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All Super Mario Games Releasing This 2021

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While 2020 may have been the 35th anniversary of Mario, each year is his year for Nintendo, and 2021 doesn’t appear to be an exception. The global coronavirus pandemic has caused several troubles in the possible celebrations, but the anniversary of Mario still managed to pull off a much-needed success.

From new ports of classic games such as Mario 3D All-Stars to new innovative toys featuring every gamer’s favorite plumber, such as Mario Kart Home Circuit and LEGO Super Mario, 2020 was full of new methods to play as Mario. It will definitely hard for the new year to carry a similar kind of hype as the 35th anniversary of Mario, but 2021 should still offer several impressive Super Mario games.

As always, Nintendo has kept its mouth shut in terms of future releases, so there isn’t much known about the upcoming games of 2021 or even their release schedules. However, players already know when they can secure a copy of the next Super Mario game.

Revealed back in September 2020, Super Mario 3D World Deluxe will be arriving on the Nintendo Switch in 2021. Initially launched on the Wii U, Super Mario 3D World is regarded as one of the most underrated Mario games of the past several years.

The game is set to arrive on February 12 along with a new DLC expansion, Bowser’s Fury. It is also worth mentioning that, unlike its Wii U version, 3D World will have an online multiplayer mode on the Nintendo Switch.

So far, Super Mario 3D World Deluxe is the only Super Mario game officially confirmed to release this year, but there are others that have been speculated to launch this year as well. According to a leaker, a new Mario sports-oriented title is currently being developed by Camelot, which has a history of making Mario sports-oriented games such as the recently released Mario Tennis Aces.

Super Mario 3D World Coming to Nintendo Switch in 2021 | Den of Geek

Even if the leak is true, it is still not known what sport the new game will cover, although, many fans believe that it’s high time for a Super Mario Golf title. This speculated Mario sports title is said to be set for launch during the first half of this year, so fans should soon learn if this leak is true.

Alongside the 35th anniversary of Super Mario, last year was also marked with controversy for the Japanese gaming giant, much of it regarding Mario 3D All-Stars. While players were hyped to play a few of their favorite Mario games from the past, players were frustrated will the game’s restricted availability.

Mario 3D All-Stars will only be available for purchase until March 31, 2020, and what comes after this date has left players wondering. Considering Nintendo’s recent history of trying to milk ports for all their money’s worth, it shouldn’t even be shocking to see Mario Galaxy, Mario Sunshine, and Mario 64 all launched as solo games after March 31.

Call of Duty Warzone Finale Ends Nuke Story

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A climactic final cutscene has been revealed in Call of Duty Warzone and it apparently wraps up the ongoing storyline about a nuke. Since the launch of Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, its battle royale counterpart Warzone has served to start to integrate a few of the series’ separate brands into one whole.

This hasn’t been received well by some fans in terms of the balancing of weapons, but the story hooks that brought some major villains from across the Call of Duty franchise together into one complex web of lore is precisely the kind of storytelling that players thrive on in 2020.

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However, Warzone isn’t just a plain multiplayer mode. Similar to Fortnite, Apex Legends, and other popular titles in the genre, Call of Duty Warzone aims to tell a continuous story over multiple seasons which will retain players coming back month after month.

The mode began alongside last year’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare, so there has been plenty of build-up throughout 2020. The main Call of Duty Modern Warfare operators has pursued Victor Zakhaev, a secondary villain from the original Modern Warfare from Xbox 360 era that also emerged in the Cold War’s main campaign for a short cameo.

Geeky Pastimes, a popular YouTuber, combined together with an impressively detailed guide for players looking to experience the finale of the Warzone storyline as fast as possible. Unlocking the cutscene involves gathering pieces of intel during gameplay, some of which are as tiny as a gold coin.

The intel locations are only indicated through photos of the map and are scattered all over the region. Players must gather the intel one at a time, so it would take a patient player to collect them all if they do it without a guide. There have been several of these tasks throughout the life of Warzone, each leading to a little in-game progress on the ongoing plot.

