Game Workers Unite, an organization seeking better working conditions for games industry employees, is calling for Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to be fired. #FireBobbyKotick is the social media hashtag that emerged after Tuesday’s ATVI investor call and the announcement that 800 Blizzard employees had been fired. “Upending 800 workers’ lives while raking in millions in bonuses for you and your C-suite buddies isn’t leadership, it’s theft,” reads the manifesto.
As rooflemonger notes in his video, there are several Trophies for performing both Fatalities for each specific character. These include already-confirmed fighters like Skarlet, Baraka, D’Vorah. Raiden, Kabal, Kano, Sonya, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero, but also reveals initials for unannounced characters that are potentially returning in the newest title as follows:
ERR – Erron Black
FRO – Frost
JAD – Jade
CAS – Cassie Cage
KOL – Kotal Kahn
JAC – Jacqui Briggs (or Jackson Briggs/Jax?)
LIU – Liu Kang
KUN – Kung Lao
TER – The Terminator? Newcomer?
KOT – Possible Newcomer
CET – Possible Newcomer
Other Trophies potentially confirm the return of Mercies, a mechanic introduced in Mortal Kombat 3 that allowed a victorious player to revive their fallen foe with a small sliver of life to continue the battle. This was primarily done as a necessary requirement to perform an Animality once the resurrected opponent was defeated a second time, though we have nothing that indicates their specific return. Perhaps this will be used to allow a second chance to finish opponents off with a Brutality? These Trophies also confirm the return of The Krypt, with various goals to complete within it such as running five miles or spearing 100 hanging bodies. There is also one for spilling 100,000 pints of blood, in addition to completing battle tutorials, a set number of Towers, collecting 200 pieces of Gear, and playing ten “A.I. Sets.” Whether this means facing the Computer, or perhaps creating A.I. fighters and sending them out to battle for Gear, à la Injustice 2, is currently unknown.
Perhaps most interesting is that NetherRealm Studio’s Ed Boon reacted to the possible leaks on Twitter, asking Sonya on Sunday what she thought of leaks, with a GIF of her performing her Fatal Blow on Scorpion, as well as announcing that the “latest leak,” is that we won’t be throwing Blanche anymore. The old woman was a popular intractable in the Outworld Marketplace stage in Mortal Kombat XL — whom could be thrown at opponents, and could even perform Stage Brutalities when certain conditions were met — by tweeting out artwork of her in the style of official MK11 character renders.
Back in 2017 we saw an Injustice 2 base roster leak that turned out to be 100% correct, and as rooflemonger points out, the Steam Database tends to be mostly infallible, so this list of characters is looking very likely. We’ve also got another female character reveal on the horizon on this Thursday’s Kombat Kast, so we can see if this leak begins to come together. You can hear rooflemonger’s thoughts on the situation in the video below.
What are your thoughts on this potential roster list? Are you excited for these returns, or were you hoping to see someone else? Tell us what you think in the comments.
The battle for Earth is about to reach maximum intensity!
After eight months of hype following its announcement at E3 last June, it’s nearly time to unite to fight: Bandai Namco Entertainment’s massive 3V3 arena fighter — featuring some of the most legendary characters in Weekly Shonen Jump — is nearly upon us. To further prepare players for Friday’s release (or yesterday’s, if you were granted Early Access via the Ultimate Edition), Bandai Namco has released the game’s official launch trailer.
The video sees the likes of Vegeta, Rukia, Kakashi, Sanji, Asta, Deku, Luffy, Blackbeard, Frieza, Trunks, Boruto, Aizen, Ichigo, Sasuke, Naruto, Piccolo, Ryo Saeba, Kenshiro, Jotaro, DIO, Yusuke, Goku, Gon, Zoro, Pegasus Seiya, Yugi, Kenshin, and Dai unleash their spectacular signature attacks while the villainous Kane and the devious Light Yagami enact their dark plans. JUMP FORCE Director Glover narrates the beginning of the game’s story. You can see the full trailer below.
Last month at the Taipei Games Show, a Story trailer was also released, giving us further insight into Kane, Galena, and Light Yagami’s plans — which you can also check out below.
JUMP FORCE will be officially released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam on Thursday, February 14th in Japan, and worldwide this Friday, February 15th. Early access for players who purchased the Ultimate Edition began on February 12th.
The Activision-Blizzard earnings call is history complete with the announcement that nearly 800 Blizzard jobs have been lost. Blizzard President J Allen Brack has posted a new letter to the community regarding the “restructuring” of the company.
The Activision Blizzard Investor Relations call is underway and Kotaku is reporting that the layoff process has started with employees being informed today. “We didn’t execute as well as we had hoped in 2018 and fell below what we might expect. We didn’t achieve the player reach and goals we set for 2018.” said Bobby Kotick. We are blogging key takeaways from the investor call so head through the jump.
The Activision Blizzard Investor Relations call is underway and Kotaku is reporting that the layoff process has started with employees being informed today. “We didn’t execute as well as we had hoped in 2018 and fell below what we might expect. We didn’t achieve the player reach and goals we set for 2018.” said Bobby Kotick. We are blogging key takeaways from the investor call so head through the jump.
Neowiz has announced that Brown Dust, its “smash-hit tactical RPG from Korea”, will be launching for both Android and iOS mobile devices on March 7th. Players around the world will be able to collect 300+ Mercenaries and take part in over 1200 unique battles. The game is said to be an “ongoing quest-driven story” with challenging gameplay. In addition, players can look forward to seasonal guild war PvP, cooperative raids, dungeons and world bosses.
Axis & Allies has long been a tabletop favorite. Earlier this week, Beamdog announced Axis & Allies Online, a new PC title coming to Steam Early Access in the near future. Players will be able to pick up a copy of the game for $19.99. The game will be based on Axis & Allies: 1942 Second Edition and will feature turn-based strategy gameplay with up to five players in a single game. Players can also take on AI-controlled opponents.
Tuesday, February 12th is the date for the next Activision Blizzard (ATVI) investor earnings call. According to Bloomberg, the company will also be announcing layoffs due to “slowing sales”. The information has come through “people familiar with the matter”. The move will be part of a restructuring initiative that may see hundreds of ATVI employees lose their jobs. It’s “aimed at centralizing functions and boosting profit” according to the sources.
Tuesday, February 12th is the date for the next Activision Blizzard (ATVI) investor earnings call. According to Bloomberg, the company will also be announcing layoffs due to “slowing sales”. The information has come through “people familiar with the matter”. The move will be part of a restructuring initiative that may see hundreds of ATVI employees lose their jobs. It’s “aimed at centralizing functions and boosting profit” according to the sources.
