Naraka: Bladepoint’s New Hero Is Yueshan, a Ferocious Terracota Warrior
IGN is pleased to exclusively reveal that Naraka: Bladepoint’s next character is Yueshan, a hero based on Chinese history.
Yueshan’s design has its roots during China’s warring states period. Developer 24 Entertainment notes that he’s dressed in lamellar armour, and is able to shoulder charge enemies in order to knock them over and land a blow while they’re stuck on the floor.
For his ultimate ability, Yueshan is able to transform into a Terracotta warrior and use a huge, flaming halberd to cut down enemies. You can see him in action in the trailer above, which sees him cutting through enemies and leaving trails of fire with each swing of his polearm weapon.
Yueshan joins the fight on Morus Island on November 10 as part of the new season, which comes as Naraka: Bladepoint hits 6 million copies sold worldwide. If you’ve yet to jump in and this looks like your kind of fight, then Naraka: Bladepoint will be 30% off for a week, starting November 11 and ending November 17.
Those who are already playing in Naraka: Bladepoint are also set to get a cool and unusual gift as thanks for their continued support: a recreation of a historic dagger. 24 Entertainment has announced that it is working with the Art Museum of Chinese Ancient Weapons to help restore the Equestrian Blade, a historic dagger with a horse head handle that has been traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. This short sword, a major exhibit of the Pingyao Wentaofang Ancient Weapon Museum, will then be re-created in-game and gifted to players.
For more, check out our Naraka: Bladepoint review, in which we noted that it’s a “refreshing” take on battle royale that is “a genuinely clever spin on the genre’s familiar formula.”
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Naraka: Bladepoint’s New Hero Is Yueshan, a Ferocious Terracota Warrior
IGN is pleased to exclusively reveal that Naraka: Bladepoint’s next character is Yueshan, a hero based on Chinese history.
Yueshan’s design has its roots during China’s warring states period. Developer 24 Entertainment notes that he’s dressed in lamellar armour, and is able to shoulder charge enemies in order to knock them over and land a blow while they’re stuck on the floor.
For his ultimate ability, Yueshan is able to transform into a Terracotta warrior and use a huge, flaming halberd to cut down enemies. You can see him in action in the trailer above, which sees him cutting through enemies and leaving trails of fire with each swing of his polearm weapon.
Yueshan joins the fight on Morus Island on November 10 as part of the new season, which comes as Naraka: Bladepoint hits 6 million copies sold worldwide. If you’ve yet to jump in and this looks like your kind of fight, then Naraka: Bladepoint will be 30% off for a week, starting November 11 and ending November 17.
Those who are already playing in Naraka: Bladepoint are also set to get a cool and unusual gift as thanks for their continued support: a recreation of a historic dagger. 24 Entertainment has announced that it is working with the Art Museum of Chinese Ancient Weapons to help restore the Equestrian Blade, a historic dagger with a horse head handle that has been traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. This short sword, a major exhibit of the Pingyao Wentaofang Ancient Weapon Museum, will then be re-created in-game and gifted to players.
For more, check out our Naraka: Bladepoint review, in which we noted that it’s a “refreshing” take on battle royale that is “a genuinely clever spin on the genre’s familiar formula.”
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
One Of GTA: San Andreas’ Most Famous Clips Released in HD
Rockstar Games has recreated the iconic "Here we go again" meme from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas using the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. In a tweet, Rockstar said they've turned many memorable moments from the trilogy into GIF form, most notably the endlessly meme-able shot of CJ walking through the alley.
In celebration of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, we've picked out some iconic moments and images from across all three games and published them to our official @GIPHY page.
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 9, 2021
Simply search #gtatrilogy to spice up the conversation: https://t.co/UrMfyzhdlQ pic.twitter.com/Fifbig1eZa
Fans are already reacting to the return of the meme, which has been a staple on Twitter since it gained popularity in 2015. Some were simply excited to see the meme remade, while others are worried that the game comes out in less than two days, and Rockstar hasn't shown any uncut gameplay outside of the first gameplay trailer.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition includes remastered versions of three classic GTA games: GTA 3, San Andreas, and Vice City. San Andreas, which includes the origin of the popular meme, is launching separately on Xbox Game Pass.
In addition to the enhanced visuals Rockstar says the games will feature quality-of-life improvements from GTA 5, including, "improvements to targeting and lock-on aiming, updated Weapon and Radio Station Wheels, updated Mini-Maps with enhanced navigation allowing players to set waypoints to destinations, updated Achievements, Trophies, and more."
