Gamespot

Platinum Games--the developer behind action titles such as Bayonetta, Vanquish, and NieR: Automata--launched a Kickstarter campaign in early February for The Wonderful 101 Remastered. Crowdfunding quickly pushed past the $500,000 milestone, meaning the former Wii U-exclusive is coming to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC on May 19. With the campaign wrapping up imminently on March 6, however, another stretch goal has now been reached as the Kickstarter exceeds the $2 million mark.

A second mission will be added to The Wonderful 101 Remastered as a result of the crowdfunding campaign hitting the latest stretch goal. Titled Luka's Second Mission, it will see our hero "back and ready for more adventure." Luka's First Mission--a 2D side-scrolling adventure--was added after the Kickstarter hit $1.5 million.

At the time of writing, and with 27 hours of the crowdfunding stage left, 30,511 people have pledged $2,017,736 to the game. The remaster was already a done deal before a single cent was earned via crowdfunding, but Platinum says the campaign is about uniting a community of players and gauging interest. The money earned through Kickstarter will go towards rewards and stretch goals, such as the aforementioned extra missions.

Ghost of Tsushima, the latest PS4 exclusive developed by Infamous developer Sucker Punch, will launch on PS4 on June 26. The release date announcement was made alongside the launch of a new story trailer for the game, which you can watch above.

Ghost of Tsushima follows the story of Jin Sakai, known as The Ghost to the invading Mongol armies led by the ruthless Khotun Khan. Trained by his uncle Shimura, the jito (lord) of Tsushima, Jin is an incredibly skilled samurai who adopts more cunning death-dealing techniques, to the concern of his mentor.

In addition to the new trailer, Sony and Sucker Punch have also revealed three new versions of Ghost of Tsushima that are available for pre-order. Along with the standard edition, there's the Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the Hero of Tsushima skin set (packed with an in-game horse, saddle, mask, sword, and armor set for Jin) along with two in-game items--the Charm of Hachiman’s Favor and one technique point--and a Samurai PS4 dynamic theme. This edition will cost $70.

Doom Eternal's ultra-gory action needs a brutal soundtrack behind it, and composer Mick Gordon returns from 2016's Doom and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus to deliver the goods. With heavy metal vocalists serenading the legendary Doom Guy, Doom Eternal's tunes will get you pumped up in between battles and ready to slaughter thousands of demons.

In a behind-the-scenes video for Doom Eternal, Gordon solicited the help of a heavy metal choir in order to give the game a unique tone compared to its predecessor. The development team put out an open call for heavy metal singers to join a choir, which would fittingly record in a circle surrounding a satanic candle cluster.

Chanting an ancient language in unison, the participants delivered a massive battle cry. The group was split between men and women whose combined voice would intimidate even the mightiest Cyberdemon. They came from a diverse background of metal bands, including industrial metal and even Mongolian metal.

Hacker Lance McDonald is adept at pulling back the curtain on video games and showing us things we were never meant to see. From revealing that P.T.'s creepy ghost Lisa is behind you at all times, to uncovering the town of Silent Hill in the aforementioned teaser, and finding cut content in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Now, McDonald has set his sights on 2018's PS4 release of God of War and has already discovered a hilarious snippet of punk rock-energy from antagonist Baldur.

This began recently when McDonald managed to fully hack God of War's camera, allowing him to move it around the environment when in and out of cutscenes, and start and stop time freely.

If you want to be the very best like no one ever was, then get ready for the inaugural season of Pokemon Go's Battle League. It begins on March 13 and offers trainers the chance to compete against the best players from around the globe and rise to the top.

Beginning March 13 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET, the Pokemon Go Battle League requires you to get out into the world and walk in order to gain entry. In-game events in Japan, South Korea, and Italy are current in limbo, presumably because of the coronavirus making increased public interaction unsafe.

After walking five kilometers, you'll get entry into the league and unlock five online matches. The Stardust you receive in battles is determined by your rank and how well you do, and special avatar items are available. Those who haven't walked the required amount can spend the premium PokeCoins currency to enter the league early, too.

