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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.

There truly exists no secure place in Classic Hardcore. We’ve witnessed bank alts meet their demise due to griefers summoning mobs in major cities, numerous players recently lost their characters due to unstable servers, even Ouro made clones of himself to eliminate players! Then there are the usual deaths caused by disconnections, being away from keyboard, Mak’gora’s, and of course, the ever-present drownings. And now we must include mobs 44 levels lower than you to the list!

Bozzy253 had a busy day working remotely, and thus decided to engage in a very passive and secure activity. Training the Mage’s defense skill in Tirisfal Glades on their level 50 character appeared to be a good semi-AFK endeavor. That is, until some technical difficulties transformed the entire plan into a catastrophe.

While level 6 mobs may not pose a significant threat to a level 50 character (even if they are a cloth-wearer), they still inflict some damage. After reaching 50% HP against the 4 mobs while closely monitoring their character, just as they were about to eliminate the mobs and replenish their health, bozzy‘s graphics card malfunctioned. Only a black screen remained and panic ensued, resorting to frantically using all available damage abilities in hopes that something would register. After restarting the PC, it barely functioned, with a mere 1 FPS everywhere, indicating that the graphics card was irreparably damaged. And after a quick visit to their spouse’s computer, the worst was confirmed: the Mage had perished at the hands of 4 level 6 mobs.

And the most unfortunate aspect? Bozzy’s Mage was only 2 defense points away from completion…

Level 50 mage died to level 6 mobs while training defense skill – PC crash fatality
byu/bozzy253 inclassicwow

So let that serve as a lesson to you: nothing is secure in Classic Hardcore. NOTHING.

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.

CD Projekt Red has recently updated the system requirements for Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 update and the upcoming expansion, Phantom Liberty. The new update will only be compatible with SSD, so it is advised to either clear up space or purchase one if necessary.

The revised system requirements are considerably more demanding than the previous minimum. To run the game on low settings, you will now need a minimum of 12GB RAM and 6GB VRAM, with an expected frame rate of 30. The current minimum requirements are similar to the game’s recommended requirements at launch. If you plan on running the game at higher resolutions or with ray-tracing, additional hardware specifications will be required. The complete system requirements are provided below.

Updated Specifications for Cyberpunk 2077

Requirements without Ray-Tracing

Minimum

• In-game graphics preset: low
• Resolution: 1080p
• Expected FPS: 30
• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor: Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 1600
• Graphics card: Geforce GTX 1060 6GB or Radeon RX 580 8GB or Arc A380
• VRAM: 6 GB
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 70 GB SSD

Recommended

• In-game graphics preset: high
• Resolution: 1080p
• Expected FPS: 60
• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor: Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 7800X
• Graphics card: Geforce RTX 2060 Super or Radeon RX 5700 XT or Arc A770
• VRAM: 8 GB
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 70 GB SSD

Ultra

• In-game graphics preset: ultra
• Resolution: 2160p
• Expected FPS: 60
• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor: Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X
• Graphics card: Geforce RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX
• VRAM: 12 GB
• RAM: 20 GB
• Storage: 70 GB NVME

Requirements with Ray-Tracing

Minimum for Ray-Tracing

• In-game graphics preset: ray tracing low
• Resolution: 1080p
• Expected FPS: 30
• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor: Core i7-9700 or Ryzen 5 5600
• Graphics card: Geforce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 6800 XT or Arc A750
• VRAM: 8 GB
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 70 GB SSD

Recommended for Ray-Tracing

• In-game graphics preset: ray tracing ultra
• Resolution: 1080p
• Expected FPS: 60
• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor: Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X
• Graphics card: Geforce RTX 3080Ti or Radeon RX 7900 XTX
• VRAM: 12 GB
• RAM: 20 GB
• Storage: 70 GB NVME

Ray-Tracing Overdrive

• In-game graphics preset: ray tracing overdrive
• Resolution: 2160p
• Expected FPS: 60
• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor: Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X
• Graphics card: Geforce RTX 4080
• VRAM: 16 GB
• RAM: 24 GB
• Storage: 70 GB NVME

CD Projekt Red also advises players to uninstall any mods before installing the 2.0 update. The changes made to the base game are extensive, and using mods could potentially lead to compatibility issues and glitches. It is recommended to wait until the mods are updated to be compatible with the 2.0 version. Additionally, the developer suggests checking the cooling systems before playing Phantom Liberty, as the expansion can put a strain on the CPU.

In GameSpot’s review of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, the expansion received a perfect score of 10/10 from reviewer Michael Higham. The 2.0 update is set to release on September 21, while Phantom Liberty will be available on September 26.

