In an interview with MCV, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has shared thoughts about the next-generation competition between Xbox Series X and PS5 and praised Sony's efforts on PlayStation 4 and its library over the last six years.

According to Matt Booty, "Sony’s done a fantastic job just across the board in terms of what they’ve done with building an audience, selling consoles, obviously, a number of amazing, great games that have come out of their first-party teams."

Games like 2018's God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Bloodborne, Detroit: Become Human and others that are yet to be released like Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part II have made it clear that PlayStation has been doing much better in terms of exclusive content compared to Xbox. 

Matt Booty added that the Redmond platform owner doesn't see the next generation as a competition between Sony and Microsoft, as Xbox teams want to make sure they do their things right at first and then look at what others are doing in the same space.

"I try to stay away from framing things as a head-to-head bout with Sony, instead I think that it’s just up to us to focus on three things," he said.

"First of all, we need to deliver on the promises that we make," he shared, talking about Microsoft has to strive to do better compared with the current-gen, where games like Scalebound were cancelled and studios were closed. "So if we say a game is going to ship at a certain time, we’ve got to get that done, we just need to get better at executing."

On top of that, "we need to make sure that we hold the bar high on quality, and that we’re releasing games that we can be proud of and that the fans can be proud of as Xbox exclusives. And then lastly, we need to continue building characters, stories and worlds that can transcend generations, devices and platforms."

The next generation competition will see Microsoft and Sony take different approaches, especially for what matters the transition from Xbox One and PS4 to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. As we've recently heard, PS5 will reportedly have exclusive next-gen games right away, while Xbox is focused on having its titles on the most significant amount of devices possible for at least one year from launch.

Analyst Daniel Ahmad has debunked the most recent Assassin's Creed Ragnarok rumors, including that the next Assassin's Creed game is "not even called Ragnarok."  According to his information, most of the supposed leaks have been "incorrect."

"Some of the details are right," Ahmad, who goes by the name of ZhugeEX on Resetera, said. "Like improved combat or whatever. But in general, they’re not that accurate." He says rumors involving the follow up to Assassin's Creed Odyssey could have been entirely made up by someone on the Internet.

The rumors about an Assassin's Creed game based on Vikings have started from Kotaku. Reporter Jason Schreier, who has an excellent track record when it comes to leaks about Ubisoft's library, found out that a game about that particular age and location was being developed (and was even teased in The Division 2).

"A few months before this teaser emerged, Kotaku learned from two independent sources familiar with the game that 2020's Assassin’s Creed, code-named Kingdom, does indeed star Vikings," Schreier said in his report back in April. "We don’t know much else about the game."

It could be true that the Kingdom moniker has been used as a code name in the development stage, and that Vikings are indeed a focus of the game. All the additional information coming from Reddit (involving a return of 4-player co-op, among other things) should not be considered reliable, according to Ahmad.

Rumors have also been pointing out that the latest in the Assassin's Creed saga might be announced at a PlayStation 5 reveal event in February, but, at this stage, and looking at what Ahmad has just shared, it may or may not actually happen.

As with any leaks—supposedly confirmed or debunked—nothing is official until the developer says it.

The Dawning continues in Destiny 2, and people are still making their special treats for Eva Levante and delivering them to various NPCs throughout the game. One such gift you need to make is Vanilla Blades.

To make Vanilla Blades, you will need:

• 1 Cabal Oil
• 1 Sharp Flavor
• 15 Essence of Dawning

You can get Cabal Oil by killing Cabal enemies, so make your way to the EDZ. You can find a lot of Cabal enemies in Trostland, near the church. You can also make your way to Firebase Hades, which will have regular patrols of Cabal enemies. Just keep killing them until you get some Cabal Oil, as it is a random drop.  

Personal Touch requires sword kills to obtain. Lost Sectors anywhere in the game are a great way to get sword kills rapidly, but my favorite is right beside Braytech on Mars. You can also quickly farm this doing an Escalation Protocol event on Mars, which throws plenty of low-level Hive at you when it starts. You can easily use a sword to mow them down. Once again, Personal Touch is not a guaranteed drop, so make sure you keep punching away at the bag guys until you get it. 

