Nintendo Says That It Has Increased Security After The Gigaleak

After several of its classic game prototypes and assets were leaked back in 2020, Nintendo has finally acknowledged the event and has increased its security then.

As transcribed by Twitter user NStyles (via VGC), Nintendo was asked during its annual shareholder meeting in Kyoto, Japan, what it stance was on iQue, the Chinese brand that was created to release Nintendo content and was included in the big leak.

“The PC and mobile games market in China is large, but dedicated games consoles are not so large,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said. “Together with Tencent, we want to continue to popularize them. We are working with experts on information leaks. We have also introduced information security management.”

When the leak first occurred, internal documentation and data for N64, GameCube, Nintendo DS, and Wii projects circulated online, giving fans a look behind the curtain of the company and its preservation efforts. One group of fans used the documents to restore a 30-year-old soundtrack for Super Mario World, while another dedicated modder spent nine months repairing a prototype SNES version of Super Mario Kart that included a track editor.

The Nintendo “gigaleak” saw a staggering amount of content released online, including the legendary Zelda: Ocarina of Time Space World demo, the shocking reveal that Luigi was actually in Super Mario 64 the whole time, and a number of playable prototypes of famous games like Super Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Island.

Nintendo is also infamous for its litigation and takedowns related to its IP, as recent stories have seen the software giant take aim at YouTube channels for hosting soundtracks from its games, issuing cease-and-desist notices to fan projects, and calling in its lawyers to cancel a themed tournament. Not even uploads of out-of-print strategy books are safe from Nintendo, as the company issued a takedown notice to an uploader who shared scans of the charming Super Mario 64 guide.

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Skull And Bones Could Release In November, Leak Says

It appears Ubisoft’s long-in-development pirate game Skull and Bones now has a release date, or at least a rumored release date. Details from a supposed Xbox Store listing point to a November 8 launch. The listings, discovered by @ALumia_Italia on Twitter, also reveal that–like basically every other Ubisoft game–Skull and Bones will have a variety of extra content available.

These include some kind of preorder bonus and multiple add-on missions called Bloody Bones’ Legacy and The Ashen Corsair, according to the leak. There will also be a digital soundtrack and artbook, as well as a “premium” bonus pack, the leaked listing apparently said. Reporter Tom Henderson replied to ALumia_Italia’s tweet to seemingly corroborate the rumored November 8 release date.

Skull & Bones announcement is imminent. Xbox Store listings are ready, some examples:
1) SKULL AND BONES™ PRE-ORDER BONUS
2) Bloody Bones’ Legacy Mission
3) The Ashen Corsair Mission
4) Smuggler Pass Token
5) Digital Soundtrack and Artbook
6) Premium Bonus Pack
…

— Aggiornamenti Lumia (@ALumia_Italia) June 28, 2022

According to reporter Ethan Gach, Skull and Bones was originally targeting a launch in early summer before being pushed to September, and then again to November, according to this latest leak. Gach also said there was supposed to be a closed test for Skull and Bones in June but plans were apparently canceled.

Skull and Bones will finally be released in November, Gach said, in part due to an “existing government subsidy agreement” between Ubisoft and Singapore, which is where the game is being made.

Skull And Bones was announced at E3 2017, but its road to launch hasn’t been smooth sailing. The game is said to have undergone numerous changes throughout the course of its development, including a shift to a live-service approach in 2020.

In April, a lengthy gameplay video emerged from a Skull And Bones technical test that provided the best look yet at the pirate game and what it will offer. After that, the game was rated for release in multiple territories, including North America, which suggests the game could launch in the relatively near future.

Ubisoft is reportedly holding an E3-like event later this year, and this could be where the company reveals more information about Skull and Bones, or it could be sooner.

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Next James Bond Movie Is A “Reinvention” Of The Character And At Least 2 Years Away From Filming

The next James Bond movie, which will be the first to feature someone else as James Bond after Daniel Craig leaves the series, is “at least” two years away from filming, producer Barbara Broccoli has said.

It’s taking more time than usual to get started on the next Bond movie because the producers are searching for the next actor to play the lead role. Broccoli told Deadline that the next James Bond movie will reinvent who James Bond is.

“We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time.”

Broccoli would not be drawn into commenting on which actors may be in the running for the role of James Bond, saying that right now, “Nobody’s in the running.”

