Gamespot

It's probably safe to say that the latest celebrity Twitter feud isn't one that we saw coming. Ron Perlman of Hellboy fame has challenged senator Ted Cruz to a wrestling match, and he'll make a donation of $50,000 to Black Lives Matter if Cruz says yes.

Perlman and Cruz have been arguing on Twitter for a few days now. The Hellboy actor had taken a crack at Republican congressman Jim Jordan a few days ago, prompting Cruz to offer $10,000 to a "non-political charity" of Perlman's choice if he would take Jordan on in the ring.

One thing led to another, resulting in the latest tweet from Perlman where he offered up a donation so long as Cruz would agree to wrestle him. As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the two are still going at it, with Perlman doubling down on his offer to donate to Black Lives Matter so long as Cruz accepts his challenge.

Remothered: Broken Porcelain has revealed some of the horrors we can expect from it in a new trailer, and a release date has also been set. The game, which is a sequel to 2017's Remothered: Tormented Fathers, will release August 25, 2020. It's coming to Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

The game, from Italian developer Stormind Games, makes some bold claims in the trailer, which tells viewers that they can "experience the most terrifying, most suspenseful, horror game of the year." Judging from the trailer, it offers a more traditional survival horror experience than most other recent horror titles.

You can watch the trailer below and gauge whether you'll be able to handle the scares offered up by Remothered: Broken Porcelain later this year.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the battle royale game Warzone continue to introduce new microtransactions. The latest come in the form of a pair of weapon bundles, one of which features a brand-new ice pick melee weapon to finish your foes in icy style.

The "Notice Me III" bundle comes with the "Dream Dasher" SMG blueprint that features a specialized sight, barrel, ammo, and rear grip. It also features the "Chibi Trooper" weapon charm and the "Cute Cadet" sticker.

The other new bundle now available is the "Wendigo" bundle. It comes with "Psychosis" assault rifle, the "Evil Manifest" SMG, and the "Crevasse" ice pick weapon. This bundle also includes a "Taiga" skin for the Operator Krueger.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, the new game from Vanillaware (Dragon's Crown, Odin Sphere, Muramasa: The Demon Blade), has announced a western release date. The game, which released in Japan on November 28, 2019, will be available in the US and other English-language territories on September 8, 2020. A trailer has also been released, showing off the game's incredible 2D art.

The game, which features 13 playable characters (hence the title) has a strong narrative focus that jumps between different time periods. It's a 2D title that features top-down combat between mechs you can customize and various kaiju.

You can check it out in the trailer below, which shows off the game's protagonists.

Vanillaware is known for its excellent, fast-paced combat, and the game was very well received in Japan. It was the only game nominated for the Seiun Award in the Media Category for the year of its release, and received awards and nominations in the Japan Game Awards, Famitsu Dengeki Game Award 2019, and Japan Otaku Awards.

Fortnite's latest in-game event, The Device, was a gigantic success. Epic Games has announced new statistics about it, and also teased a water theme for Season 3.

Writing on Twitter, Epic said it was "overwhelmed by the response" to The Device. A total of 12 million people were in the game when the event took place. The numbers could have been higher, but Epic put a cap on player numbers to help with stability.

Some of those who could not attend the event watched livestreams of it. Epic said a combined 8.4 million people watched The Device on Twitch and YouTube. You can re-watch the event in the GameSpot video above.

Humankind, the next game from Endless Legend and Endless Space developer Amplitude Studios, is a 4X strategy title that will use an "OpenDev" platform to gather player feedback ahead of launch. In a new post on publisher Sega's website, it's been announced that the game will launch in 2021, but that the developers are currently taking applications for a free early access period where players will be able to test certain scenarios and have an impact on development.

You can sign up for the OpenDev initiative now. Players who register right now will potentially be able to access three limited-time scenarios--Towers of Babylon, Battles of History, and Hold the Fort, each seemingly exploring a different period from history.

In the trailer below, being part of OpenDev is compared to joining the game's development team. Humankind was originally due to release in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the game's development.

Madden NFL 21 will be formally announced on June 16, but ahead of that, the NFL's social media page The Checkdown has posted a teaser where NFL stars react to the cover.

