New Xbox One Sale Features Couch Co-Op Games: Rocket League, Borderlands, And More

While spring sales are still in full swing for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC, Xbox Live’s seasonal sale has come to an end. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t solid discounts to be had on Xbox One; in fact, you’ll find some great options for playing online or locally with others, which has become a crucial way to stay connected with remote friends as well as stay entertained with those you’re isolating with.

The couch co-op sale features some great titles you can play with family, a significant other, or roommates. You can snag last year’s excellent Gears 5 for $30, although keep in mind this game and many others are available with Xbox Game Pass for free (and you can get your first month of Game Pass Ultimate for $1). The always thrilling Rocket League–which is soccer, but with cars–is also 50% off, selling for just $10. While hard to master its physics-based controls, Rocket League is a blast to play with others, even when the AI competing team is completely stomping you. Be sure to snag Borderlands: The Handsome Collection while it’s $15 if you don’t own it–compiling both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the Handsome Collection offers two great first-person shooters and a fantastic multiplayer experience. The latest game, Borderlands 3, is also on sale for $30.

Other great co-op games worth snagging include Child of Light for just $3.74, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection for $20, and Rayman Legends for $5. If you’re looking to play with someone who doesn’t normally play games, we’ve also got a guide to the best games for playing with non-gamers.

This week’s Xbox One sale also features retro and family games, including the Mega Man Legacy Collection for $6, Rabbids Invasion – Gold Edition for $17.50, and the Sega Genesis Classics collection for $15.

Just Dance 2020 is also discounted to $20 for the next week. It’s a great time to snag this fitness-oriented dance game on Xbox One–not only is it a helpful way to stay active and get in some exercise while you’re stuck indoors; Ubisoft is also offering an extra free month of Just Dance Unlimited with any copy of Just Dance 2020. This offer can be stacked with the free one-month trial that already comes with the game on Xbox One, so you can get two months free if you buy the dance game right now.

Best Xbox One deals this week

Now Playing: Rocket League Full Cross-Platform Play Available

Echo Is Live In Overwatch’s New Update, Marking The Final New Character Until Overwatch 2

Blizzard has announced that Overwatch‘s 32nd hero Echo, the final character for the game until Overwatch 2, is now live on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One after a new update.

Echo is an adaptable robot capable of fitting into just about every role despite being a Damage character. She carries a lot of similarities to heroes like Genji, Mercy, and Pharah, making her a pesky aerial expert that can whittle down the shields of the bulkiest Tanks. And her ultimate ability, Duplicate, lets her mimic the moveset of any enemy hero in her sights. In other words, she’s almost never limited to her own arsenal of tricks.

Though Echo marks Overwatch’s 32nd hero, she also makes for the game’s 17th Damage character. This means 53% of Overwatch’s roster is damage-focused. Blizzard is aware of this disparity, saying that more Support and Tank heroes are on the way. But these will have to wait until Overwatch 2 comes out.

Game director Jeff Kaplan said that Echo is “the last hero coming to standard Overwatch” until the sequel, which currently doesn’t have a release date. It’s scheduled to hit Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, though PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions have yet to be confirmed. Some Overwatch 2 content, such as characters and maps (among other things), will jump over to the original game.

The first new hero for Overwatch 2, Sojourn, was revealed back in November 2019. While she’s appeared in previous Overwatch cinematics for Anna and Winston, Blizzard has yet to reveal more information about her. And though she was revealed for Overwatch 2, she will be playable in the standard game as well.

Now Playing: New Overwatch Hero Echo Gameplay

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Call Of Duty Mobile Adds Gun Game Mode And More

There’s a lot coming to Call of Duty this week across Modern Warfare, Warzone, and Call of Duty Mobile. Steel Legion continues in the mobile game, and the returning Gun Game is available for a limited time, among a couple of other new additions.

You can now earn the newest Scorestreak, the Shock RC, in the Free Battle at Tier 25. This handy little RC car can detect nearby enemies and paralyze them with a continuous electric shock, allowing you to roll in and finish them off for an easy kill. Simply play matches and complete challenges to ascend the Battle Pass and earn the Shock RC for free.

Season 5's Steel Legion continues apace.
Season 5’s Steel Legion continues apace.

Meanwhile, Gun Game returns for a limited time this week. The long-running Call of Duty game mode rotates through a variety of weapons, with each kill unlocking a new gun for you to use. You need to get a kill with each weapon to win, but if you suffer the “humiliation” of being melee’d to death, you’ll be knocked back a weapon.

