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Biden and Harris release tax returns ahead of debate
Joe Biden and his wife paid nearly $288,000 (£224,000) in income tax last year, the documents say.
Prepare for battle! The essential gear for any top gaming and streaming station
Partner Content by Blue Microphones
Rocks crunch beneath your feet as you breathe heavily, chasing down an enemy.
“SNIPER IN THE TOWER!” you shout through your mic as you hear a bullet whiz by on your headset. You crouch your character behind a burned out tank to avoid a kill shot. Your teammate dives behind a doorway just in time to avoid being taken out herself. In the corner of your screen, you see the relief etched across her face in her camera feed. You pull out an HDR of your own, reload the clip — KA-CHUNK — and wait for the sniper to break cover, watching intently through the scope. Finally, he makes a run for it. BOOM! The bullet finds its mark as the shell clinks to the ground. “Nice shot,” your teammate says before you continue the assault.
When you’re playing online with friends — or strangers — clear communication is as key to survival as is a lightning fast core processor, giant 4K monitor, or ultra-responsive keyboard when you’re setting up your ultimate battle station. You’ll definitely want your teammates to hear your tactical instructions clearly, and your enemies to make out every last word of your trash talking.
Plus, if you’re planning to go live on Twitch or YouTube, it’s imperative to have equipment that delivers broadcast quality sound and video, or your viewers will quickly click on another channel that does.
But don’t take my word for it, look at the way these jaw-dropping setups combine top-notch video and audio to create personalized spaces that would make any gamer drool. Hopefully you’ll get some ideas on how to set up your very own comprehensive rig.
IG: @lvlupduo
This sweet, color-coordinated tandem setup is perfect for a couple who enjoy playing together as a team — or competing against one another in head-to-head combat. Hey, a round of “Fortnite” sounds like a much more fun way to decide what to have for dinner than Rock Paper Scissors. All of the equipment — which comes in matching, soothing blue and white — offers everything you’ll need for professional-level streaming. The cool blue track lighting underscores the calm vibes emanating from the battle station’s color accents — and the Logitech G733 Lightspeed Wireless RGB Gaming Headsets ensure they won’t disturb the neighbors! These ultra-lightweight headsets provide unbeatable comfort plus surround sound, voice filters, and advanced lighting to help you look, sound, and play with more style than ever.
IG: @AKA_ART_
YouTube/AKAARTOFFICIAL
Everything about Art’s elite gaming setup oozes class, making this station a podcaster or streamer’s dream. The modern, uncluttered white desk and large window overlooking tall greenery offer a Zen-like den where Art can shut off from the world to concentrate on his craft. The Blue Baby Bottle XLR microphone might remind you of a vintage radio mic, but it’s anything but old-fashioned when it comes to sound quality, delivering classic warm audio that even a professional musician would envy.
FB: therealdanhall
TW: @DanHall_1
Dan’s battle station really maximizes a minimal amount of space. The thin wooden desk combined with triple curved monitors make you feel like you’re in the cockpit of a fighter jet preparing to save the world rather than in the corner of a bedroom or office. Combining the Compass Premium Boom Arm with the Yeti X USB mic is also a smart way to set up your station when you don’t have a lot of desk space because there’s one less thing sitting in front of you, and it opens up more room for the mouse and keyboard. Plus, his Logitech StreamCam, which records in full HD 1080p at 60fps, also lets him create content in portrait mode, which is ideal for mobile devices and Instagram.
IG: @Itzame_UK
Never take your eyes off the prize, which in Daniel’s case, is clearly his Instagram followers. With his five-digit Instagram follower counter front and center, he’s able to see how his content is performing in real-time when it comes to growing his audience. The wraparound desk with monitors on each side is a handy way to compartmentalize games and/or streams. His Yeti X USB mic and boom arm are also good choices for this setup, because they allow him to switch back and forth between monitors with ease. Because the mic only has one cable, there’s not much that can get tangled up with all that movement.
IG: @jreneegames
A battle station fit for a modern samurai, embracing the past and finding joy in the present. The Japanese lanterns and artwork harken the old Bushido Code, or “Way of the Warrior,” while the Funko pops lining the desk are a reminder that it’s OK to be a fanboy and have some fun while playing video games. Because Jamie has opted for mood lighting reminiscent of a darkened shrine in feudal Japan, his Logitech Brio webcam, which captures every move in 4K resolution at 30fps, or in 1080p at 60 fps, is the perfect choice for this low-light environment.
