Xbox Live Gold subscribers get an eclectic, older mix of freebies

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Fortnite has launched Nexus War, its Marvel-themed Chapter 2 Season 4, which includes a battle pass full of comic book characters and accessories to unlock.

I had thought maybe there'd be more of a mix between Fortnite's own fare and Marvel heroes - instead, this season looks like to be completely devoted to the Avengers and their pals. (Although Fortnite boss Donald Mustard has assured fans this is all still in service of the game's wider plot.)

Fortnite's Marvel battle pass includes Thor, She-Hulk, Groot, Storm, Dr. Doom, Mystique, Iron Man and Wolverine, with Sapling Groot and Rocket Racoon both available as pets. Galactus, this season's big bad, is not included (yet).

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This might be an opportunity for only the most dedicated PlayStation fans, but Sony will open pre-orders for the PS5 to a limited number of people - despite the fact we still don't know the price or release date of the console.

Invitations for pre-orders are being sent to some PSN users who register through the pre-order site, although those chosen are selected "based on previous interests and PlayStation activities". Those who receive an email invitation will be alerted before pre-orders begin, have a limited amount of time to place an order, and the whole process will work on a first-come-first-serve basis. You can't just buy everything, either: there are restrictions on how many items you can pre-order, with a limit of two on accessories like controllers, and only one PS5 console can be bought per PSN ID.

It's worth noting this pre-order initiative currently only ships to US addresses, so if you're based in Europe, I'm afraid you'll have to wait longer for the opportunity to place an order. Or find a reliable buddy in the US who won't steal your PS5.

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Epic Games is giving away another two free PC games through its digital store this week with Hitman and Shadowrun Collection.

As announced last week, 2016’s action stealth reboot Hitman is now free for all Epic Games Store users for a limited time. The game includes all Season One locations and episodes such as Prologue, Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, and Hokkaido.

Though there is a Game of the Year Upgrade DLC for $19.99 that adds the Patient Zero campaign with new contacts, weapons, and outfits. Developer IO Interactive also announced today that the latest game in the franchise, Hitman 3, will be coming to Epic Games Store and consoles on Jan. 21.

The other free game this week is Shadowrun Collection, which includes three games in the cyberpunk/fantasy turn-based RPG franchise. It includes the base games of Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun Dragonfall – Director Cut, and Shadowrun Hong Kong – Extended Edition.

Both games are available for free on the Epic Games Store beginning today until next week on Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. ET. Epic Games also announced that free game for next week will be turn-based strategy game Into the Breach, which had been free in the store before in December 2019.

The post Hitman Free on Epic Games Store; Into The Breach Next Week appeared first on Twinfinite.

Hitman III is set to launch on January 20, supporting both current and next-generation consoles. But unlike the confusing upgrade situation other games have found themselves in, Hitman III is keeping things simple. That is, if you purchase its digital edition.

Hitman III will offer free next-gen upgrades for both PS5 and Xbox Series X. Players who purchase the PS4 digital edition will be able to redeem the PS5 version for free when they upgrade their console. On Xbox, Hitman III supports Smart Delivery, which means you'll get the best version of the game for the console you're playing it on. Presumably this means the upgrade extends to physical copies of Hitman III for Xbox, but developer IO Interactive doesn't make clear if a physical version will be released.

Along with free next-gen upgrades, Hitman 3 will also feature two editions for pre-order. The first is as standard as you're going to get, with only a Trinity Pack DLC bonus for those who pre-order. The Deluxe edition features additional in-game items, including the same Trinity Pack, downloadable soundtrack, additional outfits, and more. You can check out both DLC packs below.

The world being what it is, you might not be feeling The Division right now, but September’s Xbox Live Games with Gold has some other fare in store for you too. As always, these games are only “free” if you have an active Xbox Live Gold membership.

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Io Interactive today announced a January 20th release date for Hitman 3, the end of Ian Hitman’s latest trilogy of stealthy murdering. He’s been picking off pieces of a conspiracy for two games now, and getting ready to really bury it in this final part. Hitman 3 will be an Epic Games Store timed exclusive on PC, though it seems bits will transfer from the Steam versions of the first two.

