Epic has announced a delay in the 6.21 update for Fortnite. Originally scheduled for October 31 at 2 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST, the update has been postponed to November 1.According to Epic, the delay is a result of a "last minute issue" discovered in Fortnite's new build. The battle royale game was scheduled to go down on October 31 for maintenance while the update was installing, but that is no longer the case. Players should expect Fortnite to go down on November 1 instead. As with previous Fortnite updates, the patch notes for 6.21 won't be released until the day of release.Fortnite is currently in the midst of its limited-time, Halloween-themed event called Fortnitemares. Introduced on October 23 in update 6.20, the event lasts until November 26 and introduces a new PvP mode that meshes both Fortnite's popular Battle Royale and original Save The World. "Explore all of the tasty treats, exciting appearances, and new looks," Epic Games said about the event. "During Fortnitemares, you'll face off against Cube Monsters in a whole new way of playing Battle Royale. There are new weapons to fight back against these creepy creatures, like the Six Shooter and Fiend Hunter Crossbow."Fortnitemares' challenges are set to alternate every few days throughout the event. For now, the four challenges are the ones listed below. However, part of update 6.21 could be changes to the challenges, so get to them now if you haven't already.Fortnitemare Battle Royale ChallengesDestroy Cube Monsters (200) -- 500 XPDeal damage with Assault Rifles or Pistols to Cube Monsters (5,000) -- 500 XPVisit a Corrupted Area in different matches (7) -- 500 XPDance at different Gargoyles (5) -- 500 XPFortnite is available for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, mobile, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

During an event today Apple announced a new iPad Pro model, and it apparently is incredibly powerful. Vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus maked the claim at one point that it's as graphically powerful as the Xbox One S. The system boasts a new A12X Bionic chip that Apple claims delivers "2X faster graphics." It has an eight-core CPU and seven core GPU."To put it another way, the iPad Pro delivers Xbox One S-class graphics performance in a product that's 94 percent smaller. And there's no AC cord required." I liked the reference to XB1S in the announce, Apple stepping up the iPad Pro for some great Xbox to iPad cross-play matches, nice. — Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 30, 2018Ternus said the new iPad Pro represents the "biggest change" to the family of devices since it was introduced. He said this new model is the one Apple engineers dreamed about making from the beginning.Xbox boss Phil Spencer responded to Apple's claim, saying he enjoyed Apple's reference during their presentation. He added that the device, with its new, better graphical capabilities, should make for better cross-play matches between Xbox and iPad for games that support it.The new iPad Pro is priced at $799 (£769, AU$1,229) for the 11-inch model and $999 (£969, AU$1,529) for the 12.9-inch edition. For lots more on the device and its capabilities, as well as all of Apple's announcement today, go to GameSpot sister site CNET. Info from Gamespot.com

A big chunk of the experience of Red Dead Redemption 2 is crossing the wide-open spaces of the Wild West on horseback. The world is huge, and while there are a lot of things to do along the way no matter where you're headed, getting anywhere is going to take time. That's not always a bad thing; the world of RDR2 is beautiful, and it's kind of nice to just sit on your horse and take it all in.You can further lessen the tedium of travel in Red Dead Redemption 2 by letting your horse take the lead when you ride. The game includes a feature that lets you set your horse to automatically take you to a destination by sticking to trails and roadways. Your horse is pretty smart, and once you've given it the right instructions, it can be trusted to do the traveling--you just need to pay attention to any events happening on the side of the road that you might want to check out, and to watch for any bandits who might try to get the drop on you.In order to set your horse to autopilot, you first need to define where you want the horse to go. Do that by pulling open your map and setting a waypoint marker at your destination. The game then lays out the route to your location by way of trails, like a GPS would. That's the path your horse will follow to your destination.When you mount up, start riding your horse like normal, and press the button to spur it (X on PlayStation, A on Xbox One) until you get up to the speed at which you want to travel. Once you're going fast enough, hold down the spur button to maintain your horse's speed, same as when you're matching speed with a companion during a mission.While you're holding the spur button, press and hold the button to switch camera perspectives (the trackpad on PS4, View on Xbox). You'll see a small meter filling in the corner of the screen marked Cinematic Camera. Once that activates, your horse will follow the trails to your final destination with no further input from you. In fact, you can lay the camera down and watch as the camera swings around to give you different perspectives on Arthur's ride and the world around him.Once you're going, you can tap the spur button again in time with your horse's gallop to speed it up, and touch the slow button (R1 on PS4, RB on Xbox) to reduce your horse's speed without canceling its autopilot. Pressing in the right Analog Stick switches the camera to a new angle, should you not like the one the game picks for you. You can take back control just by touching the control sticks, and you can switch the camera back to normal by tapping the camera button again.The Cinematic Camera trick is nice when you've got a long trip and you don't want to bother steering your horse around every tiny curve in the trail, but it has some drawbacks. For one thing, you won't be able to quickly see things on the side of the road until you turn off the Cinematic Camera, should you happen to ride past an optional activity. You'll also be a bit vulnerable if you're letting the horse do the driving, should bandits, outlaws, or lawmen attack you while you ride.Generally, though, letting your horse take the reigns is a nice way to relax as you get around Red Dead Redemption 2 and enjoy the scenery. Just be sure to keep your revolver handy--just in case.Check out our other Red Dead Redemption 2 guides for even more info, like everything you need to know about horses, where to find all the Legendary Animals, and how the Core system works.Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite launched for Nintendo Switch back in June in the midst of E3, and the popular battle royale game is unexpectedly a huge hit on Nintendo's hybrid console. Now, Nintendo has revealed more details on just how wildly popular the game is on Switch.In an earnings report, Nintendo revealed that Fortnite has been installed on "nearly half" of all Nintendo Switch consoles worldwide. As of September 30, Nintendo sold 22.86 million Switch units, so that means Fortnite is downloaded on around 11 million of them.While that is a massive figure, Fortnite is free-to-play, so the more important data point is how much time people are playing the game and how much money they are spending on its various microtransactions. Nintendo said only that "many people" are playing Fortnite on Switch, which is "boosting the overall utilization ratio of Nintendo Switch."Nintendo added that the Switch edition of Fortnite is compelling because it's playable on the go via the tablet controller. Of course, the mobile editions of Fortnite for iOS and Android are also portable, but the PS4 and Xbox One editions are less so.Fortnite's next big update has been delayed, but while you wait for that you can check out the game's new, limited-time Halloween-themed event called Fortnitemares.Info from Gamespot.com

The head of Electronic Arts, one of the biggest publishers and developers in all of games, has a bold prediction for where the future of video games may be headed. During an earnings call today, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that on a long enough timeline, video games may get closer to TV, movies, and music where the content you consume is not bound to any one specific piece of hardware."We are planning for the future," Wilson said. "We see a world where games are no longer bound by the device, or CPU or GPU; we see a world where they span across platforms, across business models, across geographies."Advancements to cloud and streaming efforts in gaming may accelerate the walls coming down, Wilson suggested, and it's not hard to see why. In the music, TV, and movie businesses, the content you purchase--either as a direct download or through a subscription to a streaming service--moves with you no matter what hardware you have. That's totally different than the traditional gaming experience where the games you purchase on one platform only play on that specific hardware.Wilson went on to say that it has made some organisational changes recently to help EA prepare itself for a future where games can be played on any device. Wilson specifically referenced how EA veteran Samantha Ryan is taking over for outgoing executive Jade Raymond is helping to shape the future of EA."Some of the decisions we made during the quarter, specifically around Samantha Ryan, ... we're bringing these types of games together that serve as a very particular player cohort in the context of action, adventure, RPG, and simulation," Wilson said. "We feel very good about the level of collaboration we're going to be able to achieve across that group to deliver creativity, innovation, and execution more broadly."EA already operates a subscription--but not streaming--service in the form of EA/Origin Access. Wilson said subscribers on average tend to play more games, spend more time in the games they play, and spend more money overall. This is all good for EA, but to get people to subscribe, Wilson said EA needs to create new games to bring them in, and then establish a back catalog of compelling content to keep them there. This sounds like the Netflix model, and there appears to be a race among gaming companies to become the first "Netflix of Games."To that end, Wilson said EA is always thinking about acquiring content, talent, and IP over time, which again sounds very much like what Netflix is doing to build up a robust library that gets people to sign up and stay. EA is working on a streaming service, and just this week it started to share more details on what's known as Project Atlas.Intriguingly, Wilson's comments match up closely with what Bethesda boss Pete Hines and Take-Two chief Strauss Zelnick said previously about closed system walls coming down. Hines said at PAX Aus that he sees a future where you buy a game and play it on whatever platform you want."You might decide to play it on the Sony machine or the Microsoft machine or use the Google [streaming] service, but it will start--I think--to look more like it really doesn't matter what you choose to play it on," he said. "You just want to play this game on the thing you choose to play your games on whether that's because where your friends are or whatever. Things like cross-platform play, cross-platform progression, all of that stuff."As for Zelnick, he previously talked about how the "closed system walls" that exist between Microsoft, Sony, and others need to come down. He didn't mention new consoles by name, but it makes sense that Zelnick--as well as Hines and Wilson--would be among those briefed on the capabilities of new consoles."The closed system walls are coming down, and they have to," he said. "Streaming is going to accelerate those walls coming down. We're all here for the consumers. If you're going to create rules that don't benefit the consumers but somehow you think benefit your enterprise, you're mistaken. Consumers will go elsewhere. You have to pay attention to what the consumer wants."Sony already operates in that space with PlayStation Now, while Microsoft is working on a game-streaming service of its own. Google's Project Cloud streaming service is already showing with Assassin's Creed: Odyssey that you don't need a console to play the newest, best-looking games.Looking ahead, Microsoft has already confirmed it is working on multiple new consoles, and one of them--Xbox Scarlett--could place more of an emphasis on streaming. According to Microsoft insider Brad Sams, one of the consoles Microsoft is making is a streaming box, while the other one is a more traditional console with support for local play. Platform-exclusives like Sony's God of War and the Halo franchise on Xbox are likely not going to go anywhere, as they help the platform-holders sell systems. Even if streaming takes up a bigger piece of the pie, companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will all surely still push their own hardware and games in some capacity. Info from Gamespot.com

