There's a new Walking Dead mobile game in the works that sure looks a lot like a zombie apocalypse version of Pokemon GO. 

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The Walking Dead: Our World is an AR mobile game that allows you to wander the streets of our world and pretend that you're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. From what we can gather, it seems that the gameplay largely consists of locating supply drops and other such beneficial items while avoiding the zombie hordes. Should you encounter one of the hordes, you'll transition into an AR viewpoint that will allow you and your teammates - who all seem to be popular Walking Dead characters - to do battle with the undead. 

So yes, Our World does sound a lot like Pokemon Go with zombies. There are some differences - it seems there will be some kind of loot system that allows you to locate weapons of various quality - but the concepts appear to be relatively similar. 

The Our Worlddevelopers have stated that the game's information will be taken from Google Maps, meaning that the app should be able to keep up with changes to your location roughly as they occur. They're hoping that will help enhance the game's sense of "immersion." We'll see whether or not the team at Next Game is able to recreate the theoretical thrills of a zombie apocalypse via this design style when Our World launches for iOS and Android sometime in the second quarter of 2018. 

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Of course, this isn't the only Pokemon GO-style mobile game in the works. There's also a Jurassic Park AR title in the works as well as a Harry Potter AR title that we still don't know that much about. 

It's hardly surprising to see so many mobile games recreate the Pokemon GO gameplay design given that GO is one of the most successful mobile titles ever. What is surprising is how long its taken for these studios to jump on that particular bandwagon. It remains to be seen whether or not these games can inspire people to wander the streets and engage in an AR communal experience once more. 

Team17 and Radiation Blue have revealed an interesting new take on the First-Person Shooter genre called Genesis Alpha One. 

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Genesis Alpha One is described as a "unique mix of roguelikes, FPS, base-building, and survival elements." That's a lot to take in, but the trailer above provides a pretty clear idea of how this will all work. Basically, Alpha One will require players to explore various planets with an army of clones that they create throughout the course of the game. Each of these planets contains a variety of resources that can be utilized to build more clones and make improvements to your base ship. 

Your base ship certainly appears to serve as the game's hub. The extent of your ability to upgrade it isn't quite clear, but we see that you are able to not only add new structures like crew quarters and respawn chambers but can even customize the color of specific pieces of furniture. Your ship will also serve as your personal laboratory where you will create human and hybrid soldiers/crew designed to help you on missions. 

One thing that isn't quite clear at this stage is how the game's supposed "roguelike" elements will factor in. It appears that many of the planetary locations might be randomized, but it's entirely possible that the game will utilize some kind of pseudo-permadeath system that will require players to ensure they are able to respawn or otherwise create a clone of themselves. However, the meaning of that aspect of the game isn't quite clear at this time. 

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Part of what makes this project interesting is the way that it utilizes space exploration and resource mining - such as the kind we saw in No Man's Sky - but wraps it around a more defined and arguably substantial gameplay experience. At its core, Alpha One appears to function as a sci-fi shooter. However, the base management aspects adds a level of depth designed to give the game's action some long-term meaning. 

Genesis Alpha One will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC sometime in 2018. 

Brigitte Lindholm is the 27th playable Overwatch hero. She is coming to the game on March 20.

The video above explains how Brigitte Lindholm fits into the mythology of Overwatch. In case you haven't heard, she is the daughter of existing Overwatch hero Torbjörn and seems determined to forge her own destiny as both an inventor and a soldier. In fact, an update from Blizzard states that Brigitte originally served as Reindhardt's squire and helped him to keep his armor together on missions. Eventually, though, she decided that she needed to learn to fight. 

As for how Brigitte will fit into Overwatch's gameplay, it sounds like she's going to be classified as a support character. However, Overwatch's Jeff Kaplan notes that she also serves a kind of tank role. That's a hybrid we haven't really seen before outside of Zarya, but it makes a lot more sense when you take a look at Brigitte's abilities. 

Speaking of which, Brigitte's main attack is a melee move called Rocket Flail that allows her to swing her ball and chain hammer and hit multiple targets. She can also utilize an ability called Whip Shot which allows her to cover long distances and knock away any enemies that she may hit along the way. Brigitte also comes equipped with a shield that is mainly used to protect just her, but it can supposedly cover a smaller character directly behind you. On top of that, she can use that shield to bash any enemies and temporarily stun them. That should be great for those annoying flankers. 

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But what makes Brigitte a support character? Well, she's able to throw repair packs that not only heal an ally but can overheal them in the form of armor. In other words, if the hero you are healing is at full health, they'll receive armor instead. Brigitte's ultimate, called Rally, allows her to move much faster than normal and provides nearby teammates with a substantial armor boost that lasts until its depleted by the enemy. 

It sounds like Brigitte will be able to take care of herself, but perhaps won't be able to pump out as much damage as fellow support characters Zenyatta and Moira. However, we'll have to play her ourselves before concluding if that is the case. 

Below, you can find a full list of her abilities:

Rocket Flail– Brigitte’s melee weapon has an extended range, enabling her to strike multiple enemies with a single swing.

Repair Pack– Brigitte throws a Repair Pack that can heal an ally. Any healing over that ally’s maximum health provides them with armor instead.

Whip Shot– Brigitte throws her flail a long distance, dealing damage and knocking an enemy away from her.

Barrier Shield– Brigitte deploys a frontal energy barrier to absorb a limited amount of damage.

Shield Bash– Once her Barrier Shield is deployed, Brigitte can dash forward to stun an enemy.

Inspire– When Brigitte hits enemies with her flail, she also heals nearby allies over time.

Rally– Brigitte moves faster and provides all nearby allies with armor that lasts until it’s removed by damage.

Annapurna Interactive, the publisher of What Remains of Edith Finch and Kentucky Route Zero, has revealed more information about a new game from LA-based Mobius Digital called Outer Wilds.

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The Outer Wilds combines elements of games like No Man's Sky and Subnautica by allowing players to explore vast landscapes and space settings. Every area you explore has been wonderfully handcrafted - as opposed to No Man's Sky's procedurally generated worlds - and contains a variety of secrets, stories, and more. Navigating between them will require players to learn a series of space travel mechanics that take into account things like the effects of gravity. 

Here's where things get really interesting. Due to an unexplained time paradox, all of your journeys will only last 20 minutes. After that, you'll be transferred back into the world, but some things may be drastically different from how you left them. For instance, a once proud city may have been consumed by sand over an undisclosed period of time. That might create some problems for you as Outer Wilds does contain a deeply hidden mystery that players can solve if they're able to locate the right clues across the right timeframes. 

If you'd rather not bother with any of that, you can always just explore the game's incredibly well-designed worlds, poke around a mystery or two, or maybe even just roast some marshmallows on the campfire. Outer Wilds doesn't seem intent on forcing you to do or be any single thing within its vast series of worlds.

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We know, we know...you've heard games talk a big talk like this before. However, Outer Wilds actually debuted in a limited form back at the 2015 Independent Games Festival Awards and actually won the event's top prize. It was described by those who played it as an undeniably compelling combination of whimsical exploration and genuine terror. That last element was delivered via the game's surprisingly involved navigation systems which make it perfectly possible to botch your course or ship landing. 

Outer Wilds is expected to debut in 2018 for PC and as of yet unspecified platforms. 

Overkill's The Walking Dead is the highly-anticipated upcoming title from the makers of the Payday series and it brings something a bit different to the table for the popular zombie series. It's all about cooperative play, as you and four friends team up to mow down the walkers standing in the way of your survival. With unique character abilities, skill trees, squad roles, and story arcs, Overkill's The Walking Dead sounds like a very different experience from past video game adaptations.

Den of Geek has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at some of the technical wizardry that's shaping this new game, specifically when it comes to the creation of one of its main protagonists.

This new video takes an inside look at the creation of last December’s captivating cinematic teaser, created by CG and VFX powerhouse Goodbye Kansas Studios, which revealed the game’s first playable character: Aidan. Watch as the team goes in-depth on the creative and technical process to define Aidan’s lifelike persona and establish the constant atmosphere of danger and dread that surrounds this new post-apocalyptic nightmare in which our heroes must fight to survive.

Check out the video below:

Developed by Overkill, a Starbreeze studio, The Walking Dead is a four-player co-op multiplayer, FPS action game set in Washington, D.C., and inspired by the rich universe of Robert Kirkman’s original graphic novels. Each playable character has their own special abilities, skill trees, squad roles, play styles, and background stories. It’s up to players to band together using stealth or brute force on a variety of raids and missions, securing supplies and survivors to strengthen their camp against the threat of both the dead and the living by any means necessary.

