Amazon’s New World Open Beta Announced, Post-Launch Plans Teased

An open beta for Amazon's New World MMO has been revealed during Opening Night Live, set to take place from September 9 to September 12. This beta will allow anyone to try New World out ahead of its eventual September 28 release.

While exact details weren't shared, Amazon also discussed its desire support New World with post-launch content and updates. One thing hinted at was a common player request for more supernatural weapons and elements, which will arrive in some form "shortly after launch." Additionally, more group content and expeditions seem to be on the docket toward the holiday season.

New World was recently delayed by a month, pushing it back into September. Despite this, its closed beta has been a huge success on Steam, and our preview was pretty positive. Its high-level PvE zones also show real promise for its end-game, and so - fingers crossed - New World could be another MMO with a long life ahead of it.

Amazon’s New World Open Beta Announced, Post-Launch Plans Teased

An open beta for Amazon's New World MMO has been revealed during Opening Night Live, set to take place from September 9 to September 12. This beta will allow anyone to try New World out ahead of its eventual September 28 release.

While exact details weren't shared, Amazon also discussed its desire support New World with post-launch content and updates. One thing hinted at was a common player request for more supernatural weapons and elements, which will arrive in some form "shortly after launch." Additionally, more group content and expeditions seem to be on the docket toward the holiday season.

New World was recently delayed by a month, pushing it back into September. Despite this, its closed beta has been a huge success on Steam, and our preview was pretty positive. Its high-level PvE zones also show real promise for its end-game, and so - fingers crossed - New World could be another MMO with a long life ahead of it.

Humankind Review — Culture War

Ambitious in the scope and meticulous in the detail of its genre reinvention, Humankind is a 4X strategy game that steps out from the shadow of Sid Meier's Civilization series. In parts, it does so boldly, both confident that probing questions were asked of the most tired genre assumptions and ready to respond with enlightening answers. But oftentimes it feels ill-prepared for the task at hand, and for all its spirited enthusiasm, Humankind struggles for coherence.

Departing furthest from 4X tradition is the way in which you're able to alter your empire's abilities over the course of the game rather than having them defined by a selection at the outset. Typically, in a Civ-style 4X, when you opt to play as Cleopatra, you'll be the Egyptians for the whole game, with her handful of leader abilities set in stone and providing the same bonuses whether you're in the Classical or Industrial Age. Similarly, when you encounter Teddy Roosevelt leading the neighbouring American empire, you know what to expect. It makes for a consistent, readable experience.

In Humankind, you choose a generic, blank slate leader at the start of a new game. Then, as your empire advances from one historical era to the next, you are able to pick a new culture to adopt for that era. So you might choose to be the Egyptians in the Ancient Era, switch to the Romans for the Classical Era, then the Khmer, the Ottomans, and so on. Cultures come with abilities that emphasise different play styles, allowing you a deal of flexibility to change tack mid-game as new circumstances arise. They also carry over certain legacy bonuses so that the effects of your previous cultural choices are still felt in later eras.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Humankind Review — Culture War

Ambitious in the scope and meticulous in the detail of its genre reinvention, Humankind is a 4X strategy game that steps out from the shadow of Sid Meier's Civilization series. In parts, it does so boldly, both confident that probing questions were asked of the most tired genre assumptions and ready to respond with enlightening answers. But oftentimes it feels ill-prepared for the task at hand, and for all its spirited enthusiasm, Humankind struggles for coherence.

Departing furthest from 4X tradition is the way in which you're able to alter your empire's abilities over the course of the game rather than having them defined by a selection at the outset. Typically, in a Civ-style 4X, when you opt to play as Cleopatra, you'll be the Egyptians for the whole game, with her handful of leader abilities set in stone and providing the same bonuses whether you're in the Classical or Industrial Age. Similarly, when you encounter Teddy Roosevelt leading the neighbouring American empire, you know what to expect. It makes for a consistent, readable experience.

In Humankind, you choose a generic, blank slate leader at the start of a new game. Then, as your empire advances from one historical era to the next, you are able to pick a new culture to adopt for that era. So you might choose to be the Egyptians in the Ancient Era, switch to the Romans for the Classical Era, then the Khmer, the Ottomans, and so on. Cultures come with abilities that emphasise different play styles, allowing you a deal of flexibility to change tack mid-game as new circumstances arise. They also carry over certain legacy bonuses so that the effects of your previous cultural choices are still felt in later eras.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Agatha from WandaVision Is Joining Disneyland’s Halloween Party

Agatha, everyone's favorite nosy neighbor from WandaVision, will be joining a host of other villains at Disneyland later this year for Halloween-themed festivities.

