Shacknews Recent Articles http://www.shacknews.com/rss?recent_articles=1 en-us Trover Saves the Universe E3 2018 Hands-On Preview: Pushing Buttons http://www.shacknews.com/article/105655/trover-saves-the-universe-e3-2018-hands-on-preview-pushing-buttons http://www.shacknews.com/article/105655/trover-saves-the-universe-e3-2018-hands-on-preview-pushing-buttons <p>As mentioned <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105651/tetris-effect-e3-2018-hands-on-preview-building-blocks-of-virtual-reality">earlier today</a>, PlayStation VR quietly had quite an E3 this year. There were a number of games unveiled before and during the show, with many of them playable from the PlayStation booth. Last week, Shacknews had a chance to try out one of the more unusual PS VR games.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vL4kUvhbeqU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Trover Saves the Universe is the latest virtual reality effort from the folks at Squanch Games, headed up by <i>Rick &amp; Morty</i> co-creator Justin Roiland. It's an intriguing concept, in that it comes across as a standard 3D action-adventure platformer. However, Trover, the purple two-eyed alien running around the world, performing all the action, and doing all the talking (from voice actor Roiland himself) is merely secondary. The main character is the man in the chair, an avatar for the player. And this character <i>never</i> leaves the chair. The idea is to control the chair with the left analog stick, while Trover is controlled with the right analog stick.</p> <p>One thing to note is that players may have to rethink certain gaming elements that they take for granted. For example, early on in the demo, there's an obnoxious yellow alien (Mr. Pons) that wants some help with removing an undesirable from his neighborhood. He will absolutely talk your ear off and if you're expecting the game to cue you to the next location, you'll be there forever. The idea is to find the next glowing checkpoint and move right along.</p> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: 700px;"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/screenshot-3.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="438" /></div> <p>As I looked around the colorful world, a wooden log popped up in front of me, with the idea for Trover to leap over it and move along to the area behind it. However, the view was obstructed and something wound up killing Trover. This is where Mr. Pons introduces the other main mechanic of the game, which allows players to levitate the chair to three different levels. This allows players to not only get a better view of the playable area so they can actually help Trover avoid danger, but it also leads to some puzzle sequences.</p> <p>This goes back to the idea of rethinking certain gaming elements. Trover will eventually hit a locked gate. The idea is to complete a trio of panel puzzles, one on each level and each progressively more difficult. While I was able to complete the first two panel puzzles, the third one was as tough as a Rubik's Cube. I spent several minutes scratching my chin over the potential solution, all the while Trover was complaining down below about wasting time on a stupid puzzle involving buttons. (Trover really doesn't like buttons.) There was something to this complaint, as it turned out. Eventually, Squanch Games Narrative Editor Anthony Bosco whispered in my ear that the puzzle was unsolvable. Feel rather embarrassed, I brought the chair back down, where Trover was waiting with an axe to bust through the door the easy way.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cNChp70SgHc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>With all that said, There's a lot of humor to Trover Saves the Universe. A lot of it is the same twisted <i>Rick &amp; Morty</i> style of humor that Roiland's fans have come to expect, particularly with Trover sounding so much like Roiland's Morty. Some of it is of the gross-out variety, like when Mr. Pons vomits in order to grant the chair its lifting power, but a lot of it is fourth-wall breaking observations about various storytelling and gaming tropes.</p> <p>Trover won't be saving the universe for a while, but look for this VR adventure to hit PlayStation VR (non-VR on PS4 also supported) in early 2019.</p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:00:00 PDT Ozzie Mejia Happy Hour: E3 In The Rear-view Mirror http://www.shacknews.com/article/105656/happy-hour-e3-in-the-rear-view-mirror http://www.shacknews.com/article/105656/happy-hour-e3-in-the-rear-view-mirror <p>E3 2018 has come and gone and left a pile of trailers, gameplay, and high expectations in its wake. A few of the Shacknews team that isn't suffering from E3 Ebola is ready to sit and have a quick chat about what they saw at the show, the games they are looking forward to the most, and what it was like to be a part of the dankest booth on the show floor. Also on the docket for discussion is the Shacknews pet election, what the traveling team had for breakfast, and Sam Chandler's madien voyage to the United States. Strap yourself in for a big time Happy Hour (and maybe crack open a beer to help you unwind) and listen in as the Shacknews top boys discuss the business on the <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/shacknews" target="_blank">Official Shacknews Twitch Channel</a>. The fun starts at 7:15 PM ET (4:15 PM PT).</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="384" src="https://player.twitch.tv/?channel=shacknews&amp;muted=true&amp;autoplay=true" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>A big thanks goes out to all our Twitch channel followers and especially our beloved subscribers. You folks make these streams possible and we are eternally grateful for your support. Also, a monster shout out to Shacknews Chatty member peat_shack who continues to provide other with Gift Subscriptions like he was Bill Gates or something. We love you, peat!</p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 15:51:00 PDT Chris Jarrard E3 2018: Tommy Refenes Talks Derivative Games, Tacos, and Interviews Greg Burke http://www.shacknews.com/article/105654/e3-2018-tommy-refenes-talks-derivative-games-tacos-and-interviews-greg-burke http://www.shacknews.com/article/105654/e3-2018-tommy-refenes-talks-derivative-games-tacos-and-interviews-greg-burke <p><a href="http://www.shacknews.com/topic/super-meat-boy">Super Meat Boy</a>&nbsp;is an excellent platformer with challenging levels and familiar characters pretty much everyone knows. It's got a sequel right around the corner in the form of Super Meat Boy Forever, but who cares about that? We don't, not when we have an interview with developer Team Meat's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105555/team-meat-supreme-leader-tommy-refenes-discusses-taco-preferences">Tommy Refenes</a> about derivative games, Angry Birds, tacos, and more. Yes, just like our prior chat with Refenes, we've got some good stuff this time around.</p> <p>It's only been a short amount of time since we spoke to Refenes, but this time around Greg Burke takes him on and even lets Tommy interview him for a spell.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IUyIumtz_8k"></iframe></p> <p>As far as some sort of release date, we still have no idea as far as when to expect Super Meat Boy Forever. It'll be coming out at some point, we can definitely tell you that. It still exists.&nbsp;</p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 14:55:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: New World Interactive's Michael Tsarouhas Talks Insurgency: Sandstorm http://www.shacknews.com/article/105653/e3-2018--new-world-interactives-michael-tsarouhas-talks-insurgency-sandstorm http://www.shacknews.com/article/105653/e3-2018--new-world-interactives-michael-tsarouhas-talks-insurgency-sandstorm <p>New World Interactive's Michael Tsarouhas stopped by the Shacknews E3 2018 booth to chat about Insurgency: Sandstorm along with Asif Khan and Charles Singletary.