Rod Fergusson, the former head of Gears studio The Coalition, recently left to lead the Diablo team for Blizzard as it works on Diablo 4. He seems to be getting settled in and has dropped some hints of what he's seeing behind-the-scenes for the upcoming game.

From his short time in the office so far, he posed outside his new office and then shared that he's seen the art archive. He praised the talent of the art team, while also acknowledging that the imagery for the hellish series is "disturbing." And this is a man who just left a series about chainsawing creatures in half.

Fergusson has had a long career in game development, and he was notably credited with helping finish BioShock Infinite when it hit a rough patch. After that he worked at 2K on the game that would become Mafia 3--eventually leaving due to creative differences--and then became a manager at Black Tusk, which later became The Coalition.

On the wake of Sea of Thieves’ second anniversary, Rare is pumping out the next major update to the multiplayer pirate adventure, and it's called Heart of Fire. The update is feature-packed, adding more story elements to the game, along with new banana themed cosmetics for your pets and weapons.

The details of the new Tall Tale quest are being kept secret, but we know that the story will continue the tale of Sir Arthur Pendragon from the Seabound Soul update. The video showcases some new firetraps, which seem to set off a wall of fire cascading from above, blocking players off from certain routes. The developers also mentioned that the firetraps can’t kill you in one hit, thankfully.

A new throwable explosive called the Blunderbomb has been added as well, with the primary purpose of knocking back enemies in tight situations. It can also be used against players, knocking them off ladders, off the side of the boat, or even away from the wheel, rigging, or capstan."

A former Counter-Strike professional player has been hit with a huge sentence after a conviction of fraud. Universo Online is reporting (via translations from Business Insider) that Shayene "shAy" Victorio has been sentenced to 116 years in prison, after allegations of fraud were made towards an online store that she helped operate between 2013 and 2017.

Victorio, who parlayed her success at professional Counter-Strike (Global Offensive and 1.6) into a large online following, is accused of operating a storefront that did not deliver on its sales to customers, with more than 100 customers left without items paid for or a refund.

Despite the sentencing, Brazil puts a 30 year limit on prison time for its citizens. Victorio is also appealing the case, stating that her former business partners on the site are to blame, including her ex-husband.

In a statement on her Instagram page (in Portuguese, below), Victorio clarifies that, as she is currently in an appeals process, she has not been arrested yet. She will only be taken into custody if the appeal fails, but her lawyer told Universo Online that they consider the sentence "inhumane," and that they seek a new decision from the court "under the guise of the principle of innocence."

The recently launched Pokemon Home service will be undergoing some maintenance on March 7. From 5:30 PM PT to 12 AM PT on March 8 the server will be inoperable, with transfers of any kind not available during this time.

For those of you around the world, here are some of those time zones converted:

• March 7 8:30 PM ET to March 8 4 AM ET
• March 8 1:30 AM GMT to March 8 8 AM GMT
• March 8 12:30 PM AEST to March 9 7 PM AEST

There are two main bugs that the developers are currently looking into.

The console editions of Black Desert has finally joined the likes of Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn, adding cross-play servers for PS4 and Xbox One.

This update is not completely compulsory, with Players having the option to choose between cross-play or platform-exclusive servers.

Each region will be able to play the PvP modes Conquest War and Node War on the new cross-play servers on March 8 to celebrate the new update and allow new partnerships and rivalries to flourish.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is due to arrive for Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020, and pre-release hype is hitting a fever pitch. Even the most simple piece of news can get our hearts and minds racing--like, for instance, the character limit we'll have when planning our island's name.

The official UK Twitter account for Animal Crossing has revealed that you'll have a ten-character limit for your island's name, which is two more than was allowed in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. This means, for example, if your New Leaf village was named 'GameSpot', your island could be named GameSpotia.

So as you prepare your Animal Crossing boarding pass and have a think about how you'll design your character, keep this limit in mind so you can plan ahead better.

Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima has shared his thoughts on the game's review scores. He observed that the game was rated differently by US and European outlets, and he has an idea about why that might be.

