During tonight’s Sony press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show, the company didn’t have much to reveal about the PlayStation 5, save for a new logo. However, it did have some updated sales statistics when it came to the PlayStation 4.

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan took the stage during the presentation to share the sales numbers, which included not only PlayStation 4 unit numbers, but also the PlayStation VR.

Ryan started by revealing that 106 million PlayStation 4 systems have been sold worldwide. The number puts it over what the original PlayStation system sold, with 104.25 million units sold. However, it’s still a bit behind the PlayStation 2, which cleared 157.68 million units.

On top of that, quite a few games sold alongside the system. Over 1.15 billion titles have gone out the door to date. However, Ryan didn’t make it clear if this included both digital and physical games; and what titles were the best-selling on the platform.

One interesting stat involved the PlayStation VR. Over five million units have been sold since release, making it a viable virtual reality platform. More than likely, we’ll see games continue to come out for it across both the PlayStation 4 and, when it arrives, the PlayStation 5.

PlayStation’s online services are doing well, too. There are over 103 million monthly active users on Sony’s network. And out of that audience, 38.8 million are subscribers to PlayStation Plus, taking advantage of online features and free monthly games.

Check out the slide detailing sales below. As far as where the PS4 will go from here, it’ll continue surging thanks to games like Ghosts of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part II. That should give the company a proper lead as it prepares to launch the PS5.

As we previously reported back in November, SNK is bringing the revived fighting game Samurai Shodown to the Nintendo Switch. And now, thanks to the official Nintendo page for the game, we know exactly when we’ll be able to hack and slash against the competition.

The page gives a specific date of Feb. 25, 2020, which applies to both the digital and physical versions of the game.

Here’s the official description, straight from the product page:

“Samurai Shodown has enjoyed worldwide success as a blade-wielding fighting game series since its first release in 1993. 11 years have passed since the last series installment, and it is now time for Samurai Shodown to return in a brand-new game featuring high-end visuals and gameplay! Faithfully reproducing the game mechanics and atmosphere that contributed to the success of the series, Samurai Shodown includes a revolutionary feature that learns players’ game actions and patterns in order to create CPU-controlled “ghost” characters. With its story set one year before the very first installment, warriors and combatants from various backgrounds and with their own goals are about to battle to fulfill their destinies!”

In addition, a port of the Neo Geo Pocket Color game Samurai Shodown! 2 will also be included.

The digital version appears to be rather hefty in size, clocking in around 9.4GB in size. Make sure you save some room on your memory card for it. If you prefer, the physical version is up for pre-order here, complete with a bonus Nintendo Switch controller skin.

Check out the latest trailer for the game below, and prepare for a fight. These samurai won’t go down easy.

For some time now, the developers at Platinum Games have been looking to publish some of its titles. And now, with a little help from Tencent, it's closer to happening.

In a new post over on the company’s official page, Platinum president and CEO Kenichi Sato confirmed that it has entered a capital alliance with the global gaming titan, in the hopes of expanding its publishing plans.

“We would like to announce we have received a capital investment from Tencent Holdings Limited as a basis for partnership,” said Sato. 

However, this won’t change how Platinum currently does business, working alongside Nintendo and other companies on various projects.

“This partnership has no effect on the independence of our company, and we will continue operations under our current corporate structure.”

He then went into detail about what this means for Platinum Games’ future. “We hope to use this capital to strengthen our foundation as a business and expand from game development into exploring self-publishing. We also hope that this partnership can give us a wider global perspective, while still creating high quality games that stay true to our name.”

While he didn’t mention any specific titles coming from the company — or even a timetable as to when it would dabble with a publishing division — this is excellent news for the future of Platinum Games.

Again, though, this won’t derail its current game projects. Bayonetta 3 is on the way for Nintendo Switch, with an announcement possibly coming shortly, and it’s still working on Babylon’s Fall alongside Square Enix.

Every snazzy new product needs an equally attractive slogan to catch the consumer’s attention. The infamous “Got Milk?” is what convinced a whole generation of people to start drinking milk again.

The video game industry is no different; many of the best companies were able to sell their brand thanks to some well-written slogan.

Nintendo was able to bring the industry back from the brink of destruction due to the original Nintendo Entertainment System, and its infamous slogan - "Now you're playing with power!" Since then, slogans have been a hallmark of video games marketing.

Sega created the iconic “Genesis does what Nintendon't” slogan to combat against Nintendo in the 90s, and PlayStation has its “Greatness Awaits” slogan that it’s been using effectively for years.

