With the communities for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone still going very strong, Activision is changing things up for how these games will continue to be supported when Black Ops Cold War launches on November 13, and the changes sound exciting.
This includes XP and leveling shared across the three games, a new Prestige system, expanded cross-play, and more. Below is a rundown of the key points, but be sure to read Activision’s incredibly detailed blog post to get all the details.
Synchronized Levelling
Starting with player progression, for the first time in Call of Duty’s history across mainline titles, there will be “synchronized” progression across Modern Warfare, Warzone, and Black Ops Cold War. This begins on November 13 with a new system that leads up to the launch of Season One on December 10, which is when Black Ops content will come to Warzone. Here is how Activision describes the process:
When Shout Factory announced it would be releasing the entire Friday the 13th movie franchise as a Blu-ray set, the news was accompanied by a revelation that long-lost footage from Friday the 13th Part 2–the first movie to feature Jason Voorhees as the killer–had been unearthed.
The “gore cut” of the film, as it’s been called by fans, was the first version of the movie and features more intense and longer death scenes, with far more blood and gruesome imagery. As the story goes, the scenes were trimmed from the film due to the MPAA, though the footage was eventually believed to be lost. Then, earlier this year while prepping this set, it was discovered on an old VHS tape that visual effects artist Carl Fullerton found.
From there, things somehow get more interesting. Samuelson Studios, the production company that put together the bonus material for the new set, got possession of the tape and baked it–literally–to make it viewable. In a Facebook posting by the company, it was explained, “the lab indicated that the tape was stuck together. If pulled apart, the magnetic information could be stripped, which would mean that we would lose everything. The only solution: baking the tape in an oven overnight to separate the reels. The VHS would have to be taken apart, the reels would have [to be] placed into an oven and baked overnight in order to make it playable.”
Not that it’s a surprise, but Electronic Arts has confirmed it will keep making more NHL games. The publisher has signed a new multi-year deal with the NHL and its player’s association to create more games in the future.
EA did not confirm the specific duration of the deal or how much it paid the hockey league for the rights. EA has been in business with the NHL for 30 years already, and EA Sports boss Cam Weber said in a statement, “This extension will ensure it remains at the forefront of connecting millions of fans around the world to the sport through interactive entertainment.”
NHL chief brand officer Brian Jennings said in a statement that EA’s NHL series helps bring new fans to ice hockey. Jennings added that, during COVID-19 lockdowns, people turned to EA’s series to get their hockey fix while the real sport’s latest season was delayed and impacted by the virus.
The next generation of gaming is here. In the same week, we’ll be seeing the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S all launch, which means there’s a ton of ground to cover right now. From console reviews to game reviews to tips on things you might not know and beyond, GameSpot’s ongoing coverage will be going strong in the days and weeks to come.
To help you keep on top of everything that we have coming, we’ve put together a schedule showcasing some of our upcoming content, including reviews, big features, essential news stories, and our freshly updated preorder guides with all the latest on how and when you can buy these consoles for yourself. There’s plenty more on top of what you see here, so be sure to stay tuned to both GameSpot’s homepage and Generation Next hub for a more comprehensive rundown as things get published. Due to embargoes, we can’t always share when things are coming, but you can expect coverage of all the big games hitting the consoles this month.
During a press conference for AEW’s Full Gear PPV–taking place on Saturday, November 7–Cody discussed the future of using his name. “I’m very happy about being Cody Rhodes, again. The details of it all aren’t important other than it was a very positive, no hard feelings on either side, type scenario. I will say though it’s not something I probably will use in the wrestling space. I’ve gotten very used to ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody. I like how Justin Roberts says it. I just like it, [and have] for some time.
“Where I’m most excited about ‘Cody Rhodes’ being available again is when it comes to third party ventures and things like Go-Big Show that I just took part in coming to TBS and other projects like that.”
We’re just days away from the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but unless you’ve already preordered the next-gen console of your choice, don’t count on being able to purchase it at Best Buy in the near future. In a blog post today, Best Buy confirmed it will not have the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S in retail stores on launch day or during the holidays. Instead, the consoles could be restocked on BestBuy.com, but Best Buy gave no indication of when that might be.
“If you haven’t preordered a new console yet, you still might be able to get your hands on one–but only on BestBuy.com,” Best Buy representative Katie Huggins wrote in the blog post. “While our stores won’t have devices for purchase on launch day or throughout the holiday season, keep an eye on BestBuy.com, where they’ll be available for purchase as soon as we have them available.”
