We’ve known for some time now that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is getting a new desert map, but publisher Bluehole has revealed few details about it. Thankfully, some very dedicated fans have datamined the new PC 1.0 test servers and found what appears to be the layout of the new map.
Reddit user bizzfarts uploaded the below image showing what the new arena looks like. It should be noted that many of the location names are likely placeholders, to be replaced by final titles when the map eventually arrives. User Art_7s, meanwhile, uncovered images of a new jet ski vehicle, along with a minibus, pickup truck, and what appears to be a new gun. You can take a look at a couple of the images below; click the links to see more on Reddit and Imgur.
Test servers for PC 1.0 were initially slated to go live earlier this month but were delayed as the test build was deemed to be “not stable enough,” according to a blog post from the development team. “Right before opening the test servers, we concluded that the test build was not stable enough and decided to postpone the test.” The servers are now live however, and their testing period has been extended by one day. “Testing will end Wednesday evening PST, Thursday morning CET,” developer PUBG Corp explained.
On top of climbing and vaulting, players will also get to test out PUBG’s revamped ballistics, which have been adjusted to improve gameplay balance and make them more realistic. Most notably, the development team has added a drag effect on bullets that affects their trajectory curve. Additionally, weapon accuracy has been tweaked according to their real-life counterparts, resulting in some weapons experiencing a slight accuracy nerf or buff.
PUBG releases in full on PC and on Xbox One via the Game Preview program later this year. For more, check out some official images of the new desert map.
With Spider-Man currently on loan to Marvel, Sony is wasting no time establishing a movie universe of other characters from Spider-Man comics. Venom is currently in production and releases next year, and will be followed by Silver & Black in 2019. It has now been reported that they will be joined by a movie about Morbius: The Living Vampire.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Morbius script has been written by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama. Together, the pair most recently penned the screenplay for last year’s Power Rangers, and are also known for films such as Dracula Untold, The Last Witch Hunter, and Gods of Egypt. THR notes that the script was submitted to Sony during a “secret development process.” No further details about the project are currently known.
Morbius was created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, and first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man issue 101 in 1971. This was the first issue of Marvel’s flagship Spider-Man title that was not written by Marvel founder and Spidey co-creator Stan Lee. The character is a scientist who suffers from a rare blood disease, and in attempt to cure himself, gives himself the attributes of a vampire.
In related news, Venom is now shooting in Atlanta. The movie stars Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock, a man possessed by the evil alien parasite of the title, alongside Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed. Last week, an on-set video was released, showing Hardy performing some stuntwork.
If you didn’t pre-order the Deluxe Edition, you can still purchase it and gain access to Battlefront II right now. On console it will cost you US $80 / £80 / AU $120, compared to the standard edition’s US $60 / £60 / AU $100, but the Deluxe Edition will also get you instant access to Kylo Ren and Rey, plus a number of upgrade packs containing attachments and abilities for use in multiplayer.
As the game is now available, Star Wars Battlefront II reviews have begun to surface around the web. In our initial verdict, Alessandro Fillari wrote: “While its main narrative feels unresolved, and the general loop of the multiplayer carries a number of issues, Battlefront II still manages to evoke that same sense of joy and excitement found in the core of what the series is all about. But as it stands, the biggest hurdle that Battlefront II will need to overcome–for its simultaneous attempts to balance microtransactions with genuine feeling of accomplishments–is deciding on what type of game it wants to be.” Read more in our full Star Wars Battlefront II review-in-progress.
Much of Battlefront II’s launch has been overshadowed by the game’s handling of microtransactions. EA’s response to fan concerns about the title’s loot boxes became the most-downvoted Reddit post ever, before the company decided to change the cost of some of Battlefront II’s heroes at the last minute. Sadly, EA developers have received death threats in the wake of Battlefront II’s loot box and microtransaction controversy.
We’re now well into November, and Hulu has shared a full list of new titles coming to its streaming service this month. In addition to new episodes of your favorite TV shows, November will see the debut of some notable Hulu original series and a slew of new movies to watch.
The most notable addition for the month is sure to be the series premiere of Marvel’s Runaways, the streamer’s first comic book adaptation. From Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the creative duo behind The O.C. and Gossip Girl, Runaways tells the stories of six teenagers who learn their parents are supervillains. It arrives on November 21.
Future Man, from executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, will bring time traveling comedy to Hulu. Josh Hutcherson stars as a janitor that might also be the savior of the universe.
As for movies, popular titles like 13 Going on 30, Ocean’s Eleven, and Terminator 2: Judgement Day will become available to stream. Additionally, 21 James Bond films have debuted on Hulu, giving subscribers access to almost every single film starring the famed secret agent, prior to Daniel Craig taking on the role. The only early film that’s missing is 1967’s Casino Royale.