IG: @havokharakiri
Big. Massive. Gargantuan. Honestly, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe the scale of Jonathan’s epic rig, which envelopes your senses with sights, sounds, and pure energy. If the triple monitor setup wasn’t enough, he’s also got a wall-mounted flatscreen to complete the experience. Also on the wall, his subwoofers amplify the bass, while the acoustic paneling ensures the sound traveling through his Yeti mic is devoid of echo, reverb, and ambient noise. Honestly, he could probably host a rave without missing a beat. Meanwhile, his G502 Hero high-performance gaming mouse, which looks like a sleek battlecraft ready for an interstellar assault, features the most accurate gaming sensor ever created, not to mention the fastest frame-rate processing available. Its 11 programmable buttons also allow you to lock in your favorite commands and power moves.
IG: @tiinytriix
This dual setup is a shrine to high performance, offering the total package when it comes to an all-around high-intensity gaming experience. The focus here is all on the equipment, with Julianne eschewing a cluttered space filled with toys and art in favor of clean lines and symmetrical arrangement. For starters, she’s got the top-of-the-line Brio webcam, as well as two wireless G915 TKL Gaming Keyboards — one in black and the other in white to suit her mood. Speaking of mood coloring, the TKL’s Lightsync RGB technology allows for fully customizable lighting across all its keys which will really pop in this mostly white space.
IG: i_am_milkes
TW: @IamMilkes
This battle station is an audiophile’s dream that doesn’t break the bank. Matthew opted for the budget-friendly Yeticaster pro bundle, which is perfect for the streamer just getting into the game and building an audience while delivering professional-quality content. It comes with the aforementioned Yeti USB mic, Compass Premium Boom Arm, and a Radius III Custom Shockmount, which isolates the Yeti from movement and ambient vibration, which could come in handy if you’re broadcasting in tight quarters or sharing a room with someone else. The classic-yet-affordable Logitech C922 webcam also allows him to stream in 1080p at 30 frames per second or hyperfast HD 720p at 60fsp.
IG: wolf_mav
If the stacked triple monitors, companion vertical monitor, and mounted subwoofers don’t convince you that Nicolai takes gaming ultra-seriously, perhaps the huge “Gears of War” lancer mounted above this high-caliber battle station will do the trick. It’s clear from his monitor setup that Nicolai was looking to create an all-immersive visual environment that takes you right inside the action, and the G733 headset’s precise and full-range surround sound compliments that effort perfectly when it comes to audio.
IG: @fluxgamess
No, you’re not looking at the set of an Apple commercial. This is Owen’s ode to white minimalist design. From the sleek modern desk to the plush carpet, whiteout Yeti mic, and white G915 TKL Gaming Keyboard, the equipment and furniture exude a sense of peaceful calm that many gamers find beneficial. The keyboard also lets Owen create his own animations or choose from a selection of preset effects to really add to the ambience. The only break from the aesthetic is the brick wall, which offers a nice reminder that it takes hard work and grit to build a streaming empire. But don’t worry, the keyboard will make sure you don’t injure your hands along the way. Its keys are also super responsive and low-profile, meaning they’re half the height of traditional keys. There are also three different types of keypads to choose from depending on how smooth you prefer your keystrokes.
Daily Deals: New AMD Ryzen 9 RTX 3080 Gaming PC Up on Amazon
There’s a new RTX 3008 equipped config up on Amazon, and it’s a good one. Of course, one of the best things about new video card releases though is the price drop you get for the previous generation models. There are some excellent deals today on RTX 20XX series gaming PCs and gaming laptops. Score an MSI RTX 2080 desktop for only $1450 or an Aliewnare RTX 2070 laptop for $1350. In other deal news, the Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing Edition is back in stock at Gamestop, and the first Amazon Prime Day 2020 deal is already available. For more details, check our What to Expect for Amazon Prime Day 2020 article.
Deals for September 29
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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends roughly 1/4 of his income on stuff he posts. Check out his latest Daily Deals Article and subscribe to his IGN Deals Newsletter.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Trailer Debuts New YouTube Accessibility Tools
The new trailer for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla introduces some new story hooks and finally ties the story to the Assassins, but the trailer is also notable for its accessibility options. That is to say, the trailer itself has a neat new accessibility tool.