He told The New York Times Magazine that the American audience is more accustomed to shooter games. Death Stranding does have guns and some shooting elements, but it is primarily a game about exploration and traversal

"In America, they're used to shooters, so they don't gulp it down," Kojima said. "It's OK; everyone can evaluate what they want."

One For All is making a surprise comeback to Riot's League of Legends in patch 10.6. Previously, One For All was an arcade game mode wherein both opposing teams only have one champion each, with players needing to work together to take on the other team's single champion.

As you can imagine, having to work together in League of Legends is an ambitious notion, much less putting five players in control of the same champion at once and expecting a competent level of cooperation. Nevertheless, Riot is set on bringing the arcade mode back after a two-year absence, although only for a limited time.

The last time we saw One For All was April Fools Day in 2018. Since then, League of Legends has added eight new champions and been through a number of patches and balance changes. How this will affect One For All is yet to be seen, but some interesting strategies are sure to emerge from the game mode.

Roller Champions, Ubisoft's upcoming free-to-play roller derby game for PC, is getting a closed alpha soon. The alpha, which starts on March 11, 4 PM UTC (9 AM PT) and runs until March 23, will give participants the chance to experience the game early, and potentially influence its development.

If you're interested, you can sign up now on the game's website, which will also allow you to receive updates on the game's development.

Ubisoft has also released a new trailer and screenshots ahead of the alpha to give you a better idea of what to expect.

We're mere weeks away from the release of Half-Life: Alyx, and if you haven't picked up a Valve Index VR headset yet, then you have at least one more chance to do so before the game comes out. Valve confirmed to GameSpot that it will restock the Valve Index VR kit this coming Monday, March 9, at 10 AM PT / 1 AM ET. Valve expects the available stock to sell out that day, and any orders fulfilled beyond the initial quantity will be fulfilled in the order they were received--Valve says supplies will increase over the coming months. That means if you're interested, you're going to want to snag the Valve Index as soon as possible.

The Valve Index VR kit costs $999 and comes with the Index headset, controllers, and base stations in addition to a copy of Half-Life: Alyx. This is everything you need to play the new Half-Life game. The restock will include just the Index VR kits, according to Valve--the various components (headsets, controllers, and base stations) won't be available to order separately on Monday.

If you're not interested in the Valve Index or want to spend a little less money on a VR headset, the good news is that Half-Life: Alyx is compatible with a wide variety of headsets. See our best VR headset buying guide for 2020 so you're ready to go when the game releases. And if you want to save even more money, check out the best VR headset deals available right now.

Seattle is one of the major US cities most affected by the novel coronavirus, and major companies are starting to take action. According to an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Microsoft is allowing or even encouraging its workers to perform their duties from home through March 9, provided they work in Seattle or San Francisco.

The memo also reveals that Microsoft has given its China-based employees the option to work from home as well, with a large percentage taking them up on the offer. However, it does not reveal whether or not any Microsoft employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

In Washington state, 28 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed and 10 people have died from the disease. The outbreak has caused widespread disruption across the games industry, triggering the cancellation of major events, such as GDC. According to the ESA, E3 will continue as scheduled, however.

The Outer Worlds patch 1.3 will be available soon, and it'll bring with it some much-requested changes. The update, announced on the Obsidian forums, will finally let players increase the size of the text throughout most of the game's UI, an accessibility option that many games lack--and desperately need.

Text size is one of the most common complaints about modern AAA games, but it's rarely fixed--updates like this, and the one Death Stranding received, tend to stand out. When the patch goes live, those who play the game on a screen that doesn't handle the text size well will be able to make adjustments for a more comfortable experience.

The patch, which is due "later this week" (and is thus likely to arrive on or before March 6), includes a few other changes based on community feedback. Here are the features highlighted by the announcement.

The city of Los Angeles has officially declared a state of emergency in the wake of new cases of COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, that have been reported in the city that is home to E3 every year. In response to this, the organizers of E3 have released a statement that reiterates what was said earlier: the show is still planned to go forward in June as scheduled.

"The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, partners, and staff is our top priority. While the ESA continues to plan for a safe and successful E3 show June 9-11, 2020--we are monitoring and evaluating the situation daily," the statement from the Entertainment Software Association reads.

