E3 2019

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

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

Last week a Nintendo executive shared that a new Nintendo Switch won’t be shown at this year’s E3, while also suggesting that the company is actively working on new hardware.

The hundred-year-old former Japanese card maker has had an unexpected hit with the Switch, which is nearing 35 million units sold in just about two years. The device’s success has generated rumors that Big N is working to develop a less expensive version to maximize sales, while also working on a “pro” version that will have increased graphics capabilities.

Nintendo has so far not tipped their hat officially to either device, but they did say that they won’t be showing off new hardware at E3 this year, which takes place in June in Los Angeles. Speaking to financial news agency Bloomberg, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said, “As a general rule, we’re always working on new hardware and we will announce it when we are able to sell it, but we have no plans to announce that at this year’s E3 in June.”