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Electronic Arts Merges EA Access & Origin Access Under Singular EA Play Service, Arriving Next Week

While publisher Electronic Arts projected its current endeavors to release its monthly game subscription EA Access on Steam fairly soon, the firm also has more to offer on the matters of the future for the service. With the inclusion of PC-exclusive Origin Access as well, Electronic Arts officially reveals that both services will be merging into one, singular banner. Unveiling EA Play, players who already pay for the other services will soon find the new initiative to take their place starting next week. In addition to the stringing tiered subscription that is Origin Access Premiere, Electronic Arts discloses that the pricier subscription will also be receiving a rebranding – now titled ‘EA Play Pro’. In addition to the benefits that users are already accustomed to with EA Access or Origin Access will remain with the addition of new perks as well. Electronic Arts spares that in-game challenges will be launched to offer unique rewards for completing certain objectives in the range of EA-published games. EA Play puts you at the center of the experience. Moving all the benefits to a single brand is an important step in streamlining our services to ensure that being an EA Play member is the best way to play. Elaborating on the aforementioned rewards that can be provided for completing in-game challenges through EA Play, the firm tells that just some of those goodies includes “Ultimate Team Packs, exclusive vanity items and cosmetics, and more.”  And to clear up any confusion on the annual event that shares a similar name, the publisher states that the revamped service is EA Play while the virtual presentation is EA Play Live. With more underway for the approaching EA Play, it is presumed that Electronic Arts will provide more information on the service as the firm told. So expect more specifications on what new benefits will be included in EA Play alongside the rewards that can be provided as time will eventually tell, of course. What do you think about Electronic Arts rebranding for EA Access & Origin Access? EA Play will be going live on August 18, 2020. Source: Electronic Arts

Rockstar Games’ Lazlow Jones After Nearly 20 Years Working On Grand Theft Auto Departs From The Firm, LinkedIn Shares

Reflecting on majority of the Grand Theft Auto entries that has graced the gaming market, especially with the series’ adoption of operating with three-dimensional worlds, users might remember one character that has been present leading to the latest Grand Theft Auto V. That being Lazlow Jones: unlike the aurora that the franchise has earned with parodying other brands and labels with fake personas to replace, Jones is one of the few genuine names in any of the Grand Theft Auto titles. While he does pose as a radio host in the series since Grand Theft Auto III stretched between all eras and later receiving an official face reveal in the current Grand Theft Auto V, Jones has been involved with the Grand Theft Auto brand for nearly two decades. Evening being reiterated for a following GTA Online in 2018, he still shows relevance well after the game’s release. However, it was discovered by YouTuber Gtamen that the prolific character has finally moved on to new projects with his departure from Rockstar Games. The user uncovered this finding earlier in the week where his LinkedIn account tells that Jones left the developer earlier this year, April to be correct. While Lazlow has been presented as a secondary character throughout the Grand Theft Auto timeline as other proficient individuals took the spotlight, Jones’ presence always gave the universe some charm when stumbling upon him during the experience. As said previously, he hosted numerous talk shows on the airwaves as a DJ for a handful of radio networks spanning for more than a decade. As for what the future holds for Jones, it is currently unsure what specifically he has on the menu now that he is officially gone from Rockstar Games. Aside from video games, Jones has also been involved in real-time radio and television as well. His LinkedIn profile tells that his current involvements are for projects under Disney & Netflix alongside other operation underway for Comedy Central. Jones is not the only Rockstar Games veteran to depart from the team. This past March, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser officially stepped down from his role at the firm. You can read the full report by heading here. What is you favorite memory of Lazlow from the Grand Theft Auto series?

Rockstar Games Drops Content Overhaul To GTA Online With Los Santos Summer Special Update

