Borderlands developer Gearbox Software has joined the chorus in supporting Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd and pushing back some of its scheduled plans for Borderlands 3 in solidarity with the movement. In a statement on Twitter, the developer said it’s delaying the release of the Takedown at the Guardian Breach update.

Additionally, the studio is muting its Twitter channel–with the exception of this announcement–out of respect for “what’s going on in the world right now.” A new date has not been announced as of yet.

2K Games, which publishes the Borderlands series, said it’s adding another $1 million USD to the 2K Foundations Program and expanding its scope to include fighting racial injustice and inequalities in black communities around the world.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Borderlands developer Gearbox Software has joined the chorus in supporting Black Lives Matter and pushing back some of its scheduled plans for Borderlands 3 in solidarity with the movement. In a statement on Twitter, the developer said it’s delaying the release of the Takedown at the Guardian Breach update.

Additionally, the studio is muting its Twitter channel–with the exception of this announcement–out of respect for “what’s going on in the world right now.”

2K Games, which publishes the Borderlands series, said it’s adding another $1 million USD to the 2K Foundations Program and expanding its scope to include fighting racial injustice and inequalities in black communities around the world.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

On June 1, GameSpot began hosting Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. We asked that you join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. But we’re also taking this opportunity to state our support for the recent protests that have popped up across the US in response to the continued police brutality against black people.

To that end, GameSpot would like to highlight black creators in our industry, whether they specialize in writing video essays, producing hard-hitting articles, or hosting good podcasts. Below, we’ve listed the work of notable black creators–regardless of whether or not they work at GameSpot. We hope you’ll take a few moments to read and watch them and maybe gain a new perspective into your favorite video games. And keep checking this page, as we’ll continue to update it with more voices over the coming days and weeks.

Projects By Black Creators About The Black Experience

• Long Reads
  • Borderlands 3’s Lovecraft DLC Hand-Waves Major Issues With The Author’s Work (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Afro Twists, And I Love ‘Em (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Far Cry 5’s New American Setting Made Me Feel Like An Outsider (Alessandro Fillari, GameSpot)
  • She Dreams Elsewhere is The First Game That Feels Made Specifically for Me (Cameron Hawkins, Dualshockers)
  • Finally, I Can Be Me In Animal Crossing–But I’m Exhausted (Funké Joseph, GameSpot)
  • Where Are Our Black Gaming Journalists? (Jeffrey Rousseau, USGamer)
  • The Trouble Portraying Blackness In Video Games (Evan Narcisse, Kotaku)
  • 9 Black Superheroes Who Deserve Their Own Shows (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Marvel And DC Stars Reflect On Their Black Superhero Roles (Keisha Hatchett, TV Guide)
  • Cheo Hodari Coker Reflects on Luke Cage’s Legacy (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Black Creators Are Hopeful for a Future Where Black Superheroes Aren’t “Niche” (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Treachery In Beatdown City Review (Funké Joseph, GameSpot)
  • Black Work Matters (Mike Williams, USGamer)
• Videos/Podcasts
  • A Lesson In Blackness (Kahlief Adams, Parris Lilly, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Zombaekillz, Pikachulita, and Cameron Hawkins, Spawn On Me)
  • What It’s Like Building a Company for Marginalized Voices (Austin Walker, VICE Games)
  • From GTA to Call of Duty | What Makes a Great Black Character? (Elle Osili-Wood, BBC)

Streamers and Presenters

Continue Reading at GameSpot

On June 1, GameSpot began hosting Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. We asked that you join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. But we’re also taking this opportunity to state our support for the recent protests that have popped up across the US in response to the continued police brutality against black people.

To that end, GameSpot would like to highlight black creators in our industry, whether they specialize in writing video essays, producing hard-hitting articles, or hosting good podcasts. Below, we’ve listed the work of notable black creators–regardless of whether or not they work at GameSpot. We hope you’ll take a few moments to read and watch them and maybe gain a new perspective into your favorite video games. And keep checking this page, as we’ll continue to update it with more voices over the coming days and weeks.

Projects By Black Creators About The Black Experience

• Long Reads
  • Borderlands 3’s Lovecraft DLC Hand-Waves Major Issues With The Author’s Work (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Afro Twists, And I Love ‘Em (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Far Cry 5’s New American Setting Made Me Feel Like An Outsider (Alessandro Fillari, GameSpot)
  • She Dreams Elsewhere is The First Game That Feels Made Specifically for Me (Cameron Hawkins, Dualshockers)
  • Finally, I Can Be Me In Animal Crossing–But I’m Exhausted (Funké Joseph, GameSpot)
  • Where Are Our Black Gaming Journalists? (Jeffrey Rousseau, USGamer)
  • The Trouble Portraying Blackness In Video Games (Evan Narcisse, Kotaku)
  • 9 Black Superheroes Who Deserve Their Own Shows (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Marvel And DC Stars Reflect On Their Black Superhero Roles (Keisha Hatchett, TV Guide)
  • Cheo Hodari Coker Reflects on Luke Cage’s Legacy (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Black Creators Are Hopeful for a Future Where Black Superheroes Aren’t “Niche” (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Treachery In Beatdown City Review (Funké Joseph, GameSpot)
  • Black Work Matters (Mike Williams, USGamer)
• Videos/Podcasts
  • A Lesson In Blackness (Kahlief Adams, Parris Lilly, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Zombaekillz, Pikachulita, and Cameron Hawkins, Spawn On Me)
  • What It’s Like Building a Company for Marginalized Voices (Austin Walker, VICE Games)
  • From GTA to Call of Duty | What Makes a Great Black Character? (Elle Osili-Wood, BBC)

This article, originally posted on March 29, 2020, has been republished to amplify black voices in GameSpot’s support of Black Lives Matter. Donate to the effort to fight systemic racism here.