This statement means it’s now unclear whether Best Buy will have the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S available online during Black Friday as previously reported. Best Buy’s Black Friday 2020 ad shows both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S and advertises them as being available online-only in limited quantities, and their inclusion in the ad implies they’ll be available during Best Buy’s Black Friday sale, which the retailer has still not shared start dates and times for.
A recent launch trailer for Gearbox Publishing’s looter-slasher Godfall confirms that the upcoming action-RPG will be exclusive to the PlayStation 5 for a six-month period.
Godfall launches on November 12, the same day the PlayStation 5 comes out in most regions. (Sony’s next-gen console launches worldwide a week later on November 19.) The game will be a PS5 console exclusive until at least May 12, 2021, according to the fine print at the end of the launch trailer. Godfall will still hit Windows PCs, but no other consoles have been confirmed.
Gearbox and developer Counterplay Games have not specified whether Godfall will launch on Xbox Series S / Series X or any other consoles. This marks Godfall as a definitive launch game and a short-term exclusive. Check out some of the other PS5 launch titles and exclusives here.
With the PlayStation 5 launch a week away, now is a good time to start planning how you’re going to migrate your PS4 library to your new console to make use of backwards compatibility. Thankfully, Sony has released a video showing how straightforward the process is. There are multiple ways to transfer game data from your PS4 to your PS5, the easiest of which is Data Transfer.
Using Data Transfer
Simply log into your PS4 and PS5 with the same PlayStation Network account, update your PS4 to the latest firmware, and ensure that both consoles are connected to the same network. If you’re planning to do the transfer over Wi-Fi, Sony recommends connecting your two consoles via ethernet to speed up the process. You can then start the transfer from you PS5, which will bring over all installed games and saved games from your PS4.
Using An External Drive
If you won’t have access to your PS4 when your PS5 arrives, you can still transfer your games to your new console using an external hard drive. Any PS4 games installed on an external HDD will immediately be recognized and work on your PS5, with Sony recommending you play them from there to keep the internal SSD free for PS5 titles that will require it. Considering you’ll only have access to around 650GB on PS5, that’s a good tip.
Are you looking for the perfect gift for that special person in your life who is obsessed with their Nintendo Switch? We’ve rounded up 7 of the best gifts you could give them in 2020.
Dirt 5 is a very different game to the previous three entries in Codemasters’ off-road racing series. Dirt Rally and its sequel spun the series off in a simulation-based direction, appealing to rally purists with its authentic approach, uncompromising difficulty, and steep learning curve. Dirt 4 followed suit with another smattering of point-to-point rally races, but crucially made the experience accessible for casual racing fans by introducing a more forgiving handling model. With a third Dirt Rally already in development, Codemasters is looking to diversify the series’ mainline entries by returning to the arcade spectacle and histrionics of Dirt’s early years with Dirt 5.
This much is clear from the outset, as Dirt 5 latches onto the same jovial festival vibes that permeated throughout Dirt 2–complete with a customizable lanyard, vibrant colors, and an upbeat soundtrack. The career mode takes you on a globetrotting adventure that encompasses a variety of different racing disciplines, but there’s no sign of any co-drivers relaying pacenotes, nor are there any traditional point-to-point rally events. Dirt 5 distances itself from the series’ recent past by being an unabashed arcade racer that’s made up of short, action-packed skirmishes where you’re constantly trading paint with a pack of other drivers. There’s an infectious energy to the whole thing that’s reflected in a handling model that sees you hurl its cars around the track with relative ease.
Dirt 5 played on PC
Dirt 4 may have featured a driving school that provided lessons on weight transfer and how to execute pendulum shifts, but Dirt 5 renders that knowledge unnecessary. Getting around most corners is as simple as slowing down before pulling on the handbrake to lurch your car sideways and drift around each mud-swept turn. There’s not a lot more to it than that, trading any meaningful depth for approachability that veers too far toward simplicity. Collisions are tame, especially when combined with a listless damage system, and the physics model often throws up some oddities whenever a car goes airborne. This isn’t enough to sap the fun out of the experience, but there’s always a nagging feeling that Dirt 5 isn’t extracting the most out of these vehicles. Any rip-roaring moments are weighed against others that are just a tad dull due to its facile and uninspired handling. As such, the plethora of tracks, and their diverse weather systems, gain added importance throughout Dirt 5’s career mode.
Are you looking for the perfect gift for that special person in your life who is obsessed with their Nintendo Switch? We’ve rounded up 7 of the best gifts you could give them in 2020.