If you're going to survive in Red Dead Redemption 2's world, you're going to need cash. Previously we've highlighted several ways to earn money relatively quickly by working many of the game's core systems and mechanics, but there exists a secret method that can give a significant bump to your wallet without much effort.The method in question is none other than the Poisonous Trail treasure map side mission, which by its end rewards you with four gold bars that equate to about $2,000 when sold. As you explore, you'll often find treasure maps that lead you to all manner of valuable items, but none are as lucrative as the Poisonous Trail maps, which you can complete early on. Of course, if you're more into cheating the system, you can try out this newly discovered glitch that can net you 30 gold bars. But we all know that's nowhere near as fun!Below are directions leading you to all the treasure maps in the Poisonous Trail side mission. We've also included screenshots to aid you in your journey. It's worth noting that you cannot simply head to the final location to cash in on the gold. You need to find every single treasure map first before the gold appears in its associated location.If this guide was helpful to you, be sure to check out our features highlighting all the tips you should know before playing and things the game doesn't tell you. We also have guides on more specific subjects, like top horse breeds and fishing. Though, if you want to have some extra fun instead, be sure to read our feature detailing the game's cheat codes.Treasure Map 1: Cairn Lake CabinThe first map is found at Cairn Lake, which is located north of Valentine up in the mountains. It's snowy up there, so make sure to bring a thick jacket with you before heading up that direction. If you've triggered "The Noblest of Men, and a Woman" Stranger mission, you'll notice that this is the exact location of legendary gunslinger Flaco Hernandez.Once you make it to Cairn Lake, you should find a small abandoned cabin--the one that Hernandez is staying in. Approach the bed to the right and uncover the lock box underneath it, which holds the first treasure map along some extra valuables.Treasure Map 2: Face Rock and an Unassuming Tree TrunkThe first treasure map is attempting to clue you in on a location with a rock that seemingly resembles a face. If you haven't spent much time exploring, this natural formation may seem a mystery to you. Fortunately, we know exactly where it is. Simply proceed down to the Lemoyne region, which is located just South of New Hanover. You can find the rock just north of the "E" in "Scarlett" on the map; check the screenshot in the gallery above for visual clarification.You'll spot Face Rock on a hill. To find the map, go past the tree directly next to Face Rock. You'll want to run further back to the hill's rear where there's a thin tree trunk right beside a fallen tree. The map is located in this thin tree trunk. Final Treasure Map: The Mysterious Snake MoundThe second treasure map has you searching for a snake-like land formation. Yet again, an oddity that you're likely to have missed if you haven't spent significant time taking note of every curiosity out in the world. This bizarre mound is located southeast of Van Horn, a reasonable distance south of the "R" in "New Hanover" on the map.As the treasure map indicates, you're going to want to search for a pile of rocks near the snake-like mound. It's pretty easy to spot as it's literally just a clumped-up pile of rocks with a hole at the center. Search the hole to find the final treasure map. Onward to the treasure!The Treasure: Gold! Gold! Gold!The final treasure map points to a waterfall and what appears to be a pathway in a cave. You'll find this waterfall at the Elysian Pond, which is located directly northeast of the "E" in "Hanover" on the map. When you arrive, walk through the waterfall to discover the entrance of a hidden cave.It's dark in the cave, so bust out your lantern. Proceed through the cave until you find a section in the path where you can drop down. When you land, proceed through the crawl space on the right, which will lead you to the fork in the road pictured on the map. Take the right path, but before you do hug right to find a makeshift camp with a lockbox containing a Large Jewelry Bag.Continue the path forward until you reach what appears to be a pit into certain doom. Instead of falling to your death, proceed left until you reach another edge. If you look closely, your lantern will illuminate some solid ground below that you can land on. But take a few steps back; you're going to want a running start in order to make this jump. If you're acrobatics are sufficient, head down the slope to the left. You'll slip down into some water; once you gain your balance, look to your left for a rock platform to climb up. Search this area and you'll be rewarded with four bars of gold.If this is the first time you've obtained gold, know that you can sell them at Fences for direct profit. Though, if you're feeling particularly generous, it's possible to donate it directly to your camp.Info from Gamespot.com

