Stars in their Eyes (and over their Heads)

One of the best elements of fighting games is how much their characters and worlds lend themselves to the creativity of the fan community, who adapt the games and lore to their own artistic projects and showcases �Case in point, this great cosplay video, which sees a handful of World Warriors gather together to celebrate the launch of Capcom's Street Fighter 6.

Directed by D Piddy, shot by Alive Alf, and starring a bevy of notable cosplayers, the cosplay video sees a host of Street Fighter 6 characters, squaring up in preparation for the new tournament. While the video mostly centers on poster boy Luke, (portrayed by Johnny Junkers), and a busy day in the life of a street fighter, we also get appearances from Chun-Li (Caytie Cosplay), Zangief (Bane Armstrong), Cammy (Vamplettes), and Kimberly (Jahara Jayde - No Pout).

D Piddy themselves also takes t??o the floor as the tonic-gus?hing vigilante, Jamie.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjR_iqxgZbY

Luke's day is busy enough, but it's thrown into full chaos by the arrival of Juri Han (Jane Sin), which leads to a brief throwdown between pals. Additionally, Manon (Kitty Kaboom) does a spot of couture shopping, and even Sakura (Lucky Lai) pops her head up to remind Capcom she needs to be added as DLC. The whole shebang is backed by the official Street Fighter 6 theme song "Not on the Sidelines" by Rocco 808 & Randy Marx.

??Check it out, a lot of wonderful, creative talent on display.

You can keep up to speed on more of D Piddy's projects over on their official Twitter.

Street Fighter 6 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. Be sure to check out our newly launched and ever-growing guide hub for hints and tips on all of the game’s main modes, as well as my thoughts on who needs to join the roster post-launch.

The post Rad Stre?et Figh??ter 6 cosplay video sees World Warriors duke it out appeared first on Destructoid.

Cosplay Queen will feature as a guest commentator in SF6

Last night saw a who's who of WWE Superstars spill into (and out of) the squared circle, as the promotion held its annual Royal Rumble event, emanating live from San Antonio's legendary Alamodome �As always it was a chaotic night of memorable moments, (no spoilz) one of which saw WWE Queen Zelina Vega rock up to the Rumble itself as Street Fighter 6 skull-kicker Juri Han!

Entering the Rumble at No. 21 Vega, (Thea Trinidad), arrived bedecked in awesome new gear that represents the former assassin in her spanking new Street Fighter 6 garb, c??omplete with lollipop and pointy mobile, and Raspberry Ripple-style P2 hair color. Perhaps wanting to protect her toes in a ring full of marauding wrasslers, however, Vega wisely chose to don a slick pair of kicks rather than go barefoot.

Good call.

//twitter.com/ZelinaVegaWWE/status/1619579739928412?162?s=20&t=dimYMvdDtD??vbj2fJfq4Nvg

In addition, it was also announced that Vega will be one of the selectable guest commentators for Street Fighter 6 when it launches in June, adding her voice to the litany of Street Fighter representatives that can be chosen to critique Versus matches live �adding a little bit more of that tourney-style hype. This ?is no doubt a very proud and ??exciting moment for Vega, a noted lover of all things gaming.

As fans will know, Vega is renowned for showing up to major events in cosplay, having rocked a litany of awesome gaming heroes and villains. The trend began in 2019, when Vega entered the Royal Rumble as her Street Fighter namesake. Since then, Vega has portrayed a variety of characters at WWE pay-per-views and other promotional events, including Mortal Kombat's Sindel, and Overwatch's Sombra. With her newest Juri look Zelina Vega has, coincidentally, cosplayed almost all of my mains.

If we could get a KoF Leon??a Heidern in the?? mix at some point, it's a full house!

Street Fighter 6 launches on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox July 2, 2023. Be sure to check out our other reports on Juri, Manon and Dee Jay, as well as 50 things I loved about the beta, my thoughts on how the game is shaping up, and a list of Do’s and Do Not Do’s for the new sequel.

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That's Sephiroth's music!

The world of w??restling has plenty of overlaps with video games, especially for wrestlers who embody certain pieces of gaming iconography like Kenny Omega. And last night, the wrestler made a grand entrance a?t Wrestle Kingdom, to the tune of "One Winged Angel."

At Wrestle Kingdom 17, an event put on by New Japan Pro Wrestling, Omega entered the ring to Sephiroth's tune from Final Fantasy VII. Omega already has several ties to the silver-haired villain, including naming his incredible finisher after the song. For Wrestle Kingdom, though,?? things turned up a notch.

Making use of the massive screens for framing, Omega arrived in full Sephiroth attire. And in a glorious flourish, he extends his hand out with a massive, lone wing. Add in that pinpoint turn, and it's a pretty spectacular intro for the event. You can see the whole ring entrance here on NJPW's social account.

//twitter.com/njpw??world/status/1610591471744487425

While the Final Fantasy references may be nothing new, it's a spectacular entrance. It's a bit of a re-entrance for Omega, who's been with All Elite Wrestling. He returned for Wrestle Kingdom 17 to challenge Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight?? Championship.

Previously, Omega has also entered the ring in full Sans cosplay, paying homage to a different kind of role-playing game in Undertale. Honestly, "Mega?lovania" would probably be on my short-list for a walk-up song if I had one.

If you'd like to go watch the full spectacle of Omega's entrance, the match itself, and the rest of Wrestle Kingdom 17, you can find it here on the NJPW site. Otherwise, Omega is also wrestling in AEW, and is currently embroiled in a team feud there. As for Sephiroth, looks like he'll be coming back too in the upcoming second installment of Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII remake series, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Maybe he and ??Cloud can? wrestle to bring this thing full-circle.

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The champ is feeling Jaded

This past weekend saw promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) host its AEW Revolution 2022 pay-per-view, emanating from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida. By all accounts, it w?as a great show, featuring the long-awaited showdown between MJF and C.M. Punk, as well as a barn burner between Chris Jericho and everybody's dad, ?Eddie Kingston.

For video game fans, however, (of which AEW has many), the biggest headturner of the night was perhaps the appearance of stellar AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill, who was scheduled to ??defend her title against judoka ass-kicker and number one contender Tay Conti.