As for the cutscene, it shows Captain Price and his team finally locating Zakhaev and stopping him from deploying a nuclear bomb and “sticking a knife in the neck of history.” The cutscene is a direct continuation of the plot from last year’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare, which features Victor and his father in an altered retelling of the version of events back in 2007.

Of course, the plot of a battle royale goes on forward, so characters are certain to fit in a statement that things are not yet done as they rush off to their next mission and a new narrative.

Apex Legends Introduces New Game Mode Called ‘Airdrop Escalation’

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Respawn Entertainment is beginning the new year with a strong start, as Apex Legends Season 7 is expected to have a new update as well as even more content within the week. A few days ago, the developer shared the patch notes for the Fight Night Collection Event, which notes down all the changes and fixes that will be added in Apex Legends.

The patch notes state that for January 2021, an Apex Legends update will be dropped and it will consist of various bug fixes for the game. Not only that, but the January update will also introduce the highly-anticipated Fight Night Collection Event along with all its new rewards, weapons, and skins.

Among other things, the developer will also be adding something new to the battle royale’s limited-time game modes. More specifically, the upcoming event will feature a brand-new LTM called Airdrop Escalation. The patch notes say that it “will be a ‘takeover’ of the normal ‘Play Apex’ game mode.” That description alone sounds very interesting.

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From what we can understand, the limited-time mode will play similarly to the standard Battle Royale, but the difference is that it will provide more supply drops than ever before. Airdrop Escalation initially offers players four supply drops which will be peppered throughout the game’s map.

With each round that passes, the supply drops will also increase. Its increase rate will supposedly be the same as Lifeline’s Care Packages in a regular game of Apex Legends. Every supply drop will have “a fully-kitted weapon of different tiers” that will differ with each round.

However, the catch is that players won’t have the ability to swap the weapons’ attachments or break them down. On the other hand, regular weapons will still be offered as loot during the rounds. The team behind the development of Apex Legends would be more than happy to know what players think of the new “takeover” approach they’re testing out, so feel free to reach out to them for any feedback or concerns.

That being said, there’s more coming to Apex Legends asides from the Airdrop Escalation takeover. For one thing, the Fight Night Collection Event will offer players 24 new items that can either be obtained using Crafting Metals or with Apex Coins. These items will also be included in the Event Apex Packs during the entire event, which will contain two non-event items and one event item.

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There will be a bonus for those players who manage to obtain all 24 items, which will come in the form of the Gibraltar Heirloom. This item can be accessed through heirloom crafting once the event concludes.

Other changes and updates include bug fixes given to a variety of Legends, and adjustments for different weapons and a few characters. In addition, the Olympus map will also have new loot-giving MRVNs, which is something that players can be excited about.

Apex Legends’ Fight Night Collection Event will begin on January 5 at 8 PM PT. Respawn Entertainment hasn’t mentioned when the event will end, but it’s best to make the most out of it as soon as it starts.

Valorant Leaker Details Upcoming Episode 2 Battle Pass Tiers and Rewards Ahead of Official Launch Date

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There’s only a couple of days left before Riot Games launches Valorant Episode 2, which means that the tactical first-person shooter will be introducing a brand-new Battle Pass as well. For those who can’t wait to know what the upcoming Battle Pass will bring to the table though, its details seem to have already been leaked online.

Russian YouTuber БАЧОК recently shared a video that seemingly showcases everything that Valorant Episode 2 has to offer, including what players can expect from the bonus free and paid Battle Pass. The video was in Russian, but fortunately, Dexerto was able to share a translation of the information.

If the leak is proven to be true, then there’s a myriad of rewards that Valorant players can look forward to. Although it’s best not to get too excited about all this at least until Riot Games publishes an official announcement confirming that the information from the leak is real.

That being said, the first Battle Pass reward according to the leak is a Bulldog Metallic Green Weapon Skin, while the reward after that is a Giraffe Gun Bling.

