Gamereactor UK

Smelly planet with horrible weather apparently stinks like rotten eggs

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:09:00 +0200

Sometimes, even though this planet doesn't have everything, it's worth remembering to be grateful we weren't born somewhere else entirely. Somewhere like HD 189733 b, a planet discovered using the James Webb Telescope that has horrid weather and smells awful.

According to scientists interviewed by the BBC, hydrogen sulphide makes up most of the planet's atmosphere, which is the same gas emitted during farts. This means the entire planet smells like a gut rip.

"So, if your nose could work at 1000C ... the atmosphere would smell like rotten eggs," said Dr Guangwei Fu, an astrophysicist leading the research on the planet. Due to the James Webb Telescope, we can not only see these planets, but also analyse what chemicals are on them.

German studio Piranha Bytes, creators of Elex, Risen and Gothic, closes down

alberto@gamereactor.eu (Alberto Garrido) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:07:24 +0200

It seemed that in recent weeks the disheartening pace of studio layoffs and closures that the industry has been suffering in horror since last year had slowed, or at least slowed. Much of this news has come from the collapse of publishing giant Embracer Group, which seemed to have completed its "restructuring plan", but one of its agonising victims has apparently been fighting against all odds to stay afloat, but in the end has not. We are talking about Piranha Bytes, the German studio based in Esssen, which, according to Gamestar, closed its doors for good on 30 June.

Already in social media the team said earlier this year that they were going through serious difficulties, but that we should have confidence in them and in the fact that they were creating something big and exciting for all fans of their style. Remember that they are the creators of Gothic, Risen and Elex, so the western RPG world is going to suffer a major loss here.

https://x.com/Piranha_Bytes/status/1749416801262297324

However, all is not lost: Their team leaders and management say they are looking for ways to establish themselves as a new indie studio now, so hopefully this is not the end of the line for their vision of the RPG.

Cloud9 drops Rocket League roster it signed in April

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:05:02 +0200

Back in April, we reported on the news Cloud9 would be ending a four-year {Rocket League} drought by signing a roster of players to represent them in the {Rocket League Championship Series} and beyond. However, this has seemingly not gone to plan at all, as after less than three months, the organisation and this roster of players are parting ways.

Cloud9 has announced that it is dropping Kadin "Zineel" Zineelabidine, Oliver Kenneth "percy." Ortiz, Hunter "LionBlaze" Woitas and coach Didi "Didi" Eragoda.

This won't be the end of Cloud9's time in {Rocket League} however, as the team has stated that it is "committed to competing in Rocket League and will have more roster information soon."

https://x.com/Cloud9/status/1809301310380064774

Are you surprised by this change of direction?

The casting decisions that changed film history

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0200

There are, of course, many things that need to fall into place for a film or TV series to become a timeless classic and a pop culture phenomenon. One such thing is, of course, the actors. It's almost hard to imagine anyone other than Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones or Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley. It would have immediately become something completely different, and most likely also worse.

Of course, getting these perfect casts is difficult, and the fact is that things could have been very different. Countless of those we now consider to be obvious roles are actually not the first choice, but had someone completely different in mind from the start. Thankfully, that didn't happen, but here are some examples of how it could have gone

Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly (Back to the Future)

Michael J. Fox playing Marty McFly is now as obvious as the earth being round, but the fact is that he didn't get the part, it went to Eric Stoltz instead and filming started. But Stoltz lacked comic timing and after a month the production realised it wasn't quite working. Michael J. Fox was cast instead and the rest is history.

Frank Sinatra as John McClane (Die Hard)

As you may know, the film Die Hard is based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever, in which Gruber takes control of a Los Angeles skyscraper at Christmas time. However, it was book number two in the series, the first of which was called The Detective. It had been filmed long before with Frank Sinatra in the lead role, and when the time came for Die Hard, Sinatra was asked if he wanted to play the lead role here too. He didn't and the production looked for someone more hard-boiled for the role, such as Al Pacino, James Caan or Paul Newman. Willis, best known for his romcom Moonlighting, was way down the list - but still got the part in the end - and it's a good thing, because chances are we would never have learnt to love the expression Yippee ki-yay otherwise.

Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio or Will Smith as Neo (Matrix)

If the film crew had their way, Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio would have played Neo in The Matrix. And it almost happened, as both actors initially said yes. But for different reasons they dropped out (Brad was tired after the flop of Seven Years in Tibet and Leo didn't want to do another special effects fest after Titanic). Will Smith was also offered the chance to play Neo, but turned it down, and Keanu Reeves thankfully got the chance to make film history.

Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Perhaps the most iconic name on the list, Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, wasn't actually the first choice when Stephen Spielberg started filming Raiders of the Lost Ark. Instead, it was Tom "Magnum P.I." Selleck, who was also interested. But he was busy with his successful TV series, which he couldn't drop, and the scheduling conflicts couldn't be resolved. Instead, it was Ford's turn, and probably no one mourns that at all.

Al Pacino as Han Solo (Star Wars: A New Hope)

George Lucas had worked with Harrison Ford before, but for the role of Han Solo it was not Ford he had in mind. Initially, the role went to Al Pacino, who later said in interviews that he got so much money, but he didn't understand the script. He has also said that in this way he gave Ford a career. We can all agree that Pacino is a phenomenal actor, but would Star Wars be what it is today without Harrison Ford's reluctantly kind-hearted smuggler? It's debatable...

Nicolas Cage or Russell Crowe as Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings)

Viggo Mortensen certainly seemed cut out for the role of Aragorn, but the fact was that Peter Jackson and the gang had several other heavyweights in mind beforehand. One of them was Nicolas Cage, but for personal reasons he found it difficult to go to New Zealand for several years, so he turned it down. Russell Crowe was also asked, but Crowe has since said that he didn't feel wholeheartedly sold about it on Jackson's part, so he also turned it down.

