Game Informer

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, we discuss a handful of the games we've been playing recently, including: Star Wars: Squadrons, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, NHL 21, Path of Exile, and Hades. Next, we interview Intellivision Entertainment president Tommy Tallarico about his time in the industry writing video game music, hosting the TV show Electric Playground, and producing the upcoming Amico console. Finally, we close the show with another fantastic round of community emails and GI's Meaningless Character rankings. So please join Andrew Reiner, Jeff Cork, Kim Wallace, Alex Stadnik, and myself for another wild and ever-entertaining episode!

Apex Legends players should be able to play together regardless of platform, and the team over at Respawn is making that happen. Apex Legends crossplay testing begins testing next week, though the default will continue to separate PC and console players unless the settings are changed by the player itself. 

Respawn first made the promise that crossplay was going to be making its way over into Apex Legends back in June, but news has been mum since then. Today, the studio announced that the Apex crossplay beta is set to go live on October 6 and will include Origin, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 players. 

For those that are worried about the blending of console and PC players, especially in terms of hacks that predominately take over the PC community; don't be. The default setting when this goes live will continue to separate PC and console players. The crossplay will only be enabled between those platforms should the player choose it in the game's menu. 

It's been a hot minute since we've had Super Smash Bros. Ultimate news, but a new fighter is finally on the way. As confirmed by this morning's Smash Direct, Minecraft Steve has officially joined the fight, as well as a playable Enderman and Alex.  

Ultimate has truly lived up to its name with its largest roster to-date, including many characters Nintendo fans never thought they'd see added. Because of this, fans have had some pretty ambitious picks for who they would like to see added, including Halo's Master Chief when Nintendo and Microsoft began working more closely together at the start of 2018. 

The newest arrival to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings a unique set of moves to the fighting game, which can be seen in the video above in the small tease. A full deep dive into the latest addition will be revealed on October 3. 

Cyberpunk 2077 needs no introduction if you're plugged into the gaming world; you probably already know that it's the latest the open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher 3. But what about people who don't follow upcoming releases closely? Who will ensure that they know more about this exciting game? The answer is simple: Keanu Reeves.

The Hollywood actor known for starring in Point Break (1991) and The Lake House has a featured role in Cyberpunk 2077 as the character Johnny Silverhand, and he steps into the spotlight to promote the game in the commercial above.

For over six years, one game franchise has remained a consistent part of my gaming regimen. Destiny and its sequel hit a lot of sweet spots for me, combining engrossing sci-fi/fantasy world-building, role-playing-style character upgrades, and immaculate action/gunplay. It’s a hobby I’ve enjoyed for a long time, and I’m intensely excited for Beyond Light. But that doesn’t mean the game always works for me in every way. Even as I’m thrilled to experiment with new stasis powers or witness the return of The Stranger, the thing I most want out of Destiny 2 at this point is a relief from the exhausting time-wasters.

Like many adult gamers, the demands of balancing work at home, childcare, and increased inconveniences due to the ongoing pandemic hasn’t made for more free time, but less. When I sit down to play a game outside of work hours, I am looking for a getaway and for the time I invest to feel worthwhile.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered for PS5 will offer an updated experience for the Insomniac Games adventure that smashed records and was a perfect hit for Marvel fans. For those looking to scoop up this version of the game, not only will you get a newly recasted Peter Parker, but you'll be getting three new Spidey suits to go with him. 

While not all three of the suits have been revealed, we do have our first look at one of them with the newly added The Amazing Suit. Like the other Spidey gear found in-game, the Amazing Suit remains faithful to the source material with that spiffy modernized flair: 

Insomniac Games

The new suit looks stunning and the attention to detail is beyond incredible. As mentioned in our previous coverage, the team has made quite a few notable upgrades to the Remastered version of Marvel's Spider-Man beyond new suits. From a new face for Peter Parker to targeted 60 fps performance, the Remastered edition of the Insomniac Games hit is the perfect excuse to dive back in or to join in on the fun for anyone that missed out during the PS4 launch. 

Mental health is important and 2020 has not made taking care of ourselves easy. For those looking for a journey to dive into for positive mental health, here are just a few suggestions we have that may help. 

