Epic Games nerfs mechs in competitive Fortnite after player complaints
The mechs of Fortnite, named the B.R.U.T.E. vehicles, have been the subject of player complaints ever since they were added in Season X because they are too powerful. Epic Games has nerfed the mechs in competitive play, though it remains to be seen if the change is enough to quell the outrage.
Group dating app 3Fun caught exposing real-time locations, private photos
Pen Test Partners discovered that 3Fun, a dating app for arranging threesomes, was severely lacking in protecting the data privacy of its more than 1.5 million users. The app stored real-time locations, private photos, birth dates, and other sensitive information on its servers without encryption.
PlayStation 4 destroyed to protest The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild clone
A man destroyed a PlayStation 4 Pro at ChinaJoy 2019 in protest against Genshin Impact, a game that is being criticized as a clone of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A new trailer for the game illustrated its similarities with the Nintendo Switch exclusive but also attempted to highlight differences.
Valve apologizes for leaking new Street Fighter V DLC characters on Steam
Valve apologized for leaking Street Fighter II's E. Honda, Final Fight 3's Lucia, and Final Fight's Poison as the next DLC characters for Street Fighter V. Capcom was planning to make a splash at the Evo 2019 fighting game tournament, but a trailer that revealed the characters was uploaded early on Steam.
Persona 5 Royal gameplay livestream reveals reworked Mementos, new Palace
A new full-length trailer and gameplay livestream revealed more information about Persona 5 Royal. The new version of Persona 5, which will add a new semester to the storyline, will feature several changes to Mementos, a mysterious new palace, and the return of a fallen character to the Phantom Thieves.
GTA Online draws crowds, shatters records with Diamond Casino & Resort update
The Diamond Casino & Resort update for GTA Online delivered the biggest ever daily and weekly player numbers for the online component of Grand Theft Auto V. The update, which finally opens The Diamond, contains six new story missions and allows players to customize their own private penthouse suite.
Apex Legends readies for 10-year run; heavily requested feature coming soon
Electronic Arts believes that there is a 10-year run of new content ahead for Apex Legends. The publisher also revealed that an upcoming event will introduce a heavily requested feature into the battle royale shooter without providing more details, fueling speculation on what lies ahead for the game.
Nintendo Switch sales will get a boost thanks to Tencent partnership in China
Nintendo and Tencent revealed more details on their partnership to finally release the Nintendo Switch in China. Nintendo Switch sales is expected to receive a significant boost once the console is launched in the world's biggest gaming market, but there remains several layers of regulatory approval.
Sealed copy of Kid Icarus for NES found in attic, sold in auction for $9,000
Scott Amos from Reno, Nevada found a sealed copy of Kid Icarus for the NES, complete with its original receipt, when he was cleaning out the attic of his childhood home. He thought he could get a few hundred dollars for it, but the game sold for much more than that, to the tune of $9,000 in an auction.
Microsoft to reportedly demo Office apps, Your Phone at Samsung Unpacked event
Microsoft is set to take the stage at the upcoming Samsung Unpacked event, where the Galaxy Note 10 is expected to be unveiled. Microsoft will reportedly demonstrate how various Office apps and Your Phone will work in new Samsung smartphones, as part of an expanded partnership between the two companies.
Razer teams up with Nio to roll out limited-edition electric SUV
Gaming accessories company Razer and electric vehicle manufacturer Nio teamed up for the Nio ES6 Night Explorer Limited Edition, integrating Razer's design into the Nio ES6 Performance Edition. Only 88 units of the electric SUV will be manufactured, as the start of a partnership between the two companies.
FTC looking into official Apple store on Amazon, negative impact on resellers
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating the deal that allowed Apple to launch direct sales of its products on Amazon, according to The Verge. The official Apple store on Amazon aimed to address counterfeit and misleading marketed devices, but it also negatively affected third-party resellers.
Respawn will suspend Apex Legends players who abuse game-breaking Wraith glitch
Respawn will roll out a fix for the game-breaking Wraith glitch in the next patch for Apex Legends. Players who are thinking of abusing the bug while it is still available may want to think again, as the developer said that it will be handing out suspensions for those who keep exploiting the glitch.
Despite lawsuit, there’s no PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds vs. Fortnite rift
There is no animosity between PUBG Corp. and Epic Games, despite the lawsuit that the former filed against the latter and the competition between PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite. PUBG Corp. studio director Brian Corrigan even tagged Epic Games as one of the developer's best partners.