John Travolta as Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)

We can thank Quentin Tarantino for giving Tom Hanks the chance to really make film history with Forrest Gump in 1994, as director Robert Zemeckis wanted Travolta to play the lead, but he was too busy shooting Pulp Fiction. So Tom Hanks got the role instead. Ironically, both Travolta and Hanks were nominated for this year's Academy Award for Best Actor, with the latter winning for the role Travolta turned down.

Sean Connery as Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings)

Perhaps the best acting performance in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy was given by Ian McKellen as Gandalf. But before he got it, the idea was for Sean Connery to play the fantasy wizard instead. The old Mi5 agent with the right to kill didn't quite get it and turned it down, and didn't seem to be bitter about it. In typical British fashion, the late Mr Connery said he still couldn't have topped McKellen's fantastic performance.

Mel Gibson as Maximus (Gladiator)

One of the most iconic performances of all time for me is Russell Crowe as the gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius, which has helped make the film one of my favourites. But Ridley Scott had originally intended Mel Gibson to play the lead role instead and talks began. However, Gibson was 43 years old at the time and thought he was too old, which is fair enough. So the New Zealander Crowe got to play Maximus instead and film history was made.

Hot Toys unveils new Spider-Man figure with symbiote

henric@gamereactor.eu (Henric Pettersson) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:46:00 +0200

Usually, Hot Toys release their characters that will appear in upcoming blockbusters. But sometimes they look back. Now, they're travelling back to the 80s as they release their symbiotic version of Spider-Man, taken from the cover of Secret Wars where he made his debut. At the moment, we don't know exactly when pre-orders will open, but we do know that the first batch is expected to ship out in the fourth quarter of this year.

Here are the groups for the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:20:02 +0200

As we reported yesterday, a collection of teams have already been eliminated from the {Dota 2} {Riyadh Masters} tournament that is being held in Saudi Arabia as part of the {Esports World Cup}. Four of the 20 teams failed to progress out of the {Play-In Stage}, but the remaining 16 are locked in for the {Group Stage} that will continue from tomorrow, July 10. We now also know exactly what these groups will look like.

Group A:

LGD Gaming

Aurora

Blacklist International

Heroic

Team Spirit

Gaimin Gladiators

OG Esports

Team Falcons

Group B:

Mouz

Beastcoast

PSG Quest

Entity

BetBoom Team

Tundra Esports

Team Liquid

XG.WBG

From these groups, the top four teams will advance to the {Playoffs} upper-bracket, whereas the fifth and sixth placing teams will earn a spot in the lower-bracket. The seventh and eighth placing teams will be eliminated and heading home. We'll know who they will be by the end of the week.

The Devil Wears Prada is getting a sequel

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:09:00 +0200

For what could have easily been another run of the mill chick-flick, The Devil Wears Prada managed to stand out as an all-time classic. The blue sweater monologue from Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly is still etched in many minds.

And so it's to no one's surprise that a sequel is in the works. Puck News reports that the sequel will revolve around Miranda Priestly in a new era where magazines simply don't sell like they used to.

Streep is expected to return in the role of Priestly, and Emily Blunt is likely to appear, too. We're not sure on Anne Hathaway's return, but considering she was the star of the last movie, it would be strange to see it carry on without her.

Kevin Feige demanded the yellow suit in Deadpool & Wolverine

henric@gamereactor.eu (Henric Pettersson) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 10:01:00 +0200

With just over two weeks to go, Deadpool & Wolverine is set to open in cinemas after an incredibly long wait. As the two characters have teamed up many times in the comics, this is something fans have been waiting to see. Something else fans have been waiting to see is Wolverine's iconic suit, which unfortunately was never worn by the hero in any of the films. However, in Deadpool & Wolverine we know that he will wear it, which is toKevin Feige's merit. This is what director Shawn Levy says during the film's promotion in Shanghai.

"He [Kevin Feige] said, 'Yes, but he wears the yellow. Can he finally wear the yellow.' And we began."

Basketball is coming to Nintendo Switch Sports today

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 09:37:05 +0200

Last month, Nintendo revealed that {Nintendo Switch Sports} was to be expanded and bolstered by an additional sporting activity. Adding to football, bowling, golf, and the array of other activities, players will soon be able to enjoy and revel in the thrill of basketball. But when will we be able to hit the court and shoot some hoops, you may wonder?

Today! Basketball will be coming to {Nintendo Switch Sports} today, all as part of a free update. You'll be able to tackle 2v2 matches and three-point challenges, all locally and offline, and without needing to head outside to visit your local court and probably be soaked through in the endless summer rain...

https://x.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1810313393011638340

Will you be playing some basketball today?

Ryan Reynolds says Deadpool & Wolverine is the best film he's made

marcus@gamereactor.eu (Marcus Persson) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 09:05:00 +0200

The big superhero event of the year is almost here, and judging by the advance buzz and preview ticket sales, {Deadpool & Wolverine} has the potential to be really, really big.

Even Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds, seems incredibly pleased with how everything came together in the end, describing the film in an interview with Sky News as "the best thing I've done".

"At the end of the day, I'm so happy with it. It's the best movie I've ever done. Hugh and I had the most fun we've ever had on a film."

{Deadpool & Wolverine} opens in cinemas on July 26.

Are you looking forward to {Deadpool & Wolverine}?

Check out the poster for Gladiator 2

marcus@gamereactor.eu (Marcus Persson) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 08:35:30 +0200

Today we can finally expect to see a first trailer for the upcoming {Gladiator 2}, the sequel to Ridley Scott's beloved, brutal saga of Maximus and his quest for justice.

https://x.com/GladiatorMovie/status/1810297794420507096

The sequel is said to centre on Lucius, the son of Lucilla and how he is forced to face the threat of savage conquerors as an adult.

A first poster has just been released and you can check it out below. In addition to Paul Mescal who plays the lead role of Lucius, we can also expect to see performances from (among others) Denzel Washington, Fred Hechinger and Pedro Pascal.

{Gladiator 2} is scheduled to open in cinemas on November 22.

