Forget Byleth! These 8 Fire Emblem characters deserve to be in Smash Bros.
Byleth was recently confirmed as the latest DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but these Fire Emblem characters would be better choices for a game already overrun with sword-wielding warriors. Most of them have a hair color other than blue, also, to separate them from the rest of the squad.
CD Projekt Red delays release date for Cyberpunk 2077 by 5 months
The Witcher game developer CD Projekt Red announced it pushed back the release date for its highly anticipated title Cyberpunk 2077 to September 17. According to the game studio, the reason for delaying the release was to provide the development team additional time to perfect the game.
Fortnite 8-Ball vs. Scratch challenge guide: Dance at rainbow rentals
The Fortnite 8-Ball vs. Scratch challenges are now available for players to complete this week as part of the overtime challenges. The biggest challenge in the group is to dance at the Fortnite rainbow rentals, beach bus, and lake canoe. Here's how to get to those locations.
Google Stadia is getting at least 10 timed exclusives in first half of 2020
Google revealed that its Stadia game streaming service will get at least 10 timed exclusives through the first half of 2020, with more than 120 games releasing on the platform this year. It will also be getting improvements to several features, including using Google Assistant when gaming on the web.
So much for Three Houses: Fire Emblem gets fourth house as DLC
Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be getting a secret fourth house on February 12 as part of the game's Expansion Pass. Called the Ashen Wolves, the house is located under Garreg Mach Monastery. You will be able to recruit its units and then use them in the main storyline for the game.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ Byleth takes a turn on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Fire Emblem: Three Houses protagonist Byleth is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on January 28. The character is equipped with several weapons, including the Sword of the Creator. Alongside the character, you will also get access to the Garreg Mach Monastery to do your battles in.
Fortnite is giving iOS players more control and iPad Pro users more frames
Fortnite has dominated the gaming sphere by blending the line between traditional and mobile gaming. The latest update for Fortnite on iOS continues to do that with more support for now-standard controller inputs and a higher framerate cap, as spotted recently by 9to5Mac.
Overwatch’s annual Lunar New Year event kicks off on January 16
Blizzard officially revealed that Overwatch's annual Lunar New Year event is returning. Announced via a brief Twitter video, the three-week event will last from January 16 to February 5. No further details have been officially announced, but Blizzard has already teased some new skins.
Ninja can now play as himself in Fortnite, and so can you
Epic Games added a skin of popular streamer Ninja to Fortnite in the first part of its Icon Series. The skin is joined by a special pickaxe, Back Bling, and emote in the game's item shop. Ninja left Twitch several months ago to stream exclusively on Mixer, partnering with Microsoft.
In St. Noire, Alexa plays a detective helping you solve a Clue-like mystery
Amazon's Alexa can play tons of games, but it doesn't play too many board games. St. Noire is one of the first that uses the voice assistant to great effect. Voice actors play suspects, and you're the detective trying to solve a murder. It's a light, cooperative board game with great sound effects.
PlayStation DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment review: Great upgrade, great price
The PS4's DualShock 4 controller now has two more buttons with the addition of the Back Button Attachment. The $30 accessory is the perfect complement to the original controller and adds two buttons. The design is a little bulky, but it's still a great accessory for the price.
Epic Games Store had more than 100 million customers in its first year
Epic Games revealed that the Epic Games Store managed to attract more than 100 million customers in 2019 and generated more than $600 million in revenue. The story is a direct competitor to Steam and several big AAA games released as PC exclusives on the Epic Games Store, including Borderlands 3.
PlayStation 2019 Wrap-Up: How to see your year in PS4 gaming
2019 was a big year for PlayStation 4, with games like Death Stranding and MediEvil releasing. Here is how to view your year in gaming, including trophies, with the PlayStation 2019 Wrap-Up. Other data includes total time spent playing, your most popular genre, and how many total PS Plus games you downloaded.
Delays push back release dates for Final Fantasy VII Remake, Marvel’s Avengers
Square Enix has announced that the release dates for two of its most anticipated titles of 2020, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Marvel's Avengers, have been pushed back. Final Fantasy VII Remake will now launch on April 10, followed a few months later by Marvel's Avengers on September 4.
Sony to skip E3 for the second year in a row, despite PS5’s impending launch
Sony will skip E3 2020 after already skipping E3 2019. This is despite the company planning to launch the PlayStation 5 at the end of the year, and with several large games still on the way. Microsoft and Nintendo don't appear to be skipping E3 thus far, nor do other third-party game publishers.
Nintendo hypes the launch of Super Nintendo World with help from Charli XCX
Nintendo is gearing up for the opening of its much-anticipated Super Nintendo World attraction at Universal Studios Japan with a new music video to increase the hype. The company is designing the park to be interactive to make visitors feel like they’re in a giant video game.
These are the features we want in a Nintendo Switch Pro system
Nintendo hasn't officially confirmed the Nintendo Switch Pro yet, but analysts and pundits are speculating that it will release this year. These are the features we want to see in the Switch Pro, including a longer battery life and a dock that will allow for easier portability and setup.
