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15 best beginner champions in League of Legends

With over 140 champions, it can be a bit daunting to decide who to play in League of Legends. Whether you’re new to the game, or have been playing on and off for years, you may be struggling with this decision. Below are champions for each position in league that are not only easy, but will help you learn a lot about the game. If you’re looking to play in ranked, these champions are always good, so don’t be afraid to pick them up.

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Top Lane

Garen is the perfect champion for new players who want to try out the top lane. He’s in a group of champions called “juggernauts”, who are able to deal large amounts of damage while being able to tank as well. The big drawback to these champions is that they struggle against ranged champions, since they don’t have much range themselves. Thankfully, the top lane is usually filled with melee champions, so juggernauts typically an easy class to start learning with. And Garen is one of the best there is. He has a large amount of AoE damage with his E, but can also stay safe thanks to his W and his passive. His passive is a large amount of health regen, while his W is a spike of damage reduction. His abilities are simple, but strong. This makes him a perfect champion for those who are looking for an easy and effective beginning top laner.

Some other options for top lane are Dr. Mundo and Nasus. Both are juggernauts as well, with their own unique benefits. Mundo is particularly similar to Garen. He has a similar passive (increased health regeneration), and an ability that causes a field of damage around him over time. He also doesn’t have mana, his abilities cost health instead. But don’t worry, his passive and ultimate (a burst of health regeneration) will keep you healthy.

Nasus, on the other hand, is all about one ability. Every time you kill a minion with his Q, it gains additional permanent damage. These stacks of damage scale infinitely, so you can get a crazy amount of damage in the late game. It’ll take some practice to master killing minions, but that practice will help with learning to kill minions on other champions. By gaining damage this way, you can build yourself as a tank, and become unkillable while still being able to do a lot of damage.

Jungle

If you are unfamiliar with the MOBA genre, then the jungle is probably the most confusing position to think about. The other positions are pretty straight-forward. Top, mid, and bot go down their lane to kill minions and take towers, while supports provide utility for the team. Junglers, on the other hand, are less straightforward. Thankfully, there are champions that make it easier to learn this role. And none are better at doing that than Nunu.

The three things that junglers need to do are: kill jungle monsters, take objectives like Dragon and Baron Nashor, and killing enemy laners (aka ganking). Nunu is particularly skilled at the first two. He is able to kill monsters faster than most champions with his Q (which also heals and buffs him). He also has buffs and slows to help him attack enemy junglers who are trying to take the objectives he wants. And despite being a tank, he has the highest damaging ultimate in the game. If you don’t understand how the jungle works, Nunu is the best champion to teach yourself.

While Nunu is more focused on fighting in the jungle itself, Warwick tends to focus on ganking the lanes. Once he’s killed a few jungle monsters, he’ll be strong enough to jump into a lane and try to kill the enemy laners. His W gives him increased movement speed towards low health enemies, while his Q lets him jump to them and do a large chunk of damage. He also has one of the best crowd control abilities in the game called a suppress. His ultimate lets him leap in a direction, and if he lands on a champion, he steals life from them for a short time, while they are unable to do anything. He’s also much tankier than other damage dealing junglers, so it’s not as harsh if you mess up a bit with him.

Shyvana is somewhere in between Nunu and Warwick when it comes to the jungler’s role. Like Nunu, she is able to take objectives quickly (specifically the dragon, which she does increased damage to), and like Warwick she is able to gank effectively. Her ultimate turns her into a dragon and increased the damage and utility of all of her other abilities. She’s incredibly strong in this form, and can easily take on enemy junglers like this. She can also use this form and her W to escape if things get a bit too tough for her.

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Mid Lane

Annie is often considered best champion for beginners, regardless of lane. And there’s a good reason for that! She has a lot of damage, an easy combo to learn, point-and-click abilities, a very long stun, and a giant bear. She gets a charge of her passive every time she uses an ability. Once she has four charges, her next ability will stun whatever enemies it hits. Her Q is a fireball that deals a lot of damage. If you kill a minion with it, then it refunds the mana spent on it. This is part of what makes her so easy. Mages sometimes have a hard time killing minions early in the game. But with Annie’s Q, she’s able to do it as well as any other champion. It also stacks her passive, so it’ll end up giving you a free stun after you’ve killed four. If you’re looking for an easy champion to help you learn the game, Annie is by far the best choice.

You may have noticed from the previous champions, but some of the things that make a champion good for beginners is being: ability to kill minions easily, ability to crowd control other champions (stun, snare, suppress, etc) and being safe/hard to kill. These are also what makes Morgana such a great champion. While some choose to play her as a support, because she has a long snare, and a shield from enemy crowd control, she is just as effective in the mid lane. Her shield keeps her safe, while she is able to quickly and easily kill minions with her W (an area of damage over time). If you want to learn to play safely, or just enjoy not dying, then Morgana is probably the best champion to play.

