Streamer ZeRo Banned From Twitch

In the wake of a mass outing of predatory behavior in the Smash Bros. community, former Smash Bros. pro and streamer Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios has been banned from Twitch for a currently unknown period. This ban follows his dismissal from both Facebook Gaming and Tempo Storm after he admitted to sending sexually explicit messages to minors, despite having discovered the age of one of the women he was speaking to. Further allegations of him behaving inappropriately with the women around him in the Smash Community have also come to light since.

Despite having not streamed on Twitch since 2019, ZeRo was kicked in the most recent round of suspensions. It also appears that he is no longer a partner, according to CommanderRoot, another Twitch partner.

Twitch bans are often somewhat volatile, with offenders like Guy Beahm (aka Dr Disrespect) being allowed to return despite breaking the community guidelines by streaming from a bathroom at E3, an act that was also potentially unlawful. Even US President Donald Trump has faced a temporary ban from streaming on Twitch. It seems that these days may be coming to an end though, as we’ve seen Twitch begin to ban some of the more infamous channels on its platform, including Dr Disrespect once again, this time with no explicit timeframe.

So far, it appears that ZeRo is receiving the same treatment, with his ban duration still currently sitting as a question mark. After additional allegations came to light, the streamer deleted his tweets and has left social media, which means we may not be getting insights from him any time soon.

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Comic-Con At Home: Utopia Is Amazon’s New Bizarre Conspiracy Series And The First Trailer Has Arrived

Imagine if everything in a comic book series was actually real. That’s the basic premise of Amazon’s Utopia. During the Comic-Con@Home panel for the new series, we got our first look at the upcoming show.

Debuting this fall, Utopia stars Dan Byrd (Easy A), Ashleigh LaThrop (The Handmaid’s Tale), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Desmin Borges (You’re the Worst), and Javon “Wanna” Walton (Euphoria). A new trailer for the show has been released, and you can check it out below.

The official description for the Amazon show reads, “Utopia centers on a group of comic fans who meet online and bond over their obsession of a seemingly fictional comic called, Utopia. [A group of fans] unearth hidden meanings cloaked within the pages of Utopia, predicting threats to humanity. They realize these are not just the makings of a conspiracy; they are very real dangers coming alive right now in their world.”

The series also stars John Cusack (Con Air), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Farrah Mackenzie (Logan Lucky), Christopher Denham (Argo), and Cory Michael Smith (Gotham). The show is from screenwriter Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects) and executive produced by Jessica Rhoades, Sharon Hall, Karen Wilson, and Dennis Kelly. The first season will consist of eight episodes.

During the panel, the cast and showrunner discussed remaking the series–which was originally a UK series that ran for two seasons. The series delves into the themes of fandom and conspiracy, while centered around friendship in Chicagoland. And the first two episodes will really dive into the world of comic book fandom as the first two episodes are set at a comic book convention–something most fans aren’t experiencing this year. Utopia will arrive sometime this fall.

For more Comic-Con 2020 coverage, stay tuned to GameSpot.

Tell Me Why Developer Releases Spoiler FAQ To Answer All Your Concerns

The next game from Dontnod, Tell Me Why, features a transgender protagonist in an indigenous community. That has raised questions about how they will be depicted, both in terms of representation and sensitivity. So the developer took an unconventional approach, releasing a FAQ addressing possible concerns complete with detailed spoilers where applicable.

Most of the questions relate to Tyler, who is transgender. The questions address topics like whether anyone calls him by his deadname, to whether his mother was transphobic, to if he faces any direct transphobia. One question even addresses whether he can have a “bad” ending due to the branching paths. Another answers whether his transition is a result of the childhood trauma depicted in the trailers.

“No,” the FAQ states. “The idea that being transgender is caused by trauma is a stereotype that has no basis in fact, and it plays no role in Tyler’s story.”

A few questions similarly touch on Michael, a queer character. On the whole the answers are very direct and portray the game as largely optimistic, with spoilers explained for any possible triggers.

The FAQ also addresses the way that indigenous cultures will be depicted. It says that Tlingit culture is a key aspect of the game’s story, so it partnered with the Huna Heritage Foundation on aspects like the story, scenery, language and pronunciation, funerary rites, and Tlingit objects like murals.

Tell Me Why was just given a new look during the Xbox Series X event. All three episodes are coming on August 27.

Now Playing: Tell Me Why Cinematic Trailer | Xbox Games Showcase 2020

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Nintendo Switch Eshop Has Final Fantasy Games For Cheap And Many More Great Deals

If you’re looking for something to play on Nintendo Switch this weekend, there are plenty of deals on the Eshop right now. You can save up to 50% off on a host of Square Enix RPGs, including Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Collection of Mana, and Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition HD. Several Spike Chunsoft games are also on sale, including the excellent AI: The Somnium Files.

