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HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Epic Games / Fortnite / Eminem / Snoop Dogg / Ice Spice
Fortnite is rewinding the clock again and incorporating music into the process. Epic Games is kicking off a new period in its popular battle royale mode called Chapter 2 Remix, and some major star power will be involved.
To help launch Chapter 2 Remix, Hip-Hop icon Snoop Dogg and Ice Spice performed virtually and in person during an event in Times Square, New York. They will also be major players in the remix of Chapter 2.
The new season calls back to Chapter 2, bringing back gameplay elements, characters, and locations from Fortnite’s second chapter, which first launched in 2019.
Epic says Chapter 2 Remix will last a month and change things weekly, so it will never grow stale during the season. It will feature themed elements around the music artists involved.
Snoop Dogg will get things cracking first, with Eminem following, Ice Spice, and closing things out will be the late Juice WRLD.
Chapter 2 Remix is live in Fortnite and will run until November 30. Epic also teases that things will close with a “finale.” Of course, it wouldn’t be a new season of Fortnite without new cosmetics to outfit your character.
Here is a breakdown per Epic Games:
In addition to Kicks, the Remix Pass comes to Fortnite packed with over 70 new in-game rewards! A shorter Battle Pass than usual, you can unlock all the Pass’ rewards in just four weeks. Grab the Remix Pass for 950 V-Bucks (or included as part of your Fortnite Crew subscription) and earn up to 1,000 V-Bucks by progressing it!
Level up the Remix Pass by earning XP across Fortnite Battle Royale, creator-made islands, LEGO® Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival. Here are the nostalgically new Outfits in the Pass:
Chaos Director (unlocked right away!): Chaos reigns.
1-Ball: Sink all the right shots.
Undercover Skye: She’s got the Guff stuff.
Meowdas: One classy cat.
Dynamo TNTina: Strike a match and light the fuse.
So what are you waiting for? Boot up Fortnite, and drop it like it’s hot in Chapter 2 Remix. To learn more about it, head here.
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Source: Rockstar Games / GTA 6 / Grand Theft Auto 6
Outside of the first trailer, the game’s locale, and the plot, there isn’t much information about Grand Theft Auto 6. Still, one former Rockstar Games developer dropped some teases that should hopefully keep fans excited about the next game in the iconic video game franchise.
Spotted on Comicbook.com via the GTA VI O’clock podcast, developer Ben Hinchliffe — who left Rockstar Games in 2021, but not before he did some work on the highly anticipated video game will continue a streak of greatness and push the envelope like previous Rockstar Games like Red Dead Redemption II and GTA V when they first launched.
Red Dead Redemption II was a technical masterpiece, leaping graphically and technically from the first game. It proved Rockstar Studios is second to none when making sandbox games.
Roughly 6-years later, Red Dead Redemption II is still at the pinnacle of greatness in its genre, and based on what Hinchliffe said during the interview, only GTA 6 would be the game to blow it away.
Per Comicbook.com:
“You only have to look at how every game Rockstar has done has evolved in some way,” said Hinchcliffe while speaking to GTA VI O’clock. “And you could argue that manta before… that every element of the game moves forward in terms of feeling more realistic and people acting and behaving more realistic as every game is iterated through each cycle.”
Hinchliffe continued: “It will blow people away. It will sell an absolute ton as it always does, right? People will be taking about it for ages just like with GTA 5. And I’m really excited for people to get their hands on it and get in and play it, just because I think they [Rockstar] has raised the bar again just like they always do.”
Well damn.
There is word on the video game streets that a second trailer is on the horizon as the game slowly and secretly approaches its 2025 release date.
We will keep our eyes and ears open for more GTA 6 news.
From virtual music experiences headlined by The Weeknd to exclusive skins inspired by Ariana Grande, pop music and gaming have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship via Fortnite Battle Royale.