While Zilean is probably the most complicated champion on this list, he is also the most forgiving. He places bombs with his Q that detonate after a short time, or by placing a second bomb on the first one, that also causes enemies in the bomb radius to be stunned for a short time. He can place the second bomb by using his W, Rewind, that reduces the cooldown of his Q and E. His E is a movement speed boost which is great for escaping and chasing enemies down. The best part of his kit, however, is definitely his ultimate. It lets him place a buff on himself or an ally. If that champion dies while the buff is on them, they are revived after a few seconds. With this, Zilean is able to keep himself and his allies alive and safe while doing a good amount of damage. As stated, he’s a bit complicated, but if you mess up his abilities, you can always escape with your E and your ultimate.

Bot Lane

Whether you’re new to League or a veteran player, you probably played as Ashe when you first downloaded the game. She is the tutorial champion, and that probably explains why she is on this list. Similar to Garen in simplicity, Ashe is always easy and effective. Her abilities aren’t complicated, and that’s a big benefit to the people who play her. She is also one of the only bot laners who is useful even if you fall behind. Her ultimate is one of the best utility moves in the game. It’s a stunning arrow that can travel the entire map until it hits someone. She’s also able to slow enemies with her auto attacks and abilities, which is great for learning how to attack while running away from someone (kiting). She’s not always the best bot laner, but she is always a useful one, and definitely worth learning.

Sivir fall into a similar category as Ashe. They are referred to as “utility marksmen”. This is because most marksmen (also referred to as ADCs or bot laners), don’t have utility abilities. This means that if they die a lot in the early game, they are unable to do much of anything later in the game. While there are some other utility marksmen (such as Kalista and Varus), they are much harder to learn than Sivir and Ashe. Sivir is able to kill minions quickly and easily with her W and Q. She also has a spell shield to keep her safe, something no other bot laner has. Along with this, her ultimate is a burst of speed for your entire team, which can help you escape or engage your enemy. Like Ashe, she’s always useful, and really easy to learn.

While most marksmen do their damage with their auto attacks, there are a few who do damage using their abilities. The easiest and safest of these champions is by far, Ezreal. Unlike the other champions on this list, his damage is mostly based on skillshots. But don’t let this scare you, his are fairly easy to land, and he’s a great champion to learn to use them on. This is because his E is a blink that lets him jump over walls and other terrain, while doing some damage to nearby enemies. He can use this to escape, so he can continue to use his skillshots from a safe distance. He’s a little bit expensive compared to the other marksmen on this list, but he’s definitely the safest one League has to offer.

Support

Support characters in video games are often associated with healers, and none are better healers in League than Soraka. She has the best healing abilities in the game, while also bringing a lot of unique utility. Her ultimate is particularly useful, as it heals every ally champion regardless of where they are. Unlike most supports, she’s able to use this to support from anywhere on the map, making her really effective and easy as far as the healers go.

While Soraka has some damaging abilities, she’s mostly valued for her healing. Sona is the opposite of this. She can heal and buff her allies, but her main strength is in her damage. If you’re looking for a support that deals damage, Sona is one of the easiest and most effective champions at doing this.

Not all supports are healers, and Braum is a great example of this. He is a defensive tank that can use his shields and crowd control to keep enemies away from his allies. His abilities are centered around saving his allies, and stunning the enemy to turn fights around. If you want to play support, but are not a fan of healers, Braum is an excellent choice. He is, however, the most expensive champion on this list; so it may take you some time to get him if you want to try him out.

Here’s everything we know about The Last of Us 2

Details are slowly trickling in about the follow-up to Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic survival masterpiece, including an incredible new trailer showcased at E3. Here’s what we know so far about The Last of Us 2’s story, gameplay, and other rumors. If you still haven’t played the first game, be warned: spoilers are incoming.

The Last of Us 2 is set five years after the somewhat ambiguous ending of the first game. After finally reaching a research facility run by the Fireflies in Utah, Ellie was quickly whisked away. Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, informed Joel that in order to find a cure for the infection, they would have to operate on Ellie’s brain, killing her in the process. Forced to choose between saving Ellie and curing the infection, Joel chose Ellie. He massacred his way through the Fireflies facility before finally reaching Ellie just as she was about to undergo the operation that would kill her. When Ellie finally wakes up from her drug-induced coma, Joel lies about what happened, telling her that the Fireflies had found other test subjects besides her and that they were still unable to find a cure.

The game ends with Joel and Ellie returning to the settlement run by Joel’s brother, Tommy. When Ellie once again asks Joel if what he told her is the truth, he doubles down on his lie, and the credits roll.

Several years later, Ellie is now a teenager. Joel will be taking a backseat this time around; Naughty Dog has confirmed that players will be taking control of Ellie in this installment. Joel will still have a large presence in this game, but what exactly that presence will be remains a mystery. In the game’s first trailer, we only see his silhouette, which led some to speculate that Joel is dead, and only remains as a figment of Ellie’s imagination. Though Joel certainly isn’t getting any younger, the latest E3 trailer seems to refute this. New character Jesse approaches Ellie at a party at Tommy’s settlement, remarking that her “old man,” presumably Joel, called him out for slacking while making his rounds. He also mentions that Joel always seems to take a greater interest when Ellie is on patrol with them.

