Fortnite Announces Music-Inspired OG Chapter 2 ‘Remix’ Season with spots from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and More
Fortnite announced today that it is rolling out a new OG Battle Royale season, called Chapter 2 Remix, in partnership with Snoop Dogg, Ice Spice, Eminem, and, posthumously, Juice WLRD. In each week of November, Fortnite will have a waterfall rollout of new map locations “revamped” by the artists, culminating in a finale event.
Chapter 2 Remix was revealed alongside a surprise billboard takeover of Times Square in New York City on Friday night with performances from Ice Spice and Snoop Dogg. (Ice Spice played “Princess Diana,” and Snoop Dogg did “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”, “Gorgeous,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and “The Next Episode.”) The concert was also livestreamed simultaneously on Fortnite.
Week 1 will have Snoop Dogg’s touch, remixing the point of interest formerly known as The Agency as The Dogg Pound. It will also bring back the boogie bomb that triggers “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
The in-game compound was at least partially inspired by his actual 30+ room compound – converted from a warehouse 10 years ago – located nearby the Los Angeles International Airport, his son Cordell Broadus told press after the event. “[There’s a] casino, green room, basketball court, club… He’s super creative in the physical world so we wanted to create that in the digital landscape as well,” said Broadus, who started the studio Death Row Games with his dad in 2023.
“I just wanted the whole feel of my world being brought into Fortnite,” Snoop Dogg added.
Week 2 will reveal Eminem’s takeover of The Grotto as Spaghetti Grotto (a play on his Mom’s Spaghetti restaurant in Detroit) with a “Rap God” machine gun that spits out lyrics to the 2013 song.
Week 3 drops Ice Spice’s Y2K, New York-inspired Shark Island. Finally, Week 4 will pay homage to Juice WLRD, who died in 2021 at just 21 years old. Epic says it worked closely with his mother, estate, and label, Interscope to bring this to life. “Jarad always loved to play Fortnite – it was more than just entertainment for him, it was a way to connect with others,” his mother, Carmela Wallace, said in a statement.
The new season will launch in three phases: on November 1, with The Prelude; on November 2, with the offical launch of Chapter 2, and on November 30, with The Finale, which will be a yet-to-be-announced in-game event. Any players who attend, however, will receive a free cel-shaded outfit.
“We’re starting to see artists understand that gaming is an interesting and important place to meet fans where they are,” said Nate Nanzer, VP of Global Partnerships, at a press event before the concert. “There’s a lot of experimentation bringing music and gaming closer together.”
Emily Levy, the director of strategic partnerships, said that artists see an 8.7% lift of consumption on streaming platforms after bringing music into the game. “Fortnite has become a necessary stop for artists on their tours, to engage on their campaigns and release cycles,” she said.
At the same event, Fortnite also announced kicks, a new cosmetic item; players will now be able to pick cusom shoes for their avatars to wear. The first will be a classic pair of Air Jordan high tops.
Leanna Butkovic is IGN’s Editorial Project Manager.
Arcade1Up Limited-Edition Pac-Man Cabinet & New Countercade Available At Amazon
Arcade1Up has released plenty of Pac-Man arcade cabinets over the years, but the newest full-size addition to its catalog might be the coolest yet. Launched on October 8, the Arcade1Up Limited-Edition Pac-Man Plus Deluxe Cabinet is now available for purchase at Amazon. Due to Arcade1Up labeling this particular Pac-Man cabinet a “limited edition,” it would appear that once Amazon sells out, Pac-Man Plus will be gone for good.
If you don’t have room for the Pac-Man Plus Deluxe Cabinet or want a more affordable way to play Pac-Man, Arcade1Up just released a new Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga Countercade. Though both of the new machines are listed as available now, Amazon currently estimates orders won’t arrive until November 19.
$500
This cabinet features a striking wood panel-inspired design, giving it an extremely retro flair. It’s a more minimalistic style than the usual Arcade1Up cabinet, but it does have a wrap-around scene with ghosts chasing the ever-hungry Pac-Man and an RGB light strip beneath the cabinet that produces an under-glow effect.
Adding to its authentic look is the faux molded coin door and light-up marque dubbing Pac-Man Plus an “Exciting New” iteration of the classic game. It also has a faux-molded coin door.