Whether it is anxiety, depression, or anything else can impedes mental health, games are a solid way to help cope and they also can be an escape when needed. For this list, we want to offer a variety of games to choose from that can tackle different areas of mental health. 

Florence | Loss

Florence is a beautiful story that centers around a character that feels stuck, a feeling most of us have related to at one time or another. Florence's life changes when she meets a cello player named Krish as he helps her see the world through an entirely new lens, as well as how she sees herself. 

This game is a perfect journey to begin no matter what, but it has especially helped me when I went through a major loss and life shift. Letting go, finding who you are, and embracing the random that is life; Florence is a gem that feels real and magical while remaining rooted to a reality that is a truth for so many. Things end, but things are always beginning, and this game is a great reminder of that. 

Actual Sunlight | Depression

The next generation of gaming is just around the corner, but just because we are going into a new cycle of games doesn't mean we have to leave older experiences behind for good. With both the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5 offering backwards compatibility, playing old favorites is easy to do. With the new Xbox offering backwards compatibility across four generations, Cloud saves offer an incredibly effective way to pick up previous adventures as if we've never left. 

Xbox's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb shared a small video showcasing how Cloud saves positively impact the gaming experience, saying "Cloud saves and our generations of compatibility means I pick up right where I left off in Fallout 4 from the comfort of my Xbox Series X." 

In the video, Hyrb not only shows off how fast Fallout 4 loads, but also shows off how his progress and saves import into the newest generation flawlessly. 

Cloud saves and four generations of compatibility means I pick up right where I left off in Fallout 4 from the comfort of my Xbox Series X.
✅Saved game and progress on my lvl 52 character
✅Fast loading and quick resume mean more time to help settlements pic.twitter.com/zP4axw2VLy

Razer is no stranger to making a joke gone viral an official piece of merch and that is very much true of the company's latest addition to its retail lineup: Respawn gamer gum. To go along with the Razer Respawn energy drink mix that debuted last year, the gum aims to achieve the same goal of improving mental performance and focus. So, does it work? 

What's in it? 

The Razer Respawn gum has a ton of B vitamins in it, which is good for focus, in addition to green tea extract. It is also sugar free, which is pretty common for gum in general. 

The line comes in three different flavors: Pomegranate Watermelon, Tropical Punch, and Cool Mint. While it didn't give me focus, which could honestly just be because I'm a complete scatterbrain by nature, I will admit it does taste pretty good. The Pomegranate Watermelon was especially tasty, even if it didn't make me an actual good Apex Legends player. Maybe one day...

Sony revealed its October freebie lineup, now it's Microsoft's turn. Each month, Microsoft offers four free games for Xbox Live members to enjoy, two from the current generation and two blasts from the past that can be enjoyed via backwards compatibility. This month's lineup is a solid tribute to the festivities of October for those already getting into the Halloween spirit. 

Xbox Games With Gold October Lineup

While some months can be hit or miss, this month is actually a great opportunity for gamers to experience something new that they may not have heard of, including my personal favorite with Maid of Sker. Maid of Sker brings that traditional British horror experience to life and is perfect for those that enjoy games like Amnesia. 

Also included is a very campy adventure that is the perfect throwback to classic 80s horror with Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut. In this title, players assume the role of the evil Skullface whose sole purpose is to terrorize and horrify camp counselors and happy campers. 

Every month, Sony offers two free games for those that have an active PlayStation Plus membership. As September wanes down into its final days, the free PS Plus October 2020 games lineup has been revealed and includes a nice little horror treat ahead of Halloween. 

PS Plus October 2020

The two games that are being offered for October includes Need for Speed: Payback and Vampyr; one will have those cars racing while the other aims to get that blood pumping. Literally, it's a game about vampires. 

As a personal recommendation, I can't recommend Vampyr enough. Created by the studio that gave us Life is Strange, Dontnod crafts an intriguing and dangerous tale set in 1918. This action RPG has resounding narrative choices that can result in hefty consequences.