When the time came for the wrestlers to make their entrance, Cargill rocked up in a stunning green ensemble, faithfully stylized after Cargill's Mortal Kombat namesake: Edenian assassin Jade. Accompanied by a live guitar solo from Grammy award-winning artist Christone "K??ingfish" Ingram, the Flordia-born champion made?? her way to the ring to do battle. How'd it go? Spoilers, pal.

//twitter.com/AEW/s??tatus/1500658201540415488?s=20&t=j8_-gsp2??kl1yxqestd-paA

Of course, Jade Cargill's dazzling look was not the first time Mortal Kombat has made its presence known in a pro-wrestling ring. Back in 2020, WWE star Zelina Vega pulled off this awesome look for the Royal Rumble, arriving in gear matching that of Edenian turncoat queen Sindel. And way back in 2011, AJ Lee turned up to a Halloween Battle Royal as Princess Kitana, (complete with amusing "Fan Lift").

Video game cosplay and pro-wrestling have been in close proximity for some time, and given that AEW is full of fuckin' nerds, that relationship looks set to be solidified in the future. Oh, and in unrelated news, here's some brand new action figures which see AEW stars Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks as Street Fighter's Aku?ma, Ryu, and Ken. Complete with tasselboots. Lordy.

//twitter.com/JeremyCom/status/15002234166614?71233?s=20&t=3pGM70e5CajrfACXiPe_Ew

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Honey Pot

A delightful piece of archival footage has surfaced on YouTube, which shows Japanese cosplayers battling it out in a 1995 tournament on Sega's Fighting Vipers. The footage appears as part of a Japanese gaming show, and was uploaded to YouTube this week by user "Kukun Kun". before being spotted by the eagle-eye of history lover John Andersen.

The brief feature, shot at the Sega GIGO center in Roppongi, Tokyo, sees various players competing on what was then Sega's hottest release. Despite Fighting Vipers' varied and over-the-top cast of characters, it appears that ?almost everyone participating here has chosen to don the battle armor of cutesy femme Honey (or "Candy" in the international release).

I was super stoked to catch a fleeting glimpse of one woman who had chosen to cosplay my favorite character, Jane, but for the most part it's quite clear who is Fighting Vipers breakout superstar..??. Oh, I don't ?mean Honey... I'm talkin' 'bout the Bad Boy rocking the obligatory leather jacket and '90s "wet look". Boy, we drowned ourselves in hair gel in those days. I hope he's still playing fighting games.

Elsewhere in the episode, one can find footage of players queuing up to purchase Dragon Quest VI on the Super Famicom, a brief preview of Street Fighter Alpha 2, and footage of a group of middle-aged adults having a Virtua Fighter 2 house party... what is what I call Satu?rday night even in 2021.

Thanks to Kukun Kun for sharing this wonderful blast fro??m the past.

The post Cool archive? footage features 1995 Sega Fighting Vipers cosplay tourna??ment appeared first on Destructoid.

Screamin' Style

This weekend, World Wrestling Entertainment held its Royal Rumble PPV?? from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Highlights from the annual free-for-all included a shocking return by a beloved leg?end, a dominant performance from giant stack of meat Brock Lesnar, and this, another neat bit of cosplay from Zelina Vega.

Vega, (in what might be the greatest moment in pro-wrestling history since The Shockmaster fell through a wall), joined the Royal Rumble match at number 25, making her entrance decked out in beautiful garb stylised after Mortal Kombat's evil empress, Queen Sindel. Proudly walking the aisle in a robe reminiscent of Sindel's MK 11 look, Vega dropped the finery to reveal ring gear more reminiscent of the queen's early appearances in the gory fighting game series.

Unfortunately for Vega, this gear did not equip the star with the power of flight and, despite her best efforts?, she was choked out and dumped ringside by former two-time NXT Champion Shayna Baszler, during a wild rampage that resulted in seven other eliminations.

This isn't, of course, Vega's first rodeo in the cosplay realm. At the 2019 Royal Rumble, Zelina entered the match wearing the garb of her Street Fighter namesake. That same month, Vega also appeared at the Mortal Kombat 11 reveal event, this time dressed as Edenian assassin Jade. And previously Vega, alongside her charge Andrade "Cien" Almas, dressed as Pokemon's Team Rocket for a WWE promotional shoot.

I love that wrestlers are just massive nerds now. It's the best timeline.

The 2020 Roy??al Rumble is available to watch now on the WWE Network.

The #WomensRumble just got a dose of @Zelina_VegaWWE at #25! #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/xmmbDthQEG

— WWE (@WWE) January 27, 2020

The post WWE’s Zelina Vega rocks up to the Royal Rumble as Mortal Kombat’s Sindel appeared first on Destructoid.

Who you gonna call?

This Christmas season is, ?in some places, traditionally a time for ghost stories, but if you have one too many of the spooky-ookies floating around ??your manor, then perhaps you need one of these nifty Poltergusts, as designed by the talented team at Volpin Props.

As used by your boy Luigi in the Luigi's Mansion titles, the Poltergust G-00 is a powerful suction device that allows for the swift - if chaotic - removal of ghosts, spiders, and other creepy creatures from every nook and cranny. Unfortunately, the Volpin Props model doesn't appear to have genuine g??host bustin' capabilities, but still, you have to love the meticulous attention to detail and slick design of this smart replica.

Luigi's Mansion 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.

Volpin? Props creates replic??a of the Poltergust G-00 [MyNintendoNews]

The post Check out this real life Poltergust G-00 prop from Luigi’s Mansion 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Take care of yourself, kid

Pro-wrestler Kenny Omega has never been shy when it comes to combining his love of his profession with his love of video games. Ever since he blew up in Japan with the popularisation of Street Fighter moves such as the Hadoken and the Ultimate Atomic Buster, (as well as some amazing in-ring performances), Omega has squeezed gaming refer?ences into his matches whenever possible. And now, as one of AEW's top stars, he gets to do that on a more mainstream stage.