Overkill's The Walking Dead is expected to launch this year on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC. 

Ubisoft is reviving the Might and Magic series in the form of a mobile title. 

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Developed by Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile, Might & Magic Elemental Guardians is described as a mobile title that "combines fast-paced strategy battles with stunning graphics." It will allow players to collect a series of fantasy heroes and ultimately use them to build the perfect team. The gameplay itself is a bit of a mystery at this point, but it seems that it will utilize some kind of MOBA-like mechanics with perhaps a dash of Clash of Clans thrown in for good measure. However, it seems we'll have to wait a bit longer to confirm what it is you'll actually be doing in this game. 

What we can tell you is that Elemental Guardians will feature a single-player campaign, PvP options, the ability to level up your heroes, and the ability to create your own hero. It will also feature what is described as a Western anime style. 

Elemental Guardians is set to release for iOS and Android on May 31st. You can pre-register for the game now, though, and you'll receive a "special in-game reward" for your effort. 

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So what does any of this have to do with Might and Magic? Well, the game will feature some heroes from that series, but the truth of the matter is that the Might and Magic name really hasn't signified any one thing for quite some time. It began as a graphic adventure series, transitioned into more of a dungeon crawler, and was spun-off into various genres. Actually, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is credited for revolutionizing the concept of first-person sword combat. 

As such, this is less of a revival of the series in regards to its origin and more of another spin-off that utilizes the name. 

EA is putting microtransactions back into Star Wars Battlefront II. 

A recent blog post on the EA website outlines how microtransactions will now work in Battlefront II. Basically, you will no longer be able to purchase anything that might give you a competitive advantage in the game. That means no more purchasable loot crates and no more purchasable Star Cards. However, those who have already purchased and unlocked those items will be able to keep them. 

From now on, progression in Battlefront II will be "linear." Thate means that Star Cards and items that may offer some kind of competitive advantage will be earned via gameplay. Players will now earn experience points for their classes and heroes that will be used to unlock additional skills and items that are used in the game. Once you've earned enough experience points, you'll get a skill point that you can use to unlock or upgrade a Star Card. 

Loot crates will still be in the game, but they'll be issued as a bonus for daily log-ins, milestone completions, and by beating timed challenges. These crates will contain either credits or cosmetic items, but will not reward anything that can impact gameplay. 

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However, none of that means that microtransactions won't be in the game. Starting in April, players will be able to use real money to purchase new costumes and other items that will alter the appearance of characters. These same items are also purchasable through in-game credits and crystals which can be earned via traditional gameplay. 

This model is infinitely better than the one the game shipped with, but it's going to be interesting to see whether or not this move will actually bring people back to Battlefront II. It's entirely possible that the Battlefront II name is just too tainted at this point to be rescued. 

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If you're just catching wind of this controversy, then you're missing out on one of the great gaming dramas of recent memory. When Battlefront II launched to the public, it featured a loot box/microtransaction system that heavily encouraged players to spend quite a bit of money on the game in order to unlock perks and certain legendary Star Wars characters. Many considered it to be a clear example of pay-to-win. 

Following a public outcry and what we're sure was a tense call from Disney's CEO, EA decided to remove microtransactions from the game. However, the loot boxes remained. 

Sea of Thieves is legendary developer Rare's first game since its ill-fated Kinect era. Surprisingly, Rare's not returning to the 3D platformer genre it helped usher in during the Nintendo 64 era. Nor is Sea of Thieves anywhere close to Rare's shooter titles. Instead, the studio's new game is a pirate adventure game where players command a ship, fight enemies, and look for treasure. 

Here's everything we know about the game:

Sea of Thieves News

The final trailer for Sea of Thieves finally gives us a look at the game's Kraken.

We knew the Kraken was coming, but this trailer makes it pretty clear that the scope of the monster will make your encounters with it absolutely daunting. You'll need to make sure the entire crew is working together to take it down. In a recent livestream, Rare also expanded on some previously announced features and revealed a few new ones. For instance, they stated that there will be gold skeletons in the game that are heavily-armored and will require players to somehow douse them in water in order to help take them down. There are also shadow skeletons that are strengthened by the dark and weakened by light. 

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The studio also stated that Sea of Thieves will contain hidden lore books at launch and that players who achieve legendary status in the game will be able to access a secret hideout and a new guild of quest givers. While that is being referred to as the current "end game," Rare intends to expand on that section of the game sometime in the near future. They've already stated that they are planning on releasing a post-launch special campaign. 

It also turns out that microtransactions will be added to Sea of Thieves at some point. 

Rare executive producer Joe Neate told IGN that the company will begin rolling out microtransactions to the game about three months after its release. The first wave of microtransactions will likely come in the form of pets - parrots, monkeys, etc. - and will gradually be expanded to include other cosmetic items. Rare has stated that they intend to give players the chance to earn currency for all these items in-game. As they put it, these items will have an emotional value, but no mechanical value. 

As for why they are doing this, the answer is quite simple. Rare simply wants to be able to keep up with the costs of keeping an ongoing online game in development. They hope these microtransactions might give them another way to do so. Already, Rare has stated that they intend to turn the current base game's endings into the start of an entirely new adventure.

Rare has also patched an update the now-closed Sea of Thieves beta that reveals some of the content that will be added to the full game. 

The full list of files can be found over on Reddit where dataminers have been posting their findings. Most of the updates relate to improved animations - better shopkeepers, better female characters, better animals, etc. - but there are a few files that hint at more significant additions to come.

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For instance, it seems that Rare is going to add a Kraken to the final version of the game. While many people expected that they would - this is a game about pirates after all - it's not clear how the Kraken will work in the game. Will it be a boss battle? A random encounter? 

Also included in this update are various types of skeletons, new clothing and accessories, new weapons, legendary hideouts, and the ability to transport livestock for extra money. 

Sea of Thieves Release Date

Sea of Thieves will arrive on March 20, 2018. Microsoft confirmed that it will be part of their new Play Anywhere program, which features crossplay on both Xbox One and PC.

Sea of Thieves Trailer

Rare continues to announce more features for the final version of Sea of Thieves as the studio has recently released a new video that breaks down how customization works. 

Basically, Sea of Thieves will sport some fairly robust customization options. You'll be able to tweak everything from your pirate to your ship with a variety of different clothes and materials. While many of the items available can be accessed by all players - such as peg legs and hook hands - there will be some items that are tied to certain skill ranks or achievements. Rare specifically mentioned special ship sails that they hope will have a very important meaning to those players who see them on an incoming ship. 

Sea of Thieves will feature events centered around the game's mysterious skeleton forts. 

In a new video above, Rare breaks down the way these encounters will work. They start with the appearance of floating skull with glowing eyes in the sky that indicates the fortress is "active." Players will then be able to raid the fortress in order to do battle with a large number of skeletons. What makes this all the more interesting is that other players can raid the fortress at the same time that you and your crew are doing battle. If you both want to survive, you may have to work together. 

These events culminate with the appearance of a skeleton captain who serves as the fortress boss. Taking him down won't be easy, but if you manage to do so, he'll drop a key that allows you to access a vault full of riches. Of course, only one crew can plunder the vault, so survivors will have to fight over it. 

A new trailer premiered at The Game Awards 2017! Check it out below:

Here's the E3 2017 gameplay trailer for Sea of Thieves!

It's been all quiet on the stormy shores as it relates to Sea of Thieves updates in recent weeks, but this developer gameplay video offers us a fresh look at Rare's most exciting game in years. 

The focus of this video is on the game's cooperative elements and the way that players will need to work together in order to effectively run their pirate ship. It's clear from the video that an incredible amount of cooperation is necessary for players to make it far in the game, especially as it relates to ship-to-ship battles which seem to demand that crew members play multiple roles at once. 

Rare released another dev diary all about the co-op mechanics of Sea of Thieves. There's a great discussion between the two designers regarding how the players will have to work together to navigate their ship through the world map. Check it out below:

Check out 14 minutes of gameplay footage below:

Rare took the stage at Microsoft’s E3 2016 presentation to unveil the debut gameplay footage of their upcoming swashbuckling adventure, Sea of Thieves. The trailer is comprised of real gameplay taken from three teams of fans who were invited to Rare’s studio to play the multiplayer first-person game for the first time.

The gameplay trailer showcases sailing pirate ships across colorful seas, jumping off the plank and exploring uncharted islands, and engaging in high-octane battles with enemy pirates on the open water.