Though the game itself was met with mixed reviews due to pacing perceptions and less than stellar mechanics, the story itself more than makes up for any technical issues that players experience. At least as a personal recommendation. 

Need for Speed is also a great grab for those that care less about horror and just want to dominate behind the wheel. Both will be available from October 6 until November 2. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War embraces the full multiplayer experience with a suite of traditional offerings, Warzone for battle royale, and a tentpole of Treyarch, Zombies. Today, Treyarch unveiled details regarding the upcoming 4-player co-op experience. You'll play as part of Requiem, a CIA-backed international response team helmed by Grigori Weaver (you may remember this charcter from Black Ops!) to check out a WWII bunker. It sounds a little like the 2008 British horror film Outpost so far, but let's keep digging in...

As is often the case when going back to examine the Third Reich in Call of Duty Zombie fare, occult machinations are part of the horrible discoveries that players are set to make. Requiem also encounters The Omega Group, a rival team of Russians that are looking to uncover the same surreal secrets for their own purposes. What will these conflicting bands of soldiers and scientists find when they start poking around where they don't belong? I don't need to spell it out for you, but yeah. It's zombies. It's always zombies!

Even as the popularity of both tabletop and digital gaming continues to rise, the links between the two grow ever stronger. With every year, we see more board games adopting app-aided designs and other features from the digital world, while the video game milieu has had a long practice of borrowing tactical elements, storytelling concepts, and leveling from the board game and tabletop role-playing sphere. The two mediums are inextricably linked.

A new event is coming this October 21st through 26th, a joint venture between Valve and Auroch Digital, aiming to curate and celebrate this crossover between physical and digital gaming. Announced today, the event aims to highlight several big-name designers, including the likes of Steve Jackson (Munchkin, Ogre), Elizabeth Hargrave (Wingspan), Ian Livingstone (Games Workshop co-founder), and Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu RPG).

Events include a livestream highlighting the next big update coming to the Gloomhaven early access release on Steam, a panel on games about Mars, a panel on Cthulhu games, and a comparative look at the physical and digital design of Plague Inc., hosted by the designer of both versions.

Tabletop and video gamers who wish to learn more about the live-streamed and VOD event can check out Steam’s official page for the event. For more on Game Informer’s coverage of the tabletop gaming world, check out our Top of the Table hub.  

A voucher code for Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is included with the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Ultimate Edition on PlayStation 5. This next-gen remaster takes advantage of all that next-gen has to offer and also brings with it some additional cosmetic bonuses like three new suits.

One of the biggest changes is that for some reason, they've recast the face of Peter Parker. From the PlayStation Blog: "We loved working with John Bubniak on the original game; however, to get a better match to Peter Parker/Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal’s facial capture, we have cast Ben Jordan to be the face model for Peter Parker on the PS5 console. He looks incredible in-game, and Yuri’s moving performances take on a new life."

The PlayStation 5 offers a targeted 60 FPS performance mode, which you can check out in a clip below! There's also much faster loading and a new photo mode. You can read more about Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Ultimate Edition on the official PlayStation blog. 

The word is out that some publishers are changing that once-sacrosanct price point of $60 to $70 for the next-generation. The waters since the days of pulling a paper slip off the wall at a retailer and walking it up to the cash register have been muddied quite a bit. Often you're not even getting the "full game" anymore with that initial price tag, as DLCs, battle passes, and other cash-gated experiences are part of a full-price title.

So where does it end? If you could know for sure that you could get an "entire game" for $100, would that be a good price? How about $150? Is it better that the initial cost of the game is kept down under the $100 price tag to keep them affordable, keeping addons and additional content available for purchase? The future is rife with possibilities where technology becomes its own arbiter of content and control, so perhaps there are other alternatives to simple price increases.

In Blightbound, players form parties in the classic trinity (Tank, DPS, Healer) to take on a variety of dungeon delves. Until today, that meant using matchmaking or asking your friends to come with you to take on bosses and battles.

Now, if you can't find anyone else to play with, A.I. fills those positions and lets you keep crawling. The Helping Hands update also includes a variety of smaller enhancements. Blightbound is currently available in Early Access on Steam. Check out the trailer below for more details.