The E3 planning team, and its partners, are monitoring the information about the virus supplied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Additionally, E3 2020 will feature increased efforts to reduce the risk of health risks.

After getting announced during Nintendo's Gamescom 2019 presentation, the indie skateboarding game Skater XL will launch on PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One sometime this year.

Developer Easy Day Studios took to the PlayStation blog to detail some of the gameplay mechanics players can expect when Skater XL leaves Steam Early Access this year. To give you more freedom than EA's Skate franchise and the legendary Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, Skater XL assigns each foot to a thumbstick. Thus, the left stick controls your left foot while the right stick controls your right foot. This will allow for a deeper level of "expression, personalization, and style [of] gameplay," studio director Dain Hedgpeth wrote.

Hedgpeth also said that Skater XL's "core gameplay is designed more as an expressive and creative tool than a traditional video game with pre-set challenges to complete, [featuring] several real-world locations based on iconic skate spots from California and the West Coast." A concrete release date has yet to be provided.

Pokemon Sword and Shield's latest Max Raid event is coming to an end this week. The newly introduced Gigantamax Toxtricity will leave the games at 4:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM ET on Sunday, March 8, making this your last chance to catch it.

Until that time, Gigantamax Toxtricity will appear in Max Raid dens around the Wild Area. The Gigantamax Pokemon is available in both Sword and Shield, but which form it takes differs depending on which version you're playing. Sword players will encounter Amped Form Toxtricity, while Shield players will find Low Key Form. Both variants have the same base stats, but each learns some different attacks.

When Gigantamaxed, Toxtricity's Electric attacks will become the G-Max move Stun Shock. In addition to dealing damage, this attack will also either paralyze or poison all Pokemon on the opponent's side of the field.

After former SIE Santa Monica Studio boss Shannon Studstill left the company to head up a new Google Stadia studio in Playa Vista, California, Sony PlayStation has announced that her replacement is Yumi Yang.

Yang has worked at Sony Santa Monica for nearly 20 years, starting first as a senior producer and jumping all the way up to director of product development before taking over as studio head. During her time in the industry, she, like Studstill, had a brief stint at Electronic Arts as a development director before going back to the Los Angeles-based studio. And also like Studstill, Yang previously worked on 2018's God of War.

"We extend our warmest congratulations to Shannon Studstill on her new role," a Sony spokesperson told GameSpot. "Under her leadership, the studio she helped found over twenty years ago masterfully reinvented itself and its greatest franchise with 2018's Game of the Year, God of War. In her role as VP of Product Development, Shannon helped smaller independent teams incubate within the studio, leading to groundbreaking works like Journey and The Unfinished Swan. All of PlayStation is better for and grateful of her many years of exemplary service and bold creative vision.

A pair of mid-week PS4 sales just kicked off in the PlayStation Store, bringing markdowns on around 200 games. The Double Discounts sale offers even steeper discounts for PlayStation Plus members, while the second sale features games under $15 for anyone on a budget. Between the two sales, there are plenty of games at great prices to keep you busy this week, and you have until March 18 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET to claim anything that catches your eye.

It's been a while since the last Double Discounts sale on PSN, and considering these types of promotions are benefits of the membership, PS Plus subscribers should take time to check it out. The sale includes some of the best games on PS4 and other titles that may have flown under your radar. Acclaimed first-person shooter Titanfall 2 is just $8 as part of the sale, while Devil May Cry: HD Collection is down to $15. Considered one of the best RPGs of all time, Divinity: Original Sin 2: Definitive Edition is on sale for just $24. Meanwhile, you can also snag The Escapists 2: Game of the Year Edition for $9.17 and Dead Cells for $15. Plague Inc: Evolved, which has been trending lately, is also $6. While non-PS Plus members can still buy these games at a discount, they won't be as cheap. Be sure to sign in to see the lowest price.

You can get a closer look at some Resident Evil 3 Remake gameplay today, March 4, as Capcom is set to stream the game at 7 PM GMT / 8 PM CET / 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT. There's no indication of how long the stream will be or what parts of the game will be shown off as of yet, but we're expecting it to showcase some of the new things Capcom is doing to modernize the experience.