At the end of the Xbox Series X reveal trailer at the Game’s Awards, Microsoft revealed the tagline to market its upcoming console, “Power Your Dreams”. The wording made it seem like it was going to be the new slogan for the Series X, and it appears that’s to be the case.

Wccftech reports that Microsoft has registered for a trademark the “Power Your Dreams” slogan on Dec. 31, emphasizing the upcoming Xbox’s power capabilities. It doesn’t match the previous slogans for the Xbox 360 or Xbox One, though, which had “Jump In” and “Jump Ahead” as their slogans, respectively.

Related: 10 Best Video Games With A Female Lead

The Xbox One also had the “All in One” slogan, which was used to convey how the console was an all-purpose media box that can be used in more ways other than gaming. It was something Microsoft pushed early on in the console’s lifetime.

However, the new “Power Your Dreams” slogan implies that Microsoft is going back to its gaming routes. The slogan proposes that the company is going to market the Xbox Series X more as a gaming console rather than anything else.

Currently, the new Xbox has a leg up over the PlayStation 5, with the latter only officially announced the logo. Not only that, but Xbox already has a great new slogan in its pocket. Will Sony also go for aew slogan for the PS5, or stick with their typical “Greatness Awaits” slogan?

Super Mario Maker 2 has hit a new milestone, and Nintendo is celebrating it by rewarding players with more courses.

Nintendo shared on Twitter that over 10 million courses have been uploaded onto Mario Maker 2, a huge milestone, as that means players have created millions of unique levels that anyone can play.

As a reward for all the players that have created so many courses since the game’s release, Nintendo will extend the number of courses that gamers can upload. When the game released on June 28, 2019, players were only able to upload up to 32 courses. The game was later updated to allow gamers to upload 64 courses.

Thanks to the creativity of Makers around the world, there are now over 10 million playable courses in #SuperMarioMaker2! To celebrate, you can now upload up to 100 courses to Course World! pic.twitter.com/v23ALxyVAS

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 7, 2020

As part of the 10 million courses celebration, Nintendo will now allow players to upload 100 courses to Course World.

Related: The Year in Review 2019: Best Nintendo Switch Games of the Year

Super Mario Maker 2 is a game that allows players to create their series of Mario levels. The game gives players a set number of tools and equipment to customize their courses. Gamers can determine what the levels will look like, what kind of enemies will occupy it, and what hazards will be in. The courses can be modeled after the game style found in either Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. U, or Super Mario 3D World.

Back in December, Nintendo updated the game to include Master Sword. The Master Sword turns Mario into Link, and you move and attack like how Link would play in an old-school Legend of Zelda video game.

Nintendo Switch Pro might get a change in materials, according to detail in the latest Digitimes report spotted by analyst Dr. Serkan Toto from Kantan Games.

The original report requires a subscription, but based on intel gathered from Taiwanese manufacturers reportedly crafting the unconfirmed Pro model, the newest console could "come with a magnesium alloy body."

This would be a change from the current body of plastic and might be a solution for Nintendo to face the problem of heating/overheating while playing higher resolution content, like 4K.

"Another claim is that the device will come with a better CPU," says the analyst. The changes in place would not only be about the GPU to elaborate higher resolutions but also about the processor so that the content in question would be faster and more comfortable for players to access.

Toto elaborates that Digitimes has a mixed track record when it comes to rumors about Nintendo, so all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. It's worth noting that the website revealed Nintendo Switch Lite was in production well ahead of its reveal, though.

To further add on this (article requires a subscription):

Digitimes claims the new Switch will come with a magnesium alloy body (instead of plastic).

Another claim is that the device will come with a better CPU.

Note that Digitimes has a mixed track record WRT Nintendo. https://t.co/XLclA70wDI

— Dr. Serkan Toto / Kantan Games Inc. (@serkantoto) January 6, 2020

The details shared by Digitimes in its latest report claim that "a new Nintendo Switch Model" should be on store shelves by mid-2020, which would be the same release window as Lite. The production should kick-off around the end of March.

After a very successful year taking back a large share of the desktop CPU market, AMD is now marching towards laptops with similar intent. At CES 2020, the company unveiled its 7nm Zen 2 CPUs for laptops, the Ryzen 4000 series. 

The chips come in two main flavors, the 15W Ryzen U-Series, and the 45W Ryzen H-Series, which are designed for gaming laptops and other highly demanding activities. 