Netflix has delivered several animated series based on video games in recent years, adapting projects like Castlevania, Dragon’s Dogma, Resident Evil, and (probably) Splinter Cell. That’s a good start, but some major contenders are conspicuously absent. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 10 games that we think deserve their own animated series.

No one wants a show that just tries to follow the events of a game exactly; something is bound to get lost along the way, leaving fans upset and newcomers confused. So what makes a game a good candidate for this sort of adaptation? The world should be full of characters and stories worth telling, and have a distinct visual vibe that would look great in an animated format. It doesn’t need to replicate the exact magic of playing the game – the show can be its own thing. Different media do different things well, and that’s okay. So here’s what we’re thinking would work well for our games of choice.

Talk about the pricing of games for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S has been a hot topic with many studios confirming that this new price point will be a common occurrence for select games. Among the upcoming titles with the new $70 price, as confirmed by Counterplay Games and Gearbox Publishing, is Godfall. 

The studio behind Godfall has confirmed the pricing for the three editions of the game coming out on November 12, with pre-orders now available. For those interested in scooping up the upcoming title, here are the three different versions that are available to pre-purchase: 

• Godfall Standard - $69.99
• Godfall Deluxe Edition - $89.99
• Godfall Ascended - $99.99

All versions, if pre-ordered, will come with a special Godfall Starter Pack: 

• Godfall Starter Pack: Set of Augments and Trinkets
• Chrome skins for three Valorplates
• Zer0's longsword from Borderlands
• Yellow Valorplate skin for Typhon

The Deluxe Edition will come with the first expansion and the Ascended version will offer all of the above in addition to a red Valorplate skin, a Gold Weapon Pack, a Gold Shield, a Gold Royal Banner, and the Zodiac Knight Lobby title. 

The studio also shared a new trailer with more on Godfall and the different pre-order bonuses: 

Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be releasing a few months later for PlayStation 5 users, but PS4 game owners will receive a free upgrade when March 2, 2021 rolls around. Unfortunately for those planning on scooping up the PS4 version of the game in November, those save files won't transfer to the PS5 in March. 

Ryu ga Gotoku Studio (RGG Studio) took to Twitter to clarify that though both the physical and digital version of the PS4 title will be upgraded to the PS5 version for free, the save data between the two generations will not also transfer. 

To clarify, physical owners of Yakuza: Like a Dragon on PS4 can also use the original disc to upgrade to the PS5 version when it releases on March 2, 2021.

Save data will not be transferable between the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game.

The Epic Games vs. Apple lawsuit continues with the most recent hearing on September 28. The lawsuit began when Epic Games implemented their own pay system in the mobile version of the game, effectively bypassing Apple's 30 percent cut regarding in-game purchases. While still ongoing, the latest update favors Apple's stance that this move was a breach in agreement and a security concern, with the judge stating that Epic lied by omission. 

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers says that Epic Games was "not honest" with their intentions regarding in-game purchase actions, even stating that Epic's defense actually bolster's Apple's initial claims that the former took a contract-breaking stance when implementing its own programs against Apple's app review standards. 

"You did something, you lied about it by omission, by not being forthcoming" stated the judge during the most recent hearing. She continued, "That's the security issue. That's the security issue!" 

During the proceedings, the judge called into question Epic's motives behind the move and how its actions has impacted fans of all ages that enjoy Fortnite, especially given its free entry. "There are a lot of people in the public that consider you guys heroes for what you guys did, but it's still not honest."

PlayStation 5's Demon's Souls is an exciting remake that looks to immerse Soulsborne veterans and newcomers in a classic, hardcore adventure. However, the remake isn't merely an upgraded carbon copy of the original action/RPG. The Demon's Souls pre-order content includes the Reaper Scythe – an enemy boss' weapon that appeared in the old game. But in a recent PlayStation tweet, we can get a clearer picture of all of the never-before-seen gear and consumables that will come with the Demon's Souls Deluxe Edition. 

