Google’s DeepMind A.I. defeats human opponents in Quake III Capture the Flag
Google's DeepMind lab created For the Win, an artificial intelligence program that was able to learn Quake III Arena's Capture the Flag mode well enough to beat human opponents. Interestingly, a team with a human player and an A.I. agent had a better chance of winning than a team with just A.I. agents.
Mortal Kombat 11 Shang Tsung trailer confirms Spawn, teases Ash from Evil Dead
NetherRealm Studios released a trailer for Mortal Kombat 11 that highlighted the moves of the shapeshifter Shang Tsung. The trailer also confirmed that Spawn will be unleashed in the game, while teasing that one of two more guest characters may be the chainsaw-wielding Ash from the Evil Dead series.
Laptop with some of world’s most dangerous malware sells for $1.35 million
A laptop infected with six of the world's most dangerous malware, including the WannaCry ransomware and the BlackEnergy trojan, was sold in an auction for $1.35 million. Titled "The Persistence of Chaos," it contains malware that are said to have caused financial damages worth $95 billion.
Snap reportedly wants more music in Snapchat to compete against TikTok
Snap is in discussions with major record labels for broader licensing deals, according to the Wall Street Journal. The plan is to add more musical features to Snapchat, in order to better compete against the offerings of rival apps such as TikTok and Instagram that allow song clips to be added to posts.
Xbox One S Fortnite Limited Edition leak reveals a very purple console
The Xbox One S Fortnite Limited Edition bundle, which includes a very purple Xbox One S, was leaked. Buyers will also reportedly receive a matching wireless controller, a copy of Fortnite, the Dark Vertex skin, 2,000 V-Bucks, and one-month subscriptions to Xbox Live, EA Access, and Xbox Game Pass.
Square Enix may tease long-awaited The Avengers Project at E3 2019
Marvel and Square Enix formed a multi-game partnership in January 2017, starting with The Avengers Project that will be developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal. Nothing has since been heard about it, but Square Enix may be teasing the presence of The Avengers Project at E3 2019.
Cyberpunk 2077 development at full speed, but still not playable at E3 2019
CD Projekt Red is at "full speed" with the development of Cyberpunk 2077, but it will not yet be playable for the public at E3 2019. The developer's president, meanwhile, left open the possibility that the game's release date will finally be revealed at the annual event, which will kick off in two weeks.
Dauntless hits 5 million players in first week; Phoenix Labs tries to keep up
Dauntless suffered from matchmaking problems and server issues in the first days following its launch, resulting in queue times reportedly as long as three hours. Things have started getting better for the Monster Hunter: World challenger though, as the game surpassed 5 million players in its first week.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will focus on troubling, realistic emotions
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is reportedly the title for this year's entry in the series, and it will be a soft reboot of 2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The Infinity Ward game is also said to draw inspiration from the controversial No Russian level of 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night DLC stirs controversy for Kickstarter backers
The post-launch DLC for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been revealed, including new modes and additional characters. The $10 Iga's Back Pack DLC that will allow players to earn the Swordwhip weapon, however, has stirred controversy among the backers of the game's Kickstarter roots.
Overwatch League Commissioner Nate Nanzer moves to Epic Games, Fortnite esports
Nate Nanzer, the founding commissioner of the Overwatch League, will be leaving his post to join Epic Games and oversee competitive Fortnite. Nanzer will be inheriting a massively popular Battle Royale shooter that has withstood various challenges, but with an esports scene besieged by cheating.
Microsoft Project xCloud will support all current and future Xbox One games
Microsoft said that its Project xCloud video game streaming service will support all current and future titles in the Xbox family of systems. This includes more than 3,500 games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, and more than 1,900 games that are currently in development for the Xbox One.
OnePlus 7 Pro plagued by ghost touch issues: Here’s what might be a quick fix
Some OnePlus 7 Pro owners have complained about ghost touches, which are non-existent taps that are triggering the device's touchscreen. While OnePlus is working on fixing the problem, there may be a quick fix to work around it, though it remains unclear if it is caused by a hardware or software issue.
Lilium Jet takes flight in first test for all-electric, five-seater aircraft
German startup Lilium is moving closer to its goal of launching an on-demand air taxi service by 2025 with the successful maiden flight of the Lilium Jet. The all-electric, five-seater aircraft, powered by 36 engines fitted under its wings, looks to travel up to 300 kilometers in just 60 minutes.
