Many Sony fans have been anxiously awaiting a chance to nab an elusive PlayStation 5 but low stock and scalpers have made that task exceedingly difficult. Instead of lying low and quietly having no scruples, one scalping group is publicly boasting about securing another 2,000 PS5 units during a recent GAME restock to flip for $1,000+. 

The UK scalping group goes by the name Carnage, and they took to Twitter to brag about securing stock getting "easier every time" as they boast a recent 2,000 system haul. The "easier" comment is uniquely gouache considering many are scrambling to get just one system as groups like these continue making these highly desired consoles incredibly inaccessible on a financial level. Still, it's not unexpected given the very nature of scalping, to begin with, and it's not illegal and many retailers aren't doing enough to prevent it. Unfortunately, this practice will continue to be a reality until the retail process changes on a fundamental level. 

The Twitter not-so-humble brag predictably was met with backlash, causing the account to go private. But, the internet is forever and the below screenshot was provided via TheGamer: 

Groups like these aren't just one person, and that's what makes it easier to secure stock like this on a mass level. Many members contribute to hauls such as this, often using bots and similar programs to make it through checkout processes easier, more time effective, and easy to do on a multiple transaction scale. 

Getting a new console at the start of a fresh generation is always difficult, but adding in the layer of quarantines and the ongoing pandemic makes it even trickier. With more people at home and manufacturing progress becoming intricately more complicated, the low-stock-high-demand cycle for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S isn't likely to end in the immediate future. 

For those that may not know what scalping is, it's the process of buying highly coveted items in order to resell at a much higher price point. With the PlayStation 5 specifically, scalpers have raised the price by double in many instances and people are still buying them even with that $1,000 price tag. Until the demand ceases to give scalpers profit for this avenue of 'business' and retailers/companies band together to better control the checkout process and more effective stock alerts, this will continue to be a profitable endeavor for many. 

In our previous coverage, we noted another major scalping group that goes by CrepChiefNotify. This group runs their network in a similar way to Carnage and they openly boasted taking advantage of COVID-19 lockdowns to turn a profit. 

"During the first COVID-19 lockdown, we noticed a huge shift in products that people were buying," said the Crep manager. "The focus shifted towards the most ridiculous things, like outdoor hot tubs. We noticed that these began selling out in stores and reselling on eBay for a profit. So our developer wrote some site monitor software, and we tracked the stock of the sites selling hot tubs! Every time they pinged into stock, we would notify our members to buy it all."

What do you think about the process of scalping? Leave them alone and let them make that bread, or would you like to see corrective action take place? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

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).