First look at the Digital Deluxe Edition of Demon's Souls, coming to #PS5 on November 12: https://t.co/nFRBshdAdR pic.twitter.com/p6z4h8fS1o

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 29, 2020

Like the Reaper Scythe, some of the weapons belong to Demon's Souls bosses like the Golden Skeleton and Hoplites. Other items like the three Grains and the Ring of Longevity are a mystery.

Demon's Souls releases alongside the PlayStation 5 on November 12. 

In an answer to player queries, Insomniac Games released a tweet affirming that Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales saves are transferable. Players that own the PlayStation 4 version of Spider-Man: Miles Morales will not only get access to a free next-gen upgrade of the game, but they can rest assured that their save data will be easily available too. Insomniac Games plans to release more info on the transfer process closer to launch. The original Spider-Man game will come as a remastered addition to the Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition but, unfortunately, it will not have transferable saves. 

Hi there, you will be able to transfer your save to PS5. We'll share details closer to launch

— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) September 29, 2020

You can purchase the base version of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales for $50 or the Ultimate Edition for $70. The game launches for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on November 12. 

A new Assassin's Creed Valhalla story trailer has arrived bringing with it a deep dive into the legacy that is Eivor. Additionally, Ubisoft also revealed a new podcast documentary series called Echoes of Valhalla that talks more about the historical inspiration behind the latest tale. 

We've seen quite a bit of Eivor previously, but the latest video goes deeper into who they are in terms of their impact and relation to their identity as a Viking and what happens when duty interferes with family. 

After Eivor's clan was driven out of Norway because of war and a dimming allocation of resources, it's up to Eivor to carve out a new future for their clan and place in the kingdoms of England. 

Throughout Valhalla, players will transform into Eivor as they encounter notable and powerful names in history, including the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. There are also a few mysteries to uncover as well, including a looming threat that is intricately tied to England and its destiny. 

According to the video's official description: 

Did you check out our New Gameplay Today yesterday for the free-to-play Genshin Impact? Well, you have a second chance to ask all your questions and get immersed in the action today as Dan Tack continues his adventure through the wild open world.

Strap in to do some extreme cooking, feed some ducks, slash some slimes, and sail through the sky. And that's just the start of things! Will we earn enough currency today for a "gacha" pull? What the hell is a gacha pull anyway? What actually is Genshin Impact? Find out all this and more on today's extreme stream!

Genshin Impact is currently available on PlayStation 4, PC, and mobile devices.

We'll be going live at 12 p.m. CT so be sure to join us in the chat and let's have some 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!

Genshin Impact is a hot new open-world game right now that the internet seems to love, we've even been streaming it ourselves quite a bit here at Game Informer. That being said, there have been a lot of comparisons to the look and feel of Genshin in relation to Nintendo's Breath of the Wild. This comparison is accurate in the way that Breath of the Wild did inspired Genshin Impact, but the devs want gamers to know that their adventure is still "very different." 

Studio miHoYo has been adamant since launch that the visuals of Genshin were inspired, but not limited, by Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but it seems that some are taking those comparisons too far. With accusations that Genshin is a 'carbon copy' of the hit Nintendo game, the devs want fans to know that the visual stylization does not dictate the game's overall appeal. 

In a recent interview with FreeMMOStation, a representative of miHoYo mentioned that the studio has always held Breath of the Wild "in high regard" and that it hasn't been shy about sharing how Nintendo's open-world game inspired Genshin. 

Xbox giveth and Xbox taketh away. There are five new games arriving on Xbox Game Pass this month and five titles leaving, all in the effort to keep this membership's library fresh with the games players want to play. For those looking for a new adventure to dive into, here's what you need to know about what is arriving and leaving the Xbox Game Pass in October. 

Most notably, the Xbox Game Pass is adding Doom Eternal on October 1 with Forza Motorsport 7 being another title that players have been asking for coming in on October 8. 

As for what's leaving, Metro 2033 Redux is a hard one to see make an exit alongside Felix the Reaper for those that love a good indie. For the full the list of what's coming and going: 

Pokemon Sword and Shield: The Crown Tundra DLC finally has a release date set October 22, with a few weeks later offering players a chance to grab a bundle with both expansions on November 6. Also revealed are the upcoming Dynamax Adventures, Galarian Start Tournament mode, and quite a few returning favorites with some of our favorite pocket monsters making a comeback. 