What do you think of {Gladiator 2}, are you looking forward to the film?

Rumour: Soon you will be able to get pets in Fallout 76

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 05:05:00 +0200

Although pets have been an integral part of the {Fallout} world ever since the first game (with Dogmeat the dog) in the series, there is no real system for this in {Fallout 76}. Now, however, it seems to be on the way, as noted by data miners on the Fallout 76 Datamining Discord (via Windows Central).

Back in 2021, Bethesda announced that it intends to add pets to the game, but the feature has since been glaringly absent. One can suspect that the boost for the game after the acclaimed TV series has strongly contributed to Bethesda prioritising popular and requested features like this, and the data miners have found images and icons that clearly indicate that there seems to be several kinds of pets you will be able to choose from.

There is also an early tutorial available, which suggests that it will be a deeper system where your pet(s) will have a more involved function than just being a charming gimmick.

We'll get back to you when we know more.

Don't expect The Armorer to show up in The Mandalorian & Grogu

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 03:05:28 +0200

Since you read Gamereactor, you obviously know that there is a Mandalorian movie in the works called Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu. The intention is for it to premiere in 2026 and a lot of fans are wondering which characters from the TV series will be returning.

One of those we seemingly won't meet is The Armorer, who has a pretty important role in the series. She is played by Emily Swallow and in a Screen Rant interview she says that she hasn't been approached by Lucasfilm about appearing, but adds that she is still interested if she is given the chance.

Maybe Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu won't have too many elements from the TV show to make it feel more like a movie and less like a glorified TV show episode, or what do you think?

Overwatch 2 is getting a visit from Optimus Prime and Megatron

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 03:00:12 +0200

Collaborations with popular free-to-play titles continue to be very trendy, and now Blizzard and Hasbro has announced via Threads that they have something fun in store. Today it's time for a Transformers collaboration with {Overwatch 2}.

In a new video, we get to check out Transformers skins that turn Reinhardt into Optimus Prime himself, while Ramattra instead gets the honour of serving as the eternal badass Megatron. Other Transformers characters coming to the game are Autobots Arcee and Bumblebee.

Design-wise, these Transformers are based more on modern Transformers comics rather than the Michael Bay movies, and you can check out the first trailer below. See any skin you're thinking of getting?

Who is Safi in Life is Strange: Double Exposure?

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 02:55:32 +0200

During the Xbox Games Showcase last month, Deck Nine and Microsoft surprised us by announcing {Life is Strange: Double Exposure}, where we once again get the opportunity to hang out with Max Caulfield. The last time we saw her was in 2015 when she starred in {Life is Strange}, but now she's both older and has new friends.

One of them is Safi, and in a new video we now get the chance to get to know her. Safi's role in the adventure is strange to say the least as she is murdered early on, but thanks to Max's ability to rewind time, she lives again in an alternate timeline and we are of course expected to find out who the killer is.

October 29 marks the premiere for PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Presumably it will also come to Switch 2 in time, although nothing is confirmed yet.

Danny Trejo reveals his favourite game

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 02:48:36 +0200

Yesterday was National Video Game Day, a holiday that isn't really celebrated as it should be - possibly because there is also a National Video Games Day in September, which of course confuses things - but several people took the opportunity to pay tribute to the world of gaming.

One of them was actor Danny Trejo, a well-known gamer who has also appeared in titles such as {Crime Boss: Rockay City} and {Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth}. Via Threads, he shared his favourite game, but anyone who was expecting something particularly gruesome and violent (based on his films) was probably surprised.

Trejo's favourite game is... {Animal Crossing: New Horizons}, which might be a bit unexpected, but a perfect answer because it's an incredibly good game.

https://www.threads.net/@officialdannytrejo/post/C9KvZFmumdw

Cities: Skylines II delayed on PS5 and Xbox Series again

eirik@gamereactor.eu (Eirik Hyldbakk Furu) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:00:10 +0200

Quite a few suspected that something was wrong when the console editions of {Cities: Skylines II} were delayed at the eleventh hour. These fears turned out to be warranted, as the game had a very rough launch. The developers have been working hard trying to fix as much as possible since then, which is one of the reasons why the PS5 and Xbox Series versions were delayed again a few months ago. We were then told Cities: Skylines II would make its way to consoles in October. Well, guess what...

The publishers at Paradox has announced that the PS5 and Xbox Series versions of Cities: Skylines II have been delayed indefinitely. That's because they "have not yet met the stability and performance targets" set for these editions. They hope to have a new and better version ready for Sony and Microsoft's approval in a few months, so it's still possible we'll get the game on consoles by the end of 2024.

Agatha All Along trailer mixes horror, mystery and comedy

eirik@gamereactor.eu (Eirik Hyldbakk Furu) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 19:14:26 +0200

Two months have gone since Marvel announced that Agatha All Along, the WandaVision spin-off starring Kathryn Hahn, will debut with two episodes on Disney+ the 18th of September, so it's time for a small taste of what awaits.

We've received the first teaser trailer for Agatha All Along, but this is one of those situation where it's weird to call such a thing a teaser. The trailer gives us a glimpse of how Agatha Harkness lived her life after WandaVision and confirms that the show takes place after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, before revealing that Aubrey Plaza helps Kathryn Hahn's character get her memory back. This very interesting duo continues by trying to gather other covenless witches and restore them to their former glory by taking on the trials called the Witches' Road.

Do you think Agatha All Along can be better than Secret Invasion?

John Cena announces wrestling retirement

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:33:00 +0200

John Cena has shifted away from wrestling towards acting for a while now, and his long departures have left fans with the sad but inevitable truth that one day, Cena will retire. Now, the announcement of that day has come.

And the announcement came from none other than Cena himself. At the recent Money in the Bank show, Cena entered the ring to announce that 2025 would be his final year as a professional wrestler, with Wrestlemania 41 being his last Wrestlemania.

https://x.com/WWE/status/1809745006644564234

That doesn't mean he'll be leaving the jorts and cap in the ring next April, though. Cena plans to wrestle from January to December 2025 if possible, and will likely have multiple matches throughout that year. Even so, this marks the end of an era for many fans.