Black Bird pits you--a young girl turned into a demonic bird--against overwhelmed cities in a frenetic side-scrolling shoot-em-up. Humorous sensibilities and gleeful chaos capture the frantic fun typical for the genre, but the charms are short-lived. With a mere four levels (and an unlockable remix mode), your bombing fantasies wrap up after just 20 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to ponder what ruffled that mean bird's feathers.The cities you conquer are teeming with the lives of the ordinary people who live there. A mustachioed man on the sidewalk turns the crank of a pipe organ while his neighbors chatter happily away on a nearby balcony. It's only when you spew forth a stream of deadly bullets that the danger bells toll. The militia attempts to thwart your attacks with slow-moving arrows from precarious sniper spots or whatever vehicle they can leap into. The hot air balloons of early stages give way to jetpacks and missiles as you get deeper into your killing spree, flooding the screen with bright red projectiles that mean your death if you stray too close. The tried-and-true action is enlivened by the personality of the characters and the dramatic music, but once the sheen wears off, it's clear there isn't much depth to the action.Aside from upsetting ordinary life in spectacular ways, the goal of each stage is to blow up the guard towers dotted across the city. These bases take more shots to destroy than the average enemy, and while you're unloading your arsenal into these hotspots, the local army is gathering its force to ensure your victory is not easy. Dodging their attacks isn't that difficult because Black Bird goes easy on the projectiles compared to a teeth-grinding, bullet-hell shooter, but there's enough danger to keep your hands sweaty and your attention engaged as you swerve recklessly through the air.There isn't much in the way of strategy, though. Your gun automatically becomes more deadly as you progress--adding bigger bullets and shots that move diagonally--but there's no way to decide the upgrades yourself. And the vortex bomb power-up that deals massive damage in a pinch is too limited to fill that tactical void. The best shoot-'em-ups allow for deeper tactics, often by giving you control over weapon upgrades, which lets you inject your own personality into the killer proceedings. Without more options here, the only real strategy is to shoot the attackers while avoiding getting hit yourself, and that's not much to sustain your fun long term. With every run feeling very much like the last, a crushing sense of deja vu soon becomes your biggest enemy.Stages circle in on themselves so you can fly over one well-protected tower, keep moving in the same direction, and then reach your mark again with fewer defenders in sight. This retreat-then-attack strategy works well because enemies materialize whenever you stay in one spot for too long, but you never feel as if you're wasting time by flying away from your target. The cities are jam-packed with bonuses and secrets to boost your score and extend your life. Blowing up neon signs or spinning windmills are neat diversions that build on the goofy presentation that is so prevalent throughout the adventure.Even the enemies themselves are funny rather than threatening. The second boss is a chicken head perched upon a tank that spews projectiles, for instance. Filling its beak with bullets while avoiding the bouncing balls it spits out is much more charming than gunning down an ordinary fighter jet or attack helicopter. All the enemies have this off-kilter personality that keeps the game feeling light and carefree even amidst the most hectic moments.After shooting down the boss on the fourth stage, you open up a true mode that bumps up the difficulty and adds new enemies. Bosses aren't too difficult the first time around, but once they're equipped with more attacks and a bit more speed, they go from being pushovers to genuine roadblocks. Although Black Bird never reaches the agonizing difficulty of other shoot-'em-ups, true mode offers a good challenge for those who want to be smacked down a few pegs.Ultimately, though, the game isn't interesting for long. At first, I was frustrated that dying meant restarting from the beginning. But after seeing just how quickly I could reach the end once I knew the enemies' patterns, I could understand why death is so punitive. There just isn't a great reason to keep playing once you've seen everything. Sure, there are high scores to chase and alternate endings to unlock, but the stages don't allow for the diverse tactics that would make striving for a better ranking so exciting. After you've blown up those neon billboards once, the thrill wears off, and you're just going through stages by rote without having to put much thought into what you're doing.It's a shame Black Bird is so shallow, because the core action is so appealing. The lighthearted atmosphere and sharp controls make it a joy to wreak havoc on the unprepared people and the difficulty hits a nice sweet spot where it provides a good challenge without ever being frustrating. I would have gladly spent more time in this sepia-toned world if there were more stages and more strategy, but with such meager offerings, I'd fly right by Black Bird. Info from Gamespot.com

More than anything, Diablo 3: Eternal Collection proves just how well Blizzard's action-RPG has aged. Six years after its original release, the dungeon crawler remains as rewarding as ever, and despite a few technical concessions, it has found yet another welcoming home on Nintendo's portable console.For those unfamiliar with Blizzard's 2012 loot fest, Diablo 3 places you in the shoes of a superpowered demon-slayer in a hellish, gothic world. You explore five disparate regions from a top-down view, upgrading your character and earning new loot as you battle the lords of the underworld and their monstrous swarms.With the Eternal Collection, Diablo 3 includes every expansion, every character, every quality-of-life improvement the RPG has ever added. One of the more notable options is the ability to play Adventure Mode right from the start, eliminating the need to slog through the slower-paced story out of necessity.Of course, in coming to Nintendo Switch, Diablo 3 has also become a portable game. And it works. It works incredibly well.In fact, I can think of few games better suited for a handheld port. So much of Diablo 3 plays best in short bursts, from