“The Crown Tundra is the second area you’ll be able to visit with your Expansion Pass,” Nintendo tells us. “See for yourself this vast landscape, with its drifts of glittering snow! In this frigid area with jagged, snowy mountains, people have settled in a small, tight-knit community. Early in your adventures here, a man named Peony will appoint you as the leader of his exploration team in the Crown Tundra. You’ll be tasked with investigating the reaches of this frozen land—including the depths of a Pokémon Den, something you’ve so far been able to glimpse only during Max Raid Battles!”

Unpopular opinions aren't all "I hate this game" stances, sometimes it's enjoying an adventure that really seemed to draw a lot of ire. Sometimes it's simply not understanding a connection that the community as a whole seems to have. What's important is that every video game hits differently and it's okay to feel how you feel about any given title.

With our takes, we want to make sure our readers know that these are just personal opinions and in no way is us saying X game was great or Y game was terrible! These are just how certain adventures resonated with us on an individual basis or how we feel about other topics in the gaming space.

Andrew Reiner, Editor-in-Chief – Achievements

I’m a huge fan of achievements. My Xbox Gamerscore is over 350,000, and while I say it’s a product of me playing as many games as I can, it also comes from me sinking time into 'bad' games that give out easy achievements. Yes, I will play something terrible if it gives me meaningless points. I call them meaningless, and they are in terms of being nothing other than numbers, but I love them and find it is almost like a game within a game to see how many points I can gather to pump up those numbers.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone's season 6 arrives on September 29 and brings with it a ton of new features to enjoy as well as the upcoming Haunting of Verdansk event. Even better? The Halloween event gives us vampire bats, what more do we need? 

A new way to fast travel arrives with season 6 thanks to the in-game Metro in addition to new operators, new maps, and the haunting new mid-season event with The Haunting of Verdansk. Who needs attack ravens when you can have vampire bats instead? The Haunting of Verdansk offers a new kind of flying fiend in addition to other cosmetic rewards in-line with the event itself. 

The Haunting of Verdansk arrives on October 20 and will run until November 3. We don't know much about the Halloween event other than the bats and that rewards are on the way, but that doesn't mean there aren't a ton of other features players to look forward to. 

No slowing down in Season Six.

🚇 A new way to travel.
🦇 A powerful new pet.
💪 New operators for the fight.
🔪 A terrifying mid-season event.

Keep the pace up in #ModernWarfare and #Warzone with these new additions. pic.twitter.com/ItvpqSADad

A small hiccup caused the need for an Eskel re-cast, but the team was ready to get it handled! No worries, The Witcher fans, season two is back on track. 

Previously, The Way to Mandalay's Thue Ersted Rasmussen was set to play the role of Eskel in Netflix's The Witcher season two. Unfortunately, there was a scheduling conflict due to complications related to COVID-19, which has caused the crew to rethink who should bring this character to life. 

The actor took to his Instagram to relay the news of his departure from the show with an added note of positivity for the remaining cast: 

        View this post on Instagram                  

😥🙏🐺⚔️ #witchernetflix #eskel #covid_19

Not too much longer before we can dive into the world of Night City with Cyberpunk 2077. For those that love collecting as much as I do, there is a new Johnny Silverhand statue that is so detailed it will blow your mind. It'll also blow that wallet, because this bad boy ain't cheap. 

From the incredibly talented studio over at PureArts comes their latest statue to hit shelves. This 1/4 scale replica of Keanu Reeves' character, Johnny Silverhand, is crafted to perfection. With removable parts for the exclusive edition like the guitar seen below and high-quality paint and extremely particular base, this statue continues on the quality known under the PureArts umbrella. 

Why say something with words when you can say it with images instead? And why use images that don't feature characters from The Last of Us Part II? If you find yourself asking questions like these, then you will be delighted by this collection of pictures shared by Naughty Dog. It features an array of ubiquitous reaction GIFs, except all the usual folks are replaced by familiar faces from the game like Ellie, Joel, Dina, and more. 