Capcom recently announced that Resident Evil Remake 3 will be receiving a demo, but has yet to confirm a release date for this. It could be that the stream provides information for when the demo will launch.

We recently got to see Resident Evil 3 Remake for ourselves and came away very impressed with the improvements Capcom has made to the classic survival horror. "It's intriguing to see how much Capcom is redefining what it means to revisit classic games, so much so that it makes me wonder how much these reimagined remakes will impact the series' legacy and identity moving forward," wrote Matt Espineli in a recent preview. "To re-experience a game I love in a new, but familiar way is truly special--it's not an everyday thing."

Publisher Rockstar Games has announced that music from Red Dead Redemption 2 is getting vinyl pressings very soon--and they will come in double-LP packages.

Both the game's original score and soundtrack will come in two double-LP bundles: The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Score and The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Soundtrack, both of which are available to pre-order right now through the Rockstar Warehouse, the studio's official merch store.

The original score will come on transparent vinyl and features various collaborations from musicians such as Arca, Colin Stetson, Senyawa, David Ferguson, Jon Theodore, and more. This double-LP vinyl pressing is a "one-time-only, limited release" composed and mastered by longtime Rockstar contributor Woody Jackson. It retails for $30 USD and is expected to release on April 10.

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has a ton of events lined up this month for its hit mobile game, and now one more has been added to that list. The studio has announced the first details on March's Community Day, which will take place around the world next Sunday, March 15.

Unlike February's Community Day, which featured a Pokemon voted on by players, this month's event will feature another Pokemon selected by Niantic: the Psychic type Abra. Throughout the Community Day, Abra will appear more frequently in the wild than normal, and you'll have your first chance to catch a Shiny Abra.

On top of that, you'll be able to learn a special event-exclusive move if you can evolve the Psychic Pokemon all the way into its final form, Alakazam, by the end of the Community Day. Niantic has not yet announced what that attack will be, but we'll learn more closer to the event.

Apple products are so rarely discounted that whenever there is a deal, all of us tech nerds turn and look like deers that just heard someone step on a leaf in the woods. The latest Apple deal comes from Amazon and drops the latest generation of Apple AirPods to $130 (down from $159). It's worth noting that these aren't the AirPod Pros, though they are still great true wireless earbuds.

The great thing about Apple AirPods is how easy they are to use. Once connected to your iPhone or iPad, all you need to do is pull them out of their charging case and put them in your ear--they turn on automatically as you do this. It also features touch controls, allowing you to double-tap the AirPods to play, pause, or skip to the next song.

Apple AirPods (2019) with charging case

$130 ($159)

Developer Media Molecule has released a new patch for its game-making toolkit, Dreams. Update v2.06 adds some new content along with a few tweaks, fixes, and improvements to the overall experience.

The Welcome Garden Art Pack is the first new art pack to arrive since Dreams launched on February 14. It contains more than 40 sculptures that you can use to decorate your homespace, utilize in your own creations, or remix to create something new.

The latest patch also adds Community Jam Collections, which highlights specific collections and should make it easier for those who want to enter one of Dreams' Community Jams but don't quite know where to begin. There's also a new online indicator to let you know when creators are online.

Google is opening a second development studio in California that will be led by former SIE Santa Monica Studio head Shannon Studstill

In a blog post, Stadia games and entertainment boss Jade Raymond revealed that the team will be based in Playa Vista, with Studstill serving as studio director. Studstill previously worked at the Los Angeles-based Santa Monica Studio, the Sony PlayStation division responsible for 2018's God of War.

"The new Playa Vista studio will focus on delivering exclusive games, using new gameplay mechanics, creative ways to play together and unique interaction models that we're just starting to explore," Raymond wrote. "While we're not ready to share specific game plans yet, rest assured we are listening to what gamers want and adding our own Stadia twists to create new IP and experiences."

Final Fantasy VII Remake is under a month away from launchingon PS4, kicking off an episodic approach to retelling the classic from the original PlayStation. In order to segment the story some changes have been made, one of which will prevent you from playing as Red XIII.