You can get the Essence of Dawning by completing almost any activity in the game. These include bounties for Eva, patrols, escalation protocols, public events, heroic adventures, Gambit or Crucible matches, Nightfalls, or Forge Completiions.

When it is finished, take it to Lord Shaxx in the Tower.

The Witcher 3 is filled with quests that can take you all over the map, and will sometimes end up with you meeting up with old friends. While in Novigrad, if you take the "Monsters in the Bits" quest from the Bounty Board in Hierarch Square, you will be charged with tracking down a monster that has been hunting victims. You'll need to have a quick chat with a guardsman, that it's witching time. 

After you head to the crime scene, investigate it, and track the monster, you will discover your old friend Lambert has gotten himself into a tangle with an Ekimmara. These vampire-like creatures aren't that hard to beat, especially with Lambert helping you out. 

Once the deed is done, and you head back to the guardsman you spoke with at the start of the quest, Lambert will ask about a man called Jad Karadin. Jad leads a band of assassins that is responsible for the death of Lambert's friend, and he was some sweet revenge. 

The real question that people seem to have around this quest is what kind of impact your dialogue choices and actions will have. Should you help Lambert kill Jad, or allow Jad to go free?

The good news is that it doesn't matter what you do, Lambert will still be your friend, and the main storyline will not be impacted. This quest is really about what kind of Geralt you are choosing to play as, and what kind of friend you want him to be. Is your Geralt the kind of guy who helps his friend kill someone, or is he the kind of guy who tries to help his friend move on from his past in less destructive ways?

If it helps you to make your mind up, paying close attention to the details will give you the strong impression that Jad Karadin is not the changed man he claims to be. So don't feed too bad if you help Lambert to dispense some justice via the sword. 

The file size of Nintendo’s upcoming remake of Gameboy Advance and DS adventure Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, titled Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, has been revealed after the game’s eShop store page went live on the Switch.

The game, which is due for release in March. 6, is scheduled to take up about 2.1GB of data on your Switch. As a comparison for size, Pokémon Sword and Shield each take up over 10GB, so this remake is modest in size. It should also mean that it won’t require an SD card to play, unlike other big games such as L.A. Noire, which needed an SD card to be able to play.

The game is based on the 2005 original release, which came in two varieties. Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team was released on the Gameboy Advanced, while Blue Rescue Team launched on the Nintendo DS, taking advantage of the dual-screen. The reception for the games on both devices was average to OK, they both sold well and led to sequels later for the DS.

The game follows the player, who has been turned into a Pokémon, suffering from amnesia about how. With the help of Pokémon companions, you must explore “mystery dungeons,” randomly changing dungeons that hold wild Pokémon.  It allows you to complete jobs at the nearby town, allowing you to build up resources and strength as you attempt to discover the reasons behind the recent occurrence of several natural disasters.

You can download a demo of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX on the Nintendo eShop right now.

Pokémon Sword and Shield sales are showing no sign of slowing in Japan. The game, which released on Nov. 15, 2019, has moved enough units to spend yet another week at the number one spot in the region. Sales figures compiled by Famitsu show that for the period from Dec. 30, 2019, to Jan. 5, 2020, the game sold close to 200,000 units that week. While the sales number are down a little on the previous week, they fall perfectly in line with the average sales the game has enjoyed each week since launch. 

The sales data, which covers physical sales, now shows that Pokémon Sword and Shield has surpassed the three million mark, outselling Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and getting close to the physical sales of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. 

• Pokémon Sword and Shield
• Luigi's Mansion
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
• Minecraft
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training
• Super Mario Party
• Fishing Spirits: Nintendo Switch Version
• Ring Fit Adventure

The sales charts show an absolute dominance Nintendo Switch enjoys in the Japanese market. It is another week where Switch games make up ninety percent of the top sellers, with only Minecraft managing to break through to the top ten.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are shaping up to be long-term sales monsters, much like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. With an expansion pass on the way, featuring two DLCs and over 200 new Pokémon, you can expect to see Sword and Shield maintain their chart dominance for quite some time. 

If you are a massive fan of the GameCube controller, and always wanted to see a real-life crossover with the Joy-Cons, then Youtuber Shank Mods has you covered. Shank Mods invested an insane amount of time and effort into creating these working GameCube Joy-Cons, and they look stunning. 