the 10-minute chase for that next legendary item, to the satisfying flow of a challenge rift. I completed bounties on my way to work and organized my inventory on the way back. Of the 50 hours I spent with Diablo 3 on Switch, about half of them played out in handheld mode. It's another testament to the novelty of Nintendo's console, yes, but also the elegance of Diablo 3's design.Movement still feels natural on the analog sticks--whether you're playing with the Joy-Cons or Pro controller--and custom controls make it easy to maximize your character build at any time. As was the case with Diablo 3's previous jump to PS4 and Xbox One, the mechanical leap to Switch is painless and fluid. It's just as easy to rely on muscle memory while you focus on the kaleidoscopic display of magic and fire. To paraphrase the designer Don Norman: good design is invisible.When it comes to visual fidelity, Blizzard ensured that Diablo 3 on Switch runs at 60 frames across the board--aside from rare occasions when elemental effects didn't animate, the Eternal Collection is remarkably clean. Even during high-level challenge rifts, with hundreds of demons covering the screen, the dungeon crawler maintained a smooth and steady pace. The framerate is equally stable in handheld mode, and crunching those mobs is just as satisfying as it's ever been.The Eternal Collection's resolution, on the other hand, is a bit more muddled. In the Switch's docked mode, Diablo 3 looks aggressively fine, or at least, as good as any other isometric game released in 2012. In handheld mode's 720p resolution, however, things get cloudier. I mean that both literally and metaphorically. In Diablo 3's darker areas--of which there are many--I have to crank my console's brightness all the way in order to really see what is going on. Even then, there's a slight haze over everything, making character models look more like mirages than actual figures. Handheld mode's jagged edges and foggy panoramas aren't massive flaws by any means, but after playing for long periods in docked mode, they tend to stand out.What they don't do, however, is detract from Diablo's thrilling combat. And of course, in true series tradition, that combat is often more thrilling with a friend or two.Few cooperative experiences compare to a Monk, Demon Hunter, Barbarian, and Wizard working in concert to whittle down mobs down little by little, one demon at a time. It's a special thrill to see my character build factor into a larger group, and an even better one to see how that group dynamic changes how I play. I'm still mainly focused on killing every enemy possible, but I'm also thinking about tanking with my Crusader, or healing with my Monk, or littering the screen with corpses to give my Necromancer ally more ammunition.As with previous console iterations of Diablo 3, The Eternal Collection allows for up to four players on one console at a time. Item management is less satisfying in this scenario, as you're either quick-equipping new loot without appreciating its subtleties, or pausing the game for the entire party just so you can boost your damage by 100 points. The radial menus are also still as imprecise as ever, but I'm hard-pressed to think of a better solution without a mouse and keyboard.I came into the Eternal Edition expecting a eulogy for one of my favorite games. Instead, I stumbled upon a celebration.And although Diablo 3 on Switch gives you the option to use Joy-Cons as individual controllers, be warned: It's counterintuitive and cumbersome, with poor button-mapping and an overreliance on motion controls. Blizzard did the best it could with what the Joy-Con offers, but when in doubt, stick to the Pro controller or the dual Joy-Con rig.The Eternal Collection brings the additional ease of playing via LAN connection on each player's respective Switch. It's helpful to have the camera focused solely on your character, especially in Diablo 3's more hectic moments. But I still couldn't help preferring local co-op. There's something novel--even nostalgic--about playing on the same screen, watching the same chaos unfold as the person next to you. Diablo 3 on Switch allows for several methods of playing with friends, and whatever your preference, the experience still holds up.Like the best games, Diablo 3 has gotten better with time. And despite a few setbacks, the Switch is now my preferred home for the extraordinary RPG. It includes every major improvement Blizzard made to the formula, with the added handheld versatility every Switch port offers.Diablo 3 is a game about long term goals accomplished in short, thrilling bursts. It's rewarding and subtle. It's flashy and boisterous. I have spent six years enjoying it, and will likely spend six years more. As far as video games go, that's a long time--I came into the Eternal Collection expecting a eulogy for one of my favorite games. Instead, I stumbled upon a celebration.Info from Gamespot.com

After seven years of development, Fallout: New California--a free mod for the PC version of Fallout: New Vegas--has released. The mod is single-player experience and acts as an unofficial bridge in the Fallout timeline. Amusingly, New California released the same day as the first Fallout 76 beta, offering a more traditional Fallout experience for those disappointed with the series' new multiplayer-focused direction.In New California, you play as an orphan who was raised in the San Bernardino Mountains by the survivors of Vault 18. The story picks up 20 years after Fallout 2, when people are still recovering from the aftermath of the New California Republic-Enclave War. As you play, you'll take part in plot lines that ultimately inspire the events of Fallout 3 and New Vegas. If you have the right mods installed, your story in Fallout: New California can seamlessly transition into New Vegas as part of the same long save.New California's entire campaign can be beaten in six to eight hours, but there's anywhere between 15 and 30 hours of content in each playthrough depending on what you choose to do. The mod has 13 possible endings as well, which are earned depending on the choices you make. Although it's a mod of New Vegas, New California acts as its own separate game. It has its own map--which is about two-thirds the size of the one in New Vegas--and nearly 17,000 lines of spoken dialogue that are all unique to the mod.To play New California, you'll need the PC version of New Vegas. You don't need the Ultimate edition of the game or its DLC, but it will have to be updated with the latest patches. Make sure you have a mod manager downloaded to your PC as well. The folks behind New California recommend Nexus Vortex or Mod Organizer 2. After that, you just need to download New California from the mod's ModDB page, open your mod manager, follow the on-screen prompts, and you're good to go.The official Fallout timeline continues with Fallout 76, which releases on November 14 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

