Despite getting a hefty delay from May to September, Marvel’s Avengers’ marketing cycle isn’t slowing down. Today, we got a wealth of new info ranging from the official box art, a new special edition, a trailer, and even the achievements leaked.
Square Enix released a brand new trailer that showcases some gameplay footage of Earth’s Mightiest Hero kicking ass. The likes of Ms. Marvel, Hulk, Black Widow, and more all get a chance to shine in this brief trailer that helps put everyone’s diverse set of powers front and center.
On top of that, we have a new edition and a list of pre-order bonuses. The newly revealed Deluxe Edition will let players pick up the game 72 hours before its official worldwide release and get some extra in-game goodies such as different outfits and more. All players who pre-order will get the “Marvel Legacy Outfit Pack” which grants access to iconic hero outfits such as Iron Man’s first ever, bulky silver suit.
Marvel’s Avengers pre-order bonuses
Pre-ordering also guarantees you get access to the beta which will come sometime before the game releases, PS4 players will get in even earlier no matter what edition they pre-order.
Finally, Marvel’s Avengers’ achievements have leaked months in advance and while it’s not terribly interesting, it reveals a few things. We’re not going to disclose the specifics here but we do find out what appears to be the main villain and/or final boss and get some other basic plot beats. View the list at your own discretion as there are some big spoilers toward the bottom of the list.
One other thing to note is that there appear to be loot boxes called “Strongboxes”. Whether they’re purchasable via microtransactions remain to be seen but there is an achievement for opening 100 of them.
Marvel’s Avengers will release on Xbox One, PS4, Google Stadia, and PC on September 4th, 2020.
Netflix’s upcoming Resident Evil streaming series doesn’t take place where you think it would. Raccoon City is not mentioned in an official description that was accidentally posted to Netflix’s media center before being quickly removed (and archived on the WaybackMachine). While it doesn’t sound like we’ll see an origin story in a creepy, old mansion, there’s a good reason why this show isn’t set in the series’ familiar location. The official synopsis reads:
The town of Clearfield, MD has long stood in the shadow of three seemingly unrelated behemoths – the Umbrella Corporation, the decommissioned Greenwood Asylum, and Washington, D.C. Today, 26 years after the discovery of the T-Virus, secrets held by the three will start to be revealed at the first signs of outbreak.
Given that decades have gone by since the discovery of the virus and the events of this series, there’s a chance Netflix is creating this show as a sequel to all of the Resident Evil games that came before it. The first Resident Evil game launched on PlayStation in 1996, and the show appears to be exploring new territory not seen in any of the games. Resident Evil is no stranger to living outside of video games, and has enjoyed plenty of success as movies, both live action and animated.
What do you hope to see from this series? Let us know in the comments section below.
   In Paper Cult’s Bloodroots, you can knock all of the blood out of someone’s body with one good whack of a carrot. Need I say more? This wildly violent action game is releasing on Switch, PlayStation 4, and the Epic Games Store on February 28.
Bloodroots follows the exploits of Mr. Wolf, a warrior who is defeated, left for dead, and then goes on a quest of revenge against the people that took him down. Set in the Weird West, your bid for justice unfolds through combos that can be dealt from hatchets and even a carrot. yes, an ordinary carrot. You can also attach giant fish to the heads of enemies to blind them. The world features plenty of interaction for both combat and traversal. You’ll come across a giant wind-up shoe that you can use to bounce around and smash enemies. It looks like good, bloody fun.
According to an official press release from Paper Cult, the development team brought in Nick Suttner (of Guacamelee 2 and Celeste fame) to “help flesh out and write the game’s characters and dialogues.”
Bloodroots is Paper Cult’s second game. The first was 2017’s Fat Mask, an arcade puzzle brawler for one to four players that oddly looks like a mix of Towerfall and Tetris.
From Destiny 2 to Apex Legends to Fortnite, set the mood with adorable cosmetics and some friendly fighting
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about cheap paper cards, mass-produced teddy bears, and chalky candy hearts. It’s about sinking your spare time into a video game to escape the crushing loneliness that is your actual life. Duh. Some of today’s best games celebrate the holiday with themed cosmetics, duo battles, and limited-time offers, so no matter how you feel about the holiday, it’s time to get in lovin’ mood.
