a legitimate rival to TV, and that's not changing anytime soon.The days of an Netflix merely complimenting your cable package are gone. There are a ton of options out there now, for better and worse. Subscribing to one streaming service is a steal compared to cable, but sticking to just the best TV streaming service isn't as convenient as it used to be. Most services don't have access to all the TV channels like Comedy Central, As you rack up subscriptions to other services, the combined price can start to look a lot like that cable bill you were so eager to ditch. Even just a combination of the most popular services--Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video--will cost you $30 a month on the low end.To help you make the best decisions, we've put together this handy guide outlining the best TV streaming services to consider in 2020. We weighed both cost and content and will continue to re-evaluate over time as services change and new options become available.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

As a console that can be played both on a TV and in handheld mode, the Nintendo Switch occupies a unique space. Sure, you could choose to leave it in the dock forever and only play with one of the many great Switch controllers, but chances are you also like popping out of the Switch dock the convenience and portability of Nintendo's nifty gadget. That's why finding the best switch case should be one of your top priorities after you buy a Switch. You should take care to protect your Nintendo Switch console from damage, after all--a simple screen protector won't cover every kind of accident, after all. And if you own the handheld-only Switch Lite, it's arguably even more important to pick up a nice carrying case. We've rounded up our picks for the best Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite case you can buy today, and a significant number of them are a bargain, honestly.In addition suggestions for a Switch case, we've also included the best Switch grips that make playing any Nintendo Switch game handheld mode more comfortable, backpacks and messenger bags for comprehensive travel options, and shells to snap on while playing. We've separated the Nintendo Switch cases from Switch Lite options, so make sure you grab a case that fits your model. After picking out the best Nintendo Switch case for youi, take a look at our best Nintendo Switch accessories guide to find more helpful products for your Switch.Quick look: Best Nintendo Switch CasesContinue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Breaking from longstanding tradition, the next round of PlayStation Plus freebies began before the new month even arrived. PS4 users can now grab one of June's free games, Call of Duty: WWII. The second freebie, Star Wars Battlefront II, will be free starting June 2, the first Tuesday of the month. This is one of the strongest free games lineups we've seen this year.Developed by Sledgehammer Games, Call of Duty: WWII released in 2017 and brought the series back to its original World War II-era setting for the first time since World at War in 2008. Call of Duty: WWII is particularly known for having a strong single-player campaign, which clocks in around six hours. The online servers are still live, and while they aren't extremely active, you can expect the player count to tick up since far more people will have access to it on PS4.In addition to the campaign and traditional multiplayer playlists, WWII also has a fun narrative-focused War mode with unique maps and lengthy attack/defend objectives. The strong package earned the first-person shooter a 9/10 in our Call of Duty: WWII review: "Ultimately, if every shooter set in the European Theater of World War II is measured by how it depicts its D-Day landing--assuming it has such a mission--Call of Duty: WWII emphatically succeeds in its impactful designs and delivery. The sensation of riding the troop carrier as it approached the beach filled me with depression more than dread, knowing I'd survive eventually while many of my surrounding brothers in arms wouldn't. While not equally emotional, this battle's reinterpretation in War mode proves to be a highlight in a superb suite of competitive modes," we wrote. If you're looking to jump in, check out our Call of Duty: WWII tips and tricks roundup for all of our guides.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