Before this, Broccoli said the next person to play James Bond will likely be a British man of any ethnicity or race.

“I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].”

This lines up closely with what Craig himself has said about the future of the series. Craig said in an interview that he is not on board with the idea of a woman playing James Bond, but commented that women and people of color should get other roles of a similar stature.

“The answer to that is very simple,” he told Radio Times. “There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?”

In addition to a new actor coming board to play James Bond in the inevitable next 007 movie, the expected 26th Bond movie will be made by Amazon, which recently acquired MGM. Broccoli said she’s been told “things are not going to change” and that the next Bond movie will be an MGM film produced under the banner of Amazon. People are naturally wondering if Amazon might look to put the next Bond film on Amazon Prime Video, but whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

Outside of the films, Hitman developer IO Interactive is developing a new James Bond game that tells an origin story for the British spy.

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TSMC to Customers: It’s Time to Stop Using Older Nodes and Move to 28nm

We tend to discuss leading-edge nodes and the most advanced chips made using them, but there are thousands of chip designs developed years ago that are made using what are now mature process technologies that are still widely employed by the industry. On the execution side of matters, those chips still do their jobs as perfectly as the day the first chip was fabbed which is why product manufacturers keep building more and more using them. But on the manufacturing side of matters there’s a hard bottleneck to further growth: all of the capacity for old nodes that will ever be built has been built – and they won’t be building any more. As a result, TSMC has recently begun strongly encouraging its customers on its oldest (and least dense) nodes to migrate some of their mature designs to its 28 nm-class process technologies.

Nowadays TSMC earns around 25% of its revenue by making hundreds of millions of chips using 40 nm and larger nodes. For other foundries, the share of revenue earned on mature process technologies is higher: UMC gets 80% of its revenue on 40 nm higher nodes, whereas 81.4% of SMIC’s revenue come from outdated processes. Mature nodes are cheap, have high yields, and offer sufficient performance for simplistic devices like power management ICs (PMICs). But the cheap wafer prices for these nodes comes from the fact that they were once, long ago, leading-edge nodes themselves, and that their construction costs were paid off by the high prices that a cutting-edge process can fetch. Which is to say that there isn’t the profitability (or even the equipment) to build new capacity for such old nodes.

This is why TSMC’s plan to expand production capacity for mature and specialized nodes by 50% is focused on 28nm-capable fabs. As the final (viable) generation of TSMC’s classic, pre-FinFET manufacturing processes, 28nm is being positioned as the new sweet spot for producing simple, low-cost chips. And, in an effort to consolidate production of these chips around fewer and more widely available/expandable production lines, TSMC would like to get customers using old nodes on to the 28nm generation.

“We are not currently [expanding capacity for] the 40 nm node” said Kevin Zhang, senior vice president of business development at TSMC. “You build a fab, fab will not come online [until] two year or three years from now. So, you really need to think about where the future product is going, not where the product is today.”

While TSMC’s 28nm nodes are still subject to the same general cost trends as chip fabs on the whole – in that they’re more complex and expensive on a per-wafer basis than even older nodes – TSMC is looking to convert customers over to 28nm by balancing that out against the much greater number of chips per wafer the smaller node affords. Therefore, while companies will have to pay more, they also stand to to get more in terms of total chips. And none of this takes into account potential ancillary benefits of a newer node, such as reduced power consumption and potentially greater clockspeed (performance) headroom.

“So, lots of customers’ product today is at, let’s say 40 nm or even older, 65 nm,” said Zhang.  They are moving to lower advance nodes. 20/28 nm is going to be a very important node to support future specialty. […] We are working with customer to accelerate [their transition]. […] I think the customer going to get a benefit, economic benefit, scaling benefit, you have a better power consumption.  but they’ve already got a chip that works. Why? Oh, then you could say why we do advanced technology. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it’s, uh, find just the nature of the summit is you go to a next node, you get a better performance and better power and overall you get a system level benefit.”

In addition to multiple 28nm nodes designed for various client applications, TSMC is expanding its lineup of specialty 28nm and 22nm (22ULP, 22ULL) process technologies to address a variety of chip types that currently rely on various outdated technologies. As with the overall shift to 28nm, TSMC is looking to corral customers into using the newer, higher density process nodes. And, if not 28nm/22nm, then customers also have the option of transitioning into even more capable FinFET-based nodes, which are part of TSMC’s N16/N12 family (e.g., N12e for IoT). 