This certainly sounds like the Joel we know and love, but also of note is the way Ellie reacts to this remark. She definitely doesn’t seem happy that Joel is butting in, which could mean several things. Though Ellie and Joel grew closer over the events of the first game, it ended with them somewhat at odds with each other. Just based on the way Ellie seems to resent Joel’s overprotectiveness, it doesn’t seem like that’s changed much in the five years between the two games. However, is this just Ellie going through a rebellious teenager phase, or did she find out at some point that Joel lied to her?

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Whatever the reason, Ellie has grown up quite a bit since the last time we saw her. The new gameplay trailer shows her fighting off enemies with the same brutal combat style introduced in the first game. Melee combat, improvised weapons, and stealth are all returning in a big way in this new game, and combat overall seems much more fluid than in the first entry. Ellie transitions seamlessly between running, hiding, and fighting, and at one point we see her quickly crafting an explosive arrow mid-fight to get the upper hand on her opponents.

So, who exactly are these opponents? Details have been sparse on them so far, but Naughty Dog has revealed that they are a pseudo-religious cult known as the Seraphites. Their goal is to wipe out sin as they see it, though what “sin” they’re attempting to wipe out remains unclear. The cult members all seem to share a similar appearance. Male members of the cult shave their heads, while women have the same braided hairstyle. Looking closely will also reveal that the cultists all have Glasgow Smiles, the same kind of scars that gave The Joker his distinctive grin in “The Dark Knight.” In addition, all members also seem to wear similar long, brown duster coats.

Aside from what they look like, we know that the Seraphites aren’t very nice people. They seem to kill in a particular ritualistic style that involves hanging and disemboweling their enemies, and will “clip the wings” of their targets by brutally breaking their limbs with a hammer. New characters Yara and Lev are a brother and sister duo who were formerly members of the Seraphites. Though it’s still unclear how their story intersects with that of Joel and Ellie, it seems likely that we’ll learn more about this vicious cult through them.

Aside from the Seraphites, we can also see graffiti of the Fireflies logo on a signpost in the game’s first trailer. This is the only hint we’ve seen that they might be returning in the second game. Joel’s rampage at the end of the first game left the group without any clear leadership, so it seems likely that if they do reappear, they’ll be out for revenge. If this is the case, between the Fireflies and the Seraphites, Joel and Ellie will certainly have their hands full.

Several new characters are also being introduced this time around. In addition to Yara and Lev, we’ve also met an unnamed woman voiced by Naughty Dog veteran Laura Bailey. Naughty Dog loyalists will recognize her from her role as mercenary Nadine Ross in Uncharted 4, and it seems like she’s bringing the same intensity to this mysterious new character. We’re also going to meet a few new residents of Tommy’s settlement. Shannon Woodward, who fans of HBO’s “Westworld” will know as park technician Elsie Hughes, plays Jesse’s ex-girlfriend Dina. She takes a starring role in the latest trailer, sharing a kiss with Ellie during a dance at the party. It’s unclear whether their relationship will develop into something more serious than a somewhat tipsy kiss.

One final important detail that Naughty Dog has revealed: whereas the first game was about love, this game is going to be about hate. From what we’ve seen so far, this game is going to have a much, much darker tone than the original. Between Ellie’s colder and more ruthless outlook and the brutal executions perpetrated by both her and the Seraphites, this game promises to be an extremely intense ride, and it seems like Naughty Dog won’t be pulling any punches this time around. Though no official release date has been revealed yet, Naughty Dog has been revealing a steady stream of new content since announcing the game, and we’re excited to see what else lies in store for Joel and Ellie.

5 best games to play while waiting for The Last of Us 2

The Last of Us 2 is coming. Naughty Dog has been dropping tantalizing hints for months now, and with a slick new trailer that dropped at E3 (below), anticipation for the sequel to their post-apocalyptic survival masterpiece is at an all-time high. However, Naughty Dog has yet to confirm an official release date, and if you’ve already replayed the original game, waiting might seem impossible. Fear not, because we’ve got you covered with five games you can play in the meantime to scratch that itch.

5. Fallout 4

One of the most memorable aspects of The Last of Us was the setting. Exploring the ruins of once-bustling American cities, now destroyed and slowly being retaken by nature, made for some unexpectedly poignant moments. Fallout 4 does an excellent job at recapturing that feeling. You can customize your own character and explore the vast wastelands of post-apocalyptic Massachusetts. The ruins of Boston also provided the backdrop for the first few chapters of The Last of Us, and you can actually visit some of the same locations, such as the State House, in both games.

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4. Uncharted 4

Though the gameplay and overall tone is decidedly different, Uncharted 4 shares a large part of its creative team with The Last of Us. Naughty Dog guru and award-winning writer Neil Druckmann created the story for both games. This means that fans of the rich narrative in The Last of Us will find that same style of intricate storytelling here. This time around, Nathan Drake comes out of retirement to help his brother hunt down a fabled pirate treasure, an adventure that spans from windswept Scottish highlands to lush tropical island jungles. Joel’s voice and motion capture actor, Troy Baker, also returns in the role of Nate’s brother Sam. The graphics also look extremely similar to what we’ve seen so far from trailers for The Last of Us 2. This means that Uncharted 4 might be a good glimpse into what the characters and environments of The Last of Us 2 might look like.

