Games news

• Assault on IS jihadist redoubt in Syria grinds on

  18-03-2019 23:54 via news.yahoo.com
  A shroud of black smoke covered the Islamic State group's last redoubt in eastern Syria on Monday as US-backed forces battled holdout jihadists after a night of shelling and heavy air strikes.The SDF has been closing in on IS fighters holed up in a small sliver of territory in the eastern village of Baghouz since January.A cluster of rudimentary tents and vehicles is all that remains of the once-sprawling "caliphate" declared across large swaths of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014.
  
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• Avengers: Infinity War Almost Had A Very Different Ending

  18-03-2019 23:53 via gamespot.com
  
  Avengers: Infinity War ended in dramatic fashion. The evil Thanos snapped his fingers and half the entire galaxy's population--including many beloved superheroes--perished. Writer Stephen McFeely said in a new interview that "the snap" wasn't always part of the movie.Instead, McFeely told Empire that the writers considered waiting until the second act of Avengers: Endgame for Thanos to cut the world's population in half."We had so much story in those early drafts of Infinity War that, if anythin
  
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• Shopko liquidation: Bankruptcy plan now calls for all stores to close by summer

  18-03-2019 23:52 via news.yahoo.com
  Shopko made the decision to liquidate its brick and mortar retail business. A new list of store closings was released Monday.
  
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• The Latest: Spy agency says no threats ahead of massacre

  18-03-2019 23:47 via news.yahoo.com
  CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — The Latest on the mosque shootings in New Zealand (all times local):
  
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• The Division 2 Skills Bug Patched, With Another On The Way

  18-03-2019 23:42 via gamespot.com
  
  A bug in The Division 2 has been discovered that prevents proper use of skills, and Ubisoft has assured that a fix is on the way very soon. The bug apparently impacts both the length that skills are deployed and their cooldowns. Players on the Division subreddit say the bug causes skills to deactivate only a few moments after triggering them. Then, in an odd fluke, the cooldown timer resets to 15 seconds, significantly shorter than usual. The community has tried testing the bug and so far hasn't
  
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• Parts of US Midwest deluged in historic deadly floods

  18-03-2019 23:35 via news.yahoo.com
  The US Midwest struggled Monday with historic flooding that claimed at least three lives, displaced residents and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses.Swollen waters hit much of Nebraska, as well as parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota, after a major storm last week dumped snow and rain, even as melting snow was already raising the levels of area waterways.Neighboring states could also be affected as floodwaters drain, officials said.
  
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• Last prosecutor on Michael Flynn case departs Mueller's office

  18-03-2019 23:25 via news.yahoo.com
  Her departure comes on the heels of reports that another Mueller prosecutor would leave the office in coming days and is sure to be seen as a new indication that the special counsel’s investigation is winding down.
  
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• Devil May Cry 5 For $48, And More From This Massive Steam Game Spring Sale

  18-03-2019 23:08 via gamespot.com
  
  While large batches of PlayStation and Xbox games are discounted on a weekly basis, it's not as common to see hundreds of Steam games marked down at once. Luckily, Fanatical's spring sale is here to fill that gap and save PC gamers money on some of the best games on Steam. The retailer, which sells Steam keys that are officially licensed from game publishers, has been posting new game deals throughout the month, with the latest batch of deals going live today. Please note you must have a Steam a
  
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• Destiny 2: Here's What You Get For Picking Drifter Or Vanguard

  18-03-2019 23:08 via gamespot.com
  
  Destiny 2's Jokers Wild expansion is slowly adding to the story of the Drifter, the character who runs the competitive Gambit mode and whose agenda and morality aren't quite clear. The Drifter acts nice, but he advocates for using less-than-noble methods to fight the enemies of humanity, and there are elements in the Vanguard--the military body governing the immortal Guardians players embody--who don't trust him.After spending a bunch of time with the Drifter and participating in his Gambit even
  
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• Apex Legends Won't Get Fortnite-Style Challenges For Now, And Here's Why

  18-03-2019 23:08 via gamespot.com
  
  Now that Respawn has shared more details on the new character, Octane, and the first Apex Legends battle pass, it's confirmed that the battle pass doesn't feature any Fortnite-style challenges. In a blog post, Respawn said it might consider adding challenges or quests in future battle passes, but not in the first one because the studio wanted to instead give players more time to learn and experiment with the initial roster of characters."You'll notice the first version isn't built around a compl
  
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• New Nintendo Direct-Style Showcase Airing This Week