More Switch deals at Amazon

Square Enix’s deals run until August 2, so you have about a week to scoop up any of the nostalgia-fueled RPGs in the sale. All of the Final Fantasy games featured in the sale are 50% off, including Final Fantasy VII, VIII Remastered, IX, and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. You can also nab Collection of Mana for $20 and Trials of Mana, which released earlier this year, for $40. That’s a modest discount, but it’s hovered around full price since launching in April.

The Spike Chunsoft sale runs through July 30, with AI: The Somnium Files being the standout game, and it’s discounted to just $30. You play as a detective in Tokyo who has the power to infiltrate the minds of killers to gather information. The story has branching paths and multiple endings, making it great to play more than once. For something entirely different from the same publisher, you can grab the cute tower defense game PixelJunk: Monsters 2 for only $3.

These new deals join a wealth of ongoing publisher sales on the Eshop. You can still save on Capcom games like Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate and Resident Evil 4 until July 30. Activision Blizzard games, including Diablo 3: Eternal Collection and Overwatch: Legendary edition, are on sale through July 31. For those looking for some family-friendly fun, Team17’s sale includes Overcooked 2, while WB Games has a bunch of Lego games discounted for the next few days.

Best deals at Nintendo Switch Eshop

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Destiny 2 Stasis Trailer Showcases Ice Supers In Beyond Light

Destiny 2 and the Beyond Light expansion are coming to Xbox Game Pass, which is exciting news, but that’s not all Bungie had to share from the upcoming DLC as part of the Xbox event. A new Beyond Light trailer, dubbed Stasis, showed off more of what to expect from the expansion, including some cool-looking ice abilities and Supers.

These abilities took some dramatically different forms. In one scene, a player throws down what looks like a grenade, creating an ice wall that launches them into the air, giving them a better vantage point from which to attack foes. After that, we see the player send out a slow-moving projectile that freezes a pack of enemies, leading to a devastating shoulder charge from a nearby Titan that shatters them. Earlier in the video, ice walls are created along the side of a structure, letting the players traverse them like platforms.

Throughout the video, we also see what looks like new Supers, as a Warlock summons a staff that seems to emit a damaging wave of energy as they move. A Titan can also be seen utilizing a shockwave, while Hunters get some kind of projectile attack. It’s all a bit too brief to get a great feel for how it’s used but it’s still exciting to see. Similarly, we get a look at what appears to be a new Exotic weapon.

One of the headlining features in Beyond Light is the ability to wield the Darkness in the form of Stasis. These will join the existing elemental trio of Arc, Void, and Solar, making it a major addition to the game–those three have been the only options dating back to the launch of the first Destiny. This ties into the arrival of the long-awaited pyramid ships, which have been popping up in games as part of the ongoing Season of Arrivals. Players will travel to Europa, the moon of Jupiter, as part of Beyond Light, which will temporarily remove certain content and locations (including Mercury and Mars) from the game but cycle in classic content, such as the Vault of Glass Raid.

Following a recent delay, Beyond Light releases on November 10. It’ll be available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia, although, as noted above, Xbox Game Pass members will get it for free. Destiny 2 and its expansion content hit Game Pass in September. For more, check out our Destiny 2: Beyond light pre-order guide.

Now Playing: Destiny 2: Beyond Light And Game Pass Trailer | Xbox Games Showcase 2020

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Comic-Con At Home: Amazon’s Supernatural Series Truth Seekers Gets Hilarious First Trailer

Fans of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, and the TV series Spaced will be happy to see that Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are writing and acting together again on a new Amazon series called Truth Seekers.

A new teaser for the series was revealed at the Comic-Con@Home panel for the show, which featured Frost, Pegg, James Serafinowicz, and Nat Saunders discussing the series and what we can expect. Additionally, we got a trailer for the show, which you can check out below.

Debuting this fall, the eight-episode series will follow paranormal investigators who check out ghostly hot-spots across the UK. Sharing their findings with their online community, the investigators find that their experiences with ghost and paranormal activity become frequent and sometimes deadly. This all leads to a gigantic conspiracy that could bring an end to the world.

During the panel, Pegg, Frost, Saunders, and Serafinowicz discussed the upcoming show. Frost discussed that he and Pegg used to go ghost hunting, and the duo thought a show about this, as a joke, would be fun. Frost’s character is a broadband installer by day and a ghost hunter at night. Pegg also appears in the series–in all but one episode. He plays Frost’s character’s boss at SMILE–the broadband provider. While the panel does give a little more insight into the characters of the upcoming show, it’s primarily a group of friends telling jokes and making light of the virtual panel situation. You should watch it.

