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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.
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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
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Source: NetEase Games / Bungie / Destiny: Rising
Destiny: Rising, NetEase Games’ long-rumored free-to-play mobile first-person shooter set in Bungie’s Destiny universe has finally been unveiled.
Finally, we know what to expect from Destiny: Rising, the free-to-play shooter from China-based NetEase Games. Destiny Rising’s announcement comes after NetEase Games announced their 2018 $100 million investment in Bungie, which is coming to expensive smartphones that can run some pretty big games.
In Destiny: Rising, players will no longer create their Guardians based on the Hunter, Warlock, or Titan classes. Instead, you will choose from unique Destiny heroes.
Each character will have unique abilities and stories to utilize those characters in single, co-op, and competitive multiplayer modes, all set in Bungie’s Destiny universe.
The trailer also revealed that Destiny Rising will feature Ghosts, Lightbearers, Iron Lords, and Warlords while showcasing the hero’s unique abilities, such as the “void scythe,” which is reminiscent of an ability that the Warlock class would use in the base Destiny games.
Classic enemy factions like the Fallen, Hive, and Vex were also in the announcement trailer.
NetEase Games Is Building Its Own Storyline Using Destiny’s Lore
The game will take place in an alternative Destiny timeline and explore the post-Dark Age era before the rise of the Guardians and the Tower.
NetEase was granted creative freedom to develop its own storyline and vision for Destiny: Rising. “We want to capture and depict a specific time where the reins are in the hands of the players to experience, to explore, to define,” Stone Shi, senior narrative designer at NetEase, said, The Verge reports.
“With Destiny: Rising, NetEase Games is honored to partner with Bungie to deliver a Destiny-caliber experience to mobile devices,” said Ethan Wang, Senior Vice President, NetEase, Inc. “Destiny is an incredible franchise with a passionate and dedicated global fanbase. As huge fans ourselves, we are humbled and thrilled for the opportunity to bring gamers an action-packed RPG shooter set within the Destiny Universe.”
“For over a decade, we have built this universe to contain many unique and wonderful stories, and we are excited to see mobile gamers be able to experience this new take on the Destiny universe from the creative team at NetEase,” said Terry Redfield, Creative Lead at Bungie.
Destiny: Rising will also allow players to play in first-person or third-person modes, feature exotic weapons, and introduce a new Mythic weapon rarity class that will introduce a new weapon type and have touchscreen controls and controller support.
No release date was announced, but you can sign up for the closed alpha test on November 1 by heading here.
1. Destiny: Rising
Source:Destiny: Rising
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2. Destiny: Rising
Source:Destiny: Rising
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3. Destiny: Rising
Source:Destiny: Rising
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4. Destiny: Rising
Source:Destiny: Rising
Destiny: Rising destiny,bungie,destiny: rising,netease games
5. Destiny: Rising
Source:Destiny: Rising
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The action role-playing game Diablo IV was one of the most popular titles of 2023, while its developers at Blizzard Entertainment just released a new campaign to get even more action and thrills out of the experience.
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The Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion pack for Xbox Series X and Xbox One is available now starting at $39.99 for the standard edition at Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers. The DLC (downloadable content) is also available for PC at G2A.
Pop fans were brought into the world of Diablo IV in 2023 when Halsey teamed up with BTS member Suga for a revamp of her song “Lilith.” Speaking to Billboard about their collaboration on the track, Halsey praised Suga’s work, saying the song would’ve been impossible to release without his help. “We were able to infuse the anthem with intricate narratives that encompass a wider range of emotions I wouldn’t have been able to tell without him. He added a whole new perspective to the song,” she said. “Plus, it was just honestly really cool to do something so bada– with my friend.”
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Keep in mind, Vessel of Hatred is an add-on for the game Diablo IV, so you need to own a copy of the game to download and play the expansion pack. Additionally, if you have access to Diablo IV with Xbox Game Pass, you’ll still have to buy the DLC to play.
You can order now and Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred will be delivered to you via “You Games and Software Library” on Amazon.
Activision Blizzard
‘Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred’
If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, then you can sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video and Prime Gaming; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and more.
Meanwhile, Vessel of Hatred is an expansion of Diablo IV, while it features new characters, locations, narratives and enemies to the world of Sanctuary. It takes place in a jungle setting called Nahantu and introduces the “Spiritborn,” a new class of playable characters who have the power of ancient jungle warriors.
Starting at $39.99 and available for purchase at Amazon and Best Buy, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is out now for Xbox. In the meantime, watch the 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: PHILIP FONG / Getty / PlayStation Network
PlayStation owners were stressed last night because they couldn’t get any online gaming in.
The issue has been resolved, but if you checked on your favorite gamer last night, they were probably mad because the PlayStation Network was down.
Sony did not reveal the cause of last night’s massive outage, which lasted around eight hours. It barely acknowledged that it was happening, only sending a message to users that the issue was resolved.
Per The Verge:
PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 console users are now able to play online games again following a massive outage on Sony’s gaming network that started on Monday night. The official PSN Service Status page confirms that “all services are up and running” now, after previously warning users that they “might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features.”
“This problem has now been resolved,” said a message posted by the Japanese Ask PlayStation customer support account. “We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”
The outage prevented users from signing in, playing multiplayer games, or playing single-player games that required online connectivity.
It’s been a somewhat rough week for PlayStation, with the shaky PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection preorder event, a bug plastering ads on the new PlayStation 5 home screen, and now this situation that surely gave PlayStation 5 and 4 owners flashbacks of the 2011 PSN outage that lasted for 23 days after the service was hacked.
Again, Sony has yet to reveal the cause of the massive outage, but one user on X, formerly Twitter, claims PSN was hacked allegedly.
We shall see if Sony ever admits what happened; until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Very unserious people on X, lol
3. HOWLING
8. Will we ever learn what really happened ?
9. It’s been a roller coaster ride
10. Imagine that