The Ryzen 7 4800H, the new top of the line gaming chip in the series, comes with eight cores and 16 threads, a base frequency of 2.9Ghz, a boost frequency of 4.2Ghz, and 12MB of L2 and L3 cache. 

• AMD Ryzen 7 4800H - 8C/16T - 45W - Boost to 4.2 / 2.9 GHz base frequency   
• AMD Ryzen 5 4600H - 6C/12T - 45W - Boost to 4.0 / 3.0 GHz base frequency  
• AMD Ryzen 7 4800U - 8C/16T - 15W - Boost to 4.2 / 1.8 GHz base frequency  
• AMD Ryzen 7 4700U - 8C/8T - 15W - Boost to 4.1 / 2.0 GHz base frequency  
• AMD Ryzen 5 4600U - 6C/12T - 15W - Boost to 4.0 / 2.1 GHz base frequency  
• AMD Ryzen 5 4500U - 6C/6T - 15W - Boost to 4.0 / 2.3 GHz base frequency 
• AMD Ryzen 3 4300U - 4C/4T - 15W - Boost to 3.7 / 2.7 GHz base frequency 

While press conference performance numbers are always best taken with a pinch of salt, AMD did show the Ryzen 7 4800U beat the i7-1065G7 by four percent in single thread performance, ninty percent in multi-thread performance, scoring twenty-eight percent higher in 3DMark Time Spy Extreme benching marking tests. 

One of the big attractions of these chips is the performance you can get for a mere 15W of power draw. While there is more involved in battery drain than just the CPU's power draw, this could potentially lead to improved battery lifetimes. AMD says that the first AMD Ryzen 4000 series laptops will arrive from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo starting in Q1 2020.

Microsoft's Executive Vice President at gaming Phil Spencer has revealed that the Xbox Game Pass subscription price is not raising anytime soon.

In an interview with Australian outlet Stevivor, Spencer confirmed that the Game Pass is "a good business" for the company the way it is, not operating at a loss, so there's no need to change the way it is doing "right now."

"Game Pass for us right now is a good business," he assured. "It’s something that we’re comfortable running the way it is, and it’s more than doubled in size, year over year. It’s on a great trajectory."

Spencer further elaborated on concerns from people claiming that Microsoft is investing a lot in Xbox Game Pass to make sure they have a significant userbase for the next generation of consoles and by then raise the price so they can capitalize on the service.

"I know some people — I’ve seen it — some people say, 'Oh, they’re just kind of burning money left and right in order to gain customers so they can trick you into raising the price later,'" he revealed. "There’s no model like that, for us. We feel good in the business that we’re running now. We’re definitely investing in it, but not investing in a way that’s unsustainable."

Xbox Game Pass numbers have been particularly satisfying for Microsoft thus far, indeed. Analytics shared by Microsoft has revealed an increase in playtime for all the subscribers. The figure includes people outside of the subscription, mainly because they've discovered new titles thanks to the subscription when they had it running.

It's worth mentioning that, over the last six months, Microsoft has dramatically pushed on its service by adding more first-party games since day one - among those, Gears 5 and The Outer Worlds - and third-party blockbusters such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Grand Theft Auto V.

Not everyone is convinced about subscriptions being the path the games industry should be following, though. Despite having added GTA V to Xbox Game Pass, Take-Two Interactive's CEO is still not into these services, as he thinks they don't suit well to longer games.

Riven Slivers are an item in Warframe that can be used to make Riven Mods. They can be gotten by opening Requiem Relics, or as potential rewards from Railjack missions.

10 Riven Slivers can be handed into Palladino, who is located at Iron Wake on Earth. In return, she will give you a Riven Mod, but this can only be done once a week. 

Riven Mods are potentially mighty mods for weapons. When you first get them, they need to be unlocked by completing a specific challenge. The challenge may be to perform certain actions or kill certain enemies under different conditions. Once it is opened, it will randomly roll out for a specific weapon. All weapons have a different Riven Disposition, which denotes the likelihood of a mod for that weapon appearing. 

Riven Mods can provide several buffs, and potentially a negative, for the weapons they can be used on. They can impact stats like damage, critical chance, critical damage, status chance, range, or rate of fire, to name but a few. It is possible to reroll the Riven Mod and get a new set of buffs by using Kuva. This can be done at the Mods console in your Orbiter. 

When you reroll a Riven, you then have the option to keep the initial set of buffs or switch to the new set of buffs, allowing you to pick between the two sets to keep the best one. The Kuva cost of rerolling a Riven Mod starts at 900 Kuva, increasing to a maximum of 3500 Kuva for the 10th reroll, then 3500 Kuva for each reroll after that. 