The control panel has a real-feel joystick, six buttons, and switches for power and volume. Like other Arcade1Up Deluxe cabinets, Pac-Man Plus has a 17-inch screen, dual speaker system, and stands in at 61 inches (just over five feet) without needing a separate riser.
Here’s a look at the games available on the Pac-Man Plus Deluxe Cabinet:
- Pac-Man
- Dig Dug
- Dig Dug 2
- Pac-Mania
- Pac & Pal
- Super Pac-Man
- Pac-Man Plus
- Pac-Land
- Galaga
- Galaxian
- Galaga ‘88
- Mappy
- Rompers
- Rolling Thunder
You can even sync your scores online to a global leaderboard to see how you stack up to other players. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with Ms. Pac-Man, but Ms. Pac-Man fans should check out the countercade below.
$150
The Arcade1Up Class of ’81 Countercade features a 7-inch LCD screen, full-size arcade controls, and a cool design that’s wrapped in retro Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga graphics. The officially licensed tabletop machine can be powered by AA batteries or Micro USB. The Class of ’81 Countercade comes with three games:
More Arcade1Up Pac-Man Cabinets
Some Arcade1Up Pac-Man cabinets are no longer manufactured, but a few other standing cabinets are still available, including the full-size version of Class of ’81, a traditional Pac-Man Deluxe Cabinet with a bright yellow color scheme, and a machine themed around Pac-Mania. The Pac-Mania and yellow Pac-Man machines come with the same 14 games you get with with Pac-Man Limited Edition. Meanwhile, Class of ’81 is the cabinet for Ms. Pac-Man fans.
If you like all of the designs, the most affordable option is the Pac-Mania-themed model. Amazon is selling Arcade1Up’s Pac-Mania machine for $362 (was $500). It also comes with 100 bonus stickers.
Evercade Alpha: A more versatile countercade
If you like the idea of a countercade but don’t want to be restricted to a small number of games, Blaze Entertainment’s Evercade Alpha releases November 28 in two styles: Street Fighter and Mega Man. Each countercade comes with six games made by Capcom, but the big draw here is support for the 60-plus Evercade cartridge compilations. Evercade cartridges are themed around classic arcade, console, and handheld games for $20-$25 each. Our Evercade Alpha review will be published soon; it’s a very impressive and versatile machine.
If you preorder the Evercade Alpha, you’ll save $20 off its $250 list price.
5 Great Games To Clear Off Your Backlog
Play it on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Current goal: Get some gaming spooks in for the season
This year, Halloween fell on a Thursday, and I was so busy with work and other things that I didn’t manage to make much time for spooky gaming in the days leading up to it. I still have a hankering for some interactive scares, however, so this weekend, I hope to play one of the landmark games in the history of survival horror, officially translated into English and released in the States for the first time: Clock Tower. The new version, Clock Tower: Rewind, comes to us courtesy of WayForward and represents my first real chance to play the 1995 SNES horror classic.
I actually don’t know much about the original Clock Tower, and I’ve kept it that way on purpose, as I want to go in knowing as little as possible and figure it out for myself. It’s scarier that way. But in short, it’s a 2D, survival horror point-and-click game that tells the story of Jennifer, a teenage orphan who’s adopted by a family with a big, spooky manor, and finds herself stalked by a horrifying entity known as Scissorman. WayForward’s release lets you play an enhanced version of the game “which features numerous gameplay additions and quality-of-life refinements,” and I may check that out as well, but for starters, I’ll be playing in Original mode, and experiencing the game just like it was when it scared the socks off of so many Japanese players way back in 1995. Sure, it may be November now, but I’m gonna linger in late October for just a little bit longer if it’s all the same to you. — Carolyn Petit
Fanatical $12 Charity Bundle – Warhammer Rogue Trader, SteamWorld Build, And 13 More Games
Fanatical’s latest charity bundle includes 15 games for a minimum donation of $12. Not only is this a tremendous deal, but you’ll be supporting a great cause. All proceeds from the bundle go to Movember, a charity focused on raising awareness for and funding men’s health initiatives. Most of the games in the Movember Game ‘Stache Charity Bundle are marked as verified or playable on Steam Deck. While you’re checking out the bundle, make sure to browse Fanatical’s massive Birthday Bash, which features deals on thousands of PC games and is one of the retailer’s largest sales each year.