Now, with the announcement of its new season on Friday (Nov. 1), Fortnite is looking to infuse hip-hop into its gaming universe. Arriving on Saturday (Nov. 2), Fortnite Battle Royale‘s Chapter 2 Remix will feature iconic music and looks from hip-hop stars Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice and Juice WRLD. In the new season, players can engage with each artist through themed gameplay locations launching each week of November — a first for the game. Fortnite‘s millions of players can also don individual Fortnite Shop outfits inspired by each of the four artists.
On Friday evening, Snoop Dogg and Ice Spice surprised New Yorkers in Times Square with a surprise performance, taking over nearly every billboard in the center of the Big Apple. Ice Spice kicked things off in her trademark ginger inches and a hot pink ensemble, delivering renditions of “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana.” Donning a fly black leather jacket and pants combo, Snoop repped the West Coast with a lively, Fortnite name-checking medley of “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “The Next Episode,” “Gorgeous” and “What’s My Name?” To close out the show, the two emcees joined each other onstage to debut the flashy new trailer for Chapter 2 Remix, which features sneak peeks at the worlds the different rappers will preside over in the game.
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Snoop Dogg — who recently announced his forthcoming Dr. Dre-helmed Missionary LP (due Dec. 13) — will kick off the first week as the official icon for season 6 of Fortnite. Snoop will assume a boss role and have his own mythic weapon and different points of interest on the map, as will Ice Spice, Eminem and Juice WRLD in subsequent weeks. “My son Cordell’s a big Fortnite player with me, so when we had the opportunity we jumped on it as a new way to connect with my sound and style,” the Long Beach rap icon said in a press release. “Anyone can be Snoop in Fortnite.”
Juice WRLD — a new-gen rap star who tragically passed on Dec. 8, 2019 — will make his Fortnite debut beginning Nov. 21, when the “Lucid Dreams” rapper will lead week four of the new season. On Nov. 30 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Fortnite will launch a Remix: The Finale live event in celebration of Juice’s legacy and his love for Fortnite. All players who log in between 1:00 a.m. ET on Nov. 30 and 1 a.m. ET on Dec. 1 will receive the cel-shaded Slayer Juice WRLD Outfit. The Party Never Ends, Juice WRLD’s latest posthumous album, is due Nov. 22 via Grade A Productions and Interscope Records.
“You will see some really interesting ways of integrating music,” Emily Levy, director of strategic partnerships, exclusively tells Billboard. “And we are debuting music at different points of the season in interesting places.”
Ice Spice will bookend her 2024 by leading week three (beginning Nov. 14), during which she’ll bring fans “into her experience as the Princess of New York,” according to the release. This year, the Bronx rapper dropped her debut studio album — Y2K! — which reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 and spawned “Think U the S–t (Fart)” her highest-peaking unaccompanied Billboard Hot 100 entry at No. 40.
Eminem has already had a massive 2024 with the release of his The Death of Slim Shady LP, and he’s set to close out the year by bringing some of that success to Fortnite as the key artist for the second week of the season, beginning Nov. 7. The 15-time Grammy winner originally debuted in Fortnite in December 2023, which spawned the release of his Fortnite Radio compilation featuring classics like “The Monster” and “Not Afraid.” The set reached No. 19 on Top Album Sales and debuted at No. 8 on Top Vinyl Albums on the charts dated March 30, 2024.
Sneaker culture is also a close relative to hip-hop, and Fortnite hasn’t forgotten about the sneakerheads. Chapter 2 Remix will also introduce Kicks, a new type of cosmetic included as part of the Remix Pass that will drop in the Fortnite Shop on Nov. 12. The initial lineup of Kicks will feature Nike and Jordan brands alongside Fortnite originals.
Fortnite‘s new season continues a year that has already featured in-game concerts and festival performances from superstars such as Karol G, Billie Eilish and Metallica.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Epic Games / Fortnite / ESPN Football Isand
Disney is taking full advantage of its $1.5 billion investment into Epic Games.
On Tuesday, ESPN Football Island launched in Epic Games ridiculously popular video game Fortnite. The first island is all about the pigskin, allowing the sports network to expand on its slogan of “serving sports fans anytime, anywhere.”