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Marvel Contest Of Champions Introduces Gorr And Valkyrie For Thor: Love And Thunder

Marvel’s mobile fighter game Contest of Champions is getting ready to celebrate the release of Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8, with two new champions Gorr and Valkyrie. All players who log in during the event will also be able to pick up either Ragnarok Thor or Jane Foster’s Thor for free.

The event will start on July 8, the same day Love and Thunder premieres in cinemas, and will run until August 2, giving players plenty of oppotunity to pick up a version of Thor for their login reward. Players will also have a chance to pick up the two new characters–Valkyrie and Gorr the God Butcher.

Along with the new champion trailer, studio Kabam has released these bios for the new characters, who feature in the Taika Waititi film:

“Gorr the God-Butcher grew up on a harsh world, where belief in the gods kept his people from falling to despair. But after his family perished to the deadly environment, Gorr became disillusioned and swore vengeance against the gods that never came to help him or his people. He later obtained the powerful Necrosword, and gained the ability to control dark magic and shadowy constructs. He uses these powers to wreak havoc, destruction, and death on any and all that would call themselves gods.”

“Former leader of the mighty Valkyrior, and recently crowned sovereign of New Asgard, Valkyrie has long been a bastion to the Asgardian people against the evils of the Nine Realms. Possessing superior strength (even among Asgardians) and armed with the powerful weapons, training, and tactics of the Valkyrior, she is an excellent leader, and a steadfast warrior. Her conviction, though scarred by loss, is stronger than ever, and she is ready and willing to protect the Asgadians of the Battlerealm.”

The two new characters join over 200 champions already available in the game, which can be downloaded for free on either Android or iOS.

For everyone who’s looking forward to the release of Thor: Love and Thunder, initial impressions of the film are generally positive, promising more of everything fans loved about Thor: Ragnarok with the addition of Natalie Portman and Christian Bale.

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Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel Guide: Safe Code, Elevator Puzzle, And More

Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel is a new horror game, but it clearly takes its cues from genre classics like Silent Hill and Resident Evil. That’s most apparent when it comes to its confounding puzzles, seen throughout the game. If you find yourself stumped by the game’s back-tracking, item combinations, or otherworldly camera, use our guide to solve all puzzles in the first of three acts in the game. Here’s how to get through the game’s first section in the hotel, including the elevator puzzle, finding a tricky safe code, and the locations of plenty of keys.

Fobia – exploring the hotel

After an out-of-context intro in a prison, you’ll meet the journalist protagonist, Roberto Leite Lopes, who arrives at the Santa Dinfna Hotel to greet a fittingly creepy receptionist. A fast-moving montage will depict Lopes’ investigation into the strange hotel and reports of a “gas mask girl” seen on the premises. Eventually, he’s knocked out and regains consciousness just as you’re given control of the character again.

Hotel room

The door will be locked, but if you’re reading this, you may already know all that. Here’s how to escape the hotel room. First, grab the backpack on the desk so you can expand your inventory, Resident Evil-style. Beside the locked door, grab the metal object with numbers on it.

These numbers change with every playthrough, so yours will be different than ours, but if you read these numbers from left to right by twisting the object, you’ll have a three-digit code. Use this code on the suitcase’s lock to open it and reveal a key.

Take the key and use it to open the locked bathroom door. Walk into the bathroom and you’ll notice the bathtub is overflowing with water rather ominously. Ignore the mess for now and instead grab two items: a camera lens on the shelf and another numbered code inside an already opened suitcase. This code opens yet another locked suitcase inside the tall armoire back in the bedroom. The code for this does not change, so it will always be 37251.

Inside you’ll find the rest of a camera. In your inventory, combine the camera body and the lens to form a working camera. Borrowing from Fatal Frame, this is a most unusual camera, as it allows you to see into another world. You’ll then notice flickering coming from the bathroom, so head back inside and look at the bathtub through the camera lens. Surprise!

Hallways

After that quick scare, the hotel room door will be opened automatically. In the end, there is no physical key to getting out–you just needed to suffer a fright. Head into the hallway and into room 611. Use the camera on the bathroom wall to reveal a message. Head back into the hall and grab the key hanging from the doorknob of room 608. This isn’t the key to room 608.

