Greetings, Shacknews! The weekend is here, so let's chat with this latest edition of Weekend Discussion, shall we? Fortnite taps the Arcane again Fortnite is getting its second character from League of Legends' Arcane show. If you're reading this, head to the Shop now. Today in Electronic Sports It's another exciting weekend in esports! Let's check out what's happening, starting with the start of a new Call of Duty League season. Enjoy this one, because who knows what's happening next year? We move to this week's LCS action: And for the Apex Legends fans out there, the ALGS Pro League is in its playoffs! Be sure to tune into Wide World of Electronic Sports this and every Monday at 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 p.m. PT) on the Official Shacknews Twitch Channel. It's your one stop shop for esports and the occasional Sauce Talk. And now... Other Stuff From The Internet!!! An M&M redesign we can get behind that’s more like it pic.twitter.com/es474rsybj — the r is silent (@a1andar) I'd ask what Tucker Carlson's chyron would read for this, but nothing's topping this for pure comedy value: Tucker: If you look at him, the orange M&M does appear very anxious. Maybe he doesn’t like all the ugly new shoes he sees around him. Maybe he liked the sexy boots. pic.twitter.com/ePlcMXZJKW — Acyn (@Acyn) Louder for those in the back we should listen to this guy pic.twitter.com/AdmxUYANYV — Zenaida Huerta (@zxnaida) Somehow not loud enough. Maybe if he was "1980s professional wrestler" loud. The future stinks Making phone that can call the…

Look, Shacknews, I'm a cowboy! Howdy, howdy, howdy! Time to mosey off into this week's Evening Reading. In case you missed it at Shacknews: Pupperazzi review: Barker! Get me pictures of dogs! OlliOlli World's fresh art style gives the series new life Indie-licious Side Dishes: Sucker for Love: First Date, Babble Royale, & Blade Assault Ghostwire Tokyo PlayStation Store leak suggests a possible March release Unboxing & review: Pokemon Fusion Strike Elite Trainer Box Life is Strange: Remastered Collection delayed on Nintendo Switch Raven Software QA team forms Game Workers Alliance union A Memoir Blue creator talks about loosely adapting her childhood Shack Chat: What dormant Activision Blizzard franchise do you want revived by Microsoft? And, because it's the weekend, go find yourself something to play! Weekend Console Download Deals for Jan. 21: ID@Xbox Thrills and Chills Weekend PC Download Deals for Jan. 21: Humble Winter Sale continues Around the gaming horn Ready to relive the adventures of Nathan Drake? Check out this trailer for Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection before it hits the PS5 next week. (PC owners, don't worry, it's coming for you later this year.) If you're waiting to get serious, here's the first 10 minutes of the new standalone expansion to Serious Sam 4. It's Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem and it's out this Tuesday! Here's the latest reveal for the upcoming Total War: Warhammer 3. It's the new Daemon Prince, a new playable Legendary Lord. The time to take up arms against the Ruinous Powers is almost at hand when Toral War: Warhammer 3 hits on…

Video A Memoir Blue creator talks about loosely adapting her childhood We spoke with A Memoir Blue creator Shelley Chen about taking her childhood memories and transforming them into a game. A Memoir Blue is aiming to tell a heartwarming story of growing up in a time of turmoil. After years of making the indie gaming festival rounds, the game is almost ready for release. To learn more about the completion of this journey, we spoke with Creative Director Shelley Chen. "Because my mom has kept all my childhood memories into photo albums, so I flipped through them from time-to-time so I remember events very vividly," Chen told Shacknews. "Myself, I think I have very good memory, but as I get to right now, by this age, I start to forget stuff, like work-related stuff. But, it was because the trip that... me and my mom took was very enjoyable, I had a lot of fun. By looking at the photos that she provided me, I connected all the pieces together as how I remember it. Also, before I started making this game, I called her and asked her, 'Do you remember this thing?' She has her side of the story and that's how everything was documented really well." For the uninitiated, A Memoir Blue follows a young woman named Miriam, a character who is loosely based Chen herself. The game tells the story of Miriam remembering the period where her mother took her off to start a new life. Throughout the story, Miriam will experience these memories in visually…

