Free game trials have become a trend for Nintendo Switch Online, previously granting subscribers limited-time access to games like Crash Team Racing and Overwatch. Dead Cells opens its doors next, and from January 26 to February 1, Switch players can indulge in one of the generation’s best action roguelikes.

Not only will Dead Cells be available in full during the one-week trial, but a sale will shave 50% off its usual $24.99 asking price across all digital storefronts. That’s good news for Switch players who wind up digging the game but aren’t able to complete it during the free period. 

January 26 is also the day that Dead Cells’ Fatal Falls DLC arrives, which will add a substantial amount of new content to the experience, including new areas, weapons, and a powerful boss. Additionally, Dead Cells: The Fatal Seed Bundle also will also launch. This beefed up edition packages the base game, Fatal Falls, and The Bad Seed expansions as well as the 20 free updates to hit Dead Cells since the game came out. Switch owners can pre-order The Fatal Seed Bundle now and receive 33% off. 

The free trial is a sweet offer given that Dead Cells is one heck of a game, blending Metroidvania design, a satisfying combat system, and a compelling roguelike loop. As Andrew Reiner said his 9 out of 10 review of the game, “Dead Cells is one of the more approachable and rewarding roguelikes I’ve encountered. Dying is never fun in games of this ilk, but the well-designed reward loop softens that blow and bolsters all subsequent runs, making the experience more about exploration and time committed than just player skill.”

Hitman 3 is an incredible conclusion to an amazing franchise and while many players are getting ready to dive in as Agent 47 once more, there are a few things to know first about previous content before getting started. For those looking to import Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 content before diving into the third game, here's what you need to know. 

How to import Hitman and Hitman 2 content

To import the content from previous games, you're going to want to do so before starting Hitman 3. You're also going to want to make sure that you have an active IO account, and you'll need to have owned the previous games (for obvious reasons) to ensure that you go into Hitman 3 with your Hitman 2 profile (we'll go into how Hitman 1 marries into that further down). 

All transfers will require the IO account to be linked to the platform of choice. While Access Passes and Legacy content comes into play, the progression from 2 into 3 must be done via the IO website. 

Another important thing to keep in mind is that there is an ecosystem limit. You will not be able to import Xbox saves over onto PlayStation platforms or vice versa. As long as you are within a consistent ecosystem, you're fine. 

To import Hitman 1 and 2 content on console, the Access Pass makes it pretty straightforward. For those who may not have previously downloaded the Legacy Pack for Hitman 2 from the first game, you can do so directly from the store within the game itself. Do that, and Hitman 1 will import into Hitman 2 (not 3). From there, it's time to move Hitman 2 content into the third game.

To transfer from 2 to 3, make sure that Access Pass is active. This can also be found in the game's store easily, and you'll see three versions to go with the three different editions of the game itself. Downloading this will grandfather in Hitman 1 Legacy content into the Hitman 2 Access Pass.

For PC players, you can transfer content from Steam to Epic Games Store (EGS), if needed, but IO is still working out the details of Hitman 2 to 3, though IO has confirmed that Hitman 2 players will not have to re-purchase the game with the recent transfer over to the EGS. 

What gets imported?

Levels, locations, and player progression can be imported from the first two games in addition to stats from Hitman 2 like XP rank, Elusive Target unlocks, mastery achievements, challenge-related content, and more. Items that won't port over include: 

• Game of the Year Escalations from the first game 
  • These rewards are linked to the purchase. For access to these, you'll need to redeem access manually for the associated content.
• ICA Electrocution Phone (courtesy of GoSunoob)

For Nintendo Switch players, this is the first Hitman game on the hybrid console, so you don't need to worry about any of this because there is nothing to transfer. 

"No eligible Hitman accounts found"

Many players are reporting that they are getting the above error message when attempting to carry over data, despite having a linked account. We don't have a fix for this at the moment, but IO Interactive is actively working on a fix. 