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3. Telltale’s The Walking Dead

Story-wise, this game feels like the long lost twin of The Last of Us. When you actually put both games on paper, their narratives are remarkably similar. Players control Lee Everett, a former university professor and escaped convict, as he rescues and cares for a young girl named Clementine. The two are forced to rely on each other as the world crumbles to the zombie apocalypse. Sounds familiar, right? If you’re looking for the same intense combat that The Last of Us offers, though, look elsewhere. Though not reliant on combat, this narrative-based game serves up the same stark moral choices players were confronted with in The Last of Us, and players will find out exactly how far they’re willing to go to survive in the post-apocalypse.

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2. Bioshock Infinite

Troy Baker playing a grizzled, world-weary protagonist with a tragic backstory? Check. A young girl with the potential to save the world? Check. The pair being forced into a reluctant partnership that eventually develops into a much more meaningful relationship? Check. Bioshock Infinite almost feels like an alternate universe version of The Last of Us, which seems fitting considering Elizabeth’s ability to open portals into alternate realities. One of the most interesting aspects of Bioshock is seeing a different take on a very similar relationship, and will leave you thinking about how differently the story of The Last of Us could have played out. Gameplay wise, Bioshock is more of a combat-heavy shooter, and should appeal to the more action-oriented fans of The Last of Us.

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1. Tomb Raider

If you only have to pick one game to satisfy your cravings for The Last of Us, look no further. When playing Tomb Raider, it becomes quickly apparent how similar the two games are in terms of actual gameplay. Tomb Raider puts players in control of Lara Croft at the beginning of her adventuring career. Shipwrecked on a mysterious island, she finds herself fighting for her life against ruthless cultists and other, more sinister forces. Players will find themselves scavenging for weapon upgrades, sneaking past deadly enemies, hunting for food, and pulling off brutal melee kills. Playing as Lara almost feels like getting an early taste of what it will be like to take control of Ellie in The Last of Us 2.

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We don’t know yet when The Last of Us 2 will be released, and it could end up being a long wait. Now that you’re armed with these five titles to satisfy your cravings, that wait won’t feel quite so long.

Here’s everything we know about The Last of Us 2

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Anthem: All Hail The Destiny-Killer?

It’s a question that’s popped up on message boards, in YouTube videos, across Discord chats, and likely as the 9:00 a.m. topic of many hushed game developer board room meetings:

“Is Anthem the Destiny-killer?”

Bungie and Bioware (EA), two studios known for mega-hits such as Halo and Mass Effect, respectively, are household names to even casual gamers, drawing in players based on their brand as much as their product. Each has a long history with a respectable record and thousands of devoted fans. So when Anthem was first hinted at in 2014, the question wasn’t whether or not the Bioware title would make a profit, but how high the new IP would sit in the halls of gaming reverence.

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From up on high, Bungie knows those halls quite well. Still running off goodwill from the Halo series, the studio released Destiny in 2014, an ambitious, genre-defining multiplayer epic. The game’s combination team shooter-RPG play style was arguably one-of-a-kind, and while many have attempted to replicate their feel, Bungie’s two titles in this series have kept well ahead of contenders. Despite considerable problems, 2017’s Destiny 2 remains the reigning champ in its weight class, and it’s still evolving and producing.

On Bioware’s end, it was not initially apparent what their new IP was all about – developers are known for being vague in the early stages when a game begins to formulate in a chrysalis of concept and code. Yet, when the first sneak peaks and screen captures were released last year, the community began to see what was brewing inside, and boy, did it seem familiar.

When one begins to describe the ever-approaching Anthem, the parallels become all too obvious. Like Destiny and Destiny 2, Anthem is clearly a loot-and-shoot, open-world MMO dipping into role-playing elements and class dynamics, where persistent characters progress largely through gear acquisition and upgrades – the best of which are acquired through cooperative play. As an in-genre alternative, Anthem checks all the same boxes.

Further, the thematic comparisons are strong, and stronger with each new bit of Anthem info we hear. To be clear, many contemporary game series make use of the post-apocalyptic setting to create an atmosphere of intrigue and mystery, or an environment fraught with danger. Some of these games focus on advanced technology as a means of progression and protection. Some do all of this better than others. But an expansive, post-apocalyptic sci-fi world where players tech-up and team-up to defend humanity against large-than-life otherworldly threats? Well, it’s a niche, but I can think of one popular little game…

And that game is hurting. Micro-transactions from dawn to dusk. Arbitrary, hidden experience barriers. Loot stagnation. Gameplay that is simply boring. (But mostly the micro-transactions.) The problems are almost as popular as the game itself and, according to many, Destiny may have already vacated its throne long before Anthem even arrives:

So, with such a clear path to victory in front of it, and the king crumbling under the weight of the crown, will Anthem succeed to capture a skeptical player base?

As one player put it to us, “Don’t do what Destiny 2 did, and you win.”

