Friday ‘Nite is a weekly Fortnite column in which Mark Delaney takes a closer look at current events in the wide world of Fortnite, with a special emphasis on the game’s plot, characters, and lore.

The Fortnite island is under duress more often than Peely’s driving instructor, and with a Fortnite Season 2 event looking likely–on account of the massive Doomsday Device propped up by the Imagined Order–it’s safe to say things are about to pop off once again. Fortnite live events have been more and more spectacular as years have gone on, and after such a story-focused season, this next event looks to be one of the biggest and most story-important events yet. Naturally, this event will surely introduce new mysteries to the grand Fortnite universe, but it also looks poised to answer some long-lingering questions, too.

Then again, there are other things I’m confident this event won’t answer just yet. Here are four questions the Fortnite event will resolve, as well as a pair of others it will almost surely put off for at least another season.

Where has The Paradigm been?

The last we saw of The Paradigm, The Seven’s long-lost mech pilot, she was flying away on Mecha Team Leader to a destination unknown. A new lobby background now shown in-game reveals that mech has been salvaged, at least in part, on a mysterious landscape. Spoilers warning: According to datamined leaks, this location is a moon in the Fortnite world. Not our moon, but perhaps The Seven’s home–which would make the island’s Sanctuary exactly that, a waterfront beach house for the group of heroes. (End of spoilers)

It seems we’ll find out The Paradigm had been outcasted by The Origin, who felt she betrayed the group according to story threads already seen this season, and she was staying at this mystery landscape. The event itself may confirm this suspicion and, with any luck, give us even more details about what this off-world is like.

Are The Seven really all working together?

The Origin’s trust seems easy to lose, as we now know The Paradigm found out firsthand in Chapter 1, Season 9. But the group has felt fractured all season. The Imagined has been on her own agenda, seemingly hellbent on learning more about her own mysterious past, which she can’t recall herself. She enlisted, or maybe received unsolicited help from, her twin sister, The Order, who seems to have successfully extracted The Imagined’s data file from the IO’s servers. But will the sisters’ sneaking about only cause a further rift in The Seven?

The Origin doesn’t seem to like when his allies act unpredictably or unilaterally, and even if he would forgive the sisters for their stealth routine, what’s the big secret they may have found, and how will it affect the group’s cohesion going forward? Lately, The Seven has felt more like The Four or Five, but to topple the IO, they’ll need to all be moving toward the same goal. I expect we’ll see them come together and save the day as a complete unit for the first time ever in-game.

The Origin’s trust seems hard to earn and easy to lose.

What is the Collider?

If you’ve jumped into Fortnite this week, you probably noticed the Collider north of Tilted Towers. It’s kind of hard to miss, given how it’s gigantic, constantly emitting strange noises, and occasionally pulsating with strange glowing energy. This is the IO’s Doomsday Device we’d been hearing so much about, but we still don’t quite know what the IO’s plans for it are. Undoubtedly, this device will factor into the finale event in a major way, so I don’t doubt we’ll see what it does.

What I’m more curious about is whether it’s actually the same device as Midas’ strange tidal wave-creating machine seen back in Chapter 2, Season 2. As far as we know, Midas is the leader of GHOST, a special operations unit within the IO. That should mean he was acting on behalf of the IO when he first raised his Device, which proved to be faulty, in Chapter 2, Season 2. But is this new device, which shares some visual similarities but also looks quite different, the same thing?

One reason to suspect they’re related, and perhaps Midas’ Device was a prototype, is that Midas’ Device manipulated the Storm and waters surrounding the island. In-game this week, the collider is seeming to suck up the water from nearby riverbeds. It may be that this machine will keep draining the waters until the island has no inland bodies of water left. Is this the hydroelectric cost of energizing this new machine, or were both calibrated to use water as an energy source, and perhaps only this time the IO has gotten it right? I expect whatever the Collider does will reveal whether we should think of these devices as the same things or not.

Why is Peely taking driving lessons?

It’s not as important as the carousel of existential threats perpetually shuffling onto and around the island, but one subplot fans have followed this season is Peely’s hapless effort to learn to drive. For the past several weeks, the anthropomorphic banana has been found crashing vehicles all over the island. Dialogue tells us he is struggling to get the hang of being behind the steering wheel, but is this storyline a funny sideshow, or will Peely be operating some critical vehicle in the event?

If Peely does show up in the event, look for him to maybe finally master the art of steering. If he doesn’t appear at all, then it’s safe to say this has all just been a silly distraction–or maybe he’s just in a ditch somewhere.