The Shacknews staff and I have spoken amongst each other about the OlliOlli series in the past. We're big fans of skateboarding games. We love our Tony Hawk. If you've followed us over the past several years, you're well aware of our love for Skate. However, there's something about the OlliOlli games that haven't drawn us in, something we can't quite put our finger on. Those reservations were fresh in mind as we went into this hands-on preview for OlliOlli World, but as it turns out, this latest entry in the series has a new coat of paint and it feels a lot fresher as a result. The OlliOlli series to this point has been about skating on a 2D plane and it still is, for the most part. However, OlliOlli World veers more into 2.5D territory. The objective is the same as in previous games, where players must simply go from the start of a course and hit the finish line. However, there are some significant changes, starting with a new visual style. Gone are the primitive pixels of the previous OlliOlli titles and in their place is a more cartoonish presentation that's much more pleasing to the eye. OlliOlli World's more colorful art style brings life to its locales, whether it's the beachfront boardwalks or the sun-blanketed deserts. It helps feed the game's story, which sees players look to progress from a mere mortal to a Skate Wizard. The game's cartoonish presentation allows for a fuller narrative with vibrant characters, led by the ragtag crew of skaters who…

On Indie-licious, my mission is to livestream some of the best and most interesting new indie games out there so viewers might check them out as well. I love putting the spotlight on these games each week, but I can only really choose one per stream per week! It’s a tough choice, and there is often far more delightful indies to see than just the ones I livestream. That’s why I’m rolling out Indie-licious Side Dishes to put further spotlights on some new indie games I didn’t get to stream earlier in the week. And I’ve got quite the spread for hungry indie fans. This week features a kawaii Cthulu dating sim, a battle royale where you use your words to win (literally), and a cyberpunk action platformer with ninja hack-‘n-slash action! Check it out! Sucker for Love: First Date Sucker for Love: First Date comes to us from developer Akabaka and publisher DreadXP. Having launched on January 20, this game is a twist on the usual dating sim visual novel. You’re literally trying to win the affection of Lovecraftian horrors (stylized as rather cute characters of course). This game twists both the dating sim and eldritch story elements on their head and has a pretty fun sense of humor about it, with some creepy twists of course. As can be expected, your decisions will drastically change the course of the game and determine which monster favors you most, but gameplay will also drastically change based on your course of action as well. This game is currently available on PC…

The year ended and we got some big sales, then a new year started and we got some big sales. The console storefronts now need some time to recover, so don't look for anything earth shattering this weekend. However, there are a few specials that might be worth scooping up. If you're not on the Xbox Game Pass train, for example, you might find some intriguing titles in the ID@Xbox Thrills and Chills Sale, like Dead by Daylight and Death's Door. PlayStation doesn't have too much going down this weekend, either, but if you'd like a good gaming experience for less than $20, there are some fun titles available at a budget price. This includes Persona 5 Royal, Dreams, Tetris Effect Connected, and Lost in Random. Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is on that list, too, but if you don't want that on your PS5 or PS4, you can also find it discounted on the Nintendo Switch. Here's our selection of this weekend's console deals: Xbox The following games are a part of Xbox Games with Gold/Deals with Gold. An Xbox Live Gold Subscription is required to receive these discounts. NeuroVoider - FREE! Aground - FREE! World War Z: Aftermath [Xbox Series X] - $29.99 (25% off) Necromunda: Hired Gun [Xbox Series X] - $19.99 (50% off) Unpacking [Xbox Series X] - $14.99 (25% off) There are more Xbox games on sale in this week's Deals with Gold. The following deals are available to all Xbox users. Xbox Live Gold members may be eligible for additional discounts. FIFA 22 Ultimate Edition…

If you're looking for big sales from Steam and the Epic Games Store, you'll be sad to know that those storefronts are still recovering from their end-of-the-year ragers. Fortunately, the Humble Winter Sale is still going on strong and now includes games from the Ubisoft library. If you've missed on the big mega sales at the end of 2021, this is probably the last one of them that you'll see for a while, so don't sleep on it. Elsewhere, Steam has the best of Amplitude Studios. GOG.com has some Devolver Digital's best offerings from 2021, as well as a series of awesome classic games. Lastly, GamesPlanet has the Devil May Cry series on sale, as well as the lowest price right now on Monster Hunter Rise. Here's our selection of this weekend's PC deals: Blizzard The Blizzard Celebration Collection features various add-on goodies for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and StarCraft 2. It also comes with the Blizzard Arcade Collection, which retails at $19.99. The Celebration Collection starts at $19.99, so be sure to grab it from Battle.net today. It's only available until February 15. StarCraft 2: War Chest 6 Structure Skin Bundles - $22.42 (50% off) StarCraft 2: War Chest 5 Skin Bundles - $19.92 (50% off) StarCraft 2: War Chest 4 Structure Skin Bundles - $22.42 (50% off) StarCraft 2: War Chest 3 Skin Bundles - $19.92 (50% off) StarCraft 2: War Chest 2 Skin Bundles - $19.92 (50% off) StarCraft 2: War Chest 1 Skin Bundles - $19.92 (50% off) StarCraft 2 Carbot…

