Ubisoft has responded to a recent report claiming Roller Champions will be winding down after its third season, insisting it "isn't getting cancelled" and that it "fully supports" the project.

Word that Ubisoft's free-to-play sports game was nearing the end of its life, despite only launching back in May, came via the ever-leaky Jeff Grubb during a segment on the Xbox Era podcast over the weekend.

In reponse, Ubisoft has now shared a statement on Twitter denying those claims and insisting "Roller Champions isn't getting cancelled". But while an imminent demise doesn't currently appear to be on the cards, Ubisoft does say it will be extending Roller Champions' current season, Disco Fever, in order to "focus on what our players have told us needs improvement".

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I'd rather play almost any game in first-person rather than third-person. A game in which I'm a cat might be one of the few exceptions. If you feel differently, and you'd really like to get inside the head of the feline protagonist in Stray, then there's now a first-person mod to help you.

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Just when you think you’ve seen your fair share of talented musicians playing songs from your favorite game soundtracks, wait until you hear what this one fan has been creating and posting online. Atarime_desu on Twitter regularly posts videos of songs he plays on an unconventional musical instrument: the calculator.

Four calculators, in fact. Atarime_desu uses them to play popular songs by lining them up in a row and hitting the buttons to produce notes of different pitches. And among his repertoire of impressive songs are two that any gamer would recognize.

One of them is the theme from the Legend of Zelda, which he posted yesterday and has already amassed over 22k views. Have a listen to how he made the song come to life:

And earlier that day, he posted himself playing the opening theme to the generation one Pokemon games, and that tweet is now at nearly 100k likes, an impressive feat. Here it is for you to listen to:

Crack open the door to self-described “kawaii tech creator” Celeste Fleurs’ room, and you’ll suddenly feel as if you’ve been living your life as a strawberry in some Fruity Pebbles cereal. Like countless other gamers online, Celeste is an expert of “pastel gaming”—a term borne from Japanese kawaii aesthetics, and…

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The original Mass Effect holds a special place in a lot of players’ hearts, as it’s responsible for setting them off on a journey of a lifetime to help Shepard save the galaxy from the threat of the Reapers. And while the first installment might not have aged well since its 2007 release, thankfully, the 2021 release of The Legendary Edition allowed fans to revisit the title with some solid improvements.

To make things even better for fans of Mass Effect 1, artist Lazare Gvimradze is going another step further to help fans remember the good times by creating some beautiful portraits of some of the most notable spots in the first game. Those include prints for Noveria, Nepheron, Eletania, and Ilos. You can check out a preview of these posters for yourself below.

AMD's Ryzen 5000 processors are getting ever cheaper, with the mid-range Ryzen 5 5600 today crossing the £130 barrier for the first time. You can now pick up this super-fast gaming CPU for less than £130, while the more powerful 5600X costs £170 after a similar discount - some way below the last sale price we saw it at. To get the reduced price, you'll need to use code HOT10 at the checkout to knock 10% off the price.

Higher-end Ryzen processors have also seen discounts in recent weeks. We spotted deals on the Ryzen 7 5800X and Ryzen 9 5900X using the same Ebay HOT10 code.

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To say the second season of The Promised Neverland was rough would be an understatement. Slamming through and skipping over several arcs of content to wrap up the current adaptation using a shoestring budget, it was a textbook example of a promising series falling flat on its face due to unforeseen circumstances. As such, you’re probably wondering with a fair bit of dread: When does The Promised Neverland Season 3 come out? Sadly, we’ve got the answer you’re probably expecting.

Will The Promised Neverland Get a Season 3? Answered

There are not currently any plans to release another season of The Promised Neverland, either as a redo of the second season or an expansion covering skipped arcs from the series. What we have is all we’re currently slated to get.

Warner Bros. fighting game opens to the public on Tuesday

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Daily Adventure Incense will be a relief for rural players

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Today, Pokemon Go developer Niantic announced it is adding a new type of incense item to the game that will help players (or trainers to use Niantic's term) find and catch Pokemon that do not typically appear in the wild.

The Daily Adventure Incense is a special type of incense you will be able to use once a day. It lasts 15 minutes and will generate Pokemon not normally see in your location. It will be especially helpful for players in rural areas where Pokemon populations are not as dense. It's not currently clear if the Pokemon it attracts will be rarer than using the standard Incense.