Legends of Runeterra open beta starts on January 24: Here’s how to sign up
Riot Games will launch the open beta of Legends of Runeterra on January 24, though previous testers and early registrants will be able to gain access on January 23. The digital card game will include several changes in the open beta, including a ranked mode and adjustments to 20 cards.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore box art hints at Persona 5 collaboration
An eagle-eyed Twitter user spotted what appears to be Persona 5's Joker at the back of the box art for Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. The speculation is that it will be a costume for the RPG's protagonist Itsuki Aoi, which is possible as Joker has already previously appeared in a Nintendo Switch game.
Pokémon GO had its best year ever, earns $894 million in 2019
Pokémon GO earned $894 million in 2019, marking its best year ever as it exceeded the revenue from its 2016 launch year of $832 million. Sensor Tower attributed the mobile game's growth to in-game and real-world events, and significant updates that continue to add new content to the app.
Apex Legends’ Grand Soiree Arcade will feature different game mode every 2 days
The first event for Apex Legends in 2020 is the Grand Soiree Arcade, which will feature a different game mode every two days. The modes, which includes matches where the ring keeps shrinking and a return to the night-time version of King's Canyon, will offer challenges that may be completed for points.
What we want to see in a new Batman video game, and what we don’t
It's been widely speculated at this point that Warner Bros. Montreal is currently working on a new Batman video game. Here is what we want to see in the game, and what should be left out. Thus far, a series of teaser images suggest the game will involve the Court of Owls, a villainous group.
Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok May have just leaked, could be biggest game in series
Details on the unannounced game Assassin's Creed Ragnarok appear to have leaked, with information shared on the game's story, character, gameplay changes, and what could be the biggest open world the series has seen. Ubisoft did not release a new game in 2019, so 2020 could be the year.
Fortnite Remedy vs Toxin challenge guide: Where to find food trucks
The Fortnite Remedy vs. Toxin challenges are out now, continuing the weekly challenges for chapter 2, season 1. Among the challenges is the Fortnite food trucks challenge where players must find three different trucks and visit them to complete the challenge.
Fortnite Remedy vs. Toxin challenge guide: Where to find bus stops
The Fortnite Remedy vs. Toxin challenges are available right now, offering players a chance to earn a new skin option for the new outfit. One of the new challenges is to find the Fortnite bus stops and visit them within the same match. Here are the locations that you should visit.
Nintendo rarely discounts its games, but you can get them on sale now
Nintendo very rarely puts its games on sale, but it is currently offering big savings on some of the Nintendo Switch's best games to celebrate the new year. This includes the Switch version of The Witcher 3, which only recently came to the system and features all of the expansions and add-on content.
All Xbox Series X games will release on Xbox One for at least a year
Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty has confirmed that all of Microsoft's games on Xbox Series X will also release for Xbox One for at least one or two years. The console launches this holiday season, and Halo Infinite will release alongside it while also coming to Xbox One and PC.
Pokémon Sword and Shield get expansions that bring back familiar faces
Pokémon Sword and Shield will be getting two expansion packs in 2020, and you can get them together as part of the $30 Expansion Pass. New monsters, as well as returning favorites and new areas, are included. You'll also be able to get the included monsters through trading if you don't buy the expansions.
CES 2020 schedule: The best events, talks, panels, and keynotes
CES 2020 is happening right now, but taking a look at the official event schedule can be overwhelming. With multiple events at nearly every hour that will number into the hundreds, here are the most important events, talks, panels, and keynotes at Consumer Electronics Show 2020.
The best gaming laptops of CES 2020: Asus, Razer, and MSI
Gaming laptops often make a big splash at CES. This year, there were less than normal, but the few that were announced were important ones. From new machines that use AMD's new Ryzen 4000 processors to ultrafast 300Hz displays, these were the best gaming laptops we saw at CES 2020.
Pimax 8K X hands-on review: Long-awaited 8K VR headset is here, and it’s awesome
The Pimax 8K X VR headset is the end of a long journey for Pimax, which launched a Kickstarter to fund the headset back in 2017. It failed to meet its initial shipping date of January 2018, but it didn't back down. Our Pimax 8K X hands-on finds it was worth the wait.
So actually, PC gamers should just buy TVs now
CES 2020 brought a pair of 48-inch OLED displays, one of which even has G-Sync support. These televisions easily beat the image quality of gaming monitors, even those that cost several thousand dollars. Maybe PC gamers should just buy televisions now?
Monster Hunter World event quests guide: How to grind hunter ranks
Monster Hunter World Iceborne is set to launch on PC this week. There's still time to finish up the main campaign before launch, but knowing how to grind hunter ranks quickly can get you through some end-game content before Iceborne puts it on the backburner.
The Razer Kishi will make mobile gamers feel like they have a Nintendo Switch
The Razer Kishi is a controller device that aims to offer an experience to mobile gamers similar to what they would get on Nintendo Switch, with clickable analog sticks and full face buttons. It is also cloud-compatible, enabling it to be used with game streaming services including GeForce Now.
Section Editor, Gaming
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to Inverse, Fanbyte, The Inventory, and more. He was previously a segment producer on Polygon’s daily gaming show Speedrun and he currently hosts the Left Trigger Right Trigger podcast. Four Tetris 99 wins, and counting.