Check out the trailer below:

Here is the announcement trailer:

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In just over a month, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be hitting us with Avengers: Infinity War, where they’re going to tangle with Thanos the Mad Titan. Since showing up at the end of the first Avengersmovie, it’s been pretty apparent that Thanos would be scouring the cosmos for the Infinity Gems/Stones so as to do an adaptation of the hit early 90s miniseries Infinity Gauntlet.

The comic has become rather iconic in Marvel history and it makes sense that they’d spend the better part of a decade building towards it. Although, don't expect it to resemble the original comic too closely. Not only are there plenty of liberties to be had, but it also seems to take a lot from the more recent comic event Infinity. Not that that's a bad thing. Infinity Gauntlet is a storyline that’s been retold, adapted, and twisted in all sorts of ways since first appearing 27 years ago.

Here are all the different variations of Thanos and Adam's Excellent Adventure.

INFINITY GAUNTLET (1991)

Six-Issue Miniseries

Jim Starlin, George Perez, and Ron Lim

We’re going full spoiler on this.

As a follow-up to the two-part story Thanos Quest, the Mad Titan Thanos has control of all six Infinity Gems and is essentially God. Mephisto hangs around to feed his ego, while naturally plotting to overthrow him. Thanos also has his granddaughter Nebula hanging around, stuck in a catatonic zombie state because Thanos is a jerk. Since Thanos wants to win the love of Death herself, he uses the Gauntlet to wipe out half of the universe. 50% of all living things simply vanish, including a big chunk of the superheroes. Adam Warlock is reborn and goes to the remaining heroes, coming up with this awesome plan of going to Thanos’ space home and punching him in his stupid scrotum face. This is really a swerve because he plans to have them all killed off as a distraction so Silver Surfer can sneak by and steal the Gauntlet off Thanos’ hand.

Meanwhile, Thanos’ whims have caused Earth to drift away from the sun, making it colder and colder by the hour. Odin and all the other heavyweight god types on Earth are blocked off from interfering. As a way of making Death jealous, Thanos uses the Gauntlet to create a mate in Terraxia.

Mephisto suggests that Thanos hold back against the heroes to impress Death, so he scales it back a lot, which gives the heroes a 1% chance. As hard as they try, they still lose horribly and are killed one-by-one by Thanos and Terraxia. After Captain America goes full-on badass and stares down Thanos despite everything, Silver Surfer flies in and misses his mark completely. About then, all the galactic heavy hitters – the tapestry of the universe itself – show up. Thanos goes back to full power and makes mincemeat of them all. He transforms himself into a form that’s one with the universe, which leaves his physical Gauntlet out in the open. Nebula takes it and steals the power, reverting everything to how it once was...except for the part where she still has all the power.

Thanos teams up with Warlock and a couple of the more powerful heroes, ultimately defeating Nebula when Warlock takes control of the Soul Gem and shorts it out a bit, causing Nebula to drop the Gauntlet. A fight breaks out and Warlock comes out wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, swearing to use it wisely. Thanos fakes his own death, but is later seen living a quiet life as a farmer.

So that’s Infinity Gauntlet Prime. Let’s see how other writers and mediums have messed around with the formula.

WHAT IF THANOS CHANGED GALACTUS INTO A HUMAN BEING? (1992)

What If v.2 #34

Scott Gimple and Tom Morgan

What If #34 was a humor-based issue of the series and while most of it is painfully unfunny, the opening seven-page short story is humorous and even a little bit uplifting in its own weird way. No joke, this is actually my all-time favorite comic book story.

As Thanos fights the cosmic entities, he decides to get creative when dispatching Galactus. He transforms him into a human being and sends him down to Earth. Galactus awakens naked in a trailer park, forgetting who he is while being a 100% facsimile of Elvis Presley! A single mother named Gertrude takes him in and thinks he’s the real deal with amnesia. She explains everything about Elvis to him and while he still has no memory, he trusts her and decides that he is indeed the King. He swears to do good with this second chance by not getting involved with the pitfalls of fame, such as drugs.

Also, the comic features the million dollar line, “Ma’am, the hunger gnaws.”

Galactus gets back into music, trying to stay on the down low, but soon people take notice and we’re about to get the second coming of Elvismania. Right as he’s about to see to the public, Galactus is confronted by Adam Warlock, now in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet. He wills Galactus his memory, but the Eater of Worlds doesn’t want to return. He’s found a better identity as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and chooses to stay with Gertrude and her son, giving both Galactus and Elvis Presley’s legacy a second chance.

WHAT THE--?! #24 (1992)

Parody Comic

Hilary Barta, Doug Rice, and Rubik Tyler

Marvel’s lesser-known humor book from the early 90s once featured a Mad Magazine-style spoof of Infinity Gauntlet called “The Infinity Mitten.” Thermos and his advisor McFisto go on a double-date with Death and Taxes, but Thermos is disappointed that Death has no interest in him. Using the Mitten, he removes half of life in the universe...except on the first try he accidentally just removes everyone’s lower half. Earth’s heroes go after him, but brute force isn’t enough. After talking over various ideas to remove the Infinity Mitten, they go with challenging Thermos to strip poker. They all lose and die of embarrassment.

The cosmic beings show up to throwdown, but Thermos points out that he’s an atheist and they all vanish. Silver Surfer (or whatever his parody name is) starts whining about all the death he’s seen, causing Adam Warlox to finally snap at him for being such a downer. Warlox shoots him with a revolver, which Thermos steals and uses on Warlox and McFisto.

Thinking that killing off an entire universe of heroes and villains is enough, Thermos is shocked to see that Death is now dating Nintendo's Mario. Death explains that her new boyfriend is killing off the entire comics industry by himself!

WHAT IF THE SILVER SURFER POSSESSED THE INFINITY GAUNTLET? (1993)

What If v.2 #49

Ron Marz, Scott Clark, and Kevin West

I absolutely love this issue and would have liked a variation of this as the actual ending of Infinity Gauntletinstead of what we got. Surfer succeeds in snatching the Gauntlet from Thanos’ hands. First thing he does is set everything back to normal. Then he sends everyone back home except Warlock and Thanos, who he keeps as advisors...but really as witnesses as he makes the universe a better place. He starts off with the well-meaning moves you’d expect. He eliminates disease, hunger, soothes hatred (a Kree and a Skrull are shown greeting each other happily), and even makes Death into a more alluring figure instead of something to be feared. Then he goes to Hell to see if Mephisto would be cool being remade into something a bit more pleasant, but Mephisto instead starts a fight. Surfer vaporizes him and goes back to his home to think about stuff.

Warlock and Thanos go to Dr. Strange because, boy howdy, Surfer’s going nuts with all that power. Strange figures the best way about this is to summon Surfer’s old flame Shalla-Bal to talk some sense into him, especially since Surfer’s thinking of removing randomness completely and giving the universe complete order. Arguments and fighting happen, but seeing Shalla-Bal so hurt brings Surfer back to sanity. He uses the Infinity Gauntlet’s power to destroy itself – and seemingly he and Shalla-Bal with it – but we discover that the two of them are secretly alone on a paradise planet of their creation to live the rest of their lives in secret.

As everything returns to normal, Thanos stands alone, holding up the scrapped remains of the Gauntlet. With a smirk, he says, “So close. Oh, yes... So very close.”

MARVEL SUPER HEROES (1995)

Arcade Fighting Game

Capcom

In a follow-up to X-Men: Children of the Atom, Capcom released a one-on-one fighting game called Marvel Super Heroes, which is loosely based on Infinity Gauntlet. In it, you control a hero or villain as you gather the Infinity Gems from your opponents, working your way to fighting Dr. Doom and then Thanos. Upon meeting him, Thanos will steal your Gems and complete the Infinity Gauntlet before the final battle. While there isn’t much story in the game, it definitely stays loyal to the comic in ways. For instance, Thanos’ battleground is his base from Infinity Gauntlet, where you can see the likes of Thor, Nova, Drax, Scarlet Witch, and She-Hulk frozen in stone as Mephisto and Death idle in the background.

The game is kicking rad if you haven’t played it, letting you unleash the power of the various Gems in battle, each giving you a different ability. The console version includes playable versions of the bosses, as well as Anita, the emotionless little girl from Capcom’s Darkstalkersseries.

Here are the various endings based on the different characters defeating Thanos:

Anita: Simply uses the Gems to free the heroes from their statue forms. Nothing else.

Blackheart: Is asked to hand it over from his father Mephisto, but Blackheart turns on him and chooses to rule reality.

