Gaige Returns In New Borderlands 3 Lovecraft DLC

During its PAX East 2020 panel, Gearbox announced Borderlands 3 season pass owners would receive four campaign-focused DLCs in 2020. Following on the heels of Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, Borderlands 3 will take a Lovecraftian turn in Guns, Love, and Tentacles–scheduled for March 26. Two more major expansions will be coming in 2020 as well, the third will arrive in the summer while the fourth will release later.

“One of the key pillars of [Guns, Love, and Tentacles] was to put the love back into Lovecraft,” Gearbox art director Jonathan Rancourt said in an interview with GameSpot. “We’re going for a strong contrast between those [Lovecraftian] landscapes and the story of a love worth telling. You’re going to be in a frozen wasteland where there are high mountain peaks that convey a sense of horror in some ways. But the story is lighter and it’s about Hammerlock and Wainwright sharing their wedding. There’s always trouble when you’re going through your wedding and, this time around, it’s even crazier.”

Borderlands 3 will get four major post-launch campaign-focused DLC expansions in 2020.
Borderlands 3 will get four major post-launch campaign-focused DLC expansions in 2020.
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Sir Hammerlock and Wainwright Jakobs won’t be the only familiar faces you’ll be running into during Guns, Love, and Tentacles–Borderlands 2‘s first DLC character, Gaige, is finally coming back. Much like Lilith, Mordecai, Zer0, and the rest of the Vault Hunters from previous games, Gaige returns as a companion NPC, not a playable character.

“Gaige is one of the fan favorites and it was super important for us to stay true to the character and to make her a really big [part of] the DLC,” Rancourt said. “So players will follow Gaige throughout the [DLC’s] campaign and interact with her. We also wanted to bring back Gaige because she’s really close to Hammerlock in some ways. It really made sense in this story to have her there.”

Between these major expansions, Gearbox will continue to implement smaller updates for Borderlands 3, like the Mayhem 2.0 patch in March. “The main goal from the design team is that they wanted to make sure everything in Mayhem 2.0 was just fun,” Gearbox public relations manager Austin Malcolm said.

The new Mayhem Mode will continue to provide a post-campaign challenge for players, but will further lean into the wacky nature of Borderlands 3. You could get a modifier like “Big Head,” for example, which makes everyone’s heads noticeably larger–increasing the overall size of the headshot hitbox for both your enemies and your own Vault Hunter.

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Fortnite Safe House Locations Guide: Where To Find Shadow Safe Houses (Week 2 Challenge)

Season 2 of Fortnite Chapter 2 rolls on with a new set of challenges to complete. Week 2 brings the second wave of Brutus’s Briefing challenges, and as before, many of these tie into this season’s spy theme. One in particular asks you to find Shadow safe houses. If you’re not sure what those are or where they’re located, we’ve put together the map and guide below to help you out.

Where Are The Shadow Safe House Locations?

Shadow is one of the two warring spy factions in Fortnite Chapter 2, and this challenge has you traveling to their safe houses. We’ve found five of these hideouts across the map, which is how many you need to visit to complete the task.

What makes these safe houses particularly tricky to find is their inconspicuous appearance. They look like normal buildings from the outside, but you’ll know for sure when you stumble upon one, as they’re swarming with AI henchmen, so you’ll need to be cautious when approaching them. We’ve marked down the safe house locations on the map below:

Shadow safe houses map
Shadow safe houses map
  • Pleasant Park
  • East of Craggy Cliffs
  • South of Sweaty Sands
  • Middle of the island east of Frenzy Farm
  • On the small island north of Misty Meadows

How To Complete The Challenge

Once you know where the five Shadow safe houses are located, all you need to do to complete the challenge is enter each one. This may be easier said than done, however; not only is each one guarded by henchmen, who are all heavily armed, you’ll also need to contend with other players who are trying to complete this challenge. Make sure you have some good weapons and ammo at your disposal before you head to a safe house.

We’re still in the early days of Season 2 of Fortnite Chapter 2, but there are already a variety of challenges to complete. You can find our maps and guides for the trickier ones in our Fortnite Season 2 challenges hub. Be sure to also check out our Fortnite Season 2 roundup to catch up on everything that’s new in the popular battle royale shooter this season.

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Watch IGN’s Black History Month Livestream

February is Black History Month, and IGN will be live streaming tomorrow with a bunch of special guests to celebrate.

Tune in tomorrow, 28th of February from 1:30PM PST to 4:15PM PST as we play games, chat about the black video game community, the importance of representation, and getting into the industry.

We’ll also be joined by Azure Bowie from EA (Producer on The Sims 4), and  FGC Esports commentator/streamer for Game Goons TV Hellpockets.

The stream will be hosted by IGN’s own Akeem Lawanson and Kinda Funny’s Blessing Adeoye Jr.

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Where To Watch

Watch the Black History Month livestream starting at 1:30PST tomorrow February 28th on the following platforms:

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Borderlands 3 Steam March Release Date Announced, Cross-Play With Epic Games Store

Gearbox kicked off its PAX East panel by announcing the Steam release date for Borderlands 3 and it’s only a few weeks away. Borderlands 3 will hit Steam on March 13, 2020, and what’s more, it will feature cross-play between Steam and Epic Games Store.

