Microsoft Flight Simulator: Here’s What Comes in Each Edition

Put on your aviator sunglasses, because Microsoft Flight Simulator lands on PC on August 18. The game uses real-time satellite data to create an intricately detailed representation of the planet. It’s peppered with real-life airports, cities, geographical features, and even traffic and animals.

You can fly over your house and see it represented in the game. You can even turn on real-time weather conditions to make the in-game weather match what’s happening IRL around the globe. Or you can tweak the conditions however you prefer. Check out our Microsoft Flight Simulator preview for a deeper look at what to expect.

flight-simulator-edition-differencesMicrosoft Flight Simulator is available for preorder now. It comes in three editions, the differences of which are detailed in the above image.

Microsoft Flight Simulator Is Included in Xbox Game Pass

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You don’t actually have to shell out $60 to play the game. It will be included in Xbox Game Pass for PC, a subscription service that’s currently in beta.

Microsoft Flight Simulator Standard Edition

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If all you want is the base game, this is the edition to get. Note that you can still land in and fly out of all the airports in the pricier tiers. The difference is that those editions contain specific handcrafted reproductions of those airports.

Microsoft Flight Simulator Deluxe Edition

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The deluxe edition comes with everything in the standard edition, “plus 5 additional highly accurate planes with unique flight models and 5 additional handcrafted international airports.” Here’s the extra content:

Enhanced Deluxe Edition Airports

  • Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Netherlands)
  • Cairo International Airport (Egypt)
  • Cape Town International Airport (South Africa)
  • O’Hare International Airport (USA)
  • Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain)

Additional Deluxe Edition Planes

  • Diamond Aircraft DA40-TDI
  • Diamond Aircraft DV20
  • Textron Aviation Inc. Beechcraft Baron G58
  • Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 152 Aerobat
  • Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Microsoft Flight Simulator Premium Deluxe Edition

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The premium deluxe edition comes with everything in the standard game, “plus 10 additional highly accurate planes with unique flight models and 10 additional handcrafted international airports.” Here are the extra airports and planes:

Enhanced Premium Deluxe Edition Airports

  • Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Netherlands)
  • Cairo International Airport (Egypt)
  • Cape Town International Airport (South Africa)
  • O’Hare International Airport (USA)
  • Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain)
  • Denver International Airport (USA)
  • Dubai International Airport (UAE)
  • Frankfurt Airport (Germany)
  • Heathrow Airport (UK)
  • San Francisco International Airport (USA)

Additional Premium Deluxe Edition Planes

  • Diamond Aircraft DA40-TDI
  • Diamond Aircraft DV20
  • Textron Aviation Inc. Beechcraft Baron G58
  • Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 152 Aerobat
  • Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 172 Skyhawk
  • The Boeing Company 787-10 Dreamliner
  • Cirrus Aircraft SR22
  • Pipistrel Virus SW 121
  • Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna Citation Longitude
  • Zlin Aviation Shock Ultra

Microsoft Flight Simulator Editions Compared

Here’s a visual guide for which airports and planes you get with each edition.

enhanced-airports

airplanes

Other Preorder Guides

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Wonder Woman 1984: Cheetah’s Final Look May Have Been Revealed By A Toy

In comic lore, Cheetah is one of Wonder Woman’s greatest adversaries. In most versions of the character, she’s a rich heiress with a victim complex and a selfish streak, who gains supernatural felinic powers through bad means. Her strength is otherworldly–enough to draw blood from Superman and best Wonder Woman in a physical fight.

Cheetah will be one of the villains in the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984. And although we’ve seen plenty of Wonder Woman’s signature Golden Armor, we still haven’t seen a photo or video of a full-blown Cheetah. This is by design. According to an interview that comedian and actress Kristen Wiig did with InStyle, even Wiig wasn’t allowed to take any photos.

“This was [a] lockdown,” Wiig said. “They have it somewhere, and you will see it. But there are different evolutions to my character. I will leave you with that.”

Based on a recent trailer, in which Wonder Woman gasps to an unseen person, “Barbara, what did you do?” It seems like Warner Bros. wants the final reveal to be a climactic surprise. But if you’re impatient, there are a couple of places where you can get a decent idea of what the final Cheetah will look like.

WW84 Lego Playset
WW84 Lego Playset

The first is this Wonder Woman vs. Cheetah LEGO playset, a tie-in to the upcoming movie. The set includes three mini-figures: Wonder Woman, Max Lord, and Cheetah, in what appears to be a half-human, half-cheetah hybrid.