Last night, AEW ran a Halloween theme for its weekly Dynamite show and Omega, true to form, came out sporting a fantastic cosplay of Sans the Skeleton from Toby Fox's beloved RPG Undertale. If the 1:1 look wasn't enough, then Omega even used "Megalovania" from the game's soundtrack as his entrance theme. The entrance was preluded with a smart Undertale-style intro video, that referenced both Omega's past? with New J??apan Pro Wrestling and his DDT "Golden Lovers" partner, Kota Ibushi.

You can check out the full entrance in the video below, from YouTuber Mr BN King.

AEW itself has been making murmurs about producing its own wrestling video game at some point in the future. Given the current state of this year's WWE 2K20, it seems the market is screaming for some mainst??ream competition and, given the passion for gaming many members of the AEW roster share, any such project would be worth keeping an eye on.

AEW Dynamite is screened Wednesday nights on TNT.

The post AEW wrestler Kenny Omega?? rocks Undertale cosplay for Halloween show appeared first on Destructoid.

Also check out our badass banner!

It's always a pleasure ??to do a cosplay gallery, especially when it's for a show that Destructo?id helped host.

That show is none other than EGLX, Canada's biggest gaming convention, which happened this past weekend over in Toronto. Not only did it host esteemed guests like the creator of Assassin's Creed Patrice Désilets, but big players in the esports and financial realms like Enthusiast Gaming CEO Adrian Montgomery, w??ho served as president an??d CEO of Canucks Sports and Entertainment.

Oh yeah, cosplay! You can check out those photos in the gallery below thanks to Shana from our cosplay team. For more information on cosplaying at EGLX, as well as the famous cosplayers that have attended the show, check out this page. Not ??only are there cosplay challenges, but multiple workshops as well: just in case you're thinking of going to future shows!

In other news, our banner for the show (which you can check out below, or here, full res) that was the first thing you saw walking into EGLX, ruled. See if you can spot all of the references, as well as logos for our sister sites and the Rising Stars esports competition.

The post EGLX 2019 cosplay was off t??he chain this past weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

I still don't get why she isn't Cassie Cage though

- Contains match spoilers -

Last night, Pro-wrestling Sports Entertainment promotion WWE held their annual Elimination Chamber pay-per-view out of Houston, Texas. Among the various bouts on offer - including two taking place in the titular monstrosity - WWE RAW women's champion Ronda Rousey defended her titl??e against the punky, spunky Ruby Riott.

In a neat bit of cross-promotion, however, Rousey eschewed her usual leather jacket and kilt getup (a nod to her hero, the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper) and instead turned up to battle loaded for bear as Mortal Kombat's military officer Sonya Blade. Of course, Ronda voices the roster veteran in NetherRealm's upcoming release, Mortal Kombat 11.

It's barely spoilers to reveal that Rousey was successful in retaining her title. That belt ain't going anywhere pre-Wrestlemania. But it was neat to see another fighting game cosplay on the show, following up on Zelina Vega's namesake number from last month's Royal Rumble.

Mortal Kombat 11 launches on PS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch April 25. WWE Elimination Chamber 2019 is now available to watch on th??e WWE Network.

The post Ronda Rousey rocks Sonya Blade outfit at WWE’s Elimination Chamber PPV appeared first on Destructoid.

Shame it wasn't a cage match

Last night, pro-wrestling promotion WWE held their annual Royal Rumble event from Phoenix, AZ. It wasn't great. Fortunately, the show did had its highlights, including an ass-kicking fight bet??ween Asuka and Becky Lynch for the WWE SmackDown Women's title - and this fun cosplay moment from spitfire Zelina Vega.

Vega was an entrant in the Women's Royal Rumble match, a clusterfuck which sees new competitors enter the ring every 90 seconds. When it was time for Zelina to make her entrance, she did so donning the mask and claw of her Street Fighter namesake, along with the Spanish assassin's trademark purple and yellow colours. Thankfully for all involved, she didn't take the cla??w into the ring, and was eventually eliminated when a leprechaun chased her?? out of the building. WWE.

This isn't the first time Vega has dressed as a popular fighting game character. Just this past fortnight she attended the Mortal Kombat 11 reveal in an awesome home-made Jade costume, making an impact alongside fellow WWE wrestlers Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods (as Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn, respectively). Vega has also appeared in promo photos as a member of Pokemon's Team Rocket, alongside her charge, the fantastic An?drade "Cie?n" Almas.

If you have FIVE HOURS to kill, then you can watch the?? 2019 Royal Rumble now on the ??WWE Network.

The post WWE’s cosplay-lovin’ Zelina Vega enters Royal Rumble as Street Fighter’s Vega appeared first on Destructoid.

Back to where it all began

_{Photo credit: Myself - Tracer: RageDarling}

The UK's biggest vid??eo game event, EGX, will be changing location from the Birmingham NEC next year. EGX 2019 will instead emanate from the capital city of London, which is where things originally started out for Gamer Network's annual expo.

London ExCeL is one of the UK's biggest expo centers, often used for large-scale trade shows and summer's uber-popular MCM Comic-Con. Moving EGX to London, however, does raise the cost of travel and accommodation for many of those visiting from outside the capital, especially when c?ompared to the more accessible Birmingham NEC.

Gamer Network's own site Eurogamer has fortunately made mention of plans to help guests with transportation, (because getting around London at the weekend is a living hell, y'see?), and also talks of a "time-limited discount" once tickets go on sale. So stay tuned for further? details. EGX Rezzed will once again take place at Tobacco Dock in April.

EGX 2019 will t??ake place at London ExCeL from October 17-20?.

The post EGX expo s?hifting location to London ExCeL for 2019 appeared first on Destructoid.

I still haven't got my gear together, maybe next year

If there's one thing that's true, it's that Blizzard's Overwatch and the art of cosplay go hand-in-hand. With a roster of heroes of all sorts of shapes and sizes, with a whole host of unique looks, gear, and weaponry, it seems almost custom-designed to encourage cos??players to ply their trade as Tracer, Mei, Junkrat, and the rest of the gang.