There are some qualifiers for the Daily Adventure Incense. Special Research will appear that you must complete in order to start using it. The Special Research will function as a tutorial and will also reward XP. You won't be able to use the standard Incense while the Daily Adventure Incense is active, nor can you use the Daily Adventure Incense if you're already using the other Incense.

The Daily Adventure Incense will appear in your bag as an inventory item, but will not count toward the total number of items you're carrying. After activating the Daily Adventure Incense, it will disappear from your bag until the next day. After the Daily Adventure Incense has expired, you will get a recap image showing all the Pokemon caught during the time it was active.

Sneaky little hobbitses 'em up Lord Of The Rings: Gollum needs more time, say developers Daedalic. In a statement posted on Twitter earlier this evening, they say they're delaying the game by a few months "in order to deliver the best possible experience."

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Even before the game launches in open beta, MultiVersus is tearing up the Steam charts, beating out all other fighting game competitors.

According to Steam Charts, MultiVersus averages at 37,509 players online and has a peak of 61,964. Some analysis from Event Hubs, a website specializing in fighting games, compared this info to the peaks and averages of 13 other major fighting games, and found that MultiVersus beats them out by tens of thousands of users. The next biggest all-time peak, for example, is Dragon Ball FighterZ with 44,234 concurrent users. The combined total average of the 13 other fighting games surveyed is 28,902 total.

These are big numbers, especially considering that this charts only Steam players and that the game is currently in a closed beta. More people have been playing MultiVersus, as well as all the other fighting games surveyed by Event Hubs, on console and off of Steam. So it's worth examining these numbers in their full context, as an illustrative part of an incomplete picture.

MultiVersus is a platform fighting game, think Super Smash Brothers, pitting various characters owned by Warner Bros. against each other. MultiVersus moves into an open beta tomorrow, July 26. The game also announced that LeBron will join the fight at the launch of the open beta. Rick & Morty's Morty will enter the fray two weeks later with the launch of Season 1, with Rick following at a future date.

Details for the next season of Call of Duty Mobile have been announced, and Season 7 will include a collaboration with Netflix's Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 series. The anime collab will feature operator skins, a themed event, and a new battle royale location inspired by the show.

Call of Duty Mobile's Season 7: New Vision City launches on August 3 at 5 PM PT. This new season will include a new 50-tier battle pass, a weapon, operator skill, and more. The premium tiers of the pass will include Ghost in the Shell-themed operator skins for Blackjack, Stryker, and Battery, but there is also a skin of Motoko Kusanagi from the show.

For battle royale mode, the Ghost in the Shell event brings a futuristic "cyber city" to the Isolated map as a new point of interest found near Nuketown. It will be a nighttime setting with neon lights, high-rises, crossing tracks, and a central plaza.

Finally, there will be a themed-event called Togusa’s Survey, which will include challenges players can progress through in both multiplayer and battle royale. Activision also vaguely mentions there will be yellow nodes in battle royale that trigger unique missions for the event.

The Xbox Series X/S already boot up incredibly fast, but it turns out they could go even faster. Microsoft is now testing a shorter startup animation to let players take advantage of that speed and get precious seconds of their life back. It’s a modest improvement in the grand scheme of things, but a perfect example…

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Annapurna Interactive is once again holding a livestreamed announcement presentation this year, and it's going to include some looks at upcoming games and a few other surprises. The Annapurna Interactive Showcase is this week, and the Stray publisher wants you to knock everything off your table so you can sit there and watch. Here's how to watch the show, the start time, and what to expect.

How to watch Annapurna Interactive Showcase

The Annapurna Interactive Showcase will be available to watch on the publisher's official YouTube and Twitter channels. We'll also have the stream embedded right here on this page, if you care to stick around while the show is airing.

Start times

The show kicks off at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET. A list with several more start times by time zones is below:

• 12 PM PT
• 2 PM CT
• 3 PM ET
• 8 PM BST
• 5 AM AEST (July 26)

What to expect

Most details from the livestream are under wraps at the moment. However, we do know there will be game trailers, new game announcements, and partnerships with developers. A few confirmed upcoming games include Thirsty Suitors and Hindsight.

