This new sleepy Chocobo Plushie is everything. Just look at it, it’s perfect.

There are few things cuter than Chocobos in the world of Final Fantasy (sorry Moogles you’re kind of creepy, Kupo). How do you make them cuter? Obviously you make them all sleepy and cuddly.

The only thing not adorable about it is its price tag. It’s going to set you back $47.99. A W 18.5″ X D11.41″ X H 9.84″ plushie going for nearly $50 is a hard pill to swallow.

It’s par for the course for official Square Enix and Final Fantasy merch, sadly. They are usually quite expensive. But if you want the most adorable official Chocobo plushie ever then, well, that’s the price of admission.

To infinity and beyond

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SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom may be one of the most improbable video games of all time, a licensed project that turned out to be both a great game and a worthwhile challenge for the speedrunning community. But the absurdity doesn’t stop there: SpongeBob speedrunners recently discovered that smudging…

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Microsoft Flight Simulator is growing at a rather breathtaking pace, and third-party developers released new screenshots of upcoming add-ons.

First of all, we get to take another look at the upcoming Supermarine Spitfire by Aeroplane Heaven.

Apparently, release is “not far away,” and you can check out the progress below.

Content Warning: use of hate speech, antisemitism, explicit language.

Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard is under fire for using an antisemitic slur while streaming Call of Duty: Warzone on Twitch earlier this week, according to Defector. The incident has resulted in Leonard getting cut from esports organization FaZe Clan.

Leonard, who was streaming Warzone with at least one other person, was complaining about a player trying to snipe him. After a brief moment of accosting that player for trying to snipe him, Leonard called them a "k*** b****." The person that Leonard was playing with just laughed nervously afterwards. You can see the incident in the uncensored video clip below

Leonard said the slur on a Monday stream, but nothing materialized. During a subsequent Warzone stream, viewers in the chat questioned his use of the word before the chat devolved into an "emote-only mode." He then got a call from his wife and cut the stream short.

According to a statement provided to The Athletic reporter Shams Charania, the NBA "just became aware" of Leonard's language. A spokesperson said it condemns all hate speech.

Miami Heat center and FaZe Clan member Meyers Leonard apparently hates being sniped in Call of Duty: Warzone, so much so that he referred to a long-range online opponent as a “kike bitch” during a Twitch session Monday night.

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Sega just revealed another AC Scratch collection for Phantasy Star Online 2 titled “Spellbound Operative.”

As usual, the collection comes with plenty of costumes, accessories, emotes, CAST parts, hairstyles, and more, with a decidedly gothy theme.

It’s available Starting on March 10, and it’ll disappear on April 7. As usual, you can take a look at the trailer below to see the main items, while the full catalog is published on the official website.

If you’re unfamiliar with AC Scratch, that’s basically the game’s loot box/gacha-like mechanic that you can get through tickets purchased with Arks Cash.

Phantasy Star Online 2 is available in the west for Xbox One and PC. A few months ago, we heard that the western version enjoyed a “strong start” and that it passed one million players.

Watch Dogs: Legion’s long-awaited online mode releases today for consoles and along with its launch, Ubisoft has released a new trailer that will give players a feel for its PvE co-operative combat.

The trailer shows off a variety of different scenarios that you and up to three buddies can tackle, including heist-like scenarios where you can use a variety of different experts to allow a mission to go smoothly.

There are masters of disguises and distractions such as a Janitor and Granny (yes the powerful Granny class), that can work in concert with other characters such as construction workers with access to hard-to-reach areas and assassin infiltators.

Watch Dogs: Legion, unlike other recent Ubisoft games (and even other Watch Dogs games) never takes itself too seriously, and the new Online Mode seems to be an extension of that philosophy.

If you’re a fan of Watch Dogs: Legion, and the thought of infusing an almost GTA Online-lite experience into the mix doesn’t scare you away, it could be worth a look. Let us know what you think down below in the comments if you jump in.