Captain America: Reverts the heroes to normal. Then pals around with Thor and throws the Infinity Gems into a black hole so nobody can use them.

Dr. Doom: Bitches out Thanos and rules the Earth with the Infinity Gauntlet. Yeah, they don’t get very fancy with this one.

Hulk: Reverts the heroes to normal. Thanos wants to die, but Hulk leaves him begging. Hulk goes on a second honeymoon to Vegas with Betty, but he chooses to get there by leaping with Betty holding on for dear life.

Iron Man: Reverts the heroes to normal. Considers using the Gauntlet, but then refuses. Later, he’s bummed to discover that his nervous system problems are gone. He selfishly used the power after all. Cap tells him not to worry about it.

Juggernaut: Is ready to grab the Infinity Gauntlet and get his vengeance on Xavier. Suddenly, Adam Warlock pops in to take it away, thanking Juggernaut for saving reality and then sending him back to Earth. I hate Adam Warlock.

Magneto: Creates a second moon around Earth and makes it a permanent home for mutants, finally separating himself from the humans. He is the eternal ruler of New Avalon.

Psylocke: Reverts the heroes to normal. She returns to the mansion, thinking about how she has experienced being molded to the will of others before and would never, ever do that to another person.

Shuma-Gorath: Absorbs the power of the Infinity Gems and grows in size, allowing it to feast upon reality itself.

Spider-Man: Reverts the heroes to normal. Goes home to Mary Jane to find out that he’s going to be a father. This is a lot less uplifting when you remember that this game was released during Clone Saga. Ugh.

Thanos: Has two separate endings. Either he chooses to become one with the cosmos as the true ruler of the universe, or he gives up the power and lives on as a farmer.

Wolverine: Reverts the heroes to normal. He realizes that he could use the power to find out about his past, but refuses. Instead, he leaves the X-Men to find the answers himself.

Thanos would return in Marvel vs. Capcom 2, still with the Infinity Gauntlet, but the game lacks anything resembling a coherent storyline. Then in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, the Gauntlet is treated as a red herring as Thanos is more interested in fashioning Ryu's dark energies into a Satsui No Hado Gauntlet so he can kill (or at least hurt) Death.

MARVEL SUPER HEROES: WAR OF THE GEMS (1996)

SNES Side-Scrolling Brawler

Capcom

You would think that this would just be a lesser incarnation of the one-on-one fighter I just talked about, but no. This Capcom release is more of a sequel to the side-scroller beat ‘em up X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse. In it, you play through with your choice of Hulk, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Iron Man. Coincidentally, Iron Man’s select portrait is just a picture of his sprite from the arcade game. Go figure.

The game is one big mishmash of both Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity War, which makes sense, considering Infinity Gauntlet wasn’t really filled to the brim with villains to fight. Here, you get to fight evil doppelganger clones of various heroes, like Hawkeye, Vision, Sasquatch, Iron Man, etc. At first you search for the various Infinity Gems, trying to stop the likes of Magus and Dr. Doom from getting their hands on them, but Thanos gets the last one. After going through Nebula, you face Thanos and...well, it doesn’t really have the same dire sense of danger when he isn’t at full godhood. At least in the arcade game, he’s got all six Gems. Here, he has one against your five. That’s hardly impressive.

I guess Thanos has the Reality Gem because literally all he does is cause fire to burst from the ground and summon a closing stone wall. That’s it. He’s slow as molasses and his death throes feel like they take an hour.

Afterwards, Adam Warlock takes all the Gems for himself and sends everyone home. Feeling the need to give this epilogue some filler, they ask if Earth will ever truly be safe. When all your enemies move like snails, Earth isn't in that much danger, I suppose.

WHAT IF THE IMPOSSIBLE MAN OBTAINED THE INFINITY GAUNTLET? (1998)

What If v.2 #104

Thomas Virkaitis and Gregg Schigiel

So you know that part where Silver Surfer tries to swipe Thanos’ Gauntlet? It almost works in the sense that he removes the glove, but he fumbles and drops it. It’s then grabbed by none other than the annoying shape-shifter of the cosmos, the Impossible Man! Although Thanos is no threat to him, he does basically pee himself once all the cosmic beings show up. He escapes with Surfer and points out that he’s totally capable of handling the burden of wielding the Infinity Gauntlet. To prove his point, he brings Surfer to Zenn-La, his lost home planet. He’s reunited with Shalla-Bal and all should be good, but Surfer can’t help but feel that things aren’t quite right.

He’s summoned by Galactus because although Impossible Man’s claimed to be about using the Gauntlet justly, he’s in the middle of exacting revenge on Galactus for eating his home world of Poppup way back when. Surfer fights him and loses, but convinces him to do the right thing by pointing out that he can just rebuild Poppup and return all its people. Galactus agrees to help, but due to plot device BS, Poppup can only be created at the expense of the fake Zenn-La. Surfer ultimately goes along with it because while he can never accept his fake world as real, Impossible Man is too oblivious and simple-minded to really question his.

Poppup is reborn, the Poppupian race is reborn, and Impossible Man gives up his power to the Elders of the Universe. Everything seems fine, but then Surfer realizes that the Poppupians are all purple and green versions of heroes and villains, fighting it out like a bunch of goofs. He looks on in horror while a purple and green Forbush Man waves at the reader from behind his back.

WHAT IF: NEWER FANTASTIC FOUR (2009)

What If One-Shot

Paul Tobin and Patrick Scherberger

A little backstory on this one. Jeff Parker and Mike Wieringo were working on a What If issue about the New Fantastic Four (Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider) remaining as a team. Unfortunately, Wieringo passed away during the making of it, so they had various artists finish the book in his place as a tribute. Even if it wasn’t such a heartwarming sentiment, What If This was the Fantastic Four? is an excellent comic to read.

This is the sequel, which asks what would happen if Infinity Gauntlet happened in a timeline with the New Fantastic Four, except that Ghost Rider is wiped out of existence from Thanos’ power and is replaced by Iron Man. Their first meeting with Thanos doesn’t go so well, since Hulk’s attempt to intimidate him with how strong he is in relation to his anger causes Thanos to wipe out a chunk of the Milky Way and state, “And I’m not even angry.” The omnipotent Thanos also separates Hulk and Banner out of curiosity and his desire to show off. During all of this, Wolverine notices how Mephisto is able to steer Thanos around with his words.

Like in regular continuity, Adam Warlock brings up his awesome plan of, “Do what I say and don’t ask questions so you don't know that I’m using your horrible deaths as a diversion,” but this time it doesn’t fly. As Stark puts it, “I don’t [know what I’m doing], but I don’t think he does either.” When they go at Thanos, Wolverine is the only one with a plan. He chooses not to fight Thanos and instead badmouths his partners while talking Thanos into thinking that Mephisto is trying to horn in on Death. Thanos buys this lie and vaporizes Mephisto. Wolverine worms his way into position as Thanos’ new right-hand man and explains to the other Fantastic Four members that he hopes that Thanos will reward his loyalty by forcing Jean Grey to love him.

Thanos continues to effortlessly defeat all challengers, even when Iron Man creates a suit of armor out of a fallen Celestial. Wolverine talks up how Thanos hasn’t even physically touched Death and that love is all about contact. Thanos gets all flustered because it isn’t proper, but Wolverine eggs him on to just touch her face. As the nervous Thanos reaches out to do so, Wolverine chops his arm off with a smiling, “Sucker!” and has successfully cut off his source of power.

Hulk punches Thanos out, Spider-Man uses the Gauntlet to put everything back the way it was, the Gauntlet is given to the Watchers to guard, and Bruce Banner becomes an honorary Watcher. Free from being one with the Hulk, he lives in the Watchers' citadel for the rest of his life, practically bathing in the vast knowledge available to him.

Too bad they didn’t keep going with What If: New Fantastic Four stories. They were only two issues, but they were a lot of fun.

WHAT IF: SECRET WARS (2009)

What If One-Shot

Karl Bollers and Jorge Molina

This one only sort of counts. Thanos only gets one mention, but the story is more of an alternate history companion piece that makes a couple parallel references to the original story. In Secret Wars, Dr. Doom was able to siphon off the powers of Galactus and the Beyonder, making him nigh-omnipotent. In this reality, he keeps the power and fully defeats the heroes. He easily conquers Earth, all while leaving all the heroes alive and using his power to make sure Sue Storm’s pregnancy (which resulted in a miscarriage in regular continuity) is a healthy one. He leaves the world a utopia and flies into space. The thing to take away from this story is that at his heart, Dr. Doom is not a ruler, but a conqueror. That’s why he’s ruled the world no less than three times in regular continuity and always left it behind for the sake of struggle.