Some Fortnite superfans think they have it figured out. Speaking to Ben Walker of Top5Gaming on YouTube, he told me there’s a good chance what we’re actually watching is the return of Truckasaurus, a landmark from the game last seen in Chapter 2, which was basically a Voltron-like machine made of vehicles smashed together. It may be that Peely is more adept at driving than we thought, and his crashing is more like…an odd way to build things.

Who is Geno?

In the past few seasons, we’ve been able to meet a lot of the people behind the names we’ve been hearing for a while in Fortnite. The Seven, the Last Reality, the sisters, and more are just some of these reveals. But we still haven’t met Geno, who was first mentioned in the beginning of Chapter 2, Season 6 when The Foundation name-dropped this mystery character.

Today the identity of Geno is one of the biggest lingering mysteries in the game, but it’s for that reason I don’t expect we’ll see it revolved just yet. I anticipate this one could go on as long as even until Chapter 4, which right now is expected to begin around the late fall of 2023.

The Seven drove the IO out of all battlefronts, but was it all a distraction so the IO could build the collider?

Some fans have speculated Geno is the true leader of the IO, the father of the sisters, or perhaps even the Storm itself. Fortnite is so unpredictable that even all of these could be true and most fans wouldn’t bat an eye. In any event, don’t expect this question to be answered at the end of this season.

How did Slone disable building?

One of the great oddities of Chapter 3 has been the revelation that the game’s building mechanics are accounted for in the story. This is so true that Slone was able to deactivate building mechanics in an effort to leave Loopers more vulnerable as the IO regained power on the island. Epic is no stranger to rationalizing in-universe reasons for what should be nothing more than game mechanics–remember, the “Loop” itself is justification for playing rounds and rounds of Fortnite.

So it was weird when Slone basically turned off building with the click of a button while the Resistance fought to restore it over the next two weeks. When will Epic explain how this works in-universe? Perhaps never, but at least not soon, I think. It just doesn’t seem to have room in an already packed finale that will include likely include the return of The Paradigm and Mecha Team Leader, as well as a maybe space rock-destroying particle collider. *checks watch* Yup, it’s time for Fortnite to get weird again.

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The Epic Games Store has kicked off its massive Mega Sale, an annual late-Spring promotion that features hundreds of discounted games. In addition to the discounts, Epic will give away a game every week until the sale ends in four weeks. While Epic offers up free games every week, the freebies will be particularly notable during the Mega Sale. Borderlands 3 is the first of the four free games, and it’s available to claim now.

Every Epic account holder will receive a 25% off coupon that can be used during the Mega Sale on any game that costs $15 or more (DLC isn’t eligible). After using the 25% off coupon, a new one will be added to your account–you’ll receive infinite coupons throughout the sale. If you’ve shopped Epic’s Mega Sale or other big sales over the past couple of years, you’ll likely remember a different discount offer. Epic previously gave away $10 off coupons for any game priced $15 or higher. The $10 off coupons were also unlimited during the promotions.

Some of the highlights from the sale include Ghostwire: Tokyo for $40, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands for $48, and Sifu for $32. We’ve rounded up a bunch of the best deals below. Keep in mind that all of the discounts listed below do not include the additional 25% off. For more deals, make sure to check out our roundup of the best cheap game deals under $20 in the Mega Sale.

Epic Games Store Mega Sale best deals

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla — $24 ($60)Coromon — $16 ($20)Cyberpunk 2077 — $30 ($60)Deathloop — $30 ($60)Death Stranding Director’s Cut — $32 ($40)Dying Light 2 — $54 ($60)Far Cry 6 — $30 ($60)Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade — $450 ($70)Ghostwire: Tokyo — $40 ($60)Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition — $15 ($30)Hitman 3 — $30 ($60)Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition — $25 ($50)Kena: Bridge of Spirits — $26 ($40)Paradise Killer — $12 ($20)Red Dead Redemption 2 — $30 ($60)Risk of Rain 2 — $12.49 ($25)Sifu — $36 ($40)Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands — $48 ($60)XCOM 2 — $6 ($60)

Editor’s Note: Article updated on May 20, 2022

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

The Nintendo Switch already has a stellar library of exclusives, and 2022’s lineup is chock-full of exciting games you can only play on Switch. Several notable games have already released this year, including Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Before the year ends, numerous exciting new exclusives will arrive on Switch, including Mario Strikers: Battle League, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Splatoon 3, and more. Though the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed until 2023, as you can tell, Nintendo Switch owners will still have a bunch of new games to play. We’ve rounded up the biggest upcoming Switch exclusives in 2022 and beyond.

If you’re looking for Switch games you can play now, check out our roundups of the best Switch games and best Switch games for kids.