The Streamplify Cam Pro offers solid functionality at a solid price

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 16:23:00 +0200

If you're looking to start out streaming or get yourself a new camera, Streamplify is looking to get you covered with its new Cam Pro. It's a camera, as you'd expect, that gives you 4K 30fps footage at a 105-degree recording angle.

There's some more solid functionality as we saw when we took a look at the Mic Pro some time ago, but we do have one major caveat we've found in the Streamplify Cam Pro. To see what that is, check out our Quick Look below:

Cataclismo Final Preview: A fresh and innovative take on strategy games

Óscar@gamereactor.eu (Óscar Ontañón) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0200

When it comes to trying out new games that diverge significantly from the conventional, my philosophy is that it's better to stick with the devil you know than the devil you don't. But, the boss decided that I should try and then share my first impressions on {Cataclismo}, a title that promises a unique blend of real-time strategy, castle building, and defense in a 3D environment - all aimed at protecting humanity from swarms of creatures almost as terrifying as a mother-in-law on a Monday morning. After a few hours of playing, here are my initial thoughts on {Digital Sun}'s new game, a developer previously known for titles like {Moonlighter} and {Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story}.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's start with what immediately caught my attention about Cataclismo: its stunning artistic design. From dark forests to expansive plains where battles rage, the environments are meticulously detailed, capturing both natural beauty and the looming threat of monstrous creatures. One standout feature is the contrast between these richly crafted landscapes and the minimalist character design, which adds an extra layer of visual depth to the game.

Moving on to gameplay, Cataclismo blends real-time strategy with resource management. Building your fortress is just the beginning - managing resources effectively is key to maintaining production and defensive strength. The strategic element ramps up as you strategically deploy troops, be it archers, catapult operators, each with their crucial role, all to fend off enemy attacks. It's a constant juggle of tactical decisions: do you fortify a wall or launch a counterattack to keep the enemy on their toes?

So, what's the game all about? In this case, {Digital Sun} brings us a title that ventures into uncharted territory. It combines meticulous base-building with intense tower defense strategy, all within a world where a magical mist has twisted humans into grotesque creatures. Humanity's last bastions sit high in mountain peaks, relying on you to construct fortifications by day and fiercely defend them by night.

My first dive was into the campaign, spanning over 20 hours and seamlessly blending an immersive narrative with gameplay mechanics. While the beginning didn't quite grab me, and I'd appreciate more narrative depth, the progression feels satisfying enough to keep you engaged. Unlocking new technologies and units opens up fresh strategies for tackling increasingly tough challenges.

But the game doesn't stop there: Cataclismo offers a range of modes that greatly enrich the experience. For those craving a challenge, the {Endless Mode} ({Survival Mode}) lets you face relentless waves of creatures, each wave adding new tactical complexities. On the flip side, if you want to take a break from combat, the {Level Editor} ({Creative Mode}) lets you build and design fortresses without the pressure of imminent attacks, fostering creative exploration and resource management. And for those seeking a mix of challenge and accessibility, there's the Skirmish Mode - a blend of strategic depth and approachability. With thoughtfully designed maps, it encourages you to adapt and refine your tactical skills in every session, delivering a dynamic and fulfilling gameplay experience. There's something here for every preference...

And that's a wrap for today: in its current early access state, Cataclismo already shows a lot of promise. I have to say that this game isn't exactly my thing, and I would have liked to see more depth in its storytelling - it had the potential for a really engaging narrative - and a bit less emphasis on surface-level elements. Despite this, I respect it, and if you're into these kinds of games, it won't let you down. The mix of intricate fortress building, tactical strategy, and resource management offers a compelling experience for those who seek strategic challenges. Although there are areas like unit balance and narrative depth that could use some fine-tuning, Cataclismo's strong foundation and innovative approach make it worth exploring.

For players looking for a fresh take on strategy games, especially those who enjoy detailed construction and strategic defense, Cataclismo looks set to be a solid addition to your library. It'll be available on {Steam} in just a few days, starting July 22, 2024. With its unique mechanics and immersive world, {Digital Sun} seems poised to deliver something you might want to try.

CCP Games lays out EVE Vanguard roadmap for the rest of 2024

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0200

{CCP Games} has taken a rather strange approach to the development of {EVE Vanguard}, as instead of debuting the title as an Early Access project and then working with the community to improve and better the experience, as is the case often with other titles, the developer has instead utilised a {Founder's} programme that provides access to a small selection of the community to try the game before it even lands as an Early Access project.

This has included various {First Strike} events in the first half of 2024, which was then followed by a {Solstice Event} in late June. With this behind us, CCP has shared a roadmap of what the second half of 2024 will bring to {EVE Vanguard}.

We're told that the immediate future will see further closed {Founder's VIP} playtests and events hosted, and that these will be bolstered with developer diaries and ask-me-anything Q&As, all throughout the year.

We can then also expect additions to the {Frontlines}, including depth to corruption and suppression and establishing a broader connection to {EVE Online} through the contraband system. There will be better player agency, including improvements to deployment options, more diverse environments, deeper weapon chipset crafting options and blueprint construction. Progression and rewards are being tackled so that there are more unique ways to progress, and we can look forward to new gameplay elements, such as emergent planetside activities, higher-stake PvP flashpoints, and more craftables to use when in combat.

In November, we can expect a major update to arrive. There is no firm date attached to this, but there will be an EVE event in London on November 16, so perhaps that's a good idea of when it may arrive.

After all of this, and seemingly sometime in the new year, we can expect the game to actually debut and arrive in an Early Access format.

Check out the latest trailer for {EVE Vanguard} below as well as the full second half of 2024 roadmap.