His attempt to take over various alien empires is met with resistance, so he wipes out all who oppose him. Then he seeks out even more power by slaying the Elders of the Universe and stealing the Infinity Gems. With the Soul Gem, he enters Hell, frees his mother, and kills Mephisto (which he says would only be temporary, since he’s the Devil and all). Next on the agenda is taking out the only beings higher than him on the food chain: the Celestials. The fight lasts 407 years (!) and in the end, Doom is supreme, albeit with the Infinity Gems destroyed.

During the battle, a shockwave knocked Earth out of orbit, much like in Infinity Gauntlet. Doom sees that life will eventually come to an end. Without a second thought, he uses the remainder of his cosmic power to set the Earth back in place and save the planet. The final scene shows, fittingly enough, that he’s become a farmer, freely appearing with no faceplate. He no longer feels ashamed of his scars and plans to rebuild his rule from the ground up, fully understanding the true potential of mankind.

Personally one of my favorite Dr. Doom stories.

SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW SEASON 2 (2010)

Animated Series

Film Roman, Ingenious Media, and Marvel Animation

The wacky cartoon series based on the toys with the creepy smiles is a fun enough diversion. The second season of the show is all about the Infinity Gauntlet with the first half of it being based on Thanos’ quest to get all the Gems. Thanos is voiced by Jim Cummings, meaning he sounds like pretty much every Jim Cummings voice you’ve ever heard. Interesting thing here is that Thanos has Nebula captive and he refers to her as his sister. So if you’re keeping score, she’s his granddaughter in the comics, daughter in the movies, and sister in the cartoon.

The whole Death concept is forgotten about here and Thanos is purely out for galactic power for the sake of being an evil overlord with galactic power. In the episode “Fate of Destiny,” he gets the full set of Gems and the Super Hero Squad goes on the attack. They are soundly defeated (mostly thanks to Thanos’ reality-warping catchphrase, “DO OVER!”), as are Dr. Doom and his underlings. Thanos is then challenged by the Silver Surfer, who is wielding the Infinity Sword, the ultimate weapon of the first season’s finale. Thanos challenges him to a winner-take-all fight, which Surfer accepts. When they shake on it, Surfer pulls off Thanos’ glove.

Unfortunately, the Infinity Sword has been slowly corrupting Surfer over time, so having the Infinity Sword AND the Infinity Gauntlet drives him over the edge. He sends his former teammates spiraling through the multiverse, giving us children’s cartoon adaptations of 1602and Planet Hulk. Also, he knocks Earth out of orbit, making it increasingly cold. For the remainder of the series, he’s the main villain.

In the finale, “The Final Battle! (‘Nuff Said!)” The Dark Surfer is challenged by the team of Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Hulk, Wolverine, Falcon, and Thor. Surfer chooses to split himself into six beings for his own amusement. Each Surfer is powered by a separate Gem, but the heroes have figured that each one is capable of countering a specific Surfer based on their own abilities/personalities. For instance, the Mind Gem has little effect on Hulk and Wolverine’s surliness is able to overpower the Soul Gem. With the help of Ronan the Accuser, they defeat Silver Surfer and get all the Gems together.

It’s not over until they find where he hid the Infinity Sword, leading to a final battle between Iron Man and Dr. Doom, where they accidentally destroy both the Sword and the Gems. The resulting explosion fixes the universe, including Earth, and all is well. Surfer’s back to his senses and willingly accepts his Kree imprisonment. No longer able to get his revenge on the Surfer, Thanos decides to go hang out at a chicken farm instead. Cute.

SUPER HERO SQUAD: INFINITY GAUNTLET (2010)

Adventure Game for Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo 3DS

Griptonite Games and THQ

Around the time of the second season’s debut, they released a video game tie-in where you go around fighting enemies with two heroes at a time. In the story, Iron Man and Hulk are picking up some new boots for Thor’s birthday. The boots get mixed up with Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet and wackiness ensues. Eventually, Thanos gets all the Gems. The duo of Iron Man and Scarlet Witch are able to defeat him, but then Silver Surfer swoops in to steal the Infinity Gauntlet. Corrupted by its power immediately, he does away with Galactus and, like in the cartoon, splits into six versions of himself. While Spider-Man sits this one out, the other twelve heroes pair up and fight the various Surfers one-by-one.

Once defeated, Surfer comes to his senses. He and Iron Man throw the Infinity Gems and Infinity Sword into a rift in reality, taking care of that problem. Meanwhile, all the villains are busy fighting each other. Iron Man figures to just let that sort itself out. The heroes celebrate Thor’s birthday, but it turns out his boots have been enchanted by Loki to make Thor dance for an eternity. Iron Man and Hulk search for the receipt so they can return it.

AVENGERS AND THE INFINITY GAUNTLET (2010)

Four-Issue Miniseries

Brian Clevinger, Lee Black, and Brian Churilla

This out-of-continuity story is a reimagining of Infinity Gauntlet as an all-ages comedy book. With the ultimate power of the Gauntlet, Thanos wipes out half of life in the universe for the sake of seeing chaos reign and the survivors destroy each other. The remaining heroes only know the where of the threat’s source and not the who or what. Sue Storm puts together a team of Ms. Marvel, Hulk, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. Dr. Doom bursts into the room and after a fight where he takes down everyone on his own, Doom offers to join the team. Their transport is US-Ace, the star of the forgotten 80s comic US-1.

The real treasure of this miniseries is watching Dr. Doom interact with the uncouth US-Ace. Especially when they visit the space trucker’s parents, who run a space diner. Ace’s mother bullies Doom into making everyone sandwiches, which is amazing.

Once they come across Thanos near the end of the third issue, they all get thrashed. He’s only stopped thanks to US-Ace driving his space truck into him thanks to his truckopathic link (Doom grumbles, “Oh Lord, he has a name for it...”). The act knocks off the Gauntlet and while Doom eventually gets his hands on it, it doesn’t work. Turns out he’s a perfect Doombot created by Doom to be released into the world if he were to ever go missing for whatever reason, such as, say, half of the universe's population magically vanishing into thin air. Spider-Man stops Thanos from getting the Gauntlet back on his hand and then uses its power to wish for a universe where Thanos never had the Gems in the first place.

Spider-Man ends up back on Earth where he’s the only one who remembers the entire adventure. He isn’t too broken up about it, but he wishes someone else out there would remember what he did. Elsewhere, Thanos plots his eventual revenge by sketching Spider-Man’s head into the ground, then adding an X over it.

I’m just bummed that despite having a million characters in Avengers: Infinity War, we won’t get to hear Dr. Doom sarcastically respond to US-Ace with, “What a colorful turn of phrase. Perhaps you will regale us with more of them over a ‘mess of biscuits’ later.”

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: SEASON TWO (2015)

Animated Series

Marvel Animation, Man of Action

Ugh. So, once upon a time, there was this badass Avengers cartoon that people really liked. Then they canceled it and replaced it with Avengers Assemble, which I guess is still a thing. Anyway, much like Super Hero Squad Show, the second season is about Thanos and his quest to acquire the Infinity Gauntlet. By the halfway point, he has it and he loses in an incredibly embarrassing way.

Iron Man has Arsenal, a robot built by his father that can absorb energies and is programmed to protect Tony at all costs. After Thanos imprisons the Avengers with magic rock hands from the ground, Arsenal just walks towards him. Thanos -- with control over time and space and so on -- shoots lasers at him. Iron Man explains that Arsenal is able to absorb such a thing. Knowing this, Thanos' strategy is to SHOOT LASERS HARDER because holy shit. Arsenal yoinks the Gauntlet off Thanos' hand, freeing up the Avengers to beat Thanos into mush.

Then Arsenal becomes Ultron because reasons.

Oh yeah, there was a digital pinball game based on Infinity Gauntlet too, but I have no idea how to even write that up. I watched footage of people playing it and couldn’t make heads or tails of what the hell is even going on.

Gavin Jasper will never not love that Impossible Man/Roddy Piper panel. Follow him on Twitter!

New information suggests that Microsoft is preparing to invest much more money into their gaming divisions that will allow them to grow beyond the Xbox. 

"We are not leaving the console business behind by any means," said Kevin Gammill, GM of gaming cloud at Microsoft. "We are continuing to invest there. The premium living room experience today is on Xbox One X, and we hope to continue that for years to come. But when you think about how we are going to broaden our business, we need to think beyond console to be successful."

