Valve’s handheld Steam Deck is arriving in the hands of eager fans now, and to celebrate Valve has released what it describes as a “free playable short” called Aperture Desk Job to walk users through the device’s various features.

Aperture Desk Job is available now for free on Steam, but note that it can’t be played with a mouse and keyboard. The game requires a controller, and, ideally, is made to be played on the Steam Deck. If the name Aperture is familiar, that’s because it’s the same fictional company featured in Valve’s Portal series.

What do you do, exactly, in Aperture Desk Job? Like at any good desk job, you sit. Players will take on the role of an “entry-level nobody” on their first day at the job, where they’ll be briefed on the Steam Deck’s controls and features, though Valve notes that it is not “nearly as boring as that sounds.”

As you might expect from a Portal-related project, everything about Aperture Desk Job is more than a little tongue-in-cheek, including the game’s description on Steam. Valve reminds players that this is not Portal 3 and to lower their expectations, while describing Aperture Desk Job as reimagining “the been-there-done-that genre of walking simulators” and putting “them in the lightning-spanked, endorphin-gorged world of sitting still behind things.” Valve also uses the game’s product page as an opportunity to pitch a screenplay about time-traveling identity theft, in case anyone out there in Hollywood might be interested.

Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell recently signed and delivered Steam Decks to lucky customers living near the Valve offices, some of which seemed more than a little confused by the whole situation. GameSpot’s Steam Deck review said the handheld gaming device “delivers on its promise of high-performance mobile gaming with impressive game performance and intelligent hardware design.”

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Master assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze looks like he will be coming to Fortnite as a new outfit, joining the ranks of other video game icons who’ve appeared in Epic’s battle royale like Master Chief, Kratos, and Lara Croft.

The news comes via a leak from Twitter user ShiinaBR, who regularly posts Fortnite-related news. It looks like players will have the ability to play as Ezio with his hood on or off, and of course the assassin comes equipped with his signature hidden blades. Ezio’s apparent Fortnite skin is based off his classic outfit from Assassin’s Creed 2.

ASSASSINS CREED OUTFIT pic.twitter.com/qBc5yI7mLl

— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) March 1, 2022

Ezio was long the face of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise during the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era, making his first appearance in Assassin’s Creed 2 before starring in subsequent titles Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. He’s an important character in the franchise’s history and is still one of the most beloved characters in the series, making him a natural fit for the ever-expanding roster of guest video game characters that are playable in Fortnite.

There’s no word yet on when Ezio will officially be landing in Fortnite or how much the skin will cost, but expect official details soon. In other Fortnite skin news, tennis star Naomi Osaka will be arriving in-game starting March 3. She will have two outfits to choose from, representing her “spirit of individuality” and her various influences.

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Xbox’s Game Pass will see a total of four titles leaving the subscription service on March 15. They include Nier: Automata, Phogs, Torchlight III, and The Surge 2.

As always, if you’d like to keep any of these games permanently, Game Pass members receive a 20% discount on all games, giving you a way to save on these before they depart.

Cycling into Game Pass are seven new games. Far: Changing Tides, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Kentucky Route Zero, Lawn Mowing Simulator, Young Souls, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

But these won’t be the only new titles joining Game Pass in March. We should see another batch of what’s new and what’s leaving announcements in mid-March. You can check out our constantly updated list on all Xbox Game Pass games for more information on what’s currently available on the subscription service.

In addition to the above announcements, the Xbox Game Pass app on PC also received an update. Users can now select what folders games download to, as well as the ability to mod more games.

Xbox Game Pass Titles Leaving March 15

Nier: Automata–cloud, console, and PCPhogs–cloud, console, and PCTorchlight III–cloud, console, and PCThe Surge 2–cloud, console, and PC

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Now that Elden Ring is available, fans of From Software’s brand of challenging action are racing to see who’s the fastest at completing certain boss fights or playing the game with the unlikeliest controller. Modder and content creator Super Louis 64 can already lay claim to having one of the wildest systems for playing the action-RPG, as he modded a Nintendo Switch Joy-con and the Ring Fit Adventure Ring-Con to work in the game for battling both monsters and calories.

WE BEAT A BOSS FIRST TRY
W/ THE RING FIT MOD!!! LETS GOOOO 💪🏾💪🏾#ELDENRING pic.twitter.com/P5B90ZGrFu

— Super Louis 64 (@SuperLouis_64) February 28, 2022

Super Louis 64 had to actually jog in his home to make his character move while squeezing the Ring-Con and used motion controls to let his Elden Ring character attack. As for healing, Super Louis 64 had to perform a squat to recover some health points.