Koenigsegg believes the Jesko Absolut can be the fastest production car in the world

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:33:00 +0200

There are a handful of hypercar manufacturers that frequently battle it out to set increasingly high and impressive speed records using production and road cars. Bugatti, Hennessey, Rimac, Pagani, McLaren, and of course Koenigsegg.

The later is looking to cement itself as the market leader for mega quick hypercars, as in a new press release we're told that the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut has smashed four speed records and set itself up for an inevitable challenge to be the "fastest, fully homologated production car in the world".

During tests at the Örebro airfield in Sweden, the Jesko Absolut managed to achieve 0-400-0 km/h in 27.83 seconds, 0-400 km/h in 18.82 seconds, 0-250-0 mph in 28.27 seconds, and 0-250 mph in 19.20 seconds, all of which are world records.

Speaking on this performance, Koenigsegg's Christian von Koenigsegg stated, "This record run validated the accuracy of the simulated and calculated performance of the Jesko Absolut, which gives us great confidence in its ability to outright be the fastest, fully homologated production car in the world. Now it is all down to tire testing, development, and approval, before we finally can make an attempt at that record."

Harley Quinn: Season 5 could premiere fairly soon

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:32:00 +0200

In this age of streaming, it's unfortunately common for ratings to drop slightly after a season or two, after which the show is immediately cancelled to focus on something new. This makes multi-season series increasingly rare.

But the TV series Harley Quinn doesn't seem to have a problem with that, and after four acclaimed (and insane) seasons, a fifth one is on the way. We don't know when it will premiere though, but it doesn't seem too far away.

On July 18, the spinoff Kite Man: Hell Yeah will premiere, and after that we can look forward to Harley Quinn: Season 5 in the coming months. Here's what the show's co-creator Dean Lorey said in an interview with The Direct:

"I know it's before the end of the year, I don't remember the exact date yet. But I think it's in the next few months. I know that."

Harley Quinn is adult-themed with a lot of violence, sex and other craziness, and the show also has an impressive cast with Kaley Cuoco as Harley herself, and she's joined by Alan Tudyk, Jason Alexander, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael Ironside, Wayne Knight and even James Gunn (playing himself).

Rogue Company pulls Dr. Disrespect content

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:08:00 +0200

Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm has been in headlines as of late for alleged sexual misconduct with a minor, something we've reported on frequently. This incident has led to many brands and companies distancing themselves from the streamer, including {Turtle Beach} and the {San Francisco 49ers}, as well YouTube demonetising the streamer. Following Dr. Disrespect's game developer {Midnight Society} also removing the creator from their ranks, {Hi-Rez Studios} has decided to pull the streamer's collaboration from their game.

"Hey Rogue Company, we have disabled Dr. Disrespect content previously available on game. We will provide full Rogue Buck refunds to any impacted account this week."

https://x.com/RogueCompany/status/1810028535882342577

The interesting part about this choice is that {Rogue Company} hasn't seen an update in around a year. This has led to a bit of backlash from the community as many are looking for refunds in the form of actual cash, and not the {Rogue Bucks} currency that are essentially useless today.

Bloodborne saw huge player spike in lead-up to Elden Ring DLC

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:36:00 +0200

Nearly 10 years on from release, fans of FromSoftware's gothic horror-inspired Bloodborne are still enjoying the game, even though it's only officially available on PS4 and PS5 through backwards compatibility.

In the lead-up to the highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, apparently a lot of FromSoftware fans decided they wanted to hop back onto Bloodborne. A report from TrueTrophies shows the game's player count spiked by 57% during the month of June.

And the player count rose by another 11% after the DLC's launch. It's interesting that players are still so fond of Bloodborne, and flock to it despite its age and availability. Hopefully, at some point Sony will listen to the fans banging on their door and release a native PS5 version or a PC port. Perhaps both.

Viral 'hawk tuah' girl to get reality TV series

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:34:00 +0200

Haliey Welch, AKA the 'hawk tuah' girl, could be getting her own reality TV show soon. The young woman went viral recently for appearing in a TikTok interview. In the interview, she said the famous 'hawk tuah - spit on that thang' phrase, and since then she has been shot into the stars.

If you're not in the know, there's a clip of the original interview below, but you can hopefully get the gist of what she means by hawk tuah without us having to spell it out for you. The question to lead to that centred around bedroom moves as well, just to give you a hint.

https://x.com/officalpostman/status/1804317724975431843

Since that viral moment, Welch has appeared on podcasts and addressed the sudden fame she's received online. Many requests have come for her to do an OnlyFans, which she has denied. It seems instead she'll be going down a more traditional route, as TMZ reports she is close to landing a reality TV deal. Whether the fame will last is unknown, but it seems Welch has a plan to get herself ahead while she can.

Sabrina Carpenter summer continues with record-breaking three-week run

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:11:00 +0200

More often than not lately, when we speak of a female musician breaking records, Taylor Swift is the culprit. That isn't the case this time around.

Sabrina Carpenter summer is continuing with the musician now being celebrated for becoming the first female artist ever to hold the top two spots in the charts for three weeks straight.

As per the Official Chart Company, Carpenter's {Please Please Please} has now topped the charts for three-weeks running, with {Espresso} holding the number two slot for three-weeks too. {Espresso} was last week's biggest song however, with 7.1 million streams, putting it just ahead of {Please Please Please}'s 7 million.

As a point of comparison for how impressive this feat is, there are only a handful of artists to ever have achieved similar results in the charts. {The Beatles} managed the same feat in 1963 with {I Want To Hold Your Hand} and {She Loves You}, Justin Bieber went a step further in 2015 holding the top of the charts for four weeks straight, and then Ed Sheeran went even further in 2017 with five weeks of dominance, on two different occasions.

Do you think Carpenter can continue to hold the top two chart spots?

Nintendo's pitfalls: The features Switch 2 should not have

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:00:00 +0200

We already know that Nintendo is working on a new console to replace the Switch, and there are plenty of wishes online about what the console should offer in terms of digital horsepower, unique features, improved Pro Controllers, expanded online support and much more.

