Apex Legends Adding Octane Tomorrow, But He’s Not Part Of The Battle Pass

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Respawn is kicking off the first season of its new battle royale game, Apex Legends, tomorrow on March 19 with the release of the Season 1 Battle Pass. That’s also the day when the game’s newest playable Legend, Octane, will arrive–but you’ll need to purchase him separately if you’re hoping to try him out.

Despite being promoted heavily alongside Apex Legends’ Season 1 Battle Pass, Respawn has confirmed that Octane will not be included as part of it. Rather, like Mirage and Caustic, he’ll be sold through the in-game store for 12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Apex Coins. The former currency can be earned through gameplay, while the latter is purchased using real-world money. However, you can get some free Apex Coins by signing up for EA/Origin Access.

Ahead of Octane’s release, Respawn has shared some more details about the new Legend on the PlayStation Blog. Outfitted with metal legs after blowing his off during a “record-breaking gauntlet speed-run,” Octane is a thrill-seeker who uses “death-defying moves.” With his Adrenaline Junkie ability, Octane is able to exchange health for speed, and his Ultimate–Launch Pad–can send the squad flying through the air.

While this marks the first time Octane has officially been confirmed, players have known about him for several weeks now. The character’s existence had been previously been leaked, most credibly when an image of him appeared on the Origin website. Respawn also teased his impending arrival by placing his jump pads in the game near Market.

Like Fortnite‘s Battle Pass, the Apex Legends Season 1 Pass costs 950 Apex Coins (roughly $10). Through it, players will be able to unlock 100 tiers of cosmetic rewards, including character and weapon skins, banner frames, and more. You’ll also be able to earn enough Apex Coins to pay for Season 2’s Battle Pass. You can read more about how the Apex Legends Battle Pass works here.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-adding-octane-tomorrow-but-hes-not-pa/1100-6465645/

Watch Google’s GDC Livestream Here; Cloud Gaming Service News Expected

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Google is preparing to make its way into the world of video games with a special presentation at the Game Developers Conference. The presentation will take place on March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 5 PM GMT, and Google promises it will reveal its “vision for the future of gaming.”

Google will be streaming the entire presentation through its own YouTube video platform, so you can come right back here at showtime to see it all firsthand.

The company released a teaser video that showed vignettes of different common game genres, suggesting big plans for its own platform.

The announcement may be related to Project Stream, a cloud gaming platform from Google. It partnered with Ubisoft last year to offer Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to play through Chrome browsers for free to testers. Google has been rumored to be working on a “Project Yeti,” which is thought to be its equivalent of a console. The company also recently hired former Ubisoft and EA studio head Jade Raymond, suggesting she could be playing a role in the company’s gaming plans.

To learn more about cloud gaming ahead of Google’s announcement, check out GameSpot’s primer on how cloud gaming works and what it could mean for the future and some of the companies investing most heavily in the tech.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-googles-gdc-livestream-here-cloud-gaming-ser/1100-6465650/

The Cheapest Way To Get Apex Legends’ Battle Pass

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Since its release in early February, Apex Legends has already exploded in popularity with player counts in the millions, and the free-to-play battle royale game from Respawn is about to hit its next milestone: the release of its first season and optional battle pass. Season 1: Wild Frontier will release March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and you’ll be able to pick up its battle pass immediately. Everyone who plays during the first season will also be able to unlock the Wild Frontier skin, five Apex packs, and 18 Wild Frontier stat trackers for free.

The standard battle pass will cost you 950 Apex Coins. There’s also a battle pass bundle available for 2,800 Apex coins, which instantly unlocks your next 25 levels of rewards. However, if the regular battle pass is enough for you, there’s a way to get it for way cheaper: by signing up for one month of EA Access (Xbox One) or Origin Basic Access (PC), which each cost only $5 per month. There’s currently no equivalent option for PS4.