As noted by accessibility specialist Ian Hamilton on Twitter, the YouTube version of the trailer features a new option in the Settings menu. Right between the Subtitles and Quality options you can find a new Audio Track option, which lets producers upload audio track variants. In the case of the Valhalla story trailer, that includes an “English Descriptive” option, which includes narration for blind viewers worked in nicely between the bits of dialogue.
It’s a cool feature you can sample below. In a recent interview with GameSpot, advocate Steve Saylor (aka the Blind Gamer) noted Ubisoft as a company that is especially forward-thinking about accessibility, having invited content creators with accessibility needs to the preview for Immortals: Fenyx Rising.
How to Watch the 2020 Presidential Debate Online
Three debates will happen ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. And for those who have already cut the cable cord but still want to watch, there are several ways to watch via your home consoles and streaming boxes. Here’s everything you need to know to watch tonight’s presidential debate, as well as when to expect the rest.
What Time Does the First 2020 Presidential Debate Start?
The first presidential debate between candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump starts at 6 pm PT and 9 pm ET on September 29. The debate will be 90 minutes long and have no commercial breaks.
How to Watch the 2020 Presidential Debates
While the presidential debate will air on cable television, there’s also the option to watch it on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube as it will be streamed live by various outlets through their official channels. We recommend tuning in via YouTube since it’s the most widely available option. There’s the website or the app which you can usually get on your mobile phone, tablet, and Smart TV. People with PS4, Xbox One, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV can also watch the debates via the YouTube app. CNN, Bloomberg, and some of the news channels below have their own apps from which they will stream the debates, so you may want to check if that option is available on your preferred platform. Here are the channels streaming the debates online:
Who Will be Moderating the First Presidential Debate and What Are the Topics?
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will be moderating the presidential debate on September 29, and the topics the two candidates will be covering include:
- The Trump and Biden Records
- The Supreme Court
- Covid-19
- The Economy
- Race and Violence in our Cities
- The Integrity of the Election
What Are the Dates For the Other 2020 Presidential Debates?
There are three presidential debates in 2020. Following the airing of the first one, the other two are scheduled to broadcast live at 6 pm PT and 9 pm ET on the following dates:
September 29- October 15
- October 22
Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will also have a Vice Presidential debate on October 7.
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Tabletop Gift Guide 2020: Best Gifts For Board Game Lovers
There’s nothing quite like sitting at a table with friends or family to play a new board game, and these days, there are so many fantastic board games out there that offer complex and interesting gameplay to engross you. Gone are the days when Monopoly and Scrabble were the main options; now, we’ve got huge legacy games like Gloomhaven and Pandemic that span multiple sessions, asymmetrical war games like Root that require mastery of multiple factions, and Kickstarter campaigns that spawn truly unique tabletop experiences like Fog of Love, a romantic comedy in board game form. Tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering are still massively popular as well, with new books, card sets, and other products released regularly.
If you’re shopping for a board game fan this holiday season, you might not know where to start when it comes to modern tabletop gaming, but fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best board games, card games, and accessories to gift to someone who can’t get enough of tabletop gaming. Most of these games feature in our guide to the best board games we’ve played, so give that a look for more info on specific games.
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven released to widespread acclaim in 2017, and it still maintains the No. 1 spot on BoardGameGeek, the top online community for board gamers. A co-op game for one to four players, Gloomhaven is a fantasy dungeon-crawler where you navigate your unit across a tile-based map, defeating enemies and picking up loot. The cards in your hand at any given time determine what actions you can take, including attacking, moving, and healing, and you draw a modifier card while attacking to determine damage. As someone who finds tabletop RPGs like D&D and Pathfinder a bit overwhelming, I’ve greatly enjoyed Gloomhaven and find its overall gameplay much easier to digest. It’s critically acclaimed for a reason, and for someone who’s into tactical combat and light role-playing, Gloomhaven will be a wonderful surprise to unwrap this Christmas.