The truth is, however, that I don't think Nintendo needs to do much at all to sell a lot again, and their biggest threat is probably Nintendo themselves. The company has a strange penchant for innovating at all costs, which leads to strange decisions that aggressively backfire on them, while in cases where they definitely need to move forward they instead stubbornly stand still.

So, as a kind soul, I've decided to assist Nintendo a little by not wishing for what they should do to maximise Switch 2 - but by wishing for what they shouldn't do. An anti-desire list, if you will. Here we go!

Keep Friend Codes

Ever since Xbox Live was launched in 2002 and since it really took off in 2005 with the Xbox 360, Xbox gamers have been able to easily add their friends, send messages to whoever they want, and invite each other to a round of Halo or two. But not on Switch. To make sure Switch owners absolutely don't get to know others with the console, there are long codes that no one remembers, which are required to become a friend. And even if you do add a friend, there's hardly any opportunity to do anything with it because the online service is stone dead. Here, everything just needs to be thrown out and redone from scratch.

Switch headsets are completely redundant

For those who want to chat with people online, there are several major hurdles waiting for Switch, not least because of the aforementioned Friend Codes, but also other restrictions. Being able to easily talk to each other is a total given today and Nintendo must offer its own official and simple solution that makes it as easy to chat with people as it has been for the two competing consoles for almost 20 years.

Why not call it Switch U?

You might laugh at that, but as you know, that's exactly what Nintendo was aiming for with the successor to the Wii, which was called the Wii U. Similar in appearance and name but completely different systems, which baffled people to the point where many didn't even realise it was a new console. I know I've written this before, but we even got a call from a panicked mum on a December Monday looking for a Wii U screen for her kids. She only found it with the console, but she already had it, so it was the Wii U screen itself that was needed. You can laugh about it (not so easy!) and I had to explain that she had got it all wrong, but the fault is not hers but Nintendo's. Clearer name and profile so you realise it's something completely new.

Bet on a new, cheeky gimmick

Nintendo wants to offer something new with its consoles at all costs, a feature that no one else has. With the Wii, they actually did a pretty good job of this, but even there it was very overused. We certainly didn't have to shake like a madman on the Wii to spin in {Super Mario Galaxy} or do tricks in {Mario Kart Wii} - it would have been more intuitive to just press a button. And for Nintendo 3DS, most had the 3D graphics switched off. Even a blockbuster like the Switch doesn't really have very well-used features (Joy-Cons have an IR camera, for example). Nintendo hardware sells because the games are so incredibly good. Skip the gimmicks, plain and simple.

Make sure to release lots of Switch remasters

Sony was criticised for releasing a lot of remasters when the PlayStation 5 was launched while Microsoft offered improved versions for free via either free updates or built-in features in the Xbox Series X. But Nintendo is on a completely different level to Sony and loves to sell re-releases, their entire Switch Online service is made up purely of games many of us already bought at the time, then to the Wii Virtual Console service and in the odd collection - and now we're paying for them again as a subscription. It's possible to be a lot more generous here, please bear that in mind.

Skip the backwards compatibility

This is a bit related to the above about Switch remasters. Traditionally, Nintendo has been pretty good at backwards compatibility via adapters like the Super Game Boy to Super Nintendo or real support like the Gamecube working with the Wii and Wii U. The Switch has sold an awful lot of games and while it can certainly be a bit of work to create a good emulator of such strange hardware, it has to be done. If the device does not have a cartridge reader, an adapter is also needed so that the transition between generations is smooth and user-friendly.

Go for floppy analogue levers that break down easily

I work with video games and have managed to wear out a controller this generation. It was an Xbox Series S/X-dito, where I used it for PC as well as Xbox. PlayStation 5 has survived - while I've replaced four Joy-Cons, even though I don't even play with them that often (prefer Pro Controllers). The stick drift issues really need to be reviewed and eliminated for good. Quality costs money, but this is really something to prioritise.

Replace SD card technology with something of your own

Upgrading storage to both PS Vita and Xbox Series X/S is very easy. This is because they have so-called proprietary formats, i.e. unique solutions that only work for these two - which in turn has led to high prices. Switch and PlayStation 5, on the other hand, have standard solutions, which means that you can just surf to Price Hunt and buy a suitable SD card or SSD to get gigabytes at low prices. Nintendo often likes its own solutions, but here they are absolutely right and they should definitely not dribble with this.

Analogue trigger buttons are really overrated

Nintendo charges really good money for its Pro Controller, but the fact is that it is several levels worse than both the standard controller for Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. For example, the crossbar is useless, this one also has stick drift problems and also lacks analogue triggers. The ones that look like triggers are instead digital buttons, which means that it is not possible to adjust speed in them in racing games, for example. Pro Controller needs a thorough overhaul and real triggers need to be added (not least for {F-Zero} which will return sooner or later).

These are HoYoverse's main influences to create Zenless Zone Zero

alberto@gamereactor.eu (Alberto Garrido) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:41:25 +0200

HoYoverse continues to explore and expand the action RPG universe with Zenless Zone Zero. A title that moves away from the fantasy and space sci-fi of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail to a cyberpunk setting with fluid combat.

As usual in their latest releases, HoYoverse maintains an anime aesthetic while innovating in gameplay, and for ZZZ they opted for the ARPG. And what better action game to draw inspiration from than Devil May Cry. This was acknowledged by its producer Zhenyu Li in an interview with Game Watch. Li wanted to convey in Zenless Zone Zero the same sense of tension that we experienced with Dante in DMC.

The theme of influence didn't end there, as for the art design of the futuristic urban environments in which ZZZ takes place, Li also drew on the impact of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series, as well as its narrative development.

Zenless Zone Zero is coming to PC, PS5 and mobile devices on 4 July as a free-to-play title. Are you going to give it a try?