Video Shacknews Dump - January 21, 2022 On this week's Dump, we have a lot of high-fiber news to discuss. After all, it's not every week Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $70 billion. Boy howdy, what a week right? We here at the Shacknews Dump pride ourselves upon being able to pack in even the most monumental of news stories throughout the week, but even we’re cramping up on just how big the stories were this week. Join us as we try to power through and discuss Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard and so much more! On this January 21 edition of the Shacknews Dump, the elephant in the room cannot go unaddressed. Microsoft closing in on a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard has implications that will likely shake the gaming industry this year and for years to come. It’s not the only thing that happened though. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga finally has a release date, but only after some intense crunch. In lighter news, AGDQ 2022 broke donation records during the course of the speedrunning event. Join us as we talk about these and further news stories on the Shacknews Dump, going live on the Shacknews Twitch channel at 1:40 p.m. PT / 4:40 p.m. ET. You can also watch just below. Here’s the rundown of topics on today’s Shacknews Dump: Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion Kotick claims Overwatch 2 & Diablo 4 delays affected ATVI stock more than abuse lawsuit LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga devs report crunch at TT Games Dragon…

Guide Xur's location & wares for January 21, 2022 - Destiny 2 Find Xur's location and what he's got for sale this week in Destiny 2. Happy Friday, Guardians. As with every Friday, Xur has appeared once again to offer rare items at the cost of Legendary Shards. If you're wondering where the Agent of Nine is located this time, and what items he's selling, we've got you covered. Here's Xur's location and wares for January 21, 2022, in Destiny 2. This week, Xur is located at Watcher's Grave on Nessus. This is where the traveling merchant will remain throughout the weekend. If you’re familiar with Xur, you know that his inventory always features Exotic gear. He only accepts Legendary Shards for payment, so you’ll want to make sure you have a decent amount. If your pockets are a little light, consider checking out our guide on how to farm Legendary Shards quickly in Destiny 2. Xur's wares for January 21, 2022 This week, Xur is selling the following items: Telesto Wormgod Caress Mobility - 14 Resilience - 10 Recovery - 9 Discipline - 6 Intellect - 13 Strength - 9 Total - 61 St0mp-EE5 Mobility -  14 Resilience - 16 Recovery - 2 Discipline - 2 Intellect - 12 Strength - 20 Total - 66 Phoenix Protocol Mobility - 14 Resilience - 9 Recovery - 12 Discipline - 2 Intellect - 15 Strength - 15 Total - 67 Once again, if Xur is selling an armor piece or weapon that you don’t already have, it’s probably a good idea…

Guide How to unlock secret character Disc Man - Windjammers 2 Did you know there's a bonus character in the Windjammers 2 roster you can unlock and play? Check out the details on getting Disc Man! The Windjammers 2 roster is already packed to the brim with 10 larger-than-life characters, each ready to compete in their own unique way. However, there is another that lurks in the shadows - a secret 11th character. Perhaps you have had a run-in with him already, or perhaps not. He is Disc Man, the embodiment of flying disc competition and to find him or play him, you must know the way to unlock him. Fortunately, that’s where we come in! Here are the details on how to unlock Disc Man in Windjammers 2! How to unlock secret character Disc Man Disc Man won’t be unlocked by beating the game or achieving some sort of secret goal. In fact, you can unlock him any time you want to! Here’s what you do: once you get the character select screen in any mode in the game (Versus, Arcade, and even Online play), you need to rotate the left stick in a 360-degree circular motion, cycling through about four of the characters on the screen. After so many times, Disc Man will appear off the edge of the character select menu and you can navigate to and select him as your character. It doesn’t matter where on the character select screen you start the motion. I’m also not sure if there’s a preset number. It took me…