It's been some time since Bungie split from Activision, and the team has spread their wings in terms of what Destiny 2 has to offer. So what's next? With Beyond Light, the team tried something completely new and despite PvP concerns, the overall reception of how the story has evolved since the Forsaken DLC has been incredibly positive with the community thriving once more. That being said, the work is far from over when taking back the Destiny name since its launch and with two more confirmed expansions on the horizon, it looks like Bungie is almost ready to share what's next following immense player feedback. 

The launch of Destiny 2 wasn't the most stellar of launches. Bungie received a seemingly endless wave of backlash due to predatory monetary practices, a perceived lazy endgame design, and a general feeling of disconnection from the community as a whole. At the time of launch, Activision was the publisher for Destiny 2, creating a more complicated relationship of the game's vision and meeting certain profitable expectations. The team, as a whole, knew this and a plethora of reasons ultimately ended with Activision and Bungie splitting up in a public breakup and since then, the studio has worked tirelessly to make good on their promise to the community for an amazing Destiny 2 experience. For the most part, they've done just that, though there are always areas of improvement and feedback that can either be ignored or implemented; this is largely evident in the current ongoing conversation about the state of PvP, especially following the introduction of the Stasis subclass. That being said, this is only the tip of the iceberg for what's to come and according to game director Joe Blackburn, the best has yet to come. 

Last year, I said Destiny's Best Days are ahead. Seeing what's coming, I believe this more than ever. But we have work to do to get there. 2021 is going to be a little different for Destiny. Taking some time to validate our plans, but expect a state of Destiny 2021 next season.

— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 19, 2021

In the above tweet, Blackburn reflects back on Destiny's past saying, "last year, I said Destiny's Best Days are ahead. Seeing what's coming, I believe this more than ever. But we have work to do to get there. 2021 is going to be a little different for Destiny. Taking some time to validate our plans, but expect a state of Destiny 2021 next season." 

Bungie already confirmed that there will be two more expansions following Beyond Light, but more than just story expansion is on the way. One Bungie dev mentioned to me previously during a raid that he is excited to share with the community what's next, especially since so many feel like PvP concerns are falling on deaf ears. He says that this is very much not the case but much of that context is still locked behind closed doors. Blackburn's "taking some time to validate our plans" likely includes that revamp, ensuring that everything the team wants to do is viable to ensure a smooth transition into the future of the space franchise. 

The current season is coming to a close with Season of the Hunt ending next month on the 9th. Season 13 will come bearing many of its own changes, including how tokens work, with future seasons bringing about even more change such as transmog, how in-game rewards work, crossplay, and so much more. 

The future has so much potential for where the Destiny franchise can go, whether it be an ongoing continuation of the sequel or a new game altogether. From previous announcements from Bungie, it looks like the team wants a chance to really see Destiny 2's full potential, and with a firm direction in place and a vision in the process of seeing fruition, it will be interesting to see where the shooter goes next (even if we're still crying over that future not including Cayde-6). 

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny is coming exclusively to Switch this summer (in the west at least), and NIS released a new trailer running down the absurd cast of characters players can expect to meet. If for some reason you had any doubts Disgaea 6 would be any less silly than its predecessors, the game's colorful band of heroes should quickly dispel any reservations. 

We’ve already been acquainted with Zed, our attitudinal zombie hero(?) who can die and resurrect repeatedly, which actually raises his strength. Now players can meet Bieko, Zed’s decidedly friendlier sister, their companion Cerberus, the self-centered Princess Melodia, among others. My favorite is Piyori Nijino who is a Prism Ranger. That’s pretty much all you need to know because Prism Rangers rock, so this makes Piyori the best character by default. 

Disgaea 6 retains the fun and strategic gameplay fans have come to expect, but throws in a few new wrinkles. The most noticeable is the switch to fully 3D models replacing the signature sprites of past games. The Super Reincarnation system grants Zed karma points every time he dies, which are used to dramatically increase his strength and abilities. The level cap has been raised to an absurd 99,999,999, and the often lengthy battles can now fly by thanks to a new 32x speed mode. 