Fallout 76 had its first beta test on October 23. The test was only four hours long and exclusive to Xbox One, but Bethesda tweeted out that it was an "amazing start" for the game. You can watch GameSpot video publisher Ben Janca and video producer Jean-Luc Seipke play through the Xbox One beta in the video above.All in all, everything went pretty well considering it was a beta test. Ben's game crashed once at the start, and Jean-Luc faced some troublesome issues when trying to join a party. There were some minor performance issues, but that could have been a result of the stream. More worrying were the severe frame rate drops whenever there was more than two players fighting together and the noticeable lag when facing multiple enemies.Prior to the beta's launch, Bethesda released a statement that acknowledged Fallout 76 still has plenty of bug fixes and troubleshooting sessions in its future. "Given what we're doing with 76, we know we're opening everyone up to all new spectacular issues none of us have encountered," Bethesda wrote. "Some we're aware of, such as areas where performance needs to improve with lots of players." The letter also thanked players for their continued support.Another Fallout 76 beta--again for Xbox One--went live on October 27 and also only lasted a few hours. There's another one for Xbox One, PS4, and PC scheduled for October 30. To be a part of the next beta, you'll need to pre-order the game. However, even if you do pre-order Fallout 76, you might not get access to every upcoming test as Bethesda is inviting concentrated chunks of players to different betas. Fallout 76 releases on November 14 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

Treyarch has released a new update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The most significant patch is for the Black Market--the in-game tier-based marketplace--but the update rolls out changes for multiplayer, Blackout, and Zombies as well.For Black Market, the update changes the rate players earn new tiers so that the process is faster. You'll be able to reach new tiers more consistently as well, as progression rates are now similar across all Blackout and multiplayer modes. Although they were not added in this update, Treyarch has plans to make the Black Market progression even faster by implementing online earn rate accelerators and both challenge- and event-based Tier Skip rewards.The full patch notes can be found on Black Ops 4's subreddit, and we've listed the highlights below. The patch notes reveal Treyarch is currently tracking audio adjustments and quads performance for Blackout too, as well as host migration for Zombies. The developer is also rolling out several updates to further optimize Black Ops 4's network performance. "We're constantly working to optimize the game, and particularly network performance, to ensure the highest quality online experience for our players," the developer wrote.Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Black Ops 4 October 23 UpdateGeneralBlack MarketFixes and improvements to Tier progression earn rate across all modes of Multiplayer and Blackout.MiscellaneousGeneral stability improvements across Multiplayer, Blackout, and Zombies.MultiplayerPlaylist UpdatesWeekly rotation of Featured category of playlists:Added "Mercenary Capture Moshpit" playlist added to Featured Playlist (5v5 Domination, Hardpoint, and Control with no Parties).Added "Hardcore Control" playlist added to the Featured Category.Added "Search and Destroy" playlist to Featured Category.MiscellaneousResolved an issue causing a UI Error in the After Action Report for Master Prestige players.Resolved an issue with the "Nuked Out" Calling Card not properly unlocking in the Hardcore Free For All playlist.EquipmentResolved an issue where players were able to get permanent 200 Health if two players playing as Crash used the Tak-5.Search and DestroyResolved an issue where users could spectate the enemy team by changing classes during their Kill Cam.BlackoutAfter Action ReportResolved an issue that sometimes led to a black screen during the After Action Report.ZombiesMiscellaneousResolved an issue where War Paints were not showing up in the reward stream until they were unlocked.Multiple crash fixes.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has announced that Bayek, the primary protagonist for Assassin's Creed Origins, is now available as a Legendary lieutenant for Assassin's Creed Odyssey. He's available as a Ubisoft Club reward and costs 40 Units.In Odyssey, lieutenants can be assigned to sail with Kassandra/Alexios on their ship, the Adrestia. Assigned lieutenants provide certain perks for naval combat, talk to the Adrestia's crew when the ship is docked, and join Kassandra/Alexios when boarding enemy vessels. The strength of a lieutenant's perks and the amount of damage they can do in combat is determined by their rarity. Legendary is the strongest level, followed by Epic, Rare, and then Common.Lieutenants can also serve another purpose. In Odyssey's skill tree--under the Stealth branch--there's an ability called "Call to Arms." Equipping and using this skill allows Kassandra/Alexios to summon one of their lieutenants while on land. At its weakest level, this skill will cause summoned lieutenants to distract enemies so Kassandra/Alexios remain undetected. At its strongest, summoned lieutenants will kill enemies.Bayek isn't the first protagonist