Netflix has announced what’s coming and going in the month of November. As usual with the streaming service, many titles–both original and not–will be added to the service leading throughout the month. One particularly interesting addition is the upcoming documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, which is made up of behind-the-scenes footage of Jim Carrey during production of Man on the Moon–the Andy Kaufman biopic.
Of course, the most anticipated release of the month for Netflix is none other than Marvel’s The Punisher. The streamer’s first Marvel series after Defenders launches November 17, with Jon Bernthal playing the gun-toting vigilante. November will also see the arrival of new seasons of Lady Dynamite and Broadchurch, along with movies like Chappie, Men in Black, and Piranha.
Leaving Netflix isthe Matrix Trilogy, V for Vendetta, and The Human Centipede: First Sequence, to name a few. On the TV front, the streaming service will also remove all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother, along with four seasons of Jessie.
Ever since it was canceled in 2006, fans of HBO’s highly acclaimed western drama Deadwood have been hoping that it will make a return to the screen. There has been talk of a potential movie for many years, and it now looks like it is happening, with new reports that production could start in 2018.
According to TVLine, HBO is looking to start shooting in the fall of next year. However, the site also notes that the project is yet to receive an official green light and that HBO has not formally commented on it.
The Deadwood movie has been picking up some momentum over the past year. During the Television Critics Association press tour this summer, HBO Programming President Casey Bloys spoke about the script that the show’s creator David Milch had written for the film. “The one thing that I was concerned about was I wanted a script that would stand on its own [for Deadwood fans and non-fans],” he said, via The Hollywood Reporter. “David totally delivered on that. I think it’s a terrific script. If we can do it on a budget that makes sense for us, and if we can get the cast together, we’re inclined to do it.”
Earlier this year, star Ian McShane, who plays Al Swearengen, spoke about this hopes that the movie would happen. “I would love to do that again, be reunited with David and Tim [Olyphant] and everybody concerned with it,” he said, via Den of Geek. “But they better make a deal sooner or later because we’re all getting on a bit. It would be great to work with David again. [It] was maybe the best experience I ever had.”
The three seasons of Deadwood ran from 2004 to 2006. Although the shows won eight Emmy Awards, HBO decided not to move forward with Season 4. At the time Milch spoke about his plans to make two feature-length TV movies to complete the story. However, in 2007, McShane revealed that the sets for the show were being dismantled and that the movies would not happen.
Call of Duty: WWII came top of the UK sales chart in its debut week, and it has now carried that momentum into its second week on sale (ending November 11). The shooter finishes No.1 again, and sales monitor Chart-Track says the game earned “the highest-selling second week for a title of not only this year, but 2016 as well.”
We awarded EA’s racer a 5/10 in our Need for Speed Payback review. Critic Richard Wakeling wrote: “Need for Speed Payback’s banal racing is only magnified by this focus on grinding. The simple, almost retro, handling model provides occasional bouts of fun, but it’s never enough to escape Payback’s flaws, with an unwillingness to let you partake in its most hair-raising moments, and a general drabness that seeps into every layer of the game. Fast and Furious, this is not; and that’s a disappointing outcome.”
Sonic Forces also got a 5/10. “Sonic Forces ultimately fails to advance the mechanics of previously successful 3D Sonic games, or present them in their best light,” wrote Matt Espineli. “A mediocre platformer at best, Sonic Forces manages to do nothing more than reinforce long held stereotypes against Sega’s beloved blue blur.” Read more in our full Sonic Forces review.
You can read the full top 10 sales chart below, courtesy of Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
Like that one song that Spotify keeps playing even though you’re in shuffle mode, Xur is back. This time Destiny 2‘s best Resident Evil 4 Merchant cosplayer has landed on Nessus, and to get to him all you’ve got to do is fast travel to Watcher’s Grave.
Once you’ve landed, bring up the map and pop a waypoint on him. If you’ve been playing Destiny 2 since launch, you’ll no doubt be familiar with this spot, as it’s a frequent haunt for our boy Xur. If you haven’t, it’s as easy as hopping on your Sparrow when you land, boosting straight forward, and then doing some light platforming up the tree to find him hanging out on a branch.
If you’re wondering whether it’s worth the effort, we’ve got a breakdown of everything he has to offer. Take a look below.
Click image to view in full screen
The Prospector (Grenade Launcher) — 29 Legendary Shards
Foetracer (Hunter Class Helmet) — 23 Legendary Shards
An Insurmountable Skullfort (Helmet) — 23 Legendary Shards
Eye of Another World (Warlock Class Helmet) — 23 Legendary Shards
The big Destiny 2 news this week is that Faction Rallies are up and running again. As with the last one, you’ll need to pledge yourself to one of three groups, and then hunt down items to exchange for gear and weapons. Before you make your decision, check out our Destiny 2 faction rally guide to see all the new weapons, gear, and other rewards.