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In the EA’s E3 presentation this summer, nothing was done to diminish first-blush comparisons — in fact, they actually seem invited. As player frustration with Destiny 2 goes mostly unanswered, Bioware developers are quick to point out how its new baby very specifically and conveniently lacks all those same frustrations. The studio continues to engage with both content creators and the general public to provide assurances that this game may look like Destiny 2, but let’s be clear that it ain’t:

This kind of pointed messaging may not just be the developers’ playing cute and coy during promotion; it’s rumored that there is a lot riding on Anthem’s success, which necessarily depends on hitting Bungie where it hurts.

Still, make no mistake: Bioware is taking a risk, and they have stumbled before. And while a miss or two won’t sink a company, Anthem is definitely deeper into uncharted territory than Bioware has gone before. A studio that is best known as for producing story-driven, single-player games, with an emphasis on writing, voice-acting and overall plot, has never had to concern itself too greatly with the idea of a competitive twitch gameplay experience, an element that was critical to Destiny’s initial success. Can they prove to be adept at both?

Very possibly. First gameplay impressions have been promising, and the studio itself seems to be ever mindful of who they are. Both will be important. Whether Destiny puts up a fight or fades before Anthem’s arrival on the scene, Bioware will need to learn from Bungie’s mistakes by harnessing the goodwill of the players through delivery of solid, fresh content; keeping to promises made about costs and DLC structure; staying engaged with the community about possible changes; and – above all – creating a game that enthusiasts will legitimately enjoy playing.

How to use endorsements in Overwatch

Overwatch has long made it a point to combat toxic behavior in their community. One of Blizzard’s key goals is to make Overwatch an enjoyable experience for everyone, and that means more than just tweaking maps and adding new characters. With the new endorsements mechanic, Overwatch offers a new point of focus. Now, rather than just calling out toxic players, you can also give shoutouts to players that shine.

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So, what actually are endorsements? Blizzard has them split up into three categories: Shot Caller, Sportsmanship, and Good Teammate.

Shot Callers are players that take charge and coordinate the team. Usually, this means a player who is on mic, communicating and strategizing to make sure that the team is working as one unit.

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Sportsmanship is an endorsement for players who contribute to making the game an all-around positive experience. This is a pretty ambiguous award, so feel free to hand this one out to anyone who you feel made the match better in whatever way that might be. This one can also be handed out to opposing players, like a nod of respect to the Reinhardt that kept you off the point or an enemy Mercy that you noticed working overtime to keep her team at full health.

Good Teammate goes to the shining stars that excel as team players. These are the people that play the objective, switch roles to make sure the team has a strong composition, and work to help the team win, rather than looking out only for themselves.

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If you feel like you’ve encountered a player you want to endorse, you’ll be given the option to do so at the end of the game, during the Play of the Game screen. You can select the type of endorsement you want to give out and the player you want to give it to. You can endorse up to three players per match. As a nice added bonus, you’ll receive 50 XP for giving an endorsement. This means a potential extra 150 XP on top of what you earned in a match. Though this may not seem like much, it can add up quickly, especially for someone who loves giving out compliments.

There are some catches, though: endorsements aren’t available in Arcade modes and can’t be given out to the same player twice in a 24 hour period. You also can’t give out endorsements to players you’re in a group with, so anybody thinking that they could game the system by grouping up with their friends and endorsing each other back and forth is out of luck. Blizzard wants to make sure endorsements are used in as genuine a manner as possible.

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Also part of this new mechanic is an endorsement level. Every player has one, and it’s determined by the number of endorsements you receive. Blizzard hasn’t indicated how many endorsements it takes to level up, but we know that the maximum endorsement level is 5. Careful though; even if you make it to the max level, it’ll start to degrade over time and harsh penalties can be incurred if you’re reported for bad behavior. So, if you want to get to a high level and keep it that way, you need to make sure you’re playing in a consistently positive way.

Having a high endorsement level can net some neat little perks. It adds an additional layer of customization when finding a match by allowing players to specify what kind of endorsement roles they want to play with, and can also improve their standing in queues. Blizzard has also hinted at other, more tangible rewards, but is mum on the details. Unique skins, perhaps? Or perhaps other cosmetic items, like sprays or emotes for players with high endorsement levels?

As the old saying goes, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It seems that Blizzard has taken this old adage one step further. If you have something nice to say about the people you’re playing Overwatch with, they want you to say it, and say it loud.

Here’s what Fortnite 2 will look like

Honestly? There are no announcements that a Fortnite 2 is even in development or that it will ever be created at all…

That being said, we like to imagine what a Fortnite 2 could look like! Years down the road, what if Epic Games made the decision to create a sequel or a prequel to Fortnite? What type of game would it be? What would it focus on?

Game series tend to follow a few paths: continuation of the story and game mechanics crossover. We’ll go through each of these and see what a Fortnite 2 might have to offer.

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Continuation of the Story

Believe it or not, Fortnite contains a hidden story. This has became more and more obvious over Season 4, which began with meteors crashing into the map, after which the “hop rocks” left at the craters were transported to Snobby Shores and the Villain’s Lair, and recently has continued with the lair firing a rocket towards Tilted Towers and accidentally opening an ever-growing portal over the map.