The trilogy launches later this week on November 11 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC through the Rockstar Games Launcher. If you're deciding what console to play it on, we recently got a look at screenshots of the Nintendo Switch version.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
One Of GTA: San Andreas’ Most Famous Clips Released in HD
Rockstar Games has recreated the iconic "Here we go again" meme from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas using the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. In a tweet, Rockstar said they've turned many memorable moments from the trilogy into GIF form, most notably the endlessly meme-able shot of CJ walking through the alley.
In celebration of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, we've picked out some iconic moments and images from across all three games and published them to our official @GIPHY page.
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 9, 2021
Simply search #gtatrilogy to spice up the conversation: https://t.co/UrMfyzhdlQ pic.twitter.com/Fifbig1eZa
Fans are already reacting to the return of the meme, which has been a staple on Twitter since it gained popularity in 2015. Some were simply excited to see the meme remade, while others are worried that the game comes out in less than two days, and Rockstar hasn't shown any uncut gameplay outside of the first gameplay trailer.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition includes remastered versions of three classic GTA games: GTA 3, San Andreas, and Vice City. San Andreas, which includes the origin of the popular meme, is launching separately on Xbox Game Pass.
In addition to the enhanced visuals Rockstar says the games will feature quality-of-life improvements from GTA 5, including, "improvements to targeting and lock-on aiming, updated Weapon and Radio Station Wheels, updated Mini-Maps with enhanced navigation allowing players to set waypoints to destinations, updated Achievements, Trophies, and more."
The trilogy launches later this week on November 11 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC through the Rockstar Games Launcher. If you're deciding what console to play it on, we recently got a look at screenshots of the Nintendo Switch version.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
Netflix Is Digging Deep For Its Next Live-Action Anime
Netflix is looking to expand its Japanese offerings on its service by adding more anime as well as live-action shows. One of them will be a live-action Yu Yu Hakusho series that will arrive in 2023.
Yu Yu Hakusho is a manga by Yoshihiro Togashi and the anime series was created by Studio Pierrot. It follows a young kid named Yusuke Urameshi who dies when he gets hit by a car trying to save a child. As a delinquent, this sudden act of kindness grants him a chance at revival. After passing a few tests in the Afterlife, Yusuke then becomes a spirit detective, investigating paranormal activities back on Earth.
In Japan, Netflix Japan Festival 2021 has already started, and the company has announced some more brand new live-action titles coming to the streaming service. They include:
The newly announced live-action titles are:
- Love Like The Falling Petals film (March 23, 2022)
- Love is Blind: Japan (February 2022)
- Last One Standing (unscripted series, March 2022)
- Toma Ikuta documentary (Spring 2022)
- Alice in Borderland Season 2 (2022)
- First Love series (2022)
- Yu Yu Hakusho series (2023)
- Once Upon a Crime film (no date)
- Gundam film (no date)
Some newly announced anime series are coming too:
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean (December 1, 2021)
- Aggretsuko Season 4 (December 16, 2021)
- The Orbital Children (January 28, 2022)
- Tiger & Bunny 2 (April 2022)
- Kakegurui Twin (August 2022)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh (2022)
- Kotaro Lives Alone (2022)
- Vampire in the Garden (2022)
- Ultraman Season 2 (2022)
- Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure (2022)
- Detective Conan: The Culprit Hanazawa and Detective Conan: Zero’s Tea Time (no date)
We already got to see an image of Netflix's live-action Mobile Suit Gundam movie, which features the RX-78-2 model in flames. In terms of the anime announcements, Tiger & Bunny first got its anime debut in 2011, so it's exciting to see it pop up again a decade later. Ultraman's legacy goes all the way back to the 1960s, and it got an anime series on Netflix in 2019.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey
Netflix Is Digging Deep For Its Next Live-Action Anime
Netflix is looking to expand its Japanese offerings on its service by adding more anime as well as live-action shows. One of them will be a live-action Yu Yu Hakusho series that will arrive in 2023.
Yu Yu Hakusho is a manga by Yoshihiro Togashi and the anime series was created by Studio Pierrot. It follows a young kid named Yusuke Urameshi who dies when he gets hit by a car trying to save a child. As a delinquent, this sudden act of kindness grants him a chance at revival. After passing a few tests in the Afterlife, Yusuke then becomes a spirit detective, investigating paranormal activities back on Earth.