If you’re planning to participate in the event, it may be worth checking out this article on a new Destiny 2 Faction Rallies exploit that lets you earn tokens really quickly. That’ll save you some time and get you the gear you want much quicker.
Looking further ahead, Guided Games, a Destiny 2 feature that pairs solo players with high-level players for endgame activities like Nightfalls and the Raids, will receive small changes with the release of Curse of Osiris on December 5. These are intended to alleviate some issues that have persisted since its launch. You can read more about the upcoming changes to Destiny 2’s Guided Games here.
Call of Duty: World War II launched earlier this month, but its release was not totally smooth, with players reporting online and multiplayer issues. In a blog post today, developer Sledgehammer thanked fans for their support amid what has been a “whirlwind” launch. Despite the issues, the game has welcomed “millions” of players already, Sledgehammer said.
“Our highest priority is to deliver the best online experience possible. We’re not there yet, and we won’t rest until we are,” the studio said. “Our entire team is working around the clock, and we would like to share our current status update.”
The update released last week had an adverse effect on server performance, Sledgehammer said. In response to this, Sledgehammer dropped the dedicated servers and switched to a P2P setup. This has helped improve things, but a P2P setup means players may experience host migration and other annoying little things. Dedicated servers are preferred, and fans may be happy to know that Sledgehammer aims to bring them back in due course; doing so is the studio’s “highest priority.”
In fact, Sledgehammer is already testing dedicated servers in “limited markets” such as some places in the United States. “This level of data and diagnostics is helping us work toward a permanent solution as quickly as possible,” Sledgehammer said. “We’ve begun to test dedicated servers today in the US. We’ll watch this test closely, and once we analyze the results we’ll look to expand.”
Sledgehammer also discussed another issue that players have been running into: getting disconnected from the server. The studio has found the root cause of the problem, and a patch is coming out tonight on PS4 and Xbox One to fix the issue. This is a big deal because getting disconnected can mean the loss of stats and other problemes.
Additionally, Sledgehammer confirmed that Call of Duty: WWII’s Headquarters mode–a social space like Destiny’s Tower–is still not functioning as intended. It is supposed to be a social area where lots of players come together, but last week, Sledgehammer made it a solo experience to help improve the online experience. Unfortunately, it’s still a solo experience (though you can manually invite friends), and that’s not changing for some time.
“HQ is best enjoyed with a thriving, fully populated social community interacting together,” Sledgehammer said. “So hang in there while we address the most pressing concerns first.”
Finally, Sledgehammer said PC fans should know that the studio is listening to their feedback. The next title update for PC is finished, but Sledgehammer is not going to release it until it can fix the other issues mentioned above, a portion of which also impact the PC audience.
“This is only the beginning, so thank you for playing,” Sledgehammer said. “We won’t rest until we resolve everything we can for the community.”
Multiple Call of Duty movies are in the works. We don’t know much about the stories they’ll tell or who will star in them, but now Activision’s Tim Kilpin has shed some light on the company’s general approach to making films based on its video games. Kiplin heads up Activision’s Consumer Products Group, and he says it’s important to carefully consider how to adapt the game for the big screen.
“Anytime you take a franchise as storied as this, with this kind of legacy, and expand it into a new form factor you have to be really careful,” Kilpin told MCV. “So frankly, if the script and the story isn’t right we won’t do it; it’s not one of those situations where someone is saying, ‘I don’t care just get it made!’; that’s not what’s happening. We do think that if it’s done well it has the opportunity to expand the base audience, beyond the traditional foundation that the game appeals to.”
Kilpin went on to suggest that a Call of Duty movie may be able to help expand the profile of the already-massive series. The thinking is that Call of Duty is an M-rated game, meaning that theoretically it appeals to a relatively smaller pool of people.
“As an M-rated game, it’s a core audience and we do think there’s an opportunity to reach a little more broadly than that; if the storytelling is done well, that’s the key,” he said.
Activision is hoping to create a Marvel-style universe for its Call of Duty movies. Activision Studios executive Nick van Dyk said in a previous interview that fans can expect the Call of Duty films to resemble the games in terms of tone.
“It’s going to have the same sort of high-adrenaline, high-energy aesthetic as the game, but it’s not a literal adaptation,” he said. “It’s a much more broad and inclusive, global in scope … a big, tentpole, Marvel-esque movie.”
Also in the MCV interview, Kiplin briefly discussed the possibility of an Overwatch movie. Asked if an Overwatch movie might be possible after the Call of Duty film, Kiplin said, “We would like that very much.” That’s hardly confirmation of anything at all, but it’s still exciting to think about considering how wonderful the Overwatch shorts have been.