A description for the latest addition to Fortnite reads, “With persistent progression and exclusive island-specific unlockable cosmetics, this all-new experience features multiple activities, challenges, and minigames all built around the Island centerpiece – Touchdown Rush, a multiplayer competitive ‘Payload Push’ take on football gameplay.”
When players enter ESPN Football Island, they will hear Sportscenter hosts Randy Scott and Gary Striewsk, while SportsCenter” and NHL content host Arda Öcal will serve as the island’s announcer.
Here is a full breakdown of what you can do while visiting ESPN Football Island per Variety:
Touchdown Rush: Team up with friends and enter the stadium to navigate rocky terrain, a lava moat, and the other team! Avoid getting taken out by the competition as your team moves a giant football downfield, and then defend your endzone as you switch to defense!
Ocho Obstacle Sprint: Navigate a challenging obstacle course across platforms high above the stadium for incredible views and rewards as you leap to the center of the Jumbotron, featuring EPSN8 The Ocho!
The Boxtagon – Enter ‘The Boxtagon’ and face off 1v1 against other players in high-intensity box fights, in collaboration with the UFC!
Minigames & Activities: Test your throwing arm with Quarterback Challenge, launch your avatar across the arena on an ATV in Field Goal Jump, grind around the island in Rail Race, and show off your moves in the Dance Off Zone!
Level Up to Redeem ESPN Football Store Exclusives – Earn rewards across gameplay sessions to unlock new loadouts exclusive to ESPN Football Island.
According to Disney and Epic Games, ESPN Football Island will receive “regular updates” and will “celebrate the biggest moments and games this football season, including promo reels and live ESPN News Ticker updates.”
Peep the trailer below.
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Source: PlayStation / Firewalk Studios / Concord
The writing was on the wall, and PlayStation finally did what everyone knew was coming and closed Firewalk Studios.
Firewalk Studios was on borrowed time following the disastrous launch of its hero shooter, Concord. The time has ended after Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) shuttered the studio, after just acquiring them over a year and a half ago. The PlayStation owner also closed the mobile studio Neon Koi.
“I know none of this is easy news to hear, particularly with colleagues and friends departing SIE,” PlayStation CEO of the studio business group Hermen Hulst said in a memo to staff shared on Tuesday. “Both decisions were given serious thought, and ultimately, we feel they are the right ones to strengthen the organization. Neon Koi and Firewalk were home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find placement for some of those impacted within our global community of studios where possible.”
When PlayStation made the shocking decision to take Concord offline on September 6, the company did leave a sliver of hope that the game could return.
Hermen Hulst Touches On Concord’s Failure
In his memo, Hurst discussed Concord’s failure to meet expectations, writing, “Certain aspects of Concord were exceptional, but others did not attract enough players, and as a result, we took the game offline.”
“We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options,” Hurst continued. “After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio. I want to thank all of Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit, and dedication. The PvP first-person shooter genre is a competitive space that’s continuously evolving, and unfortunately, we did not hit our targets with this title. We will take the lessons learned from ‘Concord’ and continue to advance our live service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area.”
Damn.
The decision to close both studios comes five months after Hulst and Hideaki Nishino took over as PlayStation’s CEOs. This is the latest blow to the video game company after Destiny creator Bungie, which Sony now owns, laid off more than 200 employees in August.
The video game community had plenty to say about the tragic news; those reactions are in the gallery below.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: NYVGCC / New York Game Awards
The NYVGCC (New York Video Game Critic’s Circle) has announced the return of its annual awards show, the New York Game Awards.
Not to be confused with Geoff Keighly’s yearly spectacle, The Game Awards, or the New York Game Awards, which are celebrating their 14th year. The Game Awards celebrate the year’s best in gaming and benefit a worthy cause.
Variety exclusively reports that when the New York Game Awards will be back at the SVA Theater in Manhattan with Circle President Harold Goldberg and former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé set as co-hosts.