In a video on his Youtube channel, Shank goes into all the details of what it took to get this project to work. For the shell, he used the Wavebird, the official wireless GameCube controller. The larger body gave more room to fit all the parts he would need, and the dimensions lined up perfectly with the Switch. Most importantly, the feel of the GameCube controller remains intact, which was a crucial detail for Shank. 

After that came a marathon of cutting, scanning, 3D printing parts, gutting Joy-Cons, then putting it all back together in a completely new body. Oh, and soldering, a whole lot of soldering. Because he was aiming for full functionality, he also had to add new buttons to the controller to cover the extra features of the Nintendo Switch, such as the Share function, and secondary Z-buttons. For help with this part, he sought help from Bassline, an expert when it comes to carving new buttons for the GameCube. After a lot of trial and error, printing new parts, and overcoming impossible to predict issues, the working GameCube Joy-Cons was complete. 

Just like the real Joy-Cons,  you can play with them connected to the body of the Nintendo Switch, or you can use them connected while the Switch is docked. On top of the hard work done by Shank, it is a wonderful look at how helpful and supportive the modding community can be.

Nintendo is planning further updates to their 2019 Mario level builder Super Mario Maker 2, though no firm plans have currently been announced.

Official updates via Nintendo’s website are relatively challenging to find. Still, blog posts for each of the games can be found throughout, and updates for Super Mario Maker 2 via the website posts have indicated that there are plans afoot to add more updates to the game. The previous patches have helped to address issues with network play, as well as a content drop in December last year that added many new items, including Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda series. The full list of new inclusions can be found here.

While it wasn’t previously made clear in other communications, the entry does appear to confirm at the end that more updates are scheduled to be released for the game. Whether this will come in the form of more fixes and optimisation or additional content for builders to add to their arsenal of goodies remains to be seen. 

One of 2019’s best games, Super Mario Maker 2 released in June and picked up where its predecessor left off. Offering a fantastic story mode with plenty of new levels to try and expanded options for builders looking to make their crazy creations, the game had sold almost four million units worldwide by September 2019. Further content inclusions could help to push that number closer to the 10 million figure.

While it is still surprising that a game the size of The Witcher 3 was ported to the Switch, it is less surprising that Saber Interactive, the team behind the port, is still working on ways to make the game run better on the platform. The game does have some resolution and frame rate issues, but there is a way to improve how it will perform on the Nintendo Switch. 

Update 3.4 is an optional update that improves performance, so if you have been unhappy with how the game has been running, it is a good idea to download it to see if it improves things for you. While Update 3.4 has been available since the game launched, it seems that a lot of players didn't know it existed. The update is optional, so it will not automatically download.

To download Update 3.4, go to the game on your home screen, then open up the options menu by hitting the + button. Select "Software Update," then "Via the Internet" to check and see if Update 3.4 is available. If you haven't already downloaded it, it should come back as an option. Install the update; then you are good to go. 

The update should provide a bump in the graphical fidelity of the game, improve frame rates, and less lag. The update clocks in at about 3GB, so depending on your internet speeds, it could take a little while to download. The only issue with the update is that some users have reported problems with none-English subtitles after downloading the update.

We are not sure why this update was made optional, but it might be worth using the same method to check for further updates in the future, just in case anything is hiding on the servers. 

A teenage gamer in Texas has saved the life of a fellow gamer after calling the emergency services almost 5,000 miles away when she heard that he was having a seizure during a gaming session. 

The Liverpool Echo reports that Dia Lathora, from Texas, was gaming with Aidan Jackson from Widnes, UK on January 2 when she began to hear that he was having a seizure, which she heard over his microphone while he was still wearing his headset. With his parents unaware of the situation, Dia took the initiative and called the emergency services.

She told the Liverpool Echo, "I just put my headset back on and I heard what I could only describe as a seizure, so obviously I started to get worried and immediately started asking what was going on and if he was okay, when he didn’t respond I instantly started to look up the emergency number for the EU.”

She had difficulty contacting emergency services and instead went through to a non-emergency line.

"When that didn’t work, I just had to hope the non-emergency would work, it had an option for talking to a real person...and I can’t tell you how quickly I clicked that button.

"It takes longer to get help if they can’t understand me, I told him that I wasn’t from the EU and I was trying to get help for my friend who had just had a seizure, in England.”

