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Several years ago, Cliff Bleszinski, the creator and designer of Gears of War, had a proposal for an Aliens game based on the well-known film series. However, the game did not progress due to the involvement of Disney, as stated by Bleszinski. In an interview with ComicBook, Bleszinski mentioned that he was “essentially” in discussions to develop an Aliens game and even presented the idea to the team at Boss Key.

Unfortunately, Disney intervened and terminated the project following their acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the owner of the Alien franchise. Bleszinski expressed his frustration, stating, “I had a comprehensive pitch ready, but then the House of Mouse had to interfere and disrupt everything, which was one of the many consecutive failures that led to the downfall of Boss Key.”

In 2019, Disney successfully completed a monumental deal worth $71 billion to acquire the majority of Fox’s entertainment assets, including Aliens, Deadpool, Family Guy, The Simpsons, X-Men, and more.

“Aliens will always hold a special place in my heart. The first film is a masterful portrayal of suspense, while the second one combines suspense with thrilling action. Although I’m not the biggest fan of Avatar, I must admit that James Cameron is a brilliant director,” Bleszinski added.

Prior to this, Bleszinski revealed to ComingSoon that Boss Key “had an opportunity” to work on the Aliens franchise. He expressed his interest in getting involved with Aliens and Firefly, two existing entertainment franchises. Bleszinski also attributed the disruption to Disney’s acquisition of Fox, the owner of the Alien franchise.

Over the years, numerous Alien games have been released. The most recent one, Aliens: Dark Descent, was launched in June 2023.

In unrelated news, Bleszinski recently shared his belief that the Gears of War series could benefit from a reboot similar to God of War.

Alan Wake II‘s previously announced expansions, Night Springs and The Lakehouse, are coming into focus. Remedy confirmed to IGN that the first expansion, Night Springs, is scheduled for release in “late spring 2024,” but this timeframe is subject to change. The Lake House will be released at a later date.

Remedy also shared the official plot synopses for the expansions. In Night Springs, players will assume the roles of “several familiar characters” as they participate in “self-contained” episodes of the in-game TV show Night Springs.

In The Lake House, players will explore a “enigmatic facility” on the shores of Cauldron Lake. The facility is conducting “classified research,” and things take a turn for the worse.

Players can acquire the two expansions by purchasing Alan Wake II’s Expansion Pass through the $80 Deluxe Edition. It is currently unknown whether the two expansions will be available for individual purchase.

In addition to the two expansions, Alan Wake II will introduce a New Game+ mode post-launch and a photo mode.

To catch up on the events of the first game, take a look at our Alan Wake story recap–which includes the Alan Wake lore introduced in Remedy’s Control. Don’t forget to read our Alan Wake 2 review, where the game received a perfect score of 10/10.

Alan Wake 2 will be released on October 27 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Alan Wake 2 expansions

Night Springs:

“Visions and dreams. Fiction becomes reality. Fiction crumbles and becomes mere words on a page. These are the stories… in Night Springs. Play as various familiar characters from the Alan Wake universe and encounter the inexplicable in multiple self-contained episodes of Night Springs, a fictional TV show set in the world of Alan Wake.”

The Lake House:

“The Lake House is a mysterious facility located on the shores of Cauldron Lake, established by an independent government organization for conducting covert research… until something goes awry. Explore the Lake House and embark on two distinct adventures as the realities of Saga Anderson and Alan Wake once again collide.”

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty offers numerous missions and side tasks for players to complete. One of these tasks involves eavesdropping on a conversation to obtain a password. Our guide provides instructions on locating Slider’s Stash in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, which is necessary to complete the Voodoo Treasure quest. Please note that this article contains spoilers.

Locating Slider’s Stash for the Voodoo Treasure quest in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

To acquire Slider’s Stash in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, follow these steps:

• During the “I’ve Seen That Face Before” mission, continue eavesdropping on the conversation between Aurore and Aymeric.
• When examining Aurore’s body, select the “Search file – Blind_n_Dead” option.
• Once you regain access to Dogtown, track the Voodoo Treasure side quest and proceed to the slums beneath the Needle, located in the center of the main street.
• Locate the container and enter the code: 941229.

The twins will eventually discuss Slider.

Eavesdropping and obtaining the password from the twins

In the “I’ve Seen That Face Before” mission, V will hide inside Aurore and Aymeric’s car trunk. While Aymeric is driving, you will be prompted to override the controls. However, refrain from doing so, as it will advance the mission. Instead, select the eavesdrop options whenever they appear:

• “Wait, I want to eavesdrop…”
• “It’s fine, relax.”
• “Just a moment!”

By doing this, Aurore will reveal that Slider, an NPC encountered earlier in the campaign, is involved in a side business. Once you have exhausted all eavesdropping options, you can proceed to override the car’s controls.

The twins will be taken to an abandoned garage, where they will meet their demise. When you have the opportunity to examine Aurore’s body, select the “Search file – Blind_n_Dead” option before downloading the access codes. This will initiate the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Voodoo Treasure quest. You must then complete the current mission and the subsequent one to freely explore Dogtown again.

Retrieve the file from Aurore’s body.

Slider’s Stash location and reward

Once you have the chance, make your way to the Needle, the obelisk situated on the district’s main street. Below, you will find a slum area. Look for a blue sign that reads “Aesculapius Inc.” and locate a metal container. Enter the code–941229–to unlock it. Please note that this was the password we received during our playthrough, but we cannot confirm if it is randomized for other players.

Search for the metal container beneath the Aesculapius Inc. sign.