We know that Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is on the cover, but the cover itself has not been released. EA Sport showed it to some of Jackson's teammates, and their reactions are priceless. In this video, Mark Ingram, Willie Snead, Orlando Brown Jr., Mark Andrews, Ronnie Stanley, and Justin Tucker share their thoughts on the cover. They are all really excited for their teammate; some can't even get words out. It's a pretty wonderful video--have a look below.

Enter for a chance to win an exclusive Remnant: From The Ashes - Swamps Of Corsus bundle. Three lucky grand prize winners will take home a prize package that includes:

Destiny 2's new Season of Arrivals has brought a rise in the game's Power cap, kicking off another period in which players are earning new gear to strengthen their characters. Climbing the Power ladder is one of the core elements of Destiny, as is finding any way to shortcut the process through exploits, bugs, and other lucky happenings. Season of Arrivals has a bug like that, but instead of fixing it, which Bungie has already partially dealt with. But instead of hampering players' ability to use the shortcut, the developer should leave it in the game--because it actually has some spooky thematic resonance.

The exploit players are using comes from the newly introduced Umbral Engrams, Arrivals' season-specific gear system. Umbral Engrams drop from all activities in the game right now, and you can use a special machine to "focus" them, allowing you to change your random gear drop into one from a specific category you choose. You can focus Umbral Engrams to become seasonal armor or seasonal weapons, or make them focus on particular stats.

Usually, Umbral Engrams drop at a certain Power level that's in line with your character's other gear. Thanks to a bug, if you focus your engrams to become seasonal armor, they often get a big Power spike. That makes them akin to "Powerful" weekly drops in the world, allowing players to quickly get up to the "soft" Power cap of 1,050. That's almost the highest you can get your gear this season--to get up to 1,060, you need to do "Pinnacle" activities, like Destiny 2's raids and dungeons.

If you fancy yourself a fan of horror, then Wales Interactive's Maid of Sker should be on your watchlist. This first-person fright is due out in July 2020, and puts players in the driver's seat of a terrifying Welsh folktale.

Maid of Sker draws inspiration from classic horror flicks and situates you in a remote, run-down hotel with a checkered past. By 'checkered past,' we mean a history of murder, torture, and a healthy dose of the supernatural.

Based on the real-life location of Sker House, and on the Welsh legend of Elisabeth Williams (who reportedly died in captivity in the house), the game will force players to deal with all manner of specters to find out the truth. Wales Interactive, the developer behind the game, is experienced with horror titles and perhaps most well-known for its FMV game SIMULACRA.

Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite and the extremely popular and lucrative Unreal Engine, is looking to raise a lot of money to push its total company value to new heights.

Bloomberg is reporting that Epic Games is "close" to raising $750 million in new venture capital funding that would put the company's total valuation at around $17 billion. That's up from $15 billion.

The new investors reportedly include Baillie Gifford and T. Rowe Price Group Inc. Companies that previously invested, including KKR & Co., will also be part of the new funding round, the report said.

I know it was a big ask, but do you know how hard it was to convince folks to find a PlayStation Vita, actually purchase a dead platform for one game, then get them to stick with the 80- to 100-hour journey? Now I only really have to worry about that last step.

For too long Persona 4 Golden was beholden to the PS Vita (a fine piece of hardware, though). But with the game now on Steam, not only does this mark the PC debut of Atlus' beloved RPG series, it also comes as a quality port itself. Between the enhanced graphics options, high frame rate, unlocked New Game Plus difficulty features, and the inclusion of Persona 4's Japanese voice-overs, there's never been a better time to play one of the RPG greats.

From a technical standpoint, P4G looks and runs better on PC than it ever has. That's not a very high bar to clear since this is a port of an eight-year-old remaster of a 12-year old PS2 game, after all. But with a handful of graphics options, you can get more visual detail than previous versions. Specifically, the support for native 4K/1440p/1080p resolutions, anti-aliasing, and anisotropic filtering clean up image quality significantly. There are also options to turn shadows (not the enemies) on or off and control their overall quality. Ultrawide users make up a small audience, but note that this port does not support aspect ratios beyond 16:9, so you won't get to put that extra screen space to use--it's okay, really.

Fans of shop management sims will want to keep their eye on Potionomics, the latest title announced by XSEED Games. First revealed at the recent PC Gaming Show, the title appears to incorporate card-based elements into a colorful take on classic management mechanics.