These gaming subscription services give you unlimited access to growing collections of games, discounts on purchases, and early trial access to upcoming games. And if you’re a member who plays Apex Legends between now and June 30, you’ll also receive a few extra perks: an exclusive Flatline Epic weapon skin, a special Banner Badge, and 1,000 Apex coins (roughly $10). You can probably see where we’re going with this: A one-month membership to either service essentially gets you 1,000 Apex Coins for the price of $5, which is a 50% discount. Once you sign up for the one-month membership (which normally costs around $10), you’ll automatically have enough Apex Coins to purchase the standard battle pass (with 50 coins to spare).

At that point, you can decide whether or not you want to continue with the service, but you’ll be able to dive into Apex Legends’ new season and start earning rewards with your battle pass immediately.

Respawn’s year 1 roadmap revealed Apex Legends will have four seasons this year, and in addition to a few free rewards, each season’s battle pass includes new weapons, exclusive loot (like weapon skins), and at least one new playable character. The battle passes work the same way as Fortnite’s: Every time you level up, you’ll unlock more rewards, which you’ll permanently keep even after the season is over. Each battle pass has roughly 100 rewards as well as 1,000 Apex Coins you can earn in total. And yes, that in-game currency can be used to buy Season 2’s battle pass when it releases this summer.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-cheapest-way-to-get-apex-legends-battle-pass/1100-6465642/

Apex Legends Battle Pass Will Let You Unlock Enough Coins To Buy Season 2

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EA has announced Apex Legends Season 1, titled Wild Frontier, will launch tomorrow alongside the battle royale game’s first battle pass and new playable character, Octane. And, much like Fortnite, you can earn enough in-game currency by completing the battle pass to buy the next one for Season 2.

The Season 1 battle pass costs 950 Apex Coins. You can also buy a bundle for 2,800 Apex Coins that includes the battle pass and gives you a head start by advancing you through 25 levels of battle pass progression (and unlocking the corresponding rewards). The pass itself includes a variety of rewards–such as weapon skins, stat trackers, Legend voice lines, and Apex Coin and XP drops–with rewards unlocked by earning XP. You can actually earn 1,000 Apex Coins in total through the battle pass, which, EA notes in a blog post, can be “put towards unlocking the next Battle Pass.” Alternatively, you could put it toward unlocking a character, such as the new Legend, Octane.

EA hasn’t announced just how long that will take, though. The battle pass FAQ states the Apex Coin rewards are unlocked at levels 7, 11, 17, 21, 31, 37, 41, 47, 57, 63, 67, 87, and 97. The FAQ doesn’t list how large the reward is at each level, but considering the battle pass contains 100 levels, you probably need to complete most of it–reaching level 87 or 97–to earn the necessary Apex Coins to buy the pass for Season 2. By comparison, Fortnite’s battle pass, which seems to have served as the inspiration for this, takes anywhere from 75-150 hours to complete by Epic’s estimates.

Whatever the case, the battle pass essentially gives players a second set of rewards to earn alongside those you get by leveling up your player profile. Whether or not you buy Octane or Apex Legends’ new battle pass, Season 1 lets you unlock some rewards for free: 18 new stat trackers, five Apex Packs, and a new skin for Octane. Although your battle pass level is separate from your player level, they are both increased by playing matches and earning XP. There are no Fortnite-style challenge to complete, although Respawn has suggested that future seasons may work differently and that it’s open to feedback from players.

Octane, the ninth and newest Legend to join Respawn’s battle royale game, also releases tomorrow. Octane is not a part of the battle pass though, and you’ll need to buy him with additional Legend Tokens or Apex Coins. Much like Mirage and Caustic, Octane will cost 12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Apex Coins.

If you’re playing Apex Legends on PC or Xbox One, you might have a cheaper option for picking up Octane or the battle pass. Origin Access and EA Access, respectively, provide subscribers with 1,000 free Apex Coins in addition to a few other rewards. As such, if you aren’t already a member, you can subscribe for one month and get that bonus for less money than you’d spend on 1,000 Apex Coins.

