There was an element of shock when DC announced that Brian Michael Bendis was taking over Superman. Bendis had spent nearly two decades as the top writer at Marvel Comics, and, in all honesty, Superman wasn’t the obvious choice for him. But if Bendis’ first six issues at DC Comics, the miniseries Man of Steel, have shown anything, it’s that Superman was the obvious choice. There’s a longstanding tradition at DC Comics that when someone who defined their career at Marvel comes over, they wind up

This week, outcry convinced Scarlett Johansson to bow out of her latest movie, Rub & Tug, and from a macro-view, it sounds like the right decision. Advocates and trans actors were quick to call out the casting, citing misrepresentation of trans individuals and the scant work for trans actors. In the eyes of many fans and actors, the response reinforced the fact that cisgender actors are consistently cast over trans actors for trans roles. In the interim, there have been other victories in trans

Past Mission: Impossible sequels have looked to aspects of the TV show and modern spy thrillers to find ways to subvert expectations. In Fallout, Hunt deals with hang-ups normally reserved for Superman: Is it more important to save one person or a million people? Mission: Impossible – Fallout has its flaws: It’s slow to ascend, flimsy in more dramatic moments that hope we’re invested in long-term relationships, and a little too “Nolan-esque” for its own good (the worst offense: Lorne Balfe’s Han

Activision and Treyarch will give Call of Duty fans two opportunities to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 before the game launches. PlayStation 4 owners will get first crack at Black Ops 4’s multiplayer beta on Aug. 3 through Aug. 6. The following week, on Aug. 10, the Black Ops 4 beta will be available on PS4, Xbox One and Windows PC through Battle.net. Activision and Treyarch call the multiplayer beta “private” and players who pre-order Black Ops 4 will unlock access to it. Call of Duty: Black O

Destiny 2 version 1.2.3 — arriving next week — is the last major update scheduled for the game before Destiny 2: Forsaken comes out. As usual, Bungie has been fairly secretive regarding all the changes coming in the new patch, including the return of bounties. While the system should be familiar to Destiny players, it has a few key differences from the old setup. As far as rewards, players will be able to turn in these bounties for experience and faction reputation. In addition, Bungie listed a

The era of Legion is coming to an end as World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth’s arrival approaches. Next week, on July 17, the Battle for Azeroth pre-expansion patch will be released. When the pre-patch goes live, all of Battle for Azeroth’s class changes, overhauls and rebalances will be updated for the live server. Finally, there will be new quests for players to tackle each week leading up to Battle for Azeroth’s release. Patch 8.0 will be released for World of Warcraft on Mac and Windows PC

Reddit did not address david-me’s reasoning for taking down KotakuInAction, which addresses concerns over hateful behavior from community members. KotakuInAction often toes the line between questionable phrasing and actual hate speech, much like members in The_Donald often do. Huffman told this Reddit user that hate speech is “difficult to define,” adding that Reddit employees aren’t “thought police,” according to The Huffington Post. Overwhelmingly so.”Other KotakuInAction members disagree, wit

White Wolf Publishing, the company behind Vampire: The Masquerade, a classic tabletop role-playing game, is caught up in an explosive controversy. A story widely circulated online accused White Wolf of marketing its products to consumers who align with neo-Nazi and white-supremacist ideology. First and foremost: White Wolf in no way supports hatred or intolerance in any form, against anyone, at any time. This is not the first time that White Wolf has courted controversy with sample characters in

Splatoon 2 players are finding the Nintendo Switch game increasingly overrun with hackers, who have figured out ways to not only claim an easy win, but also circumvent the game’s abuse report system. Their anger crested this week when a Splatoon 2 fan hacked the game’s leaderboards to display a message demanding that Nintendo install anti-cheat measures, or otherwise clean up the abuse of the multiplayer game. Someone hacked the Splatoon 2 X Rank Leaderboard in an effort to call out Nintendo’s l

Pokémon Go may add a new generation of Pokémon soon, based on a new piece of artwork posted to the mobile game’s official Twitter account. The artwork was released to celebrate the two-year anniversary of Pokémon Go, and highlights many of the additions to the game over the past year: Alolan Pokémon, the ability to trade Pokémon and send gifts, Professor Willow and Mew, the mythical Pokémon players could battle as part of the field research game mechanic. Those Gen 4 Pokémon are not currently av