What does this story mean? Our best theory is the events are a tie-in between Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode and Save the World modes. Basically, the Battle Royale events are leading up to the zombie apocalypse.

In regards to a sequel, this could mean a Fortnite 2 in the vein of Mad Max, which takes places in a desert environment and possibly features a few wandering zombies amongst the Battle Royale landscape. Better yet, there may be a new story mode following a group of humans surviving the apocalypse: something with the run-n-gun excitement of Left 4 Dead with the Fortnite’s signature building shenanigans.

Mechanics Crossover

Sometimes, a sequel carries on the tradition in name and mechanics only.

In this case, we’d naturally expect to see the same Battle Royale style that we’ve come to know and love, along with the build-n-shoot combat from the original. However, this Fortnite 2 could also bring out an entirely new location, a few additional ways to fight, and, most likely, a new apocalypse to overcome.

We love the idea of new locations for Fortnite. Currently, the game features a somewhat hilly and homogenous environment, perfect for the game’s current iteration. However, in a Fortnite 2 there would be great possibility for expansion. Imagine running and building through a desert or a crowded jungle. Or fighting for Victory Royale in a gigantic cave underground or on top of a large, snowy mountain…

Also, there are a number of ways that Fortnite 2 could expand upon the combat. The current game includes a number of interesting items like the hop rocks, but the closest they’ve come to a vehicle was the short-lived jetpacks. The second installation of this game might see the introduction of vehicles and other clever items… space suits, perhaps? Portal guns? Thanks to the tongue-in-cheek way Fortnite currently introduces its updates, anything could be on the table.

Finally, what new apocalypse would Fallout 2 feature? With the rockets and meteors currently heralding the changes between seasons, we’re in the mood for an alien invasion. However, there are other alternatives: a world war? Nuclear fallout? A huge volcanic explosion? A second Ice Age? Time shenanigans? Whatever the case, you can be sure to expect epic battles against a new, interesting backdrop.

But really, a volcanic jungle island would be epic. Cue “Battle of Heroes”, by John Williams, right? (Seriously. Cue it. We’ll wait.)

A Vision

Since Fortnite 2 probably won’t happen, here’s our daydream, combining the best parts of what we’ve already considered:

Fortnite 2 takes place on an island chain being surrounded by encroaching deep-sea lava. This creates the game’s circle, although there are rivulets and streams of lava that must be avoided in other places as well.

By the way, this island is Jurassic World. There are dinosaurs.

Cars are now included, but there are no boats. The only way to get from island to island is by building rafts, which consist of at least one floor panel and a “wall” panel that becomes a sail whenever built on a boat. Falling into the boiling lava water slowly takes away health , so be prepared for epic boat battles, where constructing a strong warship may be the secret to success… especially if the final circle happens to land over a segment of ocean!

Whatever the case, we love Fortnite and are excited to see what new heights the game reaches in the future, whether or not that includes a sequel.

How Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can repair Nintendo’s rocky history with eSports

After revealing the massively anticipated trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at E3, Nintendo streamed an invitational tournament featuring the new game. For the event, Nintendo invited some of the world’s most popular and successful professional Smash players, including C9 Mang0, TSM Zero, and UGS Armada. The event can be watched in its entirety below:

The tournament showcased many of Smash Ultimate’s new characters, mechanics, and stages. Competitors also had the unique opportunity to meet with Smash series creator Masahiro Sakurai to give him their thoughts on the game. Back in 2014, Nintendo put on a similar event before the release of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS. Both of these events can be seen as attempts by Nintendo to grow a closer relationship to the eSports scene, which they had previously ignored. Newer games that have been released by Nintendo, including Splatoon 2 and ARMS, have been deliberately and earnestly pushed as eSports-worthy titles to varying results.

Nintendo’s fanbase created their own eSports scene

While competitive events surrounding Nintendo’s games have always existed, they really came into their own after the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee in 2001. While the game was easy to learn, dedicated players soon discovered many advanced techniques and playstyles that greatly increased the speed and depth of the game. For years, community organizers hosted bigger and better tournaments, complete with streams, casters, and prize pools. Whereas most competitive games have direct support from their developers, such as Capcom hosting Street Fighter tournaments, for whatever reason Nintendo did not acknowledge this bustling and popular community. In 2013, Smash fans even secured a spot for Melee at EVO, the world’s most popular fighting game tournament, by raising over $94,000 for breast cancer research (EVO’s last spot that year was reserved for the game that received the most charitable donations). However, despite their efforts, Nintendo attempted to shut the Smash portion of the event down. Facing massive fan backlash, especially in light of the charitable donations, Nintendo relented and allowed the event to proceed and be streamed online. Why Nintendo had been so adverse to eSports has never been completely clear, but Masahiro Sakurai has spoken on the matter:

“The philosophy behind them doesn’t go in line with Nintendo’s philosophy in that some of these players are playing for the prize money…it comes to a point where they’re playing the game for the money, and I feel that kind of direction doesn’t coincide with Nintendo’s view of what games should be.”