Cheetah doll from Mattel
Cheetah doll from Mattel

The second is this retail Cheetah doll by Mattel, which is available at retail outlets Walmart, Target, and Amazon.

The doll’s official details state, “This Battle Cheetah doll is inspired by her final transformation into the powerful Super-Villain, and with head-to-toe true-to-movie details, she’s prepared to fight for her claim to power.”

This is probably the most accurate depiction of Cheetah that we’re going to get until October 2, when the movie finally opens in theaters. Starring Gal Gadot in the title role, Wonder Woman 1984 will pit Diana Prince against two classic DC villains: Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah, played by Kristen Wiig, and Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro Pascal.

How to Watch Star Wars: Return of the Jedi With Rahul Kohli and Sam Witwer

At this week’s WFH Theater and as part of our Star Wars Week, we’ll be watching Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Joining us in this digital event are special guests Rahul Kohli and Sam Witwer, a returning duo with a passion for Star Wars that (almost) rivals our own.

This isn’t the first time we’ve had Kohli and Witwer as guests on our show. You may remember our The Empire Strikes Back watch party in May where we celebrated its 40th anniversary. If you enjoyed the show then or if you missed it and would like to join us for their return, here’s everything you need to know to tune in.

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WFH Theater Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Start Time

The Star Wars: Return of the Jedi WFH Theater is scheduled for Friday, August 14, and will start at 5 pm PT and 8 pm ET. If you’re joining us from the UK or Australia, that changes to Saturday, August 15 at 1 am BST and 10 am AEST. There will be a 30-minute countdown leading up to the start of the movie which will run about 2 hours and 10 minutes long. The hosts will also stick around after the movie is finished to answer any questions from viewers in the chat.

Where to watch the Star Wars: Return of the Jedi WFH Theater Event

We’ll be hosting this week’s WFH Theater solely on YouTube. Our special guests will be in the chat alongside our hosts responding to viewers as they watch and talk about the movie. Here’s the list of places you can watch the Star Wars: Return of the Jedi WFH Theater event:

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More About our Special Guests

If you’d like to know more about our guests, take a moment and familiarize yourself with some of the projects they have worked on.

Rahul Kohli

Rahul Kohli is an actor who’s starred in various British dramas such as Eastenders and Holby City. He’s best known for his roles as Jack Spheer in Supergirl and Ravi Chakrabarti in iZombie, and he’s also voiced characters Fahz Chutani in Gears 5 and the Scarecrow in the Harley Quinn TV series. Make sure to look for him in the upcoming Haunting of Bly Manor and check him out on Twitter.

Sam Witwer

Sam Witwer is an actor known for his role as Professor Ben Lockwood in Supergirl and his Dark Side roles in Star Wars productions such as The Force Unleashed, Solo, and The Clone Wars. He has also voiced characters in video games, some of which include Deacon St. John from Days Gone and Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars: Battlefront series. Check him out on Twitter.

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Final Fantasy 14’s Next Event Is A Yo-Kai Watch Crossover

Final Fantasy XIV‘s Moonfire Faire is now underway, but that’s not the only event players will be able to take part in this month. Square Enix has announced that FFXIV’s Yo-kai Watch collaboration is also returning soon, and it will feature new weapons, mounts, and more exclusive rewards to earn.

To begin the Yo-kai Watch quest, you’ll need to speak to the poor-heeled youth at the Steps of Nald in Ul’dah. You’ll need to have a character that’s at least level 15 to accept the mission and have completed one of the three following main story quests:

  • The Gridanian Envoy
  • The Lominsan Envoy
  • The Ul’dahn Envoy

Upon completing the Yo-kai Watch quest, you’ll receive the Yo-kai Watch itself as well as the Yo-kai Medallium, which will allow you to collect different Yo-kai Medals. Turn these medals over to the wandering executive at the Gold Saucer and you’ll be able to befriend their respective Yo-kai and summon them as minions.

To collect Yo-kai Medals, you’ll need to equip the Yo-kai Watch and participate in FATEs in certain areas around Eorzea. There are 17 Yo-kai in total in FFXIV, and you’ll gain the ability to summon them as minions after you’ve befriended 13. You’ll also receive the Whisper-go mount after hitting that milestone.

In addition to the regular Yo-kai Medals, you’ll also be able to earn Legendary Medals from FATEs. These can be traded for an assortment of different Yo-kai weapons. You can read more details about the collaboration event on the official FFXIV website.