Escape from Tarkov doesn't have women soldiers because they are too hard to animate, according to developer Battlestate Games. 

In a series of tweets, Battlestate Games pointed out that "there will be no playable female characters because of game lore and more importantly - the huge amount of work needed with animations, gear fitting, etc."

The previous comments from a representative of the studio, made in 2016, offered a sharply different point of view on the matter. The game's community discovered the comment and reported it for their lack of meaning now that the titled has turned so popular on Twitch for being played by top streamers.

"We considered that, but we came to the conclusion that women are not allowed to be in the war," developer Pavel Dyatlov told WCCFTech. "Women can't handle that amount of stress. There's only place for hardened men in this place."

Battlestate Games said in a newly released tweet that the developer in question has been "reprimanded and properly instructed.",

"The answers [in that interview] were done by one, not a key BSG employee which probably were misinterpreted and as a result didn't reflect the official position of the company, that we always respected women in wars and military women."

The current position of the studio is that women are in Escape from Tarkov in the form of NPC (like traders) but not as soldiers because of unprecise "game lore," and they are too hard to animate in terms of workload and resources required.

But there will be no playable female characters because of game lore and more importantly - the huge amount of work needed with animations, gear fitting etc#EscapefromTarkov

— Battlestate Games (@bstategames) January 6, 2020

This is not the first time we hear such statements on the matter. In 2014, Ubisoft Montreal's Alex Hutchinson offered Polygon a similar comment about Far Cry 4. It also caused an intense backlash from the community and led Ubisoft to add female characters in several games in the following years.

Back then, the lack of female characters in Far Cry 4 was "purely a workload issue because we don't have a female reading for the character, we don't have all the animations," said Hutchinson. "And so it was this weird issue where you could have a female model that walked and talked and jumped like a dude."

Since 2014, things have changed so much that Ubisoft's games such as Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Syndicate both have female protagonists in Evie Frye and Kassandra, with the latter proving the most played characters between the two available.

If you have been wondering what a Nintendo Switch might be like if it also a PC, then have no fear, Alienware is in the same headspace. The company has spent the last two years working on a concept for a genuinely handheld, portable PC, called the Concept UFO. 

The Concept UFO is a Windows 10 PC, but small enough to carry, with detachable controllers, and a dock to connect with a TV or monitor. The screen is an eight-inch, 1200p display, while the controllers very much mimic the Joy-cons from a Nintendo Switch, with a thumbstick each, a D-pad on the left controller, and face button on the right.

The device uses USB-C ports to charge and connect to another display, and the ports are located at the top and bottom of the main unit. When the USB ports are free, they can also be used to connect a mouse and keyboard, or you can connect via Bluetooth. 

Alienware is coy about the processing power of the Concept UFO, but it is still in the prototype stage, so we can forgive them for not wanting to commit to any hard numbers right now. While there is no indication that the Concept UFO will be turned into a consumer product, it is undoubtedly an exciting slant on mobile gaming in a world that is focusing more on the idea of streaming content. 

We expect that if this ever does end up being released, that it will aim itself as a premium product. While it might be drawing inspiration from the design of the Nintendo Switch, it certainly won't be competing with it for price. An actual handheld PC, with access to the enormous library of games that are available on services like Steam, Origin, and Uplay, really could shake up the industry.

Ever wanted to lick a Lemming?

The Royal Mail is releasing a new set of 12 postage stamps to celebrate the history of the British video game industry. While countries like Japan and America have had an undeniable impact on the industry, it is easy to forget how prominent and essential British game design was in the industry during the '80s and '90s. During those formative, risky years, it was design ideas from British developers that were pointing the way toward the future of gaming. 

The 12 stamps will feature images from influential games such as Dizzy, Populus, Lemmings, and Sensible Soccer. Wipeout, Tomb Raider, Worms, and Micro Machines will also be honored with their own stamps.

“The U.K. has been at the forefront of the video games industry for decades,” said Royal Mail spokesman Philip Parker. “In the 1980s and '90s, young designers grappled with coding on the new microcomputers and set the template for the industry with iconic games.”

The games were selected by the Royal Mail and The Association for U.K. Interactive Entertainment. The set is designed to honor the work of developers Bullfrog, Codemasters, Psygnosis, Core Design, and Team 17. (For our money, the only development team that stands out as being missing from the honors list is Bitmap Bros., which created titles like Gods, Chaos Engine, and Speedball.)