Although Disgaea 6 is also coming to PlayStation 4 in Japan, us westerners will only get to play it on Switch for the time being (importing not withstanding, of course). Look for it this summer alongside a special Unrelenting Edition that includes a mini art book and digital soundtrack. Be sure to also check out our review of the previous game, Disgaea 5. 

Among Us is a charmingly simple "whodunnit" game that came out in 2018, then had a much-deserved second lease on life in the second half of 2020. Since its re-emergence, Among Us has escalated to become one of the biggest games out there, even nabbing a major Video Game Awards spotlight back in December. With a new map and plans of expansion on the way, many are wondering what's next for Among us in 2021? Luckily, the tean over at InnerSloth has some answers! 

In a recent developer update, the studio addressed a commonly asked question: What's next and why is it taking so long? While that seems a little sus and like something only a murderer would say, the studio answered regardless. While a detailed roadmap wasn't offered at this time, InnerSloth did mention that the team is back in full force following the holidays and that as a more concrete plan comes together, they will release a solid roadmap in an effort to continue being transparent with players. 

Another topic the update addresses is accounts. "We wanted to launch this earlier, and we're close, but we want to make sure it isn’t half-baked before implementing. (Trust me - you do not want a bad reporting system with no accountability behind it)," reads the blog post. "The first update for this is primarily focused on moderation - as stated in the previous dev log - and we’re hoping to get this out ASAP. This is a small step towards ensuring everyone playing the game has a safe and welcoming experience! Don’t worry, we’ve heard all your requests for things like a friend system, saved stats, and so on, but for now, this will be the first thing available."

As for the "why is it taking so long?" question, the blog post explains that InnerSloth wasn't really prepared for the popularity en masse that was experienced in the latter half of 2020. In fact, the team was planning on an Among Us 2 since the first one fell under the radar, but then the popularity made them want to focus on making the first game even better so that fans can experience more joy out of the hit indie. 

The post continues, saying "Not to dive into too much organizational stuff, but not only did we need to switch back to working on Among Us after thinking it was done, but we also needed to set ourselves up to more sustainably to work on the game. We had to spend 2 months just restructuring, figuring out new processes, and getting external partners to help us manage on board. Originally it was just 3 friends working together (and now I'm here to make 4, hi), but if we wanted this to work long term and hire up, we needed to streamline things."

InnerSloth added, "It’s all behind the scenes work, and while it meant time away from the game, it’ll make it easier for current and future us to develop the game better. Not to mention additional platforms (like Nintendo Switch and Xbox) means more support, certifications to go through, and whatnot. We have help from our porting partners for that, but it still means we need to make sure future things we do are supported on those platforms. There’s a ton of other things out of our control (legal issues, meetings, planning), so sometimes these things take longer as well."

Regardless of what's on the way, I'm personally delighted to see the game's success. So many indies fly under the radar and stay there, so to see one – especially one that was developed by a small team – is incredible to see. To learn more about the murder-happy adventure, you can also check out our full review here! 

Jackie Welles voice actor Jason Hightower wants to return for future Cyberpunk 2077 DLC and thinks it can happen if fans want it enough.

This article contains spoilers concerning Jackie's character. Plot-specific points are covered in a thin black stripe to avoid accidental spoiling. To read what is under the black lines, simply click on them to show the text below. 

In the first act of Cyberpunk 2077, Jackie Welles and V become close, no matter the life path chosen. While the pair's intro may change, the end result is the same: they're close friends, almost family. Unfortunately, those close ties weren't enough to save the character because an infiltration mission at the Konpeki Plaza goes awry with the same conclusion no matter the choice: Jackie will die. 

The actor says there is a way for his character to return in an epic way. "Listen, I don't want to be the one to say it. We could [make a] DLC upload of Jackie if you wanted," the actor told ExBee. "This is not everyone but, you know, for those who might want a little bit of Jackie in their ear while they're doing missions, there you go."

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that upcoming free DLC is the plan and will drop later this year, but the main concern right now is to fix lingering bugs that were part of the reason the game has been delisted from the PlayStation Store. While bugs are far from the only thing that has made the Cyberpunk 2077 launch anything but ideal, the pressure to make the game functional and enjoyable for all was put on even more with two class-action lawsuits currently in the process alongside the investigation that is ongoing by the Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. 

