Compact, powerful, sleek. What we once knew as Project Scorpio is now the Xbox One X, and its launch is quickly approaching. Thanks to Xbox Wire, we now have a closer look at how the forthcoming console came to fruition after three years of engineering.
Microsoft’s E3 2017 briefing gave us out first real look at the power behind the X iteration, and now we’ve got more insight into how Microsoft have packed the power into such a small box. The Xbox One X is smaller than the Xbox One S, and Microsoft claims it’s 40 percent more power than any other console on the market.
It takes a lot to cool down six teraflops of power. In a standard PC tower, that challenge isn’t quite so daunting. But in a 13.5 by 10 inch box, keeping it cool and air flowing is a task all in itself, so the design team turned to high-end PC and graphics card cooling systems. The result was the Xbox One X’s custom vapor chamber and fan system.
What makes this system so unique is that it places the motherboard at the top and the cooling system below. As the system is running, the heat literally sinks into the vapor chamber which fills with water. A vacuum sucks up that hot water and uses it to power the radiator fins, and a centrifugal fan pulls air through the console to keep everything, including the power supply, crisp and cool.
The Xbox Wire post also discusses how it came up with the visual design of the Xbox One X, referencing 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as the unconventional way it placed all the console’s components within its shell. Check out the full Xbox Wire post here for that and other insightful information on the Xbox One X’s creation.
GameSpot News Top 5 brings you the week’s need-to-know news in a format with pictures and sound. Below you’ll find an outline on this week’s five big stories, but to get the full banter with Jess and Dan, check out the video above.
Hawken Is Shutting Down On PC
After five years, the free-to-play multiplayer mech FPS Hawken is shutting down its servers on PC. It was one of the best-looking games of 2012, and was released on PlayStation and Xbox One last year. Will those console versions be sticking around? Find out!
Some aggressive moves from Vivendi in the recent past have suggested that the conglomerate may be eyeing a hostile corporate takeover of everyone’s favourite French AAA video game publisher. Now Ubisoft are making a play to win back their power, and continue being independent, agile company they want to be. Stay tuned to this saga.
Goose Game From Australian Devs Sets Internet On Fire
The independent studio responsible for the disgustingly enjoyable local multiplayer game, Push Me, Pull You, have released a trailer for their next project. You play a goose, and your goal is to be the annoying and aggressive jerk geese are in real life. Watch the trailer and tell me that’s not something you want to play.
PlayUnknown’s Battlegrounds May Have Its Xbox One Exclusivity Extended
Probably everybody’s favourite game right now, PUBG, may have its upcoming console exclusivity period with Xbox One extended. There are reports floating around that Microsoft and Bluehole Interactive are having discussions regarding the matter, but it apparently will come to PlayStation 4 once that agreement ends. Meanwhile, everyone on PC is too busy actually playing the game to give a damn.
Like it or not, people just can’t get enough of Destiny 2. This week Bungie announced a ton of stuff that’s happening to the game including seasons, new Iron Banner, a hard mode for the Raid and more. I’m excited, and I don’t care if you aren’t.
Spoilers for Archer, up through the Season 9 premiere, below.
FX and the creators of Archer brought a special treat to New York Comic Con 2017: the premiere episode of Archer Season 9, another anthology-style departure for the show. The season’s been dubbed “Danger Island,” and it sees the core characters re-imagined as the owners and managers of an island-based hotel and charter plane company.
Despite being slightly unfinished–the episode ran with time codes flashing along the bottom–the premiere delighted the audience at the Hammerstein Ballroom with everything Archer fans have come to expect. That includes Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) sleeping around and ruining lives, irresponsible firearm use, Aisha Tyler owning every scene she’s in, dysfunctional relationships between family members and co-workers, cameos from actors like Eugene Cordero and Jon Daly, and copious amounts of drinking.
But it didn’t answer Archer fans’ most urgent question: Is Archer still in a coma?