Red XIII has already been revealed as a part of this initial release for Final Fantasy VII Remake, featuring in previous trailers and even the upcoming PS4 theme available for everyone who downloads the demo off PSN. Although he appears right at the end of the Midgar chapter--the point where this first episode wraps up--you won’t be able to directly control him in battle, according to an interview with VG24/7.

Instead you'll fight alongside him, with all his actions controlled by the game's AI. Final Fantasy VII Remake co-director Naoki Hamaguchi, who explained that Red XIII's first appearance is so late into the game that it didn't make sense to introduce his mechanics to players at that point.

With Half-Life: Alyx launching later this month, developer Valve is opening the doors to a franchise it has left dormant for years. But even though this latest entry is a prequel to a story we already know, it seems Valve wants to continue exploring its world further in the future.

In an interview with Game Informer, Valve developer Robin Walker explained that Alyx has reintroduced the franchise to developers at Valve, who hope that it won't be the last game in the series they work on.

"There are also people on the team for whom Half-Life: Alyx is their first time working on this series at all--and many of them certainly hope it's not the last," Walker stated. "We absolutely see Half-Life: Alyx as our return to this world, not the end of it."

Konami has been keeping a miserable little pile of secrets. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is available now on iOS and Android, and it's packing in some extra features that make it a worthwhile version of the game.

Surprise-released this week for $3, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on mobile is an updated version of the game, complete with a new "continue" feature and controller support. The game also supports achievements, and has English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, and Spanish language options.

Konami called the mobile version a "direct port" of the PlayStation original, but it appears to be closer to the PSP and PS4 versions first seen in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. This version doesn't feature the same voice acting or dialogue as the original.

It's March, and game release season is finally starting on Xbox One. With new game launches come new additions to Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and PC, including the long-awaited sequel to one of the console's best games.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps will be available on March 11, both for Xbox Game Pass and as a traditional purchase. The game is substantially bigger than its predecessor, with even more detailed art design and expanded platforming and action. During GameSpot's Ori and the Will of the Wisps preview, Alessandro Fillari found it even more charming than Ori and the Blind Forest.

NBA 2K20 is also coming to Xbox Game Pass, but only on Xbox One, and will be available March 5. As the latest in the world's most popular basketball franchise, you shouldn't have any trouble finding opponents online.

Xbox consoles could allow you to pick and choose which games get auto-updated, thanks to a request from a fan. A Twitter user asked Xbox head Phil Spencer to add the feature, and Spencer took the suggestion as a good one and said he'd pass it along to the team.

Specifically, the user cited managing his ISP's data caps, as well as the occasional long wait for an update to a game that had its updates queued behind others that he didn't need. This comes just after some users have been frustrated by large update sizes for games like Modern Warfare and Apex Legends.

Nintendo Switch exclusive Luigi’s Mansion 3 has just gotten two big updates on the Nintendo Eshop. Along with the release of the multiplayer DLC, some substantial features have been added to the game for everyone.

This is the first of two planned DLC multiplayer packs for Luigi's Mansion 3, and it adds three new costumes that Luigi can wear in the ScareScraper mode. Three matching spooky themes will randomly transform the tower’s floors, along with five new themed ghost encounters. These themes ghosts will only appear when Luigi wears one of the new costumes, along with the floor changing themes.

Three new games have been added to ScreamPark as part of the DLC: Dodgebrawl, River Band, and Tricky Ghost Hunt. All Screampark modes can now be played with just one player in practice mode, regardless of whether you have the DLC or not. An Album mode has also been added to the main menu, where players can listen to the game’s soundtrack.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer is a really good follow on Twitter. For someone who holds such a high position in the gaming industry, he tweets frequently and openly about some of the behind-the-scenes goings-on at Xbox and its studios. According to a recent tweet, Spencer visited Gears of War studio The Coalition, and his trip led to new speculation about what's next for the franchise.