In Japan, Netflix Japan Festival 2021 has already started, and the company has announced some more brand new live-action titles coming to the streaming service. They include:
The newly announced live-action titles are:
- Love Like The Falling Petals film (March 23, 2022)
- Love is Blind: Japan (February 2022)
- Last One Standing (unscripted series, March 2022)
- Toma Ikuta documentary (Spring 2022)
- Alice in Borderland Season 2 (2022)
- First Love series (2022)
- Yu Yu Hakusho series (2023)
- Once Upon a Crime film (no date)
- Gundam film (no date)
Some newly announced anime series are coming too:
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean (December 1, 2021)
- Aggretsuko Season 4 (December 16, 2021)
- The Orbital Children (January 28, 2022)
- Tiger & Bunny 2 (April 2022)
- Kakegurui Twin (August 2022)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh (2022)
- Kotaro Lives Alone (2022)
- Vampire in the Garden (2022)
- Ultraman Season 2 (2022)
- Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure (2022)
- Detective Conan: The Culprit Hanazawa and Detective Conan: Zero’s Tea Time (no date)
We already got to see an image of Netflix's live-action Mobile Suit Gundam movie, which features the RX-78-2 model in flames. In terms of the anime announcements, Tiger & Bunny first got its anime debut in 2011, so it's exciting to see it pop up again a decade later. Ultraman's legacy goes all the way back to the 1960s, and it got an anime series on Netflix in 2019.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey
Cancelled Batman Game Concept Art Includes a Bearded Bruce Wayne
There's no better way to spruce up your aging superhero than by giving him a salt-and-pepper beard. That's my philosophy anyway, and apparently, the concept artist for a cancelled Batman game agrees.
Goran Bukvic, a freelance concept artist in the video game and film industry, revealed a batch of concept art for what was supposed to be a new Batman game. He also revealed the concept art of a more high-tech Batsuit that bears some resemblance to the Batman Beyond suit.
"Project Sabbath", a canceled Damian Wayne Batman game at WB Games Montreal, apparently has another wave of concept art revealed - this time by concept artist Goran Bukvic. The images match how the game was first described years ago.
— The Arkham Channel (@ArkhamChannel) November 9, 2021
Credit to Reddit user thebananapeeler2. pic.twitter.com/TelAZeMVMj
Bukvic's credits include work on Gears 4 and 5, Halo 4, Tomb Raider, and films like Jurassic World 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy.
On his ArtStation, Bukvic notes the Batman concept art was done for a canceled game "a long time ago." On his LinkedIn, Bukvic lists a canceled game called "Batman: The Dark Knight" among his many credits, plus stints at Warner Bros. Montreal in 2015 and 2016.
Bukvic may be describing the canceled 2006 PS3/Xbox 360 game by the same name. That game was being published by EA and developed by Pandemic Studios (Star Wars: Battlefront, Destroy All Humans) as a tie-in to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight film, with development beginning before filming had begun.
It's also possible that the concept art could come from Bukvic's time at Warner Bros, which acquired the Batman video game license from EA. Bukvic worked from April to September 2015 on an unannounced game, and then returned from June 2016 to October 2016 to work on character designs for an "unannounced AAA title."
That timeline matches up with the rumored canceled Arkham Knight sequel. Previous leaks indicated that players would fill the shoes of Damian Wayne taking over for an aging Bruce Wayne. Interestingly, one of the tidbits of leaked info was that a new Batcycle would be a drivable vehicle, and Bukvic's art includes a sleek motorcycle that certainly fits the bill.
It's unlikely we'll see Bukvic's art come to life in WB Montreal's next Batman project, Gotham Knights, which is currently scheduled to release sometime in 2022. The official pitch for Gotham Knights is that Batman's proteges (including Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood) come together to defeat the Illuminati-like Court of Owls following Batman's supposed death. As we all know, comic book heroes tend to not stay dead, so perhaps there'll be room for a bearded bat in the end.
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/batfan for IGN.
Fortnite Updates: November 9 Patch Adds Combat Pistols
The latest Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 8 update replaces the game’s standard pistol with a stronger model. Called the Combat Pistol, this powerful variant packs a serious punch and a strong kick to boot.
Fortnite Update: November 9 Hotfix: The Combat Pistol
Fortnite’s Combat variants are better suited for war. Similar to the Combat Assault Rifle, itself a stronger variant of the Assault Rifle, this new pistol packs a punch. That’s not to say that the Combat Pistol is an instant win item of course. While it offers better accuracy via condensed bullet spread, a strong kick with each shot makes them ultimately harder to aim. Landing several shots on a moving target will take some skill.
Thankfully, the Combat Pistol isn’t a rare item. It can be found in chests, randomly on the ground, or snagged via fishing at one of Fortnite’s many lakes and rivers. Meaning, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to test your aim against rival players.