from a previous Assassin's Creed game to be an Odyssey lieutenant. Evie, one of the protagonists from Assassin's Creed Syndicate, is also available as a Ubisoft Club reward. She too is a Legendary lieutenant, and she increases javelin damage by 9%, fire javelin damage by 15%, and--when the Adrestia has low health--all damage by 18%. She uses a spear in combat. If you upgrade the Adrestia, you can assign multiple lieutenants and sail with both Evie and Bayek.Assassin's Creed Odyssey is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft has announced a limited-time Halloween-themed event for Rainbow Six: Siege. Called Mad House, the event is going on right now and will continue until October 31.The Mad House event adds a new haunted variation of the House map to Siege. It gives the classic map a ghoulish glow and covers the walls in Halloween-themed decorations, such as spooky paintings and cobwebs. The event also adds special skins that transform 10 of Siege's Operators--Finka, Jager, Vigil, Thermite, Valkyrie, Pulse, Hibana, Mira, Buck, and Ash--into monstrous versions of themselves. Jager becomes a living skeleton, for example, and Valkyrie transforms into a possessed nun with demonic eyes.Playing on the haunted House map allows you to unlock up to two Crimsonveil packs through Ubisoft Club Challenges. The first pack is unlocked for killing 30 enemies in the haunted House, while the second is for killing 60. You'll also unlocked a pack just by logging in during the event, and additional packs can be purchased with R6 credits. Opening packs unlocks one of the 10 special Operator skins, or one of the 12 Halloween-themed weapon skins and unique charms.Ubisoft has confirmed that Crimsonveil packs will not offer duplicates. So after unlocking your one free pack, buying the 21 Crimsonveil pack bundle for 6300 R6 credits will be enough to unlock everything. It will be more than enough if you get the two packs from completing the haunted House map's challenges. If you can't earn enough credits to unlock all the packs you need prior to Halloween, you can purchase R6 credits with real money. 6300 R6 credits translates into $50 USD.Rainbow Six: Siege is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com

Update #2 is now live in the Xbox version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. The new update implements several features and items that are already live in the PC version of the battle royale game, but it adds limited-time Halloween-themed skins as well. Because the maintenance period around the update went on longer than expected, PUBG is giving away free items and BP to players who log into the game in the next week.The update adds two new weapons to PUBG. The first, the MK47 Mutant, is an assault rifle that can be found on Erangel, Miramar, and Sanhok. It takes 7.62mm bullets and can be fired in single shot or two-round burst modes. It's ideal for mid- to long-range combat. The new Beryl M762 is also an assault rifle that can be found on all three maps. It also uses 7.62mm ammo but has much lower bullet damage. It does have a much higher fire rate, though--even faster than the AKM--making it ideal for close-range combat.New vehicles have been added to Sanhok as well. The scooter is a two-seat vehicle that offers an increased turning circle in comparison to the motorcycle, at the cost of overall speed. The new Tukshai is even slower, but it sits three people and is specifically designed to maneuver through Sanhok's hill and forest covered terrain.Update #2 includes seven Halloween-themed items and costumes as well, which will only be available until November 20 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET / November 21 at 2 AM BST. One of the items, a haunted pumpkin mask, is available for free when you log into the lobby, but only until November 6 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET / November 7 at 12 AM BST. The other six items and costumes will need to be bought from PUBG's in-game store. We've listed them, and their prices, below.Purchasable PUBG Halloween ItemsManiacal Butcher Set – 10,000 BPKiller Clown Set – 1,800 G-CoinAncient Mummy Set – 1,600 G-CoinBloody Nurse Set – 2,100 G-CoinSinister Skull Mask – 7,000 BPPumpkin RIP-cord – 500 G-CoinThe new update also implements several general gameplay changes and bug fixes. The full patch notes can be found on PUBG's main website, but we've listed the highlights below.PUBG Xbox One Update #2 Patch NotesTraining ModeAdded a Training Mode where you can practice all aspects of PUBG gameplayThe Training Mode map is 2×2 in sizeYou can join through matchmaking by clicking on the “Training Mode” button in the lobby. When there are more than 5 players in the matchmaking queue, the session will start immediately. Players will continue to join open sessions for up to 5 minutes after they start. (Up to 20 per session)If there are less than 5 players in the matchmaking queue, matchmaking will continue for 5 minutes If there are still less than 5 players after 5 minutes, the session will start with the original number of players present and other players cannot join the session.Total play time is 30 minutes (e.g. in case of number 1, where you immediately enter a session, you have 5 minutes where other players can join the session + regular training mode playing time of 25 minutes)Players cannot drop below 1hp in Training modeGameplayBluezone effect has been changedAdded "TPP Aim Camera Position" to options Reset to Right Shoulder (default setting) Camera will always be positioned above the character’s right shoulderReset to Left Shoulder Camera will always be positioned above the character’s left shoulderLatest Peek Shoulder Camera position automatically moves to the direction you last leanedLatest Aim Shoulder Camera remains in the last ADS directionIn this setting, the camera position won’t be changed by leaning while not in ADS or scopingBug FixesLost Connection to Host We are testing out some potential fixes related to the “Lost Connection to Host” error, and in this update we rolled out a fix for an issue with data loading with skins that was causing this bug. Please leave us your feedback and reports if you continue to