E3

The largest gaming event in the world has been halted in its tracks, as E3 2020 was canceled this week by the ESA due to fears of contamination from the coronavirus.

The event is highly anticipated by gamers around the world, as new games and consoles are generally shown off at the show. This year’s event was thought to show off next-gen hardware such as the Xbox Series X, as well as new games that will be graphically superior to what’s found on current consoles. The event was scheduled for June in Los Angeles, but concerns over the coronavirus have caused numerous events around the world to change their plans.

In a statement regarding the cancelation, the ESA said, "Following increased and overwhelming concerns about the Covid-19 virus, we felt this was the best way to proceed during such an unprecedented global situation. We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our fans and supporters.

For the second consecutive year, it appears that Sony will skip E3, dealing another blow to a conference that many are seeing as obsolete.

The E3 expo has previously been used to showcase new game announcements for the upcoming year, with the likes of EA, Xbox, Bethesda, and Sony taking part in putting together shows that are equal parts spectacle and hype. Last year Sony announced that they were skipping E3, as they didn’t have any major announcements to make at the show. This year, it appears that Sony is saving their announcements for their own event. The company had previously held PlayStation Experience for fans, and it’s a possibility that this could come back to hype the upcoming PS5 console.

We don’t have firm details on just what Sony is planning to showcase the system, but we’re expecting it to see it launch to the world in the last quarter of this year. The console is highly-anticipated, seeing as how the

Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 Controller was unveiled at the company’s E3 press conference, and users have begun getting their hands on the delicious (and pricey) piece of tech. Impressions of the controller have been overwhelmingly positive for the controller, as it brings in some great new features.

Tech journalists have been getting some hands-on time with the Series 2, and claim that the device is lighter than the original. Microsoft is claiming 40 hours of battery life on a single charge, and the group has worked in a USB-C port for charging the controller. This, along with Bluetooth compatibility has users gushing.

The Series 2 has four paddles on the back, just like our SHIFT controller, which is a nice touch. The controller does compare favorably to the C40 TR though, as you get 4 paddles with the Elite 2, but only 2 on the Astro C40 TR. One downside to the Series 2 is that you cannot remap your paddles on the fly as you can on the Evil SHIFT. 

Load your bullets, and sharpen your chainsaw, as your lancer is going to be getting a lot of work when Gears of War 5 launches on September 10th.

Gear 5’s release date was revealed by Microsoft at their E3 press briefing, showing protagonist Kait Diaz’s role in the game as she, JD Fenix, Delmont Walker, and Marcus Fenix all worth together to reign holy hell on locust scum. The game was originally revealed last year and is slated to be launched this fall.

The single player campaign is included, as is online co-op and local split-screen play, and there’ll also be a robust online mode. It’s likely that eSports will be taken into consideration with Gears 5, as players using the cover-based mechanics will be learning the ins-and-outs quickly. We’re geeked to see how the competitive side of things play out with Gears of War 5, and you can bet we’re already planning out the maps on our custom controllers to take advantage of the action.

Gears

To the surprise of almost nobody, Microsoft is working on a new Halo game for its next-generation Xbox console, and they showed off a trailer for the game during the company’s E3 press conference.

The new game is known as Halo Infinite and was teased in a trailer that takes place in space. In the movie, a marine comes upon Master Chief floating in space, rescuing him and activating his suit. Chief then decides to get ready and carry on fighting, blasting back into space to take on his enemies.

The new Halo will be a first-person shooter, just like every other major release in the game’s history, but will feature 4K visuals. The game’s unveiling comes alongside news that the Master Chief Collection is coming to PC later this year. The game will be compatible with the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, and

Microsoft unveiled the Xbox Elite Controller 2 at this year’s E3 press briefing, showcasing some compelling new features for gamers.

The controller comes in the wake of the successful Xbox Elite, which brought functionality ordinarily only seen from custom controller makers (like us). The device will retail for $179.99 when it launches on November 24th, and will be available in 24 countries at launch.

While looking a lot like the original Elite, the new Elite Controller will bring in some features missing on the first. The Series 2 will pack in a USB-C hub for charging, as it has a rechargeable battery, rather than using AA batteries. The controller will also pack in Bluetooth technology, making the controller compatible with more devices. The original Elite only worked wirelessly with Xbox devices, unless you had a dongle.

The Series 2 will also now allow you to switch between three different profiles on the go, letting you maintain a competitive edge on other players.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (or in a conference hall in Los Angeles), EA unveiled gameplay footage of their new Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order game.

The gameplay was shown at the EA Play 2019 event and featured former Jedi padawan Cal Kestis allied with guerrilla fighter Saw Gererra, as the two plot to take down imperial forces on the Wookie-inhabited planet of Kashyyyk.

The player is tasked with breaking into a refinery, where he encounters stormtroopers. Using his force abilities alongside his trusty lightsaber, Cal creates all sorts of havoc. Working alongside Cal is his droid BD-1, who can help break into different locked areas and provide schematics for the budding Jedi.

The gameplay seems to be a mixture of other Star Wars games like Force Unleashed alongside environmental traversing titles like Uncharted. One interesting sequence showed Cal pulling a stormtrooper to him, where he was then impaled through the

Ahead of Microsoft’s E3 Briefing today, the company revealed that their Game Pass Service for PC will launch at a price of $4.99 per month.

The service will launch in a beta format, with more than 100 games being promised at launch from more than 75 developers. The service will be open to PC users of Windows 10, with the game downloadable on player computers and playable. It’s currently not known whether or not the service will integrate with xCloud, the company’s streaming service.

A partial list of game highlights being offered includes Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Halo Wars, Gears 5, Crackdown 3, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and Shenmue I & II.

Microsoft is poised to have a huge E3 showing, as rival Sony has decided to skip the conference this year. The Redmond based company is reportedly set to unveil new game hardware as well as the above-mentioned xCloud service.

Additionally, it’s likely that

Microsoft is expected to showcase their next-generation Xbox console during their E3 briefing this Sunday.

The company is widely expected to reveal new hardware this Sunday, with a design, specs, and price point all likely to be shared. Players are anticipating the next generation of console hardware, as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 both launched back in 2014, and customers want the top of the line hardware.

Microsoft has begun diversifying to offer their brand as a service, as their upcoming xCloud project will allow for game streaming. They’re expected to have multiple consoles for the next generation: one that’s powerful and capable of providing 4K gaming, and one that’s not as powerful but will leverage the xCloud to play games. Needless to say, the latter will require a good internet to have a stable experience.

Sony has dominated the current generation, with the PS4 selling more than 97 million units. This comes in comparison

The 2019 version of Call of Duty that players are getting this year is set to be titled: “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare”, bringing players back a decade when “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” launched.

The game is set in the same universe as the previous title, and is being developed by Infinity Ward, who also put out “Call of Duty: Ghosts” and “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare”. The game will have its own storyline, but it's not known whether or not it will feature characters from the Modern Warfare branch of games.

The game has been leaked to key streamers and the likes of NFL stars for the past few weeks, but the rest of us may have to wait until next week to get some details. There’s speculation that the game will be revealed on May 30th, but there’s no hard information to back up that claim. If we don’t hear anything on the rumored date, we’ll almost certainly get some details at E3, which takes place in Los Angeles next month.

The leak of