Month: September 2019

Borderlands 3 launched on PC as an Epic Games Store exclusive, a decision that generated some amount of controversy. Now, Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford has revealed that the PC version of Borderlands 3 is off to a tremendous start.

The executive said the number of peak concurrent players–that is, the highest number of people playing at the same time–is around double the all-time peak concurrent player record set by Borderlands 2. “WoW! You guys are great!” Pitchford exclaimed.

The launch-day peak concurrent user milestone didn’t stand for long, as Borderlands 3 grew even larger in the days after release, Pitchford said.

“This greatly exceeds expectations, and our systems seem to be holding strong!” Pitchford said about the record-breaking numbers.

Borderlands 3 is exclusive on PC to the Epic Games Store until April 2020, at which time it may launch on Steam and other digital storefronts.

There is no word on how the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Borderlands 3 are performing from a user perspective, but more information should become available in due course.

For more on Borderlands 3, check out GameSpot’s Borderlands 3 review and extended coverage in the feature below: Borderlands 3: How Long Is It, Review, Guides, Endgame, And More

It’s a good week to be a Nintendo Switch owner. This episode of New Releases takes a look at The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake, Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns, and Castle Crashers Remastered–all coming to the handheld console. Those aren’t the only remasters either; Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is also launching this week. Finally, the zany indie Untitled Goose Game is also on the way.

Castle Crashers Remastered — September 17

Available on: Switch

The 2008 Xbox Live Arcade classic is out now on Xbox One, and this week Switch owners can enjoy the beat-’em-up action in four-player co-op or take each other on in the arena. This remaster includes the original game, plus all of its DLC, all running at 60 FPS. There’s also a new mini-game called Back Off Barbarian.

More Coverage:

• Castle Crashers Remastered Gets A Release Date on Switch; PS4 Version To Follow

• Castle Crashers Remastered – New Mini-Game Gameplay

Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns — September 19

Available on: Switch

For the uninitiated, Puzzle Quest is an RPG where you battle foes by playing a match-three puzzle game. Once you choose a class, you can cast spells and make attacks based on combinations of colored gems as you clear the board. The Legend Returns includes the original game and all previous expansions, plus a brand-new one titled Attack of the Golem Lord.

More Coverage:

• Puzzle Quest Remastered “The Legend Returns” Announced For Nintendo Switch

• 15 Minutes Of Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns Gameplay

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening — September 20

Available on: Switch

This is a full-on remake of Link’s Awakening on the Game Boy. While it offers the same story and dungeons across Koholint Island, there’s also a completely fresh art style, reimagined soundtrack, and even a special dungeon editor. Tap an Amiibo, and you can unlock extra mini-games and chambers for that dungeon-builder. Tap the Link’s Awakening Amiibo specifically, and you’ll summon Shadow Link.

More Coverage:

• Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Everything We Know About The Nintendo Switch Remake

• GameStop Announces Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus For Link’s Awakening

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered — September 20

Available on: PS4, PC

Ni no Kuni’s Studio Ghibli-inspired visuals were already impressive when the original released in 2010–the beloved studio actually animated the game’s cinematic cut scenes–but the remaster somehow looks even better, running at 60 FPS. Otherwise it’s the same RPG from nearly a decade ago. Speaking of which, the original Ni no Kuni (not the remaster) is also headed to Nintendo Switch on September 20.

More Coverage:

• Ni no Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch Remastered Revealed

• Ni no Kuni PS4 Remastered Breathtaking Gameplay | E3 2019

Untitled Goose Game — September 20

Available on: PC, Switch

As the name says, this game is about a goose, and that goose’s mission is to bother the citizens of a small village. You’ll do that by running around, flapping your wings, honking, grabbing items, and generally causing mischief. Oh, and this is a stealth game at its core. Why, what were you expecting?

More Coverage:

• Untitled Goose Game Release Date Revealed

• E3 2019: Why Going Epic Store-Exclusive Was The Right Choice For Untitled Goose Game Devs

There’s still more games to come this month. Next week, New Releases will shine the spotlight on some soccer with FIFA 20 and turn up the action with Code Vein and The Surge 2.

The latest PPV from WWE, Clash of Champions, is over, and there were plenty of surprises during the evening. Luke Harper returned to the ring to help out Erick Rowan during his battle with Roman Reigns. However, the biggest wow moment of the night is when “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt showed up after Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman, and The Fiend beat up Rollins for a few minutes. You can find the full results for the show below.

Today is the day when the latest WWE PPV rolls into your homes. It’s Clash of Champions, airing on traditional pay-per-view and the WWE Network. This is a WWE event where every major title is on line, so we could see a few title changes during the course of the evening.

If you’re interested in checking out Clash of Champions, you can watch the event for yourself on PPV through your cable or satellite provider or watch via the WWE Network. If you’re a new subscriber, you can sign up for one month for free, and cancel at any time. The service costs $10 a month if you enjoy it and choose to continue your subscription.

Check out the full match card below and our predictions for the event here. At the time of this writing, there’s no confirmation about which match or matches will be on the Kickoff.

WWE Clash of Champions Match Card:

• Drew Gulak (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado (Cruiserweight Championship)
• AJ Styles (c) vs. Cedric Alexander (United States Championship)
• Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)
• Big E & Xavier Woods (c) vs. The Revival (Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
• Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville (Women’s Tag Team Championship)
• Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman vs. (c) Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode (Raw Tag Team Championship)
• Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (Smackdown Women’s Championship)
• Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan (No DQ Match)
• Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship)
• Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women’s Championship)
• Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman (Universal Championship)

Check out the up-to-the-minute live coverage below.

Kickoff Show

Kickoff Show starts at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET. Notes will be left here in case anything wild happens.

The Kickoff Show is currently underway.

Drew Gulak (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado

(Cruiserweight Championship)

Gulak wins by pin at 10:05.

AJ Styles (c) vs. Cedric Alexander

(United States Championship)

Styles wins by pin at 4:53.

Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman vs. (c) Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

(Raw Tag Team Championship)

Roode pins Rollins at 9:34.

Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair

(Smackdown Women’s Championship)

Bayley wins by pin at 3:45.

Big E & Xavier Woods (c) vs. The Revival

(Smackdown Tag Team Championship)

Revival wins by submission at 10:17.

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville

(Women’s Tag Team Championship)

Cross pins Rose at 8:05

Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz

(Intercontinental Championship)

Nakamura wins by pin at 9:21.

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks

(Raw Women’s Championship)

Becky is DQ’d for using a weapon, but she retains the title.

Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton

(WWE Championship)

Kingston pins Orton at 20:47.

Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan (No DQ Match)

Rowan wins by pin at 17:22.

Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman

(Universal Championship)

Rollins wins by pin at 10:52.

As the weather starts to (hopefully) cool, the scent of pumpkin spice fills the air, and Halloween decorations flood grocery store shelves, it’s time for champions to clash!

Lock it in here all evening – and follow me over at @TheMattFowler for some live-tweeting – for fast and fun live match results from WWE’s Clash of Champions PPV. Becky Lynch will defend her RAW Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks, Bayley will try to save her SmackDown Women’s Championship from being nabbed by Charlotte Flair, and Kofi Kingston puts his WWE Championship up against Randy Orton.

For a sneak peek at what’s happening in the world of televised wrestling outside the WWE, check out our promo for AEW ahead of its TNT debut:

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