As expected for the ongoing online experience that continues to grow, developer Rockstar Games has shipped yet another update for GTA Online. While the firm has stated that a coming heist experience with a newly featured location will arrive sometime later on this year, now players can indulge in the Los Santos Summer Special. Alike most free updates, this new title update includes a bevy of content to keep players returning for another round of online madness. For starters, players can find six new co-op missions to take on for more GTA$ alongside any needed RP to level up. Open Wheel Racing is also being revamped with 9 new tracks to play with the addition of a Open Wheel Race Creator to allow users to craft tights tracks for players to race on. In addition to racing, there are also 15 new vehicles up for purchase in the new update. Here is the full list of cars that come with the Los Santos Summer Special Update: Albany Manana Custom Benefactor BR8 BF Club Benefactor Glendale Custom Bravado Gauntlet Classic Custom Bravado Youga Classic 4X4 Canis Seminole Frontier Declasse DR1 Declasse Yosemite Rancher Dundreary Landstalker XL Imponte Beater Dukes Invetero Conquete D10 Lampadati Tigon Maibatsu Penumbra FF Vapid Peyote Custom As for new experiences to GTA Online, in-game entrepreneurs can face-off in newly added Business Battles. These new expeditions offers business owners the opportunity to sabotage others operations and earn a good payout in return for completing. The Diamond Casino also receives over a handful of adversary modes and its subsidiary Arcade business also receives two new cabinets up for purchase. Previously in a recent earnings release, parent company Take-Two Interactive disclosed that GTA Online will be coming to next-generation systems as a free, standalone release. The version for newer systems will be unique to PlayStation 5 for the first three months of its release in 2021. You can read the full report by heading here. What are you grabbed by most from the Los Santos Summer Special for GTA Online? Grand Theft Auto V is out now for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Source: Rockstar Newswire

Respawn Entertainment Offers A Closer Look At Season 6 With Revamped World’s Edge Map & Legend Rampart In New Trailer

This past week, developer Respawn Entertainment with the official closure of the ongoing Season 5 ‘Favor’s Fortune’ announced what players can expect from the highly-anticipated new season. Titled ‘Boosted’, the new title update will include a new legend, of course, alongside a bevy of additions to keep the young battle royale fresh for the coming weeks. Unveiling Rampart, she presents herself to be another unique addition to the Apex Games’ roster offering a new approach to the gameplay scheme of first-person shooters. In contrast to other already available Legends, Rampart is equipped with a deployable turret that can mow down enemies in her sight. In the latest gameplay trailer, Respawn Entertainment closes in on the finer details and expands on what is set to expect from Season 6 when it arrives next week. Aspects such as crafting weapons in-game is just scratching the surface. You can watch the trailer in the video below: Elaborating more on the tweaks that come with Boosted, Design Director Jason McCord shares what has be done to the second playable location, World’s Edge. With every update, these maps face changes and the same can be said for this region of the Outlands. As illustrated from Season 4, lava has continued to infest World’s Edge and inhabitants of the land had to adapt to the change in geographics by creating new paths avoiding being burnt alive. Namely locations like Drill Site has been replaced with Countdown to bring more attention to different parts of the map. South of Lava Fissure, Staging has been added to change the scenery. The decision also removed the beloved Mirage Voyage, “…for now,” the developer teases. Next to that, there are also shifting blockades that have also been added alongside a new geyser in the sulfur river. A new tunnel has been excavated at Skyhook as well for players to find another port of entry into the isolated city. Another World’s Edge landmark – the nonstop moving train – has been decommissioned as players will find parts of it in the scattered tunnels. Respawn Entertainment used this to better decorate and utilize the areas of the map that offered no real incentive to players. Reiterating on the newest Legend Rampart, the team showcased a little more of the new playable character. Sharing a in-game look at the newest addition, it is revealed that here deployable turret is also equipped with a shield to provide cover for those who mount the prop. In addition to that, any player on the squad is presented to be able to use the weapon as well if deployed. What are you most excited for about Season 6 for Apex Legends? Season 6 ‘Boosted’ arrives on August 18, 2020 to Apex Legends; game out now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Source: Respawn Entertainment

Marvel’s Spider-Man Confirmed Not To Overlap Its Universe With Marvel’s Avengers, Marvel Games Tells