</p> <p>The new first-person shooter is a hardcore tactical title that strikes a balance between hardcore simulation game and action-oriented faster shooters. It began its life as a mod, and originally debuted with its own standalone release with PvP and cooperative play. It's going to be making the jump to consoles as well in the first half of 2019.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oyKgqb7ssEs"></iframe></p> <p>If you like what you see, you can check out Insurgency: Sandstorm this year when it hits Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, via New World Interactive and Focus Home Interactive.&nbsp;</p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 13:50:00 PDT Brittany Vincent Tetris Effect E3 2018 Hands-On Preview: Building Blocks of Virtual Reality http://www.shacknews.com/article/105651/tetris-effect-e3-2018-hands-on-preview-building-blocks-of-virtual-reality http://www.shacknews.com/article/105651/tetris-effect-e3-2018-hands-on-preview-building-blocks-of-virtual-reality <p>PlayStation VR had an understated presence at this year's E3, but Sony's virtual reality peripheral quietly had quite the show. A number of games debuted during last week's E3 2018 PlayStation Showcase, but one of the most exciting games to show up at the PlayStation booth turned out to be a new twist on an old favorite.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vL4kUvhbeqU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105302/tetsuya-mizuguchis-tetris-effect-announced-for-ps4-with-2018-release-date-includes-vr-support">Tetris Effect</a>&nbsp;is the latest effort from Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi and the folks at Enhance Games. On the surface, it's simply more Tetris. But after strapping on a headset and spending a good half-hour with the demo, this felt much more like a blowaway experience than anything else I had encountered on the E3 show floor.</p> <p>First and foremost, the atmosphere starts off relaxing. Tetris Effect tries to set an ambiant tone at the beginning, giving players a sense of tranquility with a dark background, a gentle aura, and harmonic music. An overworld map appears, as players see that they're in for a lengthy campaign of block building and tower stacking.</p> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: 700px;"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/Tetris-Effect-2.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="394" /></div> <p>The gameplay is old-school Tetris. The idea is to twist falling Tetrominos and create full horizontal lines. Hard drops are tied to the Up button on the D-pad, while softer drops are tied to the Down button. This is the classic Tetris formula, with one noteworthy addition. There's a Zone meter on the bottom-left corner that gets filled as lines are completed. Once the meter is filled, the shoulder trigger can momentarily slow down the action, with all completed lines getting warped and stored at the bottom of the screen. Once the Zone effect wears off, all of the lines are cleared simultaneously. This opens the doors beyond Tetris (four lines) and can lead to Octotris (eight lines), Decatris (ten lines), or even Dodecatris (twelve lines). But the window isn't open for long, meaning players more than ever need to plan out their moves ahead of time in order to maximize their scoring potential.</p> <p>The atmosphere changes after every 25 lines completed and that's where the Tetris Effect concept starts to shine. The visuals went from underwater aquatic ambiance to sharp, neon gold textures to a Mayan temple filled with worshippers who chant upon the completion of every line. The music shifts from hip-hop to soothing instrumentals to uptempo pop. While all of these scenary shifts might sound like they could lend themselves to nausea, I am relieved to say that this is not the case. All of this is delivered with a crisp clarity, which proved a huge relief for myself, given how I'm occasionally prone to VR sickness.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mr8fVT_Ds4Q?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>In the same fashion that Tetris created a hunger for the original Game Boy, I can honestly see Tetris Effect creating that same desire for the PlayStation VR. This is a wildly immersive experience that must be tried in virtual reality. Until E3, there had not been a game I walked away from going, "I must own a PlayStation VR." Tetris Effect changed that.</p> <p>Look for Tetris Effect to hit PlayStation VR (and PlayStation 4, for those who insist on the non-VR version) this fall.</p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 13:00:00 PDT Ozzie Mejia GameStop's Stock, GME, Jumps 8% on Reports of Sycamore Partners Buyout http://www.shacknews.com/article/105652/gamestops-stock-gme-jumps-8-on-reports-of-sycamore-partners-buyout http://www.shacknews.com/article/105652/gamestops-stock-gme-jumps-8-on-reports-of-sycamore-partners-buyout <p>GameStop shareholders have been getting beat up for the past year with very few respites from what seems to be a never-ending selloff of the stock. This may have changed today just after 3:00 PM ET as the stock was halted due to a volatile move to the upside. Reuters is reporting that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gamestop-m-a-exclusive/exclusive-retailer-gamestop-in-talks-with-buyout-firms-after-receiving-takeover-interest-sources-idUSKBN1JE2JI" target="_blank">GameStop is in talks with buyout firms</a> regarding a potential takeover of the stock.</p> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: 700px;"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/GME-6-18-2018-chart-intraday.png" alt="" width="700" height="418" /></div> <p>GameStop currently carries a "Buy Rating" in our&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/102944/game-trader-video-game-and-tech-stock-ratings---12418">Game Trader: Video Game and Tech Stock Ratings</a>. Apparently Sycamore Partners agrees with my analysis that <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/104053/game-trader-is-gamestops-stock-cheap-or-am-i-an-idiot">GameStop's stock is cheap</a>. GameStop's chart was highlighted in our recent&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105236/game-trader-video-game-and-tech-stock-chart-analysis---june-2018">Pre-E3 stock chart analysis</a> with a technical buy signal becoming active above $13.89/share on the monthly chart. This is great news for shareholders, but don't get too excited as neither GameStop nor Sycamore Partners have confirmed these talks are ongoing. The news that Sycamore Partners has hired a financial advisor to assist in these discussions is definitely bullish for GameStop shareholders, but there is no guarantee that GameStop's board and shareholders will decide to sell.</p> <hr /> <p><i>Full Disclosure:</i></p> <p><i>At the time of this article, Asif A. Khan, his family members, and his company Virtue LLC had the following positions:</i></p> <p>Long GameStop via GME shares&nbsp;</p> <hr /> <p>Investors should do their own research or consult their advisor before acting on this information. This is an educational article and investors should consider each recommendation based on their own risk tolerance and suitability.</p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:50:00 PDT Asif Khan Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians Review: Mighty, But Not Magical http://www.shacknews.com/article/105643/might--magic-elemental-guardians-review-mighty-but-not-magical http://www.shacknews.com/article/105643/might--magic-elemental-guardians-review-mighty-but-not-magical <p>The Might &amp; Magic series had lain dormant for some time, with no new releases in a good while to keep longtime fans happy. It's been longer than it really should have been, for sure, but now it's back in the form of <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105564/e3-2018-might-and-magic-elemental-guardians-developer-interview">Might &amp; Magic: Elemental Guardians</a>. Ubisoft has taken the series in a decidedly free-to-play direction this time, however, so it's unfortunately a much different Might &amp; Magic than you may have grown up with or be used to.