A new short trailer for Disneyland's Halloween Party, the Oogie Boogie Bash, was released on its official Instagram page recently, and it shows off three new villains who will be debuting at the event. WandaVision's Agatha appears to have caught the eye of many fans, however, she will seemingly also be joined by appearances from Toy Story's Sid and the live-action version of Cruella DeVil. The trailer was subsequently shared on Twitter by Scott Gustin, and it can be seen below:

The Oogie Boogie Bash is set to return to Disneyland California among a range of other spooky festivities across select nights in September and October. Disney describes the event as a "separately ticketed, Halloween spooktacular that includes after-hours park access to treat trails, photo opportunities, entertainment, attractions, décor, and more."

Agatha's inclusion in the Oogie Boogie Bash marks another stepping stone for Disneyland's integration of the MCU into its theme parks. In June, following delays caused by the global pandemic, Disneyland California opened its Avengers Campus for the first time.

The immersive Campus opened with featured areas focusing on a wide array of characters from across the MCU and a new Spider-Man-themed ride called Web Slingers. Avengers Campus also grants fans of the MCU the opportunity to encounter a range of Marvel stars including Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, and more.

If you'd like to find out more about Disney's Avengers campus, make sure to check out our review of Web Slingers, where we said that the all-ages-based Spider-Man attraction was neither a great ride nor a great game, but sure to be a young spider-fan pleaser.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Agatha from WandaVision Is Joining Disneyland’s Halloween Party

Agatha, everyone's favorite nosy neighbor from WandaVision, will be joining a host of other villains at Disneyland later this year for Halloween-themed festivities.

A new short trailer for Disneyland's Halloween Party, the Oogie Boogie Bash, was released on its official Instagram page recently, and it shows off three new villains who will be debuting at the event. WandaVision's Agatha appears to have caught the eye of many fans, however, she will seemingly also be joined by appearances from Toy Story's Sid and the live-action version of Cruella DeVil. The trailer was subsequently shared on Twitter by Scott Gustin, and it can be seen below:

The Oogie Boogie Bash is set to return to Disneyland California among a range of other spooky festivities across select nights in September and October. Disney describes the event as a "separately ticketed, Halloween spooktacular that includes after-hours park access to treat trails, photo opportunities, entertainment, attractions, décor, and more."

Agatha's inclusion in the Oogie Boogie Bash marks another stepping stone for Disneyland's integration of the MCU into its theme parks. In June, following delays caused by the global pandemic, Disneyland California opened its Avengers Campus for the first time.

The immersive Campus opened with featured areas focusing on a wide array of characters from across the MCU and a new Spider-Man-themed ride called Web Slingers. Avengers Campus also grants fans of the MCU the opportunity to encounter a range of Marvel stars including Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, and more.

If you'd like to find out more about Disney's Avengers campus, make sure to check out our review of Web Slingers, where we said that the all-ages-based Spider-Man attraction was neither a great ride nor a great game, but sure to be a young spider-fan pleaser.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Borderlands Movie: Krieg Won’t Be ‘Exactly the Same’ As Video Game Character

Borderlands star Florian Munteanu has spoken about how his movie version of Krieg will differ slightly from the character's video game counterpart.

Munteanu, who has been cast as the psycho bandit in Eli Roth's Borderlands movie, spoke to Screen Rant about how the game-to-film adaptation has handled his character, admitting that fans shouldn't expect "exactly the same" from his portrayal of Krieg as they have observed while playing the video game, though he believes audiences will ultimately enjoy his take.

"I mean, the character Krieg is such a fan-favorite and I feel like what [fans] saw in the game, or what they are used to seeing in the game, they can't expect exactly the same," Munteanu explained. "I'm bringing my fighting style to the table as well as a humoristic way of playing the character. I think people will love it. But we'll have to wait until next year for that."

Krieg is one of the six playable characters in Borderlands 2. He's from a bandit family and was treated rather unfairly by his mother for being weaker than the rest. This fuels him to grow stronger, but it's not until he's captured by Dr. Benedict that he becomes the Krieg of Borderlands 2. Dr. Benedict experiments on him and others, turning them into "Psychos."

Krieg eventually breaks out of Dr. Benedict's facility, kills him, and becomes a bit of a torn soul akin to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One half of Krieg's personality is that of a Psycho and the other is his former, more sane self. Eventually, Psycho Krieg takes over and that's who we see in the game. Roth admitted Krieg was the most difficult character to cast in the movie.

"Florian brings real humanity and multiple layers to a character who on the surface seems totally insane and brutally savage," Roth said previously. "Krieg was by far the most difficult role to cast, and Florian brought him to life and grounded him in a way that I didn't know was possible. He's going to be a brilliant Krieg and will fit in perfectly with our incredible cast."

Munteanu features in the stacked cast for Borderlands: The Movie, due out in 2022, alongside Cate Blanchett's Lilith, Jamie Lee Curtis' Dr. Tannis, Jack Black's Claptrap, Gina Gershon's Moxxi, Janina Gavankar's Commander Knox, Kevin Hart's Roland, and Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist whom Krieg is in charge of protecting.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Borderlands Movie: Krieg Won’t Be ‘Exactly the Same’ As Video Game Character

Borderlands star Florian Munteanu has spoken about how his movie version of Krieg will differ slightly from the character's video game counterpart.