  18-03-2019 23:00 via gamespot.com
  
  Nintendo is broadcasting another Direct-style presentation this week, this one focusing on indie games. The annual spring Nindies Showcase airs on Wednesday, March 20, and it'll offer a glimpse at a number of indie titles on the way to Switch in the near future.The presentation is scheduled to begin at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 4 PM GMT. As usual, you'll be able to stream it on Nintendo's website, Twitch, and YouTube channels. You'll also be able to tune in right here on GameSpot when the time comes
  
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• Mike Pompeo jokes he will be secretary of state until 'Trump tweets me out of office’

  18-03-2019 22:55 via news.yahoo.com
  Secretary of state Mike Pompeo says he knows his tenure as America’s chief diplomat is only as fleeting as a tweet.Mr Pompeo, during an event in Kansas, that was part of global entrepreneurship summit, responded with a joke and praise for Donald Trump when asked how long he might stay in the president’s cabinet.“I’m going to be in there until he tweets me out of office,” Mr Pompeo said, to laughs.
  
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• Google's GDC Gaming News: Date, Time, How To Watch, And What We Know

  18-03-2019 22:51 via gamespot.com
  
  Google is expected to reveal some kind of gaming news at the Game Developers Conference on March 19. Exactly what that will be remains to be seen, although some kind of cloud gaming service and/or hardware has been the suspicion since the company first teased an announcement for GDC 2019.This being Google, it could be major news--cloud gaming is a big part of gaming's future, and a massive company getting involved has the potential to shake things up for the industry. With all of that in mind, w
  
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• Grieving New Zealand looks for lessons from Christchurch attack

  18-03-2019 22:41 via news.yahoo.com
  After days of intense grieving for New Zealand's worst-ever mass shooting, attention began to turn to how the country's gun laws need to change and what warning signs might have been missed ahead of a gunman's attack on two mosques that killed 50 people.Bodies of the victims of Friday's attacks in Christchurch were being washed and prepared for burial in a Muslim ritual process, with teams of volunteers flown in from overseas to assist with the heavy workload.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said h
  
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• 'We need a million -- and quick!' Dem candidates' playbook

  18-03-2019 22:32 via news.yahoo.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, little known outside his home state, boasts he raised over $1 million in the days after launching his White House bid. Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and others say they did, too.
  
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• Suspect in mob boss hit flashes pro-Trump slogans on hand

  18-03-2019 22:26 via news.yahoo.com
  TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — The man charged with killing the reputed boss of the Gambino crime family wrote pro-Donald Trump slogans on his hand and flashed them to journalists before a court hearing Monday.
  
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• College admissions scandal: What did the students know about 'the side door,' and what should happen next?

  18-03-2019 22:26 via news.yahoo.com
  No students have been charged in the sweeping college admissions scandal, which involved bribery, test doctoring and fraud. What becomes of them?
  
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• WWE Wrestlemania 35 Rumors: Kurt Angle's Final Opponent, No Demon Balor

  18-03-2019 22:24 via gamespot.com
  
  With matches for this year's Wrestlemania not finalized, everyone is wondering what the final card for the show is going to look like. And that's when the rumors start pouring in. What surprises can we expect and what are industry insiders talking about?Looking through the biggest rumors so far, there are a lot of questions about who Kurt Angle and John Cena will face at the biggest show of the year, and not so much talk about The Undertaker--probably because he's being booked at Starrcast, the
  
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• Dutch police arrest suspect after three shot dead on tram

  18-03-2019 22:17 via news.yahoo.com
  Dutch police on Monday arrested a Turkish-born suspect over a shooting on a tram in Utrecht that left three people dead in what officials said was a possible terror attack.Police had earlier launched a huge manhunt for Gokmen Tanis, 37, issuing a picture of the suspected gunman and warning the public not to approach him following the attack, in which five other people were wounded.Mosques and schools were closed across the Netherlands' fourth-largest city following the bloodshed, before heavily
  
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• Game Of Thrones Prequel Show Cast Grows Further

  18-03-2019 22:09 via gamespot.com
  
  It's no secret the Game of Thrones universe will continue despite the fantasy drama's final season approaching. While the current show will end after Season 8, a prequel is in the works. There are some big names already attached to the project, and the cast has now grown one name larger.According to Entertainment Weekly, English actress Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter's Rita Skeeter, Belle, Testament of Youth) is reported to join the cast in what's said to be a series regular role. No other inf
  
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• Stories of the victims of the New Zealand mosque attack

  18-03-2019 22:06 via news.yahoo.com
  Fifty people were killed in a terror attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday. Some information about the victims:
  