The issues regarding Cyberpunk 2077, despite there being an enjoyable narrative in the game and characters that matter, are more than just the glitches reported. It was the broken communication between the company and fans (despite deliberate attempts to seem the exact opposite) and the outright attempt at deception by not allowing reviewers access to console versions of the game and purposeful intentions to hide the current state of the game on last-gen platforms; especially the PS4.

Following a recent apology video from the co-founder of CD Projekt Red that seemingly threw the entire Q&A team under the proverbial bus and reports that there was no clear vision for the game itself which caused a chaotic developmental timeline, it will be interesting to see what comes next. With new DLC and multiplayer components on the way, the Polish company has a long road ahead to repair its reputation with consumers and investors alike. Can they do it without causing further harm to the team? 

What do you think about the possible return of Jackie Welles character? Do want to see this happen, or do you think CDPR should focus on the more technical aspects of Cyberpunk 2077 for now? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

[Source: ExBee]

This weekend sees the return of the biggest star in mixed martial arts, Conor McGregor. The first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history returns to rematch Dustin Poirier this Saturday at UFC 257. In addition to headlining that pay-per-view event alongside Poirier, McGregor is also the main event of EA Sports UFC 4's January title update, which hits today.

To celebrate the highly anticipated UFC 257, EA Sports and developer EA Vancouver have added a new version of Conor McGregor to the featherweight division, where the Notorious Irishman began his UFC run and captured his first UFC championship. The Legacy version of Conor McGregor joins the featherweight division, based on his skillset and look from UFC 178. At that 2014 event, McGregor faced off against Poirier for the first time, knocking him out in the first round. His Legacy model features a 4.5 out of 5 overall rating, with high marks in striking and health.

To continue the Conor celebration, new McGregor-themed vanity items for your created fighters have been added to the in-game closet. These items include an orange shirt and green shorts that say "The King is Back" and a shirt and pair of shorts that say, "I'd Like to Apologize to Absolutely Nobody," – an abridged version of McGregor's famous quote after capturing the lightweight belt at UFC 205 in 2016.

This title update also adds light heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka to the game. Prochazka is coming off of a UFC debut in July 2020 where he brutally knocked out former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. He is currently set headline the February 27 UFC Fight Night, where he will face two-time title challenger Dominick Reyes.

On top of those two real-world additions, fans of the Fight Night franchise can rejoice, as Andre Bishop and Isaac Frost, the fictional protagonist and antagonist of Fight Night Champion respectively, have been added to UFC 4's heavyweight division. The two fighters were previously added to UFC 3 as one of the final free updates for that game.

Changes have also been made to systems like stamina and submissions, and blocking animations have been added and tweaked. The biggest gameplay change comes in the form of the new ability to throw calf kicks. Performed by tapping the leg kick command instead of holding it, calf kicks do less damage, but are safer than regular leg kicks and are effective at interrupting your opponent's strikes.

The free January title update is available now for EA Sports UFC 4. For more on the game, check out our review.

[Source: EA Sports]

Valve has created some incredible games, most notably the Portal, Half-Life, Team Fortress, and Left 4 Dead franchises. With Half-Life: Alyx and Artifact heralding in a return to game dev, Valve CEO Gabe Newell confirms that the company has "several" new titles in development at this time. 

Newell sat down with the folks at 1 News to talk about what's currently coming down the pipeline for the company outside of being a viable storefront for PC gamers. In the interview, Newell addressed Alyx and mentioned that the company is looking to do more single-player games in the future. He added that Alyx "created a lot of momentum inside of the company to do more of that" in terms of single-player narratives. 

In true Newell fashion, there was no confirmation about a possible continuation of franchises like Portal and Half-Life. Instead, he added, “I’ve successfully not spoken about those things for a long time and I hope to continue to not talk about them until they are moot questions. Then we’ll move on to a new set of questions,” Newell said. Valve was recently rumored to be working on a title code-named “Citadel,” but Newell was quick to end that conversation when asked as well.