Looking ahead for the Marvel universe, fans all around are ecstatic to see more from the chaining series of comic heroes as the stories continue to develop into a larger global phenomenon than ever before. Ranging from the line of films underway to the string of new paperback entries as interpreted traditionally, there is no better time to be a Marvel fan than right now. The same energy can also be found on gaming consoles as well. Either it being Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man or the coming Marvel’s Avengers from Crystal Dynamics & Eidos Montreal, the expansive universes continue to grow in ways that many dreamt of decades prior. Howbeit though, the gaming entries are not as malleable as other forms of medium. In that, when speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Games Vice President Bill Rosemann shared with the publication that the series despite the two sharing the name of Marvel in both titles is not linking both worlds together. Each game is in the Marvel universe, but they’re in their own reality, if you will. Currently, our plan is to keep each game set in its own Marvel universe. The discovery sure does come as a surprise as fans had already put on their tin foil hats when finding the interconnections between different films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But to say the same is not implied for the video game titles underway is something the users will need to be accustomed to if more entries are presumed to arrive at a later date. Rosemann does disclose that the plan does align with its plans “currently”. This could suggest that the series of entries to follow suit could eventually intertwine at a later time whenever Marvel Games feels appropriate for the game to be connected. But for the time being, followers are expected to accept the game’s universe to be unique from one another. The news also comes as a surprise following a recent announcement made by Crystal Dynamics. The firm sharing that it will be offering an exclusive Spider-Man add-On for Marvel’s Avengers on PlayStation systems. With the DLC and Marvel’s Spider-Man both unique to Sony’s systems, you would assume there would be some sort of link. You can read the full announcement by heading here. What Marvel game of the two are you most excited for? Source: Entertainment Weekly

Scheduling For DC Fandome Reveals Time For Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad & Unannounced WB. Montreal Title

It should be pretty hard to forget last week’s announcement where developer Rocksteady Studios, the team responsible for the Batman Arkham trilogy, disclosed to be working on a new project. Unveiling a teaser for a Suicide Squad game, the title’s logo posted as crosshairs at the Man of Steel’s head. Howbeit, the firm told that more will be pressed upon at the coming DC Fandome later this month. Following the initial report, Rocksteady Senior Writer Kim MacAskill disclosed on Twitter that the coming entry will not be as the previous Arkham entries. Instead, Suicide Squad, as we would hope to expect, will be a “funny” experience for fans to indulge themselves in when the full game arrives later on. Now today, DC Comics has shipped the full scheduling of the approaching virtual showcase revealing the timeframe for when fans can expect to tune in for the official reveal of Suicide Squad. In addition to that, the firm also illustrated that a separate announcement will be taking place next Saturday at a different time: that being for Warner Bros. Montreal’s coming project. You can view the scheduling for both showings below: Warner Bros. Games Montreal Announcement – Hall of HeroesSaturday, Aug 22 – 10:30 AM PST / 1:30 PM EST Gamers! You won’t want to miss this first look at an exciting new game, and Q&A with its developers. 20 min. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – Hall of HeroesSaturday, Aug 22 – 5:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM EST Will Arnett hosts the highly anticipated video game reveal from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the Batman: Arkham franchise. 20 min. Collected from the listing for Rocksteady Studios’ Suicide Squad, it does confirm a previous reporting on the then-alleged project. In that. It was uncovered that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment filed two domains for SuicideSquadKilltheJusticeLeague and GothamKnights. It is presumed the listing will fall for Warner Bros. Montreal’s title when it debuts next weekend. The firm has teased quite a bit of its enigmatic title for well over a year. The most recent poking at its followers was done back in January where the firm posted pieces of a crest which looked to be forming the sign for the Court of Owls. Howbeit, not much has been directly pressed upon since then. You can read the report by heading here. What game are you most excited to see of the two? Source: DC Fandome, (1)

Closed Beta For Matrioshka Games’ Fallen Angel Goes Live Today

Developer Matrioshka Games has quietly been working on its coming pixilated brawler Fallen Angel for the majority of 2020. While the studio has pressed its followers with weekly screenshots and new clips of the game in action, the team has been hesitant to disclose more details on the title’s status for release. And while it is still unsure when exactly players can expect the game to ship, the firm has other plans for the time being. In that, Matrioshka Games announced this week that a closed beta for the game will be going live allowing users to directly sample the Fallen Angel and use some of the new additions that will be included for the full game later on. In a recent blog post, the developer shares that the closed beta will be going live starting today, August 14. For access to the aforementioned playtest, all you simply have to do is join the game’s Discord channel where Matrioshka Games will greet you with a beta key to access the closed beta. From there, you can sample the latest build prepared for Fallen Angel. As always, things can change and not everything in the playtest will reflect the complete experience at launch. “Expect to equip yourself as you progress through the game with blades, guns, claws, and your own raw skill to make way through the realms of Heaven and reach the top,” the game’s synopsis reads in the blog post. “Use your preferred fighting styles to take on foes whether that’s head-to-head brute combat, maneuvering with precision and counter-attacks, or relying on ranged weapons to attack from afar. In addition to various fighting tactics, as Lucifer, you’ll be able to transform into a powerful, demonic rage machine, killing everything in your path.” One new addition to Fallen Angel that was not originally on the horizon for the title is local co-op. Previously speaking with Hunter Wu, Game Director for Fallen Angel, he disclosed that the game might not arrange enough resources to receive the ability to play with a second player. But now seeing that the gameplay element is included in the closed beta, it’s safe to say that benchmark was made. The closed beta for Fallen Angel will be live for one full month until September 14, 2020. For more on Rectify Gaming’s coverage on the video game adaptation of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, you can read our full feature from PAX West 2019 by heading here. Does Fallen Angel grab your attention to install the beta? Fallen Angelis projected to release for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Source: Matrioshka Games