A wrestling show held Friday evening provided a great example of how performer demographics are rapidly shifting away from bodybuilders and models and towards nerdy kids who grew up watching them.

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Ubisoft has released a statement insisting that Roller Champions, its free-to-play roller derby game, isn't getting canceled. This statement comes after a rumor that the game would be canned after Season 3.

Ubisoft has released a statement on Twitter, reaffirming its commitment to Roller Champions, stating that the game isn't being canceled. This is in response to Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb stating on the XboxEra podcast that a source told him the game would be canceled after Season 3. Roller Champions is currently in its first season, Disco Fever.

In the statement, Ubisoft said that Roller Champions current season is going to be extended so that the developer can focus on making needed improvements to the game, with the main concern being the ability to send cross-platform invites to other players. The statement does not say how long the current season is going to be extended but Ubisoft did say that it has exciting plans for the next few seasons.

Are you wondering when Tokyo Ravens Season 2 will come out? Well, look no further because we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the anime. In addition, we’ll provide you with details about the light novel series and how the story can expand in the future.

When Will Tokyo Ravens Season 2 Release?

Unfortunately, there has been no news about a possible Season 2 for Tokyo Ravens ever since the first installment was released over nine years ago.

The Summer 2022 anime season is in full swing, and almost every show has had a chance to settle in. Some have established their wider plots, while others have started to hint at the larger goals they aim to meet by the season’s end. Some have proven far better than others, though, and that’s why they make our list of the five best anime of August 2022 you should watch.

The Devil Is a Part-Timer! Season 2

After more than nine years without a continuation, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! anime has returned with a promising second season.

Of the many offerings available from Kyoto Animation, Hyouka inhabits an interesting niche. A blend of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Clannad with a more grounded approach, it’s a slice-of-life anime that can resonate with almost anyone but has also put off just as many. You’re likely reading this because you loved it, though, and you’ve probably got the same question many fans have: When does Hyouka season 2 come out? Well, for better or worse, we’ve got the answer you’re looking for.

Is Hyouka Getting a Season 2? Answered

Unfortunately, we’ve got some bad news for you: There is no second season planned for Hyouka, and there likely never will be, considering it has been nearly 10 years since the series’ release.

The exact reason for this is unclear, but it’s likely due to the way Hyouka was created in the first place. Adapted from the first light novel in the Classic Literature Club series, the anime was only really meant to cover the content from the first novel. This is what allowed Kyoto Animation to flesh out each arc the way they did, building on certain elements visually to better convey the stories from the first novel overall.

Likewise, the series’ divisiveness could have played a big part in why a second season was never greenlit. Because there wasn’t overwhelming acceptance of the show among their fans, Kyoto Animation probably decided it was best to explore different ideas for better long-term uses of their time and resources. Had they created a second season of Hyouka that didn’t perform as well due to a smaller fan base, it would have impacted them financially and prevented them from pursuing other projects.

When you come across a gym raid in Pokemon GO, it’s generally understood you bring your best Pokemon. The raid boss you’re facing off against is going to be tough, not only dealing a lot of damage but also having a large health bar and high defense. Considering all that, you should have a Pokemon with a type advantage and the best IV for gym raids in Pokemon GO.

Best IV for Gym Raids in Pokemon GO

IVs in Pokemon GO determine how strong a particular Pokemon is. If you capture two of the same species, it’s unlikely they will perform identically. IVs are split into three categories:

• Attack
• Defense
• HP

In the case of gym raids, which is PVE content, you want Pokemon to have a very high Attack IV. Anything close to or at 15 Attack is golden; Defense and HP are secondary. You certainly don’t want either being too low, so anything above an 8 or 10 should be good enough. Also, stick to using 3-star Pokemon. In order of priority: Type advantage > High Attack IV > 3-Star Stamp > Defense and HP.

While IVs do play an important role in gym raids, what matters most is having a counter. Even a Pokemon with decent IVs can do incredible damage if it’s using a move that is super-effective against the raid boss.

With all that said and done, you should understand what the best IV for gym raids in Pokemon GO are. If you’re experiencing login errors, give our guide on fixing the Pokemon GO Facebook login error a read or improve your knowledge of the game by learning how to battle another trainer with your buddy.