That’s why we’re doing you a service and rounding up all of this year’s best in-game Valentine’s Day events and themed items that are full of flowers, hearts, and shotguns. There’s no better way to forget that awful moment in the second grade when Kyle tore up your custom-made glitter card and called you “Fivehead Girl” than by jumping into some themed gameplay, am I right?
Without further ado (and childhood trauma), here are all the 2020 Valentine’s Day events you need to check out:
Apex Legends Valentine’s Day 2020
(Image credit: Respawn)
Couple up with the friend who’s most competent at shooters and drop into Apex Legends’ Valentine’s Day Rendezvous. The event, which runs from February 12-19, brings back the beloved Duos mode, which will earn you double XP. Here’s what else you can get for playing during the season of love.
An adorable Valentine’s Day 2020 badge featuring Nessie offering you a rose
Two new Pathfinder and Nessie gun charms
Discounted “Through the Heart” Longbow skin
Discounted “Love of the Game” banner frameÂ
Borderlands 3 Valentine’s Day 2020
(Image credit: 2K)
Borderlands 3Â is celebrating this lovestruck holiday with Broken Hearts Day, which runs from February 13 to February 20. During it, lovesick enemies will have floating hearts hanging over their heads. and putting them out of their misery will result in a bunch of unique effects. Those effects include: turning them into your ally for a moment, or buffing your entire team, or an especially lovely loot drop.Â
You can snag up to five rewards from shooting down the floating hearts, which include special skins and weapons that are specific to Broken Hearts Day, like a weapons trinket, a Legendary Maliwan SMG skin, and more.Â
If you’re not in the loving mood, you can opt out of the limited-time event.
Destiny 2 Valentine’s Day 2020
(Image credit: Bungie)
Crimson Days returns to Destiny 2 from February 11-18. Lord Shaxx has a new quest and some lovely new rewards for you, but just like last year you’ll need to gather Confectionery Hearts. Take part in Crimson Doubles matches to get them, then trade them for special Ghost shells, new sparrows, and more.Â
Keep in mind that there are buffs and debuffs that come with playing a Crimson Doubles match: Reunited, which increase the recharge rate of Guardian abilities for teammates who are close to each other, Falling Apart, which gives enemy teammates waypoints to your location if your duo drifts too far apart, and Vengeance, which gives a surviving player increased ability regen and a small bit of health back after their teammate dies.Â
Here’s all the rewards you can get with your Confectionery Hearts (it’s important to note that there is a set of duo Sparrows):
Warmhearted Gift:15 Confectionery Hearts (buy this one last, as it’s repeatable)
Love and War is back in Fortnite from February 5 to February 17, bringing Search and Destroy LTM to the battle royale. Teams of six will compete in up to seven rounds, with total victory achieved by one team winning four rounds. Attackers destroy the bomb site, while defenders try and defend it – but you can also win just by eliminating the enemy team.Â
Complete challenges to unlock free cosmetic rewards, including a pickaxe and a new emote, or use real money to buy some exclusive Love and War cosmetics. There’s also a rumor that a free, candy-themed skin may drop on Valentine’s Day, so make sure to jump on at some point during February 14.
Pokemon Go Valentine’s Day 2020
(Image credit: Niantic)
The Pokemon Go Valentine’s Day celebration starts on February 14 and ends a few days later on Monday the 17th. During the celebration, pink characters will appear much more often, plus Audino and Alomomola will make their debut – but keep your eyes peeled, as they’ll be rare.Â
During the event, lure modules will last up to six hours, and players will get double Catch Candy. There’s also a chance to hatch a Shiny Happiny or stumble upon a Shiny Chansey during the Valentine’s event. On February 15, a special Raid featuring Lickitung will run from 2pm to 5pm local time – and you may even be able to catch a Shiny version.
World of Warcraft Valentine’s Day 2020
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(Image credit: Blizzard)
Love is in the Air will run on World of Warcraft from February 8-21, and this year’s event is remarkably similar to previous years. The holiday is celebrated by the Horde in Orgrimmar and the Alliance in Stormwind City, and players will need to farm Love Tokens which can be traded for items like Swift Lovebird and Truesilver Shafted Arrow.Â
There’s a chance to encounter Lovely Merchants who will sell seasonal gifts and goodies, but you’ll need to be a level 110 or higher to have a chance at acquiring the Big Love Rocket, found in the Heart Shaped Box. There are two battle pets with holiday-appropriate abilities (Peddlefeet and Toxic Wasteling), and two mounts connected to the event.