Movember Game ‘Stache Charity Bundle
- SteamWorld Build (Steam Deck playable)
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (Steam Deck verified)
- The Gunk (Steam Deck playable)
- American Truck Simulator (Steam Deck verified)
- Chivalry 2 (Steam Deck playable)
- The Escapists (Steam Deck playable)
- Doors: Paradox (Steam Deck playable)
- Panzer Corps 2
- Hello Neighbor
- For The King (Steam Deck playable)
- Inertial Drift (Steam Deck verified)
- Isonzo – Movember Handlbar DLC
- Filthy Animals | Heist Simulator
- Eastside Hockey Manager
- The Corridor (Steam Deck playable)
- The Little Acre (Steam Deck playable)
There are quite a few highlights here, starting with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, which retails for $50 on its own, making this bundle worthwhile even if you only want that. Rogue Trader. is a turn-based tactical combat game played from an isometric perspective. It takes place within the systems of the Koronus Expanse and lets you assemble a motley crew of allies to help you survive in this grim slice of the cosmos.
Another notable inclusion is SteamWorld Build, a base-building spin-off set in Thunderful Development’s colorful world of steam-powered robots. This entry lets you build your own town above ground and mine for precious resources beneath it. The SteamWorld series was created by Image & Form, an indie studio that became part of the larger Thunderful Group in 2020.
The studio’s final release under the Image & Form umbrella, The Gunk, is also included in the charity bundle. The Gunk is a clean-’em-up 3D adventure set on a newly discovered planet teeming with parasitic ooze. You’ll have to use cutting-edge cleaning equipment to remove the infestation.
Chilvary 2 is also a solid option here, especially if you’re in the mood for a Kingdom of Heaven simulator. It’s a first-person PvP game inspired by medieval movie battles, so expect siege warfare and hard-hitting combat with armored foes.
More Fanatical Bundles
Two other notable Fanatical bundles you can check out right now are the Build Your Own Prestige and Supreme Bundles. The Supreme Bundle is especially good, as you can grab a pair of games normally priced at $30 or more for $12.50 each, including RoboCop: Rogue City, Wild Bastards, Dungeons of Hinterberg, and High on Life. The more you grab, the better the discount. If you pick five or more games, the price drops to $11 per game.
Meanwhile, console gamers will want to pay a visit to Best Buy, as the site is hosting a buy one, get one 50% off game promotion. Hundreds of PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch physical games are on sale, including recent releases like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.
Everything You Need To Know About Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Since Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is the same game as the original, returning players should have a pretty good idea of its length and content. If you’re new to the game, though, you may be curious how long it’ll take to complete.
An average playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered should take you around 20 to 25 hours. This includes casually dabbling in a few side activities but mostly focusing on the main story. Of course, the remaster also includes the game’s only DLC, The Frozen Wilds, which can take another 10 to 15 hours to experience.
However, those seeking to see and do everything the main game and DLC has to offer can spend up to 80 hours exploring its stunning landscapes, to clear all the bandit camps, climb all of the Longnecks, and finish a wide variety of other optional but rewarding tasks—doing that ultimately results in earning its coveted Platinum trophy.
Skeleton Crew Trailer Is The Goonies In Space
It’s challenging to watch Disney’s new Skeleton Crew trailer and not compare it to The Goonies, which remains one of the best movies of all time. But, despite what many of us would like to believe, an entire generation or hasn’t seen The Goonies; they need their own version of a rag-tag group of kids embarking on an exciting adventure. Skeleton Crew may fill the gap, but only time will tell.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long. Skeleton Crew premiers on Disney Plus on December 3, with the series’ first two episodes available to stream on that day.
Starring Jude Law (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow), Kerry Condon (Unleashed), and Ryan Kiera (American Horror Story), Star Wars: Skeleton Crew tells the story of four young children who discover a strange underground bunker on their home planet, which leads to a galaxy-spanning adventure. It’s a tale filled with adventure, danger, a diverse array of alien lifeforms from throughout the Star Wars universe, and, of course, space travel, thanks to Law’s character.
Also, we didn’t expect to hear a Huttese version of Major Tom today, but that’s definitely a highlight from the trailer. Based on comments left on the trailer premier, most people seem excited for this series to air. You won’t find the usual discourse that typically surrounds upcoming Star Wars content, which is a pleasant surprise.