Seeing as the Phantom is arguably one of the most popular weapons in the game, many fans will undoubtedly wonder how long they’ll have to grind before they get a weapon skin for that from the Battle Pass. Well, the Phantom Metallic Green Weapon Skin can be unlocked after reaching the 45th tier.

Another powerful weapon that many Valorant players enjoy utilizing during a match is the Operator Sniper rifle, although it doesn’t come cheap in the store. Those players will be happy to know that the Episode 2 Battle Pass will also offer a weapon skin for that, which can be unlocked at level 25.

After reaching the 50th level in the Battle Pass, players will be able to acquire the Yellow and Black Knife. The knife is perfect for showboating and for quick stealth kills, so it’s great that Riot Games has allegedly included a weapon skin for that.

The upcoming Battle Pass will also feature fun and silly items such as the Bunny Eating Jam Spray as well as the Chrystal Mountain Dojo Gun Bling.

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Given Valorant’s quick rise to the top, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it became one of the most popular titles of 2020, especially within the FPS scene. Its players not only enjoy the fact that it offers competitive fun, but it’s also a great way for friends to get together and have a good time.

There are also game modes for those who just want something more casual. Riot Games introduced the limited-time Snowball Fight mode last month, and while it was only available until December 29, 2020, we’re sure that the developer will add even more casual game modes in the future.

As for those players who don’t want to spend hard-earned money on Valorant’s premium Battle Pass, there are several pieces of bonus content that will be available for free. These include fun items such as the Chinese Decorative Gun Bling, the Classic Metallic Green Weapon Skin, the Triangle Eye Spray, and more. As such, players who want to enjoy Valorant in all its free-to-play glory can also look forward to new content as soon as Episode 2 drops.

The Name and Abilities of Valorant’s Agent 14 Have Been Leaked

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Riot Games released its tactical first-person shooter Valorant in early 2020, which quickly garnered a significant number of fans. With its familiar FPS gameplay mechanics along with the increasing roster of unique playable characters, Valorant became a very popular title in no time.

A lot of players find that Riot Games’ entry to the FPS genre is a mix of Counter Strike: Global Offensive due to its gameplay and Overwatch due to the fact that there’s a range of characters for players to choose from. At the moment, Valorant has thirteen different Agents, with each one having their own skills and abilities.

The most recent Agent, Skye, was introduced with the release of Valorant Episode 1 Act 3, but it seems that another one will be making an appearance in-game soon according to a brand-new leak.

Given how there are no official announcements from Riot Games yet, the upcoming character is known as Agent 14 in the community. However, a Valorant fan recently posted a major leak on the game’s subreddit.

https://twitter.com/ValorantUpdates/status/1345548017814831105?s=20

The leak in question is a 2-minute video, which appears to showcase the new Agent in action while inside the training lobby. There’s also a loading screen that features what seems to be Agent 14’s name in the UI — Yoru.

Based on the leaked video, we can see that the new Agent’s abilities primarily focus on deceiving others. As a matter of fact, Yoru even has what appears to be a portal ability that may seem familiar to Apex Legends fans who mainly use Wraith.

That being said, the short video also showcased what we assume to be Agent 14’s ultimate ability. When this ability is used, Yoru becomes invisible and may even be impervious to damage after opening some kind of portal and taking a Hannya mask.

The leak, which initially appeared in Russian but was fortunately translated, claims that Yoru has the ability to create sound effects that sound very similar to footsteps in order to deceive enemy players.

One Valorant player actually saw this effect in action while in-game, which made fans believe that it was either a VFX bug or Riot’s way of teasing the new Agent. At this point, it’s safe to assume that it was the latter.

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As for his other abilities, Yoru can also release a glowing blue ball of light that explodes after hitting a surface, which appears to temporarily cause blindness. There’s also the aforementioned portal system, which allows the character to teleport. On the other hand, triggering the fire button makes the portal go ahead, while pressing alternative fire secures it.

Even though leaks are, of course, unofficial and should therefore be regarded with a little bit of skepticism, most of the information found in this leak actually matches what Riot Games previously teased to Valorant fans.