Today Capcom released two TV commercials dedicated to the upcoming Monster Hunter game Monster Hunter Rise.

The commercials star Koinaka and Aircraft Carrier Ibuki actress (and model) Tsubasa Honda playing a teacher nicknamed “Monhan Sensei” and showing off the game.

One of the commercials is set in a classroom, while the second echoes the times and shows an online class.

You can check them out below alongside a making-of video in which Honda-san explains that she has been a Monster Hunter fan since high school.

Earlier today we saw plenty of gameplay and a Q&A with with director Yasunori Ichinose.

Tuesday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals

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In early January, Kotaku weekend editor Zack Zweizen wrote about his experience unknowingly purchasing burger delivery from popular YouTuber MrBeast. I read, laughed, shook my head, and promptly forgot it happened. Then, late last month, while home alone and hungry, I did the same damn thing with drastically different…

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Programming's not always just about trying to keep the frame rate from chugging. As lead Skyrim systems programmer Brett Douville explains, it's about relationships and self-care too. ...

When Marvel's Avengers launched, we praised the campaign, which delivered fun stages connecting an exciting narrative, but with lackluster and repetitive post-game content, it's disappointing to not be able to replay the campaign. Thankfully, developer Crystal Dynamics has revealed that the 1.5 patch, which also introduces Hawkeye and coincides with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launch, will finally give players that ability.

The announcement came during today's developer stream, where Crystal Dynamics community manager/social media manager Andy Wong and narrative designer/writer Hannah MacLeod played parts of the Reassemble campaign. To kick off the stream, Wong introduced a big graphic (which you can see below), which includes all the major updates coming in the 1.5 patch on March 18. "This is something we've been seeing over and over again on Twitter and socials and everything: 'Can we replay the campaign? Can we replay the campaign?,'" Wong said on the stream. "You can on the 18th! You will keep everything you have. You keep XP, your gear, and everything, but you can replay the campaign from start to finish."

Despite a lack of recent updates on the game, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut will still release sometime in March. Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM announced The Final Cut back at The Game Awards 2020 last December, a "director's cut"-style version of the game that would extend and expand the acclaimed RPG. It'll also add full voice acting. Though Disco Elysium: The Final Cut was said to release for PS4, PS5, Stadia, and PC in March 2021, some fans have grown concerned that the game might not meet the deadline.

However, according to a recent Discord communication by a member of the game's development team, The Final Cut is releasing in March "for sure." ZA/UM's head of publishing Mikk Metsniit said that the team's radio silence is due to the coordination required to make sure that the game launches correctly on all four platforms. Metsniit's public statement came in part due to a "lot of speculation [being] thrown about."

Doors #gamedev pic.twitter.com/7CJgKin1dE

Crusader Kings 3 will soon let you resolve grudges, disagreements, feuds, and other miscellaneous disputes in a more up-close-and-personal capacity, when elaborate one-to-one duels are introduced as part of the medieval grand strategy game's next free update.

Building on Crusader Kings 2's Duel system, Crusader Kings 3's next update, known as version 1.3, will let players challenge rivals to fully interactive one-to-one combat scenarios, enabling them to select from a range of attacks and special moves until an agreed victory condition - from landing a light scratch to a mortal blow - has been met.

Developer Paradox explains the new system in extensive detail over on its blog. The gist, however, is that duels - which can be unlocked via the Chivalry lifestyle tree's Stalwart Leader perk - will play out over two to four rounds, with each new round presenting players with a choice of three distinct combat moves from an expansive pool.

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Following the implementation of the new Sim Update, Microsoft launched a new time-limited landing challenge in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The challenge is set in one of the most dangerous airports in the world, asking players to land a Grand Caravan on the small runway of Chagual, Peru.

The airport is located in the middle of a deep canyon, demanding that pilots fly between the rocks and turn for the final approach at the very last moment, with the runway hidden behind a mountain during most of the process.

As usual, the reward is basically bragging rights, Users are scored on landing precision and softness and said scores inserted in a global leaderboard.