Inside the container, you will discover 8,000 credits and the Second Installment data shard. It appears that Slider was secretly pocketing some money without Colonel Hansen’s knowledge. These are the only rewards available, although we had hoped for an iconic weapon. Nonetheless, this concludes Slider’s Stash and the Voodoo Treasure quest in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

The Trials of Osiris has commenced in Season 22 of Destiny 2, promising a much less stressful experience compared to last week’s session where players exploited modified weapons for an unfair advantage. Now that things are back on track, you have the opportunity to join forces with fellow Guardians and acquire the highly sought-after Igneous Hammer, a hand cannon renowned as one of the finest in its class within Destiny 2. As always, you can consult the whereabouts of Xur and explore his inventory to gain an edge in Destiny 2’s intense PvP event. Let’s delve into the details of this weekend’s Trials of Osiris location and the weapons you can earn.

• Map: Javelin-4
• Flawless Reward: Igneous Hammer (Adept)
• Reputation Rank 4: Upgrade Module
• Reputation Rank 7: Enhancement Prism
• Reputation Rank 10: Cataphract GL3 — Grenade launcher
• Reputation Rank 13: Upgrade Module
• Reputation Rank 16: Igneous Hammer — Hand cannon

The Trials Passage offerings have also been enhanced to provide a more rewarding experience. Starting with the Passage of Wealth, you will now receive +75 Trials reputation for every victory, along with an additional bonus based on your current major rank in Trials, totaling up to +150. The Passage of Mercy, on the other hand, grants forgiveness for two losses if you have not achieved a flawless run for the week. After attaining a flawless victory, it reverts back to forgiving a single loss on each card after resetting.

The Trials event commences from the daily reset on Friday at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET and concludes at the weekly reset on Tuesday at the same time. Don’t forget to visit Saint-14 in the Tower to obtain a Trials card, which determines certain bonuses such as milestone rewards and the forgiveness of losses. Your ultimate objective in the Trials of Osiris is to achieve a flawless run alongside your fireteam, winning seven matches without a single loss.

If you manage to achieve a flawless victory, you will earn a trip to the Lighthouse and receive special rewards, including the coveted Adept weapons. These weapons possess additional stat bonuses, making them highly desirable items. It’s important to note that your Trials Passage, the card purchased from Saint-14 that grants access to the mode and tracks your wins, does not keep track of your losses. This means you can continue playing and earning rewards even if you fail to achieve a flawless run.

Blizzard has addressed the concerns raised about trinkets in Dragonflight Season 3, and has announced modifications that will be made to both Nymue’s Unraveling Spindle and Rashok’s Molten Heart.

Nymue’s Unraveling Spindle

Rashok’s Molten Heart

Dragonflight Season 3 Master is making a comeback in Patch 10.2 granting players with 1 Heroic Tier Set piece.

To obtain the accomplishment, you must fulfill one of the following during Season 3:

• Defeat Amirdrassil on Heroic Difficulty (Heroic: Amirdrassil, the Dream’s Hope);
• Attain the Challenger II Rank in Season 3 (Challenger II: Dragonflight Season 3);
• Accomplish Dragonflight Keystone Master in Season 3 (Dragonflight Keystone Master: Season Three).

Once you achieve any of the 3 accomplishments above, you will receive 1 Emerald Mark of Mastery that you can exchange for 1 Heroic Tier Set piece.

Looking for a new PC with a small price tag? Then consider adding a mini PC to your home office. Not only are they incredibly affordable–everything on this list is under $500, and a handful are $200 or less–but they offer a small footprint and should fit on even the most cluttered desk.

One of the best mini PC deals right now is for the Beelink SER5 Max Mini, which offers a fairly robust Rzyen 7 5800U and is just $329 (down from $429). If you want something with a bit more juice, you can step up to the Beelink SER6 Max Mini to get a Ryzen 7 processor, 32GB RAM, and 500GB SSD. Best of all, it’s just $489 (down from $609).

Beelink SER5 Max Mini

Some of the most affordable mini PCs include the Bmax B2 S Mini PC for $88 (down from $110), the Beelink with an Alder Lake N95 processor for $119, and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tiny Mini Business Desktop for $84 (down from $100). Neither pack enough of a punch for gaming, but they’re affordable companions for light productivity or school.

Plenty of other mini PCs are on sale today, and you’ll find our favorite deals below. Note: Some of these deals require you to click a coupon box on the listing to get the full discount.

Best mini PC deals

• Beelink Mini PC (12th Gen Alder Lake N95) — $119 ($159)
• Kamrui Mini PC AK1 Pro (12GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $160 ($260)
• Beelink SER5 Max Mini (Ryzen 7 5800H) — $329 ($429)
• Beelink SEI10 Mini PC (10th Gen Intel i5-1035G7) — $229 ($329)
• Beelink EQ12 N305 (16GB RAM, 500GB SSD) — $311 ($389)
• Beelink Mini PC (AMD Ryzen 5 5560U) — $249 ($379)
• Beelink SER6 Max Mini (Ryzen 7, 32GB RAM, 500GB SSD) — $489 ($609)
• Beelink SER5 Mini PC (Ryzen 5 5560U, 500GB SSD) — $269 ($339)
• Kamrui Mini PC (Intel Alder Lake N95) — $130 ($160)
• Dell OptiPlex 3060 Micro PC (8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Renewed) — $119 ($646)
• Ryzen Mini PC (Ryzen 7 5800U) — $379 ($499)
• Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Tiny Mini Business Desktop — $84 ($100)
• Trigkey G4 Mini PC (12th Gen Intel Alder Lake N95) — $129 ($199)

Blizzard is bringing back the Joyous Journeys buff, granting players an extra 50% experience boost!