</p> <p>It's certainly a well-made mobile game with high production values, but unfortunately that doesn't mean it has anything to do with the franchise or offers the same kind of fun. Ultimately, I ended up feeling more than a little disappointed after my time with the game, despite how colorful and fleshed-out it seemed when I began playing.&nbsp;</p> <h2>Heroes of Akadimia</h2> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: nullpx;"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/magic1.png" alt="" width="1280" height="591" /></div> <p>If you're expecting traditional Might &amp; Magic lore, don't. This game is a completely different beast than any of the games that came prior to it. It spins a new yarn around a new student who's enrolled in the Akadimia school of magic, who's tasked with summoning and leveling up groups of magical creatures to overcome dungeons and other challenges. In a way, it's a little like Pokemon or other monster-collecting titles. In this, it's a very kiddified universe that features a wide variety of monsters and a dumbed-down narrative that anyone can follow. You may recognize some of the monsters from Might &amp; Magic games prior, but that's about it.</p> <p>It starts out very promising, as well. You're introduced to a series of characters, a vibrant and colorful world, and plenty of creatures to collect. These range from magical knights to Djinns and everything in between. Of course, it's immediately evident that if you want to summon more creatures, it's going to cost you, by either grinding or spending cash on premium currency. That shouldn't come as a surprise, but it's still frustrating nevertheless.&nbsp;</p> <h2>Summon and Play</h2> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: nullpx;"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/magic2.png" alt="" width="1280" height="591" /></div> <p>There are several game modes you can lose yourself in, with both PvE and PvP battles to try out, but most of what you'll be doing in Elemental Guardians revolves around auto team-based battles. It's essentially the same exact thing you've probably seen in dozens of other mobile games. You round up your strongest team, head off into a dungeon to complete waves of combat, and then profit. Then, you go do it all again. If you lose, you can pay a few gems and energy to start where you left off, but most of the appeal is lost in the fact that you don't really do anything in combat at all.</p> <p>The battles themselves can be fully automated, and while you can take control of every monster you have at your disposal, it's much more time effective to start up a dungeon, and then let the game play for you. That's basically all there is to do, anyway, is let your most powerful monsters hammer away at enemies while you do something else. At that point, you can barely even call Elemental Guardians a game, since you're letting it play itself.</p> <p>I found it was much more time-effective to start up battles, and play something on my Switch while my monsters would work on finishing up a few fights for me, then occasionally monitor it if they needed to start over during the middle of one. I had been choosing every move carefully for a while, but since the game really only rewards grinding out progression, it stopped making sense to do this, much to my disappointment. I would have much preferred spending time choosing moves and fighting enemies on my own than watching the action play out in front of me -- or in my case, waiting for it to end so I could start the cycle over again and make progress.&nbsp;</p> <h2>Free-To-Play, Too: Electric Boogaloo</h2> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fTHyeqESy68"></iframe></p> <p>Might &amp; Magic: Elemental Guardians' free-to-play trappings aren't as frustrating as they could be, but they're still an annoyance. It doesn't veer too far into pay-to-win territory, as it could have, and there aren't any ads to worry about, but spending cash on premium seals can suck you in pretty quickly. You do get free seals for new players, and there are a ton of rewards as you play through the game, but the luck of the draw with the game's gacha systems will hold you back if you do decide to spend any money.</p> <p>There's a lot to be said about how the game treats progression, however, as leveling up your monsters and seeing them grow does bring about a certain feeling of accomplishment. When you level up your creatures to their max level, they'll evolve, which can change their appearance, and it offers a noticeable jump in power. It feels fantastic once you've started to play with your new monsters, and in this regard it does feel a lot more rewarding than other similar games of this ilk.</p> <p>It's a shame, since there's so much quality that went into putting this game together. The visuals are crisp, the music is great, and there's a wide variety of things to do, but unfortunately it veers too far into freemium territory to elevate it above other, extremely similar titles. Hopefully the next entry in the Might &amp; Magic series can take the games back to their roots and away from this direction, as it has so much more to give.&nbsp;</p> <hr /> <p><i>This review is based on the iOS release. The key was provided by the publsiher. Might &amp; Magic: Elemenal Guardians is available on iOS and Android now for free. The game is rated E10+.</i></p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:00:00 PDT Brittany Vincent Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee E3 2018 Hands-On Preview: To Boldly Go http://www.shacknews.com/article/105650/pokemon-lets-go-pikachu--eevee-e3-2018-hands-on-preview-to-boldly-go http://www.shacknews.com/article/105650/pokemon-lets-go-pikachu--eevee-e3-2018-hands-on-preview-to-boldly-go <p>It's been over 20 years since handheld players first got a chance to catch them all. Pokemon Red &amp; Blue released in 1996 and changed the gaming world forever, introducing the world to 151 new pocket monsters. Fast-forward 22 years and Nintendo Switch owners are about to get their first crack at catching the original 151 Pokemon. But as Shacknews went hands-on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105157/pokemon-lets-go-pikachu--pokemon-lets-go-eevee-coming-to-nintendo-switch-this-november">Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee</a> during this year's E3, it was easy to notice how much has changed and what's stayed the same.</p> <p>The first thing to point out is that the process of catching Pokemon feels different than any of the previous mainline Pokemon games. That's because the idea has shifted to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/topic/pokemon-go">Pokemon GO</a> model. A visual cue will appear over the wild Pokemon, with the idea to toss a Poke Ball at it and increase the odds of capture with more accurate throws.</p> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: 700px;"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/PokeBallPlus_photo_02.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" /></div> <p>That leads into the topic of the new peripheral, the Poke Ball Plus. This is a small peripheral with a strap that goes around the user's ring finger. The Poke Ball "latch" acts as the control stick and is what's used to run around the world. And when it comes to wild Pokemon battles, the peripheral has a motion sensor that prompts users to "throw" their Poke Ball Plus towards the screen.