Pegg, Frost, Saunders, and Serafinowicz will be writing the series. Jim Field Smith will serve as director.

For more Comic-Con 2020 coverage, stay tuned to GameSpot.

Xbox Event: New Forza, Fable, And Other Games Not Guaranteed For Xbox One

Update: Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg has attempted to clarify the situation, although we still don’t have confirmation on whether games like Fable, Forza, and Everwild will launch on Xbox One. In regards to the title slates not listing the current-gen system, he stated, “Future [first-party] titles are developed for Xbox Series X first. Not saying those games won’t ship on Xbox One, only that we are leading with Series X & each studio will decide what’s best for their game/community when they launch.”

Original story: Several of Microsoft’s first-party titles, including Forza Motorsport, Fable, Avowed, Everwild, As Dusk Falls and State of Decay 3 were listed as coming to Xbox Series X and Windows PC during today’s Xbox event. The title cards didn’t mention Xbox One at all, suggesting they could be skipping Microsoft’s current console in favor of a next-gen exclusive release.

At first glance this is a sign that Microsoft could already be flaking on the promise it made that you won’t need to buy the new Series X in order to play all first-party titles for two years. This could also mean that these major releases, all of which are being published by Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, are more than two years away. We’ve reached out to Microsoft to see if this was an error in the title cards or if these games are indeed quite far from release. Forza Motorsport developers did say they were early in the development process so we shouldn’t expect a release date in the near future.

“Our future Xbox Game Studios titles are being developed natively for Xbox Series X,” Microsoft told The Verge in a statement. “We will continue to invest in tools for devs to scale across consoles. Which consoles each Studio/game can support will be based on what’s best for their game and their community at launch.”

The answer Microsoft provided isn’t completely clear. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has said that it’s completely up to Microsoft’s first-party studios whether they target both consoles or not. If these studios are targeting both consoles that could mean more than half of Microsoft’s next-gen exclusives showcased during the event aren’t coming out until two years after the launch of its new hardware.

The title cards for these games also didn’t mention Xbox Smart Delivery, a system that lets you play one copy of a game on either modern Xbox console. Microsoft has been more straight forward with how Halo Infinite, arguably the studio’s biggest upcoming exclusive, is supporting the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. We don’t have a specific release date for the shooter just yet, but we do know it’s coming this holiday season.

Be sure to catch up on today’s biggest announcements so far in the Xbox Games Showcase.

Now Playing: Fable: Xbox Series X Reveal Trailer | Xbox Games Showcase 2020

Ubisoft Faces Lawsuit From French Union Amid Allegations Of Harassment And Abuse

Solidaires Informatique, a French union, is putting together a lawsuit against Ubisoft after the company faced a number of accusations of sexual harassment and abuse. The union put out a call to victims and other organizations to help them build the collective action case.

“The Ubisoft group must be able to answer for its actions before a court of law,” reads a post on the unions site. “We invite the victims of the Ubisoft group’s actions, associations, and any organization willing to help, to contact us to build this collective action.”

The union promises to guarantee “total confidentiality and legal support.”

Ubisoft was at the center of many allegations and has since removed several employees who were directly accused of the actions as well as several high-level executives. A recent report from Bloomberg detailed a “frat-house” culture inside the studios known for Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and other popular franchises.

In a recent earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot dodged questions about whether or not he knew about the misconduct before many of the allegations came to light.

“Each time we have been made aware of misconduct, we made actually tough decisions and made sure that those decisions had a clear and positive impact, so that’s very important,” Guillemot said. “It has now become clear that certain individuals betrayed the trust I placed in them and didn’t live up to Ubisoft’s shared values. So I have never compromised on my core values and ethics, and never will. I will continue to run and transform Ubisoft to face today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.”

Executives who have stepped down amid the allegations include Assassin’s Creed Valhalla director Ashraf Ismail, Serge Hascoet, Yannis Mallat, Cecile Cornet, and several other executives. Maxime Beland, who returned to the company as a member of the executive editorial team to guide project decisions, also left amid assault allegations.

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New Xbox One Free-Play Weekend Features Civ 6, Yakuza Kiwami

Microsoft debuted a slew of new games coming to Xbox Series X this holiday season and beyond, including first-party titles like Halo Infinite, a new Fable, and Forza Motorsport. It’s an exciting period for Xbox fans as the next-generation console launch looms, but in the meantime, there are plenty of deals to be had on Xbox One, including a brand-new Free Play Days weekend for Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate members with some great games to check out.