“We have a bunch of code names — are you referring to a code name?” said Newell. “I don’t know what ‘Citadel’ is — what is Citadel? Just to be clear — internally we have a bunch of different names and they change over time.”

He then confirmed that the company is actively working on several games at this time and that he hopes to have more to reveal soon, though what those titles will have to offer still remains a mystery. 

What do you hope to see from Valve? Portal 3? Alyx in non-VR? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below!

[Source: 1 News via DualShockers]

Respawn Entertainment unveiled the arrival of Fuse with a new “Tales from the Outlands” cinematic earlier this week. Fans speculate – likely because of the character’s name – that Fuse’s ability kit prioritizes explosives and all-out destruction. In the new Season 8 Mayhem trailer that dropped today, these theories were finally confirmed. The trailer starts with Fuse recounting his recent arrival to the Apex games and the large-scale celebration surrounding him. Unfortunately, Maggie, his sadistic childhood pal, shows up to ruin the festivities. You can watch the video above.

The events that follow ultimately lead to the destruction of the beloved Kings Canyon map. Respawn announced changes to the classic location alongside the original Fuse announcement, but the level of devastation that takes place during the trailer makes Kings Canyon seem like an entirely new arena. The various points of interest haven’t been shown yet, but it’s safe to say that the massive cruiser that Fuse flew in on will play a part in Season 8’s many matches. 

Aside from Maggie’s ambush, we got to see a small snippet of one of Fuse’s abilities. He flings some explosive projectiles from a launcher mechanism on his wrist, takes out the new 30-30 repeater rifle, and fires at the pellets which explode on impact. Whether this is Fuse’s ultimate or tactical ability is still unknown, but there will likely be more information on his kit, the repeater rifle, the extensive King’s Canyon changes, and the next battle pass in the coming days. 

Season 8 Mayhem launches on February 8, and Apex legends might be dropping on the Nintendo Switch that same day. 

The Skywind Morrowind Skyrim remake is a fan-made mod project that I've been covering for years throughout my career, and for good reason. This ambitious project is not only approved by Bethesda, but incredibly detailed in a way that honors both Morrowind and Skyrim in the best way possible. What Skywind does is it modernizes the amazing tale that Morrowind gave players, and now it's coming to Nexus Mods. 

Nexus Mods is a modding hub that we share quite a bit here for our Mod Corner segment and is an amazing tool for mostly PC players to get their creativity on with some of their favorite games on the market. In terms of bringing Skywind over into the Nexus-verse, there was a long conversation about what that would mean regarding Bethesda's stance on exchanging assets between various properties. While there are exceptions, including a few Fallout mods that have been sanctioned by the studio, the exchange between games is largely something Bethesda is leery of. Because of this, the folks over at Skywind have passionately worked to ensure that they used brand-new models, textures, audio, and more, all at the effort of a team of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of man hours. 

That dedication has paid off, because the project of recreating Morrowind from scratch now has the support of Nexus Mods where it can be supported more heavily community amplification. 

We don't have a release date for this project at this time, and the team is always looking for more volunteers, but it's nice to see that it will be supported by Nexus and its community and I can't wait to see where this goes next! To learn more about what this fan-driven project has to offer, you can learn a little bit about the team below courtesy of their website:

"It is a non-commercial, fan-made modification for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that seeks to merge the amazing world of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind with the enhanced graphics and capabilities of Skyrim's engine.

"While ownership of both games is required to play, the player only actually plays Skywind using the Skyrim game, and not the older Morrowind game. This means that the user interface, combat, graphics, and system requirements for the Skywind mod are all those of Skyrim and NOT Morrowind."

The modding team added, "Skywind aims to have full functionality upon release equivalent to recent Elder Scrolls titles, as well as to expand by reintroducing critical elements from Morrowind, that did not make it into Skyrim. We cannot make any promises at this time about what will and will not make it into the final release but rest assured some are already implemented and others are being worked on."