Diablo Immortal is bringing players back to the very origins of the Diablo saga–beneath the sacred Tristram Cathedral.

In the original 1996 Diablo, adventurers delved into the depths of the dungeon beneath Tristram Cathedral to confront the formidable Lord of Terror, encountering legendary adversaries such as the Butcher. The latest update for Blizzard’s mobile action role-playing game, known as Dark Rebirth, will transport players back to this iconic location–a place that has also appeared in Diablo II and Diablo III–to investigate recent disturbances.

Fresh from terrorizing players in Diablo IV, the Butcher will make his debut in Diablo Immortal with the arrival of the update on September 20, once again haunting the corridors of the dungeon beneath Tristram Cathedral. However, the Butcher will not be alone. Accompanying him will be a new breed of abominations known as the Shardborne. These creatures have been corrupted by the shattered Worldstone, transforming into zombie-like monsters that combine bloodthirsty savagery with a pulsating crimson rock. To embark on the new Tristram storyline, players must have completed the main quest of the Ancients’ Cradle and reached Hell Difficulty III.

For those seeking a more competitive experience, the update will introduce a new PvP mode called Alley of Blood. This mode draws inspiration from popular all-random-all-middle (ARAM) game modes found in various multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs). In Alley of Blood, players engage in a relentless battle down a single lane, testing their endurance against an opposing team while overcoming defensive structures like towers, ultimately aiming to destroy the enemy team’s base. Players can choose from four distinct roles and acquire new abilities to aid them in combat. For instance, those who opt for the Siege role can summon mighty siege minions and turrets to weaken enemy defenses, while those focused on eliminating the opposing team should select the Focus role, which can afflict enemy players with curses that render them more susceptible to attacks.

Alley of Blood will serve as the new format for the game’s clan vs. clan Shadow Wars. However, casual players interested in familiarizing themselves with the mode will have the opportunity to do so from September 21 to October 5, during which a 4v4 version of the mode will be available. In this limited-time version, players will be on equal footing, with Legendary gear set to level 1 and Legendary gems set to level 10. Bonuses from features like Resonance, the Helliquary, Paragon points, and other sources of player power will be disabled, granting newcomers a fair chance against seasoned veterans.

The Dark Rebirth update will also introduce a battle pass centered around the Butcher, three new Legendary gems, multiple time-limited events, new modifiers for Elder Rifts, adjustments to the level requirements for post-launch story quests and zones, and more. For a comprehensive list of changes, please refer to Blizzard’s official news article.

Diablo Immortal’s previous major update introduced the Blood Knight, marking the first new character class in the franchise in nearly a decade. In other Diablo-related news, Diablo IV will receive annual expansions, while the upcoming second season, titled Season of Blood, will empower players with vampiric abilities to gain an edge over the denizens of Sanctuary.

It has been a year of continuous high-profile releases, and if you’re interested in getting one of the biggest games of the year before the blockbuster season starts in October, then take a look at this offer on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. A direct sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from 2019, Survivor for PS5 and Xbox Series X is currently on sale for only $40 at GameStop. These are completely new physical copies as well, allowing you to once again use the lightsaber and Force powers of Cal Kestis at a $30 discount. Amazon was matching this offer but is currently out of stock for both platforms.

Best Buy also has discounted copies of the game–which usually sells for $70–but you’ll be paying a bit more here in case GameStop runs out of stock. At this retailer, you’ll be paying $50 for a copy, but that’s still a significant savings compared to its regular MSRP. Additionally, Best Buy offers free shipping at this price, while GameStop requires customers to spend $79 or more for free shipping. Therefore, those who can place their order online and pick up the game at a GameStop store will get the best deal here, if you only want to purchase Survivor.

Similar to Fallen Order, Survivor is essentially a Star Wars metroidvania played from a third-person perspective. It enhances the original game with several well-thought-out improvements. Kestis possesses new abilities that truly make him feel like a genuine Jedi Knight, and he takes part in an expansive story that unfolds across the war-torn galaxy.

“Thrilling lightsaber combat and platforming puzzle challenges that defy physics continue to be the highlights of Respawn’s latest Star Wars game, but Survivor also takes bold steps with its narrative this time around,” Jordan Ramée stated in GameSpot’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor review. “Cal’s journey takes him to new corners of the galaxy, but the most captivating journey he embarks on is an introspective one. Survivor is an exceptionally well-crafted story about conquering fear, and it’s the Jedi tale I’ve longed for.”