Can you butter this landing? See how I did below.

Recently, we published our massive interview with head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann, who provided a lot of new info about the present and future of the sim.

Late last night, John Derderian, Netflix’s Vice President of Japan & Anime, posted an official blog post detailing a lot of information about their upcoming samurai anime, Yasuke. In the post, he explained the impact he believes the show will have on the medium, as they tell a reimagined and fantastical story of the first African samurai.

Netflix’s exact description of the anime and its story are as follows:

In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords. 

The series will be helmed by its creator, LeSean Thomas, who is best known for his work making Cannon Busters, another popular Netflix original that debuted in 2019. Award-winning actor Lakeith Stanfield also joins the director, starring in the lead role as Yasuke.

Well-known Japanese animation studio MAPPA will be in charge of production. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because they are the team responsible for animating arguably the two most popular anime currently airing: Attack on Titan: The Final Season and Jujutsu Kaisen.

The blog post rounded up with Thomas expressing how excited he was for “longtime fans and newcomers to enjoy our reimagined take on this historical figure.”

The fourth boss you'll take on in Valheim is Moder, the frost dragon queen of the Mountain biome. Moder is a huge enemy that fights on the ground and can take to the skies, but the terrain on which you face the boss can give you an advantage. It's possible to defeat Moder all by yourself if you bring the right gear and carefully manage the fight. Here's everything you need to know to beat Moder.

To take on Moder, you'll first need to clear the way to the Mountain biome by taking down Eikthyr in the Meadow, The Elder in the Black Forest, and Bonemass in the Swamp. You'll also need the ability to withstand the cold, so it's highly recommended that you mine and craft some Wolf armor ahead of this battle--at least the Wolf Cuirass or the Wolf Cape, which will give you automatic Frost resistance. We've outlined exactly what gear you should have below, which will give you the best chance of defeating Moder even if you can't bring a squad of other Vikings to help you.

Loop Hero distills sharp combat, compelling rewards, and captivating story into a game you can play in minutes, but will spend hours with.

The post Loop Hero Offers a Compressed and Compelling RPG Experience appeared first on Siliconera.

The PS5 may be hard to find, but its controller remains readily available at retailers, and now's the first time you can snag it at a discount. Right now, you can get the PS5 DualSense controller for only $60 at Woot, down from its regular price of $70. This deal comes less than four months after the console's release and is a good chance to stock up on a couple extras for multiplayer.

The DualSense is a much improved controller over the DualShock 4. It boasts greater battery life, USB-C connection, and an improved speaker. The big difference, however, is the controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, both of which enhance gameplay by adding an appropriate amount of tension or force depending on your in-game actions.

Ray Fisher’s Victor Stone might have more to do in this new version of the film

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When it comes to PC gaming, you'll most commonly see people rocking setups with monitors no bigger than 27 inches. With how close people usually are to their monitors, this size is a good fit for most spaces. However, it's hard to deny the appeal of an even larger monitor, especially if your desk allows for that kind of room. The Acer Predator CG437K 43-inch monitor is a beastly gaming display, one that commands attention. It provides a great gaming experience that will be appealing to many PC gamers, though those who are already accustomed to HDR-capable 4K TVs may come away disappointed.

Display and performance

The Predator CG7's massive size is accompanied by a sharp 4K image that makes the finest details stand out. Whether I was playing on PS5 or PC, games looked clean. For example, the intricate designs of Demon's Souls armor and enemies are beautifully displayed, while Valheim's stark and simple art style is immediately eye-catching and shines brilliantly on the CG7's 4K VA panel.

The CG7's colors can be quite vibrant, too, though its viewing angles tend to let it down a bit. Facing the monitor straight on provides the best image, with bright colors popping off the screen stunningly. However, if you're off-center, you may notice darker colors start to wash out. This is the one area of the CG7 I'm disappointed with. The HDR performance is below par, and if you're accustomed to playing games on a 4K TV with good-quality HDR, you'll notice a big difference. Blacks are a touch washed out, while brighter scenes tend to feel too bright. It took me a while to tweak the settings to where I was happy, and even then, I was never quite satisfied with the image--I would often just play without HDR entirely.