Go back down the hall near your room, 610, and use the key to open the hallway drawer. Now you have the proper room 608 key, so head inside of it, then through a hole in the wall to find yourself in room 606. Use the camera in front of the bathroom door and you’ll manifest an open safe.

You guessed it–there’s a key inside, so grab it and open the door to the room to get back into the hallway again. At the end of this hall is another inventory expansion in the form of a bag, so be sure to grab that in the dark. Now head down to the fifth floor, one floor below where you’ve been.

Go through the broken wall and take a left, then grab a small red card inside a wooden box. Once you grab it, you’ll trigger a phone call from Stephanie, the woman who invited you to the hotel to investigate, then ghosted you (no pun intended).

Head back upstairs to the sixth floor and grab a document that contains a code, 67352, which you’ll notice you need in conjunction with the red access card. Go through there, then go down the stairs and open the locked cabinet with code 164871 to get the fifth-floor bathroom key. Also be sure to grab the flashlight inside the closet.

Sixth floor safe combination

Head back down to the fifth floor–this is great cardio, huh?–and open the bathroom door. It’ll say WC on it for “wash closet,” a regional term in some places. From here you can access the service area of the fifth floor, so go in and use your camera to find a box with two things inside of it: the room 603 key and a circuit for the elevator. Return to the sixth floor and open room 603. Open the toolbox with the following combination: right 30, left 10, right 5. Grab yet another key–the “Allen” key.

Elevator puzzle

Some optional story collectibles are on the bed if you’re interested. Otherwise go back to the fifth floor and use the Allen key and the circuit on the elevator to begin a puzzle, which you can solve by remaking the image below. When the elevator is opened, pick up the button on the ground which will grant you access to the seventh floor when you put it back in its right place.

Elevator puzzle solution

Head to the seventh floor and up another set of stairs to find a pistol inside a box. Yes, this isn’t one of those adventure-horror games. You’ll be killing monsters as soon as you pick up the gun.

Open the gate after you kill the monster and look inside a chest. Here you can discard items that no longer serve a purpose. In their places, grab the ammo and the chess piece from the table, the queen. Return to the seventh floor and put the queen on the chessboard. This will open the drawer and reveal a sixth-floor service area key.

Get back in the elevator, head down to the fifth floor (yes, really), then walk up to the sixth again. Inside the sixth-floor service area is the first-floor key, so grab that. Another monster will appear. You can run past or shoot it until it’s incapacitated–as in not dead, but good enough for now. Get into the elevator by any means necessary, then head down to the first floor. A cutscene will trigger and you’ll have made it through the first lengthy section of Fobia with all digits intact. Congrats!

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Sony Reveals New Line Of Gaming Headsets And Monitors For PS5 And PC

Sony recently announced a dedicated push to expand the PlayStation brand to PC, and a new line of gaming products shows that the emphasis on PC gaming won’t be limited to games. Meet Sony Inzone, a new brand of products that is debuting with gaming headsets and gaming monitors for both PC and PS5. While largely focused at PC gamers, the Inzone brand was also developed with PS5 users in mind, as it takes advantage of some of the console’s audio and visual features. Inzone is a Sony brand, not PlayStation, and it represents the first Sony Electronics-made series of gaming-focused products in a long time.

Inzone gaming headsets

Sony’s Inzone gaming headsets come in three models: H3 ($99), H7 ($229), and H9 ($299). They have a white-and-black design that makes them match the PS5, which is a nice for those who pick them up for console gaming.

The Inzone H9 rivals other high-end wireless headsets in terms of performance and comfort. It features noise-canceling tech as well as 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections. The H9 earcups feature Sony’s soft-fit leatherette, which is borrowed from the audio giant’s flagship WH-1000X headphones. I tested the H9 and can confirm that the headset is as comfortable to wear as the recently released (and stellar) WH-1000XM5.

