Opinion based column writing is tough. Commenting on the week’s events is easier. So we switched things up. Columns are adaptable after all. Catch up on all of the week's gaming events with our writer.
So what do we got this week? Let’s start with the obvious: The Doc is back! And this is a good thing, not the bad kind of doctor visit. Speed, violence and momentum. We missed it! Welcome back Dr Disrespect! And what a comeback it was: Half a million viewers saw the two time back to back blockbuster 1993-1994 video game champion, with a deadly Ethiopian caterpillar, standing at 6’8” with a 37” vertical leap take back his rightful place at the top of the streaming world!
While Doc is back and seems to have taken a liking to Rogue Company, for which he has become a #RoguePartner, another giant of the streaming world has taken back center stage: Shroud. And his goatee. Another half a million viewers watched Michael G settle back into Valorant and Warzone - for which he will not go pro. No, Shroud will stay in his comfort zone of streaming and we’re loving it, even though he does look like Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems.
Unless you hate knowledge and information with a passion, you heard about Fall Guys. And since you must’ve heard about it, you know how it’s seriously and utterly dominating the gaming world right now. Take over 20 million players in its launch moments, crashed serves, Twitch peak viewership and you have new cultural breakthrough game in the making. Fall Guys launched for PS4 and PC and Xbox users are begging for it to come to their system. Like, seriously: Begging. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Will Fall Guys come to Xbox and Mobile? The developers want it to, but would not say when. However, they did promise a squads mode, so that’s dope. Well... for PS4 and PC players that is.
Another big release. Also one that could be dead within a couple of months: Hyper Scape by Ubisoft. It’s free to play on PC, Xbox and PS4 and it will have cross play at some point - those are things the high-flying, gravity-defying Battle Royale has going for it. Also, Hyper Scape brings some fresh wind into the Battle Royale scene: It has a new take on dying, reviving and upgrading by making all these things much, much more streamlined. In Hyper Scape the focus really is on the action and it's got endless amounts of it. Check it out, it’s free, so, yes, you can afford it.
Halo, oh Halo. You know the Xbox has got it rough. Competing with the PS5 ain’t easy as is and now Halo Infinite got delayed into 2021. That’s. Not. Good. But at least the Xbox has other things going for it: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has launched its xCloud beta. This means that anyone with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can now stream games on their phones without any extra charge. Cool stuff. If you don’t have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate - you can get the first month for just 1$, so… go ahead, give it a whirl.
If you like single-player gaming and you’re a PC Gamer, then this is for you: Remnant from the Ashes is free to play on the Epic Games Store from August 13th to August 20th. The game is fire, so you should go grab it and, while you’re at it, consider getting The Alto Collection as well - also free until August 20th. Nice. Good job Epic.
While we’re on the subject of Epic, here’s another epic piece of news for you: Fortnite got banned from the Google Play Store and Apple Store. Why? Because Epic is tired of getting them a 30% cut of the sh*tloads of cash Fortnite generates. So no more Fortnite on iOS, but at least on Android there is a workaround. What is the workaround? We’ve got a video for that:
Speaking of epic part 2: Schalke 04 did the absolutely impossible! They qualified for the LoL playoffs after a 1-10 start, by winning 7 games in a row and beating the #1 seed while they were at it. Epic, epic, epic. Schalke did their null fear mantra justice and has definitely settled into LEC history with this run. Now, they can qualify for worlds and I’m excited to see where this fairy tale ends.