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In September and October, comic book readers will have the chance to purchase variant covers of 13 different Marvel Comics series that have Fortnite characters on them. Don't worry, these characters won't appear in the stories, and are just on the alternate covers.

The mashup of universes also extends to the game. Fortnite Chapter 2's fourth season is called Nexus War, and it brings in a number of Marvel heroes and villains, such as Wolverine, Iron Man, and even Galactus. Developer Epic Games has already had several events with Marvel and DC characters, and this appears to be the biggest one yet.

Here are all of the covers that are on the way. You can see six of them below:

Today Microsoft announced the new batch of Games With Gold that Xbox Live Gold subscribers will receive during the month of Septgember with no additional purchase required.

We’re getting Tom Clancy’s The Division and The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for Xbox One, while de Blob 2 and Armed and Dangerous will be playable on Xbox One (via backward compatibility) and Xbox 360.

If you’re unfamiliar with the games, you can check out a trailer and blurbs from Microsoft below.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

Take back New York City after it has fallen into chaos. This online shooter is a groundbreaking experience, combining robust RPG customization and tactical action combat. Play a massive co-op campaign, take on other agents, and earn cutting edge gear, as you fulfill your objective: protect what remains and restore hope.

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2

August is coming to a close, so a new lineup of freebies for Xbox Live Gold subscribers is almost here. Microsoft has revealed September's four Games with Gold titles--two for Xbox One, and two legacy titles that are backward-compatible. The Division--not The Division 2--leads the way on Xbox One and will be followed up by point-and-click adventure game The Book of Unwritten Tales 2. Third-person shooter Armed and Dangerous and puzzle-platformer de Blob 2 will also be free next month.

The Division will be free all month for Gold subscribers. Though it's a solid game, it's a rather uninspired choice considering much of the fun of the series hinges on online multiplayer, and The Division 2 took its place last year. If you haven't played the original, however, there's fun to be had in the campaign--but you can regularly find it in bargain bins for only a few bucks.

From September 16 to October 15, you can grab The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, a humorous point-and-click adventure game starring four unlikely heroes who set out on an adventure to stop a magical force that has turned the kingdom upside down. It's a rather silly adventure game, seeing as how monsters have been turned into puppies and castles now look like huge dollhouses.

Original Halo developer Joseph Staten is the new campaign project lead

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I caught up with its Cloudpunk creator Marko Dieckmann to discuss the neon-noir title and the struggles it took to create it. ...

So Gamescom is here: but instead of sending our writers out to Cologne, Germany, it's being held virtually. As one does in 2020!

Yes, just about every tradeshow has been blown up by the events of this year, but Geoff Keighley put on his PR-face and gave us a livestream anyway in the form of Gamescom Opening Night Live. It had a few new announcements in a sea of ads and trailers for games we already knew about. In other words, it was a very "summer of 2020 stream" and par for the course.

After hyping up the event for weeks on end, Geoff did warn us at the start that it "wasn't going to shock and awe," and he was right! As our own Jordan Devore told me after it was over: "that stream was a lot!" A lotta air time.

You can find a full recap of everything major that happened below: you might find some scraps.

Team Rocket will be blasting off again! Jessie and James will only be in Pokemon GO until September 30, 2020.

The post Pokemon GO Jessie and James Appearances Will End September 30, 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.

One thing missing from the lead-up to PS5 and Xbox Series X is in-depth gameplay footage, and today, we got a longer look at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, one of the more tangible next-gen games so far.

It's familiar in the best way. Insomniac calls the story an "extension of Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus" with "a lot of returning characters and planets" through the lens of the multi-dimension premise. As for the new playable Lombax character's name, "the world is more interesting with mysteries."

In terms of the release date, no news – but Rift Apart will make the "PS5 launch window."

Coming from developer Building Box and published Humble Games, Prodeus is a blend of retro first-person shooter action with modern visuals to show off the carnage. Earlier this year, we got a look at the game during the plethora of livestreams in the place of E3 2020. In this GameSpot exclusive, we can confirm that Prodeus will launch in early access on November 10 for Steam.