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What does that mean? Well, Microsoft used Minecraft as an example. Minecraft is owned by 144 million people. Because Minecraft is now a Microsoft property, Microsoft sees those 144 million people as a Microsoft gaming customer no matter what platform they play on. Similarly, anyone who plays Sea of Thieves on Windows 10 is still seen as an Xbox customer by the company. Basically, Microsoft is no longer limiting themselves to getting people to buy an Xbox and play games on it in order to be seen as part of their gaming user base. 

Here is where that gets interesting. According to Gammill, Microsoft believes that if their gaming efforts are going to grow, they can no longer "play only on our devices, or our operating systems." Instead, the studio is interested in "providing them a set of services that they will benefit from, regardless of the platform or device that they are running on."

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The gut reaction to that statement will be that Microsoft is preparing to release games and services for other platforms. While that will no doubt have people dreaming of Halo on PlayStation, that doesn't seem to be the immediate implication. Instead, it sounds like Microsoft is looking to expand their cloud-based services and perhaps their mobile gaming initiative. Furthermore, they might even look to buy more properties like Minecraft that will then be exported to other devices and consoles. 

For the time being, though, it sounds like Microsoft will stick with the Xbox console and just expand their streaming, mobile, and cloud divisions in order to get Xbox/Microsoft games to more people. However, we imagine that their biggest properties will stay on Xbox...for now. 

Studio Wildcard and War Drum Studios are working on a mobile version of ARK: Survival Evolved. 

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"ARK: Survival Evolved mobile is free-to-play and puts the genre-defining adventure in the palm of your hand, letting you join forces with tens of thousands of other dino-hunters," reads the official announcement. "This on-the-go version features the full online survival experience contained in the PC and console versions of ARK, including a gigantic island to explore, 80+ dinosaurs and primeval creatures to tame and train, multiplayer tribe mechanics, and of course, crafting and building!"

Yes, ARK is the latest in a series of mobile ports that aims to faithfully recreate the experience of a console/PC game. As we've recently seen in the mobile version of Fortnite, such technical wonders are indeed now possible. 

Still, it's particularly impressive to hear that ARK is going to make the leap to mobile with few compromises considering how deep the game is. For those unfamiliar with the title, ARK throws players into a prehistoric land filled with dinosaurs and other dangers. To live, you'll need to scrounge up supplies, build shelter and weapons, and deal with opposing tribes of other players. ARK was one of the earlier harbingers of the survival genre renaissance and captivated many early players with its fascinating world, many opportunities for conflict, and solid mechanics. 

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While ARK has fallen on tough times in recent months - players complain about server performance and the dominant presence of veteran players - a mobile version of the game could give ARK the shot in the arm it needs. War Drum Studios are certainly no strangers to porting large titles to mobile devices - they've worked on several Grand Theft Auto mobile games - and they might just have what it takes to make this one work. 

The mobile version of ARK: Survival Evolved has just entered a closed beta period for iOS and will be available for iOS and Android sometime in the Spring. 

A listing on Amazon's Italian website suggests that a remaster of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is set to release later this year. 

The listing - which was spotted and archived by IGN - indicates that this remaster will be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the retail price of €19.99 (about $25). What's really surprising about this listing, though, is that it suggests that this remaster will be released on April 30. 

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There are many things to note about this listing. First off, even if Modern Warfare 2 is being remastered, it seems highly unlikely that it will be released on April 30. It's certainly possible, but it seems very unlikely that such a game would be released with less than a month's worth of marketing and hype. As IGN points out, the remake of Modern Warfare was announced a full six months before it was released. 

The other thing that is so notable about this listing is that it seems to indicate that Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is going to be a standalone release. If you recall, Modern Warfare Remastered was initially bundled with Infinite Warfare. It wasn't available as a standalone title until later. If this game is indeed being developed, and if this listing is accurate, it seems that Activision might respond to the blowback regarding Modern Warfare Remastered's bundle availability and might just let people purchase this one out of the gate. 

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We've reached out to Activision for clarification and confirmation of this information and will update this article if we receive a reply. 

Truth be told, we'd be more surprised at this point to learn that Modern Warfare2 isn't being remastered than we would be if we learned that it is. Despite some of the controversy that surrounded the remaster of Modern Warfare, it was still seen as a great trip down memory lane by many of those who eventually played it. It's a bit tricky to say whether it was a sales success given that it launched as a bundle, but we'd be shocked if it wasn't. 

As for Modern Warfare 2...well, it's still considered to be a fan favorite among a certain generation of Call of Duty fans. Its multiplayer was incredibly successful, its campaign drew quite a bit of controversy over the "No Russian" level, and the game ultimately earned a staggering $1 billion in sales. 

Those who have already learned to love Netflix's Castlevania will be thrilled to learn that the streaming service has greenlit the show's second season. 

Showrunner Adi Shankar had previously hinted that the show's second season was a done deal in a now-deleted Facebook post, but Netflix officially confirmed the show's renewal in a brief statement that included the very welcome news that Castlevania's second season will be eight episodes long. While that's hardly the length of a network program - or even an HBO show - it's a nice upgrade from the first season's meager four episode offering. 

In case you haven't yet read our review of the show, we thought quite highly of Castlevania's first season and look forward to seeing what the show's incredibly talented team can do when they have a full-length season to work with. 

Here's everything else we know about the show:

Castlevania Season 2 Release Date

A Summer 2018 release date for Castlevania's second season was confirmed on Twitter by writer Warren Ellis in late 2017...

Castlevania Season 2 Cast and Crew

All the principle participants of the show's first season appear to be onboard for Castlevania season two, which means that showrunner Adi Shankar, writer Warren Ellis, and voice actors Graham McTavish, Richard Armitage, James Callis, and Alejandra Reynoso will all reprise their respective voice roles. 

Sonic Racing is probably, definitely, maybe coming back. We think. 

The "mysterious" teaser in the Tweet above has been the source of much speculation that the Sonic Racing series is set to return. It was sent by the Sonic the Hedgehogteam, features lots of engine noises and other racing paraphernalia, and includes a logo at the end that really, really looks like it says Sonic Racing. Annoyingly, though, Sega has not yet confirmed that they are developing a new Sonic Racing game. 

Still, it's impossible to think of anything else this teaser could point to. After all, a new Sonic Racinggame has been fuelling the rumor mill for quite some time now. It's believed that it will be developed by Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformeddeveloper Sumo Digital who previously suggested they were working on an "unannounced karting game" that involved a major IP. 

It's also been reported that toymaker Zappies has been working on a new series of figures based on an as-of-then unannounced Sonic Racing titles. Sega might be trying to cool the fires by tweeting out that another Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed game is not in the works, but unless they are stating the game won't carry that specific title, we're going to have to assign them "pants on fire" lying status. 

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Sumo Digital's last Sonic Racing game, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, was a generally well-received take on the Sonic Racing concept. While it's true that Sonic Racing titles have never been held in quite the same regard as the Mario Kart series, they are seen as generally entertaining and often creative kart racing titles that have won over a variety of fans with their solid mechanics and creative gameplay gimmicks. 

We'll be sure to bring you more information on this new Sonic Racing title as soon as it is available. 

Sega is working on an updated version of Sonic Mania called Sonic Mania Plus. 

The new version of Sonic Mania was revealed during Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog panel at SXSW's gaming event. There, the studio revealed that this deluxe edition of the hit game will include playable appearances from two classic Sonic characters, Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel. For those who don't know, both of those characters debuted in the sometimes overlooked isometric Sonic arcade game, 1993's SegaSonic the Hedgehog. 

If the ability to play as the Ray the Flying Squirrel doesn't get you running to your local game store, Sega sweetened the Mania Plus pot by noting that this version of the game will also feature a new "Encore Mode" that will enhance replay value by changing the visuals of each level while offering new ways to play them. Sonic Mania's two-player racing mode, called Competition Mode, has also been expanded to support up to four simultaneous players. 

Sonic Mania Plus is set to release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch sometime in the summer of 2018 for $29.99. Those who opt for the retail version of the game will receive a holographic slipcover, a reversible packaging option that is designed to resemble the covers of classic Sega Genesis Sonic games, and a 32-page art book that covers the life and works of the eccentric artist, Edvard Munch. Nah, we're kidding...it's actually full of Sonic doodles. 

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Meanwhile, owners of the digital version of the game will actually be automatically upgraded to the Plus version. While they won't get any of those sweet physical packaging features, that's still a pretty great deal. 