It’s almost time to relive the most beloved WoW expansion

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Hey, I don't want to go to work today. I want to stay home and play all my video games. Luckily, I can do just that. Care to join?

Today at 2:30 PM Central Time (3:30 PM Eastern/12:30 PM Pacific), I'll be playing Ben Esposito and Angel Matrix's fantastic Neon White on our Twitch channel. I reviewed the game a while back – and gave it my highest score ever, if you're wondering – but I'm starting a fresh save today, so spoilers should be minimal. 

After that, I'll be picking up where I left off on our ongoing Gunpla build from last week. We're building the Real Grade Wing Gundam, and there's still lots to work on. Come watch these little hands cut, sand, and assemble.

Hope to see you there! 

The Call of Duty Twitter account shared a short clip of images from Warzone's Rebirth Island map, teasing the arrival of the new zombie-themed mode for Season 4 Reloaded.

The six-second teaser clip shared on Twitter has a voiceover, saying "This island isn't how we remember it." The images show the skies of Rebirth Island have gone cloudy, and one view shows sewage pipes dumping either toxic waste or Nova gas into the water. These environmental shots are meant to set the tone for the upcoming "Rebirth of the Dead" limited-time mode.

Arriving on July 27 with the mid-season update, Rebirth of the Dead is described as a re-imagining of Warzone's past Zombie Royale mode. The mode's matches will feature 10 quads on Rebirth Island, and just like in Zombie Royale, eliminated players will return as zombies.

EA and Juventus announced a new multi-year partnership today, allowing EA exclusive rights to portray the popular Italian club's assets in video games. Juventus will return in FIFA 23.

The deal allows EA to exclusively use the club's logo and kits in FIFA 23, as well as recreate Juventus' home, the Allianz Stadium. In addition to the club partnership, former player Claudio Marchisio will be featured as a FUT hero and current player Dušan Vlahović will be an ambassador for FIFA 23. The deal also promises "a number of lifestyle and cultural initiatives bringing new opportunities outside of football."

Back in 2019, Juventus signed an exclusivity contract with Konami, which similarly ensured Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) would be the exclusive rights holder of the team's name, crest, and uniforms. Meanwhile, EA included an unlicensed version of the team--i.e. the real-life Juventus players and roster with fictional branding and uniforms--in FIFA 20, 21, and 22. PES has since rebranded as eFootball, switching to a free-to-play, digital-only model. In light of this new contract with EA, Juventus's logos and kits will not appear in eFootball.

FIFA 23 will release on September 30, 2022. If you subscribe to EA Play, you can play the game three days earlier, on September 27. The game brings cross play and women's club teams to the franchise for the first time. Similar to last years removal, FIFA 23 will not include Russian clubs or teams.

Nearly 10 years after the original release, Papers, Please comes to your phone

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The team behind Pathfinder: Kingmaker aims to improve on exploration

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When Fortnite’s newest season launched recently, I did what I’ve now done many times before: installed the game again, watched the new cutscene, dropped in for a few matches, and stopped. But a day later, something unusual happened: I returned and played some more. And then even more, and more again. And now, I’m a…

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Humble is giving you a chance to score nine Lego games for just $10 this week, including Lego DC Super-Villains, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, Lego Marvel’s Avengers, and more. If you don’t want to drop $10, two cheaper tiers are also available for purchase. The deal ends July 29, giving you just a few more days to check out the savings and score some family-friendly Lego titles for cheap. All games in the bundle are offered as Steam keys.

Like all Humble Bundles, this one lets you choose your own price and decide where your money is going. Beyond Humble and WB Games, Active Minds is the charity of choice for the Lego At The Movies Bundle, which promotes mental health for young adults.

Little Miss will explain every meme trend to you

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Daedalic Entertainment has delayed the launch of Lord of the Rings: Gollum once more, this time pushing its previously announced 1st September release back "by a few months".

Lords of the Rings: Gollum was announced in March 2019, promising a Middle-Earth-inspired blend of "subtle tactical stealth", environmental puzzling, climbing challenges, and "fast-paced parkour action", all playing out across a mixture of open levels and more linear missions.

Daedelic was originally aiming to launch Gollum last year, but ultimately made the decision to delay its release into 2022, although no reason was given at the time. This latest delay, though, has been made in order to "deliver the best possible experience", according to the developer.

