Marvel’s Avengers Villains A.I.M. Explained
With Gamescom 2019 giving us a wealth of fresh details on Marvel’s Avengers, we're digging into one of the most significant pieces of new information: the main villains plaguing our heroes will be none other than the malicious scientific organization known as Advanced Idea Mechanics, or A.I.M. Easily identifiable by their yellow jumpsuits, these goons have been a part of Marvel Comics since the 1960s and have made appearances in Marvel games, movies, and shows.
Here’s everything you need to know about the villainous group before they take on Marvel’s Avengers.
The Debut of AIM in Marvel Comics
The Cycle Marks the Start of Post-Battle Royale
Like all phenomena, battle royale can only last so long. The genre is in no danger of dying, but its position at the very top of the video games food chain only has so much breath left in it. Developers are already searching for the next big thing, and Gamescom 2019 suggests that it could well be PvEvP; games that blend classic co-op elements with competitive mechanics. The Cycle, from Spec-Ops: The Line developer Yager, is one such game, and it looks like it could be the first ‘post-battle royale’ that ushers in a new trend.
The Cycle is described by Yager as a ‘competitive quester’. That may sound alien, but it’s actually an easy concept to grasp: twenty players split into solos, duos, or four-person squads drop-pod onto an island, and they must complete a variety of fairly simple PvE missions in order to earn points. These quests involve objectives such as mining for minerals, hunting down monsters, or defending structures from waves of attackers. The team who has the most points at the end of the 20 minute match is the victor.
Tom Holland Reunites With Robert Downey Jr. Amid Sony/Disney Split
Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. have been pictured hanging out together following the news that Spider-Man will be leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Holland, who hasn't addressed the studio debacle directly, posted a series of joyous photos on Instagram alongside his on-screen mentor. The two stars appear to be celebrating the completion of a nature hike, as they are captured posing with triumphant stances in front of a scenic backdrop.
Disney’s Marvel Land Is Named Avengers Campus at Disneyland
Disney has revealed that the Marvel land that will be opening at Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland, Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland will be called Avengers Campus.
Announced by Disney the night before its D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA, guests who visit Avengers Campus will "become part of an interconnected, global story that spans from California to Paris to Hong Kong with the Avengers recruiting new extraordinary people to join them."
Star Wars Hotel at Disney World Is Named Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Disney has revealed that the Star Wars hotel/experience at the Walt Disney World Resort will be called Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a "new, first-of-its-kind vacation experience where guests will check in for a two-night adventure aboard a glamorous starship."
Announced by Disney the night before its D23 Expo begins in Anaheim, CA, guests can look forward to interacting with characters and "become active participants in stories that unfold around them on their galactic journey."
Gears POP! Gameplay Showcases Marcus Fenix, Cole Train, and Chainsaws
Gears POP! is now available on iOS, Android, and PC and merges together Gears of War and Funko Pop! in a multiplayer PvP battle arena-style game, and we have nearly ten minutes of gameplay for you to see the game in action for yourself.
Gears POP! is a free-to-play game that features over 30 characters from throughout the Gears of War universe with a Funko Pop! design, including Marcus Fenix, Augustus "Cole Train" Cole, General Raam, Kait Diaz, and many more.
New characters are unlocked from Gear Packs and allow players to mix and match their favorite COG and Locust units into one epic team.
Gears POP! players can also utilize Ultimate abilities like the Emergence Hole that "floods the battlefield with Wretches."
Legends of Tomorrow: Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford Exit in Season 5
The Legends of Tomorrow lineup will be changing again in Season 5. As reported by Deadline, both Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford will no longer be series regulars in Season 5.
Routh has been an Arrowverse mainstay for years, having made his debut as Ray Palmer in Arrow: Season 3 in 2014 before transitioning over to Legends of Tomorrow the following year. Ford joined the Legends cast as the adult version of Nora Darhk in Season 3, later becoming a series regular in Season 4.
According to Deadline, the decision was made to wrap up Ray and Nora's shared storyline in Legends' upcoming fifth season. It's not clear when exactly in Season 5 the two actors will exit the show, but their final episode is said to be filmed in October.
Riot Games Settles Class Action Lawsuit Over Gender Discrimination
Riot Games has settled the class action lawsuit in principle for gender discrimination, according to a new statement from the Riot Walkout group.
“Settling this class action is a victory for women in games,” a representative from Riot Walkout said in a statement today. “We believe that the policy changes Riot agreed to make will continue the progress toward equality that we’ve made over the last year.”
An explosive investigation by Kotaku uncovered widespread discrimination and harassment at Riot Games. Following the report, a class action lawsuit was filed against the developer accusing it of gender-based discrimination and violating the California Equal Pay Act.
Westworld Awakening Is a New VR Game Where You Play a Self-Aware Host
HBO has partnered with VR developer Survios on a new Westworld VR video game called Westworld Awakening. And it’s available right now on Oculus, Vive, and over 400 VR Arcades.
In Westworld Awakening players will take on the role of Kate, a host who wakes up with a newfound self-awareness. Using a QA tablet, players must navigate Delos labs during the events of Westworld season 2, solving puzzles and interacting with other hosts using the tablet.
HBO says Westworld Awakening is a narrative-driven, single-player stealth game. That’s because players will wake up next to Hank, a serial killer host who will stalk Kate throughout the Delos labs.
Westworld Season 2 ended last year with Dolores seemingly escaping into the real world, and the fate of several key hosts ending on a cliffhanger. HBO says Westworld Awakening is set during the events of this season, so it’s very possible Kate can interact with some of the events that occurred in the past season.
Dark Crystal Offers Solid Tactics Game But May Release Too Late
The Dark Crystal was one of my favorite childhood movies - even though it was objectively terrifying - so it should come as no surprise that the news of the Netflix series was a joyous occasion. During the E3 announcement for BonusXP’s tactics game, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, I was one of (maybe) two people in our office who audibly WHOO’d when Aughra showed up during the Nintendo press conference.