Now you’ve got several ways to spend your corporate-funded Valentine’s Day that are a lot better than reservations at a crowded sushi restaurant or crying yourself to sleep while watching Love, Actually. You’re welcome.
Update: The 6.2 update, with 8v8 Team Deathmatch, is now live on the PUBG test server. Changes have also been made to grenades, leaning and peeking right, visible blood effects, the parachute “follow” function, and the Karakin map. Full details are available in the patch notes at pubg.com.
Original story:
PUBG is getting a team deathmatch mode with its imminent 6.2 title update, as part of a new Arcade branch of the game focused on new game types.  Unlike the game’s shortlived stab at TDM in 2018, this one eschews the sprawl of battle royale for tight, 8v8 matches across seven small maps set in existing PUBG environments.
The mode will be first-person only, with respawns and no friendly fire. There are eight Spawn Kits (loadouts) to choose from, and health regeneration will depend on your Boost Gauge: kills and assists fill it, and it’ll gradually restore your health after not taking damage for five seconds. Matches last ten minutes, with the first to 50 kills taking victory. Expect to earn BP for your trouble, but there won’t be any Survivor Pass XP rewards.
Of course, this doesn’t mark a complete pivot for PUBG into Call of Duty territory. “For fans who prefer Battle Royale, not to worry,” the announcement post reads. “Our core focus will always be to bring you the most realistic and intense Battle Royale experience out there.”
The new Arcade branch will continue to grow too: the TDM mode will get new maps and tweaks, and expect “new and familiar game modes” to appear in the future. Check out the trailer for TDM below:
Players will be able to change elemental affinity without having to re-grind armor, and use seasonal mods in almost any gear.
Destiny 2’s Armor 2.0 system, introduced to the game last year in the Shadowkeep expansion, made some big and mostly positive changes to the game’s handling of armor, particularly with regard to customization—the most important part of the game, as any serious Destiny player will tell you. One aspect of it that fell short, however, was elemental affinities—arc, void, or rolar—which affects what mods can be placed on armor. Under the current rules, if you don’t like the affinity of a particular piece of armor, your only option is to re-grind and hope for the best, which is not ideal. In the next season, however, that will change.
“You’ll soon be able to change the Elemental Affinity on any piece of armor to either of the other two Affinity types directly from the item’s inspection screen by hovering your cursor over the armor’s energy icon. This is intended to mitigate the experience of getting an armor drop with a stat roll you want, but the wrong Elemental Affinity,” Bungie explained in today’s This Week at Bungie update.
“Changing an armor Affinity type will cost 1 Upgrade Module. If your armor is already upgraded to a higher energy level, the cost will be the total upgrade materials necessary to reach that energy value plus 1 Upgrade Module.”
The next season will also see a major change to seasonal mods: The seasonal armor mod socket will be now house mods released during the seasons before and after the armor piece was released: Armor with a mod socket from Season of Dawn will be able to equip mods from Season of Dawn, the preceding Season of the Undying, and whatever mods are released in the following season.Â
Only those seasons, however: Bungie community manager Cozmo23 clarified on Reddit that armor will be able to use three seasons of mods—current, preceding, and subsequent—in its seasonal socket. Our resident Destiny 2 survivor Tim Clark explains: “The community has been getting increasingly annoyed at creating a perfect gear set only to need to replace it every three months. This will help substantially with that, particularly as the current mods from Season of Dawn are actually really good.” So good that we’ll actually have a guide up on how to get the most from them tomorrow.
The next season of Destiny 2 hasn’t been officially announced yet, but current rumors indicate that it will be called Season of the Worthy, it will begin on March 9, and it will bring back the Trials of Osiris PvP mode. Assuming that’s at all close to the mark, we should be getting official word on what’s coming very soon.
This and other fascinating League of Legends statistics are summarized in an insightful player-run survey.
League of Legends’ reputation for making people lose their cool during a game is well documented, but a surprising 79 percent of the 3,784 respondents to a recent community survey said that harassment continued after the match was over. Getting cussed out, being sent friend requests repeatedly, and, almost exclusively in the case of League’s female players, being sexually harassed, were the most common forms of post-match toxicity.