Summer will be here before you know it, and with the arrival of warmer weather and longer days, you might be wondering about E3 2021. The show was canceled in 2020 due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and questions remains about this year's event.

We've compiled a rundown of the latest updates on this year's show.

Is There An E3 This Year?

The short answer is that we don't know for sure at this point. The ESA, which organizes E3 every year, penciled in E3 2021 for June 15-17 but what format this year's event takes--if it happens at all--remains to be seen.

The signs are pointing to a digital showcase this year, as the local government of Los Angeles recently announced that the "live" portion of E3 2021 would not go forward.

What Might E3 2021 Look Like?

A pitch deck for E3 2021 leaked, and it mentioned an all-digital event featuring streamed game demos, panel showcases, keynote events, and more, all of which would take place online. The proposal that is reportedly being sent to publishers said the three-day event will feature programming from 10 AM to 10 PM PST each day, with replays available for those who can't or don't want to watch live. The programming would include multiple two-hour keynote sessions focused on specific games or publishers, with the potential for Q&A sessions after each.

Bungie made us despise Uldren Sov in the Destiny 2: Forsaken expansion but Beyond Light and Season of the Chosen is making it really hard to hate his reincarnation as The Crow. As a massive Cayde-6 fan that shed real tears during his murder, I'm in this conflicted spot where I love my time in Destiny 2 but I hate that Bungie made me feel something other than contempt for this character, even though he's not Uldren anymore.

Before we get into the confusing world of emotions that is Destiny 2, let's dive into some backstory a bit for those that may be a little behind. 

The road so far

Uldren Sov was one of the first Awoken and was the incredibly loyal brother to the Queen of the Reef, Mara Sov. He served as the Master of Crows, the Reef's spymaster, and was a diligent force against any threat that posed a danger to his queen and to his people. A rocky relationship with his sister aside, Uldren's distaste for Guardians grew into a volatile hatred after Mara's apparent death. 

He spent years trying to find her, convinced in his mind that she might still be alive. Instead, he was being viciously manipulated by Riven with the visage of his dead sister into creating the Scorn. In his bid to reopen the Dreaming City, he murdered Cayde-6 and, in turn, was murdered by Petra and the Young Wolf. But that wasn't the end...

_{[Destructoid user Moths is here to suggest that the world could use more games like Simon’s Quest, and for as bewildering as it can be even with a well-laid-out walkthrough, I can't say I disagree. It's a strange gem, one that sticks with you. -Jordan]}

I recently replayed Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest for the first time in years. Coming into it a little older and a lot more pretentious, I was struck by what a special kind of game it is. It is a failure, yes. There have been plenty of those since 1987. But it is a failure that had stood the test of time. One that has earned love and a place in history largely on the merits of its failings. This honestly hits me at a personal level. I can only dream of one day becoming an interesting failure.

Simon’s Quest falls between the original Castlevania and Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. It represents a wild detour in the progression between those two games. It moved the focus away from a traditional action-platforming style and onto adventure elements, with progress being gated more by exploration and puzzles than by challenge. There’s a day/night cycle, and rudimentary experience and inventory systems. Grinding for currency is a relevant part of the game, but getting knocked into pits by medusa heads is not. Any player with the knowledge of how to do so can stomp Dracula to pieces in a few seconds. The knowledge of how to get that far in the first place is the hard part. And so on.

The Razer Raptor 27 gaming monitor is one of the best 1440p displays out there, and right now, you can snag it at a nice discount at Amazon. The Razer Raptor monitor is $600, down from $700. It's a pricey monitor, which makes $100 off quite exciting. It's unclear how long this deal will last, and while Razer products regularly go on sale, we rarely see the Raptor discounted.