For those looking to attend, tickets will be sold on Eventbrite and cost $80. For $100, you get limited access to the awards afterparty, where you can rub shoulders with the winners, hosts, and the yearly Legend Award winner while enjoying complimentary drinks.
Outside of the announcement of this year’s hosts, the identity of this year’s Legend Award recipient has not been revealed. Previous prestigious award winners include Xbox Gaming Chief Phil Spencer and Naughty Dog Studios’ president, Neil Druckmann.
Celebrating Video Games For A Purpose
As mentioned above, the New York Game Awards is the leading fundraiser for the NYVGCC’s Playing with Purpose writing program. The program helps bring video game journalism and game narrative workshops to shelters and schools across the city, also working with students and interns at the Laboratory School, TAPco, Dreamyard Prep, BronxWorks Shelter, Mott Hall 3 Middle School, and Andries Hudde Middle School.
“We can’t believe another year in gaming has passed, but we’re ready to welcome in the 14th annual New York Game Awards,” NYVGCC president and founder Harold Goldberg said, per Variety. “Each year is a special undertaking where we not only highlight the best of gaming, but we honor the creators, developers, and media who help make this an industry we all love. We have a very special lineup you won’t want to miss, so stay tuned for more updates by following us at @nyvgcc on X.”
HHW Gaming has been able to attend the last New York Game Award ceremonies; we are looking forward to being there again and celebrating another year of video games.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
After the big box office hits of the first three movies in the A Quiet Place franchise, it’s now going from the big screen to the gaming screen with a new video game release.
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A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead for Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X drops on Thursday (Oct. 17) for $29.99 at Target and other retailers.
And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead delivered straight to your home in two days (with orders over $35) — or you can pick it up at your local Target store for free.
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Not a member? Sign up for a free membership to take advantage of all that Target Circle has to offer, including access to “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — and other perks.
If you want to take it a step further, you can sign up for the Target Circle Card (with no annual fee), which offers an extra 5% discount on all purchases, two-day free shipping with no order minimums and more. Learn more about the Target Circle Card here.
In addition, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is available at Walmart and Amazon.
Stormind Games
‘A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead’ for PS5
Release date: Oct. 17
Stormind Games
‘A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead’ for Xbox
Release date: Oct. 17
Much like the movie series, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a first-person survival horror game with stealth elements that find you in the middle of a post-apocalyptic world where alien monsters destroy civilization. The aliens are attracted to noise, so any noises you make in the game (and while playing the game), may find you running for your life to safety.
In fact, the game has a setting that lets you enable the microphone in your controller to detect any noise in your physical living space, so any noise you make in the real world can affect your gameplay. This sounds awesome!
Although A Quiet Place is predicated on staying absolutely silent to survive, the game, like the movies, features an orchestral score. However, it’s unclear if film’s composers Marco Beltrami or Alexis Grapsas created the music for the game.
Priced at $29.99 and available for purchase at Target, Walmart and Amazon, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is out now. In the meantime, watch the story trailer for the game, below:
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
After the release of Mario Party Superstars in 2021, Nintendo is ready to drop the 19th installment in the long-running and beloved Mario Party franchise.
With returning favorites, such as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Peach, and new playable characters, like Ninji and Pauline, Super Mario Party Jamboree for Nintendo Switch drops on Thursday (Oct. 17) for $59.99 at Target and other retailers.
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And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get Super Mario Party Jamboree delivered straight to your home in two days (with orders over $35) — or you can pick it up at your local Target store for free.
Trending on Billboard
Not a member? Sign up for a free membership to take advantage of all that Target Circle has to offer, including access to “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — and other perks.
If you want to take it a step further, you can sign up for the Target Circle Card (with no annual fee), which offers an extra 5% discount on all purchases, two-day free shipping with no order minimums and more. Learn more about the Target Circle Card here.
In addition, Super Mario Party Jamboree is available at Best Buy and Amazon.
Nintendo
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Release date: Oct. 17
As for the game itself, Super Mario Party Jamboree is a multi-player game with up to four players that features more than 110 mini-games across seven boards with 22 playable characters. It also introduces two online modes with rooms up to 20 players (via Nintendo Switch Online).