These stats are thanks to redditor Clanaria, who ran a survey throughout January 2020 that polled some of League of Legends’ biggest Reddit communities about their lifestyle, playstyle, and general relationship to Riot Games’ hugely popular MOBA. With only 3,784 respondents, it’s hardly a comprehensive overview of League of Legends’ 80 million players (especially because people who use Reddit are, themselves, a demographic), but the survey has plenty of fascinating insights nonetheless.
You can check out the full infographic here, and you should because it’s gorgeous. Clanaria breaks the survey down into several key areas like the lifestyle and career of players, their playing habits, and favorite roles. Toxicity is the one category that immediately jumped out at me because of League of Legends’ infamous reputation—I’m not at all surprised that 98 percent of players have been flamed while playing (as Clanaria notes, that remaining 2 percent is also the margin of error for these stats). But I was shocked to see so many players had been harassed after a match was over.
32 percent of respondents who identified as female were victim to sexual harassment. As a male player, that’s something I’ve never experienced—the worst I’ve seen were cheeky comments like “best jungler wins” or complaints over a teammate underperforming.
Clanaria also broke down different actions that were considered toxic, like spamming pings at teammates or intentionally dying. Nearly 2,400 people confessed to spamming their teammates with pings, while 2,084 flamed a teammate or an opponent. Yes, I will shamefully admit I have done both in fits of pure, unbridled rage, but I’m shocked that 514 of the 3,784 respondents told someone to kill themselves.
Because Clanaria asked players about their life outside of the game, like relationship and job status, there’s some pretty hilarious observations she was able to make. For example, 87 percent of men who play assassins in the middle lane are likely to be single. Meanwhile, support and bottom laners are the most likely to be playing with a partner, with each being the most popular role among women and non-binary respondents.
Hilariously enough, players who favored assassins (and their cousins, skirmishers) were far and away the most toxic class. Combine that with the fact that assassins are the second-most popular champion type in mid lane, which itself is the most popular lane for respondents who identified as men, and you start to get a pretty clear picture of who League of Legends’ worst players are.
There’s plenty to learn from this study beyond toxicity. For example, 63 percent of players queue up with friends and 92 percent have purchased microtransactions. Junglers are also the least popular role right now, which is probably due to changes in Season 10 that made jungling a lot less fun. My personal favorite is that 70 percent of respondents said they play League of Legends to relax—not exactly the answer you’d expect after all that information about toxicity.
That still doesn’t cover all the stats Clanaria has gathered in this study, so be sure to check out the full infographic here.Â
Team Deathmatch will go live with update 6.2 on PC and consoles.
Team Deathmatch is coming to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds with update 6.2 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The Classic multiplayer mode is part of a new Arcade feature that takes PUBG’s gunplay and introduces it to new game types other than the usual battle royale mode.
Team Deathmatch will see 8v8 fights added to the mix, with firefights taking place across seven different battlefields pulled from four of PUBG’s current maps. Each one aims to provide a different Team Deathmatch experience, whether that encompasses long-range shootouts, close-quarters combat, or something else entirely.
While the usual PUBG play session involves scavenging for firearms, bullets, and so on, Team Deathmatch introduces Spawn Kits that give you different sets of equipment and weapons to choose from as a loadout. There are eight to pick from, revolving around guns like the DMR, SMG, and shotgun. You can also change your Spawn Kit during games and have the changes reflected when you respawn, just in case something isn’t working or you need a new strategy.
This is, of course, all fairly standard fare for a Team Deathmatch mode, so PUBG isn’t skirting on the details, introducing a fully-fledged alternative to its usual battle royale action. It’s a smart way to get players straight into the meat of the action, and should prove beneficial for new players who want to fine-tune their shooting before jumping into PUBG’s main draw.
Full Team Deathmatch patch notes for update 6.2:
Rules of Team Deathmatch
8 vs 8
FPP only
Spawn Kits enabled
Open the map to select your weapon Spawn Kit
Respawns enabled
Respawn 5 seconds after each death
Players respawn close to friendly players if the location is safe
Players will be briefly invulnerable after respawning
DBNO disabled
No knockdowns
Friendly Fire disabled
Kills and assists fill your boost gauge
After not taking damage for 5 seconds, your health will begin to regenerate, whilst also depleting your boost gauge
Players cannot reconnect to TDM matches.