The newest Gamescom 2020 trailer shows off what you can expect in the game, which is a fast-paced rush through a nightmare gallery demons, monsters, and other horrors you'll be able to take out in bloody chunks. In the game, you'll dive into a full campaign that pays tribute to classic FPS games like Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem. As you fight through monsters' hordes, you'll expand your arsenal of weapons to dispatch the increasingly challenging foes. Along with the campaign, Prodeus also has a full map editor, letting you build levels from scratch and share them online.

Right now, players can sign up for access to the game's closed beta on the Steam, which can get you even earlier access to the game. Just before the reveal of the release date, we heard from Building Box game designer Jason Mojica about the making of the game and how they wanted to pay tribute to the classics of the FPS genre.

Control

‘s new AWE DLC might technically stand for “Altered World Events” – the term the game’s FBI-but-magic organisation The Federal Bureau of Control uses for the weird stuff they investigate – but let’s be honest, we all know it’s going to be remembered as the “Alan Wake Expansion”. That’s the theme for this second and final DLC for Remedy’s third-person action-adventure, which we called an accomplished and fun version of X-Files with more guns but less Mulder when we put it on our best action games for PC list earlier in the year.

"Stasis" is going to be a huge aspect of Destiny 2: Beyond Light, when it arrives later this year. Billed as a drastic shift in mechanics, you can basically wield the power of stasis to take down enemies, which is heavily entwined in the lore of the expansion.

In short? This is the whole "embrace the darkness" angle: a new dark subclass of sorts. Although Bungie isn't doing a deep dive today, we're getting a quick look at all three ways stasis can be utilized, with looks at the Warlock, Hunter and Titan. Warlock is rocking the Shadebinder archetype, Hunter is the Revenant and the Titan is the Behemoth.

While I'm not thrilled with the sunsetting of content later this year, the actual new powers look like a mechanical shakeup that Destiny 2 needed. I wouldn't have complained if these came ages ago in the first iteration, even!

Developer IO Interactive has today revealed that its anticipated upcoming sequel Hitman 3 will launch early next year, Jan. 21, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Stadia and PC (via Epic Games Store). Those who purchase a current-gen version of the game will have the option to upgrade to PS5/Xbox Series X free of charge.

The announcement comes by way of an article published over on the game’s official website, which breaks down its various versions and pre-order bonuses.

Hitman 3 will launch across Standard and Deluxe versions, the latter of which includes Deluxe Escalations, in-game items and suits as well as digital soundtracks and more. 

As for the pre-order bonus, it’s called the Trinity Pack and includes nine different items across three sets, which each represent a different game from the Hitman trilogy. IO explains:

Fortnite's Season 4 is Marvel-themed, and that includes some of its challenges. The first Wolverine challenge is now available, and it asks you to investigate mysterious claw marks. Here's where to find them and what to do.

How To Investigate Claw Marks, Explained

Investigating Fortnite's new claw marks is as simple as approaching one of the designated locations. Just getting close to the claw marks is enough; you won't need to hold down a button or key to actually do the investigating. But you'll first need to know where to go, as the game doesn't offer any specific directions on where to find Wolverine's claw marks.

Fortunately, all three of the claw marks you'll need to complete the challenge can be found in close proximity to each other in the Weeping Woods. You can consult our map below or check out the individual images and descriptions for how to hunt these down. These can be investigated in any order.

It’s tough finding work as a surgeon these days. Turns out, hospitals keep asking for “experience” and “professional training” before letting any old punter loose with a scalpel. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with Surgeon Simulator 2‘s operating theatre. Released today, Bossa’s brutally goofy gut extraction sim will let anyone bring their friends along to try at being doctors, for far less than it costs to grab yourself a medical degree.

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A Samsung 82" 4K smart TV, an Insignia soundbar + subwoofer combo, a Samsung 256GB microSD card, a LEGO Architecture NYC replica, a Keen Footwear Labor Day sale, a

One of the greatest old-school shooters of all time is returning to thrill (and frustrate) brand new generations of players. As revealed during today's gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, Turrican Anthology is now in development at Factor 5.

Physical media outlet Strictly Limited has already opened a pre-order page featuring physical editions of Turrican Anthology Vol.1 and Turrican Anthology Vol.2 for PS4 and Nintendo Switch (though that doesn't necessarily mean it won't appear digitally on other platforms.)