Munteanu, who has been cast as the psycho bandit in Eli Roth's Borderlands movie, spoke to Screen Rant about how the game-to-film adaptation has handled his character, admitting that fans shouldn't expect "exactly the same" from his portrayal of Krieg as they have observed while playing the video game, though he believes audiences will ultimately enjoy his take.

"I mean, the character Krieg is such a fan-favorite and I feel like what [fans] saw in the game, or what they are used to seeing in the game, they can't expect exactly the same," Munteanu explained. "I'm bringing my fighting style to the table as well as a humoristic way of playing the character. I think people will love it. But we'll have to wait until next year for that."

Krieg is one of the six playable characters in Borderlands 2. He's from a bandit family and was treated rather unfairly by his mother for being weaker than the rest. This fuels him to grow stronger, but it's not until he's captured by Dr. Benedict that he becomes the Krieg of Borderlands 2. Dr. Benedict experiments on him and others, turning them into "Psychos."

Krieg eventually breaks out of Dr. Benedict's facility, kills him, and becomes a bit of a torn soul akin to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One half of Krieg's personality is that of a Psycho and the other is his former, more sane self. Eventually, Psycho Krieg takes over and that's who we see in the game. Roth admitted Krieg was the most difficult character to cast in the movie.

"Florian brings real humanity and multiple layers to a character who on the surface seems totally insane and brutally savage," Roth said previously. "Krieg was by far the most difficult role to cast, and Florian brought him to life and grounded him in a way that I didn't know was possible. He's going to be a brilliant Krieg and will fit in perfectly with our incredible cast."

Munteanu features in the stacked cast for Borderlands: The Movie, due out in 2022, alongside Cate Blanchett's Lilith, Jamie Lee Curtis' Dr. Tannis, Jack Black's Claptrap, Gina Gershon's Moxxi, Janina Gavankar's Commander Knox, Kevin Hart's Roland, and Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist whom Krieg is in charge of protecting.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Best Buy Is Selling RTX 30 Graphics Cards at Select Stores Tomorrow

Nvidia's RTX 30 series debuted nearly a year ago. Yet, due to a number of circumstances – most notably a chip shortage – it has been increasingly difficult to buy Nvidia's newest graphics cards. If you are still looking to purchase a GPU in the RTX 30 series, Best Buy will once again sell these GPUs in-stores tomorrow.

Best Buy did not disclose which RTX 30 cards will be resupplied. Currently, seven graphics cards make up the RTX 30 series, from the RTX 3060 to the RTX 3090.

More than 80 Best Buy locations across 45 states (plus Puerto Rico) will have "will have limited quantities available." According to Best Buy, each participating store will enforce a one per customer limit to ensure as many people can purchase a GPU as possible.

To ensure that the one per custom limit is enforced, beginning at 7:30am local time, participating Best Buy locations will hand out tickets to those waiting in line. Obtaining a ticket guarantees that you will be able to purchase an RTX 30 graphics card inside the store beginning at 8 am local time.

This is the third time Best Buy has sold Nvidia's highly desirable graphics cards. The first one happened in June, when the company sold the RTX 3080 Ti Founder's Edition in-stores only. The second restock was last month, with more than 100 Best Buy participating locations selling limited quantities of the RTX 30 series.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Best Buy Is Selling RTX 30 Graphics Cards at Select Stores Tomorrow

Nvidia's RTX 30 series debuted nearly a year ago. Yet, due to a number of circumstances – most notably a chip shortage – it has been increasingly difficult to buy Nvidia's newest graphics cards. If you are still looking to purchase a GPU in the RTX 30 series, Best Buy will once again sell these GPUs in-stores tomorrow.

Best Buy did not disclose which RTX 30 cards will be resupplied. Currently, seven graphics cards make up the RTX 30 series, from the RTX 3060 to the RTX 3090.

More than 80 Best Buy locations across 45 states (plus Puerto Rico) will have "will have limited quantities available." According to Best Buy, each participating store will enforce a one per customer limit to ensure as many people can purchase a GPU as possible.

To ensure that the one per custom limit is enforced, beginning at 7:30am local time, participating Best Buy locations will hand out tickets to those waiting in line. Obtaining a ticket guarantees that you will be able to purchase an RTX 30 graphics card inside the store beginning at 8 am local time.

This is the third time Best Buy has sold Nvidia's highly desirable graphics cards. The first one happened in June, when the company sold the RTX 3080 Ti Founder's Edition in-stores only. The second restock was last month, with more than 100 Best Buy participating locations selling limited quantities of the RTX 30 series.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.