Unfortunately, this includes accidentally leaving the match or crashing
Win Conditions
First team to reach 50 kills, or the highest kills after 10 minutes wins the round
2 round wins secures the match victory
Rewards
BP will be rewarded based on your individual score
No Survivor Pass XP is received
Players may be placed into in-progress TDM matches, but won’t be placed into matches which are nearing completion. AFK players will be removed from the match after prolonged inactivity.
The Battlefields of Team Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch features 7 different battlefields pulled from 4 of your favorite PUBG maps.
Each battlefield was chosen to provide a different TDM experience. For example, Podvosto from Vikendi features long-range combat over a bridge, while the Docks of Sanhok battlefield features close-quarters combat around containers. TDM will also support each battlefield’s variable weather conditions, so be ready to change up your Spawn Kit to adjust to the map.
List of TDM battlefields:
Erangel – Stalber, Sosnovka Military Base
Sanhok – Paradise Resort, Docks
Vikendi – Podvosto, Peshkova
Miramar – Campo Militar
Respawns
In Team Deathmatch, players who are killed will respawn at a respawn point based on their team’s current situation. Players will respawn close to friendlies and far from enemies when possible. For example, when your team has occupied an advantageous area, teammates can respawn close to this area’s perimeter. Be aware that players won’t respawn when the location is considered contested due to enemies in range! In this case, they will be safely respawned closer to their starting zone. All players will spawn invincible for a brief time to help reduce spawn camping.
Scoreboard
The scoreboard in Team Deathmatch tracks more than just total team points. You can check the stats of everyone in the match, including player kills, assists, and even multi-kills. You earn points for winning rounds and the more points you earn, the more BP you are rewarded.
Players can also earn assists by being the highest contributor to an opponent’s damage after the player who completes the kill.
TDM Boost Gauge
The TDM Boost Gauge fills by scoring kills and assists during the match and begins to restore your health after you haven’t received damage for 5 seconds.
The Boost Gauge in TDM works differently than in a normal Battle Royale match. When you spawn, your gauge will be 50% full and will not decrease until you’ve taken damage. In TDM, this gauge both heals and depletes much faster and can only be filled by scoring kills (+50%) and assists (+20%). If 5 seconds have passed since you took damage, your Boost Gauge will begin to deplete by 10% per second, replenishing 10% of max health each tick until full. The Boost Gauge in TDM will not grant any movement speed increases.
Spawn Kit
Spawn Kits are sets of equipment and weapons you choose as your loadout. Players will be able to see their current Spawn Kit and the scoreboard by toggling the map while in-game. If you change your Spawn Kit on this screen, it will apply the next time you respawn or at the start of the next round. There are currently 8 different types of Spawn Kits to choose from: 2 AR kits, 2 DMR kits, 2 SR kits, 1 SMG kit, and 1 Shotgun kit. You can select any kit you like, just make sure you’re choosing the right kit for the current situation.
This is just the beginning for Arcade. We’ll be adding new battlefields for Team Deathmatch and will be watching your feedback closely for other ways to improve it. Moreover, we’re planning to add new and familiar game modes to Arcade, blending PUBG’s unique gameplay into thrilling new experiences.
Have something you’d like to see make its way to Arcade? Send us your ideas! Your feedback drove the addition of Arcade and we’d love to hear what else you’d like to see.
For now, spawn onto a battlefield and get your frag on!
   Valve has announced a release date for Half-Life: Alyx, the VR spin-off and long-awaited return of the Half-Life franchise. The game, exclusive to compatible VR headsets, will be released on March 23, 2020.
   Developer Valve announced the release date with a tweet linking to the Steam page, which is still offering the 10% off pre-order price. This is the first indication of a new release date we’ve seen since it was originally announced for March 2020, though Valve did recently note that it didn’t expect any delays since the game was essentially finished.
Now Playing:Â Valve Announces Half-Life: Alyx Release Date – GS News Update
Half-Life: Alyx is a virtual reality game and works with multiple VR headsets. As the name suggests, it stars the popular character Alyx Vance. Set between Half-Life and Half-Life 2, Alyx isn’t exactly Half-Life 3, but it is a full-Half-Life game–the first since Half-Life 2: Episode 2, which was released 13 years ago.
Half-Life: Alyx is one of our most anticipated games of 2020. If you want to make sure you’re ready for March 23, read up on deals for compatible virtual reality headsets and the PC system specs. Or just catch up by reading up on everything we know about Half-Life: Alyx, including everything we noticed in its very first trailer.
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