It's that time of year where digital storefronts start offering some of their biggest sales of the summer, and GOG is the latest PC games store to get in on the action. The GOG Summer Sale just launched and will run until June 15, offering over 3,000 deals on games like A Plague Tale: Innocence, Disco Elysium, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition. There are also bundles offering group discounts on select publishers' games.GOG also has two new DRM-free releases to kick off the Summer Sale: last year's Metro Exodus and 2017's Prey. Metro Exodus: Gold Edition is down to $29.24 as part of the Summer Sale, containing the main game and two major pieces of story DLC. Meanwhile, you can snag Prey's Digital Deluxe Edition for just $12 to get the base game and its Mooncrash expansion.The Summer Sale includes both older classics and newer gems, so you're sure to find something good to add to your collection. The enhanced versions of Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II are down to $10 each, a great chance to see where the series began before Baldur's Gate III. Dragon Age Origins' Ultimate Edition is on sale for just 5 bucks and includes the Awakening expansion and all DLC along with the main game. Meanwhile, some of last year's best releases are up for grabs too, including A Plague Tale: Innocence for just $15.29 and Disco Elysium, which earned a rare 10 in GameSpot's review, for $30.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Aside from monthly free games and online multiplayer access, PlayStation Plus members look forward to exclusive discounts on games in the PlayStation Store, and the latest PS Plus-exclusive sale is live now with steep discounts on PS4 titles. The Double Discounts sale is back with twice the savings on select games for those who have an active PS Plus subscription, and you have until June 10 to take advantage of the deals.The latest Double Discounts sale isn't huge, but there are still notable deals worth taking advantage of. Several Assassin's Creed games are up for grabs, including Assassin's Creed III Remastered for $16 and Assassin's Creed Origins' Gold Edition, which gets you the season pass and Deluxe Pack with in-game items, for just $20. The Assassin's Creed Triple Pack is also discounted to $21.59 and combines Black Flag, Unity, and Syndicate in one package.Return to Arkham City and experience two critically acclaimed Batman adventures in the Batman: Return to Arkham bundle, which includes remastered versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City with updated visuals and all previously released DLC. The Return to Arkham bundle is on sale for $10 as part of the sale. Meanwhile, you can get the latest game in the series, Arkham Knight: Premium Edition, for a discounted $10 as well.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The PlayStation Store just kicked off a new sale exclusive to PS Plus subscribers. The familiar Double Discounts sale features steep discounts on a wide variety of great PS4 games, but if you aren't a subscriber, there's another new sale that went live today, too. The Games Under $20 Sale is back once again, and if that sounds like déjà vu, that's because a similar sale ran earlier this month. The new Games Under $20 deals feature a fresh lineup of games, so it's certainly worth taking a look before it ends on June 11.The latest Games Under $20 Sale has a fair number of AAA games from Ubisoft. Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Deluxe edition is down to $20, while Assassin's Creed Origin's Deluxe edition drops to just $14. Far Cry Primal's Digital Apex edition is discounted to $11.54, a great price for one of the more interesting games in the long-running first-person shooter series. Watch Dogs 2's Gold edition, which includes the season pass, is discounted to $18.More PS4 deals Persona 5 Royal $49.94 at Amazon A Plague Tale: Innocence $23.29 at Amazon PlayStation Plus $33 at Ebay Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Games are getting bigger and bigger these days, from Final Fantasy VII Remake with its two Blu-ray discs of data to Call of Duty Modern Warfare's whopping 175GB file size. Naughty Dog's highly anticipated The Last of Us Part 2 will soon join the ranks of these massive games, as its file size is well over 100GB; in fact, it's the largest PlayStation exclusive released to date, according to GamesRadar, surpassing the file sizes of God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and more. With The Last of Us Part 2 and other big games like Cyberpunk 2077 releasing this year, it's a good idea to invest in an external hard drive that can instantly expand your PS4's storage capacity, and luckily, there's a great deal on one of our favorite game drives right now.The WD 5TB My Passport portable external hard drive is on sale for 33% off at Amazon right now, selling for $100 instead of its usual $150. This gets you WD's biggest hard drive with 5TB of extra game storage for less than even the 4TB normally sells for (right now, the 4TB version is also on sale for $100, so you're getting a full extra GB for the same price). I recently purchased the 4TB version for $120 to have enough space for FFVII Remake, so I have to say I'm a little bitter to see the 5TB down to $100 today. Don't make my mistake--snag this bad boy while it's on sale if you've been needing to upgrade. [Update: The 5TB hard drive is now up to $110 at Amazon and will be in stock on June 4, although you can still place your purchase now.]Today's hard drive deal: WD 5TB My Passport Hard Drive $100 (was $150) at Amazon Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Although much of the video game hype this year is around a pair of next-generation consoles, being able to play any kind of video game on a Nintendo Switch is still more than enough for us right now. The Switch thrives because of its versatility in both genre and content (we're finally getting a slew of M-rated titles on a Nintendo device, though families can set parental controls to filter that stuff for their kids). You can play for long stretches on your TV with the Joy-Con or Switch Pro Controller, or you can enjoy your favorite Nintendo Switch game on the go in handheld mode, and you even get motion controls that improve on the fidelity of the Wii Remote's. Multiplayer games, single-player games--they all play beautifully on Nintendo's hybrid device, even if some titles don't run as well as they do on other consoles. We're more than willing to give up graphical fidelity (and occasionally the lack of a robust online multiplayer experience) for the sake of convenience.The Switch's Game Boy-like ability to play modern, traditionally console games on a handheld is probably the most appealing thing about it. The second-most appealing? The wide variety of accessories. From an outstanding controller and cases to charging stands and more, the Switch has a slew of gadgets that enhance the experience and, at times, change the game entirely.The major downside, of course, is the fact that the Nintendo Switch is still currently sold out everywhere due to COVID-19-related production issues and higher demand in general due to the pandemic and the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Right now, the Switch is either unavailable or being sold way above MSRP by third-party sellers on sites like Amazon and Walmart. Occasionally, you'll find it bundled with other games or accessories for the exact value of everything included--GameStop has been offering these bundles quite often--and every so often, we'll spot the Switch in stock for $300 online, only to watch it sell out within minutes. We're currently tracking where to buy a Switch, updating our story with links whenever we spot the console in stock, but in general, your best bet right now is to buy the Nintendo Switch Lite instead. It's been much easier to find lately, although certain colors (like the new Coral shade) have still sold out.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Mega Man games feel right at home on Nintendo Switch thanks to the portability of the massively popular (and currently hard-to-find) console. Thankfully, every mainline Mega Man title as well as a pair of spin-off series are available on Switch, and they are currently on sale for great prices at the Nintendo Eshop. The Mega Man franchise sale ends May 31, so you only have a few days to take advantage of these discounts.The recently released Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is on sale for $22.49, which is the first discount we've seen on the Nintendo Switch version. The collection compiles six titles that originally released on Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS: Mega Man Zero 1-4, Mega Man ZX, and ZX Advent. If you prefer a physical version, Amazon has the collection discounted to $24.90.More Nintendo Switch deals Octopath Traveler $45 at Best Buy Dragon Quest XI $45 at Best Buy Dragon Quest Builders 2 $45 at Best Buy Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

If you're looking for a game or two with riveting gameplay, this week's sale at the Xbox Store focuses on action games of all stripes. The Rockin' Action Sale discounts nearly 100 Xbox One games, including newer hits like Metro Exodus and Borderlands 3 and older favorites such as the Devil May Cry HD Collection and Batman: Return to Arkham. You have until June 1 to shop the Rockin' Action Sale.First-person shooter fans have a lot to pick from in the sale. The entire Borderlands franchise is steeply discounted, with Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition at $12, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection down to $19.79, and Borderlands 3's Super Deluxe Edition slashed to $50. Ubisoft's Far Cry franchise sees similarly great discounts, as Far Cry 5 is cut to $15 and Far Cry New Dawn is up for grabs for $16. 2019's Metro Exodus, a dark, story-driven FPS, is only $16, while the wacky and colorful Journey to the Savage Planet is just $18.The Rockin' Action Sale presents a great opportunity to pick up beloved compilations for cheap. Devil May Cry's HD Collection, which bundles the first three classic titles in the series, is discounted to $18. Meanwhile, Batman: Return to Arkham--a remastered collection including Arkham Asylum and Arkham City--is 50% off at $10. If you're a fan of old school side-scrollers, Mega Man's 30 Anniversary Bundle--which contains a whopping 19 games--is $40.19, and Contra Anniversary Collection is down to $10.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com