As a re-imagining of Archer‘s core characters and settings, Archer: Danger Island may take place in an alternate timeline, in Archer’s coma dreams, or somewhere we can’t even imagine. (Although the show’s co-executive producer, Casey Willis, dropped a big hint later in the panel: “Being in his coma subconscious, all the people that he cares about are what shows up,” he said.) But its premiere episode, at least, doesn’t address Sterling Archer’s fate, seemingly leaving the main series’ story on the backburner for another season.
Archer Executive Producer Matt Thompson took the stage after the episode and explained why the show’s creators have leaned into these anthology seasons, which let them explore new stories outside the spy genre. “We kind of learned a little bit when we did the cocaine season,” Thompson said.
“Archer: Vice,” Tyler, who plays an island princess in the new season, interjected, laughing. “We shouldn’t call it the cocaine season.”
“What it did, really, was re-energized us,” Thompson resumed. “I don’t watch a lot of TV shows that are in their ninth season, because at some point, for me, the storylines kind of run themselves out.”
“It’s exciting for us as creators because I’m not just trying to figure out how to tell you another spy story today,” he continued. “And I think my partner, Adam Reed, just couldn’t bring himself to writing another season of a spy thing.”
“We may have lost some viewers,” Thompson admitted.
“But f*** those guys!” Tyler exclaimed. The crowd erupted.
Whatever Archer‘s creators may prefer, it’s clear that the show’s viewers are as eager for the main story to resume as they are to find out what Danger Island has in store. As soon as the panel opened to audience questions, Thompson had to acknowledge whether the show will ever get back to reality.
“We’re going back to all that. We’re gonna get to everything–hopefully,” Thompson promised. “We won’t leave it hanging.”
Archer: Danger Island sees Sterling Archer, his mother, Jessica Walter’s Malory, and a new, more muscular version of Pam (Amber Nash) running an island hotel and charter plane company somewhere in French territory. Cheryl (Judy Greer) plays a newlywed who sleeps with Archer, ruining her marriage, while Tyler plays a savvy island princess trying to convince Chris Parnell’s new character–whose name seems to rhyme with “Ducks”–to purchase land within the island’s dangerous jungle. And Lucky Yates’ Dr. Krieger has transformed into a parrot named Crackers–about which Yates shared a fun story.
“When I was three years old, my parents were still trying to potty-train me, so they bribed me with a parakeet,” Yates said. “They told me if I pooped into the potty they’d get me a parakeet, and I was on the sh**ter within five minutes dropping a sweet deuce.” They followed through, and he named the bird Crackers. His character in Danger Island was named in that parakeet’s honor.
Another audience member brought up the possibility of an Archer movie.
“Anything could happen, right? We just need to talk to the right people at FX,” Willis, one of the show’s executive producers, said, half-joking–given how many executives from FX were likely present.
“I heard Harvey Weinstein might not be doing anything,” he added.
Archer returns with Archer: Danger Island some time in 2018.
If you’re a fan of Rick and Morty you’ll be familiar with the unhealthy, mostly unexplained obsession the show’s manic super-genius protagonist has with Szechaun Sauce. The limited edition condiment from McDonald’s was mentioned in the first episode of season three, and since then has spiraled into somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. In fact, it’s reached the point where McDonald’s is actually bringing it back, but for a very limited time.
The sauce will be available today in limited quantities at select restaurants. Given the incredible popularity of Rick and Morty and the fanbase’s obsession with the one-off joke, it’s going to be tricky to get some of the sauce. Even more so because some of the restaurants that were supposed to have the sauce haven’t received shipments.
Thankfully, McDonald’s did us a solid and sent some to our very own Michael Rougeau, who, along with Mat Elfring, Tony Wilson, and Entertainment Tonight’s Ash Crossan, put it to the taste test. See what they both thought of it below.
Buddy has also gone back through the whole third season of Rick and Morty and put together a compilation of the best Rick moments, so give that a watch too while you’re at it.
The next big event in Destiny 2 is just around the corner. Bungie has confirmed that the game’s limited-time Iron Banner Crucible event returns on October 10, making its first appearance in the sequel. While the name is the same, there’s actually quite a bit that’s changed from the previous game’s version of Iron Banner. Below, we’ve outlined what’s different, how to unlock Iron Banner access, and what kind of gear and rewards you can earn by taking part.