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• Apex Legends Battle Pass Has Free Rewards For Everyone

  18-03-2019 21:55 via gamespot.com
  
  Apex Legends' Wild Frontier Battle Pass arrives on March 19, marking the start of the game's first season. Just as in Fortnite, the Battle Pass costs 950 Apex Coins--roughly $10--and allows you to unlock a wide range of skins, cosmetics, and other rewards as you level it up throughout the season. Even if you don't want to shell out money for it, however, you'll be able to unlock some items for free.As EA confirmed on the Apex Legends website, all players will be able to earn a handful of free re
  
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• Halo TV Show Adds Second Showrunner In Quest To Finally Get Made

  18-03-2019 21:49 via gamespot.com
  
  The mission to get Showtime's Halo TV show made is as epic a quest as anything seen in the Halo video games. After Showtime formally announced it was ordering the project to series in the summer of 2018, the series is slowly inching closer and closer to becoming a reality.First, it was announced that Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt would helm multiple episodes, while Kyle Killen (Awake) served as showrunner. Then Wyatt dropped out before production got underway, citing sche
  
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• iPhone XS Max vs. Galaxy S10+ speed test: The results might surprise you

  18-03-2019 21:43 via news.yahoo.com
  Year in and year out, Apple manages to crank out new iPhone models with increasingly impressive and arguably unrivaled hardware. Though Android has caught up to the iPhone in many ways when it comes to specific features and overall usability, new iPhone models routinely trounce all comers when it comes down to raw performance. Just a few months back, for example, you may recall that Apple's iPhone XS -- armed with the A12 Bionic -- managed to beat a McLaren Edition of the OnePlus 6T boasting 10G
  
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• New Zealand's darkest day: 36 minutes of terror

  18-03-2019 21:41 via news.yahoo.com
  CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — On March 15, New Zealand changed. Some are calling it a loss of innocence, a reminder that distance doesn't bring protection against violence. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to change gun laws and investigate what went wrong. This is how 36 minutes of terror unfolded, according to witness accounts and livestream video.
  
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• Apex Legends Season 1 Battle Pass Arrives Tomorrow - GS News Update

  18-03-2019 21:41 via gamespot.com
  
  Apex Legends Season 1 Battle Pass is arriving tomorrow alongside the new character, Octane!
  
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• Putin in Crimea as Russia marks five years since annexation

  18-03-2019 21:38 via news.yahoo.com
  Russian President Vladimir Putin flew into Crimea on Monday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Moscow's annexation of the strategic peninsula from Ukraine which was condemned by the West but remains popular among Russians.Russian flags flew in the main city of Simferopol while posters celebrating Crimea's "return to its native land" hung in shop windows and on public transport.Putin used the visit to officially open two new power stations on the Black Sea peninsula, which was almost wholly de
  
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• The Grudge Remake Will Take Place In America

  18-03-2019 21:16 via gamespot.com
  
  Remember the J-horror craze of the early 2000s? When American remakes of The Grudge and The Ring terrorized the world? Well, one of those franchises is coming back--but not in the way you might think.The Grudge, or Ju-On as it is known in Japan, is a franchise that started in 2000 and spawned eight Japanese sequels, an American remake series, short films, a video game, and more.Hollywood’s relationship with the franchise started in 2004's The Grudge, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. The fil
  
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• Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law

  18-03-2019 21:14 via news.yahoo.com
  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kansas' solicitor general on Monday called on a federal appeals court to reinstate the state's law requiring people to provide proof of citizenship before they can register to vote, saying problems with how it was enforced during the three years it was in place are fixable.
  
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• Trump news: President rails at Joe Biden as 2020 announcement looms, after New Zealand terror complaint and angry attack on John McCain

  18-03-2019 21:09 via news.yahoo.com
  Donald Trump has targeted Joe Biden after the former vice president made a verbal slip about a potential 2020 presidential bid.At a dinner over the weekend, Mr Biden said he had “the most progressive record of anybody running.” But Mr Biden hasn’t announced whether he will launch a third run for the White House.
  
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• Super bloom ban lifted: Lake Elsinore reopens poppy display in Walker Canyon

  18-03-2019 21:05 via news.yahoo.com
  Walker Canyon was reopened to visitors on Monday, one day after access to the poppy display was shut down.
  