Borderlands 3 was released last year exclusively on the Epic Games Store for PC. Although it was only a limited-time exclusivity, it was one of the first major titles to launch first on the Epic Games Store. But now Gearbox’s latest Borderlands game is coming to Steam.

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Thanks to cross-play, there’s no need to worry about online co-op if your friends ended up waiting for the six months to get Borderlands 3 on Steam. An updated SHiFT system will let you manage your friend list regardless of the platform.

Not every cross-play feature will be available on March 13. According to Gearbox, weapon mailing won’t be available on day one and will instead be rolling out over the following weeks.

With today’s release date announcement, Borderlands 3 will be available on both major PC digital platforms soon. Check out IGN’s Borderlands 3 review here, our Borderlands 3 wiki for walkthroughs and tips, and our livestream of the Gearbox Panel live from PAX East.

Also, check back on IGN for all the latest news from PAX East.

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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Borderlands 3 Releases On Steam Soon, Ending Epic Exclusivity

Borderlands 3 has been one of the most high-profile games to forgo a Steam release in favor of Epic Games Store exclusivity, but that will soon come to an end. As part of a PAX East panel, developer Gearbox announced that Borderlands 3 has a Steam release date: It launches on March 13.

The Steam store page is now available and you can add it to your wishlist, although pre-orders aren’t yet available. While cross-play with the PS4 and Xbox One versions will not be available, cross-play is supported across both PC versions, letting Epic and Steam players join together for online multiplayer.

Borderlands 3 originally released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 13, 2019. That means this Steam release arrives exactly six months later; we had previously heard it would come no sooner than April. Also as part of the PAX happenings, Gearbox unveiled Borderlands 3’s new DLC.

Despite complaints from some fans, as has been commonplace with Epic-exclusive releases, Borderlands 3 was quite successful on Epic. On launch day, Randy Pitchford shared that the game was beating expectations at launch and that it had roughly doubled the all-time concurrent players record for Borderlands 2 on PC. Across all platforms, it quickly became 2K’s fastest-selling game ever.

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GTA 5 Adds Online Open Wheel Racing

You can race pretty much anything in Grand Theft Auto V‘s GTA Online. Whether you’re racing against other players in supercars, mopeds, SUVs, planes, boats, RC cars, or even something as ludicrous as an airport baggage carrier. And yet, there’s something missing… The next logical step is obviously to compete in the San Andreas Prix in F1-style open-wheel vehicles.

GTA Online: Open Wheel Racing is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The update adds two brand new ultra-performance vehicles for you to race in, the PR4 and R88. Both share the same stats, but you can take each one to Los Santos Customs to fine-tune and purchase spoilers, tires, liveries, engine mods, and more.

There are seven new tracks to hurl your new open-wheel masterpiece around, with closed-circuit races spread out across Los Santos and the surrounding area. The Vinewood Hills are home to the winding hairpins of a historic street circuit, while City Hall is the centrepiece of a rapid city circuit. There are also races around the Port of Los Santos, Los Santos International Airport, and the Fort Zacundo military base. Elsewhere, Davis tasks you with avoiding potholes and concrete blocks as you propel around its tight corners, and the final track transports you to the coast, as breaking waves provide the background noise to each race.

GTA Online: Open Wheel Racing even delves into some of the intricacies of the sport, as choosing which tires to use is a decision that needs to be made, as well as determining whether you need to take that all-important pit stop.

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Microsoft and Epic Games Latest Game Companies to Drop Out of GDC

Microsoft Game Stack has also announced that due to concerns over COVID-19, better known as the novel coronavirus, it will be dropping out of the 2020 Game Developers Conference (GDC).

“After a close review of guidance by global health authorities and out of an abundance of caution, we’ve made the difficult decision to withdraw from participating at Game Developers Conference 2020 in San Francisco,” the company wrote in an official blog post.

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Instead, Microsoft Game Stack will host a series of digital-only events from March 16th to 18th which will cover a majority of the planned GDC sessions it was originally set to host. This includes panels on the cloud, the evolution of game development, and a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Microsoft titles like Minecraft and Gears of War.

Other than panels Microsoft announced other events that have been thrown into uncertainty including the annual ID @ Xbox event showcasing indie games, and a Games Showcase. IGN has reached out to Microsoft to find out whether these events will still be hosted at GDC.

Update: Microsoft confirmed that both the Games Showcase and ID@Xbox events have been canceled as well.

Microsoft Game Stack is the latest developer to drop out of GDC following companies like PlayStation, Facebook Oculus, Kojima Productions, EA, Unity, and Epic Games which also made the announcement today.

Meanwhile, GDC organizers say that they “are confident that Game Developers Conference will follow int he footsteps of other large and successful international events taking place at the Moscone Center,” and have not announced plans to cancel the event.