XSEED Games and Voracious Games will be working together on Potionomics, which tells the story of Sylvia, a potion shop owner who needs to make enough money to keep loan sharks away. If this sounds a bit like the plot of Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! then you're on the right track.

When playing as Sylvia, you'll undertake a number of tasks during the day-to-day running of your shop. Bargain with customers, brew your signature potions, and make sure that you're staying on top of all your bills. You'll have to outshine and outsmart your competition, including sprucing up the place.

It's looking like Groundhog Day for 3D Realms' lawyers. Gearbox is suing the company again over Duke Nukem, specifically as a countersuit in response to being sued over using music composed for Duke Nukem 3D.

Gearbox was legally affirmed as the owner of the Duke Nukem property in 2011 after buying the rights off 3D Realms in 2010. However, the company ran into some trouble when Bobby Prince, composer for the series, filed a suit over the use of his music in 2019. According to Prince, Gearbox did not own the rights to the music for Duke Nukem 3D, and it had used said music when releasing a 20th-anniversary version of the game.

Fast forward to this year and Gearbox is now suing 3D Realms for the second time, as reported by PC Gamer. Specifically, Gearbox is suing 3D Realms for a breach of contract that took place when the former became the legal owner of the property. The suit alleges that 3D Realms failed to pass over "free and clear" possession of the Duke Nukem IP because it only owned the rights to some of Prince's music.

Over the past few years, Escape From Tarkov has become notorious for its hardcore approach to the competitive shooter genre, a persistent gear-driven game where you lose everything you're carrying when you die. Well, if you've had a run of rotten luck in the trenches of Tarkov, or you're just getting started, there's some good news: you can score some item drops by watching participating streamers on Twitch.

Thanks to a previous patch, which also reset overall character progression for all players, these items can't be sold on the game's black market. This means you'll have to use the gear yourself, rather than fencing it for what you really want. This is a substantial change from previous Twitch drops, which some players accused of disrupting the game's economy.

This promotion has caused Tarkov's viewership numbers to balloon on Twitch, with over 240,000 online as of this writing. For comparison, Fortnite is mustering a bit more than half of that, at 154,000, despite it being only a few hours after a massive event. At the PC Gaming Show, developer Battlestate Games revealed that a new map will be coming soon, as well as a revamped skill system. If you're looking to begin your illustrious career as a scavenger, check out our guide to Escape From Tarkov's controls and hotkeys.

Following a patch that fixes minor issues, developers Infinity Ward and Raven Software have announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will get a familiar mode this week on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Seen in various other Call of Duty games like Black Ops 4 and Modern Warfare 3, One in the Chamber makes its debut in Modern Warfare this week. It plays just as fans remember, with each player competing in a free-for-all where everyone gets just a single bullet in their starting weapon.

Modern Warfare's One in the Chamber, however, features a twist: the weapon in players' hands is randomly selected at the start of the match. Alongside the randomness of weapons, players only have three lives to take the top spot and additional bullets are earned by getting kills.

Invisible, Inc., the turn-based stealth game about tactical espionage, is out today on Nintendo Switch, developer Klei announced in a tweet.

The Nintendo Switch edition includes the full game plus the Contingency Plan DLC for $20 USD. This edition also features adjusted text size to ensure readability whether you're playing docked or in handheld mode.

In GameSpot's Invisible, Inc. Console Edition review, Kevin VanOrd gave the game an 8/10, writing, "It's tense and challenging, yes, but Invisible Inc. is also simple, elegant, and always logical. It introduces new concepts in a slow drip, giving you plenty of time to work out the details. The titular spy agency is violently infiltrated, initiating a time-sensitive series of global heists and sneakabouts, each of which you control from an isometric perspective in the style of strategy games like XCOM."

The Nintendo Switch has been difficult to find in stock as of late, but it's not the only key Nintendo product you might have trouble buying right now. Joy-Cons, the system's standard controllers, are seemingly sold out everywhere, at least in the US--and that's a real problem if you're one of the many Switch owners dealing with drifting issues.

The video game industry has seen incredible sales in the first half of the year, as the coronavirus drove people indoors and in need of ways to pass the time. The NPD Group reported that video game industry sales in the US during April were up a whopping 73% compared to the same period last year, which is all the more remarkable when considering that a new generation of consoles will soon be here. Switch has been a particularly hot item, with NPD saying its year-to-date hardware sales through April are the highest for any console ever.