The developer released in-game footage last year showcasing Brimstone, Raze, and the other Agents, along with one other character that fans couldn’t recognize. The mysterious Agent in that video had spiked blue hair and was wearing a jacket that looks very similar to what Yoru is wearing in the leak.

Fortunately, Valorant fans only have a couple of days left to wait before official announcements will surface. Episode 2 Act 1 is scheduled to go live on January 12, 2021, but Riot Games usually reveals more information before a major update such as that.

Rockstar Games Insider Refutes Rumors That Grand Theft Auto 6 Will Be Released Soon

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Given the fact that it’s already a brand-new year, several Rockstar Games fans were hoping that the developer would make a major announcement concerning Grand Theft Auto 6. There were a lot of rumors and speculation that circulated in the GTA community before the end of 2020, which made some fans think that the highly-anticipated game would be getting a release date soon.

However, one Rockstar Games insider has unfortunately dismissed these rumors by saying that Grand Theft Auto 6 won’t be released anytime soon. It has already been surmised for quite some time now that developer Rockstar Games is working on the sixth major entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

These rumors stemmed from fans who claim to have spoken to Rockstar Games employees, who said that the developer has been meaning to release a brand-new Grand Theft Auto title to the new generation of consoles, namely the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

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Even though the company itself hasn’t made any official announcements regarding this, there are several alleged insiders who swear that the developer is working on this latest entry and that it will be released in the near future. However, the problem is: when exactly is the “near future”?

Former Rockstar Games insider, who goes by the online handle Yann2295 on Twitter, is considered by the GTA community as someone who is trustworthy when it comes to a game’s release date and whether or not it’s in development.

On January 2, he decided to clear things once and for all via his social media account so that fans stop pestering him with questions regarding GTA 6’s release. In the post, he reiterates that Grand Theft Auto 6 is truly in the works, but it’s just not going to be released anytime soon. “No, I don’t know when it’s gonna be announced or released,” he adds.

He concludes the tweet by saying that his followers can finally stop asking him about it now. Given how he has over 80,000 followers on Twitter, we can only imagine that he constantly receives repeating questions about the upcoming title, which can understandably get quite annoying.

The general agreement among Grand Theft Auto’s leakers and insiders is that a sixth major title is currently in development. There’s no longer any discourse about this. What’s being argued about, however, is how far along the game’s development is and when Rockstar Games will release it.

For one thing, some are saying that the developer is still focusing on supporting Grand Theft Auto Online rather than working on a new game. The fact the Rockstar is supporting the online title can’t be argued though, given how the Cayo Perico Heist update recently just launched. In addition, Grand Theft Auto 5 was one of the games that were confirmed to get a next-generation upgrade.

Still, GTA dataminers continue to look for signs and clues that lead to the possibility of Grand Theft Auto 6. If insider Yann2295 is to be trusted though, fans will have to wait even more before Rockstar Games officially announces anything related to Grand Theft Auto 6.

Call of Duty Warzone Fans Frustrated At Removal of Rebirth Island Trios

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Call of Duty Warzone has removed the feature of trios for Rebirth Island in the hit battle royale game, and fans expressed their disappointment with it. This is not the first time players have called out the developers for pulling out a famous playlist feature, but it appears that those complaints have been put to the grave.

Since the start of the integrations of content between Call of Duty Warzone and Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, Rebirth Island is known to have fast-paced gameplay because of how small the map is. Resurrecting and being able to team up with the other individuals in the team has made it popular, especially with the two overpowered guns that players are using so much now – the DMR and MAC-10. However, even after problems with the incorporation of the two games, and fans beginning to get used to the new gameplay, Warzone changed its beat again.

Recently, Call of Duty Warzone has increased the number of individuals on a team for Rebirth Island, from three to four. A lot of players have gone on to say that this makes the mode less exciting, as it is already difficult enough to find the three teammates the players are teamed up with, but adding another makes it all that more insane.

Why did they remove the Rebirth Trios ? from CODWarzone

One Reddit user by the name of u/kayra551 actually made a mixed list displaying all the issues of the new game mode, stating that just as fans were starting to like the game again, Warzone made changes again and just made it worse.