experience this bug. Thank you for your patience as we actively work to fix this issue.Fixed an issue where tooltips for the stun grenade did not accurately reflect its in-game effectsFixed an issue where characters were seen moving fast while prone when moving on slopes a certain wayFixed an issue where item mesh is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the floor in the police station in El Azahar in MiramarFixed an issue where a dead player’s loot box is sometimes buried in certain locations in MiramarFixed an issue where characters can sometimes get stuck between the wall and vehicle while leaving the passenger seat when the vehicle is touching a wallFixed an issue where in some situations in FPP, players could see through wallsFixed an issue where the sawed-off wasn’t listed in the attachable weapon list tooltip of the shotgun chokeFixed an issue where sometimes players would not get transferred to the starting plane, and instead start the match from the initial spawn locationFixed an issue where the under certain conditions, character models could appear stuck in the crouch positionFixed an issue where sometimes the fuel gauge of vehicles wasn’t in sync with the visual display on the dashboardFixed an issue where in rare instances, players could be teleported to an entirely different location while on SanhokFixed the issue where a character on board a vehicle would sometimes be shown as immobile in a very different locationFixed the issue where a character who is driving in a vehicle is created in an unspecified locationFixed the issue where the gun of the person you are spectating is sometimes not rendered, causing problems when the gun goes into ADS modeFixed the issue where weapons are sometimes shown in locations different from where the character is holding themFixed the issue where approaching a window with glass and throwing a throwable could sometimes cause the camera to temporarily zoom in and outFixed the issue where approaching a corpse while lying down could sometimes cause the camera to zoom inFixed the issue where sometimes a character standing at the very edge of the sea on Sanhok would be shown as falling out of the skyFixed the issue where the Bluezone UI timer occasionally decreases by 2 secondsFixed the issue where an underwater character is unable to move to land because the terrain is shown as stutteringFixed the issue where colliding with an object while driving in a UAZ deals comparatively more damage than other vehiclesFixed the issue where the firing mode of a gun that has been dropped and picked up again is reset to default settingsFixed the issue where the vaulting action was not working properly with certain building windows in SanhokFixed the issue where an afterimage sometimes remains on other players’ screen when repeatedly arming/unarmingFixed the issue where the AR compensator on the SLR was not reducing the horizontal recoilFixed the issue where a character cannot peek while over a gas canFixed the issue where frame drop occured when the weather was rainy and the character was swimming in the water when the perspective changed from under to above waterFixed the issue where the HP gauge was displayed red in certain conditionsFixed an issue where grenade impact sounds were not played when interacting with certain surfaces on SanhokFixed an issue where in some specific situations there was less weapon recoil than intendedFixed the issue where after exiting the game while armed, the character model would appear to shakeFixed the issue where picking up sound was output, but was not able to pick up the item from a certain distanceFixed the issue where the exact direction of other player’s footstep sound was hard to comprehendInfo from Gamespot.com

Bethesda has announced the minimum PC system requirements you'll need in order to run Fallout 76. You'll be able to try Fallout 76 on PC for the first time during the October 30 beta, and the progress you make will carry over into the full game when it launches.The PC specs for Fallout 76 are more demanding than the ones for Fallout 4, so if your setup could barely run the latter, you might want to consider upgrading before playing the former. At the very minimum, you'll need to be playing on Windows 7 and running on an Intel i5 Core processor. Bethesda recommends you go Windows 8.1 or 10, though, and run the game on an Intel Core i7 processor.The minimum and recommended PC specs can be found on Fallout 76's FAQ page, but we've listed everything you need to know below.Fallout 76 PC SpecsMinimumRequires 64-bit processor and operating systemOS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required)Processor: Intel Core i5-6600k 3.5 GHz/AMD Ryzen 3 1300X 3.5 GHz or equivalentGraphics: NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB/AMD Radeon R9 285 2GB or equivalentMemory: 8GB RAMStorage: 60GB of free disk spaceRecommendedRequires 64-bit processor and operating systemOS: Windows 7/8.1/10Processor: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6 GHz/AMD Ryzen 5 1500X 3.5 GHzGraphics: Nvidia GTX 970 4GB/AMD R9 290X 4GBMemory: 8GB RAMStorage: 60GB of free disk spaceThe second Fallout 76 beta is exclusive for Xbox One and starts on October 27 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 10 PM BST. This beta won't go for as long as the first one, only lasting two hours. However, another two-hour Xbox One beta will start the very next day at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST. The next beta after that is the one scheduled for October 30, and it will be live for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Bethesda tweeted out that the first Xbox One beta for Fallout 76 was an "amazing start." You can watch us play through the first beta, which we thought went pretty well all things considered. We did suffer one game crash and there was a bit of trouble when we tried to join an in-game party, but we only had severe frame rate drops when there were dozens of enemies on the screen. Prior to the beta's launch, Bethesda published a statement that lag issues are to be expected.Fallout 76 launches on November 14 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.Info from Gamespot.com