Minecraft may be best-selling video game in history with 176 million copies sold
Minecraft has sold more than 176 million copies since it was launched 10 years ago, across all platforms where it is available. The milestone may make it the best-selling video game in history, ahead of Grand Theft Auto V and possibly also Tetris, though it is difficult to make a direct comparison.
Red Dead Online poker missing in some parts of the world due to gambling laws
The massive update for Red Dead Online as it left beta added poker, among many other things, to the online component of Red Dead Redemption 2. Not all players are able to access the card game though, as Rockstar Games said that it restricted the feature in countries where online gambling is prohibited.
Next Apex Legends patch will fix Gibraltar’s sticky shield and hit registration
Respawn is set to roll out a new patch for Apex Legends early this week. The update will look to solve a myriad of issues in the popular Battle Royale shooter, including the removal of Gibraltar's sticky shield, a fix for the Fortified passive ability, and the elimination of incorrect hit registration.
World of Warcraft Classic beta testers confusing old-school features for bugs
Blizzard released a "not a bug" list for World of Warcraft Classic, as beta testers apparently kept sending in reports for features that were working as intended. The list includes the large hitboxes of Taurens and the "Your skill in Protection increased to 15" message that appears upon leveling up.
Treyarch takes over 2020 Call of Duty, will make Black Ops 5
Treyarch is taking over development for the 2020 Call of Duty, which will be Black Ops 5, Kotaku reported. Raven was initially leading the project alongside Sledgehammer, but staff of the two studios reportedly got into arguments frequently, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Google Pixel 4 will reportedly ditch physical buttons and display notch
The Google Pixel 4 will reportedly feature massive design changes, including the removal of clickable power and volume keys in favor of capacitive touch areas at the side of the device. The smartphone is also said to be dropping the display notch, and will instead have a hole-punch front-facing camera.
Google recalls Titan Security Key due to hijack risk
Google's Titan Security Key is flawed -- the Bluetooth Low Energy version, that is -- and the company is offering a free replacement. A misconfiguration was discovered in the device, though hackers will find it difficult to exploit as it will require close proximity to their target and exact timing.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne to add new area to explore, more monsters to hunt
Capcom will launch Monster Hunter World: Iceborne in September for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game's first official expansion will add a new area to explore named Hoarfrost Reach, new monsters to hunt such as the elder dragon Velkhana, and new combat options to try such as the upgraded Slinger.
Tinder Lite will soon launch to bring the dating game into emerging markets
Tinder Lite, a lightweight version of the dating app, will soon launch in emerging markets where access to data may be limited. The app will look to bring more people into the dating game, as Tinder looks to maintain its growth amid increasing competition from rival apps and Facebook.
Respawn will serve temporary bans to piggy-backing Apex Legends players
Respawn identified piggy-backing players as those who do not participate in matches but stick around to earn experience points. The developer will serve temporary bans to those who exhibit such behavior in the future, but the issue ignited a debate about how players should earn XP in the game.
Tetris 99 Big Block DLC adds offline mode against 98 bots for $10
The Big Block DLC for Tetris 99 is now available at the Nintendo eShop for $10. The add-on brings the previously online-only Battle Royale game offline with CPU Battle mode, which allows players to go up against 98 bots, and Marathon mode, which is the traditional version of the puzzler.
2019 iPhone XR may come in green and lavender, replacing coral and blue colors
Apple is reportedly replacing the color options of coral and blue with green and lavender for the 2019 iPhone XR, which is also rumored to be coming with a new dual-lens camera set into a square camera bump. However, further details such as the specific shade of green that will be offered remain unclear.
Square Enix says Final Fantasy VII Remake will still feature ‘multiple parts’
Square Enix confirmed that the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII Remake, which finally resurfaced at Sony's latest State of Play, will still be released in multiple parts. It remains unclear what this exactly means, but hopefully it will be explained in further detail at the upcoming E3 2019.
Apple reportedly won’t roll out iOS 13 to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE
Apple is rumored to be dropping support for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone SE with the release of iOS 13. If true, owners of the iPhone SE would only have three years on the latest version of the mobile operating system, which is expected to be officially revealed at the WWDC in June.
Microsoft unleashes Xbox One X consoles inspired by Godzilla and friends
Microsoft teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures to create four exclusive Xbox One X consoles with designs based on Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. No purchases are necessary to join the raffle for the consoles, while waiting for Godzilla's return to the big screen.