The set will be on sale on Jan. 21, and will cost £14.25. There will also be a collector's sheet of Tomb Raider stamps available for £11.40. 

Real-time strategy games are a staple in every PC game library. From Empire: Total War to Relic Entertainment's classic Company of Heroes. The RTS genre isn't the easiest to get into, though. From tactical positioning to resource management, the genre's games focus on micro-managing, combat, and control in real-time is challenging. It's like playing chess, but with more Zerg rushes.

If you're interested in getting into the RTS genre, there's plenty of solid titles available already on PC for beginners and strategy veterans alike. Here are some of our top picks.

Most Immersive RTS Game: Napoleon: Total War

There's nothing like leading a group of 19th-century soldiers into combat throughout Western Europe's greatest battlefields. When it comes to Creative Assembly's Total War series, the developer's standalone expansion Napoleon: Total War remains one of the most immersive RTS games to date thanks to the attention to historical detail.

Napoleon: Total War focuses on French leader Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power during the early 19th century. Players command the cavalry, riflemen, artillery, and enormous ships across land and sea. Players either fight as Napoleon or against him. The game even features multiple historical campaigns where players manage their standing in the world through a turn-based map.

While Napoleon: Total War has been out for some time now, the game's battlefields are gorgeous. Skirmishes take place across beautiful green landscapes. Players can even zoom in on individual soldiers firing, charging, and bayoneting their opponents. Uniforms are not just highly detailed, they're accurate, too, making players feel like they were actually fighting in the 19th century.

Fan-Favorite RTS Game: Star Wars: Empire at War

It's one thing to have a real-time strategy game with exciting lore and immersive design, but one that accurately reflects one of the most critical film series in history is another feat altogether. Petroglyph and LucasArts knew how to take the RTS genre one step further. The team's iconic title Star Wars: Empire at War remains one of the best strategy games to date.

In Star Wars: Empire at War, players choose between either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire and wage war across both land and space. The game does away with resource management and instead has players focus on the core frontline positioning to maintain ground. There's plenty of iconic units to command, from Stormtroopers and AT-ATs to X-Wings and TIE Fighters. You can even send Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and other characters onto the battlefield to support your troops.

While Empire at War was released in 2006, the game is still available on Steam as part of the Star Wars: Empire at War Gold Pack. We recommend grabbing the game that way, as it includes the bonus Forces of Corruption expansion pack that lets players rule the Star Wars universe with an underground criminal empire.

Best Historical RTS Game: Company of Heroes 2

What's not to love about Company of Heroes? Instead of focusing on resource harvesting and commanding individual soldiers, the World War II series has players build vehicles and recruit squads by capturing objectives. This streamlines the game, and lets players focus on sending reinforcements to maintain control of the map instead of looting far-off scrap heaps.

Company of Heroes 2 takes the franchise to the Eastern Front. Players can choose to play as either the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, leading their troops from Stalingrad to Berlin. This time around, commanders have to prepare for intense blizzards, so soldiers must set up campfires to prevent their squads from freezing to death.

While it may not be the most realistic RTS game around, Company of Heroes 2's attention to detail is incredible. Players can lead T-34s, recruit conscript infantry, bully penal battalions, and drive SU-85s as the Soviets, laying waste to the German army.

Most Realistic RTS Game: Europa Universalis IV

As far as grand strategy games go, Europa Universalis IV is one of the best. It's also a solid RTS game for players that prefer a complex and multi-faceted strategy experience. Just be aware of its steep learning curve.

In Europa Universalis IV, players take control of a nation during the Renaissance and Enlightenment-era, all the while trying to maintain influence in the world among the biggest political actors. Forge alliances, become a colonial mastermind or wage war with as many nations as possible to gain control of the entire European continent (and beyond).

Unlike many other nation-building strategy games, Europa Universalis IV plays out in real-time. For players that are interested in learning one of the most realistic real-time grand strategy games around, we recommend checking out Quill18's YouTube tutorial on the basics.

Best Classic RTS Game: Age of Empires II

There's been plenty of great RTS games over the years, but few compare to Age of Empires II, Ensemble Studios, and Microsoft's classic 1999 RTS title. The game takes place during the Middle Ages, and players choose from over a dozen civilizations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Lock horns with other civilizations, growing your army while attempting to destroy your opponents.

Age of Empires II spices things up thanks to its four separate ages, covering 1,000 years in world history and across the Dark Age, Feudal Age, Castle Age, and Imperial Age. Players build towns that can be upgraded over the years as new ages dawn. This makes Age of Empire II pretty complicated: While the game uses initially easy mechanics, the game's tactical and strategic endgame involves maintaining your economy and planning for technological progression.