There are also more weekly challenges to complete and further opportunities to level up in Ranked Mode to earn more rewards. This season’s Ranked Mode runs until June 1, so you have plenty of time to earn an Epic Ruin skin and the Man-O-War.

Now Playing: Let’s Play Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 3

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Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Says He Gave His Phone Number To Employees For Coronavirus Response

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick says the company is taking some big steps in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, including one surprisingly personal one. In an interview with CNBC, Kotick said he gave out his personal cell phone number to the entire workforce.

“About a month ago we sent out an email, from my email address, with my phone number and we encouraged every single employee that has a concern that relates to their health care to just contact me directly,” Kotick said. “So far that’s been working well, we’ve gotten a lot of attention, a lot of good care from all of our providers.”

Kotick went on to say that “a few hundred” have reached out to him directly, but that fortunately very few employees have tested positive for coronavirus. He also mentioned a few other initiatives Activision Blizzard is taking, including financial support for clinical trials and local hospitals near employees.

The coronavirus pandemic has interrupted distribution channels and slowed development as studios adjust to a work-from-home structure, resulting in game delays including high-profile ones like The Last of Us 2. It also forced the cancellation of E3 2020, so there may be other unannounced games that have also been impacted. The ESA has stated it won’t be coordinating a digital show, so individual publishers will be making their own announcements on their own schedules.

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New On Digital Release This Week (April 14): Fantasy Island, The Gentlemen, And More

A new week means a new selection of movies getting their digital release to give you something to watch while practicing social distancing. With the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, many people are spending a lot more time at home right now, leading several movies to get early digital releases to enjoy from the comfort of your couch.

This week is no different, with a little something for everyone. In all, there are five new movies out on digital this week, including the latest spooky Blumhouse film. Fantasy Island, which is a horror reimagining of the classic 1970s TV show, stars Michael Pena, Maggie Q, and Lucy Hale, among a long list of familiar faces, and is directed by Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2).

You can also purchase Guy Ritchie’s latest film, The Gentlemen. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, and Michelle Dockery, the action-comedy follows a high-profile pot dealer (McConaughey) as he attempts to cash out of the business and faces off against those who want to steal his empire.

You can take a look at all the digital releases for this week’s movies below. They are available now through various retailers online, so you should have no problem finding them. In the meantime, also stay up to date with what’s new on Netflix this week.

And speaking of things you should be watching, consider listening to GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. With new episodes premiering every Wednesday, you can watch a video version of the podcast over on GameSpot Universe or listen to audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.

This week’s digital releases:

For purchase

For rental

Somebody Has Created Pokemon’s Johto In Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing players have applied their creativity to recreating some of their favorite video game words on their tropical islands, and the world of Pokemon is the latest to get the treatment. Japanese Twitter user @hinopika showed off an impressive recreation of Johto, the region that trainers explore in Gold, Silver, and Crystal, as well as their remakes.

The island includes an impressive amount of spritework from the original game, as well as recreations of Johto’s towns and open areas for training and catching Pokemon. It also features illustrations of Poke Balls, NPCs from the games, and even a few Pokemon, like Snorlax.

Pokemon isn’t the only game to receive a detailed Animal Crossing recreation. Twitter user @koumepo recently shared a tribute to EarthBound’s Onett, which garnered a large response on social media. Another player molded their island in the image of Zelda: Link to the Past. As for Pokemon Sword & Shield, your opportunity to catch baby Pokemon such as Pichu and Togepi in a Max Raid is coming to an end soon, on April 15, so get on it if you’re interested.

Now Playing: Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Island Decorating Trailer

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Gears Tactics Is Now Available To Pre-Load, Here’s How

One of the next big Microsoft exclusives, the XCOM-style strategy game Gears Tactics, launches at the end of April. Ahead of that, pre-loading for the game is now available.

You can follow the links here to pre-load the game for Xbox Game Pass for PC, Windows 10, and Steam right now ahead of its April 28 release date. Also worth noting is that everyone who either pre-orders the game or subscribes to Xbox Game Pass for PC before May 4 will get the Thrashball Cole character pack. This includes the fan-favorite Gears character Augustus Cole–AKA Cole Train–dressed in his Thrashball gear to join your squad. Like the other characters in Gears Tactics, Thrashball Cole also has unique abilities.