How To Access Iron Banner
To participate in Iron Banner, you need to visit Lord Saladin in the Tower. That task itself requires that you complete the campaign, as the Tower is inaccessible until you’ve done so. Once you’ve spoken with Saladin, Iron Banner is entered through its own Crucible playlist, which features Quickplay modes and matchmaking. You can join with a Fireteam or dive in solo.
When It Starts
Destiny 2’s first Iron Banner begins on October 10 at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET, as part of the weekly reset. It will run for the entire week, ending with the following weekly reset on October 17. This isn’t the only major thing opening up on October 10, as that’s the day the Prestige mode version of the Leviathan Raid unlocks.
What’s New
As with all Crucible modes, Iron Banner matches are now 4v4, rather than 5v5 in the original Destiny. But the biggest change is that Iron Banner is now entirely about skill; Power levels are not taken into account, as Light levels were previously. “Your fighting abilities, not your power levels, will decide the outcome,” Bungie says. Additionally, rather than completing bounties and ranking up, there are new Iron Banner Engrams that you’ll earn for participating.
What You Can Earn
Iron Banner Tokens are handed out for every match you complete, win or lose–but you’ll earn more if you win. Those can then be turned in for the aforementioned Iron Banner Engrams. New Iron Banner armor and gear is available for Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks, as pictured above. Daily and seasonal Milestones will let you “track your progress to glory.”
Destiny 2 seasons are still something we don’t know much about, but Bungie has said it plans to share further details about them soon. In the meantime, you can check out the latest Nightfall Strike.
For most players, Destiny 2‘s Leviathan raid is already challenging. But if you’re seeking an even more difficult version of it, you’re in for a treat. Bungie has announced that the harder version of the raid, Prestige mode, launches for all PS4 and Xbox One players on Tuesday, October 10 at 10 AM PT after the weekly reset.
Bungie says you may not be able to beat the raid at this super-difficult level. “We do not expect everyone to be successful in completing this activity. Mechanical changes to the encounters are minimal, but they are there,” Bungie said. The overall goal for the Prestige difficulty is to put players into a “more punishing sandbox” and challenge you to master the ins and outs of it.
There will be rewards for successful completion of the raid at the new difficulty level, but Bungie said the goal is “not to provide a boon to your character progression.” Instead, players can expect “unique rewards to help you shine.” Unfortunately, that’s as specific as Bungie got, but presumably more details on the rewards will be announced soon.
The Star Wars Battlefront II beta is now underway and EA has announced more details about the PC version specifically, revealing its minimum and recommended requirements. Starting off, you’ll need 15 GB of hard drive space to install the beta client. As for the rest of the requirements, you can see them below, as posted on EA’s website.
Minimum PC System requirements:
OS: 64-bit Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
Hard-drive space: 15 GB
Given that Battlefront II is only in a beta state, it’s possible that the final PC requirements will change for the full release. We’ll report back with more details as they become available. The Battlefront II beta runs October 6-9 on PC, as well as Xbox One and PlayStation 4. People who pre-order got in two days early, beginning on October 4.
Progress from the beta does not carry forward to the full game. This is often the case with betas–for EA games and others. For Battlefront II specifically, EA said, “We want everyone to start on a level playing field at launch, whether they have been able to take part in the beta or not, so we’re resetting all progress after the beta.” Here’s what’s included in Battlefront II’s beta.
A new trailer for Battlefront II released recently that showed off how much more content the game has compared to its 2015 predecessor. The video is narrated by Star Wars actor John Boyega, who famously lamented the absence of a single-player mode in the previous game.
Bungie has rolled out the latest weekly reset for Destiny 2, which soon see some server downtime and the release of a new 1.0.3.1 update. Among other things, the weekly reset means a new Nightfall is now available, complete with another set of modifiers, Challenges, and rewards.