Accessory sales were also way up: The April record for controllers was almost doubled, with PS4's DualShock 4 and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller leading the way. But whereas you can pick up a PS4 or Xbox One controller with little issue, the same can't be said for Switch Joy-Cons. Head to the online retailer of your choice, and you'll find one of two things: a "sold out" notice or exorbitant prices from third-party resellers. It mirrors the same thing we've seen with Switch itself, as we've been tracking for the past few months.

Father's Day is coming up this weekend, and if you're looking for a gift for dad, then Amazon has an excellent deal on the Apple Watch Series 5. The 40mm version of the Apple Watch Series 5 is down to $300--that's a $100 discount, making this a particularly great opportunity to snag something nice for your dad. It's unclear how long this Apple Watch deal will last, so if you're interested, you should buy it as soon as you can. It comes with free Prime shipping and can arrive within a couple of days, depending on your location.

Niantic is investigating an issue that appears to be resulting in improper bans in Pokemon Go. Players have been complaining of receiving bans, and the community has been trying to piece together common traits for those being impacted by the problem.

Eurogamer reports that the popular Pokemon Go subreddit TheSilphRoad has been populated with several threads documenting the bans. Users have been reaching out to sites about the problem, including GameSpot. Niantic has now issued a statement regarding the bans, saying it is looking into the issue.

Players believe the problem is impacting those using iOS 12, with some reportedly claiming they've been experiencing bans for months. Most players are hit with a seven-day "soft" ban, which is given as a warning to players using modified software. This doesn't disable play altogether, but it does impact the level of rarity you can catch. If you rack up enough of these offenses, it could result in a longer ban or a deactivation of your account altogether.

Blankos Block Party, the debut title from developer Mythical Games, is set to have an invite-only beta test sometime this August. Toy enthusiasts interested in participating in the party MMO can sign-up for a free Mythical account and join the Discord channel, where the studio will provide more information on how to join the PC beta.

In addition to announcing the upcoming beta test, Mythical shared a brand-new trailer for Blankos Block Party. The trailer, below, shows the many activities you can get into, from racing other players to dancing around the server and much more. In short, Blankos Block Party combines the free-flowing gameplay of both Fortnite and Roblox with the aesthetic charm of a Funko Pop vinyl toy come to life.

You can also construct your own environments in Blankos Block Party and share them with other players around the world. These world-building tools allow you to create games that have their own rules. And anything you earn or purchase, from the cute chibi figures that are the Blankos to player-created levels, is yours to keep.

If you drop into a normal game of Fortnite: Battle Royale right now you'll find The Agency, the center piece for the games' second season, in pieces. It was blown up during today's special event, The Device, but many players didn't get to see it happen.

Servers for The Device filled up soon after opening at 10:30 AM PT / 1:30 PM ET, meaning players who couldn't get in had to watch on Twitch or YouTube. Epic Games had warned players to come 30 minutes early, but even those that tried weren't guaranteed a spot.

Players who missed the event are sounding off on Twitter, upset because of the limited capacity. Previous events like the Travis Scott concert was less restrictive, mainly because it had multiple showtimes spread across a weekend. The Device event was also delayed multiple times, most recently due to the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted across the country. Many were surprised that they wouldn't be able to attend at all after the additional delay.

Just like first-party games, Nintendo Switch accessories tend to stay around full price outside of major sales like Black Friday, but right now, Pokemon fans can snag one handy accessory for a fraction of the price. Nintendo's Poke Ball Plus normally sells for $50, but this week at Best Buy, you can buy it for just $20. This is the same price the Poke Ball Plus was during Black Friday, and it didn't stay in stock for long, so if you've been waiting for the price to drop, now's the time to grab it.

The Poke Ball Plus accessory is small and fits easily into the palm of your hand, with a wrist strap to secure it. It's compatible with Pokemon Go, allowing you to play without checking your phone. When a Pokemon is nearby, the Poke Ball Plus will light up and vibrate. You can press a button to throw a virtual Poke Ball, and different LED light patterns will let you know if you've caught the Pokemon. The Poke Ball Plus also counts your steps so you can hatch eggs and gather candy for your Pokemon.