</p> <p>Like in Pokemon GO, there are Berries to help make capturing wild Pokemon easier. But one thing to note about using the peripheral is that accuracy does matter. There were several instances where I didn't have the Poke Ball Plus lined up the right away, so each of my throws went wide. On the one hand, items are plentiful, with players able to earn new items after every wild Pokemon encounter and every trainer battle, so it's not like there's going to be a shortage of those. But the lack of accuracy makes me worried for later in the game, especially once I pick up the one and only Master Ball.</p> <p>While wild battles go into the Pokemon GO style of interface, trainer battles are classic Pokemon. Battles will begin with the player's partner Pokemon, either Pikachu or Eevee, running off of the player's shoulder and preparing for battle. It's the classic turn-based battle, with rock-paper-scissors mechanics, with experience points rewarded at the end. As noted, the big difference is that players receive item drops after each successful battle.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9jRtpMKLsts?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>After the battles ended, it was time to soak in the overworld. The demo took place in Viridian Forest and the layout was almost identical to Red &amp; Blue all those years ago. This lends itself to the idea that Kanto will feel familiar to Pokemon veterans. The biggest difference, however, is that wild Pokemon appear on the screen, wandering around in the tall grass. Encounters are no longer randomized. That means it's possible to walk straight up to that rare Pokemon you're looking for or go around and try to avoid battles entirely. Of course, there's no avoiding the trainer battles. Just like vintage Pokemon games, if a trainer catches you in his or her sights, the battle is underway.</p> <p>Those looking for Pokemon: Let's Go to reinvent the wheel may walk away disappointed. But anyone looking for a console Pokemon game that utilizes the core series formula have something to look forward to with this game. It's looking very much like an updated Red &amp; Blue for a new generation and that should please a number of Poke fanatics. Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu &amp; Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee is set to release on Nintendo Switch on November 16.</p> Mon, 18 Jun 2018 11:00:00 PDT Ozzie Mejia Rise Nation Wins CWL Anaheim 2018 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105649/rise-nation-wins-cwl-anaheim-2018 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105649/rise-nation-wins-cwl-anaheim-2018 <p>Just days after E3 2018, Activision made its way across town for the Call of Duty World League's latest major. CWL Anaheim came to a close on Sunday and the two teams in the final game should look familiar to anyone who's followed Call of Duty esports this year. Rise Nation faced off once again with Red Reserve in the Grand Finals in a rematch from CWL Atlanta and the result was no different. Despite Red Reserve putting up a fight, Rise Nation won CWL Anaheim 3-1 in the second Grand Finals set.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?clip=AdventurousGrossRadishFutureMan" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The series was decided on the fourth game Hardpoint on Gibraltar. Red Reserve tried to pull away early, but Rise Nation quickly caught up when the Hardpoint reached Turret. The turnaround continued through Pit Center, as Daniel "Loony" Loza and Austin "SlasheR" Liddicoat helped clear the Red Reserve forces. Red Reserve started to pull away again on Castle Road, building a 45+ point lead, but Rise Nation didn't let up and kept climbing back. The two teams were neck and neck heading back to Castle Road, but just as Red Reserve looked to clinch the map, Rise Nation left their opponents stuck at 246 and swooped in to take the map and the series.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p>Back-to-back&hellip; and STILL the best in the game!<br /><br />Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRiseNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheRiseNation</a>, your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWLPS4?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWLPS4</a> Anaheim CHAMPIONS!!! <a href="https://t.co/rxDQER0Q2x">pic.twitter.com/rxDQER0Q2x</a></p> &mdash; Call of Duty esports (@CODWorldLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/CODWorldLeague/status/1008557653683888129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>The second Grand Final set began with Hardpoint on Sainte Marie Du Mont, with both teams going back and forth. Red Reserve broke through on the Winery Lot. They held the lead after Matthew "Skrapz" Marshall activated his Fighter Pilot Scorestreak on the next Hardpoint, opening the floodgates for more Scorestreaks from his teammates. But Rise Nation caught up on Lookout Point and both teams continued to trade places on Restaurant. But Loonys Glide Bomb came up empty and Red Reserve took advantage of the miss to claim the first game.</p> <p>Game 2 was Search &amp; Destroy on the London Docks, where both teams again jockeyed for position. Rise Nation was able to hold onto their Scorestreaks just long enough to take full advantage of them and take the second game.</p> <p>Game 3 was Capture the Flag on Flak Tower. Red Reserve threw all their bodies in the way to try and prevent the flag capture, but SlasheR was able to score the first cap. Red Reserve quickly rebounded with a cap of their own, while Trei "Zer0" Morris called in a Fighter Pilot to keep Rise Nation under control. The two teams continued to trade blows, but Rise eventually pulled away and was able to hold for the final minute, thanks to Thomas "TJHaly" Haly's Glide Bomb, to take the 2-1 series lead.</p> <p>The first Grand Final set came down to Hardpoint on Ardennes Forest, where Red Reserve was able to hold their points behind Zer0 and Skrapz. They were able to ward off Rise Nation's last-second push, which included a Glide Bomb and Fighter Pilot from SlasheR to take the set 3-1.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?clip=LachrymoseBeautifulPresidentBCWarrior&amp;muted=true&amp;autoplay=false&amp;tt_medium=clips_embed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>As mentioned earlier, these two teams previously faced off at <a href="https://www.callofduty.com/esports/story/2018-03/CWLATL_ChampRecap" target="blank">CWL Atlanta</a>, where Rise Nation won that series 3-1. For their victory, Rise Nation wins $80,000 and earns 25,000 Pro Points, while Red Reserve takes home $48,000 and 15,000 Pro Points.</p> <p>Next for the Call of Duty World League, the Pro League Stage 2 kicks off on June 26, as the CWL moves towards the CWL Championship on the weekend of August 16.</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 21:00:00 PDT Ozzie Mejia Los Angeles Valiant Win Overwatch League Stage 4 Finals http://www.shacknews.com/article/105648/los-angeles-valiant-win-overwatch-league-stage-4-finals http://www.shacknews.com/article/105648/los-angeles-valiant-win-overwatch-league-stage-4-finals <p>With the <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105634/here-are-the-final-standings-for-the-first-overwatch-league-regular-season">Overwatch League regular season complete</a>, there's one more piece of business to attend to before moving into the playoffs. That's the Stage 4 Playoffs. It came down to the best team in the League against the team who went in with the perfect Stage record, as the New York Excelsior faced off with the Los Angeles Valiant. But it's the team from Los Angeles that completes the perfect Stage 4 and comes away the Stage 4 Champions.