The first two episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+ on December 3.
Now that we have a Goonies-like adventure in Skeleton Crew, it’s time for Ewan McGregor’s dream of a live-action Star Wars: Clone Wars to come to fruition. How long must we wait for the Clone Wars in totally reimagined glory?!
Diablo 4 Boss’ Original Plan For Gears 6 Was Space Travel
It’s been five years since the last Gears games, and while Gears of War: E-Day was announced at Microsoft’s last big Xbox Showcase, there’s no word on if and when The Coalition will be continuing work on the story left behind in Gears 5. That game’s executive producer, Rod Ferguson, recently shared what his plan was for the sequel at the time, and it’s not at all what I was expecting.
One of the final open-world exploration sections of Gears 5 revolves around exploring an old space program that belonged to the UIR in order to re-launch a Hammer of Dawn that can be used to fight off the resurgent Locust. It’s one of the most beautiful sections of the game, complete with impressive sandstorms, striking industrial ruins, and Mars-like red sandscapes. Ferguson said on the latest episode of IGN’s Podcast Unlocked that this was The Coalition tipping its hand to what he had in mind for Gears 6.
“At the highest level, I was just getting us off [the planet of Sera],” he said regarding early planning docs for the sequel. “So Gears 6 was to leave Sera, and so that was something we were building to. If you watch the story, if you pay attention to the story in Gears 5, you kind of come across that UIR rocket technology and that kind of stuff we were laying the seeds and the groundwork that by taking over this UIR territory, we’ve also kind of inherited their space program. So what I wanted to do with Gears 6 was to get you off Sera to encounter what that could mean for the rest of the galaxy or at least the rest of the solar system.”
Ferguson, who left The Coalition in 2020 shortly after Gears 5 launched and is currently leading Diablo IV at Blizzard, said that space exploration would have been less like Mass Effect than the Sputnik era of the 1950s space race. Presumably, travel would be slow, costly, and strategic. It no doubt would have introduced new alien enemy types as well, potentially introducing some interesting sci-fi mysteries about the origins of human and Locust life on Sera.
The industry veteran suggested those ideas, which didn’t sound like anything more than a pitch document at the time, were scrapped as The Coalition works instead on mining Gears’ past with a prequel centered around Emergence Day, the franchise’s version of the Invasion of Normandy when millions of Locust came out of holes in the ground to attack humanity, eventually leading to the use of weapons of mass destruction that ended up crippling Sera’s surface-dwelling nations.
Gears 5 also ended with a cliffhanger related to a choice about which main character to rescue, the consequences of which would seemingly get hashed out in Gears 6. It sounded like the plan was for the most popular choice among players to become the canonical one. Though, at the rate the franchise is going, it could be years before fans get to see that play out in a game.
Chappell Roan’s SNL Look Has Dragon Age Fans Excited
We love Chappell Roan here at Kotaku. The “Good Luck, Babe” singer puts out queer bangers, dresses up in chainmail at award shows, and has cultivated a fanbase of gay nerds who record her shows on Nintendo handhelds. So when she shows up on Saturday Night Live this weekend on November 2, I will be tuned in and seated. But before the show airs, Roan has already appeared in some promotional material for the show, and her outfit has activated Dragon Age fans, as if they aren’t already having a stimulating week after the launch of The Veilguard on Halloween.
Roan is scheduled to be the musical guest for this week’s Saturday Night Live, with stand-up comedian and former SNL writer John Mulaney set to host the show. Both appeared in some promotional videos for the episode, and yeah, Mulaney is there, but Roan’s elaborate outfit is the star of the show. The green and gold outfit features a huge crescent headpiece with gold waist pieces stretching out to the side that seemingly double as armrests. The whole fit is something straight out of a fantasy RPG, and folks in fandoms like Final Fantasy are jumping on the jokes. However, Dragon Age is fresh in everyone’s minds and I, too, had to laugh at how Roan’s outfit is evocative of Ghilan’nain, one of the elven gods the player faces in The Veilguard.
Ghilan’nain is a blighted elf, and without getting too into the weeds, that means her body has been twisted into a monstrous eldritch horror. This lady has multiple sets of arms and tentacles, and her face is hidden under a mask connected to a crescent headpiece. In close-up shots you can see her face is just as horrifying beneath the mask, and why she was so willing to become this monstrosity is part of the story you’ll uncover in The Veilguard. With the headpiece and tendril-like appendages, Roan’s outfit calls to mind the elven god of guides and navigation, so Dragon Age fans are all making the same joke.