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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Knives Out Deleted Scenes Make The Thrombey Family Look Much Worse

Rian Johnson’s murder-mystery Knives Out was an exciting film filled with twists and turns that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. While the movie was over two hours long, it didn’t feel like it, as Knives Out was filled with information leading the audience to find out “Whodunit”–or who killed Harlan Thrombey. Now, with the release of the movie on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital, deleted scenes reveal more on the backstories of certain members of the Thrombey family.

One moment that’s never fully explained in the theatrical release of the film is why Walt Thrombey is walking with a cane. The deleted scenes give some insight. The opening scene has Walt explaining to the detectives and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) that he got into a bicycling accident. However, in other scenes, Blanc reveals he knows it wasn’t an accident and that Walt was shot in the leg at 3 AM. Walt’s wife Donna confides in Blanc, saying Walt was taking money from the Thrombey publishing company for side investments, and in turn, that got him into some rough water with thugs, who wanted Walt to pay up.

In the commentary for the deleted scene, director Johnson explained it was another way to show Walt’s desperation, and there were other moments to this side story that were never filmed. While the deleted scene of Donna seeing a thug on her front step is included on the home release, Johnson explained there was a planned scene where said thug gives Blanc the coat he’s wearing, as the thug is another police officer Blanc was using to get Donna to confess to Walt’s side investments.

The second deleted scene involves Joanie’s company Flam, which makes beauty products. Early on in the film, it’s revealed Blanc has a rash on his neck. In a later scene, Blanc talks to Joanie about her company, and explains that the snail jelly moisturizer he was using–along with plenty of others–gave him a rash. Many customers online have also complained about this, and Flam is in freefall. It’s another case of a member of the Thrombey family not taking accountability for their actions. Johnson explained in the commentary that while he loves these scenes, the latter half of it appeared too late in the film, and it messed with the pacing a bit.

The Knives Out home release has plenty of other special features as well, all of which are detailed below for 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.

Knives Out home release special features:

  • Audio commentary from director Rian Johnson, director of photography Steve Yedlin, and actor Noah Segan
  • Deleted scenes with optional commentary from Johnson
  • “Making a Murderer” documentary
  • In-theater commentary from Johnson
  • Director and cast Q&A
  • “Planning the perfect murder” featurette
  • Marketing gallery and viral ads

Knives Out on Blu-ray: $40 $20

Knives Out on 4K UHD: $43 $25

In GameSpot’s review of Knives Out, Rafael Motamayor said, “Taking a well-established–if old-fashioned–genre and updating it to resonate with modern audiences is no small feat. Making a 130-minute movie feel like 1-hour is even harder. But when it comes to making a movie that’s entertaining, thoughtful, sharply written, and undeniably creative, Rian Johnson is guilty as charged.”

Knives Out is available now on digital, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Now Playing: Best Things To Stream For February 2020 – Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Shudder

New Apex Legends Event Brings Kings Canyon Back (Again), Adds Octane Heirloom

Respawn has announced the next limited-time event for Apex Legends. Starting March 3, System Override Collection begins and it brings with a new mode, legendary skins, and character heirloom. The event also makes some pretty cool in-game changes–some temporary and others permanent.

System Override Collection’s limited-time mode is Deja Loot. From March 3-9, it will take place on World’s Edge and from March 10-17 it will send you to Kings Canyon. The mode will see the same loot spawn in set locations, allowing you to know what you’re going to find wherever you drop. If you find a fully-outfitted Triple-Take in Skull Town, that same Triple-Take will be there every time. The dropship path and ring locations will be the only aspect of the game that changes day-to-day.

If you jump into Deja Loot, you’ll discover a brand-new piece of armor as well: the Evo Shield. This body shield begins weaker than a common white body shield but grows stronger as you damage enemies–maxing out between an epic purple body shield and a legendary gold body shield. In a blog post, Respawn said that the Evo Shield is exclusive to Deja Loot for now, but the developer will consider permanently adding it to the main game based on player feedback.

It wouldn’t be a collection event without loot and System Override Collection offers plenty of rare, epic, and legendary rewards to both earn and buy. Like Grand Soiree Arcade, System Override Collection will feature a Prize Track that will allow you to earn rewards by completing challenges during the event. There are also 24 themed, limited-time cosmetics that you can purchase through Apex Coins and Crafting Materials or unlocked in Apex Packs. Nab all 24 and you’ll earn Octane’s heirloom: a butterfly knife that also acts as a Stim syringe.

When examing his heirloom, Octane will fidget with the knife, transform it into a syringe, and take a hit.
When examing his heirloom, Octane will fidget with the knife, transform it into a syringe, and take a hit.

And speaking of heirlooms, System Override Collection is making a change to how you earn them. Instead of randomly earning an heirloom from opening Apex Packs, you’ll now earn heirloom shards. With shards, you can unlock whichever heirloom you want: Wraith, Bloodhound, Lifeline, Pathfinder, or (once the event is over and it’s added to the heirloom pool), Octane. The shards have the same drop rate as the previous heirloom sets–so you will definitely earn enough by opening 500 Apex Packs. You’ll just now have the choice of earning whichever one you want instead of relying on chance.

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