The Combat Pistol is the latest weapon to be added to Fortnite as just last week we saw the return of Grapplers. Epic Games isn’t just bolstering our inventories with new items, the company is also tweaking existing tools of destruction. That includes a refined version of The Sideways Rifle.
The Sideways weapons were introduced at the start of Chapter 2, Season 8 as powerful rewards for dispatching Cube Monsters – violent beings from an alternate dimension. The Sideways Rifle was one of the better options, making it ripe for a few balance changes.
The Sideways Rifle is more accurate than ever. That said, it will now overheat sooner and stay overheated for a longer duration, forcing you to switch weapons in the middle of a fight. The idea is to fire the gun long enough to unlock its powered-up state (close to overheating) ramping up the damage but edging off before it overheats.
And that’s it for Fortnite’s latest update. Be sure to check back here for more Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 8 patch notes!
Kenneth Seward Jr. is a freelance writer, editor, and illustrator who covers games, movies, and more. Follow him @kennyufg and on Twitch
Tiny Tina’s Dragon Keep DLC Gets Surprise Standalone Release on Xbox Series X|S and PS5
Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, one of Borderlands 2's best expansions, is getting a surprise standalone release on modern consoles. The game is available today for $9.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility. It's also free on the Epic Games Store until next Tuesday, November 16.
Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure stars Ashly Burch's Tiny Tina in her first main appearance. In the game, she is the Bunker Master in a game of “Bunkers and Badasses”, in an imaginary world inspired by all the tropes and characteristics seen in tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons.
In our original Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep review, we called the expansion "amazing", saying it was, "an example of how DLC can match, and in some ways surpass the quality of the original release." We also ranked the Tiny Tina expansion as the best Borderlands DLC of all time.
The Tiny Tina DLC is coming just a few months ahead of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, which is coming to last-gen consoles as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on March 25, 2022. Revealed at E3 2021, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a Borderlands spin-off with a D&D twist, which seems to pick up right where the DLC left off nearly a decade ago.
We recently got a look at some of the new classes coming to Tiny TIna's Wonderlands, including the "Stabbomancer" and "Brr-Zerker" classes. You can also check out our details on weapons, loot, magic, and enemies.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
Among Us Announce Major Updates After Direct-Style Presentation: Roles and New Cosmetics
Among Us just got one of its biggest updates yet, adding new roles and abilities as well as setting the stage for players to earn new and exclusive cosmetics.
As revealed in a Direct-style “Emergency Metting” presentation, Among Us developer Inner Sloth revealed a massive new “Roles & Cosmicube” update that's available now.
The biggest addition with the update is four brand new Roles which give players unique abilities that add new layers to the core murder mechanic. Check out a rundown of the new roles below.
- Scientist: The Scientist can access a portable vitals panel to check on the status of the crew. The portable vitals panel has to be charged, so they will receive a unique task to refill the battery.
- Engineer: The engineer can use vents to move around quicker, and also catch venting imposters in the act. However, Engineers can’t stay in a vent forever.
- Guardian Angel: The Guardian Angels is the ghost of the first dead Crewmate who can temporarily shield and protect other living Crewmates. If timed properly, the Guardian Angel can prevent Imposters from killing a victim.
- Shapeshifter: This imposter role lets a player change their appearance and disguise themselves as other Crewmates. If done properly, the Shapeshifter can frame another Crewmate for a crime they didn’t commit. But the disguise doesn’t last forever.
Another new addition with the update is an expanded cosmetic and customization offering. Firstly, visors and special nameplates will be added so you can personalize your Crewmate further.
Currently, cosmetics can only be purchased with real money. Going forward, Among Us will add a new currency called Beans that can be earned through gameplay. Beans can be exchanged for new cosmetics in the Shop.
Among Us is also adding a new Battle Pass-style progression system called Cosmicubes. These Cosmicubes can be purchased from the Shop or given out to players during promotions. When a specific Cosmicube is activated, players can earn rewards unique to that Cosmicube by playing Among Us.
There are multiple paths in a Cosmicube meaning there are different ways players can spend their Pods for different rewards. Players can own multiple Cosmicubes at once, but only one can be activated at a time.
Real money can still be used to purchase a new currency called Stars, which are Among Us’ new premium currency. Between Stars, Beans, and Cosmicubes, there are numerous new ways for players to purchase or earn cosmetics.
The roles should add a new layer to Among Us’ popular Imposter gameplay, while new cosmetic offerings inch Among Us closer to games like Fortnite which feature unique ongoing rewards and collaborations. As one of the most popular games currently running, Among Us is showing everyone that it’s taking the ongoing service seriously.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.