Quantic Dream's last three games have been available on PC since 2019, but were previously exclusive to the Epic Games Store. Now, ahead of the full releases of Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human on June 18, the studio has put out a demo for each game on their new Steam storefront.

Known for its highly-cinematic approach to the adventure game genre--as well as its outspoken founder David Cage--Quantic Dream's games were previously exclusive to PlayStation platforms, since they were published by Sony. Last year, however, the studio announced that its future games will be self-published, giving it the freedom to release its back catalog on PC. In that announcement last year, Quantic Dream's co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumière indicated that the Epic Games Store's revenue-sharing model, which gives 88% to the developer, rather than the 70% that Steam offers, was a key part of its decision to go Epic-exclusive.

Detroit: Become Human was released in May 2018 as a PlayStation 4-exclusive. It was generally well-received and it set sales records.

Week 3 of GameSpot Play For All is officially underway! Over the past two weeks, we've been bringing you a variety of interviews, news, gameplay reveals, and charity streams to raise money for both Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 relief efforts, but there is still plenty more on the way as we enter the third week of our summer gaming celebration.

We're continuing to partner with our friends from across the games industry to bring you an assortment of streams and events to look forward to. This week, we'll be hosting a Call of Duty: Warzone stream with Chad Michael Collins, the voice of Modern Warfare's Alex, as well as a charity stream with Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Aerith, Briana White. We also have some exclusive developer interviews and trailer reveals lined up, including a few that are under wraps for now.

Developer Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the popular MOBA, Heroes of the Storm, has a brand-new playable character. Climatologist and Overwatch fan-favorite Mei has landed in Heroes of the Storm's Public Test Realm on PC, with an official launch scheduled for June 23.

There is one notable difference between HotS Mei and Overwatch Mei: she's a Tank this time around instead of a DPS hero. Otherwise, she brings her familiar Overwatch kit to Heroes of the Storm, such as her blizzard and ice wall abilities, with a few new additions. This includes a snowball that damages and slows enemies, a directional slide tackle that knocks foes backward, and more.

In addition to Mei, Blizzard is introducing two more elements to Heroes of the Storm's PTR: A new Nexus Anomaly and another in-game event.

If you miss going to the arcades to play your favorite old school games, chances are you've heard of Arcade1Up, the arcade cabinet manufacturer who keeps churning out awesome machines loaded with classic games. Just last week, Arcade1Up released the highly-anticipated NBA Jam cabinet with a riser for a cool $400. If you're looking for something a tad cheaper, Best Buy's current Deal of the Day focuses on countertop cabinets and a sweet Golden Tee cabinet for golf fans.

The Golden Tee cabinet is on sale for $285, down from $400. It comes with a riser to make it perfect for play while standing up. Fitted with a 17-inch screen and all of the inputs you fondly remember (including the trackball), the cabinet replicates the experience of the game that could often be found in both arcades and restaurants/bars. This cabinet comes with four versions of Golden Tee: Classic, '98, '99, and 2K.

Arcade1Up cabinet deals at Best Buy

You might remember Bloodrayne as an experiment to create the most early 2000's video game possible: one part sultry vampires, one part hack-and-slash. After years of dormancy, it appears the series is making a comeback. Publisher Ziggurat Interactive has purchased the license from the former owner Majesco, and it's working with the original developers of the series to improve the PC versions of the game.

"Bloodrayne is a beloved franchise with a huge fan base and we're extremely appreciative of the opportunity to be stewards for this fantastic series," said Ziggurat Interactive's President, Wade Rosen. "Players the world over fondly remember titles like Bloodrayne and Advent Rising and having the opportunity to not only bring these games to a new audience but to expand their universes is something we take seriously."

Ziggurat Interactive is a publisher that specializes in re-releasing and remastering forgotten legacy games, including Darklands, Slave Zero, and Marco Polo. This would represent the second attempt to revive the franchise. Back in 2011, Majesco released Bloodrayne: Betrayal, a 2D side-scroller that received mixed reviews. The studio behind the original games, Terminal Reality, closed back in 2013, following its less-than-stellar zombie shooter The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.

Persona 4 Golden launched on Steam this weekend after a surprise announcement during the PC Gaming Show, one of many E3 events happening online this summer. The base game is selling for $20, while the Digital Deluxe Edition, which gets you the digital soundtrack and digital artbook, is available for $25. However, if you didn't snag Persona 4 Golden the second it launched on Steam, you can currently grab it for at least 15% off at several official Steam key retailers.