While the setup did work, the real test would come when he faced a boss and had to use his athletic skills to survive the encounter. To his credit, he beat the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil on his first try, although his actual stamina had taken a massive knock in the process.

This isn’t the first time that Super Louis 64 has used a Ring Fit controller in a From Software game, as he previously wielded the mighty device in Dark Souls 3 using a similar setup. He’s also used a Dance Dance Revolution dance pad, a fishing rod, a DJ Hero turntable, and many other controllers to beat Dark Souls 3, and his YouTube channel has clips of him beating one of the game’s hardest bosses with the bongos from the GameCube game Donkey Konga.

If you’re struggling with Elden Ring using just a regular controller–but you’re sweating anyway because that game has a talent for raising your heart rate–you can check out our guides for some handy help.

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Nintendo has announced that Missions and Rewards have been added to the Switch Online service. These new features will earn you Platinum Points, which can be redeemed for items in the My Nintendo Store and “new member-exclusive icon elements” that you can collect and put together to create a new user icon. You will need to have a Nintendo Switch Online membership to gain access to these features.

To access them, you can navigate to the Switch Online icon on your home screen and then select the “Missions and Rewards” tab. Nintendo says that you’ll earn Platinum Points for “things you’re probably already doing with your Nintendo Switch Online membership,” such as playing online or trying out the library of classic games.

Nintendo Switch Online Missions and Rewards

Once you’ve completed some missions, you can head back to the Nintendo Switch Online app to collect your Platinum Points. For icon elements, Nintendo says that you’ll be able to choose from frames, characters, or background elements to create your own custom user icon. Each month will have a different theme and icon elements will be refreshed each week, with this month’s offering being themed around Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Mario Odyssey.

Nintendo has a busy 2022 planned, as the console has numerous games arriving soon on it. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is scheduled for later in 2022, and in the more immediate future, you can expect to see Nintendo Switch Sports, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers pop up on the console. Or you could watch more anime, now that a Crunchyroll app is available.

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Genshin Impact developer Hoyoverse (formerly Mihoyo) has announced a brand-new event for the free-to-play open-world RPG: Divine Ingenuity, which opens up a customizable dungeon mechanic for players to show off their creative minds.

The limited-time event will run from March 2 at 10 AM server time until March 21 at 3:59 AM server time, adding a domain–the Genshin Impact equivalent of a “dungeon”–in Liyue, the eastern region of Teyvat. Five pre-made custom dungeons will be part of the domain once players arrive, and upon clearing them the ability to make custom dungeons will unlock along with standard rewards like Primogens and Hero’s Wit.

The Adventurers’ Guild has discovered a strange Domain in the outskirts of Liyue. Let’s take a look at what this new Domain has in store~
See Full Details >>>https://t.co/rV9LPZy5yO#GenshinImpact pic.twitter.com/qrhB7ciNlU

— Genshin Impact (@GenshinImpact) March 1, 2022

Many different parts will be available to players who want to build their own dungeons, including different terrains, slopes, traversal mechanisms, items to pick up, and traps to hinder progress. Players can also save up to five of their created dungeons for continued use, or share their creations with the community while challenging other user-created challenges.

The Genshin Impact Divine Ingenuity event is part of the recent Version 2.5 update, which added a new hero in Yae Miko. It follows the recent Three Realms Gateway Offering event, which was broken up into multiple parts.

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Valve’s Steam Deck console is out now, and some of the first units were personally delivered by none other than Valve founder and billionaire Gabe Newell. In a fun little video, we get to see Newell walking through neighborhoods near Valve’s headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, hand-delivering units to fans.

Some people are excited, some are confused, and some didn’t seem to recognize him at all. “Hi, I’m Gabe Newell. I’m just wandering around your neighborhood,” Newell says in the video.

Newell delivered newspapers and telegrams for Western Union when he was younger, so he’s got experience going door-to-door with packages in this way.

A common theme in the video is Newell asking people to share their honest opinions with him and Valve about Steam Deck. He gives out his work email to anyone who wants it, and says he reads every email he receives because that’s a good way to connect with fans and stay grounded. “I get anywhere from several hundred to several thousand emails a day. I read them all. And that keeps you super grounded. You know what people are actually thinking; what’s actually important to them,” he said.

Also of note here is that Newell signed the Steam Decks he delivered, so they will indeed become very unique and rare collector’s items.

For more on the Steam Deck, check out GameSpot’s Steam Deck review. “What the Steam Deck excels at is being a mobile hub for your Steam games, giving you enough to work with to get the best out of a selection of games you can’t go without while away from your desktop. In that regard, there simply is nothing better on the market right now,” reviewer Alessandro Barbosa said.

