Following the Overwatch League that launched in 2017, Activision is creating another city-based professional gaming league focused around Call of Duty. ESPN has more information about the league, including how much it may cost to set up a new franchise. According to sources speaking to ESPN, Activision is charging a franchise fee of $25 million per team. That’s higher than the reported $20 million fee that Activision charged for Overwatch League teams.

The report says existing Overwatch League team owners get first dibs on negotiations for Call of Duty teams in their existing home markets.

ESPN’s sources said Activision Blizzard executives have recently sat down with potential buyers; none were named outright, but some are said to be established Call of Duty pro teams and those who are already invested in Overwatch League.

The new Call of Duty pro league is rumoured to begin in 2020, though Activision has yet to make any official announcements. The company has not commented on ESPN’s report about the franchise fee and other details.

Activision already operates the Call of Duty World League, but this new league would be more significant, and, as mentioned feature a city-based structure like the Overwatch League and traditional sports leagues around the world.

After a debut season that Activision deemed successful, the Overwatch League’s 2019 season began in February. The league added eight new teams and almost 100 new players for the new season. It has teams in cities around the world, in places like London, New York, Boston, Seoul, Shanghai, and Atlanta. The players earn a minimum salary of $50,000 USD per year, and they stand to make much more from competitive earnings, along with endorsement deals.

The Overwatch League attracted big-name investors, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and New York Mets owner Jeff Wilpon.

The Call of Duty franchise is set to return in 2019 with a new game that, unlike 2018’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, will feature a single-player campaign.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-reveals-how-much-activision-might-be-chargi/1100-6465566/

Battlefield V‘s third chapter of content, Trial by Fire, kicks off later this month, and one of the most anticipated features it’ll bring to the game is Firestorm, Battlefield V’s take on battle royale. Developer DICE hasn’t yet announced when Firestorm will go live, but we’ll get our first real look at the mode very soon.

DICE is broadcasting Firestorm’s reveal trailer tomorrow, March 14. We don’t yet know how long the video will be or what it will showcase, but it’s scheduled to go live at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. You’ll be able to tune in right here on GameSpot and watch the trailer via the embed below.

While tomorrow’s trailer will provide our first official look at Firestorm, fans got an early look at the mode recently when Firestorm’s tutorial video recently leaked online. According to that video, the mode will support Solo, Duo, and Squads options, and just as in other battle royale games, each match will begin with players parachuting out of a plane, then scrambling to find weapons and other items to help them survive.

EA has previously said that Firestorm will support up to 64 players. Unlike the rest of the game, the mode isn’t developed by DICE, but rather Criterion, the studio behind the Need for Speed series. The mode derives its name from the ring of fire that gradually closes in on the battlefield as matches progress.

In the meantime, the final event of Chapter 2: Lightning Strikes, dubbed Unstoppable Force, is now live. Along with two Weekly Challenges, the event brings back the fan-favorite Rush mode, but it’ll only be around until March 20.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-5-firestorm-reveal-trailer-coming-tomo/1100-6465564/

Gearbox recently teased something that is almost certainly Borderlands 3, and now it has issued a second teaser for another game. This time the studio was less coy, outright stating that it will be showing the new game at PAX.

But while the first hint was relatively clear–the number three on a dusty road, suggesting Borderlands 3 news–this one is decidedly less so. It does state that this is “another game,” so it’s not just another clue for Borderlands, but other than that it’s just a stark scene. In it we can see some kind of machine or robot hooked up to wires in a laboratory.

Speculation has ranged from something to do with We Happy Few to a new Duke Nukem to an entirely new IP. Whatever it is, it’s likely to be unveiled during Gearbox’s panel in panel at PAX East’s biggest hall. That panel, to take place on March 28, promises “never-before-seen reveals, exclusives, and surprises.” It will also be live streamed for those not attending the Boston, MA event.

Gearbox’s first teaser was said to be a likely factor in Take-Two stock ticking upwards, which was then bolstered further by an unfounded rumor that Sony was discussing a possible acquisition of the publisher. That report was erroneous, however, and the stock price seems to be increased from where it had been, but stabilizing lower than its peak.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/following-apparent-borderlands-3-teaser-gearbox-hi/1100-6465565/

March’s free NES games for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers are now available. This time around, the lineup is almost entirely different depending on your region. The West receives Kid Icarus and StarTropics, while Japan gets Kid Icarus along with two unlocalized Famicom titles: Yie Ar Kung-Fu and Fire Emblem.

On top of this month’s new games, Nintendo has added special save states for two previously released titles, Kirby’s Adventure and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The former allows you to play through the more difficult Extra Game from the outset, while the latter starts you off with Link’s Attack, Magic, and Life stats already maxed out.

Nintendo has been gradually expanding Switch’s NES catalog with more games every month. In February, the company added Super Mario Bros. 2 and Kirby’s Adventure, while January brought Zelda II and Blaster Master. More games are on the way next month, although Nintendo hasn’t revealed what those will be just yet.

The NES catalog is one of the perks Switch owners receive for subscribing to the Nintendo Switch Online service. It offers unlimited access to more than 30 NES games for as long as you have an active membership, with added online multiplayer support for every title.

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. Other perks for subscribing include the ability to play Switch games online with others, save data backup via the cloud, and exclusive offers such as Tetris 99, which is free to download for NSO members.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-onlines-free-nes-games-for-march-n/1100-6465553/