Apex Legends is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. In our Apex Legends review, Phil Hornshaw gave the game a 9/10, writing, “Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses. Respawn’s intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it’s an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-battle-pass-will-let-you-unlock-enoug/1100-6465648/

Apex Legends’ Season 1 Battle Pass Costs The Same As Fortnite’s

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Much like Epic’s hit battle royale game, Fortnite, Respawn’s Apex Legends will offer a paid Battle Pass every season, through which players will be able to unlock new cosmetic items and other rewards. The first Battle Pass is set to go live across PS4, Xbox One, and PC tomorrow, March 19, and ahead of its release, publisher EA has shared a load of new details about it, including how much it’ll cost.

The Season 1 Battle Pass can be purchased through Apex Legends’ in-game store for 950 Apex Coins (roughly $10)–the same price as Fortnite’s Battle Pass. Similarly, EA is also offering a Battle Pass bundle that will instantly unlock the first 25 tiers, giving you immediate access to those rewards. That option will cost 2,800 Apex Coins.

If you do spring for a Battle Pass, you’ll automatically unlock three special skins as an added bonus: Lifeline Revolutionary, Wraith Survivor, and Mirage Outlaw. Even if you don’t purchase the pass, however, you’ll be able to unlock a handful of rewards for free, including one Wild Frontier Legends skin and five Apex Packs.

The Season 1 Battle Pass features 100 tiers of rewards to unlock, including weapon skins, banner frames, XP boosts. You’ll also earn up to 1,000 Apex Coins as you level your Battle Pass up throughout the season, which will potentially allow you to pick up next season’s Battle Pass without spending any real-world money. You can read more about how the Apex Legends Battle Pass works here.

Launching alongside the Battle Pass tomorrow is Apex Legends’ newest playable character: the previously leaked Octane. However, Octane won’t be included as part of the Battle Pass; rather, he’ll be available to purchase separately for either 12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Coins, much like Mirage and Caustic were.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-season-1-battle-pass-costs-the-same-a/1100-6465640/

Apex Legends Battle Pass Detailed; Here’s How Season 1 Works

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EA has announced that the Season 1 battle pass, titled Wild Frontier, for Apex Legends is launching tomorrow, March 19. The battle pass releases alongside Octane, the ninth and newest Legend to join the battle royale game. Octane is not a part of the battle pass and will release separately, allowing you to buy him with Legend Tokens or Apex Coins. He’ll be the same cost as Mirage and Caustic–12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Apex Coins.

Apex Legends’ Season 1 battle pass can only be purchased with Apex Coins, one of the three in-game currencies. Buying into the battle pass will cost you 950 Apex Coins. However, you don’t have to buy the battle pass right away to avoid missing out on rewards. “You’ll receive all the rewards up to your Battle Pass level (which is your current level for the season) retroactively!” EA wrote in the battle pass FAQ. “For example, if you’re on level 20 for the season when you buy the Battle Pass, you’ll unlock all rewards for every level up to 20, plus three special Battle Pass skins.”

The Season 1 battle pass has 100 levels in total, and contains an assortment of weapon skins, stat trackers, Legend voice lines, and Apex Coin and XP drops as rewards. Leveling up is entirely XP based, as there are no challenges–at least for this season. Respawn has suggested that the exact structure of the battle pass could change for future seasons.

Like other games that feature seasonal battle passes, all rewards unlocked with Apex Legend’s Season 1 battle pass remain during follow-up seasons. However, once Season 1 ends, you can no longer unlock the items included in this specific pass. Regardless, whether you buy the pass or not, you’ll be able to unlock free rewards during Season 1. You can get 18 new stat trackers, five Apex Packs, and a new skin for Octane. Most rewards are only available for those who buy the battle pass; that includes free Apex Coins–up to 1,000 are available if you level up enough, effectively letting you earn back the cost of the pass and giving you enough to buy next season’s.

Another reward of note is the game’s “first-ever three-stage evolving Legendary weapon skin.” This is for Havoc and, as you earn kills during a match, Respawn says the gun’s “eyes glow and its nostrils emit smoke,” among other things.