His PR wrangler Kenny Birge did not accompany Spencer on this trip, and the executive took full advantage of being able to say and post whatever he wanted. One of the more intriguing reveals from Spencer's trip was a behind-the-scenes tease for some "enhancements" coming to Gears 5. He said he met with The Coalitition's technical director Mike Rayner who showed him these unspecified "enhancements" that make Gears 5 look "better than Gears has ever looked."

With a new console, the Xbox Series X, due for release later this year, a safe bet is Spencer was briefed on an upgrade that The Coalition may be preparing for it. This is just speculation, however; it's possible the "enhancements" are related to something else.

This week, Red Dead Online will offer bonus XP in certain activities, discounts on in-game items, along with additional benefits for PlayStation Plus and Twich Prime members.

Treasure is up for grabs with a Treasure Map reward, received for completing five daily challenges. You can collect your Treasure Map from the Camp Lockbox or Post Office within 48 hours of completing your 5 Daily Challenges.

Experience bonuses are available for Moonshiner sales, Story missions and Bootlegger missions, earning you 50% more experience and Role XP. Now is the time to smash out some of those story missions you’ve been putting off and earn high XP for your trouble.

Call of Duty: Mobile is losing one of its key modes later this month. In the wake of the game's latest season starting alongside a major update, the latest Community Update on Reddit has confirmed that Zombies mode will be removed from the game as of March 25.

"We had always mentioned it was limited but with no explicit end-date," the post reads. "The mode just didn’t reach the level of quality that we desire. The second map, Nacht Der Untoten, is also not releasing in the global version."

The post notes that the mode might eventually come back, complete with the second map, "but for now we’ll focus on development for Multiplayer, Battle Royale, and Ranked Mode."

The Xbox ANZ team is at it again with another unique promotion for one of its upcoming games. The company has created 20 limited-edition bonsai trees to mark the launch of Ori and the Will of the Wisps later this month. The trees are meant to capture the essence of the "Spirit" trees from the Ori franchise--and they look pretty stunning.

"These decade old, real Bonsai trees have been designed to resemble the Spirit Tree, from the glowing ethereal lights in the delicate branches, to the moss-covered ground where the handcrafted mini Ori figurine stands," Xbox ANZ said in a statement. "The Bonsais will emulate the energy of the Spirit Trees, helping guide fans through the game from the comfort of their living rooms."

Death Stranding is officially coming to PC in June, and now another detail about the PC release has been confirmed. The game's Steam page shows that Death Stranding for PC will use the Denuvo digital-rights-management (DRM) to try to thwart tampering.

By nature of being DRM in the first place, Denuvo is often seen as controversial software in the eyes of PC players. One of the main pieces of criticism of Denuvo is that the anti-piracy software has been shown to impact performance in some cases.

Denuvo the company understands that no DRM product can stop tampering. What Denuvo offers for publishers is a software that protects initial sales. "Games will be cracked at certain points; there is no uncrackable product. But what we do is protect the initial sales," Denuvo's Elmar Fischer told GI.biz in 2018.

Doom Eternal makes it very clear that it's challenging players in ways Doom 2016 did not. It's asking you to juggle multiple weapons and new mechanics that are essential for survival while still delivering that tight, breakneck pace in combat. But it's not just an extra suite of abilities, wider combat arenas, and aggressive demons who hound you that push Doom Eternal to be more than its predecessor--you'll also have multi-faceted boss fights to contend with.

At a recent Doom Eternal preview event at id Software's Dallas, Texas studio, I played the fourth level of the single-player campaign, set in a sinister lab tucked into a snowy mountain top. This level had its share of intense combat scenarios and platforming sequences, but the boss fight that capped off the mission is what I'm still thinking about. You can see exactly what I'm talking about in the gameplay clip below.

Doom Hunter, classified as a super heavy demon, is highly mobile and shoots powerful rockets, and fighting one involves multiple steps. First, Doom Hunters are highly mobile and fire powerful rockets. They're protected by an energy shield that has to be destroyed, so you'll want to use the plasma rifle since it's suited for breaking shields. Once you destroy the barrier, you have a short window of time to hit Doom Hunter with heavy firepower to inflict actual damage before their shields go back up. You must repeat this until their health bar is depleted, after which the second phase kicks in.