After Discounting Fortnite V-Bucks, The Battle Royale Has Been Removed For The App Store & Google Play

In the past week, tech giant Apple has been faced with a wave of controversy when it was discovered that the firm is withholding Microsoft from allowing its Project xCloud streaming initiative be launched on any Apple-branded devices. While Xbox users can indulge on the coming platform with a magnitude of Android-powered products, Apple owners are forced to wait patiently for Microsoft to uncover a possible compromise or directly purchase an Android device to use xCloud. Now this week, Apple again has fallen in the way of more controversy. This time being with Epic Games’ Fortnite, the firm has abruptly removed the popular battle royale from The App Store. The decision for the company to delist the game is sourced from Epic Games’ recent V-Bucks ‘Mega Drop’, discounting the price of the title’s in-game currency to elude the 30 percent toll that transactions are processed through on the platform. In response to the act made upon from Apple, Epic Games has launched the #FreeFortnite campaign in retaliation to the business model that the company has inflicted upon The App Store. The team emphasized its opposition with a Fortnite-skinned iteration of the prolific sci-fi motion picture, 1984. “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 statement to The Verge 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.” To further the dispute between both companies, Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Apple for its decision to remove Fortnite from its platform. Epic Games’ biggest argument is that Apple refrains developers on its platform from mentioning other ports for consumers to purchase in-game content; which essentially transpired to the current disagreement between both parties. Despite the initial outcry against Apple this week, Google has also acted upon the matter and delisted Fortnite as well from the Google Play Store. Alike on Apple’s platform, the decision implemented by Epic Games is said to go against the policies imbedded for the Google Play Store. The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play. And while the first response was more tongue and cheek when Apple decided to delist Fortnite initially, Epic Games ultimately included Google in the lawsuit with the developer officially taking both firms to court. Even with Fortnite not completely removed from the Android platform, the firm feels just in pursing legal action for its disbandment on Google Play. What are your thoughts on the recent controversy tailing behind Epic Games and Fortnite? Source: The Verge

Epic Games Thursday (8/13/20)

Free Epic Games Thursday

Hello PC gamers, it’s Thursday once again. Two new games from Epic Games Store are free this week. Unlike last week, there doesn’t seem to be dominant theme for this one, other than… exploration perhaps? You can be the judge (these games are free for this week after all, so what do you have to lose by downloading them?). Remnant: From the Ashes (Gunfire Games & Perfect World Entertainment, Inc.) (Regular price: $39.99) Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person shooter game in which you have to travel through alternate dimensions and other realms for humanity’s survival. “Dynamically-generated” worlds change each time you play through them as well as “creating new maps, enemy encounters, quest opportunities, and in-world events”. Either you adapt through these changes or you die. You can also play co-op with two other players. Rated M. The Alto Collection (Team Alto & Snowman) (Regular Price: $9.99) The Alto Collection is two games in one: Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey, which focus on snowboarding and sandboarding, respectively. They’re both handcrafted-style games in which you explore ancient wastelands and forgotten ruins through, again, either snowboarding or sandboarding. Alto’s Adventure was originally release for the PC and mobile devices while Alto’s Odyssey was only for mobile. But thanks to the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, The Alto Collection has full controller support. Rated E. While Remnant: From the Ashes is primarily a third-person shooter, one can make the argument that it is an exploration game with its ever-changing worlds and scavenging for items to survive. The Alto Collection definitely relies on exploration to discover what “lies beyond the horizon”. Again, you be the judge. Remember: Remnant: From the Ashes and The Alto Collection are free on the Epic Games Store for this week only (offer ends on August 20, 2020), so no excuses on missing out these games.