However you play Sonic Mania, we just recommend that you do find a way to play the game at some point. Sonic fans have gone so far as to say that it's the best Sonicgame released in decades. Perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise when you consider that the retro Sonic title was developed by Christian Whitehead, a famed developer of incredible homemade Sonic games, but the extent of the game's retro greatness was indeed a bit shocking. 

Elsewhere at their SXSW panel, Sega revealed that they are working on a new Sonic animated series, a new comic book based on the character, and have formed a partnership with Puma that will result in the production of some special Sonic the Hedgehog sneakers. 

God of War is back! The fourth installment in the hugely popular action-adventure game was revealed at Sony's E3 2016 press conference to confirm the rumors that had been going around for at least a week. This time, the game will take its settings and monsters from Norse mythology. Kratos also has a son, which is a pretty shocking development considering his actions in the first trilogy. 

E3 2016's God of War reveal suggested that the game was going to be a fairly radical departure from what came before. The game's revamped combat system seems to have taken some cues from Dark Souls. There's also an altered presentation style which almost feels like a mythological take on the Naughty Dog style of storytelling.

Speaking of stories, God of War's continues to intrigue. It appears that Kratos' son is somehow cursed and it's up to dear old dad to guide him through a very beautiful and dangerous land in order to find a cure. Whatever the specifics, this latest game certainly has a much more intimate feel to it, even though the scope and brutality of the God of Warseries is clearly still intact.

Here's everything we know about this highly anticipated sequel:

God of War News

This 15-minute God of War gameplay preview gives us our best look at how the new game changes the franchise formula. 

According to this video from PS Underground, the new God of War will be a much more deliberate title. That means that most combat in the come will see Kratos battle one enemy at a time, utilize weapons that have a lot more weight to them, and even employ defensive maneuvers to save his skin. 

While the name of "Dark Souls" is invoked during this preview, the comparison isn't entirely accurate. God of War seems to make great use of Kratos' son as a true asset in combat. He'll be able to fire arrows from afar, join in on some combo attacks, and help Kratos take down especially large foes. 

There's a trace of old-school God of War in this combat footage, but this new title does indeed look like a fresh start for the series. 

God of War Release Date

God of War is set to release on April 20, 2018. The game is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4.

God of War Trailers

A new trailer has arrived for God of War! Check it out below:

Here's the second trailer, which was released during E3 2017:

Here's your first look at the new adventure:

This exciting new preview showcases a world that initially seems quite far from the God of War we've known. Kratos (who is sporting an awesome beard, it must be said) is trekking through an incredible looking wooded area with a kid on a seemingly simple hunt. Things quickly revert back to the God of War we know and love, however, once Kratos is jumped by a few demons that learn that Kratos' axe is good for chopping more than firewood. 

The entire situation really escalates once Kratos encounters a hulking beast that gives us a better look at the game's new perspective and combat style. Indeed, the game's camera perspective and speed appear to have taken a cue from titles like Dark Souls. The trailer and title suggest that this is a new beginning for Kratos and the series. 

Regardless, this looks like an exciting entrant into the renowned franchise that we are eager to learn more about. 

God of War Details

In an interview with Eurogamer, God of War director Corey Balrog revealed that there are no camera cuts in God of War.

"The aspiration when I got back was to tell a much more personal story," said Balrog. "God of War is traditionally known for these cinematic, pull back cameras, which I think are fantastic. But trying to get in there and really get to know the character a little more, I realised it'd be interesting if we got closer.|

Balrog admitted that making a "one-shot" game presented some fairly unique challenges, but he ultimately feels that the innovations of this system are worth the headaches that go along with making it happen.

"For me it really comes down to when you experience something amazing, you go see the Grand Canyon or something like that, you don't have a crane camera behind you giving you a vista shot to make it look amazing," said Balrog. "That's a postcard. What you have is you, standing on the edge, looking around and just being in awe of what you're seeing. In games, I think we can do that."

Balrog also noted that many of the changes seen in God of War thus far can be attributed to the fact that many of the people working on the game have grown and they simply don't want to re-explore the same concepts. That said, he claims that there are core God of War aspects in the new title, but players will simply view them "through a different lens."

In an interview with the website LevelUp (which was translated by the GameTransfers crew), Barlog shared some of the first details of the upcoming title, including the announcement that God of War will be a single-player only game. 

Though Barlog credits God of War: Ascension's multiplayer mode for its innovative take on the concept, he also noted that the mode lacked enough depth to become a staple piece for the franchise moving forward. 

Speaking of the franchise moving forward, it does appear that this new God of War will, in fact, represent the start of a new series of games for Kratos. Though Barlog was short on details concerning these future titles (if there are actually any details to share at all at this point) he did note that we can expect to see more Kratos in the future. 

On the subject of Kratos' son (which has become a big talking point ever since the game's trailer reveal), Barlog eased the concerns of some fans by insisting that the character will not have to be looked after in combat such as you may see in a traditional escort mission. While we're still unsure if the son will have a direct combat function or will instead be something of a secondary element such as the role Elizabeth played in Bioshock: Infinite, Barlog did note that the character is unaware of his father's previous exploits at the start of the game, which does help to clarify the timeline of this release in relation to the previous series. 

With smooth animation and an epic-sounding score, Flashback felt about as close as you could get to starring in your own sci-fi action movie, at least in the 16-bit era.

Designed by Paul Cuisset, Flashback was a high-concept adventure game about an amnesiac scientist who finds himself in the midst of an interplanetary conspiracy. Its action and rotoscoped animation style was like an upgrade of the original Prince of Persia, while its twist-laden plot was seemingly inspired by the 1990 hit, Total Recall.

Thanks to the publisher Microids, Flashback's making a return, this time to the Nintendo Switch. Check out the announcement trailer:

Oddly, it's a port of the Super Nintendo version from 1993 rather than the earlier Amiga release. What this means, though, is that Microids can bill it as a 25th anniversary edition, which will come as a regular digital release and a fancy collector's edition with added physical goodies.

Inside you'll find an instruction booklet, a steel case modeled after a SNES cartridge, the soundtrack, and a metal card with a number on it. We're not sure what the latter actually does.

The game itself will come in two versions: the original, untouched SNES port and a Modern Mode, which adds some 21st-century creature comforts - like a tutorial and the ability to rewind your mistakes. Flashback was one of those games where you died a lot, right from the opening screen, so these additions should help ease in newer players.

Now, we wonder whether we'll get a remastered version of Fade to Black, Paul Cuisset's 1995 sequel? Watch this space...

Flashbackarrives on the Switch on the 7th June.

It's possible that younger generations of gamers have completely forgotten the name "Atari," but in the '70s and early '80s, it was the company to beat. A true pioneer of gaming, Atari was at the forefront of the arcade cabinet scene and produced some of the earliest home consoles on the market. The company is also responsible for hits such as Pong, Centipede, Missile Command, Breakout, Asteroids, and Gauntlet. Needless to say, Atari's output as both a hardware and software manufacturer remains very influential. 

Well, it seems like Atari CEO Fred Chesnais wants to make the former gaming giant a big part of the conversation again. Speaking with GamesBeat, he confirmed that the company is developing a brand new console. It's called the Atari VCS (formerly called "Ataribox"), the company's first console in more than 20 years. Atari's last home console release was the 64-bit Atari Jaguar, which launched in 1993.

According to an Atari newsletter, the VCS will be a "full PC experience for the TV, bringing you streaming, applications, social, browsing, music, and more." Atari VCS will come pre-loaded with retro titles as well as "current titles from a range of studios." Atari has not named the studios it has partnered with for this new console.

Here's everything we know about the new console:

Atari VCS News

Atari has revealed a few more details about the VCS, including its controller options. Unsurprisingly, Atari fans will be able to use a joystick to play on the VCS. What is surprising is the second controller option: an ABXY gamepad similar to the Xbox One controller. Check out both designs below...

A logo for the new console was also revealed. It is as retro-looking as you'd expect:

Atari VCS Release Date

Atari has not disclosed the release date for the Atari VCS at this time. A pre-order date will be announced in April 2018. 

Atari VCS Trailer

Atari also dropped a trailer for the new console, which teases the return of the wood paneling that was a trademark of the old machines. Check out the trailer below:

While it's unlikely that the Atari VCS will be anywhere near as powerful as the expensive Xbox and PlayStation consoles currently on the market, it could definitely do well in the retro console sector. Last year, the NES Classic Edition set the gaming world on fire, selling out almost instantly upon release. While Atari's properties aren't as popular as, say, Super Mario Bros., the Mini NES proved that there's still a loyal fanbase of older gamers willing to shell out $60 or more for the classics.