Hitman 3 will be out January 20 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Stadia and PC via Epic Games Store, IO Interactive announced today. It’ll also let players upgrade digital copies of the game to their next-gen versions for free.

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Agent 47 begins a new assignment on January 20, 2021, and you'll find him sneaking in the shadows on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC (via the Epic Games store). Along with the release date announcement, developer IO Interactive also revealed the editions and pre-order bonuses that you can purchase.

You can grab the standard edition that just comes with the game, something I/O calls "nice and simple," or the deluxe edition that comes with a deluxe pack. The items in the deluxe pack are all over the map. You'll get Deluxe Escalations, a digital soundtrack, digital "World of Hitman" book, director commentary, deluxe suits and items, as well as the Trinity Pack of suits. You can also get the Trinity Pack by pre-ordering the game. Gotta say, Agent 47 looks pretty damn good in these striking suits.

If you happen to purchase the PlayStation 4 version, but get a PlayStation 5 in early 2021, IO is offering a free next-gen upgrade. This also goes for the Xbox One version. You won't have to pay any additional money for the next-gen bells and whistles.

You can find more details about the pre-order content and editions at IO's official website.

I have run the rollercoaster of emotions in the brief time it took this Medal of Honor trailer to roll. I went from "There's a new Medal of Honor?" to "Huh, they got the original writer to direct" to "Hell yeah, he smashed a dude's head with a stone bust" to "Okay, I'd play this."

I'll admit that I have no real love for Medal of Honor but Respawn has earned our trust by now. It's a studio that has turned out nothing but quality ever since it was founded a decade ago.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is "a full-blown VR experience." It's launching on Oculus headets sometime this holiday season. Check out the gamescom trailer to get a feeling for what Respawn's stab at Medal of Honor is all about.

There are a few takeaways in this Fall Guys Season 2 trailer.

First, I need that dragon costume. N-e-e-d it.

Second, these levels – a platforming gauntlet race with swinging axes, a hill climb with movable boxes to climb up, and other medieval-themed rounds – can't come soon enough. I'm counting the days.

I've maxed out the Season 1 pass and I'm gonna need someone to lock me up. I can't stop playing.

The FFXIV Chocobo Carriage Mount has arrived! After being requested at the 2019 Seoul Fanfest, the four-seater is in the game.

The post The New FFXIV Chocobo Carriage Mount Seats 4, Costs $36 appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix is having a big year, with the first part of Final Fantasy VII Remake released in March, Trials of Mana released in April, and a new rhythm-based Kingdom Hearts game coming out later this year. If you're a fan of any of Square's major franchises, now's a great time to pick up any games you've been meaning to buy, as the publisher is hosting a major End of Summer Sale with up to 50% off physical and digital games across all platforms as well as merchandise. The sale runs from now until August 31.

The sale includes several Final Fantasy games, including Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, and Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition--discounts vary by console. You can also nab this year's Trials of Mana, a remake of Seiken Densetsu 3, which originally only released in Japan, for $35. Plus, Collection of Mana for Switch is down to $30 and includes the first three games in the Mana series.

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Today marks the 7th anniversary of the launch of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Square Enix is celebrating with its traditional seasonal event. 

The event is titled “The Rising” and it has been celebrated every year since 2014, remembering players of how the game was reborn from its ashes on August 27, 2013.

It’s an emotional moment for many players and the development team usually plays with our heartstring with the story of the dedicated quest. 

The event will be available until September 14 and requires talking with J’bhen Tia in Ul’dah to start the quest.

This year’s prizes include a beautiful painting featuring an illustration by Hiroyuki Nagamine and a Wind-up Ardbert minion. You can see them below.

Final Fantasy XIV has a special event that begins today, celebrating seven years since the MMO introduced sweeping changes in 2013's Realm Reborn update. The Rising anniversary seasonal event is back for the seventh year and will offer players a unique questline that tasks them with protecting J'bhen Tia in Ul'dah's stained glass exhibition.

Players who participate in the event will receive rewards, such as a Wind-up Ardbert minion and replica artwork to use in their personal home. You'll need to be level 15 and above to take part in The Rising. Anyone who is currently experiencing Final Fantasy XIV through its free trial are also eligible to take part in the event. The Rising will run from August 27 until September 14.