This weekend’s free-to-play games on Xbox One include Yakuza Kiwami, Civilization VI, and For Honor standard edition. They’re available now through Sunday, July 26, so you’ve got a few days to dive in and check out everything they have to offer. As usual, the free-play titles are accompanied by some nice discounts so you can buy them for cheaper and keep playing.

Xbox One Free Play Days: 7/23-7/26

Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuza that released on PS2. The action-adventure game follows yakuza member Kazuma Kiryu, who has gone to prison for a crime he didn’t commit and gets released 10 years later to find the yakuza at war. With Yakuza: Like a Dragon among the launch lineup for Xbox Series X, here’s a great chance to dive in and see what the Yakuza series is all about.

Civilization VI is the latest in the popular 4X turn-based strategy series where you play as one of the historic civilizations (Greece, Rome, Egypt, etc.) and develop your empire, building up armies, harvesting resources, engaging in diplomacy with other world leaders, and going to war. The Xbox One version includes four scenario packs for the Vikings, Poland, Australia, and Macedonia.

Finally, you can check out For Honor, a 2017 action-fighting game published by Ubisoft. In For Honor, you can play as characters from different medieval factions, including knights, Vikings, and samurai. There are multiple classes available within each faction, and different heroes have their own unique weapons, abilities, and fighting styles.

If you’re not subscribed to Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate yet, you can grab your first month of Game Pass Ultimate for $1. Plus, check out more of this week’s best Xbox One digital deals below.

Now Playing: Halo Infinite Gameplay Demo | Xbox Games Showcase 2020

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Solar Opposites Season 2: Justin Roiland Addresses Rick And Morty Crossover Question At Comic-Con

Comic-Con 2020 has officially kicked off as Comic-Con@Home, and the show’s first day began with a digital panel for Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan’s Hulu show Solar Opposites. During the panel, Roiland, McMahan, and the show’s other cast and creators debuted a new clip from Season 2. In keeping with Comic-Con tradition when it comes to animated shows, the clip is unfinished, with voice acting in place with without final animation. Watch it at the beginning of the panel below.

In the Season 2 clip, Korvo (Roiland) and Terry (Thomas Middleditch) contend with the discovery that Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) and Jesse (Mary Mack) will be home from school for three months thanks to summer vacation. On the brink of all killing one another, they decide to do what many actual parents have done during the summer months throughout history: They send the kids to summer camp.

As always, it’s fun to see shows we love in unfinished form. And given that Solar Opposites Season 1 debuted fairly recently on Hulu, it’s exciting to see an early Season 2 clip already.

Perhaps more importantly, during the panel, Roiland addressed the question of a Rick and Morty/Solar Opposites crossover. Given how similar the two shows are, it seems like a good fit. But Roiland doesn’t seem optimistic that it will happen–or even interested, to be honest. “You gotta ask these giant, lumbering mega-corporations that have merged together like water droplets just growing into a giant ocean-sized whatever,” he said. “Maybe if they just finally merge together into one giant thing, it’ll happen.”

The cast and creators discussed the show more throughout the digital Comic-Con panel, teasing Season 2 without revealing too much. “There’s interesting class stuff, like, you know, in the season premiere of next year, when they discover that there’s another group of people that are there, that they’ve never had to worry about class, as aliens, and they deal with that, and we have a great episode where Terry is like, obsessed with dinner parties, and Korvo is terrible at dinner parties and says all the wrong things and doesn’t understand why Brooklyn is cool–that’s all I’m giving away,” said producer Josh Bycel.

Roiland also discussed the fact that at one point, he was going to voice both Korvo and Terry. He wanted Middleditch from the start, but the Silicon Valley actor initially turned down the pilot. But Roiland felt that his voice for Terry would be too similar to his voice for Morty on Rick and Morty, as well as his voice for his video game character Trover. He was thrilled when Middleditch said yes after the series was picked up for a full season.

Solar Opposites tells the story of a family of aliens who crash landed on Earth after the destruction of their home planet. Their eventual plan is to terraform our planet and recreate it in Shlorp’s image, but in the meantime, they settle into life on Earth by becoming absorbed in pop culture and doing experiments on unsuspecting humans. It’s like Third Rock from the Sun, but if the aliens had absolutely no regard for human life and zero interest in blending in. And, of course, Rick and Morty fans will find plenty to love.

Solar Opposites Season 2 is set to debut in 2021. For more Comic-Con 2020 coverage, stay tuned to GameSpot.