Another user, u/ghostfatherLA, had commented on the post and said that they did the same thing to the Zombies Royale mode back during the Halloween event, where players who died would turn to zombies and get the opportunity to hunt down others to go back to life again. However, this was pulled out as well, despite the amazing feedback it received.

With how much withdrawal this decision has been receiving, it might not be that long before the developers realize its mistake and return its Trios mode, but there are no assurances that this will occur anytime soon.

With how many bugs have happened during the Warzone’s integration with Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, this might be Treyarch trying to repair something as they did with the helicopters, but again, nothing has been officially revealed. The mode has been removed without prior notice from the development team at Raven Studios and Treyarch.

As of writing, it appears that it’s really just a casual decision that has made a lot of fans infuriated. Perhaps if the developers realize what’s currently going on, they might put Trios back in Warzone, and Rebirth Island will be back to how it was initially.

Nintendo Store Now Offering Official Dodo Pilot Jackets From Animal Crossing

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans now have the chance to become a part of the Dodo Airlines flight crew thanks to the new jacket that Nintendo is now selling. This most recent Animal Crossing product that’s now available on the Nintendo Store has joined the other collection of themed products, including hats, plushies, shirts, accessories for the Nintendo Switch console, and more.

Nintendo’s Switch-exclusive life simulation title was launched earlier in the year, around the same time when the whole world was going into lockdown due to the advent of the coronavirus pandemic.

As such, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was such a huge success, especially since most gamers had nothing to do except stay at home and play video games. As a matter of fact, it was one of the few games to have sold six million units in Japan.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has players occupying a deserted island, and then eventually changing it into a flourishing town that’s populated by cute and friendly anthropomorphic animals.

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Amidst a pandemic where social distancing is crucial, New Horizons allows players to meet up with their friends virtually by visiting each other’s islands. So, not only does it offer players a way to channel their creativity, it’s a great way to remain social while still following the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Since its rise to success, both fans and retailers have been steadily releasing real-life clothing, artwork, trinkets, and more that center around Animal Crossing. In fact, even Nintendo itself is joining in on the fun.

Players who usually travel to other players’ islands are most likely familiar with New Horizons’ airport at this point, which is where some of the more loved NPCs are located. The airport is used for reaching other areas of the game though, such as the photo studio and the other mystery islands.

Now, Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ airport is manned by two dodo birds called Wilbur and Orville, respectively. If a player frequently travels in-game, then these two NPCs reward that player with a variety of Dodo Airlines merchandise for in-game use.

Revealed only last week, players now have the chance to feel like a pilot of Dodo Airlines in real life, as the Nintendo Shop is now selling a Dodo Airlines Jacket. It’s specifically a zip-up bomber jacket that comes in a light green color. The front part of the jacket has the yellow DAL logo as well as the blue Dodo Airlines logo.

On the other hand, the back part is emblazoned with a globe and the DAL logo in front of it. Above that are five golden stars, while beneath it are wings outlined in the same golden color.

The Animal Crossing Dodo Airlines Jacket is priced at $79.99 on the Nintendo Shop and has a wide range of sizes available, from XS through 4XL. That being said, there are several other Dodo Airlines-themed merchandise available as well, including a blue t-shirt that has a dodo design on it, as well as a blue baseball cap that is designed with yet another dodo bird.

Seeing how Animal Crossing: New Horizons was able to amass a massive following since its initial launch, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it now has a bunch of merchandise on offer. 2020 may have been a bizarre year, but we’re happy that we got Animal Crossing: New Horizons out of it.

PlatinumGames’ NieR: Automata Hits Impressive Sales Milestone Since 2017 Launch

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It doesn’t come as a surprise, but NieR: Automata has once again reached an incredible sales milestone. More specifically, the action RPG has sold an impressive five million copies since its release last February 2017. Developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix, NieR: Automata was initially released on the PC and PlayStation 4 before getting an Xbox One port in 2018.