The Yo-kai Watch collaboration kicks off on August 19 and runs until the release of FFXIV’s next update, Patch 5.4. The aforementioned Moonfire Faire, meanwhile, is underway until August 26 and features new summer-themed clothing and other rewards to earn. Square Enix is also holding a free FFXIV trial right now, and if you’re interesting in trying out the MMO, be sure to check out our FFXIV starter guide before jumping in.

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Hitman 3’s PSVR Mode Creates A More Immersive And Distracting Experience, Devs Say

Hitman III developer IO Interactive surprised fans when it announced last week that the entire trilogy of stealth titles will be compatible with PlayStation VR when it releases in January 2021 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The developer released a four-minute video that gives fans a better look at what to expect when stepping into Agent 47’s virtual shoes. This includes a look at the additional freedom players will have when using the contracted killer’s weaponry and how going first-person impacts the gameplay.

Lead game designer Sidsel Marie Hermansen says playing Hitman in virtual reality feels like an entirely new experience. The immersive nature of VR is aided by the existing level of detail, and the studio making sure that each location feels like a lived-in world with characters that have their own routines. The developer describes the experience as being more “powerful” and that it’s easy to get distracted by side conversations that take place.

“Every little thing wants to take center stage,” senior game designer Eskil Mohl explains. “Before in the third-person game, maybe you got a little distracted from something else but now you can’t escape them anymore. They’re right in your face. I found myself traversing the levels slower and just taking everything in because it’s so dense with detail.”

Since players have full control over Agent 47’s hands when playing the PlayStation VR mode, it has resulted in some gameplay changes. Rather than simply pressing a button to unleash a melee attack, players can now swing a crowbar at enemies and even tap their shoulders with it to get their attention beforehand. Likewise, players can now blindly fire around corners that they reach around. The first-person action also adds some risk to going prone on the ground as any vegetation will block the player’s view, creating new challenges for players to tackle when trying to sneak around.

“We are simulating a living world with a lot of different characters,” creative director Christian Elverdam says. “Witnessing that in VR … you feel a part of that living, breathing world in a completely new way. I think it’s going to be raising a few eyebrows.”

While the VR mode is exclusive to PlayStation platforms, Hitman III is also set to release on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Stadia.

Now Playing: HITMAN 3 – VR Mode Announcement Trailer

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Get Frostpunk On Steam For $10 Ahead Of New ‘On The Edge’ Expansion

Frostpunk is one of the best strategy games to come out in years, and it’s received some great support in the form of expansions. The third and final expansion, On The Edge, is slated for release on August 20, and if you want to get into the post-apocalyptic strategy game ahead of its launch, then you can snag the Steam version at a great price. Frostpunk is only $10 (was $30) on Fanatical with promo code GAMESPOT. This deal is only valid until August 17 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.

This promo code stacks with the game’s current discount, bringing its $12 sale price down to $10. All you have to do to claim this extra deal is add Frostpunk to your cart, apply promo code GAMESPOT, and then checkout. Once your order is complete, you can then redeem your Frostpunk code on Steam and start playing. Frostpunk’s season pass and Game of the Year edition are also discounted. The latter includes both the base game and season pass.

GameSpot’s Frostpunk review scored the game a 9/10 for its great aesthetic that helps reinforce the themes of its frozen-wasteland dystopia. Frostpunk features gut-wrenching decisions, and challenging gameplay that forces you to balance your short-term goals and overall long-term plan.

“Frostpunk is among the best overall takes on the survival city builder to date,” critic Daniel Starkey wrote. “Its theming and consistency create a powerful narrative through line that binds your actions around the struggle to hold onto humanity in uncertain times. Hope is a qualified good, but you may not always be strong enough (or clever enough) to shelter that flame from the cold.”

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Fortnite 1984 Short Sees Epic Games Attack Apple With #FreeFortnite Campaign

Epic Games premiered a short less than a minute long saying that it had “defied the App Store Monopoly.” The video was showcased in Fortnite’s Party Royale mode shortly after Epic Games sued Apple, which followed the company’s removal of Fortnite from the iOS App Store.

“In retaliation Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices,” the screen read during the short. “Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘1984.’” Viewers were then encourage to use a #FreeFortnite hashtag on social media.

The commercial appears to be a play on Apple’s Macintosh commercial that aired in 1984. That commercial introduced the Apple Macintosh personal to the world and claimed that it would help people realize why “1984 won’t be like ‘1984,’” referencing the famous Goerge Orwell novel. Epic Games is clearly mocking Apple for their policies on the App store.