In our play through, we found Super Mario Party Jamboree to be loads of fun, especially in multi-player mode, with bright animations and a massive amount of characters to pick (our tester played as Shy Guy and Mario throughout the game). While it is still a good game to play in single-player mode, this game, at its core, is a party game and meant to be played with a group of friends and family.
Additionally, the “Koopathlon” online play gives you a dose of friendly competition with gamers from around the world, while the “Bowser Kaboom Squad” online challenge give you an opportunity to work together with someone in a shared goal.
One of the most fun minigames in the collection is “Rhythm Kitchen,” a new musical game show. Players cut veggies and fruits to the beat of the music to create tasty dishes and become a superstar chef in the game.
Priced at $59.99 and available for purchase at Target, Best Buy and Amazon, Super Mario Party Jamboree is out now. In the meantime, watch the overview trailer for the game, below:
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Source: Xbox / Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is easily the biggest release on the Xbox platform since the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, and to celebrate, Team Green is releasing a care package for COD players.
On Wednesday, Xbox unveiled its new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection. It features two customizable Call of Duty: Black Ops 6-themed controller variants: a Wireless Controller and an Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.
Thanks to the addition of a console wrap, your XSX console can also participate in the action.
Both controllers “capture the tension and intrigue of the ’90s spy thriller theme” and will “immerse players deeper into the game’s world.”
The new controllers will be available through Microsoft’s Xbox Design Labs website. Players can customize them with the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 skin.
Both controllers are available now: the Xbox Wireless Controller costs $84.98, and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 costs $164.98.
The Series X console wrap will cost $54.99 and be available for pre-order exclusively from the Microsoft Store. The console wrap will be released on October 23.
If you want to match the swag of Series X and controllers, there is also merch available to wear. The Xbox Icon Collection will also take its cues from design elements featured on the controllers and add them to the new hoodie and joggers exclusively available at the Xbox Gear Shop.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on the PS5, PS4, XSX/S, Xbox One, and PC next Friday, October 25. It will also be available on PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
For more photos of the collection hit the gallery below.
1. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
2. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
3. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
4. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
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Source: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty / LeBron & Bronny James
Are the Los Angeles Lakers father-son duo, LeBron and Bronny James, coming to Call of Duty as playable operator skins?
Like his son, Bronny, LeBron James is a gamer. He has his own PS5 DualSense Controller and has been featured as a playable character in the WB Games Interactive fighter MultiVersus.
Bronny and LeBron also starred in a hilarious television spot for PlayStation’s God of War: Ragnarok.
Now, for their next trick, there seems to be a very good chance the two professional hoopers will join the likes of Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and 21 Savage by having their own operation skins in Call of Duty.
The buzz all started when LBJ lobbied for his son, who was once a member of FaZe Clan, to have his own operator skin in Call of Duty on X, formerly Twitter, writing in a post, “Bronny just said he want his own “Skin”. @Activision @CallofDuty talk to me.”
When LeBron James calls you out, you have to respond, and the official X account for COD did respond with a GIF of The Replacer, writing, “We know Bronny is a shooter, let’s talk. First father son duo in NBA history. Could be a #CallOfDuty first too.”
The Replacer Has Been Busy
So maybe The Replacer will replace both Bronny and LeBron so they can play some Black Ops 6.
Adding more fuel to the speculation fire, notable Call of Duty news site CharlieIntel also took notice, dropping the “looking eyes emoji.”
This latest development comes after The Replacer stepped in for Angel Reese so she can play some Black Ops 6, speculating the Chicago Sky superstar will be involved in the next installment in the Black Ops franchise.
Bronny also won the Call of Duty two-minute drill at the NBA Summer League, so the young hooper’s involvement in the game could have been in the works for a minute.
We shall see how this plays out. The gallery below shows more reactions to LeBron and Bronny James possibly getting operator skins.
1. LOL, chill
2. Nepotism we have no issue with