Gamescom 2020 kicks off today and while it may not be the event we're all used there's still plenty for gamers to look forward to at this year's show. On today's Opening Night Live digital event, Geoff Keighley has promised looks at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Fall Guys, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and (somehow) even more exciting reveals.

To celebrate such an event, we'll be watching along with you and to reacting to all the news, gameplay trailers, and whatever other surprises are headed our way!

We'll be going live with a little preshow action starting at 12:25 p.m. CT so be sure to join us for the fun! If you can't get enough of our live shows, remember to subscribe on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook to get notified when we go live each week!

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition has been in the works for a while, but today Microsoft finally announced when it's going to be available: October 15.

This is the (count it!) third definitive re-release (duh!) in the Age of Empires series, as Microsoft is being a good boy and going in order. It'll feature 4K visuals and a completely reworked interface. 

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition will launch on PC (Steam/Windows 10), as well as Xbox Game Pass for PC. The trailer below is looking insanely good: this is one of the most beautiful games of 2020.

The development team that created the open-world exploration game No Man’s Sky has come out with yet another indie title called The Last Campfire, and it’s out today for Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Apple Arcade. There’s also a new launch trailer to celebrate the big day.

The Last Campfire is a very different game when you compare it side by side with the studio’s last title. Instead of traveling to different planets, this indie title will put you in the shoes of an adorable little creature known as a lost ember that’s trapped in a confusing and scary place.

It certainly seems like a game that’ll tug at the heartstrings a bit. And if any of you have played the excellent 2008 WiiWare title called LostWinds then you might be excited to know that some of the creative minds behind that game also worked on The Last Campfire.

Here’s the launch trailer:

It's been tough to nail down the release date for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and today, it's still pretty elusive. As announced at Gamescom: Opening Night Live, it's now aiming for spring 2021.

I know it's "just LEGO Star Wars," but that delay is a huge bummer for some of us.

After briefly thinking the game was due out on October 20 (before that date was scrubbed from a This Week in Star Wars video), it settled back into a vague "2020" window. Now, 2021. What's the holdup?

Well, with nine films and "nearly 500 characters," it's gonna be a big boy.

The Skywalker Saga is launching on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

Gundam? More like goddamn. That's my best crack at a lede and I will not apologize.

Modus Games has announced Override 2: Super Mech League for anyone who likes a flashy robot brawler. It's headed to PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in December.

The Override 2 Steam page has a lot of the nitty gritty details about everything that's new. A couple of highlights are a career mode and a 20-bot roster. Also, there's a big crossover cameo that will be revealed in September. That's an Override overload.

Frontier Developments is getting into third-party game publishing, and one of its first titles, Struggling, is quite the departure. It's a gross-out platformer from Chasing Rat Games in which two players can take control of the same monstrous body. You'll need communication and patience for this one.

The fleshy lab-experiment protagonist Troy can also be controlled as a solo player, in which case you'll "simply" use the left stick and LT for one side of his body and the right stick and RT for the other.

Troy's "pilgrimage encompasses dodgy labs, perilous canyons, and even a psychedelic fever dream," and he'll gain abilities like slow-mo, detachable arms, and grafting an appendage "onto the environment."

As they say, long live the new flesh. Struggling is out today on Steam and Nintendo Switch.

If you were fretting about having to abandon your Warzone progress for the next Call of Duty, then here's a surprise for you: Black Ops Cold War will share progression with Warzone, including battle pass progression - and many of your current unlocks will carry across.

The information comes from Activision's FAQ page, which details that Warzone and Cold War are going to be rather intricately linked. Warzone will share content with Cold War, while Black Ops will include "shared progression features" to add inventory items that can be used in both titles. (In fact, we may have already seen a hint of this with the Bay of Pigs SKS that Warzone players were able to acquire during the in-game Cold War reveal event.)

On top of this, Warzone players "will still have access to Modern Warfare content they earned previously, like Operators and weapon blueprints". It seems this is linked to a shared battle pass system between Warzone and Cold War, which will unlock post-launch content with "unified progression" across both games. This will likely take a similar approach to the way the battle pass currently works in Warzone, with "base weapons, customisation items and more" unlocked by playing.

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