If you want to buy yourself a little help in unlocking the Season 1 battle pass rewards, there’s also a bundle–which you can purchase for 2,800 Apex Coins–that unlocks the next 25 levels for you. Like many other aspects of Apex’s battle pass, this essentially mirrors the way the wildly successful Fortnite has operated.

Apex Legends is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. In our Apex Legends review, Phil Hornshaw gave the game a 9/10, writing, “Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses. Respawn’s intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it’s an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future.”

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-battle-pass-detailed-heres-how-season/1100-6465641/

Bethesda Confirms E3 2019 Showcase, Jokes About Walmart Canada Leaks

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Bethesda has announced it will once again host an E3 presentation , eschewing the recent trend from publishers like Sony and Electronic Arts to step back from the industry event. It will take place Sunday, June 9 at 5:30 PM PT, and will be livestreamed for viewers at home.

The company teased the announcement with the #BE3 hashtag on Twitter. The theme for this year’s presentation is “Be Together,” and Bethesda says it will be inviting more fans to join in the live audience. The only game formally announced to make an appearance is Doom Eternal, though the teaser image shows silhouettes of lots of characters from across Bethesda’s franchises. Last year the studio mentioned both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, so we may hear more about those.

The teaser even includes a cheeky reference to Walmart Canada, which exposed several games planned for last year’s E3–including Rage 2 from Bethesda. The company riffed on the leak, and then marketing director Pete Hines cracked a joke at the store’s expense during the E3 2018 presentation.

This is par for the course for Bethesda, which began having large-scale E3 presentations five years ago. It is swimming against the tide of the industry as a whole, however. Nintendo stopped giving press conferences in favor of pre-recorded Nintendo Direct presentations and week-long Treehouse streams. Sony announced this year it wouldn’t be presenting at E3 at all. EA recently followed suit, still planning its E3-adjacent EA Play event, but declining to do a press conference.

That leaves Microsoft, Ubisoft, and now Bethesda as the last remaining publishers planning old-fashioned E3 stage shows. Microsoft, for its part, appears to be capitalizing on the opportunity and claims it will be “going big” this year.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bethesda-confirms-e3-2019-showcase-jokes-about-wal/1100-6465643/

Nintendo Really Wants You To Try Switch’s Splatoon 2 This Week

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Nintendo is giving Switch owners a chance to try out one of the console’s best games free for a limited time. In an uncharacteristic move, the company is offering a special week-long demo of Splatoon 2, which lets prospective players dive into the colorful shooter and its suite of online modes at no charge.

The Splatoon 2 Special Demo will be available on the Switch Eshop later today, March 18. Much like the full game, you’ll need an internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the demo. If you don’t already have the latter, you’ll receive a code for a free seven-day trial for the service via email after downloading the demo, even if you’ve already tried the previous free NSO trial.

The Special Demo will run from March 19-25. During that time, players will be able to try out Splatoon 2’s signature Turf War mode, which pits two teams of four against each other in a contest to cover the most terrain with your color ink, as well as the game’s various Ranked Battles and the cooperative Salmon Run mode.

If you’re interested in purchasing Splatoon 2 after your time with it, Nintendo of America is offering 20% off of the game in the Eshop until March 28, bringing its price down to $48. Players in Europe will get an even bigger savings; the base game will be 33% off, while the Splatoon 2 and Octo Expansion DLC bundle will be discounted by 25%. You’ll also be able to carry any progress you’ve made during the free trial period over to the full version.

Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Along with online play, the subscription offers a handful of other benefits, including cloud saves for most games and access to a catalog of classic NES titles, including Kid Icarus and StarTropics, which were added to the library earlier this month.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-really-wants-you-to-try-switchs-splatoon-/1100-6465637/

Some Of EA’s Best PS4 Games Are On Sale This Week

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It’s a busy month for deals in the PlayStation Store: The Great Indoors Sale recently launched, offering major discounts on hundreds of games and a huge price cut for PS Plus subscriptions. But there’s another PSN sale that might just have flown under your radar: an EA sale on over 60 PS4 and PS3 games, add-ons, and bundles from some of the publisher’s best series. The sale ends Tuesday, March 26 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, the same time the PS Plus subscription sale ends.