If you're interested in playing Age of Empires II, we recommend picking up the game's Definitive Edition from Steam, which offers support for modern operating systems as well as ranked multiplayer online play.

Best Overall RTS Game: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

That said, if there's one game that every RTS fan should own, it's StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

Released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2010, StarCraft II pits the Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss against each other in the Korpulu Sector. Split between 29 single-player campaign missions with new units and tweaks expanding on the original, StarCraft II features all the elements that make a great RTS: Manage your resources, build a well-rounded army, fight to hold your own, and overrun your opponent's base with your military might. Nearly ten years later, StarCraft II truly stands out thanks to its easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master premise.

StarCraft II's multiplayer is a beast of its own. The game's ranked multiplayer system is legendary for its intense focus on min-maxing unit construction. If you want to become a skilled player, prepare to spend your time building a strong economy and deploying units and buildings as fast as possible to counteract your opponents' offensives. While hard to master, there's always a challenge to be had online in StarCraft.

If you want to play through the game's campaign mode on your own or run a few LAN parties with some friends, you can do that too. That's the great thing about StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty: It's genuinely an RTS with a feature for everybody. StarCraft II is now available as a free-to-play game, making this the perfect time to get started with one of the best RTS series out there.

Best Stealth RTS: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun is one of the finest examples we have of small scale RTS. Carefully move your character through a living world while carefully planning every move. Death comes quickly if you make a mistake, and weigh the possibilities of what your enemies will do is vital. Study their behavior, then execute your deadly plans. 

The graphics, world design, and incredible attention to detail all make this game stand out amongst its peers, and the challenge it presents is both troubling and addictive. On top of dealing with external threats, you also have to worry about how your team will behave, how to fully utilize each member. There is nothing but options here, and each one can have a deadly result.

Ana Valens contributed to this guide. 

The next Pokémon Direct will take place on Jan. 9, Nintendo announced today. The presentation will take place at 6:30am PT/9:30am ET and will be live-streamed on the official Nintendo Youtube channel. Scheduled to last for roughly 20 minutes, the Direct will focus solely on Pokémon.

We suspect the presentation might be an announcement for Pokémon Home, which will allow players to store Pokémon from games like Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, Pokémon Sword and Shield, and Pokémon GO. While players will also be able to transfer Pokémon from Pokémon Home to Sword and Shield, this function will be limited to just the Pokémon that appear in the game's Pokédex.

Until now, the only thing known about a potential release date was that Pokémon Home would arrive in early 2020. The service seems to be designed to replace Pokémon Bank, so we expect it to have a similar price point at $4.99 annually. Or it could potentially be bundled in with the price of Nintendo's Switch Online service, which runs $3.99 per month, or $19.99 per year.

It is also possible that we see some events or new content announced for games like Sword and Shield, Pokémon GO, or Pokémon Masters. We may even see something about Pokémon Sleep, the planned sleep companion app, which Nintendo has been notably lacking on details about.

And while it has not been very long since Sword and Shield released, and it's not likely, we might even get a hint about a mainline Pokémon game coming our way this year. With a potential Nintendo Switch Pro launching this year, it would make sense for Nintendo to have plans for some of their biggest franchises releasing new entries as well. 

The Long Goodbye is a Legendary Sniper Rifle in Destiny 2 that you can only earn from the Insight Terminus Strike. The Insight Terminus takes place on Nessus and will see you taking on a lot of Cabal and Vex enemies as you try to stop a power Psion from taking over a Vex network. 

Like all Strike-specific loot, the Long Goodbye has a random chance to drop upon completion of the Strike. The good news is that this Strike is quite straightforward. Hard-hitting weapons like Sniper Rifles, Hand Cannons, and Rocket Launchers will all shine during this Strike. For much of the Strike, you will be following Kargen, the Psion boss, taking out rooms of enemies. At the midpoint of the Strike, you will need to kill some fierce Cabal enemies to drop Orbs that will allow you to open a door and proceed through the Strike. When you reach the final room, you will need to take on Kargen and some waves of Cabal, so be mindful of the massive area-of-effect attacks that Kargen can use.

The Long Goodbye Sniper Rifle comes with Adaptative Frame and the following potential Perks: 

Perk 1

Any three of the following: Arrowhead Break, Chambered Compensator, Corkscrew Rifling, Extended Barrel, Fluted Barrel, Full Bore, Hammer-Forged Rifling, Polygonal Rifling, Smallbore

Perk 2

Any two of the following: Extended Mag, Alloy Magazine, Armor-Piercing Rounds, High-Caliber Rounds, Ricochet Rounds, Light Mag.