It's so popular a cosplay choice, in fact, that Overwatch has announc?ed a special competition for Europe, to find the best and most creative artists to replicate the OW roster. The dress-off will see six teams from the U.K., France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia put forward their very best character recreations. The winners will be ??decided by a jury consisting of Blizzard artists and pro-cosplayers. Fans will also be able to vote online to select a "Community's Choice" champion.

The winners will be declared on November 26. You can find more information over at the official Overwatch Cosplay website. I've been considering cosplaying Sombra for some time now, for the fun of it, but I don't think I'll have my shit together for this competition, which is very lucky for all the other entrants.

Overwatch is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

The post Overwatch announces E??uropean Cosplay Battle tournament appeared first on Destructoid.

Sometimes fashion is the true endgame

When it comes to October, it's pretty easy to come up with an idea for Bloggers Wanted. Halloween presents a lot of options. People will start playing horror games and marathon scary movies, but then there's the u??ltimate question for the day itself:

"What am I going to wear?"

Costumes are, after all, at the very heart of Halloween's fun. Whether you're playing a game with a canon character like Lara Croft, Spider-Man or a customized character in Monster Hunter World or an MMO, you're still face??d with the question of what are you going to look like. Sometimes you even have stat bonuses to further complicate things, while other games have made it so you can have all the lovely stat bonuses and still make something that looks nice to you. Some folks even take this all huge step further and will realize such costumes for real-life cosplay.

As someone that posts often about Final Fantasy XIV, I have spen??t countless hours obtaining all kinds of armor, weapons and accessories from various corners of the game and only for the reason of it looking cool. In fact, once I have a job at 50, I feel obligated to give each of my jobs a fanciful glowing weapon before I press forward.

And then I give each job their own little pet sidekick, because I have decided my character is a Disney princess. Then I write macros that give them a blend of super sentai/Sailor Moon transformations because henshin a-go-go, baby!

But, if I'm honest, my one true love in regards to outfits in the game is the Invalician Samurai set, which I got from the Rabanastre raid. The design is pulled right from the Final Fantasy Tactics' art concept of the female samurai and is wonderfully real??ized. 

But sometimes looking good comes at a price, too. I remember my favorite look for my Corsair in Final Fantasy XI required me wearing pants that reduced my movement speed by twenty percent and some of the best stat-based builds in Monster Hunter can make you look silly. 

So this month's topic for Bloggers Wanted is costumes. Whether the costume is realized in-game or in real-life, we'd like for you to to discuss your favorite creations or tributes to characters, whether it's a custom look, a canon character or even a character skin like you'd find in Overwatch or Fortnite. You can discuss cosplays you've done, or cosplayers you admire. You can even talk about the plight??s of stat-based function over fashion.

The sky is the limit on this one, so head on over to our community blogs and get to writing! Use the prompt "Costume???? party: [Your title here]" and be sure to place "Bloggers Wanted" in the tags!

Now if you'll excus??e me, I have get Bayonetta dressed up. She's heard about everyone and eve?rything becoming Princess Peach and she would like to remind the world she was ahead of the curve on that. 

The post Bloggers Wanted: Costume party appeared first on Destructoid.

Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball

Welcome to the weekend. We're glad you've decided to take some time out from you hardworked-for days off to join us here at Destructoid. How has the week been for you? Hope all of you had a fine one and that life is t??reating you very well indeed.

Video game-wise, most of my time has seen me in Birmingham for EGX 2018, which sees many popular publishers such as Bandai Namco, Nintendo, Capcom, Ubisoft and others gather together to show off their upcoming wares, hoping to grab a chunk of your Holiday cash, well, just your cash in general. I've spent time playing some of their brand new games, which you'll be reading about soon. I also chatted with some lovely cosplayers and caught up on some pinball, of which I am very, very rusty.

How about you fine lads 'n' lasses? Are you still thwipping around New York in Marvel's Spider-Man? Maybe you're taking Lara through the darkest of jungles in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, or have taken to the courts - or the ice - in recent sports releases NBA 2K19 and NHL 19. Whateve??r you're hitting right now, we wanna hear abou??t it!

Have a wonderful ??weekend, from a??ll of us at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

The gays sure are crafty ones

This past weekend, I went up to New York City to attend Flame Con, an event that bills itself as the world's larges?t queer comic con. Artists, writers, and creators were in attendance, the weekend-long event taking place in the Sher??aton New York Times Square Hotel.

As is the case with any other fan convention, there were cosplayers as far as the eye could se??e. I've always been jealous of the craftsmanship and talent of cosplayers, and in Flame Con especially, there was an excess of not only quality but creativity.

Flixist tasked me with taking some photos of my favorite cospla?yers—luckily, my camera died on me immediately, so you all get to enjoy the highest quality that an iPhone 6 can offer.

The gallery is below—I tried my best to give credit where credit was due. That being said, if you see your own cosplay on display here without credit, feel free to contact me through email or through Twitter.

I don't want to necessarily play favorites here, but I am shook every time I look at that Archer cosplay. Hope you enjoy—??and remember to be nice, you degenerates.

• Vice Admiral Holdo (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) - Albinoshadow Cosplay (Facebook | Instagram) & Saavik (Star Trek)
• Aubrey Little (Instagram), Duck Newton (Instagram), Ned Chicane (Twitter) (The Adventure Zone)
• Link and Yiga Clan member (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) (Instagram)
• Luigi (Luigi's Mansion)
• Archer
• MissingNo (Pokémon) - Drag queen Erika Klash (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram)
• Overwatch Summer Games Mei and McCree - Baggincats Cosplay (Instagram)
• Polly Geist (Monster Prom) - Noombles Cosplay (Twitter)
• Korra and Naga (The Legend of Korra)
• Kairi (Kingdom Hearts)
• Original Character (Portal) - (Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter)
• Squirrel Girl (Marvel Comics)
• Beedle and Gerudo Link (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

The post The fabulous cosplay of Flame Con 2018 appeared first on Destructoid.

The battle begins

The whole catalyst behind the conflict of the new World of Warcraft expansion is Azerite. As a powerful new substance born out of the battle with the Burning Legion, pretty much everyone wants to get their hands on it, Alliance and Horde alike. Although the former is led by young King Anduin, Jaina is pretty much ??the focus of this expansion as we visit her hometown of Kul Tiras, as is the Horde Warchief, Sylvanas.