Earlier today Epic Game reduced the cost of V-Bucks on the App Store and introduced direct payments to get around paying Apple for the use of their storefront, prompting the games removal from the store by the tech giant. Epic hit back by filing a lawsuit against the company for the “exorbitant” 30% cut that Apple takes from App Store purchases among other things. This short premiered soon after.

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Star Wars Squadrons’ Starfighter and Pilot Customization Detailed

Star Wars Squadrons’ latest Pilot Briefing has revealed how players will be able to customize both their starfighters and pilots in this upcoming first-person space dog-fighting game set after Return of the Jedi.

Active and Passive Ship Components

This Pilot Briefing began with focusing on the ship components players can purchase by using the Requisition points they earn while playing Star Wars Squadrons.

These components help change how your starfighter functions in “subtle and radical ways.” Some have passive effects, like “reinforcing their defensive capabilities with different hulls or shields,” while others help dictate what abilities will be available in gameplay.

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There are seven total component slots – Primary Weapons, Auxiliary (x2), Countermeasures, Hull, Shields, and Engines – but ships without shield generators will only have six.

Starfighters can be equipped with up to three passive components and four active components.

The active components are for your Primary weapons, Auxiliary components, and Countermeasures.

The Primary weapons are your main canons, and components can offer many changes like a rate of fire boost for a lower damage output or a long-range cannon that uses burst fire.

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Furthermore, there are ion canons that can be equipped to cut through shields with ease, but don’t do much damage to the ship’s hull beyond that.

Auxiliary components make up two of the seven slots and make up your starfighter’s secondary abilities. Pilots can choose to add such items as a repair astromech, tractor beam, or a variety of torpedoes, bombs, and mines. It’s important to know you can’t choose two of the same Auxiliary components at once.

Countermeasures help you survive when you need to disengage from intense fights. These components include seeker warheads that fire behind your ship and take out incoming missiles and a sensor jammer that will prevent another starfighter from locking on to yours.

The passive components offer an improvement of either your engines, hull, and shields at the cost of one of the ones you don’t choose. A default loadout will be very well balanced, without a major strength or weakness, but these components can help you make a starfighter for the role you want to play.

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Cosmetic Customization for Pilots and Starfighters

Whether you are playing as an Imperial of New Republic pilot, you can choose to customize each class you may be playing. These appearances will be used in both story mode and multiplayer.

Most cosmetics are unlocked via Glory points that are earned while playing, and include different heads, voice styles, full-body flight suits, torso apparel, legwear, helmets, and gloves.

Starfighters can also be customized, and give pilots the chance to “represent one of the classic iconic X-wing squadrons like Red Squadron, stay true to the noble values of Vanguard Squadron, or rep an entirely different paint job.” While the Imperial pilots sport a more uniform look, there are still some “special customization options for Titan Squadron’s starfighters that remain true to the Empire’s aesthetic.”

Your cockpit can also be changed to your liking, and you can “add small knick-knacks on your dashboard, like a hologram of the galaxy, or hang a small Stormtrooper helmet from above.” When you defeat an enemy, they will be able to see your crafted cockpit via the kill cam.

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The single-player story will feature traditional cockpits, but multiplayer allows for some creative liberties and gives pilots many more options to personalize their starfighters.

“The holo-display, normally used to provide critical phase and objective information throughout the Fleet Battles doubles as a customizable image projector,” Lead gameplay designer James Clements explained. “There are also hanging flairs like a miniature Millennium Falcon and dashboard-mounted objects like a severed protocol droid head or an Ewok bobblehead. Then of course there are the ship exterior paint jobs and pilot avatar customizations, all made through the culmination of months of concept art, modeling, and collaboration with the team at Lucasfilm.”

If it’s too hard for you to decide which cosmetics you’d like for each ship, you can rest easy knowing you can unlock five loadout slots to create the perfect options for you.

For more on Star Wars Squadrons, which will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 2, 2020, check out our hands-on preview and read all about the last Pilot Briefing that focused on starfighter differences and special abilities.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Apple Removes Fortnite From iOS App Store

Apple has confirmed that it has removed Fortnite from the iOS App Store following Epic Games’ alteration of the price of Fortnite V-Bucks and a new direct payment system in response to Apple and Google’s “exorbitant” app store fees. Epic has responded by filing a complaint for injunctive relief against Apple.

In a statement to The Verge, Apple confirmed that “As a result [of Epic’s update to the game,] their Fortnite app has been removed from the store.”

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“Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users,” Apple’s larger statement reads. “As a result their Fortnite app has been removed from the store. Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to every developer who sells digital goods or services.”