Editor’s Note: Article updated on May 20, 2022

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

New details have come to light about the upcoming Lord of the Rings game focused on Gollum. In a FAQ posted on Steam, developer Daedalic answered some of the questions asked most by fans, beginning with the question of if LOTR: Gollum is an official Lord of the Rings game.

It is, the developer confirmed, adding that “all elements” of the title have been approved by Middle-earth Enterprises, the company that licenses the series. Middle-earth Enterprises is also working with Electronic Arts on a new Lord of the Rings mobile game that was just recently announced.

As for the story, Gollum takes place in parallel to the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, touching on events like Gollum’s time in Mordor, his capture by Sauron, and his interrogation by Gandalf. “During this time, although very little is known about Gollum’s adventures, there was enough to give us an excellent outline and timeframe for the setting,” the studio said.

The developer also explained why it chose Gollum to be the focus of the story in the first place, saying he is “one of the most fascinating characters” that Tolkien created.

“A twisted Hobbit with two personalities, hundreds of years old; and with a rich knowledge of Middle-earth. Despite his looks he’s also an agile creature that can climb, leap, and grapple his way past dangers or into advantageous spots,” the studio said. “This makes for an epic adventure through exciting never-seen-before parts of Middle-earth, and leads the player to interesting moral choices, and varied gameplay, alternating platforming and stealth.”

As for why Gollum in the game doesn’t look like Gollum in Peter Jackson’s films, the developer said it wanted to create its own unique take on Gollum and Middle-earth in general. We also learn who voices Gollum in the game: Wayne Forester, who has done voice work for games like Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

The game is gearing up to launch this fall and more details on gameplay are coming “soon,” the studio said. Finally, Daedalic said there will not be a collector’s edition, but it will offer a digital deluxe edition, the contents of which will be announced later. The minimum and recommended system requirements, too, are still to come.

Earlier this year, Daedalic was acquired by Nacon. As part of the announcement, Nacon teased that Daedalic’s Gollum game might be just the first project with the Lord of the Rings license.

“In 2019, Daedalic Entertainment first announced its collaboration with Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of The Saul Zaentz Company. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is the first video game to be born out of the partnership, with scope for more new experiences in the future,” Nacon said.

The video game rights to The Lord of the Rings are now on sale, so in addition to Daedalic and EA, there could potentially be other new games on the way, though this remains to be seen.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Xbox Game Pass is adding two big Ubisoft games in June, it has been revealed. VGC discovered that the “Coming Soon” tab on Xbox Game Pass for console shows that For Honor: Marching Fire Edition will be added to the library on June 1, followed by Assassin’s Creed Origins on June 7.

After that, a non-Ubisoft game–Shadowrun Returns–will land June 21, according to the Coming Soon page.

Back in April, Ubisoft said Origins and For Honor would come to Game Pass within the next two months, so this is right on schedule. Assassin’s Creed Origins and For Honor will be playable on console, cloud, and PC via Ubisoft Connect for Xbox Game Pass.

The arrival of Assassin’s Creed Origins and For Honor on Game Pass are part of Ubisoft’s deal with Xbox, which the company recently expanded.

While we wait for these titles and June’s other Game Pass releases, members can pick up a good amount of games this month, including the day-one new release Sniper Elite 5 next week.

Xbox Game Pass has more than 25 million members, and Xbox is putting up huge numbers in general lately. In other Xbox news, Starfield and Redfall have been delayed to 2023.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

An update to fix some of the biggest issues fans have with Halo Infinite Season 2 is coming soon. Halo senior community manager John Junyszek confirmed on Twitter that developer 343 Industries is planning the update for next week.

Halo Infinite’s second multiplayer season introduced a new battle pass, two new maps, and new events. While fans have been clamoring for new content, the update also introduced a major gun jamming bug and removed things like “skill jumps” from various multiplayer maps and the tank gun Easter egg from campaign, much to the dismay of fans. The upcoming update will address those concerns, with 343 itself admitting the launch of Season 2 has been “bumpy.”

Update: We are targeting next week for this release. We’ll continue to share updates as we get closer. https://t.co/rmcUTPA2Fl

— John Junyszek (@Unyshek) May 19, 2022

Skill jumps often involved jumping off parts of a map, like a lamp post or tiny ledge, in a very precise way in order to traverse maps faster and more unpredictably. The campaign’s secret tank gun was widely used by many speedrunners or fans just looking to have a good time blowing everything up with a handheld tank cannon.

Citing “overwhelmingly strong feedback,” 343 Industries will be bringing back some, but not all, of the removed skill jumps, and will look at trying to more clearly communicate those jumps visually. The weapon jamming bug should be fixed so that weapons will no longer randomly stop firing, and the tank gun will also return. However, other speedrunning strategies removed in the Season 2 update, like the ability to fly a Pelican, will not be patched back in. 343 cites the fact that many of the removed strategies are “far more complicated as they are closely intertwined with the work we’ve been doing in preparation for co-op,” and as such won’t return to the game.

