Over the last few years, sports teams have taken an increasing interest in esports, and many have created or bought esports teams. Today, the NFL's Baltimore Ravens have announced its own esports initiative, called the Ravens Gaming League.According to a press release, the Ravens Gaming League sounds like a combination of a tournament series and an esports community. It will hold frequent competitions and provide rewards; the first tournament scheduled is in Fortnite, and the winner will receive $500 in cash and a "Ravens VIP home game experience" that includes hotel, transportation, gear, and tickets to a Ravens home game. Registration for the tournament is open to the public.The Ravens organization has partnered with Esports Gaming League (EGL), an established company in the esports industry that provides a platform for holding competitions and facilitating audience interactivity. Although this is the first NFL partnership for the EGL, it's not the first time that an NFL team has launched a similar initiative. Back in December, the Philadelphia Eagles announced a tournament series of its own in partnership with the Esports Entertainment Group.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Sidebar Games, the developer of Golf Story and the upcoming Sports Story, has provided a very brief update on the upcoming RPG. Sidebar Games put out two tweets, the first one stating "Sports Story Update: Everything is coming together now. Please look forward to more updates going forward, we have much to share!"The second tweet has a screenshot of what appears to be an in-game tennis training game, where the player hits a tennis ball off a brick wall with the caption "Everybody wants to know the first step to turning pro. Wall Bounders is that first step."Everybody wants to know the first step to turning pro. Wall Bounders is that first step. pic.twitter.com/dfiQX7EGxL — Sidebar Games (@sidebargames) June 7, 2021Sports Story was originally announced as a 2020 title but was delayed due to it becoming "more ambitious" than the developer had originally planned. Sidebar Games did not give a new release window when it made the delay and has not announced when it intends to release the game. However, Sidebar Games publicly stating that the game is coming together the week before E3 makes it seem like an announcement may be imminent. Considering that Golf Story was an indie darling on the Nintendo Switch when it launched in 2017, it is possible that Sports Story could appear at Nintendo's E3 Direct presentation on June 15.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The thiefly multiplayer game Hood: Outlaws & Legends received a new patch recently, and it makes some minor but significant changes to the game. These shifts include assassination behavior, how stunlocking and staggers work, as well as several bug fixes.First, Patch 1.4 nerfs the assassin pretty significantly. Assassinations can now be interrupted if players manage to do damage to the assassin above a certain threshold. According to the patch notes, most basic attacks meet that threshold, so assassins need to be a bit stealthier if they want to get that backstab.Similarly, players can avoid getting staggered more consistently by dodging and blocking now. Seems the developers felt that there were too many situations where players were getting stunlocked to oblivion, so this change should help alleviate that.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Bayonetta 3 highly anticipated heading into E3 201, as it was first announced as a Nintendo Switch exclusive back at The Game Awards 2017 more than three years ago, and since then, we've received ports of the first two games for Switch but basically no news on Bayonetta's long-awaited third game. Platinum Games has confirmed it's still in development, but much like Metroid Prime 4, the Nintendo Switch game remains a complete mystery. That's why we're crossing our fingers for a big re-reveal at E3 2021 during the Nintendo Direct presentation, and here's what we hope to see from the game.What We Know So FarIt's the next Bayonetta game. It's called Bayonetta 3!Beyond that, we know basically nothing about Bayonetta 3. It's coming to Nintendo Switch, following the ports of both previous Bayonetta games, and it's still developed by Platinum Games and published by Nintendo. On the game's official website, it's described as "Climax Action," which certainly sounds like the over-the-top gameplay we've come to expect from the series.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Leakers have released an eight-minute video showing off what appears to be an unreleased Call of Duty battle royale map from Treyarch. The video was tweeted out by the group of Call of Duty leakers known as the Cheezeburgerboyz, and the footage gives a full tour of the previously leaked Ural Mountains map that was said to be designed for either a follow up to Black Ops 4's Blackout or a new Warzone map. We've had partial map images and images leak prior to Black Ops Cold War's integration into Warzone, but this is the first full video to surface.The video shows a player running across the map, and they periodically show the overhead view of the full Ural Mountains map. The footage shows perks and ground loot scavenging that is very similar to how it worked in Blackout.