Aiden’s parents were unaware of the situation as they were watching television at the time of the incident, and were only alerted once the medical team arrived. Aiden’s mother Caroline was incredibly appreciative of Dia’s intervention.

She said, “We are so thankful for what Dia did. I'm sure it's not every day that Cheshire emergency services get a phone call all the way from America. We can’t thank Dia and the emergency services enough for what they did, considering the 4,750 miles between Dia and Aidan.”

Aiden, who suffers from ADHD and Asperger's, has recovered after the second instance of a seizure after his first in May 2019. 

It seems it's too much to ask for one person to celebrate his birthday amidst the news of not all Pokémon being in Sword and Shield.

Junichi Masuda, who has been with Game Freak since Pokémon Red and Green in Japan released in 1996, celebrated his 52nd birthday on Jan. 12. Many Pokémon fans from around the globe have wished him a happy birthday, but there are still some who are mad about the missing Pokémon not in Sword and Shield. 

While the majority of comments were positive, there were some toxic comments from ungrateful fans. One Japanese Twitter user called out Masuda about the missing Pokémon, to which Masuda, surprisingly, responded:

今日は休日だし誕生日なので、ゆっくりさせてもらえませんか？

— 増田順一@GAME FREAK inc. (@Junichi_Masuda) January 12, 2020

MUKAKINHIMESA's tweet roughly translates to, "Please say a word about the deletion of older Pokémon in order to earn money through DLC." Masuda's response is translated as, "It's a holiday today and it's my birthday, so could you take it easy?" 

It is understandable to ask a question regarding the decisions made with DLC, as it has been announced that there will be two expansion packs for Pokémon Sword and Shield. But it is still disrespectful when Masuda only wanted to celebrate his birthday and thank his family, friends, and fans for the wishes and support.

Sadly, not only were some Japanese users complaining, but there are some vocal Western users who took to Twitter to complain to Masuda as well.

たくさんのバースデーメッセージやイラストありがとうございました！！パワーもらいました！感謝！！みんなに「楽しい！」と言ってもらえるよう、気持ちを新たに気を引き締めて頑張ります！
Thank you for your birthday wish! I’m very happy!

— 増田順一@GAME FREAK inc. (@Junichi_Masuda) January 13, 2020

Hours later, he expressed his gratitude to those who wished him a happy birthday, but there are still hateful people that took to drastic measures to make an obscene PhotoShopped image containing the likeness of Masuda and another Game Freak employee and a spiteful hashtag, which we will spare you from. The Twitter user seems to be an account to represent the #BringBackNationalDex trend, while also retweeting other people's tweets regarding the controversial topic. 

Thankfully, there was more positive than negative for when fans responded to Masuda, hoping that his birthday went well and saying that they are grateful for a hopeful future for Pokémon Sword and Shield's DLC. 

 

2020 will be a big year for Nintendo, and not just with Nintendo Switch games.

Progress is underway on the opening of Super Nintendo World, the latest addition to Universal Studios Japan. It’s slated to open just in time for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the latest pictures reveal that it’s getting closer to reality.

The pictures come from Imgur, and, at first glance, there’s really not much to see, since a lot of scaffolding is in the way. However, upon closer inspection, you can make out some familiar structures.

In the first image below, you can kind of see the top of what appears to be Mario’s house, complete with a flag on top. (No, it’s not likely you’ll be able to grab onto it and slide down like Mario did. Still, great to see.)

Next up, there’s some work going on for the tower of Bowser’s castle, as it looks similar to what we see in the games.

Here’s a bigger shot of Bowser’s castle, with a little more of its structure in view. Again, there’s a lot of scaffolding, but it is noticeable.

There’s not much to see here, aside from the obvious Waterworld stunt show. But Super Nintendo World looks to take up quite a bit of space in the park.

In this shot, you can see just how large Super Nintendo World is. And there’s a sign of that tower again, along with another building that’s in construction.

And, apparently, Yoshi can’t hide from the spotlight. He is Yoshi, after all. (It’s almost like he's saying, "Soon.")

When the park opens in Japan next spring (and Beijing sometime in 2021, with a similar setup), it should draw in Nintendo fans old and young alike. It’s set to focus on two huge rides — Super Mario Kart Ride and Yoshi’s Adventure — and will have additional opportunities to relive moments from the game.

