Splinter Cell: Blacklist was released seven years ago, and fans of Sam Fisher’s stealth adventures have been clamouring for a new entry in the Ubisoft series ever since. The gruff protagonist made an appearance in a Ghost Recon: Wildlands expansion with voice actor Michael Ironside reprising the role, and Fisher also featured at E3 earlier this year as part of a mobile game called Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad.

Now, GameStop may have just inadvertently revealed a new entry in the Splinter Cell series is on the way. A Reddit user discovered a new listing for Sam Fisher replica goggles available for pre-order on the retailer’s site. The description says, “For the first time since the introduction of Splinter Cell in 2002, after nine top-selling AAA+ titles, and with the 10th release on the horizon, this is your first chance to own Sam Fisher’s signature Ultra High-Frequency Sonar Goggles.”

A 10th release on the horizon? Maybe this is just an honest mistake on GameStop’s part in presuming a new Splinter Cell is on the way, or maybe it’s something much more than that. For what it’s worth, the listing has now been removed with the link redirecting to an “access denied” page. It’s also a curious time to release a new pair of replica goggles–slated for release in November–when Splinter Cell hasn’t been part of the gaming lexicon for a number of years.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot recently explained the wait for a new Splinter Cell game. “When you create a game, you have to make sure you will come with something that will be different enough from what you did before,” Guillemot said. “Last time we did a Splinter Cell, we had lots of pressure from all the fans saying, ‘Don’t change it; don’t do this; don’t do that.’ So some of the teams were more anxious to work on the brand.

“Now there are some things and some people that are now looking at the brand; taking care of the brand. At one point you will see something but I can’t say more than that,” he added. “Also because of Assassin’s Creed and all the other brands taking off, people wanted to work on those brands more. So we have to follow what they like to do.”

In other Tom Clancy related Ubisoft news, the Ghost Recon Breakpoint closed beta kicks off this weekend, and GameSpot has all of the details. The company also launched Uplay+, its new subscription service, but not without its share of teething problems.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamestop-mentions-unannounced-splinter-cell-game-i/1100-6469602/

Gears 5 features an extended Easter Egg that is very clearly inspired by and in reference to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster Broadway play Hamilton. In a sequence in the game’s Act I: The Tide Turns chapter, JD Fenix and company escape the Swarm and find themselves in the “Palace Theatre,” which is currently hosting a play called “Embry.”

Nassar Embry is an important historical politician and the founder of the Coalition of Ordered Governments in the Gears of War universe. So basically he is the Gears of War franchise’s equivalent of Alexander Hamilton, or something like that.

The play “Embry” is Gears of War’s take on Hamilton, and the Easter Egg is very in-depth. There is even a secret collectable you can find that contains the lyrics to a song called “Nassar Embry (That’s My Name),” which is very clearly the Gears take on the song “Hamilton” that opens the play. You can read the lyrics and sing along to the tune of “Hamilton.”

What’s more, once you make your way through the dressing rooms you’ll reach the stage. It’s presented like the actual iconic Hamilton stage, featuring a wraparound wooden set and even a rotating section like the actual production. Even better, when the fighting breaks out, the music breaks from the franchise’s tradition and takes on a more theatrical score. And you can stand on the rotating stage and fight as you move around the circle. It’s really great.

Gears 5 launches on September 10, but people who buy the Ultimate edition or subscribe to Xbox Game Pass can start playing on September 6. For lots more, check out GameSpot’s livestream of Gears 5’s campaign here.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-5s-hamilton-easter-egg-is-a-real-treat/1100-6469595/

Rockstar is rolling out a big update for Red Dead Redemption 2‘s online component, Red Dead Online, next week. The game’s Summer Update arrives on PS4 and Xbox One on September 10 and adds a variety of new challenges, Dynamic Events, items, and gameplay adjustments, along with new specialized roles for players to take on called Frontier Pursuits.

Rockstar describes the Frontier Pursuits as “an ongoing series of Roles for players to inhabit, delivering a wide array of themed activities that each offer unique items, skills and more as you progress through each Role.” As you complete these activities, you’ll earn Role XP that will help you unlock new Role Ranks, which in turn will net you Role Tokens, special items, new skills, and even role-specific Free Roam events.

The first three pursuits are the Bounty Hunter, Trader, and Collector, with additional roles coming in the future. The Bounty Hunter focuses on tracking down criminals; the Trader lets you open up a shop and sell animal pelts and meat; and the Collector specializes in searching for valuable treasures. You can read a more detailed breakdown of the three roles on Rockstar’s website.

In addition to the Frontier Pursuits, next week’s update will include new Free Roam events for each of the new roles, as well as other welcome tweaks like additional Stable slots and the ability to reset your character’s appearance without resetting your progress. Rockstar is also making balance adjustments to “reduce reliance on headshots as the primary kill method in PvP.”

In other news, Red Dead Redemption 2 recently surpassed 25 million copies shipped, Take-Two Interactive announced in its latest earnings report. Rockstar was also listed as the publisher of something called Bonaire according to the Australian Classification website. It’s still unclear what Bonaire is, although there has been speculation that it could be some kind of DLC for Red Dead Redemption 2. That, however, is unconfirmed.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/red-dead-redemption-2-onlines-big-summer-update-ar/1100-6469593/