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Google Stadia is making its way to Chromecast with Google TV and some Android TV systems on June 23. Google has officially announced that Stadia, its game streaming service, will be on Chromecast with Google TV later this month. Previously, the only compatible device for Stadia on TVs was the Chromecast Ultra. This update comes about a year and a half after the service originally launched, which seems like a long time to wait for a Google service to come to a Google device. On the other hand, Stadia only got a search bar back in April, so this shouldn't be surprising.Starting on June 23, Stadia will launch on a limited number of TVs that use an Android operating system, although most TVs using an Android-based OS will be compatbile through Stadia's experimental support. While mileage may vary for TVs not listed, the service should work according to Google's announcement. The Stadia app will be available in the Google Play Store, with Stadia and compatible Bluetooth controllers working with the TV app.Here is the list of newly supported devices:Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Peacock has announced that starting June 8, the streaming service will be available on Samsung Smart TVs. This is the first major new platform supported by Peacock since adding Roku last September--and will mean that the streaming service will in full be available on Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Chromecast, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, Android, Xfinity X1 & Flex, and all major Smart TV platforms from LG and VIZIO."Samsung is a powerful platform and we are excited to bring Peacock to millions of their dedicated streamers across the country," said Maggie McLean Suniewick, president of business development and partnerships for Peacock. "Samsung users will now enjoy seamless access to many of the biggest programming events of the year, as well [as] Peacock's massive catalog of the best movies, TV shows, news, and sports."The release also emphasizes Peacock's Samsung rollout being strategically timed to be available in advance of the Tokyo Games--still slated to begin in July and run through August. Peacock is set to air a series of live shows covering this summer's Tokyo Olympics. As of this writing, those broadcasts will include four shows every day throughout the Games.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

A new Ubisoft multiplayer PvP game combining multiple Tom Clancy titles named BattleCat has been leaked. As reported by VGC, Twitter user Zer0Bytes put up a series of internal images from the game that have since been deleted, with VGC confirming that the images were real and for the in-development first-person shooter BattleCat coming to consoles and PC.The game reportedly combines Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, and Division games into a single Tom Clancy-inspired PvP shooter. The leaked images included playable characters from Splinter Cell's Echelon, Breakpoint's Wolves, and The Divisions Cleaners and Outcasts. Each class would have its own unique regular and ultimate abilities, like the Outcasts' Divine Intervention, which would prevent nearby friendly players from dying for a short time.The leak included two game modes: Escort and Ringleader. Escort requires attackers to guide a package to a delivery zone with the defenders trying to stop it, similar to Overwatch's Payload game type. Ringleader has players trying to collect rings dropped by defeated players, similar to Call of Duty's Kill Confirmed mode.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Chargin' Chuck's presence in Mario Golf: Super Rush raises one question: why use a 9-iron when you can yeet a ball across the green? In the Mario-ified sports title, players that pick the athletic Koopa can forgo the limitations of a club in favor of pure, unbridled brawn to get a golf ball towards the green.Sadly, players won't always be able to just throw a golf ball in Mario Golf: Super Rush. Instead, it seems the ability to charge up a chuck is just Chargin' Chuck's Special Shot, hence the name. The Koopa's ability was shown off in a video posted to Twitter by Nintendo of America.The clip also shows Chuck sprinting across the fairway, rushing to reach his ball. At the end, we see Chuck activate his Special Dash and dive under a Bullet Bill being ridden by Bowser Jr. That Bullet Bill is the result of Bowser Jr.'s Special Dash, which lets him surf one of the oversized ballistic bullies.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart launches later this week, yet developer Insomniac is referencing one of its old games strangely frequently. Over the past week, the studio has called out Sunset Overdrive in its promotional materials for Ratchet and Clank at least three times, seemingly indicating that it's teasing... something.Today, the Insomniac Twitter account--which has been entirely dedicated to the Rift Apart launch--posted an image depicting the inflatable Sunset Overdrive mascot Fizzie bursting through a dimensional rift. The photo also shows a Sunset Overdrive character wielding one of the game's cartoonish weapons. This tweet was posted nearly simultaneously with a post from the Fizzie Twitter account, which had previously been dormant for over two years.Clank: Is that another warbot getting sucked into a dimensional rift?@PlayStation #SunsetOverdrive #RatchetPS5Takeover #PlayStationStudiosFamily pic.twitter.com/vgUbHCDlUm — Ratchet, Clank, and Rivet (@insomniacgames) June 7, 2021The first reference to Sunset Overdrive, though, was snuck into a trailer that Insomniac and Sony put out last Friday. The video features a TV on an entertainment center that's decorated with all manner of Ratchet and Clank merchandise, but a Fizzie toy is also visible on the top shelf behind a Ratchet figurine.