It’s great to see that a deal that’s been in the works between Nintendo and Universal since 2016 is finally taking fruition. Check out the initial groundbreaking announcement in the video below.

Over the years, we have been people do some incredible things in Minecraft. Still, it is possible that the Floo Network modders behind the "Minecraft School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" has produced one of the most incredibly detailed and complex builds yet. 

In a new gameplay trailer, the modding group has shown off the incredible attention to detail that has gone into building this world. Fan-favorite locations like Hogwarts, Hagrid's hut, and Diagon Alley can all be seen, but what stands out are the interiors. The Great Hall, Ollivander's, and the Chamber of Secrets all show an incredible amount of detail. 

Floo Network is not working on a fancy look sightseeing tour either; there are plenty of wizardly activities to keep you occupied in the world. You'll need to solve puzzles, make your way through treacherous locations, and fight against enemies. You can also find loot from the books, including a nice Butterbeer. The modders are trying to give players an authentic Harry Potter experience, and you will be able to visit the classroom for the Defence Against The Dark Arts, as well as other important parts of Hogwarts made famous in the best-selling series of books. You will even be able to visit the train station, and Platform 9 3/4, the very place that Harry begins his journey to Hogwart's for the very first time. 

The team hopes to be able to release the mod to the public before the end of January. While no exact release date is known, if you wish to keep up to date on announcements, you can join the Floo Network Discord to be some of the first people informed about it. 

Despite the lack of real attention to the video games market over the last few years, Japanese publisher Konami has announced that they are to release a brand new IP exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

Named Solomon Program, the game was announced by Manga publisher CoroCoro Online at the same time as a manga supporting the new game, and first reported by Gematsu. While details are thin on the ground, the game appears to be a turn-based monster battler with attacks made by using machine inputs, while there is also elements of monster collecting reminiscent of Nintendo’s Pokémon.

Konami has been very reluctant to scale up any video game development in recent years following a tighter focus on its pachinko machine manufacturing business arm. Aside from yearly updates to the Pro Evolution Soccer series and a small smattering of games such as 2019’s disappointing Contra: Rogue Corps and 2017s Super Bomberman R, Konami has kept its distance from developing large games or introducing any new franchises.

However, with the potential that comes with a monster collecting game, as Pokémon has proven in the past, this new franchise could be what’s needed to encourage Konami back into the video game sector again. 

While there is no news of a release date, a demo code of the game is set to be included with the special edition of MiraCoro Comic, which is where the manga adaptation of the game is set to be released and is due on Jan 17 in Japan. This could point towards a release for 2020 in Japan, with a possible western release later this year.

A quiet removal of a game’s promotional site could be hinting at its return on a new platform.

A report from Lootpots notes that Nintendo of America quietly deactivated its website for Pikmin 3, the cute little sequel that launched on the Wii U back in 2013. The site was a smorgasbord of information, including details on missions within the game, as well as how hero Captain Olimar and the other explorers could learn a thing or two in Pikminology 101. All that remains on the page now are broken DLC links to Nintendo’s product page.

But fret not. While some may be mourning the demise of the Wii U classic, the game could find a new life on the Nintendo Switch. Buzz has been building for some time about it making some kind of comeback, mainly from IGN.

During a recent episode of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast, co-founder and chief content officer Peer Schneider hinted that two big Wii U ports were coming to the Switch. 

Though he didn’t mention them by name, he said, "The secret Wii U ports that are being discussed; one of them is a nine out of 10 for me, and one of them is more of a six out of 10..."

To stir up further speculation, he added, "I really liked what Nintendo did with their take on real-time strategy games."

Nintendo hasn’t really dabbled much in the real-time strategy field, so this does point more towards Pikmin 3. And considering that there hasn’t been much new information on the rumored Pikmin 4 lately, a port of the last game is a novel idea.

Nintendo reportedly will have some kind of Direct special set to air this month. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but it’s still early in the month.

In the meantime, the Wii U product listing page for Pikmin 3remains active. For those that missed it, it’s a charming little adventure where explorers utilize the help of various colored Pikmin characters to battle enemies, recover food for their home planet and solve puzzles. It’s one of the platform’s more memorable games, and you can revisit it in the trailer below.