This week’s Nightfall Strike is Savathun’s Song. As always in Destiny 2, you’ll have to rush to finish, as a time limit is in place. But whereas last week’s Nightfall featured a modifier that didn’t permit you to extend the time limit, one of the modifiers this time around is Timewarp – Anomalies. Throughout the Strike, you’ll encounter floating objects that can be destroyed, with each one providing an additional 30 seconds for you to make it to the final boss and defeat it.
The other active modifier is Momentum (which was to be used in an earlier Nightfall but had to be replaced because it was broken). When you stand still, neither your health nor shields will regenerate, which means taking cover like you normally might isn’t a viable strategy. Instead, you’ll want to consider sprinting, which actually increases the rate of your recovery.
There are again three Challenges, the first of which is the returning Speed Of Dark; this tasks you with finishing the Nightfall with at least five minutes on the clock, which may require taking out most or all of the anomalies you encounter. Unbroken requires completion of the Nightfall with fewer than three deaths. And The Best Defense asks you to shoot down 15 projectiles before defeating Savathun’s Song.
Players have reported a possible Nightfall cheese, which once again takes advantage of the Timewarp – Anomalies modifier. As documented in this YouTube video, you can reach a point in the Strike where you can turn around and return to an earlier area, where the Anomalies will have respawned. Doing so provides you with more anomalies to destroy than you would otherwise have access to–and thus, additional time to finish.
Completion of the Nightfall rewards players with Powerful Gear rewards. This is one of the few activities to offer those, and they’re among the best items you can get your hands on. It’s also a reliable way to increase your Power level past 265, should you be struggling to pass that point. If you haven’t made it to that point, you may want to consider waiting until after you’ve raised your Power level before grabbing the Nightfall reward. This Nightfall will be available until the next weekly reset, which occurs at 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET / 10 AM BST / 4 PM AEST on Tuesday, October 10.
If you haven’t yet unlocked the Nightfall, you’ll need to complete two Strikes and approach the suggested Power level of 240 before Zavala will allow you to take part in them. Traditional matchmaking is not available, but in its place we have Guided Games, providing players with the opportunity to be matched up with members of a clan for the mission (which requires a Nightfall Ticket). Alternatively, clan members can sign up to serve as guides through the Nightfall, and doing so does not require a Ticket.
Unlike its predecessor, Destiny 2 will release on PC. Although players have had to wait longer for it, there’s not too long left now. Destiny 2 doesn’t launch on PC until October 24, and for those of you that didn’t pick it up on Xbox One and PS4, the PC version features a variety of improvements and differences compared with its console counterparts. To help you get an idea of what to expect from the PC release of Bungie’s hotly anticipated sequel, we’ve gathered all of the essential details below. Take a look and you’ll find detailed information on everything from what’s different, to recommended PC hardware specs, and how it works with Blizzard’s Battle.net client.
Unfortunately, if you didn’t try it already, the Destiny 2 PC beta has already passed. For more on the game, check out our Destiny 2 review. We also have tons of Destiny 2 guides, tips, and tricks for those who have already begun playing on consoles or are simply looking to get a head start on how things will work on PC.
Destiny 2 PC Release Date and Differences
The PC version is confirmed to have release date on October 24, while the Xbox One and PS4 versions are already out, having launched on September 6. (Betas on all platforms have also wrapped up.) In terms of actual playable content, everything is the same on PC–with one exception. Sony’s timed-exclusive content for Destiny 2 affects not just Xbox One players, but those on PC. The PS4 version comes with an extra Strike, Crucible map, and some items that will not be available on other platforms for at least one year. There’s no precise date for it yet, but after PlayStation-exclusive content in Destiny 1 remained exclusive for longer than expected, Bungie has explicitly stated that this Destiny 2 content will be out by the end of 2018.
Destiny 2 PC Minimum Requirements and Recommended Specs
While there may be changes made for the final release, Destiny 2’s PC beta brought a list of minimum and recommended system specs. Additionally, Bungie provided a list of hardware for those looking to upgrade their systems, with CPU and GPU minimums and recommendations.