Pandemic Legacy
This may seem like a morbid addition to the list in light of COVID-19, but Pandemic has been a favorite in the board game community for years, currently sitting at No. 2 (right behind Gloomhaven) on BoardGameGeek. This co-op board game casts you and other players as scientists working to discover cures to several diseases that have broken out across the world. Each player has a unique role, such as researcher or medic, and special abilities that will be key to strategically moving around the world and preventing outbreaks. The legacy version of Pandemic is the one to get, which simply means it’s designed to be played over many sessions, with an overarching storyline and permanent changes to the game occurring as you play.
King of Tokyo
Perfect for someone obsessed with kaiju films, King of Tokyo lets you play as one of six giant monsters: Alienoid, Space Penguin, Giga Zaur, Cyber Kitty, Mega Dragon, and The King. The goal: Become the one and only King of Tokyo by either being the first to destroy the city or the only surviving monster. King of Tokyo is easy to learn and a great game for the entire family.
Azul
Azul is a tile-drafting game that tasks you with embellishing the walls of a king’s palace using ornate tiles known as azulejos. You draw colored tiles and score points based on how you’ve placed them to decorate the palace, earning extra points for collecting sets or creating certain patterns. As in other games where drafting plays a central role, the tiles you pick in Azul will directly affect what other players can take, which adds to the game’s strategy and competition.
Wingspan
This stunning game about being a bird enthusiast was an instant hit when it released in 2019, selling out fast when it first launched. Published by Stonemaier Games, the same team behind Scythe, Wingspan is an engine-building game about attracting the best birds to your wildlife preserves. Adding a new bird has costs, but the more birds you add, the more powerful your actions will become, and specific birds also grant unique abilities and perks. Your goal is to earn the most points through completing end-of-round goals, playing bird cards, accumulating eggs, and more. Wingspan is also known for its gorgeous art style and the fun facts about each bird species at the bottom of cards, adding a nice educational aspect if you’re buying for the family. The board game became so popular that a digital edition has already been released on Steam and is planned for Nintendo Switch as well, but if they’re new to Wingspan, the physical board game makes a fantastic gift.
Patchwork
Tetris fans will find a lot to love about Patchwork, a game about creating a beautiful quilt by strategically drawing and placing tiles that will earn you the most points. You’ll purchase tiles using buttons, the currency of the game, and players’ progress is kept track of on a separate time board, which nets you more buttons and tiles as you progress. By the end of the game, you score based on how many buttons you have left and subtract points for empty tiles on your board, making placement of the Tetris-like tiles a strategic matter. Patchwork is a fun, simple, and relaxing board game that many puzzle game fans would enjoy, and it’s great for someone who lives with just one other person, as it’s made for two players.
Scythe
The most annoying thing about loving board games is that you generally need other people to play with–and that’s not always easy to organize. Scythe is a board game that can be played completely alone (or with up to five players) and has a highly developed solo system with well-designed AI opponents. Set in an alternate version of the 1920s, Scythe is an engine-building game about conquering territory, enlisting recruits, gathering resources, and growing the overall strength of your faction.
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Perfect for fans of horror and suspense, Betrayal at House on the Hill is a game for three to six players that follows a group of characters as they enter a creepy mansion and begin exploring its rooms. Everyone is on the same team–at first. Eventually, an event will be triggered that causes one player to betray the others, and the game becomes a race against the clock as the remaining players and the betrayer each hatch a plan to achieve their win conditions first. For the base game, 50 possible scenarios are possible, and the expansion, Widow’s Walk, adds 50 more scenarios (along with new rooms, items, and more). With its thrilling storylines and high level of replayability, Betrayal at House on the Hill is one of the best board games you could pick up as a gift–and that’s coming from someone who was personally gifted Betrayal for Christmas and subsequently spent the entire holiday playing it over and over.
Fog of Love
Fog of Love is a two-player board game that’s like starring in a romantic comedy. Each player creates their own unique character (some role-playing is involved), and over the course of the game, the two characters will meet, fall in love, and face obstacles as their relationship develops. Based on the story you choose and the characters’ respective traits and longterm goals, the game can end any number ways–and that ending isn’t always happy. Funded entirely on Kickstarter, Fog of Love is a unique and entertaining game, especially for couples looking for something to do on an indoor date night.
