Apex Legends: Two Playable Characters are LGBTQ, Says EA
EA and Respawn have confirmed two playable characters in their new free-to-play battle royale game, Apex Legends, are members of the LGBTQ community.
In character profiles on the EA "Meet The Legends" page, "Shielded Fortress" Makoa Gibraltar is confirmed to have dedicated his life to helping others after his parents rescued "he and his boyfriend" from a mudslide while the couple was out joyriding on his father's stolen motorcycle.
In an interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Respawn Community Manager Jay Frechette also confirmed "Technological Tracker" Bloodhound, whose real name, age, and homeworld are unknown, is either "non-binary, or at least non-specified, in terms of gender."
James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Script Will Be Used
Update 2/22: Reported by CinemaBlend, Marvel Cinematic Universe head Kevin Feige confirmed that James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 draft will be used for the film, despite Gunn being removed as director.
Feige said to CinemaBlend, “
influence was Guardians. It was Guardians. It was his input on Guardians and the Avengers films, as you've seen in Infinity War, and on the Guardians 3 script, which we’re still using. So you'll see that influence."
It remains to be seen how much of his original script will stay intact once a new director comes on board, but it appears Gunn’s influence will remain with the film regardless.
The Rock Reveals He Turned Down Hosting the Oscars
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson revealed that he turned down the opportunity to host this year's Oscars ceremony.
In a new interview with THR, Johnson said he got a call asking him to host the upcoming Academy Awards, and that he met with the telecast's producers multiple times.
“We didn't campaign for it, but it came and I was over the moon and one of those calls where I said, I'm going to have to call you back," Johnson told THR. "I just paused in my silence and was like, wow thank you so much, and then immediately my brain started going, we'll do this kind of number and that.”
Team Fortress 2 YouTuber Comes Back After Faking Own Death in 2015
Popular Pyro main and Team Fortress 2 YouTuber Sketchek has returned to YouTube after faking his own death in 2015.
Reported by PCGamesN, a new video titled “謝罪” (Japanese for “Apology”) and accompanied by Midge Ure’s cover of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World appeared on Sketchek’s YouTube channel - the first since 2015.
The last video he posted was deleted but has since been re-uploaded by other users. In it, he claimed he was “very ill” and that his health was “gradually deteriorating.” It was then that he announced he was finished making YouTube videos, and hadn’t been heard from publicly since.
Ubisoft Warns of Division 2 Beta Crashes for ‘Extended’ Sessions
With the Tom Clancy's The Division 2 Private Beta officially underway, Ubisoft is warning players of two known issues that may cause the beta client to crash.
The first can occur on Xbox One and PC by simply playing too long. According to Ubisoft, an "extended gameplay session" on either of those two platforms can result in a crash, while "3+ hours of uninterrupted gameplay" on PlayStation 4 may lead to a "performance degradation." Ubisoft encourages players to restart the game every two to three hours to avoid these potential problems.
Devil May Cry 5 Director Considered Dragon’s Dogma 2
Devil May Cry 5 director Hidetaki Itsuno says that he considered making Dragon’s Dogma 2, but ultimately decided to pursue Devil May Cry 5 instead.
In an interview with VG24/7 (via a translator), Itsuno said "So, when the discussion came up for Devil May Cry 5, I went to Kenzo
and I said… look, I want to make either Devil May Cry 5 or Dragon’s Dogma 2 next. He said ‘okay, do whatever you want. Do whichever one you want.’ So I thought, alright, y’know what… let’s do DMC5. So we did that.”
“Here we are – we’re now finishing up DMC5,” continued Itsuno. "But I had ideas for Dragon’s Dogma 2 at the time as well... I’ve always got maybe around four different titles in mind, maybe about four different ideas that I’d love to make. But there’s a difference between the titles that I’d love to make and the titles that I think I should make next. But here we are, we’re here, and… I’m already gearing up for my next project. We can’t say what it is, but we’re looking forward to getting to work on it.”
Get a Sneak Peek at Tricia Helfer on SWAT
It's been almost a decade since Battlestar Galactica went off the air, but it's always a pleasure to see the sci-fi show's alums popping up elsewhere.
Tricia Helfer is guest starring on CBS' SWAT this week (and also hosting a weekly BSG retrospective podcast, if you're really feeling nostalgic), and while FBI Special Agent Elle Trask doesn't seem half as manipulative as Number Six, sparks are certainly flying between her and old flame Hondo (Shemar Moore) in our exclusive sneak peek. Trask is in town for a case that brings the SWAT team and the FBI together to bring in a separatist group with weapons-grade plutonium.
Big Xbox One Sale Is Live Now
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It's a good week for Xbox One fans who like saving money. Not only are the standard Spotlight and Deals with Gold sales live on the Microsoft Store between now and February 11, but a handful of other sales are also going on, including the Wolfenstein Franchise Sale and Indie Sports Sale. Plus, you can get Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition for $4.50, as well as Xbox One consoles and controllers are on sale elsewhere. Read on for our picks for the best Xbox One deals of the week.
Metal Gear Solid Movie Director Praises Death Stranding
Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the director of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid film, has played Death Stranding, and has come away with glowing impressions.
Vogt-Roberts took to Twitter to voice his opinions after playing the game, saying that its world is “next-level immaculate” and that it’s like “freebasing pure Kojima & Shinkawa.” He compares the experience to watching Mad Max: Fury Road in how much the quality of that film surprised people, ultimately saying “YOU. ARE. NOT. READY."
So @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN let me play DEATH STRANDING The world is next-level immaculate. It’s like freebasing pure Kojima & Shinkawa. Remember when FURY ROAD blew you away but also made you (in the best-most-thankful way) ask “wtf” how does this miracle exist? YOU. ARE. NOT. READY pic.twitter.com/RkVxtZCcbj
Deal Alert: Save $150 on a New iPad Pro, $50 Off Apple Watch 3
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Today's a lovely day to save some money on Apple products at Amazon or Walmart. Even if you scoff at the idea of using a Macintosh computer, it's hard to deny the convenience of an iPad, or the coolness and functionality of an Apple Watch, even more so when they're on sale. If you're waiting on a tax refund, or already have one, this would be a good place to spend it, in my opinion. I have a Mac for work and PC as my own computer and I have no real preference, except when it comes to specific tasks like gaming. Then I'm ride-or-die PC all the way. But there's no denying that a retina Macbook for $1300 or an iPad for $280 are both pretty attractive offers.