Texture Anisotropy (Anisotropic Filtering, up to 16x)
Texture Quality
Shadow Quality
Depth of Field
Environmental Detail Distance
Character Detail Distance
Foliage Detail Distance
Foliage Shadow Distance
Light Shafts
Motion Blur
Wind Impulse
Render Resolution
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Chromatic Aberration
Film Grain
Destiny 2 PC Control Scheme
The PC version uses a relatively straightforward control scheme, which you can see in the image below. It’s worth noting that the controls are completely customizable.
Destiny 2 Doesn’t Use Dedicated Servers
Unfortunately, the game will use peer-to-peer servers. However, this doesn’t work quite the same as in the previous game; when Bungie explained why Destiny 2 doesn’t use dedicated servers, it noted that you’ll never run into a host migration situation.
Destiny 2 PC Impressions
During our hands-on time with the game, we found the mouse and keyboard support to be a welcome addition. It enhanced the overall feel of multiplayer, though it did seem to make the single-player portions we played easier than we anticipated. You can check out our analysis of the PC beta for a technical look at the game; for further impressions of the PC version, watch the video below.
Destiny 2 Review
If you’re hoping the game is dramatically different from the original Destiny, you may be in for a disappointment, but those seeking a refined version of that game will likely be pleased. You can read our impressions of the full game on console in our Destiny 2 review diary and Destiny 2 review-in-progress.
Destiny 2 Uses Blizzard Battle.net
Destiny 2 uses Blizzard’s desktop app. It’s the first game not directly developed by Blizzard to appear on the platform. Activision and Blizzard have changed its name several times recently, but moving forward it will be referred to as Blizzard Battle.net.
Destiny Progress Doesn’t Transfer to Destiny 2
Unfortunately, Destiny 1 power, possessions, and Eververse-related items and currency will not transfer over. While your character’s appearance will not be abandoned in the sequel for console owners, there’s no word if it’ll support any kind of transfer from console to PC.
IO Interactive has laid out its schedule for upcoming content updates for Hitman and teased the reveal of something new on October 24. In a post on its official website, the developer got ahead of the hype for its much anticipated second season of content to keep expectations in check.
“Mark this date on your calendars: October 24th. That’s the date when we will reveal brand new content for the game,” it said. “We’re going to let the announcement itself do all the talking, but there is one thing we want to clarify before then; this upcoming content is not Season 2. We’re saying that now to keep expectations in check.”
Alongside the tease, it released an image which you can see below.
October looks to be a fairly packed month for Hitman players, as there will be new updates for the game throughout. On October 13, 10 new contracts and a new challenge pack will be released, followed by 10 player-curated contracts later in the month. You can read more about those below, courtesy of IO.
Arriving October 13
10 newFeatured Contracts: You create Contracts and we feature the interesting, clever or creative ones. There is no perfect formula to explain how we select the contracts, but they have caught our attention for one reason or another.
Master Scarecrow Challenge Pack: Colorado is the only location yet to have an added Challenge Pack. That ends this month with the release of The Master Scarecrow Challenge Pack. Look forward to 5 new challenges, each with a high amount of location mastery; a great way to top out your mastery and collect any remaining unlocks. Completing all of the challenges will unlock a new item for 47 to use in all locations. We’ll reveal more about this Challenge Pack and the new item next week.
Arriving Later in October
Our next batch of 10 player-curated Featured Contractsarrives later in the month. These contracts function in the same way to the Featured Contracts that you’ve come to know and love in the game, with one big twist: one of our players will curate the list.
The third curator to be in the spotlight is Hatch. He’s a British speedrunner who plays on PS4 in search of unique routes on fun contracts. You’ll get to know him even better later in the month when his curated contracts go live in the game and we publish a blog post right here with some insights into his choices.
IO Interactive previously said it planned to release several seasons of Hitman. As part of its acquiring its independence, IO also retained the rights to the Hitman series. Although it hasn’t announced Season 2 properly, it hasn’t indicated that plans to go ahead with it have been scrapped either.