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?clip=AwkwardDreamyRingOSfrog" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The series started with the Valiant expressing their dominance, completely shutting down the Excelsior's offense, thanks largely to Terence "Soon" Tarlier's Widowmaker. Even with Soon stumbling onto a Junkrat trap at the start of the Valiant's offensive set, Los Angeles had little trouble getting the single point they needed, giving New York its first loss of the season on Dorado.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?clip=CharmingZealousHerringTooSpicy&amp;muted=true&amp;autoplay=false&amp;tt_medium=clips_embed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Game 2 went to Hanamura, which led to a brief Tracer duel between Soon and Jong-ryeol "Saebyeolbe" Park. That didn't last long before both players switched to Widowmaker, where Soon quickly picked his foe off and taunted his corpse from afar. But the Valiant weren't able to penetrate the XL defense and New York cruised to a Game 2 victory.</p> <p>Game 3 in Oasis saw Pine go to work with Widowmaker, picking off everyone from Soon's Widowmaker to Brady "Agilities" Girardi's Pharah. But Agilities and Soon were able to bounce back in time to help the Valiant secure the first point in Overtime. The next round saw the Valiant hold the point again and the team was able to hold off New York's last-second push behind Agilities' Pharah and Indy "Space" Halpern's D.Va to go up 2-1 in the series.</p> <p>Game 4 went to Blizzard World and the Valiant smelled blood. They shut out the XL push to startt, which means they simply needed to capture the first point to win. The Valiant put themselves in a great position when Space scored a key kill with Roadhog by hooking Hae-seong "Libero" Kim. The rest of the XL were in tatters, as the Valiant easily capped the point to win the series and the Stage 4 Finals.</p> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: 700px;"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/Robert_Paul-crowd_6-17-18.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" /> <p class="caption">Photo credits: Robert Paul (Blizzard Entertainment)</p> </div> <p>The day began with another Battle of Los Angeles, albeit one with much higher stakes this time around. The Valiant wasted no time getting an advantage on the Gladiators, dominating Gibraltar and holding them to zero points.</p> <p>The Gladiators quickly recovered on Horizon Lunar Colony behind the tank play of Chan-hyung "Fissure" Baek's Reinhardt and Aaron "Bischu" Kim's D.Va. The Valiant pushed forward, but couldn't get past Fissure's Winston, who kept them off the first control point completely in the final seconds. The Gladiators continued to assert themselves on Lijiang Tower, as Lane "Surefour" Roberts put an end to a potential Valiant push by picking off Custa's Mercy. The Valiant rebounded on King's Row, warding off a Gladiators push in order to tie the series at two a piece, leading to a critical Game 5 on Dorado.</p> <p>The Gladiators managed to ward off that initial Valiant push to open Game 5, holding them to two points. But the Gladiators needed to score points themselves and Soon's Widowmaker made sure that wasn't in the cards. Things went from bad to worse after Fissure's Reinhardt went down. Agilities' Brigitte wrapped the series up with a Rally Ultimate, mopping up the rest of the Gladiators and punching the Valiant's ticket to the Stage 4 Finals.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?clip=SmilingEagerMarrowRiPepperonis&amp;muted=true&amp;autoplay=false&amp;tt_medium=clips_embed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The second game saw the New York Excelsior take on the <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105179/opinion-the-dallas-fuels-revival-shows-the-success-of-the-overwatch-league-stage-format">resurgent Dallas Fuel</a>. The Fuel came out firing on offense right out of the gate on Gibraltar, but it was all Excelsior from there. New York easily took Gibraltar on offense and held the fuel from there, easily taking the first game there and the second game on Horizon Lunar Colony just minutes later.</p> <p>The Fuel tried to hang with what brought them to the dance, playing on the strength of top Brigitte player Pongphop "Mickie" Rattanasangchod. Mickie did his job, preventing the New York players from reaching the point, getting Rallies quickly and often. The Fuel took the third map, completely shutting out the Excelsior. Their momentum continued through King's Row, as Brandon "Seagull" Larned cleared a path for the Fuel to take the payload to the finish line. With the XL on offense, Libero gambled by using Hanzo's Ultimate through the wall leading to the payload, but it paid off, as it scattered the Fuel just enough to keep New York in the fight. But it was Mickie, once again, who proved to be the immovable object, as he helped hold New York and push the series to Game 5 on Dorado.</p> <p>Game 5 started with the Fuel making their offensive push, but getting stopped just before the second point. The Excelsior just needed two points to advance and they were able to get it, finally getting past Mickie behind a double Self-Destruct kill from Meko.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?clip=EsteemedObeseSowBrainSlug&amp;muted=true&amp;autoplay=false&amp;tt_medium=clips_embed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>For their victory, the Los Angeles Valiant take home $100,000, while the New York Excelsior pick up $25,000. Next, the Overwatch League takes a long break, now that the regular season is over. Both the Excelsior and the Valiant will get a first-round bye, having finished at the top of their respective divisions. The third through sixth seeds will begin play on July 11, as the Overwatch League marches to the Grand Finals on Saturday, July 28 from the <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/104837/first-overwatch-league-grand-finals-will-be-played-in-barclays-center">Barclays Center</a> in Brooklyn, NY.</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 19:24:00 PDT Ozzie Mejia Ninja Partners with Red Bull Fortnite Event, Sells It Out in Minutes http://www.shacknews.com/article/105644/ninja-partners-with-red-bull-fortnite-event-sells-it-out-in-minutes http://www.shacknews.com/article/105644/ninja-partners-with-red-bull-fortnite-event-sells-it-out-in-minutes <p>It has been quite a year for <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/103863/ninjas-monthly-earnings-top-500000-streaming-fortnite-on-twitch">Tyler "Ninja" Blevins</a>. He's become the most popular Twitch personality by leaps and bounds over the past six months, mostly thanks to his daily Fortnite streams and his <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/103808/fortnite-battle-royale-streamer-ninja-fights-alongside-drake-on-twitch">recent all-nighter with Drake</a>. Now Ninja is continuing to parlay his celebrity into some new partnerships.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="349" src="https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?clip=TentativeEnergeticTeaArgieB8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>During his Sunday stream, Ninja announced a partnership with Red Bull Esports. As part of this announcement, Ninja revealed that fans could challenge him at a special Fortnite event called Red Bull Rise Till Dawn. Taking place in Chicago on July 21, the event will feature a unique scoring system, along with one hundred duos looking to emerge victorious. No word on who Ninja will team up with, but anyone who eliminates him and his teammate will receive bonus points.</p> <p>Looking for tickets? That might be a problem. Just minutes after Ninja made his announcement, registration for Red Bull Rise Till Dawn sold out, which speaks to Ninja's clout in the gaming world these days.</p> <p>Red Bull Rise Till Dawn kicks off on July 21 and can be seen in its entirety from <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/ninja" target="blank">Ninja's Twitch channel</a>.