Naturally they'd make a pretty good pair to cosplay, and that's just what Narga and Aoki cosplay did, with Narga as Jaiana and Sylvanas portrayed and created by Elena Himera. In case you're wondering, yep, ??the thing in the middle is a piece of Azerite -- hence my short explanation above.

Narga, who has been a cosplayer since 2008, hopes to one day portray their own World of Warcraft character -- a Night Elf Hunter.

Narga and Aoki cosplay [Facebook]

The post This Warcraft Jaina and Sylvanas cosplay is pret??ty spot on appeared first on Destructoid.

Kids, man

Life changes quickly, and for the most part, I've embraced it. Being a kid is great but getting older and wiser has been an incredible expe?rience: I can synthesize this feeling down to staying up all night eating ice cream and playing video games whenever I want, occasional?ly with my wife, who I get to see nearly every single day.

Now I've added a kid to that equation and I truly understand what "family" means. Being a part of one is its own special reward (depending on your family of course), but making ??one is a new quest, a new adventure, which is part of what makes life so great.

Reddit user BerIsHer's son is also embarki??ng on a micro-adventure of a different kind. They showed off his amazing homemade Link costume and Epona, something I can only ??hope to do one day for my daughter in Zelda form. It really does seem like the perfect series to introduce to kids.

At this point I have a ton of source material to draw from: this artist already gave me ideas for a Zelda nursery years back!

My son's homemade Link costume [Reddit]

The post This kid’s homemade Legend of Zelda Link costume will brighten my spirits for an entire week appeared first on Destructoid.

The bunny charm is a nice touch

Even when she's not firing missiles directly into your face or swallowing Graviton Surges, D.Va is still a threat outside of her mech. Little "baby D.Va" is fragile, sure, but her blaster packs a punch.

Blizzard and Nerf are partnering for a line toy guns inspired by Overwatch and D.Va is up next.

Here comes a new challenger! 🐰

Add //t.co/mvJh2LSpxT’s #NerfRival Light Gun to your arsenal in 2019. pic.twitter.com/DxL6rJNRmy

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) August 3, 2018

Similar to Reaper's shotgun, D.Va's Nerf Rival Light Gun is planned for release in 2019. Blizzard and Hasbro haven't talked pricing yet. The Overwatch brand could command a premium, though.

I don't know what else is in store, but I will absolutely show up for a f??oam-padded Rocket Flail.

Overwatch [Twitter]

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Hot Summer Con

It's summer once again with the con season blazing in regards to the heat, especially in the southern part of the US but the cosplayers are looking cool over at this year's Delta H Con in Houston, Texas. I'm back once again to check out some cosplay at the growing anime and gaming convention in one of the major cities in the country and I must say it's getting bigger along with some impressive cosplay on display. It was q??uite a bit difficult to get a lot of pictures and video (incoming in a couple of days) with the sheer amount of people sprea??d out all over the moderately sized venue.

The three-day anime and gaming event fe??atured cosplay of all sorts of anime-related fun and more. Other fun stuff at Delta H featured cool stuff such as guests, panels, and other events which I will feature in an upcoming video that I will cobbling together for y'all's?? viewing pleasure soon.

Check out some of the cosplay in the gallery!

The post Delta H Con 2018 Cosplay Gallery appeared first on Destructoid.

Instantly

The face paint really gave it away. Maybe it's all those moments I spent basking in the glory of Fierce Deity Link, but I instantly recognized this cosplay from Reddit user Enoughrose as the iconic Majora's Mask persona.

The story behind this particular getup? The wearer claims that no one noticed what they were portraying at a convention. How can one not recognize the sheer terrifying energy of Fierce Deity Link is the real question. Majora was out there, and Link's fierce transformation was part of its mysterious allure. It's also bled into various other Nintendo games like the Smash series and Hyrule Warriors.

After some digging to find out what event this travesty took place at: Enoughrose clarifies that this was at San Diego Comic-Con two years ago and is just sharing the photo now. Yeah, there's plenty of Zelda people ??at Comic-Con. If no one really did recognize it shame?? on them.

I cosplayed as Fierce Deity L?ink only once and nobody knew who I was [Reddit]

The post No on??e allegedly recognized this Zelda Fierce Deity Lin??k cosplay at a con: do you? appeared first on Destructoid.

With Midna!

WonderCon 2018 was just held at the Anaheim Convention Center this past weekend, and man there are some great cosplay pictures coming out of it -- especially in the wake of Marvel's impending Infinity War. 

But one stood out to me in particular -- as posted by BrunchIsAMust on reddit -- this Wolf Link cosplay, compl?ete with a little Midna on top. According to BrunchIsAMust this is their dog (whose name is Navi), who goes to "tons of cons."

The likeness is pretty spot on, and the fact that they can deal with stuff on their back makes them a pretty darn good dog that's perfect f??or petting. I want to meet them one day!

Wolf Link and Midna making their w??ay through W??onderCon [Reddit]

The post And now ??an adorable Wolf Link cosplay from a very good dog appeared first on Destructoid.

The trashiest outfits on the show floor

This month will mark my fourth year writing for the main page of Destructoid. It's been an amazing ride? and I've been able to have a lot of fun meeting developers and publishers from around the world to talk about a hobby we all love. But until this weekend there was one aspect of this job I'd never been able to do before. EGLX marks my first gaming convention and it's been a bit of an eye-opener. So many games, so much merch, so many different and foreign smells.

It's great to see so much passion for this industry. From developers to fans, everyone was excited about video games and nobody put their love of the medium on display more than cosplayers. There are so many cosplayers around the convention hall from all different game genres. I saw a Nathan Drake, a 2B, a Zero Suit Samus -- all exquis??itely done. So many great costumes, but hands-down the most popular character to cosplay as this year was the garbage can.

Everywhere I looked around the convention hall I saw another person cosplaying as a g??arbage can.  Big and small, there was just so much love for the refuse bin that I had to snap some photos to show you the sexiest garbage cans?? from EGLX.