Despicable Me 4 earns over $200 million in its opening weekend

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:39:00 +0200

Despicable Me 4 is out in cinemas now, and Gru's return has been heralded by yet another box office hit for Illumination. The film raked in $229 million this weekend across both US and international audiences.

While this is still a lot of money, it pales in comparison to the current box office earnings of Inside Out 2. Pixar's return to Riley's head has had a monstrous debut, getting the biggest animated opening of all-time at the box office.

Inside Out 2's box office opening saw it reach $295 million worldwide, and since then it has gone on to top $1.2 billion in theatres. We'll have to wait and see how Despicable Me 4 does following its own strong start.

Zenless Zone Zero has been downloaded over 50 million times since Thursday

johan@gamereactor.eu (Johan Vahlström) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:01:00 +0200

Chinese Mihoyo continues to launch success after success on the gacha market. {Genshin Impact}, {Honkai: Star Rail}, and now {Zenless Zone Zero}. The lattermost was released last Thursday and has already been downloaded over 50 million times. The game is available on mobiles, PC, and PlayStation 5. So, it looks like there will be more money in the coffers for the developers.

Black Myth: Wukong lets you become a boss after beating them

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:43:00 +0200

As Lies of P was for 2023, Black Myth: Wukong looks to be the most-exciting Soulslike of 2024. Incredible visuals, immense boss encounters, and plenty more to get excited about, especially for fans of the 16th-century novel Journey to the West.

Speaking to VGC, a spokesperson from developer Game Science Studio revealed that not only would we be fighting bosses in Black Myth: Wukong, but we'd also be able to become them after beating them.

"While the ability to use the weapons of your slain foes is a concept that is common to games in this genre, taking on the full body proportions and movement of that boss is a novel approach, that adds extra stakes to the fight," they said.

They added that the difficulty for the game will not feel the same throughout. While there aren't difficulty options, the game will give the player a hero's journey, likely meaning the further along they go, the more they'll feel ready to take on the challenges ahead of them.

Black Myth: Wukong releases on the 20th of August on PC and PS5.

L.A. Noire developers working 'exclusively on projects for Rockstar'

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:40:00 +0200

Bully, Manhunt, L.A. Noire. There's a long list of titles that Rockstar will likely never go back to now it's concerned primarily with the mega successes of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.

However, according to Video Games Deluxe, the studio that originally created L.A. Noire, it's still working on projects for Rockstar. Originally, a report from VGC pointed towards the studio releasing a new title called Sowden House, which was a psychological thriller set in 1940s LA.

However, after an update from Video Games Deluxe itself, it appears that this was more of a tech demo based off an unreleased case in L.A. Noire, which may never see the light of day.

"We are working exclusively on projects for Rockstar. We commissioned some music from a local composer Freyja Garbett for a VR project that we were working on a number of years ago when between projects," the studio wrote. "It is based on a case from LA Noire that did not make the cut but was more of a tech demo than anything else. We have no idea whether this will ever see the light of day but we decided to finish the score commission to support a local composer."

YouTube makes it easier to delete music in your videos

patrik@gamereactor.eu (Patrik Severin) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:39:00 +0200

A recurring dilemma for many video creators on YouTube is copyright. Now the company behind the popular platform has upgraded its tools to make it easier to remove music from videos. Although the feature is already available, you should now get better results than ever before. Here's what CEO Neal Mohan had to say:

"Good news creators: our updated Erase Song tool helps you easily remove copyright-claimed music from your video (while leaving the rest of your audio intact)."

The tool uses artificial intelligence to remove music more easily without also removing other sounds. It's perfect if for some reason you have music in the background of something you've filmed. If you want to know more, there is a clip which reviews the improvements to this tool.

Lady Gaga is going to blow our mind in Joker: Folie à Deux

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:21:00 +0200

While Lady Gaga might still be seen mostly as a pop icon, she is an Oscar-winning actress and someone who can clearly hold her own in stellar movies alongside heavyweight actors. We'll next see Gaga on the big screen in Joker: Folie à Deux, where she'll apparently be blowing us away.

Casting director Francine Maisler told Deadline the following when speaking about the actress: "Man, she's good. Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him, and be real — and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is — shows she's good."

Lady Gaga will be playing Harley Quinn in Todd Phillips' sequel to 2019's Joker. It's likely we'll see a new take on Quinn and Joker's relationship in the movie, especially considering its musical nature.

Eight teams have already qualified for the Riyadh Masters Group Stage

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:00:03 +0200

There are a lot of objectively large esports tournaments being held in Saudi Arabia this July and August as part of the {Esports World Cup}, but even with this being the case, there are only a few that are as big as the {Dota 2} {Riyadh Masters}.

This tournament has a total of $5 million on the line and is seeing 20 teams flocking to Riyadh to fight for their stake in it. After a weekend of action, a bunch of teams have already earned their place in the group stage, four have been eliminated, and some have even been placed into their groups too.

We know for a fact that {Group A} will include {Gaimin Gladiators}, {OG}, {Team Falcons}, and {Team Spirit}, and that {Group B} will see {BetBoom Team}, {Team Liquid}, {Tundra Esports}, and {WBG.XG} battling it out.

Later today (July 8), we'll know which of these two groups {Entity}, {Blacklist International}, {beastcoast}, {Heroic}, {PSG Quest}, {Aurora}, {Mouz}, and {LGD Gaming} will be attached to, as a group draw will be hosted. However the groups end up looking, {Azure Ray}, {G2 x iG}, {Virtus.pro}, and {nouns} will be heading home after failing to qualify out of the {Play-In Stage}.

The {Riyadh Masters} will conclude on July 21.

House of Golf 2 Preview: Perfect for the family

marco@gamereactor.eu (Marco Vrolijk) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0200

As a parent, I can be regularly be found on minigolf courses, including the even fancier glow in the dark versions called 'glow golf'. Whether you're with kids, friends or colleagues, minigolf usually means having a good time together. That's why my interest was immediately sparked by House of Golf 2, created British developer {Starlight Games}. There's not always time to head out to the actual minigolf course. So, wouldn't it be nice to be able to hit a few balls from the couch at home?