From left to right: H9, H7, H3

Meanwhile, the H7 doesn’t support digital noise canceling and uses a fabric material on the earcups rather than the soft-fit leatherette. Though I didn’t test the H7, I did try the wired H3 edition that has the same materials. There’s a big difference in comfort and overall feel between the soft-fit leather and the fabric. I was far more aware that I was wearing a headset when using the H3. The H3 is still pretty comfortable for the price, but those interested in a wireless model should probably opt for the H9 over the H7. When you’re already spending $229 on a gaming headset, it likely makes sense to just shell out the extra $70 for the added comfort and noise canceling. All three models have similar form factors, though the wired H3 is slightly smaller and has a different design where the headband and earcups connect.

For PS5 users, the Inzone headphones support the console’s Tempest 3D audio. PC users get a far more customizable listening experience, though. Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound mobile app helps you measure your ears to create a unique sound profile tailored to you. It’s one of the cooler features I’ve seen in the rapidly advancing gaming headset market. The spatial sound profile can then be used with the Inzone’s “phantom speakers,” and it really does make a difference for immersion. And it can also help with competitive games–which is the focus of any high-end gaming headset these days–by pinpointing sounds that you usually can’t distinguish. In practice, it felt somewhat similar to SteelSeries’ new Arctic Nova Pro, though the Nova Pro has more customization than the Inzone series.

Inzone H9

Gallery

All three models of the Inzone gaming headphones have an adjustable boom microphone. It worked well during my testing, though it is slightly disappointing that it cannot be removed or stealthily stored–which is always a great feature for using gaming headsets as traditional headphones for music or single-player games. On the plus side, the wireless Inzone headsets support simultaneous connections with your console/PC and your smartphone, so you can answer calls without switching connections.

Overall, the Inzone line of headphones is impressive. The H9 is certainly a premium headset that offers great performance. However, if you’re just looking for a PS5 headset, you can get similar performance and features with cheaper wireless PlayStation headsets, including the Pulse 3D, which is a third of the price of the H9.

Inzone gaming monitors

Sony’s jump into the gaming monitor business is starting with two models: The M9 is a 27-inch 4K monitor for $899, while the M3 is a 27-inch 1080p monitor. Though they have similar designs with a tripod stand, slim bezels, and a sleek PlayStation-esque appearance thanks to a white back panel, they have some notable differences.

The M9’s 4K display boasts full-array local dimming, which optimizes lighting and enhances contrast. The aim here is to create a brighter, more vibrant picture that allows you to clearly distinguish objects and other players in dark corners of the map. I didn’t have a chance to test the M9, so I can’t comment on how the dimming features compare to other high-end monitors, but it is the standout feature (outside of resolution) compared to the much cheaper M3. The M9 also has HDR 600, while the M3 is limited to HDR 400. This makes sense considering HDR 600 provides better brightness and contrast.

Inzone Gaming Monitor

Both monitors support HDMI 2.1 and offer variable refresh rates. This makes them ideal for PS5 or even Xbox Series X. Like select Sony TVs, the Inzone monitors recognize your PS5 and automatically offer optimized HDR settings and display modes for games and streaming/watching Blu-rays.

The M9, as a 4K monitor, maxes out at a 144Hz refresh rate, but the M3 goes up to 240Hz. Both monitors have 1ms response times and are G-Sync compatible.

But just like the Inzone headsets, the monitors are more aimed at PC players than console users. The Inzone hub app, which is exclusive to PC, gives you full control over your picture and sound and allows you to make visual/audio profiles for specific games. The monitors also have features focused on first-person shooter games, including a designed picture mode, a black equalizer, frame rate counter, various on-screen crosshairs options, and a match-time tracker.

Since I didn’t test either the M9 or M3, I can’t say how they compare to other gaming monitors with steep price tags. Gaming monitors vary widely in terms of both performance and price, and you don’t always have to spend a lot to get a good one that works for you. If you’re a competitive gamer, though, the Inzone monitors–particularly the 4K model–may be a good choice. Once again, the Inzone monitors are better suited for PC players. If you’re a PS5 or Xbox Series X user, you can get a nice 4K TV–including options from Sony itself–for around the same price.

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After Racist Outburst On Twitch, Formula 2 Driver Fired By Red Bull Racing

Formula 2 driver Juri Vips has had his contract with Formula 1 racing team Oracle Red Bull Racing terminated after using a racial slur during a stream on Twitch.