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From Software’s Hidetaka Miyazaki, the game director of the recently released Elden Ring, has weighed in on the discussion surrounding the game’s difficulty. Speaking to The New Yorker, Miyazaki said he feels apologetic to those who are hesitant to play From Software’s games due to their difficulty, but maintained that From Software is not planning to change anything because the feeling of overcoming hardship is the studio’s “identity.”

“I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki said. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”

He added: “We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So it’s not something we’re willing to abandon at the moment. It’s our identity.”

In Elden Ring, and other From Software games, you die a lot. Miyazaki commented on this phenomenon, too, saying the team has attempted to purposefully design Elden Ring so that the feeling of death and rebirth is something that is enjoyable, unlike in real life when you die and the lights go out forever.

“When I’m playing these games, I think, This is the way I’d want to die–in a way that is amusing or interesting, or that creates a story I can share,” he said. “Death and rebirth, trying and overcoming–we want that cycle to be enjoyable. In life, death is a horrible thing. In play, it can be something else.”

The full interview at The New Yorker is a great read that shines much more light on Elden Ring and Miyazaki himself–go read it here.

GameSpot’s Elden Ring review-in-progress scored the game a rare 10/10. Reviewer Tamoor Hussain said, “Elden Ring takes the shards of what came before and forges them into something that will go down in history as one of the all-time greats: a triumph in design and creativity, and an open-world game that distinguishes itself for what it doesn’t do as much as what it does.”

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Respawn Entertainment is delaying the launch of Apex Legends‘ mobile version until next week due to ongoing “current world events,” which is most likely a reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The launch was supposed to take place today, February 28.

In a blog post, Respawn said the plan is to now launch Apex Legends Mobile on March 7 in select participating countries. These countries include Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Colombia.

During the limited launch, the following Legends will be available: Bloodhound, Gibraltar, Lifeline, Wraith, Bangalore, Octane, Mirage, Pathfinder, and Caustic.

As for when Apex Legends Mobile will launch in more places, Respawn hasn’t said yet. The studio will announce support for other regions after the testing phase in its initial markets.

You can help Ukrainians in need by donating to charity. We also have a roundup of how game developers are supporting the crisis in Ukraine.

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Epic Games has shaken things up in the Fortnite item shop, introducing a brand new content pack format in the Monarch’s Level Up Quest Pack. This new quest line not only offers an skin and other cosmetics, but completing the quests accompanying the character can also help you quickly level up your battle pass before the end of Chapter 3, Season 1 on March 19.

Fortnite Monarch’s Level Up Quest Pack Explained

Monarch’s Level Up Quest Pack can be purchased just like any other cosmetic in the Fortnite item shop at a cost of 1,200 V-Bucks. Purchasing the pack immediately unlocks the Monarch skin and a number of quests based on when you made the purchase. Buying it now? You’ll have the first seven quests to complete each week for the next four weeks. Waiting until the last week of the season? 28 quests will be unlocked as soon as the V-Bucks are exchanged.

Seven new quests unlock each week between now and the end of the season, with all 28 expiring at season’s end on March 19. By completing each week’s quests, you unlock a new cosmetic based on the initial Monarch skin unlocked at purchase. Those cosmetics are as follows:

Week 1 Quests: Shattered Wings back blingWeek 2 Quests: Monarch’s Glow wrapWeek 3 Quests: Golden style for the Shattered Wings back blingWeek 4 Quests: Golden style for the Monarch skin

That’s not all! Every single quest you complete from this pack also gives you an instant level up in your battle pass, with up to 28 levels up for grabs. Epic Games has also clarified that leveling up in this manner will not reset your experience bar, meaning if you have 100 XP left before reaching level 99 and you complete a quest from this pack, you’ll progress to 99 and only need 100 XP before reaching level 100.

Fortnite Monarch’s Level Up Quest Pack Week 1 Challenges

The first week’s worth of challenges for the Monarch’s Level Up Quest Pack is as follows:

Collect Level Up Token northeast of Logjam LumberyardCollect Level Up Token east of Greasy GroveCollect Level Up Token at Sunflower’s SaplingsCollect Level Up Token at Sandblast EstatesCollect Level Up Token at Rocky ResidenceCollect Level Up Token at Mighty MonumentCollect Level Up Token at Happy Camper

Now you might read those quests and worry that there’s a wild token goose chase in your future, but fear not: Every token you’re looking for will appear both on the main map and on the mini-map, so you won’t have to run around searching for it when you reach the designated location. Follow the map, collect your token, and earn that extra battle pass level.

Monarch’s Level Up Quest Pack is the latest addition to the Fortnite item shop but there’s more on the way, with the next major crossover coming via the new Uncharted movie.

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