An official canon entry in the Gears franchise, Gears Tactics takes place 12 years before the events of the original Gears of War game. You play as Gabe Diaz, the father of Gears 5 protagonist Kait Diaz, and the story is said to delve into some of the mysteries about the Diaz family tree.

For more on Gears Tactics, check out the launch trailer here that spotlights some of the new game mechanics and more. The franchise is sure to live on after this game, and narrative designer Bonnie Jean Mah recently discussed some of the possibilities.

Gears Tactics will release on Xbox One later this year–free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers–but an official release date has not been announced as of yet.

Now Playing: Top New Video Games Releasing On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Month — April 2020

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Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge Clip Introduces Sonya Blade

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is releasing soon, and the official Mortal Kombat Twitter account has released an exclusive clip to build up hype. The footage introduces Sonya Blade, showing off her past and her snot-beating abilities as she takes on a punk.

Sonya Blade was infamously voiced by Ronda Rousey in Mortal Kombat 11; in this movie, she’s played by Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter). Other actors appearing in the film include Joel McHale (Johnny Cage), Kevin Michael Richardson (Goro), Steve Blum (Sub-Zero), and Patrick Seitz (Scorpion, who will, presumably, get some revenge in the movie).

The animation style will likely be familiar to anyone who has seen a recent animated DC film, like Batman: The Killing Joke. The film is directed by Ethan Spaulding (Batman: Assault on Arkham, Mike Tyson Mysteries).

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge releases digitally on April 14, and then on Blu-Ray on April 28. It’s not the only Mortal Kombat film fans have to look forward to, either: a live-action Mortal Kombat film is in post-production. Meanwhile, the developers of Mortal Kombat 11 recently live-tweeted a viewing of the cult-classic 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, which is now on Netflix in the US.

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Brings Back A Classic Mode

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is bringing back one of the franchise’s most chaotic game modes. This week’s playlist update will bring back the Drop Zone mode, which first debuted in 2011’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

The team-based mode challenges players to hold objectives to win, with teams earning points by staying inside the designated…drop zone. The first team to reach the goal point total wins the match. The hook with Drop Zone is that killstreaks continually fall from the sky while you’re holding the zone, which leads to some particularly turbulent gameplay.

No Caption Provided

A blog post by Activision offers a number of tips, tricks, and strategies for succeeding in Drop Zone, which is played across a variety of maps such as Crash, Arklov Peak, and Granza Raid.

Drop Zone originated in Modern Warfare 3, and it was subsequently featured in other Infinity Ward-developed titles such as Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. The mode will come to Modern Warfare at some point during the week of April 13 across PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

It’s a big week for Call of Duty, as Warzone introduces a new way to play, while Infinity Ward will offer double XP for the weekend. Modern Warfare’s Season 3 is currently underway, and you can check out the new maps in a dedicated playlist right now.

Now Playing: Call Of Duty: Warzone Video Review

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Nookazon Is Like Amazon For Animal Crossing: New Horizons Items

It didn’t take long for Animal Crossing: New Horizon‘s extensive in-game economy to escape into the real world, with social networks filling up with requests for rare recipes, or invitations to islands where turnips are selling high. A new site called Nookazon takes this to the next level, offering Animal Crossing players a platform to buy and sell in-game items for bells and materials.

The site acts as a go-between where players can find each other for transactions, though most of these sales seem to be organized over Discord once the two players have connected. Nookazon also operates a Discord server to make setting up a sale even easier.

Not just limited to items and recipes, Nookazon also seems to be doing a roaring trade in villagers, catering to players who are very specific about who they want to live with.

Nookazon isn’t the first site looking to help players make economic connections outside their normal circles. There’s also a Turnip Exchange, where players looking to play the Stalk Market can find islands where turnips are selling high–for a price. To visit one island listed at the time of writing as having a turnip sell price of 615 bells, for example, the island’s owner asks for a 99,000 bell fee.

These online marketplaces are likely to cost you a lot more than just trading with a friend would, but for those who have their heart set on a particular item or villager to complete their aesthetic, it’s an option to look into.

Although New Horizons has cut down on ways players can grief others in game, as always it’s worth using caution when inviting strangers to your island!

Check out GameSpot’s review of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which concluded, “New Horizons has a slower pace even than other Animal Crossing games, and at times, that can feel unnecessarily restrictive. But there’s still plenty to do, and each of those activities feeds into the next brilliantly for a rewarding and relentlessly cheerful experience.”

Now Playing: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

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