Halo Infinite recently turned its new battle royale-like Last Spartan Standing mode into its own permanent playlist. A new free event, Fracture: Entrenched, will begin May 24 and will be similar to Season 1’s Fracture: Tenrai events. Halo Infinite’s long delayed online co-op feature is set to arrive in late August, with a beta for its Forge custom map tool planned for September.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is unstoppable. The game’s Anniversary Edition, released in 2021 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC to celebrate the game’s 10th anniversary, is now reportedly headed to Switch next.

SwitchBrasil reports that Taiwan’s Digital Game Rating Committee listed the Skyrim Anniversary Edition for Switch, suggesting an official announcement might not be long off. The base version of Skyrim is already available on Switch, but not the Anniversary edition.

The Skyrim Anniversary Edition includes the base game, all DLC and mods, and a new fishing system, among other things. Given the Switch has an installed base of more than 100 million units, it would seem to make commercial sense to bring the game to Nintendo’s hybrid console.

Game director Todd Howard said in 2018 that Bethesda continues to release new versions of Skyrim, and on additional platforms, because the game makes money. “If you want us to stop releasing it, stop buying it,” Howard joked.

GameSpot has contacted Bethesda in an attempt to get more details on the possibility of Skyrim’s Anniversary Edition coming to Switch.

The next title from Bethesda Game Studios is Starfield, which was originally expected to launch in November 2022 before being delayed to 2023.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

If you’re feeling a little under the weather, it’s time to visit the Doc. Legendary starting pitcher Roy Halladay is the latest featured boss in MLB The Show 22, arriving to the game on all platforms today in order to frustrate hitters with masterful sinkers.

Joined by some of his former Phillies teammates in the 3rd Featured Program beginning at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET today, the 94-rated Roy Halladay will be available by earning gameplay XP across MLB The Show 22’s various modes. It’s a limited-time program, so you’ll have to earn the late great Halladay over the next few weeks in order to use him.

Our new Featured Program has arrived. 🙌🙌🙌
Please welcome Roy Halladay & Friends to #MLBTheShow 22! pic.twitter.com/ZJODzgeISs

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) May 20, 2022

As a starter for the Blue Jays and Phillies from 1998 until 2013, Roy Halladay dominated in both the American League and National League with pinpoint control. Despite not overpowering hitters with velocity, the movement on his pitches made it nearly impossible to make solid contact. Tragically, Halladay died when the seaplane he was piloting crashed in late 2017, just four years after he retired. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame two years later, in his first year of eligibility.

A gameplay update for MLB The Show 22 arrived on May 20, as well, fixing several bugs and tweaking certain elements of on-the-field play. One of the biggest is limiting players to checking the pitch types of an opponent once per pitch, with a three-second time limit preventing them from indefinitely pausing the game. It’s the sixth game update to release since MLB The Show 22 launched in April on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch systems.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Alongside the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, as part of Qualcomm’s “Snapdragon Night” event in China this evening, the company is also rolling out a brand-new SoC for the premium phone market, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. Aimed downmarket of Qualcomm’s traditional flagship SoCs, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is the first non-flagship SoC to be introduced by Qualcomm since they implemented their new platform naming and differentiation scheme. But, like the Snapdragon 7xx series before it, the latest Snapdragon 7 SoC follows the same design mantra of offering flagship-level features with more modest performance and costs.

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PS5 restocks pop up with little to no notice, but you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for Walmart’s next PlayStation 5 restock. The retailer is hosting another sales event that’s exclusive to Walmart+ members on June 2, and PS5 consoles will be featured in the promotion. The sales event starts on June 2 at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET.

As always with Walmart+ promotions, you’ll have to be a paying member to take part in the restock. So if you currently are using the 30-day free trial, you’ll need to make sure that you sign up for either a monthly plan for $13/month or snag a one-year membership for $98.

At this time, only the disc-based $500 PS5 has been confirmed for the sales event. That said, previous Walmart+ events have also included the PS5 Digital, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see the $400 edition in the promotion, too.

In other PS5 restock news, you should soon have an opportunity to pick up a PlayStation 5 bundle featuring Horizon Forbidden West. The bundle went on sale in the UK recently and was briefly shown on PS Direct earlier this week before being removed from the site.

PlayStation 5 restocks don’t pop up too often these days, and almost all of them sell out within minutes. However, Sony’s sales projections for the console could mean that the PS5 will be easier to find in the coming months.

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