This design was all over the EGLX convention floor, basically the Junko Enoshima of garbage cans. A basic design, sure, but I have?? to give the cosplayer props for using actual garbage for the design. Not many others had that kind of dedication to their art.

This was another popul??ar design at EGLX as many garbage can fans wanted to show their support for green causes by adding recycling and compost elements to their costume. Of all the similar outfits, this went for that extra effort by ?actually breaking part of their headpiece as a way to stand above the competition. Bravo... bravo.

I only saw this cosplayer a couple times at the convention and always in the restroom. I have a feeling they were a bit shy about the quality of their costume, but really the square design absolutely stood out in a sea of rounded tops. It's a niche garbage can for sure, but cosplaying is all about embrac??ing the character but you have to go that extra mile to set yourself apart and that's exactly what they did.

This was one of my original favorites, but as I thought about it?? I realized it's a bit unfair to dress as your favorite garbage can with a full cover over it. It's like they?'re hiding the fact they used Canada's biggest video game convention to dress up as a garbage can. Hopefully next year they'll really embrace it and remove that cover.

Cosplaying is mostly known as an adult activity, but actually, there were many kids dressing up for the event. There wasn't m??any garbage can kids at EGLX, ??but the ones I saw were absolutely amazing. Though I think this kid got some help from his parents on the design.

A?? lot of great garbage cans throughout the weekend, but clearly this was the absolute best?. Simple minded people criticize cosplaying as just an excuse for hot girls to dress scantily, but really it's an art form for people of all sizes. Nobody showcases this more than the wonderful dumpster I found hanging out in the fighting game section. This cosplayer absolutely blew away the competition and is easily the best in show.

The post Check out the ??hottest garbage ca?n cosplayers at EGLX appeared first on Destructoid.

Check some out below

In case you haven't heard, we're hosting a convention this weekend with our parent company, Enthusiast Gaming!

It's been a pretty great weekend so far and the turnout today was massive, which means a lot of cosplayers are out and about doing their thing. Get a look at some of the most impressive cosplayers in the gallery below, and if you're here, attend one of the many meet and greets the con is hosting throughout the weekend.

The post There are a lot of amazi?ng cosplayers at EGLX this weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

Breach, Bang, and Cheer

After a steady influx of new players across its second year, Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege has solidified itself as one of the most popular online titles of the current day. The pro-league of the squad?-shooter culminates in the annual Six Invitational tournament,?? where the top teams face-off in hopes of proving themselves the best in the world, as well as bagging a sweet $50,000 prize.

The Six Invitational 2018 was held last week in Montreal, Canada and was a resounding success, pulling in a peak 321,000 viewers on Twitch, a near 200% increase on last year's audience. Not only that, but Steam figures for the game have spiked since the eve??nt was held, with the game jumping back up the UK chart??s. Thus is the amazing marketing potential of such gatherings.

I was fortunate enough to be in Montreal for this event, having taken a slightly wrong turn in England and somehow ended up ankle-deep in snow on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I'm only what you would call a casual player of Siege. My eSports experience equates to my frequenting many fighting game tournaments nationwide. But I was?? keen to see how the big-bucks competitive scene shapes up, live and in living colour.

The Six Invitational was held at the TOHU, Montreal,? a venue sat in the middle of some snow-adorned wasteland. The building is used, more often than not, for flamboyant performance artists Cirque de Soleil, and as such the arena is circular in nature. The proves the perfect setup for an eSports event, with an almost 360-degree audience surrounding a central ring where the digital warfare takes place.

The ringmaster for this particular CIRCUS OF DEATH is announcer and all-round hype-man Matt Andrews, who spent the weekend as the tournament's emcee, as well as hosting links and interviews with developers, players, and security folk with adorable bomb dogs, for the tournament's Twitch live-steam. And??rews is a large part of making the Invitational feel like a big fucking deal, and his contribution as host should never be overlooked.

Shooters are one of the tougher games to follow i??n a tournament environment. In events such as fighting tournament EVO, you see all the action on-creen, live, as the combatants see it, but once ?you have ten players, each with their own unique eyes on the game, it can become a frantic experience for even the hardened fan, and downright confusing to a beginner.

The Invitational featured ?a variety of methods to try and explain the mise en scene to its viewers. These include huge displays, loaded with on-screen info and some legitimately amazing commentary. For three straight days the commentators broke down everything that was happening on-screen, at speed, ??without repetition, whilst keeping their hype at fever pitch for hours upon end. To explain such fast-paced, complex action, while recognising and explaining team tactics takes intricate game knowledge and vocal professionalism. The commentators' commitment to their role was beyond reproach.

To me, the standout feature of the tournament was simply its expertly-programmed production values. There was great sound and fantastic lighting throughout. Quality floor management skills left nobody bumbling around on-stage. Slick direction kept everything running on-time, with little to no dead air. Crucially, the presenters had none of ?the dreaded "Sooo... what's happening next?" awkwardness, which kills momentum in many tournaments stone-dead.

The matches feature immersive arena effects. As players are Tango Downed, their portraits are marked off of huge digital banners circling the ceiling. Best of all, when a defuser is placed on a bomb map, a frantic alarm rings out through the PA, while the whole audience become bathed in a pulsating red light. To say effects such as these enhance the dramatic intent of a match is an understatement. With these lights, sounds, and the pumped crowd, the Invitational felt more akin to a small-scale WWE show.

During the time-outs between matches, there were some fun side-attractions (besides the frequently-needed old man bladder-emptying). The lobby area featured a gallery of great art by the Siege community, selected and displayed with pride. There were var??ious cosplayers, official and amateur, strolling through ?the venue, all of whom looked like they would cause an International incident if they were to set foot outside the TOHU's doors.

A merchandise stand, selling Siege-branded clothing and other chicanery opened up on the Saturday morning and completely sold out all stock within two hours. For many attendees however, a huge draw of the weekend was the opportunity to get their hands on the upcoming event Outbreak, as well as test out new Operators Finka and?? Lion.