</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 13:30:00 PDT Ozzie Mejia E3 2018: Xbox's Aaron Greenberg Talks Sea of Thieves http://www.shacknews.com/article/105642/e3-2018-xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-sea-of-thieves http://www.shacknews.com/article/105642/e3-2018-xboxs-aaron-greenberg-talks-sea-of-thieves <p>During E3 2018, Aaron Greenberg, General Manager of Games Marketing at Xbox, was on hand to chat with Shacknews about&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/103424/sea-of-thieves-guide-and-walkthrough">Sea of Thieves'</a> popularity, upcoming content for the game, and how it's been received by the community thus far.</p> <p>"Not only is it our biggest new iP that we've launched from our first-party studios, this team is really committed to bringing regular content updates. We've shown that we have two major updates coming in July and September that will feature new volcanic worlds, AI ships, and things like that."</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/95SMcQnOE80"></iframe></p> <p>There's a wealth of new stuff coming to the game, for sure, and we can't wait to get our hands on it. The upcoming Cursed Sails and Forsaken Shores expansions, coming soon to the game in July (Cursed Sails) and September (Forsaken Shores), will add a ton of new goodies that fans will definitely want to get their hands on.</p> <p>Check out the interview above and our chat with Rare's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105621/e3-2018-joe-neate-discusses-the-pirates-life-with-sea-of-thieves">Joe Neate</a> for more info on the game!</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 11:55:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: Ubisoft Singapore Creative Director Justin Farren Talks Skull and Bones http://www.shacknews.com/article/105641/e3-2018-ubisoft-singapore-creative-director-justin-farren-talks-skull-and-bones http://www.shacknews.com/article/105641/e3-2018-ubisoft-singapore-creative-director-justin-farren-talks-skull-and-bones <p>Ubisoft Singapore's Justin Farren was on hand during E3 2018 to discuss <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105459/skull-and-bones-confirms-shared-online-open-world-gameplay">Skull &amp; Bones</a>, a new open-world adventure with a realistic pirate theme. Unlike Sea of Thieves, it takes a more realistic approach to the world of pirates, with plenty of naval battles sprinkled in.</p> <p>You can take on the role of a customizable pirate captain, sail around the ocean alone or with up to five players, and live the life of the pirate you've always wanted to be. The tactical title will find you adjusting your ship due to wind positioning for an advantage in battle, charging into other ships, and even boarding other enemy ships to take over.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tfLxXnKhskI"></iframe></p> <p>Skull &amp; Bones is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2019, though there unfortunately isn't a hard release date at this time yet.&nbsp;</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 11:25:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: Lead Gameplay Designer Clint Oldenburg Talks Madden NFL 19 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105640/e3-2018-lead-gameplay-designer-clint-oldenburg-talks-madden-nfl-19 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105640/e3-2018-lead-gameplay-designer-clint-oldenburg-talks-madden-nfl-19 <p>Clint Oldenburg, lead gameplay designer for <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105371/e3-2018-madden-19-coming-back-to-pc-finally">Madden NFL 19</a>, hung out with Shacknews to discuss the upcoming sports title.</p> <p>"Madden 19 is all about player control, and that goes throughout all our modes. we also have a player control story in Franchise, new scheme fits, archetypes, and the fan favorite Draft Class."</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1MbvCgtFmTo"></iframe></p> <p>Madden NFL 19 is back, and there's a ton of new features for longtime fans and new players as well. The latest entry in the long running sports series features Terrell Owens on the cover, and will feature "real player motions" that help players gain additional yards while running.</p> <p>If you're more interested in celebrating, there will be interactive touchdown celebrations as well.</p> <p>Madden NFL 19 is hitting PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on August 10, 2018.</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 11:15:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: Survios Director of Marketing Hunter Kitagawa Talks Electronauts http://www.shacknews.com/article/105639/e3-2018-survios-director-of-marketing-hunter-kitagawa-talks-electronauts http://www.shacknews.com/article/105639/e3-2018-survios-director-of-marketing-hunter-kitagawa-talks-electronauts <p>Hunter Kitigawa, director of marketing at Survios, was available at E3 2018 to discuss the studio's third and latest project, Electronauts.</p> <p>The immersive music creation experience lets you jump into the game with a headset so you too can feel like a superstar DJ. The team is serious about making it a tool with which people can jump into a colorful world and make music in a simple and intuitive way, even enlisting the help of super producer duo Stargate to help bring music from artists and producers into the game.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bxGOqKCDeXU"></iframe></p> <p>Electronauts is letting folks get in on the music-creating action early with the Electronauts Creator Beta, a closed beta for those who want to create music for the game or have theirs integrated within the game. If that sounds like something you're interested in doing, keep an eye out for updates coming down the line for the game, and we'll keep you posted as well. </p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 10:55:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: Survios's Amy Pantea Talks Adrenaline Platformer Sprint Vector http://www.shacknews.com/article/105638/e3-2018-survioss-amy-pantea-talks-adrenaline-platformer-sprint-vector http://www.shacknews.com/article/105638/e3-2018-survioss-amy-pantea-talks-adrenaline-platformer-sprint-vector <p>Shacknews chatted with Amy Pantea from Survios about <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/103272/sprint-vector-vr-interview-motion-without-sickness">Sprint Vector</a>, the team's competitive VR game, that combines competition with the quirkiness of a game show. Using the Fluid Locomotion System, Sprint Vector offers ways for players to run, jump, climb, and even fly at top speeds without breaking a sweat.</p> <p>Sprint Vector features 21 different courses where you can race online via online and local co-op, as well as an array of power-ups and eight competitive characters with various different personalities so you can blow past the competition and show everyone what you've got.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3EOpA_dR8XA"></iframe></p> <p>Check out the interview with Amy for a look at this hilariously weird sports game, and you'll be itching to give it a try soon enough.&nbsp;</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 09:50:00 PDT Brittany Vincent Fix PlayStation 4 Share Function Error Code CE-34719-4 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105637/fix-playstation-4-share-function-error-code-ce-34719-4 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105637/fix-playstation-4-share-function-error-code-ce-34719-4 <p>If you've been attempting to share media via the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/104648/weekend-console-download-deals-for-april-27-playstation-goes-golden">PlayStation 4's</a> share function this morning or any time in the last day or so, you've probably ran into error code CE-34719-4. If you're concerned that you'll just never be able to share screenshots and clips again to social media, don't panic. There's a widespread issue going on right now that folks are experiencing, and it isn't just you.