Smartphone case augments touchscreens with physical buttons, scroll wheels
A customizable smartphone case featuring mechanical widgets provides a more tactile experience, compared to tapping and swiping on touchscreens. Vidgets, created by Snap researchers and Columbia University students, translate input through physical buttons and scroll wheels into onscreen commands.
Google’s DeepMind is training Waymo’s self-driving cars like StarCraft II bots
DeepMind is teaming up with Waymo, a fellow unit of Google parent Alphabet, to train the neural networks of self-driving cars. The partnership is using the technique named population-based training, which was created as a way to speed up the learning process of computers playing StarCraft II.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild glitch makes Sidon your humble steed
A newly discovered glitch in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild allows players to transform Prince Sidon into Link's humble steed. Prince Sidon is not an efficient form of transportation, but he may entertain players who are waiting for the next games in the series to arrive on the Nintendo Switch.
Facebook will move Instant Games to main app, further simplifying Messenger
Facebook will be transferring Instant Games to the Facebook Gaming tab on the main app, in a move that will take several stages. The migration of the platform will also help to further simplify Messenger, which was recently redesigned with a simplified user interface and new customization options.
Todd McFarlane told NetherRealm to get crazy with Spawn for Mortal Kombat 11
Todd McFarlane said in an interview with IGN at SDCC 2019 that he wanted NetherRealm to "get crazy" with Spawn in Mortal Kombat 11. The comic book legend did not reveal specific details on the character, but he is very excited about Spawn's upcoming entry into the "super cool" fighting game.
Tinder tries to break up with the Google Play Store with new payment process
Tinder launched a new payment process that allows the dating app to bypass the fees collected by the Google Play Store. Unlike other apps and services that have worked around app store fees through other methods, Tinder remains listed while in open defiance of the requirements of the Google Play Store.
Overwatch Role Queue system will change the metagame, for better or worse
Blizzard is attempting to make Overwatch matches "fair and fun" with the Role Queue system, which forces teams to be made up of two Damage heroes, two Tank heroes, and two Support heroes. The feature's sudden entry into the Overwatch League will shake up the metagame, as it will kill the GOATS strategy.
Magic: The Gathering SDCC 2019 panel reveals addition of Brawl to MTG Arena
Wizards of the Coast revealed at the Magic: The Gathering panel at SDCC 2019 that Brawl is coming this year to MTG Arena. The arrival of the Commander variant to the digital version of the card game is part of a wider announcement on Throne of Eldraine, the new expansion that will be released in October.
Android will soon monitor battery of wireless earbuds, find them if they get lost
Google will soon roll out new features that will improve Android support for true wireless earbuds. The planned features include the ability to monitor the charge of the wireless earbuds and their case, compatibility with the Find My Device app and website, and an enhanced details page in Android Q.
Blizzard teases Overwatch hero 31, but name and image may have already leaked
Blizzard teased hero 31 of Overwatch through a faux Developer Update that featured a wormhole and several complex equations. While a Redditor speculated on the skills of the new character, his name and image may have already been leaked by Mexico's official team in the Overwatch World Cup.
Google Chrome 76 will stop websites from seeing users in Incognito Mode
Google Chrome 76 will implement a fix that will stop websites from detecting visitors who are in Incognito Mode. Google acknowledged that the change will complicate matters for publishers who have metered paywalls on their news websites, but it is more committed to the principles of private browsing.
Law firm files class-action lawsuit over Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drifting issue
A law firm in the United States has filed a class-action lawsuit against Nintendo over the Joy-Con drifting issue of the Nintendo Switch. The lawsuit alleges that the joysticks on the Joy-Cons are defective, resulting in the controllers registering movement even when there is no player input.
Instagram will give users chance to fix accounts in danger of being banned
Instagram will start issuing warnings for accounts that are in danger of being banned, to give users the chance to change how they post on the platform. People will also be able to appeal for the restoration of deleted content through the notifications, so they will not have to go to the Help Center.
Apple investigates report of an iPhone 6 exploding while in hands of girl, 11
Apple is investigating a reported incident of an iPhone 6 explosion in California, with the device said to have sent out sparks while it was in the hands of an 11-year-old girl. The reason behind the iPhone bursting into flames is still unknown, and Apple has not yet publicly commented on the incident.Â