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• Poppy apocalypse: Crowds descend on California city to see 'superbloom'

  18-03-2019 21:05 via news.yahoo.com
  The rare profusion of orange poppies in Walker Canyon, set in the Temescal Mountains and accessible on foot via a trail, owes thanks to above-average rainfall in the arid region.The profusion of tourists in Lake Elsinore, located about 70 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, apparently owes thanks to the popularity of Instagram.The city of 63,300 has seen 50,000 tourists from around the country and as far away as Europe come to the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) trail in Walker Canyon over the last two w
  
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• Never-Trumpers assess his mental health: 'His condition is getting worse'

  18-03-2019 21:04 via news.yahoo.com
  The president's 29-tweet Sunday raises eyebrows.
  
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• Fox News hires Donna Brazile as political contributor

  18-03-2019 21:01 via news.yahoo.com
  NEW YORK (AP) — Former Democratic National Committee chief Donna Brazile, who was fired by CNN for tipping off the Hillary Clinton campaign about debate topics in 2016, has joined Fox News Channel as a political commentator.
  
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• Leak teases OnePlus 7 with a new all-screen design that ditches the notch

  18-03-2019 20:57 via news.yahoo.com
  If it sticks to tradition, OnePlus will likely launch two standard smartphones this year: The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7T. But the Chinese smartphone maker will also sell a standalone 5G phone in some markets as soon as next quarter. That device was on display in heavy camouflage at MWC 2018 a few weeks ago, but it’s unclear whether it’ll be a part of the OnePlus 7 series. Meanwhile, several leaks have claimed that OnePlus will deliver a brand new design with the OnePlus 7, and we have
  
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• Brotherly love at Reliance? India's Mukesh Ambani provides 'support' to brother Anil as debt paid off

  18-03-2019 20:53 via news.yahoo.com
  India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, who controls oil-to-telecoms powerhouse Reliance Industries that is now worth many times the troubled business group run by his younger brother Anil, appears to have offered some kind of support to ensure Anil paid off a 5.5 billion rupees ($80 million) debt.If Anil didn't pay the debt, then he had been threatened by India's Supreme Court with a prison term.The nature of the backing and how it was delivered is unclear, but in a statement Anil Ambani thanked his
  
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• California poppies: City declares public safety crisis after 'super bloom apocalypse'

  18-03-2019 20:50 via news.yahoo.com
  Officials in the California city of Lake Elisnore are used to large crowds coming to see the wildflowers that burst into a vibrant blaze of gorgeous colour as spring gets underway.“The city has expended all available resources to address the #SuperBloom," they wrote on the the city’s Instagram page.Residents have complained about traffic jams, as visitors have arrived as early as 5.30am to visit the wildflowers, whose burst of growth was triggered by recent record-breaking rainfall.
  
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• Bumblebee Producer Says Next Transformers Movie Will Be A Reboot

  18-03-2019 20:50 via gamespot.com
  
  The Transformers film franchise is in a bit of a predicament now. In the five straight movies about the giant robots that transform into various things led by Michael Bay and his eye for explosions, the movies have grossed millions upon millions of dollars, but critical and audience opinions have gotten worse with nearly every installment. However, Travis Knight's Bumblebee blew expectations away and gave the franchise its first certified fresh rating. The problem? While Bumblebee was well-liked
  
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• Trump's likely pick for Pentagon job makes 'trains run on time.' Can he do much more?

  18-03-2019 20:49 via news.yahoo.com
  Some observers credit Shanahan’s business experience as an asset in the Pentagon.
  
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• Apex Legends Adding Octane Tomorrow, But He's Not Part Of The Battle Pass

  18-03-2019 20:40 via gamespot.com
  
  Respawn is kicking off the first season of its new battle royale game, Apex Legends, tomorrow on March 19 with the release of the Season 1 Battle Pass. That's also the day when the game's newest playable Legend, Octane, will arrive--but you'll need to purchase him separately if you're hoping to try him out.Despite being promoted heavily alongside Apex Legends' Season 1 Battle Pass, Respawn has confirmed that Octane will not be included as part of it. Rather, like Mirage and Caustic, he'll be sol
  
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• Watch Google's GDC Livestream Here; Cloud Gaming Service News Expected

  18-03-2019 20:39 via gamespot.com
  
  Google is preparing to make its way into the world of video games with a special presentation at the Game Developers Conference. The presentation will take place on March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 5 PM GMT, and Google promises it will reveal its "vision for the future of gaming."Google will be streaming the entire presentation through its own YouTube video platform, so you can come right back here at showtime to see it all firsthand.The company released a teaser video that showed vignettes of d
  
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• Democrat O'Rourke presidential bid draws $6.1 million in first 24 hours

  18-03-2019 20:35 via news.yahoo.com
  Beto O'Rourke raised more than $6.1 million within 24 hours of announcing his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, his campaign said on Monday, highlighting his fundraising prowess in a crowded field.The former three-term Texas congressman's haul put him at the top of a Democratic pack of more than a dozen candidates so far including Bernie Sanders, the independent U.S. senator who sought the party's nomination in 2016.Sanders raised $5.9 million in the first 24 hours of hi
  
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• James Gunn's Suicide Squad Movie Is A "Total Reboot," Not Called Suicide Squad 2 - GameSpot Universe News Update

  18-03-2019 20:18 via gamespot.com
  
  The Suicide Squad is a "total reboot."
  