All three games in EA’s epic RPG series Dragon Age are on sale for the next week, including the Game of the Year edition for Dragon Age: Inquisition, which is just $10. Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II are each $4 to download and play on PS3. With the fourth Dragon Age game in development, there’s no better time to get acquainted with this excellent series.

Another notable deal is Titanfall 2‘s Ultimate edition, which is selling for only $7.49 and includes a huge amount of bonus content. First-person shooter Battlefield V, which released late last year, is marked down to just $30 and features not only several new multiplayer modes but also an episodic single-player campaign. Speaking of multiplayer: break out of prison and journey with your fellow escaped convict in A Way Out, which is discounted at $18. Unravel 2, another local or online co-op experience where you play as adorable yarn creatures, is only $5.

Many of EA’s sports titles are marked down well over 50% this week, including Madden NFL 19, which is only $15; EA Sports UFC 3, which is just over $13; and FIFA 19, which is just under $20. The ultimate editions of Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3 are also on sale for just $6 each on PS3.

Shop EA’s publisher sale in the PlayStation Store »

Plus, see some of our picks from the sale below!

PS4:

PS3:

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/some-of-eas-best-ps4-games-are-on-sale-this-week/1100-6465617/

Apex Legends Battle Pass, Octane Release Set For Tomorrow

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Apex Legends developer Respawn promised that the game’s first battle pass would launch in March, and now we know exactly when. The devloper has announced that its Season 1 Battle Pass will hit on Tuesday, March 19 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 5 PM GMT, alongside new character Octane and loads of new cosmetics and rewards to unlock. The battle pass will cost you 950 Apex Coins (roughly $10). A Battle Pass Bundle is also available for 2800 Apex Coins, which also instantly unlocks the next 25 levels for the season.

In addition to a variety of rewards you unlock immediately by buying the Battle Pass, you’ll be able to level it up to earn other skins, cosmetics, and even Apex Coins. A select number of rewards are available to all players, but the vast majority require you to buy the Battle Pass. If you do pick it up–which you can effectively do for cheaper with EA/Origin Access–you can earn up to 1,000 Apex Coins, letting you earn back the cost of entry, and enough to buy the next Battle Pass.

Each battle pass will include about 100 rewards, including seasonal items for all players and some exclusive kit for battle pass owners. Rewards will apply retroactively if you decide to buy your battle pass later. Purchasing the battle pass will also net you extra Apex Packs as part of your rewards, giving you more chances for random skins and other cosmetics beyond the exclusive ones offered directly.

One thing that’s absent from the battle pass that some expected were challenges akin to those in Fortnite. Unlocks will be earned simply by leveling up the battle pass through XP from playing matches, not by completing any special objectives. In a blog post, Respawn explained, “Our first Battle Pass is all about letting you continue to learn and experiment with the core Apex Legends experience while earning awesome loot at the same time. You’ll notice the first version isn’t built around a complex quest system where you need to do a 720 backflip off of Watchtower Artemis and get two Wingman headshots before hitting the ground. While we think there’s really cool design space in quests and challenges for future Battle Passes, we wanted the initial version to allow our players to just play and learn the game.”

As suspected, the new character is Octane. The PlayStation Blog outlined his powers, including an Adrenaline Junkie ability to trade health for speed, and a limitless supply of Stim health. He also has his Launch Pads as an Ultimate Ability, giving himself and teammates a serious vertical boost. Notably, Octane will be released alongside the battle pass but will be a separate purchase. He will cost the same as Mirage and Caustic did at launch–12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Apex Coins.

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Octane appeared in an accidental update on the Origin storefront, which Respawn later acknowledged was an “unintentional update about Season 1.” Later jump pads began appearing in the game, all but confirming the rumors about the new character’s power set.

Season 1 is slated to last through June, when it will be replaced by the next seasonal battle pass. Two more after that are planned for 2019, in September and December.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/apex-legends-battle-pass-octane-release-set-for-to/1100-6465638/