Eagle Dynamics, the makers of DCS World, DCS A10-C Warthog and Lock On: Modern Air Combat, has announced a brand new game. Called simply Modern Air Combat, it will include 14 flyable aircraft spanning conflicts during the Korean War to the modern day. Modern Air Combat will include single-player and multiplayer experiences out of the box, and will also come with its own mission generator. As with DCS World’s recent recreation of the World War II-era Normandy coastline, Eagle Dynamics’ technology

Players will be able to explore the Tangled Shore during the campaign, and the Dreaming City once the endgame comes around. Each of the enemy races — aside from the Vex, as far as we know — is represented in the Tangled Shore in a few different ways. The Dreaming CityThe Dreaming City is a very mysterious location filled with secrets to find and difficult enemies to kill. But the Dreaming City also houses an Escalation Protocol or Court of Oryx equivalent, the Blind Well. The Dreaming City will

The Spectrum Retreat does for colors what Portal did for physics. It’s a puzzle game that presents a series of rooms which must be escaped by figuring out the convoluted logic of colored boxes, bridges, ramps and gadgets. The Spectrum Retreat is set in a digital hotel gone wrong. The color puzzles take place within specific sections of the hotel which make up an entirely new world and aesthetic. But for all its faults, The Spectrum Retreat is a decent puzzle game at a reasonable price ($12.99 on

The fan remake of P.T. — the 2014 demo/“playable teaser” of Silent Hills, notoriously canceled before Hideo Kojima’s split from Konami — has been kiboshed. The 17-year-old developer behind the project, who goes by the handle Qimsar, said Konami made contact this week and that he was told to cease, as well as desist. However, says Qimsar, the Konami representative was very cool about it, not personally threatening, and complimented the work. was purged from the PlayStation Store — meaning even th

Twitch streamers and YouTubers have a habit of using certain terms in lieu of “stupid” while talking to their friends. Destiny pointed to a couple of other reasons for the ban, while M0E argued that using the word “fag” is passable because he didn’t use it with any homophobic intention. Time affects language, Knight said, and a generation that grows up on the internet will see their language change so quickly all the time. Beast, who kickstarted another conversation over using the word “gay” onl

“Plucky Pass Beginnings” is the first level of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s first episode. Super Gem 1This first level is a useful introduction to many of the concepts you’ll be using throughout Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Take the immediate left and go up the ramp to collect Super Gem 1. Super Gem 2At the end of the path, pull the switch to lift the block you’re standing on. Head over to the Toad Brigade and the Blue Toad will give you Super Gem 3.

This will reveal a small alcove where you can pick up Super Gem 1. Super Gem 3(Yes, we’re telling you to get Gem 3 first. Super Gem 2Head back up top and cross over onto the blue block where you pulled up the key for Super Gem 3. Tap the pink block to slide it forward, then tap the blue block to lower the Power Star into reach. The Pixel Toad is hiding on the back side of the locked room where you collected Super Gem 3.

“Walleye Tumble Temple” is the second level of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s first episode. It’s possible to complete this Bonus Challenge while collecting the Power Gems in “Walleye Tumble Temple.” Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to help you collect everything. Super Gem 1 and Bonus ChallengeThe first gem you see is actually Super Gem 3. Pull it to collect Super Gem 2. Power StarFrom the third Super Gem, run past the final Walleye and collect the Power Star.

“Mushroom Mesa” is the fourth level of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s first episode. Turn right and head to the end of the hall to find Super Gem 1. When the second Shy Guy is disposed of, Super Gem 2 will appear in the back corner. Super Gem 3From where you picked up Super Gem 2, climb down the ladder. This will take you down to a hidden chamber where you can pick up Super Gem 3.

“Double Cherry Palace” is the fifth level of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s first episode. Super Gem 1Grab the Double Cherry, then maneuver your Toads onto the two P-switches. Catch the mole with either of your Toad clones and it will give you Super Gem 1. Head through the doorway there to find Super Gem 2. Power StarAfter you pick up Super Gem 3, head back to the back side of the palace.