</p> <p>This error appears to be forcing players to sign into Twitter when they try to share gameplay or screenshots to Twitter, and then when logged in, the error code CE-34719-4 persists. It appears that unless Sony pushes through an update of some sort, this may be something that we have to deal with for the foreseeable future, unless there's some sort of workaround coming down the pipeline.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p>Trying to share clips from my PS4 and getting error (CE-34719-4)<br /><br />Wonderful.<br /><br />Does anyone know how to fix this? You&rsquo;d think Sony would point you to a solution if the PS4 is able to identify what the error is.</p> &mdash; Javits Arias (@jav1ts) <a href="https://twitter.com/jav1ts/status/1008160594170728449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>Research indicates that this code has been appearing off and on since 2017 at various times, and it appears Sony hasn't released anything official with it, but we'll bring you a fix or ideas on how to bypass it if at all possible when something emerges.&nbsp;</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 09:47:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: OtherSide Games' Joe Fielder Talks Underworld Ascendant http://www.shacknews.com/article/105636/e3-2018-otherside-games-joe-fielder-talks-underworld-ascendant http://www.shacknews.com/article/105636/e3-2018-otherside-games-joe-fielder-talks-underworld-ascendant <p>OtherSide Entertainment's Joe Fielder was on hand during E3 2018 to talk the upcoming Underworld Ascendant, a new first-persona action RPG that acts as the sequel to Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss and Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds. Players take on the Avatar on their journey back into the Stygian Abyss, who's magically taken into the Underworld.</p> <p>In the game, three factions are vying for control: Dwarves, Shamblers, and Dark Elves. You'll use a variety of different abilities, both melee and magical, as the balance shifts from group to group in the Abyss. There are multiple different, unscripted solutions to solve various scenarios, with plenty of different player options available.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5Fhk-BjdyCA"></iframe></p> <p>Underworld Ascendant is coming to PC this September if you can't wait to get your hands on it.&nbsp;</p> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 09:25:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: Capcom's Brett Elston Talks Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate http://www.shacknews.com/article/105635/e3-2018-capcoms-brett-elston-talks-monster-hunter-generations-ultimate http://www.shacknews.com/article/105635/e3-2018-capcoms-brett-elston-talks-monster-hunter-generations-ultimate <p>Brett Elston, the associate brand manager at Capcom, hung out with Shacknews to discuss <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/104863/monster-hunter-generations-ultimate-for-nintendo-switch-finally-gets-north-american-release-date">Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate</a>, the "next era" of the Generations series. It's the HD port of Monster Hunter Generations, which originally released on Nintendo 3DS, and it's coming to Nintendo Switch this August.</p> <p>"From tiny little guys to gigantic things shooting lasers out of their wings to everything in between, there's huge variety. With that comes the loot they drop. The sheer options you have as a player, that's the real drive for Ultimate."</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FjZReQ_0ox0"></iframe></p> <p>If you've never played a Monster Hunter game, or maybe you really loved Monster Hunter World and want to delve further into the series, you should absolutely try out this HD release, especially since the Switch makes it simple to take with you everywhere you go. There's also the Prowler mode to consider, which lets you play as the catlike Felyne series, so that's definitely a plus in this game's direction.</p> <p>You can check it out when it lands on Switch on August 28, 2018.</p> Sat, 16 Jun 2018 19:36:00 PDT Brittany Vincent Here are the Final Standings for the First Overwatch League Regular Season http://www.shacknews.com/article/105634/here-are-the-final-standings-for-the-first-overwatch-league-regular-season http://www.shacknews.com/article/105634/here-are-the-final-standings-for-the-first-overwatch-league-regular-season <p>The Overwatch League's first regular season has come to an end. Sunday will see the top four teams of Stage 4 compete in the individual Stage Playoffs for $125,000. However, the top six overall teams throughout the entire regular season are moving on to the playoffs.</p> <h2>Final Overwatch League Regular Season Standings (Win-Loss, Map Differential)</h2> <ul> <li>1. New York Excelsior (34-6, +83)</li> <li>2. Los Angeles Valiant (27-13, +36)</li> <li>3. Boston Uprising (26-14, +28)</li> <li>4. Los Angeles Gladiators (25-15, +24)</li> <li>5. London Spitfire (24-16, +33)</li> <li>6. Philadelphia Fusion (24-16, +13)</li> </ul> <ul> <li>7. Houston Outlaws (22-18, +17)</li> <li>8. Seoul Dynasty (22-18, +13)</li> <li>9. San Francisco Shock (17-23, -7)</li> <li>10. Dallas Fuel (12-28, -42)</li> <li>11. Florida Mayhem (7-33, -78)</li> <li>12. Shanghai Dragons (0-40, -120)</li> </ul> <div class="articleImage full" style="width: 700px"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/shacknews/assets/editorial/2018/06/Dallas_Fuel_wins_6-13-18.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" style="undefined" /></div> <h2>What Happens Next?</h2> <p>The division winners will receive a first-round bye. That means the New York Excelsior and Los Angeles Valiant will get an extended break before facing their next opponent. Here are the first round matchups:</p> <ul> <li>#3 Boston Uprising vs. #6 Philadelphia Fusion</li> <li>#4 Los Angeles Gladiators vs. #5 London Spitfire</li> </ul> <p>These will be contested in a Best of 3 format, with each match consisting of five maps.</p> <h2>When Do The Overwatch League Playoffs Begin?</h2> <p>The Overwatch League Playoffs will begin on July 11 and continue until two teams are left standing on July 21. The Grand Finals will be contested on Saturday, July 28 from the <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/104837/first-overwatch-league-grand-finals-will-be-played-in-barclays-center">Barclays Center</a> in Brooklyn, NY.</p> Sat, 16 Jun 2018 19:30:00 PDT Ozzie Mejia E3 2018: Capcom's Associate Brand Manager Brett Elston Talks Mega Man 11 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105633/e3-2018-capcoms-associate-brand-manager-brett-elston-talks-mega-man-11 http://www.shacknews.com/article/105633/e3-2018-capcoms-associate-brand-manager-brett-elston-talks-mega-man-11 <p>Brett Elston, the associate brand manager at Capcom, had a brief chat with Shacknews during E3 2018 about the upcoming <a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105147/mega-man-11-activates-in-october-new-amiibo-revealed-for-nintendo-switch">Mega Man 11</a>, the eleventh main entry in the classic Mega Man platforming series. which is bringing back a cavalcade of familiar features for the game as well as voice acting and 2.5D graphics.</p> <p>The new iteration of the game will retain the same familiar gameplay from prior Mega Man titles, but will also implement 3D characters and environments as well. As usual, players will take on Dr. Wily as he attempts to ruin everyone's day in various ways, though this time around he's got a new toy to help facilitate that.