With the release of Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock, the second story-focused DLC for Borderlands 3, I figured that now would be the best time to jump back into Gearbox’s latest entry in its first-person loot shooter franchise, seeing as I hadn’t found an opportunity to do so since writing GameSpot’s Borderlands 3 review. The Borderlands franchise has typically had a decent track record when it comes to post-launch campaign expansions after all–so I figured, “Why not?”

However, I wasn’t particularly enthused by my time with Guns, Love, and Tentacles, largely because Gearbox’s interpretation of H.P. Lovecraft’s work incorporates some of the problematic parts of the author’s worldview and then does nothing to address them.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

If you’re looking for a game or two with riveting gameplay, this week’s sale at the Xbox Store focuses on action games of all stripes. The Rockin’ Action Sale discounts nearly 100 Xbox One games, including newer hits like Metro Exodus and Borderlands 3 and older favorites such as the Devil May Cry HD Collection and Batman: Return to Arkham. You have until June 1 to shop the Rockin’ Action Sale.

First-person shooter fans have a lot to pick from in the sale. The entire Borderlands franchise is steeply discounted, with Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition at $12, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection down to $19.79, and Borderlands 3’s Super Deluxe Edition slashed to $50. Ubisoft’s Far Cry franchise sees similarly great discounts, as Far Cry 5 is cut to $15 and Far Cry New Dawn is up for grabs for $16. 2019’s Metro Exodus, a dark, story-driven FPS, is only $16, while the wacky and colorful Journey to the Savage Planet is just $18.

The Rockin’ Action Sale presents a great opportunity to pick up beloved compilations for cheap. Devil May Cry’s HD Collection, which bundles the first three classic titles in the series, is discounted to $18. Meanwhile, Batman: Return to Arkham–a remastered collection including Arkham Asylum and Arkham City–is 50% off at $10. If you’re a fan of old school side-scrollers, Mega Man’s 30 Anniversary Bundle–which contains a whopping 19 games–is $40.19, and Contra Anniversary Collection is down to $10.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and with most parts of the US still stuck inside and social distancing because of the coronavirus, this holiday weekend is sure to feel different than previous years. Whether you have a three-day weekend ahead of you or still have to work on Monday–our condolences in advance–there are plenty of online deals available as retailers kick off their annual Memorial Day sales, with tech brands like Razer, HyperX, and Lenovo offering some great discounts on gaming headsets, controllers, laptops, and more. On Friday, GameStop and Best Buy kicked off their big Memorial Day sales as well, with discounts running all weekend long and into Monday. It’s the perfect time to stock up on gaming goodies for the next few months.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best Memorial Day deals available so far. It’s a great time to stock up on PC gaming accessories, a new gaming laptop, or a 4K smart TV as several brands are discounting these products right now. We’ve also curated a list of the best game deals worth taking advantage of this weekend across Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with steep discounts on fantastic titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Control, Borderlands 3, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Razer

From now through May 25, Razer is offering some solid discounts on some of its controllers and headsets, including the Wolverine Ultimate Xbox One controller, which made our list of the best Xbox One controllers for its excellent, clicky face buttons, interchangeable D-pad, and six programmable buttons. Normally $160, the Wolverine Ultimate is discounted to $130 for Memorial Day. And fortunately, it’ll be compatible with Xbox Series X when that console launches.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Borderland 3 developer Gearbox has unveiled the next DLC for the game, a “harsh” revenge tale called Bounty of Blood: A Fistful of Redemption. It’s a western-themed expansion that pits you against a bloodthirsty gang called the Devil Riders. Bounty of Blood will be released on June 25.

During the Borderlands Show broadcast, DLC director Matt Cox called it a “harsh story of revenge and redemption” and teased an unseen narrator, who is said to be a new character. In fact, Bounty of Blood stars a new cast of characters, like the reformed brawler, Juno, and your guide, Rose. And no western epic would be complete without a steed, so you’ll get to ride a Jet Beast mount.

The main town Vestige, located on the frontier planet Gehenna, will change based on your actions in the DLC, like storefronts reopening and the theater showing lost film reels. NPCs themselves will change based on your choices in side-missions as well.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and with most parts of the US still stuck inside and social distancing because of the coronavirus, this holiday weekend is sure to feel different than previous years. Whether you have a three-day weekend ahead of you or still have to work on Monday–our condolences in advance–there are plenty of online deals available as retailers kick off their annual Memorial Day sales, with tech brands like Razer, HyperX, and Lenovo offering some great discounts on gaming headsets, controllers, laptops, and more. On Friday, GameStop and Best Buy kicked off their big Memorial Day sales as well, with discounts running all weekend long and into Monday. It’s the perfect time to stock up on gaming goodies for the next few months.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best Memorial Day deals available so far. It’s a great time to stock up on PC gaming accessories, a new gaming laptop, or a 4K smart TV as several brands are discounting these products right now. We’ve also curated a list of the best game deals worth taking advantage of this weekend across Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with steep discounts on fantastic titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Control, Borderlands 3, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Razer

From now through May 25, Razer is offering some solid discounts on some of its controllers and headsets, including the Wolverine Ultimate Xbox One controller, which made our list of the best Xbox One controllers for its excellent, clicky face buttons, interchangeable D-pad, and six programmable buttons. Normally $160, the Wolverine Ultimate is discounted to $130 for Memorial Day. And fortunately, it’ll be compatible with Xbox Series X when that console launches.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Riot’s Valorant gets a release date, but player progress from the beta will be reset. Borderlands 3’s new DLC takes us to the Wild West, and more free games are coming to Xbox Game Pass.