For the past couple of years, the NieR franchise in its entirety has turned into quite a marvel in the industry, which is quite different from the cult classic status of 2010’s Nier, the forerunner of NieR: Automata. The series grew so popular that it extended to other adaptations outside of its video game medium, including an orchestra concert, a myriad of dolls and figures, as well as book adaptations.

That being said, it’s worth noting that NieR: Automata has also greatly contributed to how much the franchise has grown as well. After all, NieR: Replicant, which is an enhanced edition of the initial game in the series, wouldn’t have been developed if PlatinumGames didn’t make the effort of reviving the franchise and turning NieR: Automata into a massive hit.

According to the official Twitter account of the NieR Series, NieR: Automata still continues to climb the ladder of success. The game may have been released more than three years ago, but copies of the action-RPG still continue to sell to this day. As a matter of fact, the beloved title was able to sell over five million units on a global scale for both physical and digital copies.

The sales update before this most recent one was revealed during Tokyo Game Show 2020, which took place in September. During that time, there were 4.85 million copies sold overall since launch. So, the fact that a game released nearly four years ago was able to sell 150,000 copies within three months is most definitely an impressive feat.

What’s even more exciting is the fact that the producer of the NieR franchise, Yosuke Saito, once said “I’m sure we’ll do something when we reach five million units.” We’re not sure if he will remain true to his words or if he was just teasing, but only time will tell.

At the moment of writing, both Square Enix and PlatinumGames haven’t made any celebratory announcements, but it’s most likely too early to tell. There’s enough time for the developer and publisher to reveal any major announcement in the future, especially since the release date of NieR Replicant is almost upon us. Although this time around, Toylogic is the one responsible for this upcoming remaster and not PlatinumGames.

In the meantime, developer PlatinumGames has several other projects keeping it busy. For one thing, the development of Babylon’s Fall is currently ongoing, which is another game that’s going to be published by Square Enix.

Not only that, Hideki Kamiya, who is the director of Bayonetta, recently confirmed that Bayonetta 3’s development is still ongoing and on track. In addition, Kamiya is also working on another project that’s tentatively called Project G.G., which is a superhero title that is reportedly starting to move forward in its development as well.

Gears 5 New Character Skins Have Been Leaked

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In this day and age, it has already been common for leaks to quickly spread through the web, and developers can do nothing to stop the release of valuable information. The same is the case with Gears 5, which witness tons of upcoming multiplayer skins leaked on Reddit and social media. Instead of commenting about the leak or trying to stop it, the developers just addressed the situation in a funny way.

There are more than Gears 5 multiplayer skins roaming around social media as of writing, and it has been hard to locate exactly where they began. While the Gears Mexico account notably did its part to spread the details, it doesn’t seem to be the main source.

The leaked skins consist of Heroic, Recon, Hollow Storm, Chrome Steel, Hivebuster, and Omega Squad, just to name some. The official Twitter account of Gears of War joined in the leak in a bizarre way – by posting a meme. While the meme doesn’t precisely confirm that the skins are authentic, it doesn’t also deny it, which has led to some fans speculating that the Gears 5 skins are legit.

The Coalition, Gears 5’s developers, likely have their hands full with more important factors like working on new content such as the Hivebusters expansion that launched earlier this December. The newest expansion got its name from the famous comic book of a similar title and has fans take on the role of Mac, Keegan, and Lahni from Gears 5 Escape Mode.

As the Scorpio Squad, take on a campaign lasting 3 hours long and features a three-player coop. In addition, Hivebusters launched with a free update called Title Update 12, which brought along several improvements and bug fixes to the game.

As expansions and new content for Gears 5 continues to roll out, fans can’t help but think how the latest Gears of War trilogy will come to conclusion. The games’ tones have changed significantly from the original trilogy, and The COG has improved a lot since then, becoming almost a second antagonist over the course of the games.

This throws the question of how The Cog will influence the story of Gears 6. This mainly depends on First Minister Jinn and his motives. There are plenty of rumors, but fans will just have to wait and see how The Coalition gets involved with the story and in the role of Jinn.

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