The incident, which occurred nearly a week ago, featured Vips using the slur while playing Call of Duty: Warzone. Another Formula 2 driver, Liam Lawson, was on the stream too, but seemed to uncomfortably laugh at the incident. Later in the stream, according to Eurogamer, Lawson also asked Vips to wear a pink Red Bull cap. Vips replied with a homophobic response, to which Lawson retorted, “Juri, you can’t say that”.

pic.twitter.com/bS8pbFSohL

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) June 28, 2022

Oracle Red Bull Racing, the team that currently has Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen in its team, suspended Vips from its test and reserve driver program pending an investigation. The team announced today that it had terminated its contract with Vips, meaning he will no longer be racing in Formula 2 either with team Hitech Grand Prix.

The news comes in the wake of another racist debacle that has rocked Formula 1. A snippet from a podcast recorded in late 2021 revealed three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet Sr. using racist slurs to describe seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton responded on Twitter saying, “I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.”

F1 22 launches this week on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Juri Vips is currently featured in the game as part of the Formula 2 roster. We have reached out to Codemasters for a comment.

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PSA: Destiny 2 Season Of The Haunted Is The Perfect Time To Unlock A Title

Like several seasons before it, Destiny 2’s Season of the Haunted has brought a new title that players can chase after. Titles don’t add anything of tangible value to the game, but they do represent a challenge that pays off by reminding everyone around you just how much time and effort you poured into Destiny 2.

Currently, the Reaper title is up for grabs and also happens to be one of the easiest titles to earn in Destiny 2, especially when compared to previous credits. While the Reaper title isn’t difficult to obtain, it is a time-consuming pursuit and requires a player to spend regularly engage in the Nightmare Containment event, tackle each weekly Sever mission, and chase down some elusive enemies in the Derelict Leviathan.

To obtain the title, you’ll need to complete these challenges:

Season of the Haunted Reaper seal triumphsSeverance – Complete the Bound In Sorrow missionsTritainment – Successfully defeat each Tier III Nightmare boss (Elykris, Anaphex, and Navota)Malicious Haunt – Defeat combatants and Guardians with Season of the Haunted weaponsReaper’s Blade – Defeat combatants on the Derelict Leviathan with the ScytheShadow’s Return – Defeat Loyalist threats while exploring the Derelict Leviathan and claim the associated triumphsOpulent Avarice – Open locked chests with Opulent Keys on the Derelict LeviathanVendor Upgrades Unlocked – Unlock all upgrades for the Crown of SorrowHarvester of Sorrow – Bind Nightmares after completing Tier III Nightmare Containment activitiesHear, Don’t Heed – In Sever activities, find and listen to each of Calus’s automatonsNo. 1 Fan – Collect all of the dignified effigies of Calus and proudly display them in the HELM

The majority of these challenges can be accomplished while engaging in Nightmare Containment, playing Sever missions, and exploring the Derelict Leviathan. You can check out our Calus Bobbleheads locations guide for No. 1 Fan, where to find Calus every week for Hear, Don’t Heed, and have some fun with the Reaper’s Blade challenge in Nightmare Containment for the Reaper’s Blade challenge.

Shadow’s Return is the challenge that will take the longest, as it has multiple tasks and sub-tasks to pursue. To get a better understanding of how to complete this specific requirement so that you earn your Reaper title, I’ve broken it up into steps below.

Shadow’s Return

On the Reaper title page, Shadow’s Return will task you with taking out dangerous Loyalist threats through the following triumphs:

Fever Dream

Pleasure Gardens Sporest of Beasts haunted alcove

This triumph requires a visit to the haunted alcove in the Pleasure Gardens on the Derelict Leviathan. For Sporest of Beasts, wait until you see flavor text about “a distant snore” and then jump into the garden platform at the back. Take out the sleeping war-beasts and Nightmare Cabal that spawn inside of here, and you’ll soon face off against the Incendior boss Carun the Beastmaster.

Pleasure Gardens Nightmare Breached haunted alcove

Now it’s time to take on Nightmare Breached, the second haunted alcove. This one can be found to the left of the entrance and requires a little bit of platforming to get to. When you see the message, “a sword and shield clash together,” you can head inside to fight against several Scorn. Make certain that you kill the Nightmares of Kra’lok, the Sword, and Ha’lok, the Shield, to get this triumph.