Sushi Go
There’s nothing like a simple card game for passing the time, and Sushi Go has to be the most adorable set of cards ever made. In this charming party game, the goal is to grab the best combination of sushi dishes to have the highest score by the end of the game. From maki rolls and egg nigiri to dumplings and tempura, each card has its own points requirements, meaning you’re constantly looking at your hand to see what card would be the best fit as well as keeping your eye on opponents’ cards to anticipate what card they might grab next. This fast-paced game can get surprisingly competitive, but it’s easy to learn and always a blast to play, making it great for kids, too.
Root
Root is an asymmetric board game set in a forest kingdom occupied by four factions: Marquise de Cat, the Eyrie Dynasties, the Woodland Alliance, and the Vagabond. Each faction has its own strategy, abilities, and win condition, but all four groups are ultimately fighting for control of the wilderness. Root is a slightly more complicated game with a steeper learning curve, but its adorable art makes it easy to draw players in.
Kodama
Kodama is a cozy little game for two to five players where you build out the branches on a tree and try to have the highest score based on the combination of caterpillars, flowers, fireflies, mushrooms, and other small features on it. Taking place over the course of three seasons, your tree will expand as you strategically place down branch cards, and at the end of each season, a kodama (forest spirit) will award you extra points based on how well you’ve suited its needs. This is a chill game for a chill group of people, and with its gorgeous artwork, it’s also a treat to look at as you play.
Other versions of Kodama have been released as well. Kodama Duo is the best option for two players, while Kodama 3D involves actually building a 3D tree (and takes up less table space).
Mountains of Madness
Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s novel At The Mountains of Madness, this three- to five-player game has you working together with your team to slowly scale the mountain and reach the peak with your sanity intact. The cooperative gameplay grows increasingly harder as you and your companions pick up madness cards, which will hinder communication significantly. There are three levels of madness cards, and their requirements involve anything from speaking in an accent to having to say numbers as addition problems (“three plus two” instead of “five”). Mountains of Madness isn’t the easiest board game to win and will test your group’s ability to communicate under pressure, but it’s incredibly fun with people who aren’t afraid to get outside their comfort zone.
Codenames
Even if your loved one isn’t a board gamer, they’ll probably like Codenames. Codenames is a spy-themed word game with two competing groups of players and two spymasters, one for each team. Looking down at a 5×5 grid of cards (each one representing a secret agent), each team is competing to guess which cards belong to their team based on one-word clues from the spymaster while also avoiding cards from the opposite team and the solo assassin card. Codenames is ideal for about four players, but you can play with anywhere from two to eight people (or even more). This party game is perfect for both adults and kids of all reading ages who love solving puzzles and word games.
Fallout
Inspired by the video game series, Fallout is a post-apocalyptic, co-op board game for one to four players where you begin as survivors on the edge of an unfamiliar world. Throughout the game, you’ll explore the map, fight enemies, deepen your survivor’s skills, and complete various quests while ensuring none of the feuding factions within the game become too powerful. This is a lengthier board game that’ll take you two to three hours for a single playthrough, but it’s the perfect gift for the die-hard Fallout gamer or for anyone who likes role-playing adventure games.
Tsuro
Tsuro is an easy but highly replayable board game where you put down tiles with various intertwining roads on them and slowly slide your piece across the board to follow the path, which twists and turns as you and other players place more tiles. The catch: You die if your piece goes off the board or runs into another player, so you want to have the last piece standing. At the board game nights I attend, we begin every session with Tsuro as it takes about 30 seconds to explain and start playing, but it always ends in laughter and hijinks as friends plot each others’ demise (and sometimes unknowingly send themselves off the board).
The Resistance
The Resistance is a great game for larger groups, anywhere from five to 10 players. In this game, there are two sides: the Resistance, an underground group of fighters fighting against an oppressive leadership, and the government spies who have infiltrated their group. The goal of the Resistance is to successfully complete a certain number of missions, while the spies will win if they ensure a certain number of missions fail. The catch is that while the spies know each others’ identities, the Resistance only knows the number of spies among their group, meaning those players must choose carefully when deciding who goes on each mission. The Resistance is similar to Mafia or Werewolf in that players must debate and figure out the identities of the spies based on people’s actions and behaviors. From bluffing your way through as a Resistance member to throwing false accusations at other players, there are plenty of things you can do as a spy to throw other players off track, and it’s incredibly fun.