While this stance seems to be part of Nintendo’s core philosophy and will likely never change, they have certainly warmed up to eSports in recent years. Since the 2013 EVO blunder, they’ve sponsored tournaments for Melee, Smash 4, Splatoon, and more. Their involvement is still minimal compared to most developers, but it’s getting there. Hopefully, with the release of Smash Ultimate, Nintendo can find a balance between embracing the competitive scene without alienating casual players.

What’s New In Fortnite Season 5

The highly anticipated Season 5 has finally arrived in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Epic Games had their work cut out for them, as the story-soaked Season 4 was a fan favorite for its live rocket launch, superhero storyline, and Infinity War crossover. The portals opening in the sky following the rocket launch led many players to speculate that Season 5 would involve time travel and dimensional warping. They were right. Below, we’ll break down the map changes, new Battle Pass content, and gameplay additions.

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Trouble in Paradise

Sorry Moisty Mire fans (both of you), the whole bottom right section of the map has dried up and desertified. In its place is a bustling desert area featuring several of new named and unnamed locations. The entire area has a southwestern United States, Route 66 theme to it. The main attraction is Paradise Palms, a resort town that features a tall hotel complete with pool. There are plenty of nearby pitstops too, including a giant go-kart track for the new All Terrain Kart (more on that later), a truck stop, and a bunch of dinosaur statues modeled after the real-life Cabazon Dinosaurs tourist attraction in California.

What better way to wind down from the horrors of war than to hit the links?

Additionally, the farmers at Anarchy Acres apparently decided to take up golf instead, transforming the area into Lazy Links. This high society attraction features a golf course complete with luxurious buildings, tennis courts, and a fleet of All-Terrain Karts.

Time travel shenanigans have led to an entire Viking settlement popping up on a mountain south of Snobby Shores. This location is mysteriously unnamed, with fans so far dubbing it Viking Village, Norse Nook, or simply Whiterun. It remains to be seen if other anachronistic locations will spring up in the future.

The New Crew

A Viking, a lifeguard, and a time traveler walk into a bar…

Season 5’s new batch of skins certainly fits the time travel theme. Featuring a colorful and diverse new cast of characters, players have gone right to work completing challenges and leveling up their Battle Pass to add them to their collection of skins. Much like Carbide and Omega from Season 4, two of the new skins are customizable with unlockable upgrades. The two new skins that are customizable are Drift (the blonde guy in the center of the picture above) and Ragnarok (the terrifying white-eyed Viking to the left of Drift). Their completed costumes can be viewed below:

Can’t wait to see these badass new skins dabbing

A Whole New Gameplan

Tying into the dimensional theme of Season 5, Epic has added small fractal-like portals called rifts to various locations on the map. When players enter these rifts they are warped to the giant crack in the sky, allowing them to dive and glide to avoid the storm and outrun opponents.

While Tomato Man and Durr Burger will be sorely missed, their legacies live on as golf cart accessories

The brand new All-Terrain Kart allows up to four players to powerslide their way to victory. Players can drift to gain speed boosts a la Mario Kart, and the roof of the kart serves as a jump pad. The karts can be found and taken on test drives at the new go-kart track and at Lazy Links. It was hilarious seeing the stunts that players could pull off with the shopping cart, so we can’t wait to see the Jackass stunts that people come up with for the ATK.

An unexpected but welcome addition to the Season 5 Battle Pass, toys allow players to shoot baskets, hit golf balls, and volley a beach ball. If you can avoid being gunned down, try hitting a few baskets at Tilted Towers or shooting a hole in one at Lazy Links!

Fortnite: to buy v-bucks, or not to buy v-bucks?

V-bucks are Fortnite’s in-game currency, but can be purchased for real-world money…. which means microtransactions. Now, “microtransactions” shouldn’t have to be a dirty word. In fact, we think some of the perks of buying V-bucks are well worth the cost, especially considering the game is already free-to-play! Still, these small fees are notorious for growing into large costs over time, so the question remains: what can be done to maximize Fortnite’s benefits without racking up a huge bill? We’ve done the math and figured out a few ideas. (Hint: they revolve around working towards a Battle Pass and then earning enough V-bucks for the next!)

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First, we’ll deal with two topics for housekeeping purposes: How to Get V-Bucks, and What They Buy.

How to Get V-Bucks

There are a few ways to get V-bucks.

Buy them. As we’ve mentioned, V-bucks can be purchased starting at $10 for 1,000. Greater quantities are available, and the more you buy the better deal you’ll receive. Fortnite also offers a “Starter Pack”, which comes with a nice combat skin (this changes your player’s appearance), a new backpack, and 650 V-Bucks. We’ll mention this Starter Pack again later.
Gain Battle Tiers. Each day, Fortnite offers players a number of challenges, things like “deal damage with shotguns”. Finishing a challenge helps you level up tiers, which will occasionally award you 100 V-bucks. If you get the Battle Pass, you’ll have access to far more challenges and rewards for gaining tiers.