Perk 3

One of the following: Outlaw, Firmly Planted, Snapshot Sights, High-Impact Reserves.

Perk 4

One of the following: Rapid Hit, Rampage, Fourth Time's The Charm, Dragonfly.

For PvE content, we would suggest hunting for a roll with Extend Mag, high impact reserves, Fourth Times The Charm and your barrel of choice. For PvP something like Firmly Planted or Snapshot Sights, Ricochet Rounds will serve you well. The low zoom range will really benefit you in those frantic PvP fights. 

The Long Goodbye Stats

• Impact - 70
• Range - 54
• Stability - 53
• Handing - 46
• Reload Speed - 50
• Aim Assistance - 55
• Zoom - 40
• Recoil - 62
• Rounds Per Minute - 90
• Mag Size - 4

January might be a slower month for gaming, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass is losing steam.

Today, Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb revealed three new titles coming to the service on Xbox One consoles, including a fighting game that should keep fans brawling well into the month.

Starting on Jan. 9, Frostpunk: Console Edition joins the service. In this survival game, you’ll need to acquire precious heat for members of your society, since it's the last remaining one on Earth. But you’ll soon learn it doesn’t come easy. You’ll need to keep tabs of your city and its inhabitants, as well as research technology, explore frozen wastelands, and watch out for dangerous threats. Every choice you make could have consequences, because this world is simply cold as ice.

Also joining the service on Jan. 9 is Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet. As a character thrust into the virtual reality world of Gun Gale Online, you’ll come across friends and foes alike from the Sword Art Online anime world. Create your character, master whatever weapons and skills you desire, and team up with others in co-op and PvP as you fight to stay in one piece.

Finally, on Jan. 16, you’ll be able to brawl with Tekken 7. The latest game in Bandai Namco’s fighting series, this one features more characters than ever, old and new alike. You’ll also master fighting techniques, combos, and more as you take on all comers and attempt to become the King (or Queen) of the Iron Fist Tournament.

And don’t forget that Grand Theft Auto Vjoined the Xbox Game Pass service earlier this month, so there’s a lot to play with that game as well.

Nintendo will host a special Pokémon Direct special this Thursday, Jan. 9, starting at around 9:30am EDT. While it didn’t indicate what will be shown during the presentation, it will focus specifically on Pokémon games.

There’s a good chance players could finally see an announcement for Pokémon Home, as well as new information on Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Go. There’s always a chance something entirely new could be announced as well.

So how do you tune in and see all the Poké-fun? Here’s what you need to do to catch all the action as it happens this Thursday:

Check Out the YouTube Channel

The official Nintendo YouTube channel will host the live broadcast. You can bookmark this page and tune in to watch with other fans via chat. If you prefer, we also embedded the video below, so you can watch it from this page.

If you somehow miss the broadcast, make sure to keep tabs on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, as the news should go live there after it breaks.

What Can Fans Expect From the Broadcast?

As mentioned, the big thing is likely to be Pokémon Home. This is a new service that will reportedly work like a Pokémon Bank, with classic characters from the Pokémon universe becoming usable in Sword and Shield. During the broadcast, we’ll likely find out when it’s set to debut and how much its subscription price will be.

Coding for Bulbasaur and Litten is reportedly already in place, so they could launch immediately after the Pokémon Direct ends.

In addition, Pokémon Sleep could also be announced. It supposedly allows fans to keep a close eye on their Pokémon characters as they slumber. 

There’s also speculation that an all-new Pokémon game could be revealed, set to release sometime in late 2020.

Primed Vigor is a dual mod in Warframe that will increase both your health and shields. It will increase both values by a set percentage, depending on the Rank of the mod, and the base health and shields of the Warframe (calculated using the Warframe's Rank 0 values).

• Rank 0 +20% shield, +20% health, 6 mod capacity
• Rank 1 +40% shield, +40% health, 7 mod capacity
• Rank 2 +60% shield, +60% health, 8 mod capacity
• Rank 3 +80% shield, +80% health, 9 mod capacity
• Rank 4 +100% shield, +100% health, 10 mod capacity
• Rank 5 +120% shield, +120% health, 11 mod capacity
• Rank 6 +140% shield, +140% health, 12 mod capacity
• Rank 7 +160% shield, +160% health, 13 mod capacity
• Rank 8 +180% shield, +180% health, 14 mod capacity
• Rank 9 +200% shield, +200% health, 15 mod capacity
• Rank 10 +220% shield, +220% health, 16 mod capacity

The only way to get Primed Vigor is as a daily login reward. It will become available every 200 days, and you will need to pick from Primed Vigor, Primed Fury, and Primed Shred. 