Red Dragon Inn 5
The Red Dragon Inn 5: The Character Trove is a fast-paced card game for two to four players. The premise is that you and your party of companions have returned to town after a day of killing monsters and clearing dungeons to celebrate and have a mighty good time at the Red Dragon Inn. The game is all about drinking, gambling, and roughhousing with friends while making sure you don’t run out of gold or get too drunk or beaten up (your friends will loot your body, of course). The Red Dragon Inn 5 makes a great gift because it comes with an extra-large box and various storage items designed to hold all the characters from previous expansions so you don’t have to store them in separate boxes.
Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebooks Gift Set
This three-book set is the ultimate gift for someone who’s new to Dungeons & Dragons and interested in being a Dungeon Master. The set contains the Players Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual as well as a Dungeon Master’s screen, and each of the books have reflective foil covers only available in this special set.
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Releasing November 17, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is a new rules expansion for Dungeons & Dragons and adds expanded subclasses, new character features and feats, group patrons, new spells, and much more. The book also introduces new rules for sidekicks, supernatural environments, natural hazards, and more. While Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything isn’t releasing until November, it does follow in the footsteps of Xanthar’s Guide to Everything, which is a great expansion to the core Player’s Handbook. So it should make a neat gift for any D&D player this holiday season.
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
If you know you’re shopping for someone who’s a Dungeon Master, the new D&D adventure book Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden offers “a tale of dark terror” set in the frozen North and includes rules for DMs running adventures in the wintery climate. The latest D&D adventure is perfect for long-time players looking to start a brand-new campaign with newly-created characters.
Wiz Bag of Devouring
One of the best gifts for board game lovers is a place for them to hold all their dice. This bag contains 140 polyhedral dice and 20 complete sets of varying gorgeous colors and designs. The perfect gift for a Dungeon Master or someone who wants to be ready for any dice game, the Bag of Devouring can also fit over 200 dice if needed.
CardKingPro Dice Bag
If they have plenty of dice but could use an easier way to organize and transport them, this huge dice bag would be a much-appreciated gift. With seven stitched compartments, this faux suede bag can hold over 150 dice, and it includes a built-in drawstring to close the bag securely.
Dice-Rolling Tray
Rolling dice on a crowded table quickly gets annoying (not to mention loud), and heavier dice can even damage your table. That’s why most fans of tabletop RPGs appreciate having a good dice tray for a safe and enclosed area to roll their dice in. While designed for a game like D&D, you can use this tray for any game involving dice, making it a multipurpose accessory they’ll get plenty of use out of.
Dice Tower and Tray
A dice tower is another dice-rolling option that some may prefer to a dice tray. This particular dice tower made of laser-cut plywood and thick clear acrylic that allows you to see the dice as it tumbles through. It also comes with a wooden tray, but you can actually remove the tower and use it with another tray of your choice, such as the dapper octopus one above. For taking on the go, the tower can be folded into the base tray and even hold your dice while you’re carrying it, which also makes it a neat stocking stuffer.
RPG Battle Grid
A battle mat is another great accessory for Dungeon Masters, allowing them to visualize the map for players. This particular map is covered with a high-gloss, waterproof laminate so you can use dry-erase markers without leaving any stains. It also comes with a set of multi-color markers, an eraser, and an empty spray bottle for easy cleaning.
Borat 2 Will Debut on Amazon Prime Before US Presidential Election Day
Borat 2, or as it’s now officially known, Borat: Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan, will be debuting on Amazon Prime prior to this year’s US Presidential Election Day.
According to Deadline, Amazon Studios has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the upcoming sequel.
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Arriving seemingly out of nowhere, Borat 2 was one of the first films to shoot during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak earlier this year. As filming restrictions were being lifted, Cohen returned with a skeleton crew to finish shooting.
While fans spotted the titular character driving around parts of Los Angeles recently, the crew actually travelled internationally to film specific portions. As with the first movie, some places were more dangerous than others.
Cohen even “risked his life multiple times to shoot the scenes in this film” even going so far as wearing a bulletproof vest on a couple occasions due to some of the film’s locations.
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Now, after months of filming undercover and remaining silent about the upcoming film, Cohen is ready to debut his first-ever theatrical sequel to the world just in time for the US Presidential Elections on November 3rd.
Since movie theaters are either still closed or severely limiting moviegoer capacity, Cohen felt the best option was to release the film digitally for as many people as possible and thus struck a deal with Amazon Studios to allow the tech giant to distribute the film on Prime Video.