Since its surprise arrival early last year, Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends has become a massive hit in the battle royale arena. But what happens if you launch an arena battle and...there’s no arena?

A player recently shared such an experience over on Reddit. In the video clip, which is also linked below, players drop into a typical battle of Apex Legends. However, there doesn’t appear to be a map. As a result, the glitch creates some kind of psychedelic effect, with colors blurring everywhere.

But did that stop the players from taking each other on? Surprisingly, no. There was still room to run around this map, even without said map; and although players couldn’t pick up weapons (since they weren’t really included here), they did the next best thing — they took part in a fist fight.

Dropped into a map-less game and everyone fist-fought to the death from r/apexlegends

Details on how the glitch came about weren’t revealed (ironically, the user that posted it was named u/AnonyMousBnS), but some Reddit regulars had suggestions as to how this happened.

A user by the name of WildSauce had a pretty good suggestion. “Kings canyon and the training range both have the same skybox. We know that players preload into the training range before legend selection, this was the source of the spawn noise and cough that you used to be able to hear sometimes. My guess is that this glitch is due to people loading into the training range but then for some reason the server doesn't switch into the actual map.”

Another user by the name of TheTachyonic added, “Players were loaded into repulsor before the game back in the day. I’m sure worlds edge works the same way that there’s some area they spawn into. But loading training range would not make any sense at all.”

Respawn hasn’t said anything officially about the glitch yet. But its existence has players curious to try it out. One suggested the addition of a “Psilocybin mode,” while another requested a “petition for a Coliseum-style gamemode”.

We’re not sure if this is still happening in the game, or if it was a one-time occurrence. But, yeah, we’d definitely give it a try, just to trip out a little bit, man. Cue the 60’s music.

Apex Legends is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Last week, Nintendo and Game Freak revealed an expansion pass for Pokemon Sword and Shield. Along with a number of new customization features, the pass will also introduce two new areas to explore — The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. Today, the official Pokemon UK account revealed the real-world locations that inspired the creation of these two new areas.

After providing a reminder about the expansion pass, the tweet read, “Did you know? The Isle of Armor was inspired by the Isle of Man, and the Crown Tundra was inspired by Scotland!” It also showed off the following images from the trailer, showing off the differences between the two:

The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. Along with its tranquil beauty and Celtic-Norse history, it’s also become the home for the renowned Isle of Man TT motorcycle races (and accompanying video games), and is also home to a breed of the Manx cat. You can read up about it on its Wikipedia page.

And, of course, Scotland has its own history as part of the United Kingdom. You can learn more about it in detail here on Wikipedia. It does make for a good spot when it comes to Crown Tundra’s wintery setting.

The tweet didn’t indicate whether the developers at Game Freak paid a visit to these locations to capture them more accurately within the game. However, judging by what we’ve seen in the first trailer thus far, they definitely look like they’re worth exploring. And who knows, Pokemon fans might just book a vacation in real life and see what they can capture in Pokemon GO (depending on cell phone reception, obviously).

Check out the latest trailer for Pokemon Sword and Shield’s expansion below. The Isle of Armor is set to debut in June, while The Crown Tundra will follow in the fall.

Pokemon Sword and Shield’s expansion pass is available for pre-purchase now on Nintendo Switch. You can also find it on the Nintendo eShop.

The Shedu is a secret weapon that was added to Warframe in the Empyrean update. Taking the form of an Arm Cannon, the gun encompasses the entire arm of a Warframe, and sit upon their shoulder. The weapon does not need ammo and instead will recharge ammo when not being fired. It fires a beam that does Heat damage and causes area-of-effect Electric damage upon impact. 

To get the Shedu, you will need to complete the hidden Erra quest.

How to Start the Erra Quest

The Erra quest can only be accessed after you do a particular action in a Railjack mission. The first thing you will need is a Paracesis weapon, which can be obtained from the Chimera Prologue quest. To start the Chimera Prologue, you need to have completed The Sacrifice, and then visit your quarters in the Orbiter. 

You will need to bring the Paracesis to the Veil Proxima on the Empyrean missions Star Chart. You will need to have one of the Intrinsics skill trees at Rank 7 to access this area. 