The mod cannot be traded with other players, and once you pick the mod it will not come up as a daily login reward again, but the two mods you don't choose will stay in the rotation and come up as an option every 200 days. 

Primed Vigor can be beneficial on Warframes with an even split between shields and health, such as Zephyr, or for giving a Warframe like Hildryn enough health to safely absorb a little bit of damage, while giving her shields a strong buff, as she is such a shield-heavy Warframe. While some people will use the mod to maximize the health of Warframes like Nidus and Inaros, but this is something that can be achieved with health-specific mods that will have less mod capacity draw. 

Each Tuesday, Destiny 2 receives a weekly update, which will reset the activities in the game, giving us all a chance to earn some more loot. It the day when we plan our week ahead and decide what we will be doing to grab those weapons and armor pieces that we want and get a bit more Power. 

What Time Is Destiny 2 Weekly Reset?

The Destiny 2 Weekly Reset occurs at the following times.

• UK: 5 pm GMT
• Europe: 6 pm CEST
• East Coast US: 12 pm EDT
• West Coast US: 9 am PDT

Weekly Reset Details - Jan. 7, 2020

Forge - Bergusia

Altar of Sorrow - Apostate Sniper Rifle (changes daily)

Nightmare Hunts - Despair, Fear, Rage

Flashpoint - EDZ

Nightfalls - Ordeal: The Insight Terminus, The Scarlet Keep, The Inverted Spire, The Arms Dealer

Ordeal Modifiers (Adept) - Empath

Ordeal Modifiers (Legend) - Empath, Champions: Unstoppable, Champions: Barrier, Champions: Cabal, Equipment Locked, Match Game, Legend Modifiers, Kargen's Stratagem.

Ordeal Modifiers (Master) - All previous modifiers, plus Attrition, Champions: Mob, Master Modifiers.

Heroic Strike Modifiers - Arc Singe, Blackout, Grenadier

Menagerie Boss - Arunak, Hive Ogre

Heroic Menagerie Modifiers - Extinguish, Grenadier, Famine, Solar Singe

Escalation Protocol Boss - Damkath: The Mask

Ascendant Challenge - Agonarch Abyss at Bay of Drowned Wishes

Dreaming City Curse Cycle - Weak

Reckoning Modifiers - Arc Singe, Grenadier

Crucible Rotator - Momentum Control, Lockdown

Leviathan Raid Order - Dogs, Gauntlet, Baths, Calus

Leviathan Challenge - Throne Challenge

Prestige Raid Lairs - Prism, Armsmaster

Overwatch fans may have gotten a hint at the release date of Blizzard's upcoming sequel, Overwatch 2, from a now-deleted tweet from Playstation Brazil. The tweet contained a link to an interview that Playstation Brazil conducted with Overwatch 2 chief writer Michael Chu and assistant director Aaron Keller. 

When Playstation Brazil shared the article on Twitter, they wrote, “2020 será o ano em que Overwatch 2 chega ao PS4, e para nos prepararmos, conversamos com alguns de seus desenvolvedores, que nos deram informações quentes,” which roughly translates to, “2020 will be the year in which Overwatch 2 will arrive on the PS4, and to prepare ourselves, we spoke to some of its developers, who gave us some hot takes.”

Since it only says that Overwatch 2 will be coming out in 2020, it leaves a large time frame for release. If the tweet is correct, the earliest that the game will be released is likely Fall/Winter 2020. 

Overwatch 2 was first announced at Blizzcon 2019 in November, following months of speculation, and, despite showing a cinematic trailer and hinting at some aspects of the game, no official release date was made public.

“I have no idea, like, let’s just make it great, that’s what we care about more than anything," game director Jeff Kaplan said at the release panel. "We don’t have a date in mind”.

Many fans have reacted to the leak by saying that they’re prefer for the Blizzard team to take their time on Overwatch 2 instead of rushing to release it. It also seems as though Kaplan would rather take his time on the next chapter of Overwatch too, as he is avoiding giving a solid release date at the moment. 

Even if Overwatch 2 doesn’t release this year, the content that we have from the game so far looks exciting and polished already, so hopefully the finished experience will be well worth waiting for.