The album is part of the studio's celebration of The Last of Us Day (formerly known as Outbreak Day). The holiday falls on September 26 – the day of the outbreak in the The Last of Us universe. Some images in the collection have been making the rounds for a few months, but it's nice to see them all officially together in one place. 

If you are playing Marvel's Avengers, there are plenty of action figures hitting store shelves, including a line within Hasbro's awesome six-inch Gamerverse series. Many are out now, but two new figures were just announced: the Stealth Suit Captain America variation and Atmosphere Iron Man (which you can see below).

True to the Avengers' saying, you'll need to assemble a couple of the figures. Both the Abomination and Joe Fixit (the suited Hulk) are sold in pieces. This means you'll need to purchase six figures to assemble Abomination. Ms. Marvel's package contains Abomination's torso, whereas Iron Man's contains one of his legs. Sadly, some of the body parts are sold outside of the Gamerverse line and instead fall into Marvel Legends boxes.

The Hulk is the only figure that doesn't come with a body part. Getting all of the Gamerverse figures is an expensive investment, but the figures look awesome when put together. Below is the entire gallery figures based on the game:

Atmosphere Iron Man

Iron Man

Ms. Marvel

It's the game everyone wants to compare to Breath of the Wild. And maybe they should! Genshin Impact includes a ton of open-world exploration with a multitude of RPG progression systems in a free-to-play format. Genshin Impact is live now on mobile devices, PlayStation 4, PC, and it's coming to Switch at some point. Command a cast of characters and master the elements to explore dungeons, take on bosses, and solve puzzles.

Is it worth taking the trip into this mysterious and magical world? How predatory are the monetization tactics? Does that even matter when you get a ton of hours of gorgeous gameplay for free? Come chat with us and find out!

We went live earlier, but if you still have burning questions, be sure to check out our second day of streaming! 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!

Two massive titles are launching this Friday: Star Wars: Squadrons and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. 

Star Wars: Squadrons

In Star Wars: Squadrons, players take to the stars in space battles during the obscure time period between the prequel and sequel trilogies. If you've been wanting to live out your galactic dog-fight fantasies, then Squadrons is the game for you. In addition to a single-player campaign and cooperative player vs. AI scenarios, there are head-to-head multiplayer modes that range from small 5v5 skirmishes to larger, multistage fleet engagements. 

It's Monday which means another Mod Corner take. With Among Us taking over the internet despite not technically being a new game, we decided to do some diving and see what other game-verses have been taken over by these weird jelly bean astronauts. In our journey, we stumbled upon one The Sims 4 mod that includes Among Us and if we have to see this nightmare, so do you. 

This mod is a really simple one for PC players. It brings the adorablely weird Among Us jelly bean astronauts into The Sims 4 but to make this weird mod even weirder, you have to install it by body parts. 

Nexus Mods

Among Us also features a bunch of hilarious costumes for players to don, and this mod will include some of those like the toilet paper hat and the sticky note "dum" sign that goes on the front of the helmets. 

2020 has been a tumultous year for Ubisoft and its studio culture. After numerous reports of toxic behavior, stories of abuse, and HR inconsistencies, the studio at large opened a company-wide investigation into the reports that have come in and all new reports that continue to become known. This upheaval has also resulted in several upper level fires of Ubisoft executives. 

Earlier this month, Michel Ancel announced that he was leaving the studio to work at a wildlife sanctuary, but now a new report alleges that he left due to an ongoing investigation into his behavior at the company. Ancel has now responded to those reports. 

The initial report began from a French publication called Liberation, an article that cited Ancel's alleged toxic and abusive behavior towards his team as a reason why an investigation was launched against him. It was that investigation that the site states was the reason why Ancel departed from the company. 

A translation, courtesy of Kotaku, shed further light on the allegations, stating that Beyond Good and Evil 2 has been essentially in development hell, a state that was spurred on by Ancel's reported leadership style. Ubisoft has since confirmed that the investigation into Ancel has been ongoing.

Depression, burnout, and exhaustion are all linked in the initial report, something that Ancel himself vehemently denied. In a lengthy statement on his Instagram, the former dev began with the "Fake News" mantra.