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• Congress to probe Trump administration’s response to rising threat of white nationalism

  18-03-2019 20:18 via news.yahoo.com
  The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee has revealed plans to hold hearings on the rising threat of white nationalism.Mr Trump then said during a televised appearance in the Oval Office that he did not believe white nationalism was an increasing threat in the US.The hearings — which will reportedly arrive in early April — will focus in part on how Mr Trump’s administration has responded to the growing threat of white nationalism documented in rising figures on hate
  
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• The Cheapest Way To Get Apex Legends' Battle Pass

  18-03-2019 20:11 via gamespot.com
  
  Since its release in early February, Apex Legends has already exploded in popularity with player counts in the millions, and the free-to-play battle royale game from Respawn is about to hit its next milestone: the release of its first season and optional battle pass. Season 1: Wild Frontier will release March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and you'll be able to pick up its battle pass immediately. Everyone who plays during the first season will also be able to unlock the Wild Frontier skin, five Apex
  
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• Dutch police arrest Turkish man suspected of killing three in tram shooting

  18-03-2019 20:11 via news.yahoo.com
  Police said the suspect, 37-year-old Gokmen Tanis, had been taken into custody after an hours-long manhunt and had earlier run-ins with authorities in the Netherlands.The city was put into lockdown after the shooting, shortly after the morning rush hour, which authorities initially said was an apparent terrorist attack.The Turkish intelligence agency said it is investigating whether the attack was personally motivated or an act of terrorism, President Tayyip Erdogan said.
  
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• Kid Goku Joining Dragon Ball FighterZ Roster

  18-03-2019 20:10 via gamespot.com
  
  The latest confirmed DLC characters for Arc System Works' Dragon Ball FighterZ were Jiren and Videl, both of which launched at the end of January 2019. The trailer for the game's FighterZ Pass 2, which both Jiren and Videl are part of, revealed an additional four slots for unannounced characters. We've now learned that Kid Goku, from the non-canon Dragon Ball GT series, is the game's next fighter.According to a post by Gematsu, Kid Goku will be playable via paid DLC. Of course, as with other pos
  
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• Apex Legends' First Battle Pass Lets You Unlock Enough Coins To Buy Season 2

  18-03-2019 19:59 via gamespot.com
  
  EA has announced Apex Legends Season 1, titled Wild Frontier, will launch tomorrow alongside the battle royale game's first battle pass and new playable character, Octane. And, much like Fortnite, you can earn enough in-game currency by completing the battle pass to buy the next one for Season 2.The Season 1 battle pass costs 950 Apex Coins. You can also buy a bundle for 2,800 Apex Coins that includes the battle pass and gives you 25 free levels. The pass itself includes a variety of rewards--su
  
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• Apex Legends Battle Pass Will Let You Unlock Enough Coins To Buy Season 2

  18-03-2019 19:59 via gamespot.com
  
  EA has announced Apex Legends Season 1, titled Wild Frontier, will launch tomorrow alongside the battle royale game's first battle pass and new playable character, Octane. And, much like Fortnite, you can earn enough in-game currency by completing the battle pass to buy the next one for Season 2.The Season 1 battle pass costs 950 Apex Coins. You can also buy a bundle for 2,800 Apex Coins that includes the battle pass and gives you a head start by advancing you through 25 levels of battle pass pr
  
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• How The Curse Of La Llorona Fits Into The Conjuring’s Connected Horror Universe

  18-03-2019 19:56 via gamespot.com
  
  The Curse of La Llorona, the latest film by horror super-producer James Wan, just made its world premiere at SXSW. It centers on the Latin American folktale of The Weeping Woman, the ghost of a woman who drowned her own kids before killing herself, doomed to roam the Earth looking for more children to bring to the afterlife. It’s an entertaining horror film with some good scares that unfortunately doesn’t live up to its potential. The biggest surprise of the film, however, is that i
  
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