The best deal is at Humble Bundle, which is offering an exclusive discount for its Humble Choice members. With Humble Choice, you can get Persona 4 Golden for $16 and its Digital Deluxe edition for $20. However, if you're not subscribed to Humble Choice, you can still find discounts elsewhere. Fanatical's deal on the standard edition is sold out, but Gamesplanet is still offering the base game for $17. Meanwhile, both Fanatical and Gamesplanet have the Digital Deluxe edition for $21.24. These are Steam keys that'll be available immediately after purchase.

Persona 4 Golden (Steam) Deals:

Standard edition:

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will release on PC in addition to the Nintendo Switch, publisher XSeed Games has announced. The PC version will feature eighth language options and up to 4K resolution options.

The remake of the 2003 game Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town will be coming to Switch and Steam on July 14, the first mainline Story of Seasons game to be released on both platforms. The remake features new content, along with updated systems and character designs.

XSeed also announced that it would be publishing Potionnomics on PC. Developed by Voracious Games, Potionnomics follows a failing potions shop owner who must master potion brewing and salesmanship. Its release date will be announced at a later date.

Since launching Night in the Woods in 2017, developers who worked on the game have been silent over what they've been working on since. Some went on to found The Glory Society, who today teased their first project with a visual style strikingly similar to their previous work.

The image, posted to Twitter, shows a crow on top of a tombstone. An illuminated sigil pulses on the tombstone, featuring a pitchfork and bone flanked by images of stars, the moon, and more.

Beyond that, there's no indication as to what this might be or if it is a sequel to Night in the Words. The Glory Society promises more news to come soon in the thread, but gives no firm indication as to when to expect it.

The free-to-play JRPG Phantasy Star Online 2 will receive its first big content update, titled Episode 4, this August on PC and Xbox One. It will add a new planet, some different enemies types, an increased level cap, and more. Developer Online R&D shared an announcement trailer for Phantasy Star Online 2's Episode 4 update, which you can check out below.

Episode 4 takes players to Earth, a location familiar to fans of the Phantasy Star Online franchise. The update takes place several years after the end of Episodes 1-3, which are included in the base game, with players discovering an invasion of fake ARKS members. In addition to these enemies, Episode 4 introduces "The Phantom," a mysterious enemy possibly behind the strange organization called Mother Cluster. You will be tasked with visiting new locations, like Las Vegas and Tokyo, to thwart the advances of these new enemies.

Phantasy Star Online 2's big free update also brings with it an increased level cap and various other goodies. You can check out some screenshots below.

Microsoft has shared more details on Xbox Series X Smart Delivery, including a list of supported games and some new features. The feature will help bridge the generations between Xbox One and Xbox Series X by automatically downloading the version that's right for your current hardware, so you'll only have to buy it once.

In a detailed blog post, Microsoft noted two key, previously unknown features. Smart Delivery will be enabled for Xbox Game Pass games that use it, though as always Microsoft notes that determination will be up to individual developers. It will also carry over game progress, so you can begin a game on Xbox One and then pick up from your last cloud save when you upgrade to Xbox Series X.

The post also shared a list of confirmed Smart Delivery enabled games so far:

Following the success of last year's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, EA has announced a new Star Wars game is coming to consoles and PC, and you won't have to wait much longer to play it. Star Wars: Squadrons will release October 2, 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (via Origin, Steam, and the Epic Games Store). VR fans can also get in on the fun, as the space shooter will also be playable in VR on PS4 and PC. Following today's reveal trailer, Star Wars: Squadrons is available to pre-order on all platforms, so you can secure your copy early and be ready to play on day one.

In Star Wars: Squadrons, you'll enlist as a starfighter pilot who will command iconic ships from both the New Republic and Imperial fleets. The game features 5v5 multiplayer dogfights, monumental fleet battles, and an original single-player story about events occurring after the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the Death Star II. The story alternates between the perspectives of two pilots--one from the New Republic's Vanguard Squadron and the other from the Empire's Titan Squadron.

Star Wars: Squadrons features cross-play support for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and VR, so you'll be able to squad up with your friends no matter what platform they're on. The game has extensive cosmetic and gameplay customization options so you can design your pilot, cockpit, and ship exterior to your liking. You'll also earn things like weapons, engines, and shields to deck out your starfighter as you move up the ranks.