GameSpot's Razer Raptor 27 gaming monitor review noted its expensive price but was otherwise impressed by its strong design, build quality, and performance.

"Despite its similarities to cheaper alternatives, the experience afforded by the Razer Raptor 27 is an excellent one, propped up by a design that rivals Apple and specs that can serve the most dedicated of PC gamers," I wrote. "The Raptor is expensive, but supplementary features like its RGB lighting and cable management help make this monitor unique, and its premium build quality is befitting of its premium price tag."

Mobile games are getting bigger as the years go by, both in terms of the overall market and filesize. ...

Numerous HBO Max subscribers got quite the shock recently, as it turns out that, for some unknown reason, anyone who booted up the new Tom & Jerry got Zach Snyder’s Justice League on their screen instead. While the issue was resolved in minutes, that didn’t stop many from making fun of the situation with plenty of memes, especially on Twitter.

We’ve compiled the best memes about the mixup below for your enjoyment.

(Featured image credit HBO Max)

Let it Flow is a collaborative game between chat and streamer

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After a delay pushed her out of 2020, the FFVII Remake Play Arts Kai Tifa figure is finally available in stores.

The post Final Fantasy VII Remake Play Arts Kai Tifa Figure Is Finally Here appeared first on Siliconera.

Overwatch has begun a new seasonal event, the Pachimarchi Challenge, which celebrates the game's very own adorable mascot with some in-game prizes. From now through March 22, you can play to earn a set of special cosmetics, including a new Roadhog epic skin.

Simply logging into the game during the event period will earn you six new sprays, but the big prizes come from racking up wins. Winning three games will net you a player icon, six games will get you a Junkrate emote, and nine games will grant you the grand prize: a Roadhog skin with Pachimari tattooed on his bulbous belly.

Pachimari is a fictional Japanese mascot character, an onion-octopus hybrid that appears in various spots around the Overwatch maps and in animated shorts. It's a very odd thing to base an entire event around, but it's hard to deny that the little critter is cute and probably pretty good sauteed.

Overwatch has been regularly updated with new game events featuring skins and other cosmetics, though other features like new maps have slowed while Blizzard works on Overwatch 2. We recently talked with Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan about the cadence of Overwatch releases, how the fan community is like Helga from Hey Arnold, and his spectacular beard.

Overwatch’s Pachimarchi Challenge goes live today! Blizzard teased the first-ever event yesterday and it puts the game’s adorable, tentacled mascot front and center. The event runs until March 22 and offers new cosmetics and other rewards.

For those players who somehow haven’t noticed, Pachimari is the onion-meets-octopus mascot plastered all over Overwatch maps. You’ve likely punched a plushy or two of it off a table before matches. It's kind of a big deal in Overwatch lore, appearing in several in-universe films and other products. Now it’s got a challenge to its name too. 

The cream of the crop for Pachimarchi Challenge prizes is a new Roadhog Pachimari Epic Skin (pictured above) which turns the big guy into the world’s largest Pachimari fanboy. Simply logging in during the Challenge rewards 6 new sprays, but the other prizes require players to rack up wins during matches. Blizzard has broken down how exactly how many victories players will need to earn the following rewards: 

3 wins - player icon

Players will get Roadhog Pachimari by winning games

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Resident Evil Village PS5 pre-load times have been revealed alongside the file size that players can expect pre-day one patch. The file size is a  smaller than the Xbox Series X version, though that's likely to change with the inclusion of the RE: Verse multiplayer mode previously announced. 

The PS5 reveal comes via PlayStation Game Size, a reputable source of PlayStation-specific news. In a recent tweet, the account shares that Resident Evil Village will come in at 27.325 GB, sans day-one patch, with pre-loading kicking off on May 5. With pre-loads typically starting two days prior to launch, the date isn't surprising, but it will be interesting to see how much that number goes up with the inclusion of RE: Verse and any day-one patch that may be planned. Especially since the multiplayer add-on is an additional 15 GB on Xbox systems.