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Indie game developer Pendulo Studios is making a game called Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, but if you were hoping to hear Nolan North's best Jimmy Stewart impression, you might be disappointed. When publisher Microïds announced in 2018 that it had licensed Hitchcock's name and likeness for a Vertigo game, it said that the game would be "loosely based" on the classic film.However, based on the trailer that premiered recently, it seems that the game will mostly share thematic parallels with the movie. It will also borrow the trademark visual motifs from its opening sequence, which was designed by Saul Bass. As many insufferable moviegoers know, Vertigo follows an ex-police officer who becomes obsessed with a client's wife and slowly begins to wonder if he can trust his own mind. It is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time.According to a recent dev diary by narrative designer Josué Monchan, the game follows a man who becomes traumatized after a car crash. The man believes that his family was in the car with him at the time of the collision, but it's not clear if he can trust his own recollection, similar to Jimmy Stewart in the film. In that same dev diary, Monchan said that the studio plans to recreate some of Hitchcock's signature techniques, including the "dolly-zoom effect" that is highly associated with Vertigo. (It involves rolling a camera on a dolly one way and zooming in or out to distort an otherwise static image in a subtle way.)Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Niantic is holding a Special Raid Weekend event in Pokemon Go from June 12-13. Raids will be occurring more frequently throughout the weekend, and you'll earn twice the usual amount of Candy for catching Pokemon during the event.In addition to the aforementioned bonuses, Niantic says that players who have hit level 40 or higher will have three times the chance to receive Candy XL when they catch Pokemon. You can read more details about the event on the official Pokemon Go blog.Trainers, get ready for a Special Raid Weekend, where you will be able to earn bonus Candy XL and find more raids! https://t.co/QlDXGvHcrb pic.twitter.com/0yLUgNYQgx — Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) June 7, 2021The Legendary Regi trio--Regirock, Registeel, and Regice--are back in five-star Raids until June 17, while Mega Slowbro will be appearing in Mega Raids. You'll have more chances to battle and catch these Pokemon during this weekend's Raid event. After that date, Niantic teases that a "surprise" Legendary Pokemon will make its debut in Pokemon Go.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Loki has taken the forms of Captain America, Odin, and Thor in the MCU movies; he even once took the form of a snake, according to Thor himself, and the sky's the limit for a trickster god. Now, Disney has confirmed via a teaser video that the character is genderfluid, as his ability would seem to suggest.Check out the last couple seconds in the video accompanying the tweet above for a look at Loki's TVA rap sheet. In Norse mythology and the MCU alike, Loki can take virtually any form he likes. Shapeshifters in Marvel and general fiction alike are often faced with the question, 'if you can take any shape, what is your actual shape?' While Loki seems to have chosen the body we see in the films--that of actor Tom Hiddleston--he's anything but limited.In the comics, Loki has taken multiple female forms. Sometimes it's borrowing the form of someone like Scarlet Witch for subterfuge, but the character has his own female body that he's lived in on multiple occasions.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

If you see Black Widow in a standard theater when it comes out on next month, you'll be missing something--the top and bottom of the picture. When Black Widow hits IMAX next month, moviegoers will get 22 minutes of scenes with an expanded picture, according to The Hollywood Reporter.If you catch the movie on an IMAX screen, you'll see Black Widow shift from its standard 2.40:1 to a taller 1:90:1 aspect ratio. It's not quite as square as what we saw with Zack Snyder's Justice League, but it's a noticeable difference. That film expanded from a typical widescreen aspect ratio to a 4:3 ratio to fill up the largest IMAX screens (despite it playing almost exclusively on home televisions).To be clear, these screenings will not include any additional footage--but 22 minutes of the existing footage will be shown in IMAX aspect ratio. The above image is a rough idea of how much more space IMAX offers, but is not indicative of the final product; Natasha's forehead will likely be appropriately visible in close-ups.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Knockout City is getting patch 1.2 later this week, in addition to the season one, week three playlist update, which brings a new game mode on June 8, Coin Hoarders. In a blog post, Velan Studios gave a quick overview of the next week in Knockout City, including a brief description of patch 1.2, with the full patch notes coming later.The blog post discusses three highlights from the upcoming patch, which include reducing the likelihood of players getting put into high ping matches. It also addresses a bug that plays the match audio before you load in when joining a match in progress. The other highlight is that mouse and keyboard settings will no longer reset whenever the game is closed.The new game mode, Coin Hoarders, is a 3v3 objective-based mode where teams must collect and hold eight coins placed around the map. Each player can hold up to three coins and are dropped whenever a player is knocked out. Teams win the round whenever they hold all eight coins at once and two rounds win the match. Coin Hoarders will be added when season one, week 3 starts on June 8.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com