After teasing it last week, Electronic Arts has officially announced Star Wars: Squadrons. Described as an "immersive, first-person space dogfighting experience," Squadrons is scheduled to release on October 2 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will also be playable in virtual reality on PS4 and PC, though EA did not specify which headsets will be supported.

While EA is officially announcing the game today, the company is holding back the first gameplay footage until EA Play 2020 on June 18. Squadrons is developed by Motive Studios in association with Lucasfilm, and it will feature a dedicated single-player mode, and multiple multiplayer modes with no microtransactions.

"We created this game for every Star Wars fan who has ever dreamt about soaring across the galaxy in their favorite starfighter," Motive Studios creative director Ian Frazier said in a statement.

Ubisoft is preparing to launch The Division 2 Title 10 update, which will lay the groundwork for Warlords of New York Season 2. The patch will roll out on June 16 and Season 2 will follow on June 23. Ubisoft has now shared the expected downtimes for the patch.

According to a tweet from the company, the server shutdown will begin at 12:30 AM PT / 3:30 AM ET. Downtime is expected to last about four hours. Full patch notes are coming later, but we already know some of what to expect from the update. Almost all weapons are getting a damage boost, and you'll find and craft better loot, and find better stock at vendors. It will also come with some balance and bug fixes.

When Season 2 launches, your agents will take on a new faction splintered off from antagonist Aaron Keener. It will include two new exotics, a new skill variant, and a new gear set. You'll need to own the Warlords of New York expansion to play, and you can also buy a Season 2 Pass for extra progression rewards.

One of the biggest omissions from Sony's recent PlayStation 5 reveal event was what you can expect to pay for the console when it launches during Holiday 2020. According to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, the company is working hard on balancing the price, but is prioritizing value over its overall cost.

In an interview with the BBC (via Comic Book), Ryan noted the gaming industry's resistance to periods of recession, but ensured that Sony was working on the right "value equation" for the PS5.

"Conventional wisdom and history show that our business is one of the more recession-proof businesses," explained Ryan. "But I think this will sharpen our need to ensure that we focus on getting the value equation right. And I emphasize value as opposed to price."

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has big plans for the hit Pokemon mobile game this year. On top of detailing the upcoming Pokemon Go Fest 2020 event and announcing its local business recovery initiative, the studio has shared some tidbits on a new feature in the works for Pokemon Go: Niantic Social.

As explained in a blog post, Niantic Social will be a social hub for Niantic games. The studio says it'll launch first in Pokemon Go, and through it you'll be able to see the online status of players on your friends list, as well as your Niantic Profile, which will let you view stats like total kilometers walked and the level you've reached in other Niantic titles like Ingress Prime and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

Niantic hasn't announced exactly when Niantic Social will launch, but the studio says the feature will roll out later this month in time for Pokemon Go Fest 2020. That event takes place on July 25-26. This year, Niantic is turning it into a global virtual experience with new gameplay elements like habitats--themed virtual environments that will rotate every hour and be home to a different assortment of Pokemon.

Activision typically announces a new Call of Duty game around May each year, and it's followed up with gameplay footage at E3 the next month. Unfortunately, 2020 is not like other years and fans are still completely in the dark about the latest game--at least in terms of official details. Some bits of information appear to have leaked over the last few weeks, and they point to a Treyarch-developed Call of Duty: Black Ops game. Here is what we know, including rumors and reports, about 2020's new Call of Duty game so far.

It's Likely A Black Ops Game

Black Ops has been one the Call of Duty series' biggest brands since its inception, and Treyarch's games are known for their tremendous multiplayer and, with the exception of the campaign-free Black Ops 4, exciting storytelling.

In reports from several weeks ago, alleged leaker Okami13 tweeted that Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War would be this year's game. As the name suggests, it will apparently be going back to the '60s era of the original Black Ops game.

In an effort to aid small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Pokemon Go developer Niantic has announced a local business recovery initiative, which will give players a chance to nominate an important local business to spotlight within the game.

Beginning today, June 15, Pokemon Go players will be able to fill out a form to nominate a business that is "local and small in nature" for the program. As part of the nomination process, players will be asked to describe what it is about that particular business that means so much to them, and how that business impacts the community as a whole.