The possibility of an Atari console equal to at least the Nintendo Switch in terms of power is very exciting, though. A fourth console option would be a major shakeup for the industry, which has only had three consoles on the market at one time since Sega bowed out of the hardware business with the seriously underrated Dreamcast. Could the Atari VCS be a true gamechanger? 

To reiterate, it's highly improbable that Atari, a company that's nowhere near as big as it once was, could compete with giants like Microsoft and Sony. Still, an Atari retro console is a long time coming.

Atari VCS Details

Atari has shared more information regarding the Atari VCS's functionality. 

In an interview with VentureBeat, Atari VCS creator Feargal Mac stated that they intend to release the console sometime in 2018 following an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign. It's expected to retail for $250-$300 and will utilize an AMD processor and a Radeon graphics card. 

"People are used to the flexibility of a PC, but most connected TV devices have closed systems and content stores," said Mac. "We wanted to create a killer TV product where people can game, stream and browse with as much freedom as possible, including accessing pre-owned games from other content providers."

Based on that statement, it sounds like the Atari VCS might function similarly to some Steam Machine devices. What's up for debate is how deep the console's lineup of supported games will be. 

Atari also showcased the Atari VCS's actual design and shared a few more details regarding what the console actually does.

The manufacturer stated that they plan on releasing two versions of the Atari VCS, one that resembles the original console's classic wood panel design and a more modern red and black edition, but each one will function exactly the same.

Bandai Namco has announced the development of a new Dragon Ball fighting game for mobile devices. 

Based on the information stated during the game's official reveal at Game Developers Conference, this mobile game will be titled Dragon Ball Legends and will follow roughly the same format established by Dragon Ball FighterZ. That means that it will ask players to assemble a team of three fighters from the Dragon Ball universe and prepare for battle against others. Yes, Dragon Ball Legends will allow mobile players to do battle against each other in PvP environments. If the demo that Bandai Namco displayed at GDC is to be believed, Legends will offer a relatively lag-free experience that should allow players to easily find opponents anywhere across the world. 

Unlike some recent mobile games, though, Legends will not offer a full mobile translation of Dragon Ball FigherZ. Instead, it will be its own game that makes compromises necessary for the mobile platform. The biggest difference between the two is Legends' use of a card-based attack system. During each battle, various attack cards will occupy the bottom of the screen based on what fighter you are using. These cards will still function like basic and special attacks - you'll even be able to tap them in rapid succession in order to pull off combos - but it's understandable if this system doesn't allow players to pull off the same lightning-fast combos featured in FighterZ.

There's no confirmed list of fighters available at the moment, but it seems like most of the major characters from the Dragon Ball universe will be featured in some fashion. The very good news is that they all look fantastic. Legendsis yet another in a long line of mobile titles that aim to truly push the limits of what modern mobile platforms are capable of. 

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Bandai Namco hasn't offered a definitive release date for Legends, but it is expected to be released sometime in 2018 for both iOS and Android. 

If everything that Bandai Namco is saying proves to be true, then Legends could indeed be a proper fighting title for mobile devices that doesn't exclude casual gamers. The idea of real-time global matchmaking on a mobile device is a fascinating one that might very well prove to be the hook this game needs. What remains to be seen is if the gameplay can live up to the title's potential. 

There's nothing quite like League of Legends eSports scene. The fact that League is one of the most popular games on the planet is never more evident than when you're watching the best players in the world utilize a combination of perfect teamwork and inhuman individual skills in front of a rowdy audience. This MOBA has become a bonafide phenomenon with a professional competition that attracts millions of viewers. 

Now, League's 2018 competitive season has begun.

What begins as a world's worth of top teams vying for the top spots of the Spring and Summer Split seasons will soon transition into the tense tournament known as the League of Legends World Championship. League's Championship finals are famous for being some of the most unpredictable and compelling series of games in the world. It's a spectacle you do not want to miss. 

Whether you've been following LoL since the beginning or you're looking to understand why this game has captured the world's imagination, we're here to keep you updated on the comings and goings of the 2018 competitive season. 

Here's a guide to League of LegendseSports in 2018:

League of Legends eSports Live Stream

You can watch every League of Legends eSports match across every region by checking out our live stream!

League of Legends World Championship Format

It's a long road to the League of Legends World Championship, but here's a rough breakdown of how you get there. 

The first thing you need to know is that there are actually several competitive LoL leagues spread throughout the world. However, the biggest leagues are the NA LCS, EU LCS, League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), League of Legends Pro League (LPL, China), and League of LegendsMaster Series (LMS, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau). These leagues are complemented by several smaller organizations in other regions. 

Each competitive season is divided into the Spring and Summer splits. Teams from major regions are competing for championship points throughout the season in order to improve their standings and perhaps earn a playoff berth. However, the best way for teams to earn a World Championship playoff berth is to win the Summer split playoffs. Regardless of what region a team plays in, that will automatically secure its spot. Teams from larger regions can also make it to the World Championship playoffs via their play in regional qualifiers or by having the most championship points at the end of Summer playoffs. 

The format of the World Championship and preceding playoffs may change slightly every year, but in 2017, 24 teams across all regions made it to the League of LegendsWorld Championship. They competed in a Round Robin series that eventually ended with the Main Event (Championship matches). The team that wins that final series of best of one matches is named the League of Legends World Champion.

League of Legends World Championship Prize Pool

The exact prize pool for the League of Legends 2018 World Championship has not yet been determined. However, the 2017 World Championship featured a prize pool of $4,946,969.00. It's believed that this year's Championship will feature a similarly high prize pool. 

League of Legends Permanent Spring Split 2018 Format 

The current Spring Split season will be contested under a best of one format. This is a change from recent years, which featured a best of three format. This year will also see the NA LCS abandon Friday games in favor of games that only take place on Saturday and Sunday. 

League of Legends Spring Split 2018 Schedule

Want to know the match schedule for a specific region of League of Legends eSports? You can find each schedule at the links below:

NA LCS Spring Split 2018 Schedule

EU LCS Spring Split Schedule 

LCK Spring Split Schedule

LPL Spring Split Schedule

LMS Spring Split Schedule

League of Legends Spring Split Standings

NA LCS

1 100 Thieves 13W-6L
2 Echo Fox 12W-7L
3 TSM 13W-7L
4 Team Liquid 12W-8L
5 Cloud9 12W-8L
6 Clutch Gaming 11W-9L
7 Counter Logic Gaming 7W-11L
8 FlyQuest 6W-12L
9 OpTic Gaming 5W-13L
10 Golden Guardians 4W-14L

EU LCS

1 Fnatic 14W-4L
2 G2 Esports 12W-7L
3 Splyce 11W-8L
4 Team Vitality 10W-8L
5 H2K 8W-10L
5 ROCCAT 8W-10L
5 Misfits Gaming 8W-10L
8 FC Schalke 04 7W-11L
8 Giants 7W-11L
10 Unicorns of Love 6W-12L

LCK

1 KING-ZONE DragonX 14W-2L
2 Afreeca Freecs 12W-4L
3 kt Rolster 11W-5L
4 KSV 9W-7L
5 ROX Tigers 8W-8L
6 SK telecom T1 7W-9L
7 MVP 6W-10L
7 Jin Air GreenWings 6W-10L
9 bbq OLIVERS 5W-11L
10 KONGDOO MONSTER 2W-14L

LPL

GROUP A

1 Edward Gaming 9W-4L
1 Snake Esports 9W-4L
3 Bilibili Gaming 7W-6L
4 Team WE 7W-7L
5 FunPlus Phoenix 6W-8L
6 Oh My God 3W-10L
7 Vici Gaming 1W-12L

GROUP B

GROUP B

1 Invictus Gaming 12W-1L
2 Rogue Warriors 11W-2L
3 Royal Never Give Up 9W-4L
4 Suning Gaming 8W-6L
5 JD Gaming 6W-7L
6 LGD Gaming 3W-10L
7 Topsports Gaming 2W-12L

LMS

1 G-Rex 9W-2L
1 Flash Wolves 9W-1L
3 J Team 6W-5L
4 MAD Team 5W-7L
4 Machi Esports 5W-5L
6 ahq e-Sports Club 4W-7L
7 Team Afro 3W-9L
7 Hong Kong Attitude 3W-8L