Ghilan’nain is nothing like Chappell Roan, though. Is the elven god a queer icon? I mean, not yet, but she could be. But all I’ve ever seen her do is try to kill the queer friend group that is The Veilguard. That’s not very “ally” of her.
The Veilguard Sets Launch Day Steam Record For EA
Long-time fans of the Dragon Age franchise impatiently waited for ten years between the launch of Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Despite the lengthy downtime between entries and the drastic changes in gameplay and art style in the latest release, it appears BioWare didn’t lose its magic touch for the series. It’s been revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is EA’s biggest single-player game launch on Steam to date, outshining even Star Wars Jedi: Survivor last year, which topped charts and broke player records for the publisher.
On launch day, Dragon Age: The Veilguard enjoyed an all-time peak player count of just over 70,000, which is truly impressive for a single-player game. The day after launch—a work day for most people—saw those numbers sitting around 62,000. Now, I know many people will think 70,000 isn’t all that impressive, as it doesn’t break the top ten most-played games on Steam, but it did surpass Baldur’s Gate 3 for a time, which is no small feat. Even more impressive is that, on day one, Dragon Age: The Veilguard outsold Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Steam, pushing the FPS down a spot on the top seller’s leaderboard.
If you spend any amount of time online today, you’ll find plenty of discourse surrounding Dragon Age: The Veilguard. A vocal minority continues downplaying its significance, claiming the Monster Hunter Wilds beta test outperforms the full Dragon Age release. Yeah, it does. But Monster Hunter Wilds is a free-to-play, limited beta. So, obviously it’ll outperform a full-price RPG. We can celebrate both!
So, why is Dragon Age: The Veilguard outperforming EA’s other single-player hits? It’s a well-crafted RPG with action-combat mechanics, impressive world design, perhaps one of the best character creators in the genre, and an expansive storyline spanning nearly 100 hours to complete. Oh, and it’s Steam Deck compatible and doesn’t require the EA App!
If you’re jumping into Dragon Age: The Veilguard this weekend, pay close attention if you want to unlock the game’s secret ending!
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Aeternum, As Told By Steam Reviews
On launch, New World broke records and amassed a massive playerbase of over one million concurrent players. But like my high school bully, that towering monstrosity of an MMORPG somehow managed to peak quickly and drop off the face of the planet. Despite the lackluster reception after its first month, Amazon Game Studios didn’t throw in the towel as so many expected of them. Instead, they kept refining the gameplay, redesigning entire zones, and offered players in a handcrafted world with some of the genre’s best gathering and crafting elements. Now, a few years and a single expansion later, the team revamped the experience with New World: Aeternum.
What is New World: Aeternum? It’s a total overhaul of the MMORPG, featuring large-scale PvP, a 10-player raid, end-game solo content, a revamped solo experience for story-centric players, better quality-of-life features, controller support…oh, and swimming mechanics. It’s a lot to take in, especially if you’re a returning player willing to give Amazon’s MMO one more shot.
Read More: How To Get Started in New World Aeternum
Order New World: Aeternum: Amazon | Best Buy
However, if you are a returning player, remember that to access all of the content in Aeternum, you require the expansion, Rise of the Angry Earth, which retails for $29.99. It’s an expensive entry price for an MMO with a history of mediocrity in many players’ eyes.
That said, it’s sitting at ‘Mixed’ reviews on Steam following a lackluster launch—yet again—that left many fans fidgeting in their gaming chairs. Most didn’t mind leaving a negative review, though, so we have plenty of those to sift through. Unfortunately, it was tough to find any ASCII artwork or meme reviews this time, which is highly unusual for Steam user reviews. Most people simply wanted to complain about poor UI changes, controller support, and Amazon customer support. Despite the negativity, it’s steadily seen a healthy 40,000 concurrent players since relaunch, albeit a micro-slice of the 913,000 it once saw three years ago.
If you’re on the fence about whether to play New World Aeternum, here’s a look at the MMO from a different perspective—that of your peers within the gaming community. Here is New World: Aeternum, as told by Steam reviews!
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