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Xl3RDkwzk9U"></iframe></p> <p>Mega Man 11 is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 2, 2018, so make sure you brush up on those platforming skills before then so you're ready to roll when it debuts. More Mega Man is always a good thing!</p> Sat, 16 Jun 2018 19:15:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: Capcom's RE Brand Manager Mike Lunn Talks Resident Evil 2 Remake http://www.shacknews.com/article/105632/e3-2018-capcoms-re-brand-manager-mike-lunn-talks-resident-evil-2-remake http://www.shacknews.com/article/105632/e3-2018-capcoms-re-brand-manager-mike-lunn-talks-resident-evil-2-remake <p>Resident Evil brand manager Mike Lunn was on hand at E3 2018 to discuss the upcoming remake of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105495/e3-2018-resident-evil-2-remake-release-date-revealed">Resident Evil 2</a> with Shacknews this year, and he was full of informative tidbits about what we can expect from the game.&nbsp;</p> <p>"Resident Evil 2 is all about scares and keeping you on the edge of your seat, and if you already know everything that's coming, it's no fun," he said during the start of the interview. With that in mind, it's going to feature tons of changes that'll make it stand out from the original release.</p> <p>"Our goal is to try to make it both nostalgic and feel new at the same time," Lunn said.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CupgKpV0s80"></iframe></p> <p>If you haven't seen any footage of the new game, you're really missing out. It looks absolutely excellent, and we can't wait to get our hands on it.&nbsp;The Resident Evil 2 remake is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.</p> <p>There are unfortunately no plans for Switch at present, as Capcom is focusing on "core" consoles at this time, according to Lunn. It's coming out in a few short months on January 25, 2019.</p> Sat, 16 Jun 2018 18:55:00 PDT Brittany Vincent Fortnite Switch Version Teasing Mysterious Countdown on In-Game Television http://www.shacknews.com/article/105627/fortnite-switch-version-teasing-mysterious-countdown-on-in-game-television http://www.shacknews.com/article/105627/fortnite-switch-version-teasing-mysterious-countdown-on-in-game-television <p>It looks like something mysterious is going on in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/103684/fortnite-frenzy-hits-mainstream-media-with-epic-mania">Fortnite</a> once more. This time, however, it appears to be happening only on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105533/is-fortnite-cross-play-on-nintendo-switch">Nintendo Switch version</a> of the game. It's counting down to something big, and it'll reach zero on June 19, which is Tuesday of next week. But what could it mean?</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p>Fortnite countdown appeared!!<a href="https://twitter.com/FortniteGame?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FortniteGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FortniteBR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FortniteBR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FNBRLeaks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FNBRLeaks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Fortnite_BR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Fortnite_BR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FortniteGameNL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FortniteGameNL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldMustard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonaldMustard</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fortnite?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fortnite</a> <a href="https://t.co/QOYkRAf896">pic.twitter.com/QOYkRAf896</a></p> &mdash; Jeremy (@Jeremyodieyo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jeremyodieyo/status/1007696504407166976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>Right now, it doesn't appear that anything else has changed in the game, but players can attest to the fact that this is only currently happening for Switch players. Could the TVs be counting down to some sort of fix for the "locking out" that players have experienced with their PlayStation 4 accounts with Fortnite on Switch? Perhaps there's some sort of Nintendo-related content coming? Or maybe this was an update that's coming to all platforms, but got pushed to Switch earlier than others?</p> <p>Whatever the case may be, we'll stay on top of the situation and let you know more about it as soon as more information comes out. We're just as curious as you are.&nbsp;</p> Sat, 16 Jun 2018 13:04:00 PDT Brittany Vincent E3 2018: Spiders' Jehanne Rousseau and Claire Leger Talk GreedFall http://www.shacknews.com/article/105626/e3-2018-spiders-jehanne-rousseau-and-claire-leger-talk-greedfall http://www.shacknews.com/article/105626/e3-2018-spiders-jehanne-rousseau-and-claire-leger-talk-greedfall <p>Spiders' Jehanne Rousseau and Claire Leger stopped by the Shacknews E3 2018 booth for a look at the upcoming GreedFall, an intriguing new action role-playing game set in the 17th century. </p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Etgc569iagM"></iframe></p> <p>Players take on the role of a neutral party in this Baroque fantasy game who's just arrived at an island paradise discovered by colonial forces from various fictional lands. It's rife with magic and monsters, and the plan is to colonize it. You can choose your allegiances, whether you want to work alongside the land's native Elves, or the foreigners looking to conquer the land for their own purposes.</p> <p>The game is targeting a 2019 release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.</p> Sat, 16 Jun 2018 12:40:00 PDT Brittany Vincent The Ghost of Tsushima E3 Presentation's Opener Featured A Shakuhachi Performance http://www.shacknews.com/article/105625/the-ghost-of-tsushima-e3-presentations-opener-featured-a-shakuhachi-performance http://www.shacknews.com/article/105625/the-ghost-of-tsushima-e3-presentations-opener-featured-a-shakuhachi-performance <p>If you caught Sony's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105578/where-was-red-dead-redemption-2-at-e3-2018">E3 2018</a> showcase, there's no doubt you were captivated by several of the amazing performances that preceded each of the game reveals. A banjo player opened&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105489/e3-2018-the-last-of-us-part-2-gameplay-revealed-by-naughty-dog">The Last of Us Part II's</a> debut trailer, and a performance by Cornelius Boots on the shakuhachi ahead of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.shacknews.com/article/105493/e3-2018-sony-premieres-ghosts-of-tsushima-gameplay-during-press-briefing">Ghost of Tsushima</a> shook us to our core.</p> <p>The shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese flute made out of bamboo, tuned to the minor pentatonic scale.&nbsp;Boots is an acclaimed composer and shakuhachi master, who began studying music at the age of 9. He's an acclaimed shakuhachi master and obtained his master teaching license from Grand Master Michael Chikuzen Gould five years ago, having recorded five albums with the instrument over the span of his career. He's played the instrument alongside Atsuda Okuda, widely considered to be one of the greatest shakuhachi players in the world.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FhqTNAlErQc"></iframe></p> <p>The performance set the tone for Ghost of Tsushima, and Boots showcased his talent well ahead of the game reveal. You can check out the performance above in its entirety, and see Boots with Okuda himself below.</p> <p><iframe width="700" height="394" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CaMtijrlADo"></iframe></p> <p>Did you happen to see the performance when it was live or did you attend the PlayStation showcase? Let us know!</p> Sat, 16 Jun 2018 12:07:00 PDT Brittany Vincent