No official release date has been given at this time, but with just over a month to go until Election Day we can expect some more classic Borat antics very soon. High five!
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Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
Adult Swim “Permanently Retired” Episodes of Boondocks and Aqua Teen Because of Racial Content
Adult Swim has “permanently retired” an episode of The Boondocks and an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force as well as “temporarily rested” an episode of The Shivering Truth. The episodes are not currently available on either the Adult Swim website or HBO Max due to “cultural insensitivities.”
When HBO Max, which also hosts Adult Swim content, launched in May 2020, it didn’t take fans long to realize that episodes were missing. The Adult Swim Reddit page has a user pointing out on HBO Max’s launch date that episodes of The Boondocks that were once banned are on the service, except for season 3, episode 4 “The Story of Jimmy Rebel.” The Aqua Teen Reddit page has a user complaining back in June about the lack of season 6, episode 2 “Shake Like Me.” The Aqua Teen episode was reportedly reinstated back in August, according to another Reddit user, but is currently not available.
A representative for HBO Max told The Daily Beast in an article published on Tuesday that “neither of those episodes are part of our streaming deals.” Variety reports that the “Shake Like Me” episode was uploaded “due to a software error and was promptly removed.”
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Adult Swim takes the blame and says that the removed episodes don’t line up with their current “policies.”
“When Adult Swim transitions series to a new platform, we determine what episodes are selected through creative and cultural filters and our standards and practices policies,” the Adult Swim representative told The Daily Beast. “Oftentimes these decisions are made in collaboration with the show’s creators.” The Aqua Teen and Boondocks episodes are now “permanently retired due to cultural sensitivities.” For example, the episode of The Boondocks that was retired features the character Uncle Ruckus partnering with a racist country singer.
The Daily Beast contacted the creator of The Boondocks, Aaron McGruder, but a representative for him declined to comment. McGruder recently signed up for a two-season revival of The Boondocks that will air exclusively on HBO Max.
HBO Max and the Adult Swim website has incorrectly labeled The Boondocks season 3 to hide the missing episode. Episode 5 is now listed as episode 4, episode 6 is now listed as episode 5, etc. HBO Max has all of Aqua Teen’s episodes listed correctly, and South Park, which has episodes missing from HBO Max because of potential terrorist threats, also has their episodes listed correctly.
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The Adult Swim series The Shivering Truth has also had an episode removed from the Adult Swim website. The Daily Beast says the episode that was removed featured “a pregnant woman who gives birth to a police officer, who is then called a ‘dirty pig.'” Adult Swim told The Daily Beast that that episode will “be returning to the site and included when the series debuts on HBO Max.” They did not specify when that will be.
HBO Max and Adult Swim are both owned by WarnerMedia, which previously received praise for how they handled controversial content by not editing or hiding it. WarnerMedia reissued a Tom and Jerry Blu-ray as recently as March 2020 that comes with an unskippable, 45-second content warning that plays before the main menu about the racism in the cartoons and how editing them “would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.”
Two months after that Tom and Jerry Blu-ray came out and the murder of George Floyd has sparked a new policy in Hollywood regarding controversial content. An episode of The Office had blackface content edited out and the Dungeons and Dragons episode of Community was removed altogether. Other TV shows such as 30 Rock, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Scrubs have also had episodes removed due to blackface. Disney also announced plans to remodel the Splash Mountain ride at their theme parks after petitions from some Disney fans showed up online.
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Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.
Gearbox Shares New Gorgeous Godfall PS5 Cinematic Trailer
As Godfall‘s November 12 launch date for PlayStation 5 inches closer, publisher Gearbox Software shared a new cinematic trailer for the game filled with betrayal and disillusionment.
The cinematic trailer, embedded below, features a monologue by some gruff-voiced warrior named Orin. It seems Orin and some former comrade-in-arms, Macros, ended up turning on each other in an effort to end some unnamed war. It ends with a grand face-off between Macros and Orin in some cathedral tower, with Macros coming out the victor after tossing Orin off the cliff face.
During the climactic fight, Macros and Orin swap between a variety of weapons. An August 2020 PS5 gameplay overview revealed that there are five weapon-types in total: Longswords, Dual Blades, Polearms, two-handed Warhammers, and two-handed Greatswords.