Warning: There are some scams bouncing around YouTube that suggest if you go to a certain website and download two apps, you’ll get free V-bucks. Epic Games tells Softonic that the two methods listed above are the only legitimate ways to get V-bucks. If you’re seeing someone saying otherwise, they’ve got something malicious up their sleeve.

Next part!

What They Buy

When you get V-bucks you have a choice: buy cosmetics or a Battle Pass. We recommend the Battle Pass.

To grab those cosmetics, go to the “Item Shop” in Fortnite’s main menu and you’ll be met with a number of choices: skins, backpacks, harvesting tools, contrails, dances, and emotes.

Instead of purchasing everything you see with V-Bucks, consider getting a Battle Pass. For only 950 V-bucks, a Battle Pass gives you far more challenges over a 10-week period called a “Season”. Not only do the actual challenges themselves become more interesting, but every tier earned gives you a reward

Specifically, you’ll get a 100 V-buck prize every 7 tiers. With 100 tiers each season, this means at least 1,000 V-bucks… enough to pay for a Battle Pass next season. This is our main goal: buying one Battle Pass allows you to earn all those exciting new cosmetics and enough V-Bucks to keep going with a new battle pass!

Now that the stage is set, let’s get to the suggestions:

The Low Road: Spend Nothing

It’s possible, if very difficult, to earn the 950 V-bucks required for a Battle Pass simply by completing daily challenges. This takes great dedication, but once you achieve the Battle Pass, you’ll have paid nothing and can start reaping the benefits of your hard work.

This approach works great for those who are patient and understand that Fortnite’s perks are purely for looks (hence: cosmetics). You’ll still have the default skin and dance to keep you going.

The Golden Road: A Middle Path

Instead of waiting to earn 950 V-bucks, either buy 1,000 V-Bucks for the Battle Pass or acquire a 650 V-Buck Starter Pack and earn 400 more.

Either way, you’ve only spent around $10 and can maintain your Battle Pass status each following season as long as you earn enough V-bucks the previous season.

Bonus note: with Season 5 coming out, you can start soon!

The Highway: Get Everything

Of course, there are those who still want more than the Battle Pass can offer; admittedly, Fortnite includes a number of items that aren’t available through the Battle Pass.

If this is the case, and you wish to buy something else, we advise thinking carefully about your Item Shop purchases. Do you truly need a new skin or harvesting tool over the ones you have? How much have you already spent? How much are you willing to spend in the future? These choices are yours to make, but we encourage mindfulness. That way, suddenly realizing you spent hundreds of Real-Bucks won’t mar the awesome Fortnite experience!

3 features Square Enix’s upcoming Avengers game needs to be great

While Marvel is casually shattering box office records with megahits like “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” they have been dormant when it comes to video games. For years, Marvel has released few-to-no AAA games based on their beloved characters. Instead, they have released many mobile games, undoubtedly because they are cheaper to create and still rake in tons of money. However, with Insomniac’s Spider-Man PS4 game and Square Enix’s The Avengers Project on the horizon, fans can have the big-budget Marvel games they’ve been wanting for years. Details on this hotly anticipated game are scarce, but we’ve put together a list of things we think would help this Avengers game live up to the hype. Watch the teaser trailer below:

Include characters from ALL corners of the Marvel Universe

Ever since the explosive success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel has promoted characters featured in their movies as opposed to characters they don’t have the film rights to. Most notably, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men have taken a backseat to the Avengers and their related characters (Disney seemingly views promoting these characters as promoting the films of rival studio Fox). However, with news of Disney’s buyout of 20th Century Fox, all Marvel characters will be under the same roof for the first time in years. Including these characters in some way in their Avengers game would be a nice high profile reintroduction. According to an analysis of leaked concept art for the game (which can be viewed below), the game also includes more obscure Marvel characters, such as Ex Nihilo and Black Bolt. With Insomniac’s Spider-Man having a grounded story set in New York, it would be nice to see The Avengers Project explore stranger and more obscure areas and characters in the Marvel Universe. The presence of Ex Nihilo alone shows that Square Enix is willing to dive beyond just the MCU when it comes to Marvel characters, and that makes us very excited.

Have deep customization and RPG options

Raven Software’s X-Men Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance series both fantastically combined action and RPG elements. Each character from both series’ massive rosters had their own unique powerset, costumes, and gear. These powers and costumes could be upgraded or changed through experience points and loot, and teams of characters that synergize together (such as the Fantastic Four or the Avengers) are given stat bonuses. Hopefully, Square Enix will allow players to customize their characters through stat management and alternative costumes, allowing players to assemble the superhero dream teams they’ve always wanted to see.

Have a deep, team-centric combat system

The whole concept of the Avengers is having a diverse and sometimes volatile group of people work together to be greater than the sum of their parts. It would be awesome if Square Enix allowed for heroes to creatively combine their powers as seen in the gif above. The heroes of the Marvel Universe have such creative and diverse powersets, so Square Enix needs to make sure that every character feels and plays completely different from each other. Hopefully, they balance each character so that they feel equally useful, despite the power levels being so dramatically different between characters.

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