Given Outbreak's viral theme, these LAN setups were amusingly housed in a large bio-hazard tent, patrolled b??y folk in Hazmat suits. There was a consistent queue to play the n?ew content all weekend. Fortunately, as The Industry's Chris Moyse, I was able to swan in and get straight down to having my ass handed to me. Thoroughly and repeatedly.

Sunday was Grand Finals day. After a short medley of the game's foreboding score, played by a guest orchestra, 2017's U.S. champions Evil Geniuses took the stage to fight Europe's PENTA Sport, in the ultimate battle to crown the victors. Taking the first two maps with shocking ease, Evil Geniuses steamrolled their European ?opposition. It was a real "Might as well get your coat" moment.

Then, in the kind of drama reserved for such finals, PENTA stepped up, pulling it back in consecutive maps, and took the match into Overtime. What looked to be an uncontested, one-sided squash, suddenly became an amazing comeback. PENTA would take the tournament, proudly seizing the comically-oversized trophy amidst jets of steam that blew the fuck out of everyone's ear-drums. We had new Rainbow Six Siege champions.

In between the work I had been doing, the constant milling around, and my trademark extended bathroom visits, it had been a long weekend. Stumbling out into the Q??uebecan evening, the thing that stood out in my mind wasn't the awesome Valkyrie cosplayer, my first ever ??plate of Canadian delicacy "Poutine" (cheese and chips, to be honest), or even the intense final -- it was the high-quality production of the whole affair.

eSports is a strange beast. As someone who started gaming in the '80s, you could never, ever have me believe, decades ago, that you could fill an arena with people watching a specific video game being played. I've watched StarCraft and Overwatch tourneys on Twitch and have attended more fighting game tournaments than I care to remember,? but this was the first time I'd seen such a production live and in-person,?? and it was pretty damn awe-inspiring.

From the excellent hosts, to the immersive lighting, sound, and dynamic effects; the slickness of the stage direction, to all the fun side-attractions and fans scurrying about excitedly -- my time at the Six Invitational was a clarifying "I get it now" moment. A realisation of why fans pack out venues for events such as this. It's not even just the tournament. It's the shared social aspect, (even I made some new friends), the pomp and circumstance, the sharing of players' emotional highs and crushing lows. Besides, it's just a great frikkin' day out?.

The Six Invitational showed me what eSports can be, when done with professionalism, a great venue, well-trained staff and, admittedly, a shit-ton of cash, (The latter unfortunately being the biggest stumbling bl??ock for most outfits.) Should an event such as this one swing by your area, even if? you don't care too much for the game involved, grab a couple of pals and take a look. Maybe you too will be bewitched by its appeal... or should that be rappel?

_{[Travel to this event was paid in part by Ubisoft. Hibana/Ash art by @Tanmen_02]}

The post My after-action report of the? Rainbow S??ix Invitational tournament appeared first on Destructoid.

So proud, so majestic

The great jagras pic.twitter.com/cES6QVsQH6

— Honk! (@DorcaPecs) February 6, 2018

Make sure to equip your Bandit Mantle so that he d??rops Large Peels.

The post This Monster Hunte?r Great Jagras cosplay is top notch appeared first on Destructoid.

Returning to the West

Dead Rising was one of my favorite franchises to debut during the last console generation, and the one launch game I thought best made the case for upgrading to an HD system. The game's main draw, having tons of interactive zombies on screen at once, was something that simply couldn't be done on earlier hardware. The extra power allowed nearly everything in the game to be used as a weapon, and most items worked just about as well as you'd expect the??ir real-world counterparts to. What's mo??re, although the cutscenes and story took themselves completely seriously the player never had to, making for some amazing comedy moments.

I think the secret of the game's success has to do with never telling the player "no." Want to eat a rotten hamburger you found in the trash, or mix shrimp with ice cream in a blender? Feel free, but you're going to regret it soon. Want to throw marbles on the ground instead of hitting zombies with a baseball bat? You can do it, but it won't be as useful as introducing them to the business end of a Willamette Slugger. On t?he other hand, deciding to fight a boss while wearing a sassy sundress or trying to take one out with a mannequin torso could end up being surprisingly effective.

With Dead Rising 4, Capcom brings the creative zombie killing simulator back where it all started, returning to the series' original protagonist and setting. Fortunately, the title has also added a lot of features the series has picked up along the way. Since Microsoft's exclusivity deal just expired Dead Rising 4 is heading to the PS4, and Frank's Big Package includes all the DLC released for the Xbox One and PC versions, plus a ne??w mode based on iconic Capcom chara?cters.

Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package (PC, Xbox One, PS4 [tested])
Developer: Capcom Vancouver
Publisher: Capcom
Release: December 5, 2017
MSRP: $49.99 (Current owners of Dead Rising 4 on Xbox One and PC receive Capcom Heroes mode as a free update)

If you haven't seen our review of Dead Rising 4 it's still worth reading, and everything Chris wrote there still applies. It's disappointing not to hear T.J. Rotolo as Frank, and as a longtime fan of the series I feel removing the time limit makes the game a little too easy. I'm also not thrilled that combo weapons can't be crafted at all until after you've tracked down the blueprint. Still, it's a hell of a lo?t of fun plowing through hundreds of zombies using a literal snowplow, and the Christmas setting fits the game's parody of capitalism perfectly. 

The story's set sixteen years after the outbreak that took place in the first Dead Rising, and the town of Willamette Colorado has been rebuilt, complete with a brand new mall smack in the center of town. Survivors of the first outbreak have been wary of a repeat occurrence, so some of them are a little better prepared for the undead. There's a series of tunnels running through the town connecting various safe rooms together, and Frank's learned a few new tricks since his last outing. His time working with Chuck Greene in Dead Rising 2 taught him how to combine items to create combo weapons. Somewhere along the way, he also picked up Nick's ability to merge vehicles into cars that wouldn't look out of place in a Mad Max game.

Frank's came??ra returns to the series, and it's been upgraded with a night vision filter and a scanning mode, perfect for finding hidden collectables or secret caches. New to the series are hidden panic rooms, and if you see the White ??Rook shield logo next to someone's door, it's usually worth your while to inspect the building extra thoroughly. Another new feature lets Frank equip temporary "Exo-suits" that boost his power immensely, but break down after a couple of minutes use.