Apple goes on to cite Epic’s agreement to the App Store rules in the first place, which allowed Fortnite to exist previously on the app store, noting that “The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users.”

The company explains that it “will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store,” but it remains unclear how long this ban from the store may last at this time.

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Epic Sues Apple Over App Store Policies

Epic has responded to this move by filing a legal complaint in California, stating that “Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation.”

“Rather than tolerate this healthy competition and compete on the merits of its offering, Apple responded by removing Fortnite from sale on the App Store, which means that new users cannot download the app, and users who have already downloaded prior versions of the app from the App Store cannot update it to the latest version,” Epic’s legal complaint reads. “This also means that Fortnite players who downloaded their app from the App Store will not receive updates to Fortnite through the App Store, either automatically or by searching the App Store for the update. Apple’s removal of Fortnite is yet another example of Apple flexing its enormous power in order to impose unreasonable restraints and unlawfully maintain its 100% monopoly over the iOS In-App Payment Processing Market.

“Apple imposes unreasonable and unlawful restraints to completely monopolize both markets,” the complaint goes on to read, taking issue with the “30% tax” both apps and in-app purchases come with, and the company believes Apple’s behavior has “anti-competitive consequences” on the industry.

Update: IGN has reached out to Epic for additional comment and will update this story should they respond. Epic debuted an in-game event, a new short film titled “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite,” which was a direct parody of Apple’s famous 1984 commercial, an ad Epic cites in its suit against Apple.

In the video, text reads “Epic Games has defied the App Store Monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming ‘1984,’” along with the hashtag #FreeFortnite. Epic has elaborated on its #FreeFortnite campaign, urging fans affected by these recent moves to petition Apple on social media to reinstate Fortnite.

How Fortnite’s Removal Affects iOS Players

Epic has explained that players who already had Fortnite downloaded on iOS devices will be able to continue playing, but the app cannot be updated further. So once Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 4 begins, which could be potentially as early as Aug. 28, iOS players will not be able to play Fortnite in the new season’s content or Battle Pass unless this matter is resolved before then.

And for those asking for refunds for purchases made through the iOS version, Epic’s FAQ explains that those refunds must be requested through Apple, not Epic, due to the nature of in-app purchases. As for why Epic does not want to agree to Apple’s terms any longer, the company said “Epic believes that you have a right to save money thanks to using more efficient, new purchase options. Apple’s rules add a 30% tax on all of your purchases, and they punish game developers like us who offer direct payment options.”

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Before Apple’s announcement, Epic confirmed a change to the cost of V-Bucks, changing the price of 1,000 V-Bucks from $9.99 to $7.99 on consoles, Mac, and PC. Mobile works somewhat differently, as players can still buy using Apple or Google accounts at the higher price, but will now offer ‘Epic direct payment’ when purchasing V-Bucks on mobile devices to save the 20%. Epic noted that this was done to “pass along the savings to players,” citing the “exorbitant 30% fee” Apple and Google collect on every V-Buck payment. In the future, Epic is open to altering the deal “if Apple and Google lower their fees on payments.”

Epic is not the only gaming company to recently come into a public disagreement with Apple and its App Store policies. Apple’s recent decision to block the Xbox Game Pass app from iOS drew ire from Microsoft, which said “Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently, applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content.”

And Apple also recently decided to restrict the Facebook Gaming app’s functionality on iOS, with Facebook explaining how “months of submissions and repeated rejections by Apple” led them to “remove instant games entirely from the standalone app.”[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN’s Senior News Editor and host of Podcast Beyond! Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

AHS Hotel Episode 11 “Battle Royale” Breakdown

Picking up where last episode left off, Liz and Iris go in guns blazing in an attempt to kill The Countess. Unfortunately, they aren’t the best with guns and miss their mark. In the process, they killed poor Donovan who begs to be dragged out of the Hotel Cortez so that he doesn’t get stuck inside its walls for eternity.

Sally McKenna saves The Countess because she wants her help to lure John Lowe back into the Hotel. Hypodermic Sally also shares some of her backstory on how she arrived at the Hotel back in the early ’90s. Bottom line: don’t do drugs.

A familiar face from the Coven checks into the Hotel but then comes face-to-face with Ramona Royale and James March. It doesn’t end well.

It also doesn’t end well for The Countess. After hooking up with Ramona one final time, she packs her bags and prepares to leave the hotel for good. Unfortunately, John Lowe has her in his crosshairs, killing the Countess for his final Ten Commandments kill.

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