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Today Level Infinite and Hotta Studio revealed another trailer of the upcoming online RPG Tower of Fantasy.

Like some of the trailers released in the past focusing on running and motorcycling, this one also shows one method of traversal, displaying a variety of characters taking a swim across Planet Aida’s seas and lakes.

On top of the trailer, we also learn that Tower of Fantasy has passed 2.5 million pre-registrations, unlocking the Star Sand outfit for everyone on top of 4 Gold Nucleus, 10 Nut Tea, and 6,888 gold.

Now only one pre-registration milestone remains at 3 million (and we’re quite close since the exact number is 2.88 million at te moment of this writing), which will unlock 500 Dark Crystals, 5 Black Nucleus, 10 Caterpillar Fungus Noodles and one Beauty Restore Voucher.

You can watch the trailer below.

PC players with a Steam account will have their first Crayon Shin-Chan game released on the platform. Bushiroad has created a Steam page for Crayon Shin-Chan: The Storm Called! Flaming Kasukabe Runner!! It will release the action runner game digitally in Fall 2022. This game will contain Japanese voiceovers with subtitles in Japanese, English, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Latin American Spanish.

Flaming Kasukabe Runner originated as a free-to-play mobile game that Bushiroad launched for Android and iOS devices in 2016. Although the company also made English and Spanish localizations, the global version of the original mobile game is no longer available.

In early 2020, Bushiroad released a single-purchase version of Flaming Kasukabe Runner on Nintendo Switch worldwide. This game is still available on the North American Nintendo eShop at $9.99.

Looking for a new headset or backup headset that won’t break the bank? Consider snagging the HyperX Cloud Stinger X while it's on sale for just $15, down from its usual $40. The impressive discount was originally offered by both Amazon and Best Buy, but Amazon quickly sold out--so move fast if you want to cash in on the savings at Best Buy.

Stray has only been out for a few days, and already PC modders are experimenting with the game by adding their own feline companions to it. And then there's a mod that replaces the lost ginger wanderer with a version of CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that's pure nightmare fuel. That's one way to reskin a cat.

His body contorted and forced to trot around on all fours, CJ's inclusion by Sirgalahad172 is intended to be a joke, but in this and any other reality, it's a haunting reminder that no game is safe from the specter of CJ. "This mod is intended as a joke as CJ needs to be modded into any game that exists," Sirgalahad172 wrote in the cursed texts of the mod page.

If you'd prefer something much less horrifying, Nexus Mods has a number of other more wholesome modifications that can be applied. Calico, Siamese, and tuxedo cat skins are available, as are a number of other cosmetic changes based on actual cats who live rent-free with their modders.

You can even apply a Garfield skin to the little stray, which kind of works in a weird way. Just don't use it on a Monday.

Ever since World of Warcraft Classic released in 2019, it has slowly been working its way back up the same release path the MMO took in the past. It was a year ago that Burning Crusade Classic was added to the game, and now there’s been a formal announcement for when the Classic version of the second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, will release.

Wrath of the Lich King Classic will go live for all players with a global release time of Sept. 26 at 3pm PDT.

There is an included trailer to also announce this great news that you can see below. It’s a really pretty trailer.

To help get you to where you want to be in the new (and old) expansion, there will be 50% XP buff for Burning Crusade Classic players leading up to the release of Wrath of the Lich King.

A post on the official World of Warcraft site gives more details of:

Though it leaked last week, the news is now official--World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic is releasing September 26.

To celebrate the occasion, and to help new or returning players looking to re-experience the MMO's wildly popular 2008 expansion, Blizzard has enabled a bonus XP event for Burning Crusade Classic servers from now until the launch of the expansion that it is calling "Joyous Journeys." The buff increases XP gains by 50%, which should go a long way towards helping players get their characters ready for expansion launch day.

September 26 may be the day players can finally step foot in the new continent of Northrend and work to thwart the forces of the Lich King, but the expansion's pre-patch will actually bring about a limited-time event, new class changes, fresh Wrath of the Lich King servers for those interested, and the new Death Knight hero class several weeks prior to the expansion's release. Blizzard has not yet detailed when exactly the pre-patch will land or how long it will last, but those details should be coming soon.

It was supposed to be Sméagol Summer :(

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