I've been previewing the {Steam} version of {House of Golf 2}, but I felt like I shouldn't be playing this game solo at a desk behind a PC. That's why I decided to hook up my laptop to my TV and play {House of Golf 2} with a PlayStation 5 controller. With native DualSense controller support in the game, getting this to work was no issue at all. This means I've been able to preview the game playing together in couch co-op mode, passing around the controller to take turns.

When booting up {House of Golf 2} for the first time, my initial impressions were quite positive. You're greeted by a catchy tune, with a nice variety of similar tunes in each level, that make for a fun and relaxing atmosphere. And on the graphics side, this is a very colourful game with plenty of visual variety and detail. It's not pushing any boundaries, but {Unreal Engine 5} delivers a very nice-looking variety of courses set in and around a typical home.

The gameplay itself is pretty straightforward. A successful shot depends on the optimal combination of aim and shooting power, which can be regulated easily using a bar on the right side of the screen. In the first eight or so courses that make up the beginner courses, I was initially let down a bit by their lack of complexity. Surely, a game about minigolf can do more than just asking you to shoot in straight lines at the next bend or hole? Thankfully, the courses I unlocked afterwards had a lot more gameplay variety.

As you progress through courses, planning ahead multiple steps becomes important, as does bouncing against objects to get around obstacles. So far, I've encountered toy cranes that pick up your ball, toy robots and tractors driving around as moving obstacles, toy snakes that either catapult your ball ahead or off course, besides the usual minigolf challenges like bumps and ramps. These puzzles require you to plan ahead, as do other challenges like a gap between two tables that requires the planning of at least two shots to overcome.

When waiting for your turn there are some well crafted environments to behold. They're set in places like a living room or garage where you play on floors, on furniture and around common household items such as cardboard packaging, paint cans, bananas, toy animals, and half-melted ice creams. Some of these also impact the way your golf ball moves, with sticky ice cream or paint slowing your ball down, for example.

It's fun to see your ball getting picked up, helped forward by a robot or shot into the hole with a toy cannon. These are indeed the things you'd like to see happening on a real minigolf course. Moreover, there are coins scattered throughout the courses that invite you to replay courses at least once. Also, playthroughs and coins allow you to unlock new golf balls in a variety of funny shapes, such as a panda, fluffy bee or disco ball, which offer another incentive to keep playing.

What I've enjoyed most about playing {House of Golf 2} so far, is that I've added a casual game to my library that can be easily played together. In my experience, it's looking most promising as a game to play with family or friends. Like playing minigolf in real life, you can commend each other on well-placed shots and simply enjoy the different challenges together. It's also why I don't see myself playing this as a solo player. And that probably isn't meant to be the case.

I did notice stuttering whenever a cutscene starts to preview a new course. I'm not sure if this is due to bad optimisation or simply an issue with my laptop, but it's consistently there. Also, in order to offer enough replay value, I think {House of Golf 2} will need a good number of different courses. I've been able to play around 25 in my preview build, and the full game will feature over 100 courses. I'm hoping the additional ones will add more puzzle variety and interactive elements to keep things fresh.

In all, my preview impressions of {House of Golf 2} have been pretty good. It should probably be on your radar if you're looking for a fun game to play together with kids or friends at home. It actually reminds me a lot of {Hot Wheels: Unleashed}, another game with catchy music, colourful environments and a joyful vibe that's fun to play together. If the other courses in {House of Golf 2} outside of my preview will offer enough variety in their puzzles and environments, this could very well become a hit among people enjoying party games. It's coming out on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox X/S on July 25th.

Rewrite Kurosaki Ichigo story with Bleach: Rebirth of Souls

alberto@gamereactor.eu (Alberto Garrido) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:47:27 +0200

Bleach is one of the most popular and beloved shonen anime for fans around the world. The story of how high school student Ichigo Kurosaki became a Shinigami and fought the Hollows to save the Soul Society was followed massively for years until its conclusion in 2012, although the sequel series Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is currently airing.

In video games its journey was shorter, with the latest instalment Bleach: Brave Souls released for iOS and Android in 2015. But now expect to see a revival in style, bringing the original work to a new audience thanks to Bandai Namco Europe's announcement of Bleach: Rebirth of Souls. It is an adventure from the early history of the manganime in which we can relive (or rewrite) the story of Ichigo and his friends and adversaries in the War of Souls Society. The game, developed by Tamsoft Corporation, with Takeharu Ishimoto as the soundtrack composer, will be available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox X|S Series and PC.

You can watch the teaser trailer below.

Ready to summon your katana's bankai again with Bleach: Rebirth of Souls?

Madame Web actress blames 'internet culture' for film's poor ratings

marcus@gamereactor.eu (Marcus Persson) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:36:00 +0200

Sony stubbornly continues to expand its own little Spider-verse in parallel with Marvel's (far more successful) superhero universe.

Madame Web didn't do too well, earning the title of one of the biggest flops of the year, something that one of the film's actors now blames on "internet culture".

According to Emma Roberts, Madame Web would have received far better ratings if it weren't for all the people online making fun of the film's (many) shortcomings.

Speaking to Variety, the actress said:

"I personally really loved Madame Web. I really enjoyed the movie. I thought everyone in it was great. The director, S.J. Clarkson, I think did an amazing job. She's the reason I wanted to do that movie. If it wasn't for internet culture and everything being made into a joke, I think that the reception would've been different. And that's what bums me out about a lot of stuff, even stuff that I've done, is people just make such a joke out of everything now."

Dakota Johnson, who starred in the film alongside Emma Roberts, however, disagrees with her colleague's views and has previously been very open about the fact that Madame Web and superheroes are not her thing at all, and that her experiences from the filming were very negative.

What do you think about the criticism of Madame Web, was it justified or does Emma Roberts have a point in what she says?