Frank's Big Package (tee hee) includes all previous season pass DLC released for Dead Rising 4. This includes the option to turn all zombies into elves or give them heart-eyed servbot heads, and also includes some extra costume options for Frank. All of the pre-order bonuses are included, though they can't be crafted, so you'll have to buy them from a vendor or find them in the world. The mini-golf DLC and Frank Rising post-story single-player content are also unlocked from the very beginning, though the game advises playing through the story mode before tackling Frank Rising. Hard and "Blackest Friday" difficulty modes are included as part of the Frank Rising add-on, as is the option to turn on a time limit, ??but only for this mode. The PS4 version also adds the ability to move the map by using the touchpad, an inconsequential update if ever there was one.

New to all versions of Dead Rising 4 is something called Capcom Heroes mode. It's exactly the type of gloriously stupid DLC you'd expect from this franchise. Previous Dead Rising titles have always includ??ed some well-hidden outfits with special powers, but Capcom Heroes puts them f??ront and center. In this mode, Frank can find special Capcom-themed costumes and equip them to gain that hero's abilities and moves for a little while, changing his outfit at any time by visiting special arcade machines. He can complete bonus challenges to unlock each costume's ultimate ability as well as a palette-swapped shadow version of each outfit. 

Capcom Heroes follows the same beats as the main story mode, though Frank can't manage his weapon inventory or craft combo weapons. As such, he's heavily reliant on the powers granted by his costumes to make his way through the horde. You'll probably find a few costumes far more useful than others; Devil May Cry's Dante seemed seriously overpowered, while Cammy's melee focus left her more vulnerable to being grappled? by the undead. (As a side note, to the person who lovingly rendered Frank's ass in Cammy's battle thong? I'd like to speak with you after class.)

Arcade machines are plentiful, so even though each costume has a four-minute time limit, you're rarely far from a refresh. It was great to see some lesser-known Capcom characters get some time in the spotlight, and trying out the various movesets and powers brought back pleasant memories of Street Fighter II, Okami, and Mega Man and Bass. This mode is probably the best way to play through Dead Rising 4 casually, and it's lots of fun even if?? it sucks all challenge whatsoever out of the story mode.

_{Had to share this one with Nic.}

I ran into a few minor errors, mostly inconsequential stuff like zombies clipping through hedges or bodies getting stuck in the walls or ceiling after an explosion went off. It sort of added to the grindhouse nature of the game, so I didn't mind rolling with it. I didn't notice any major glitches, though there was a bit of slowdown when lots o??f explosions were going off at once in the middle of a massive horde. The final cutscenes had some audio issues, and I missed a little bit of what was going on since the subtitles cut out at th??e same time the sound did.

Dead Rising 4 did feel like it might have had less of a budget than Dead Rising 3, and I noticed the town's radio stations only s?eem to play public domain songs. Opening a pause menu and hearing a jazzy Christmas carol helps set the mood better than any licensed tracks would have, so it's hard to complain that Willamette's country station only plays ?covers of "Oh, Susanna" and "Old Dan Tucker."

Dead Rising 4 wasn't as satisfying as my favorite game in the series, Dead Rising 2, but it's still a big load of dumb fun, and perfectly appropriate for the holiday season. Frank's Big Package offers a lot of content for the price, and if you've enjoyed any previous games in the series, you'll probably have fun with this one. Just be aware it's a shallower experience than you may be expecting, especially if you ??start with Capcom Heroes. 

_{[These impressions are based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package makes a 50-year-old man cosplay to survive appeared first on Destructoid.

Does it scream

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time had a great collective of horrifying imagery. It wasn't just the pixelated graphics -- the whole idea of facing down a Shadow Temple with creatures that look like they came straight out of the nightmares of H. R. Giger was a pretty big ask. The fact that they sprayed blood is a "bonus" on the creep-o-meter.

Cosplayer Torayami has embraced it though, posting their ReDead outfit on Reddit for all to see (and scream at). Torayami claims that they know someone who cosplays Dead Hand, and that they'll do a shoot together? eventually. I'd love to see it!

[OC] Redead cosplay [Reddit]

The post If I saw this Legend of Zelda ReDead cosplay on the street I’d probably freeze appeared first on Destructoid.

This year there's plenty of new additions

Every year Blizzard's stable of characters grows a bit. I mean we've had over 10 characters alone in Heroes of the Storm, several in Overwatch, multiple Hearthstone expansions with unique cards, Diablo III's Necromancer, a few Starcraft co-op commanders, and the ongoing World of Warcraft storyline.

Once again Overwatch dominated the cosplay scene at BlizzCon 2017, but you have to appreciate just how far some people are willing to go when it comes to derivatives of existing ideas. You really get to see how deep the community will dive when roaming the halls. I'm talking like, a D.Va outfit that's an exclusive Heroes of the Storm (and not Overwatch) obscure. Or in terms of dedication, like a Junkrat dressed as a Heroes devil skin who put his leg up against a tree to really make his peg leg prop?? pop.

Click the gallery to peruse a few of our fa??vorites!

The post The cosplayers of BlizzCon never cease to impress appeared first on Destructoid.

Fantastic

I see Zelda&??nbsp;related cosplay at nearly every event I attend, but this is something else.

Cosplayer TheCrashProject managed to make a full-on Lynel?? suit for NYCC 2017, a creation that ended up taking them "three long weeks" to prepare. According to his diary-esque gallery, the rear half of the suit was the most difficult party, and consists of "PVC, chicken-wire, and ??foam." According to TheCrashProject, "the rest is all upholstery foam." And love, they forgot to say a lot of love.

Costumes like this, and the many giant Reinhardts I saw at BlizzCon last year (and will see again in 2017) are among my favorites. While there are s??ome incredible humanoid efforts fo?r sure, there's nothing like having a giant robot or beast walk up t??o you at a con.

The Crash Project [imgur]

The post Fin??ally, a Zelda: Breath of the Wild Lynel cosplay appeared first on Destructoid.