A Sentient ship will appear on one of the nodes in Veil Promima for 30 minutes at a time and will be marked by a flashing red symbol. You will need to find and board this ship, then track down a red crystal that it houses. If you destroy the crystal with a Paracesis, you will be able to access the Erra quest from your quarters on the Orbiter. The mini-quest plays out in some cutscenes, and when they are over, you will have a blueprint for the Shedu. 

You will also need to farm the following parts:

• Barrel
• Chassis
• Handle
• Receiver

These parts can drop from Symbilysts that are found on the Sentient Ship in the Veil Proxima. To find the Sentient Ship, we would suggest using the timer on the Semlar website. When you have farmed all the pieces, you can build the Shedu in your Foundry. It has a 24 hour build time, which can be skipped for 35 Platinum, Warframe's premium currency. 

Earlier today, we posted a story about how progress was coming along with the Super Nintendo World theme park that’s opening in Universal Studios Japan in July. It’s fun to see how well it’s coming along, as it’s going to be the focus of a big announcement coming tomorrow, Jan. 14.

The official Universal Studios Japan Twitter account posted the update, indicating that the announcement will take place within just a matter of hours. The tweet is below, but here’s its translation:

“SUPER NINTENDO WORLD tomorrow noon. Announce the latest information! Don't miss the post tomorrow!”

【予告】
明日のお昼頃、SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™の最新情報を発表！
明日の投稿をお見逃しなく！#USJ#Nintendo#SUPERNINTENDOWORLDpic.twitter.com/goP5BWfdDp

— ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン公式 (@USJ_Official) January 13, 2020

The announcement could go a number of ways.

First, we could get a more detailed update on how the park is coming along, instead of just photos from the outside. We might even get a first glimpse inside, showcasing what’s to come with its two rides — based on Yoshi’s Adventure and a Mario Kart — as well as its interactive gaming exhibits. Since it’s opening in a few months, it’s probably due for a sneak peek.

Secondly, Universal Studios Japan could announce something new for the park. It could be anything, from a Mario Party-type stage show (which we would totally take part in) to a Donkey Kong-themed adventure. There’s room in this park for all sorts of attractions, so the sky’s the limit.

Finally, perhaps a new location. Universal and Nintendo have poured a great deal of money into both the Japan and Beijing parks, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they announced a third location. This is probably the least likely of the three, since the announcement is just for Universal Studios Japan and not the company in general. Still, you never know.

Super Nintendo World is slated to open this summer in Japan (in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games), and in Beijing in early 2021.

Epic Games is launching a new crossover with, well, Epic Games, as it turns the Fortnite skin Rustlord into a character in Battle Breakers. Rustlord joins a large cast of heroes already in Battle Breakers, including a few fellow Fortnite characters.

According to Epic Games, Rustlord is available now in the Battle Breakers hero store. Just after Battle Breakers launched, Epic added a few characters from Fortnite's Save the World mode (Jess, Kyle, and Ramirez, for the familiar), and unlocked a Battle Breakers character named Razor in Save the World. Late last year, Epic added a second Battle Breakers skin, Kurohomura, to Save the World.

Lord of the scrap heap 💥

Rustlord is dropping into @BattleBreakers.

Grab him in the #BattleBreakers Hero Store now! pic.twitter.com/78lG9rK8Z5

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) January 13, 2020

Battle Breakers officially launched in November, about 2 years after it began testing in some territories, starting with the Philippines. Epic describes it as a “cartoon-inspired, Hero Collector RPG built as a passion project.”

The core of the game is recruiting new heroes and assembling them into the perfect team to fight their way through the game’s tactical dungeon battles and take down huge bosses. While it’s obviously nowhere near as popular as Fortnite, the game does have a dedicated following and gets regularly updated with new characters and in-game events.

Rustlord may not be the most exciting Fortnite skin to add to Battle Breakers, but it’s one with a long history among the Fortnite community. First launched in Season 3, the Rustlord skin — unofficially based of Star-Lord from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy — was a relatively low-tier reward on the game’s battle pass.

Related: Fortnite: Chapter 2's Best Skins

The ease of acquiring Rustlord, along with its generally junky look, immediately turned Rustlord into a joke. Rustlord became so much of an insult, in fact, that at least one kid got in trouble at school for calling another student a “Rust Lord.”