Royal Pools Ritual Under Shadow haunted alcove

Next, you’re headed to the Royal Pools. The first haunted alcove can be found right at the back and leads to a room that contains Nightmare of Sy’ad, the Unending for the Ritual Under Shadow challenge.

Royal Pools Drainage haunted alcove

To complete the Drainage triumph, go into the chamber where the Scorn usually spawn and in the corner you’ll find an egregore-covered chamber that leads to another haunted alcove. Battle the Cabal inside there and the Nightmare of Qalec, the Sniper. You’ll know he’s nearby when you see “a red dot passes over your Ghost” flavor text.

A Guardian is a Guardian, even in a Nightmare

This public event requires some patience to trigger, but when it starts, look for some Cabal captives in both the Pleasure Gardens and Royal Pools. In the Pleasure Gardens, take out Loyalist troops who have trapped allied Cabal and help them defeat Nightmare threats inside of that area. In the Royal Pools, look for a beacon to the left of the entrance amidst a nearby opulent chest, activate it, and assist the Cabal who’ll join you. There’ll be four challenges in this Triumph to work through.

For At the behest of the Empress, look for a Cabal artifact in the Royal Pools and activate it. After you see the message “Caital’s boarding party has been called” you’ll assist allied Cabal and take on two bosses named Jai’ek and Au’Gor.

Exile Ended can be started in the Pleasure Gardens, and you’ll want to look out for a Cabal Shield Warden Incendior who spawns inside of a shielded area. Defeat him and release the Cabal ally prisoner to get another triumph in your collection.

It’s time to start Battle Lines, so stay in the Pleasure Gardens. When you see the message “Loyalist Sentinels have fortified a position,” look for shielded areas and eliminate all Loyalist Cabal inside. Destroy the shield generators–three in total–and take out the Loyalist Cabal commander that appears.

Finally, it’s back to the Royal Pools for Shared Fears. A message that reads, “Three powerful Nightmares haunt the Leviathan,” will appear and Scorn by the name of the Sunken, Drowned, and Forgotten will spawn in. Quickly defeat all three, and then prepare for a boss fight against Ce’kik, Seeker of the Deep. With him out of the way, you’ll be another step closer to that Reaper title.

Controlled burn

On the Derelict Leviathan, defeat the Nightmare of Ky’leks, the Docked, and Nightmare of Evoks, the Burned within the Royal Pools. These enemies spawn in randomly, so you’ll have to wait for them to appear.

Get to taking out their commanders, one by one

Like the roaming nightmares in the Pleasure Gardens, you’ll want to explore the Royal Pools to take out two threats who occasionally spawn in that location. Keep your eyes open for the Nightmare of Tlazet, Fed to Beasts, and the Nightmare of Uaoc, Spine Breaker.

With those major challenges tackled and completed, the rest of the season is a cakewalk. You can grab a daily round or two of Nightmare Containment to complete Harvester of Sorrows, equip Opulent weapons for the Malicious Haunt triumph, and enjoy a great story in the weekly Sever missions.

It’s worth noting that time is of the essence though, as Season of the Haunted ends in August. If you’re just seriously diving into the Reaper title chase, you can still get that seal with a decent amount of activity every day until the season ends.

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Get 2TB Of Cloud Storage For Cheap For A Limited Time

If you’re running out of storage space on your PC or smartphone, consider checking out this great deal on Prism Drive, which features 2TB of cloud storage for just $49. Your purchase grants you lifetime access to the cloud regardless of location, and you can even upgrade to 10TB for an additional $40 if needed.

Prism Drive works just like any other cloud storage solution. You’ll be able to upload any file from just about any device, then access or share them without any hassle. To keep your data safe, you can set up a password before sharing content with friends or family. And if you happen to accidentally delete something important, a 30-day trash history lets you easily restore the file.

Prism Drive is fully compliant with all applicable privacy laws, so you can sleep easy knowing your data is safe and secure in the cloud. There’s also a useful file preview function, giving you the option to check out a file before you download it to your device–saving you the frustration of downloading the wrong photo.

As an added bonus, you’ll get an additional $1 credit for every $25 spent on GameSpot Deals. If 2TB isn’t enough, be sure to check out the two other storage tiers ( 5TB for $69 and 10TB for $89). This promotion probably won’t stick around long, so be sure to check it out while you can.

Editor’s Note: Article updated on June 28, 2022

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