Meet Valkyrie, the newest Apex Legends character revealed in a new animated Stories from the Outlands video. This Titan pilot has impressive abilities, but Titanfall fans will note an important tie-in to Respawn's other shooter adventure. 

Valkyrie is a Titan pilot that is eager to prove that she's earned her spot in the Apex Legends competitive arena. In the animated short, called Northstar, it is revealed there her now-deceased father was a pilot tasked with his own Titan that is a Northstar class. It is also revealed that Valkyrie blames Kuben Blisk for her father's death. Name sound familiar? It should since Kuben was the main antagonist in Titanfall 2, making Valkyrie the latest character with ties to the larger Titanfall universe. 

The first look at what her backstory is and what she brings to the fight in Apex Legends showcases her journey into the murky waters of vengeance. When she first knew Kuben as a little girl, he knew her and her father when she was under the name Viper. After she successfully hunts him down, she's confronted with a new reality, a healthy that Kuben lays out plainly: her father knew the risks and that he wouldn't want to see her go down the path she is currently wandering. That was the weak spot because she turns away from him then, but not before announcing her new identity as Valkyrie. 

Her full reveal comes after months of leaks referring to a character by the name of Valk. This is also the first step of many into season 9, a season that the studio promises will house "a ton of Titanfall content" in the future. 

Haven't dropped into the arena in Apex Legends in a while? A lot has changed! Luckily, our own Jason Guisana detailed a season 8 guide to help you get on your way in preparation for Valkyrie's arrival. 

Are you excited to see more Titanfall make its way into Apex Legends? What are your thoughts on Valkyrie and her father's connection to Titanfall 2? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below, even if it's just to shout out who your main is and what you think about Apex's continued evolution. 

Apex Legends recently amassed over 100 million players worldwide and, once again, the success story is getting another chapter; but this time, in the form of a mobile port. Like other extremely popular battle royales (e.g., Fortnite and PUBG), Apex Legends Mobile will bring the console version’s fast-paced combat and fluid movement mechanics to the small screen. 

Creative director Chad Grenier announced the news today in a post on the official Apex Legends Blog. “Beginning later this month, we're kicking off the first regional beta tests for Apex Legends Mobile. This is a huge moment for our team. Two years ago we changed the landscape of the battle royale genre, and now we’re aiming to do it again on mobile.”

The port was designed with touchscreens in mind and utilizes easier controls so that players can hop right into the action as quickly as possible. Grenier stated that the regional beta tests for Apex Legends Mobile commence with a few thousand Android players in India and the Philippines. Over the course of the year, Respawn plans to launch the game in larger regions as well. 

Just like the console versions that came before it, Apex Legends Mobile will be free-to-play with its own battle pass, collectible cosmetics, and unique unlockables. However,  cross-play won’t be enabled because it was built specifically for mobile devices. “It’s a new version of Apex Legends,” Grenier said. “But it’s true to the original...We can’t wait to show you what’s next. See you soon, Legends.”

Season 9 of Apex Legends might be the game's most ambitious yet. Respawn recently promised a ton of Titanfall content, so be sure to stay tuned for that!

Are you excited for Apex Legends Mobile and what do you hope to see when the game finally becomes available in your region? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

When Sony confirmed that it was shutting down the storefront for PS3, PS Vita, and PSP games on their respective platforms, the gaming community exploded. Both on the industry and consumer side, the response to the decision made by the company was met with sadness, outrage, and confusion. Many devs have been outspoken about lamenting games they have worked on that were digital-only that would be lost in this move, but it looks like Sony has made a change of heart. The company has confirmed that it has reversed its PlayStation Store update plans and will continue to sell PS Vita and PS3 games. 

Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan took to the PlayStation Blog to confirm the change in plans, confirming that the Summer update to close down these storefronts has been canceled. In the update, Ryan also took accountability for the reaction from the community, stating, "Upon further reflection, however, it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here. So today, I’m happy to say that we will be keeping the PlayStation Store operational for PS3 and PS Vita devices. PSP commerce functionality will retire on July 2, 2021, as planned."

Additionally, Ryan added that there were a few factors that led to the decision to begin with, including certain challenges that come along with commerce support for older systems and the divided attention between generations in the past and the generations ahead. "We see now that many of you are incredibly passionate about being able to continue purchasing classic games on PS3 and PS Vita for the foreseeable future, so I’m glad we were able to find a solution to continue operations."

He added that the team is glad that they can help keep the history of gaming alive, especially as the industry as a whole continues to move in digital-preferred space. All the while still being able to focus on the future of PlayStation, including the PS5 and PSVR. 

Are you excited to see that Sony has reversed its decision regarding the Summer PlayStation Store update for PS3 and PS Vita games? Do you think the company's response to fan feedback was timely and well-articulated? Sound off with your thoughts on the latest PlayStation Store update in the comment section below. While you're at it, let's show off some love for the PS Vita! Go ahead and drop some of your favorite Vita experiences down there as well; let's compare!