Ready to return to the world of Halo? The second season of Paramount Plus' live-action adaptation just released a first look at C??CXP alongside a Februar?y 8 release date.

The news comes a day or two after the streaming service launched its flagship show's first season on YouTube. Unfortunately, the date was leaked via the descriptions for a bit, so it wasn't much of a surprise. However, ??we got our first teaser for the new season and it looks to be a ride for sure.

I Can See Your Halo, Halo

In the minute-and-a-half-long trailer, we see a bunch of wide shots and some action, and the epic scale does feel a bit more on par with viewer expectations. It's just a first look, so we can?? expect a better picture when a full trailer comes around. For now, what we got looks, dare I say, more promising than the first.

Despite Halo receiving mixed reviews, the viewership was record-breaking for Paramount Plus, easily prompting a season two renewal. Well, that could be attributed to its looseness in the adaptation department. I mean, the show's first episode had Master Chief take his helmet off (and if you didn't last through that, he takes off more than just that). Personally, I hope the team takes into consideration the feedback from viewers and crafts a ??series wo??rthy of its fanbase.

Halo stars Pablo Schreiber (Narcos) as Master Chief/John-117 and Jen Taylor (Halo: Combat Evolved) as Cortana, whom we got to speak to last year. The supporting cast boasts the likes of Charlie Murphy (Happy Valley), Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show), and Bokeem Woodbine (Spider-Man: Homecoming), just to name a few. So, if you have time to kill, you can watch all the episodes free of charge via this playlist and finish the fight before February 8.

The post Halo Season 2 scores February r??elease with new first look appeared first on Destructoid.

The mouse is in your house

Sony Interactive Entertainment and Disney have announced that the shiny PS5 platform now has its own native Disney+ app available for download. This will allow users on the platform to access the Disney streaming service on their console in ma?gnificent 4K HDR resolutions.

"A key part of our global expansion strategy is to meet consumers wherever they are, which is why we're excited to enhance both Disney Plus and Star Plus for PlayStation 5 users," notes EVP of product and design for Disney, Jerrell Jimerson in comments to The Verge. "The ability to support 4K HDR video streaming on the platform wil?l also improve the viewing experience for fans.??"

With the arrival of the Disney+ app, subscribers will now have access to an enormous archive of film, TV, and animated content from The House of Mouse. This includes films and shows from the Marvel Cinematic Universe �such as recent Chud-aggravator She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, as well as thousands of hours of classic FOX programming such as the good episodes of The Simpsons and nothing else. Of course, you can ?also check out Disney's legendary catalog ??of classic animated movies, all starring wicked queens that I fancy.

Now that the PlayStation 5 platform offers access to Disney+, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, HBO Max, as well as an abundance of rad video games via the PlayStation Plus service, you basically don't have to leave the couch ever again. Better get started this weekend, however, I'm pretty sure none of us have the time necessary to watch every single episode of every single Star Wars show before we shuffle on.

And I still gotta find space and time for the celluloid excellence that is Hocus Pocus 2.

The post Oh Boy! PS5 now has a 4K HDR suppor??ting Disney+?? app appeared first on Destructoid.

Take your waifus everywhere

The mega-popular anime streaming service Crunchyroll is now available on Nintendo Switch. An official app, available to download today from the eShop, opens up a vast library containing thousands of hours of animated T??V series, movies, and OVAs �all for a relatively modest subscription fee of around $8.

"Mega Fan" and "Ultra Fan" Crunchyroll subscribers can enjoy ad-free viewing ?on Switch in both online and offline capacities, with brand new episodes of current shows often hitting the VOD service within mere hours of their initial transmission. There are currently over 1000 shows and movies available on the service, 996 of which are slice-of-life s??oaps about playing a school sport or running a cafeteria.

Originally founded back in 2006, Crunchyroll has only increased in size and strength with the rising popularity of video streaming services in particular and anime in general. Sony �under its Funimation subsidiary �saw the service's success and swooped in, purchasing the Crunchyroll brand in the summer of 2021 for a staggering $1.175 bill?ion USD. Today, C?runchyroll entertains well over 100 million users

The post A??nime streaming service Crunchyroll now on Nintend?o Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Two hours of Summer Game Fest reveals and updates to get us in the E3 mood

Ahead of a long E3 weekend, we've got Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest 2021 Kickoff event today, which will g?et underway a??t 11:00 a.m. Pacific. I'm roping you in!

We're expecting this lengthy lead-in show to las??t around two hours and have at least a dozen premieres, plus a little something from Weezer. It'll be a hopefully-not-too-frantic test run before the true multi-stream madness of E3 proper begins on Saturday.

//youtu.be/MqXeohrnoaY

On top of the initial Summer Game Fest 2021 Kickoff event, which Keighley says will include 30+ games  �some brand new, some updates �there's also Day of the Devs, a curated look at upcoming indies organized by iam8bit and ?Double Fine.

Straight from the big man himself, the Kickoff news roster will include Black Ops Cold War Season 4, gameplay footage of Evil Dead: The Game (dibs on Pablo!), and "a new adventure from 2K and Gearbox" that's surely Wonderlands.

It's already all blurring together now, and it's not even mid-June yet. Even Jeff Goldblum was invited today. (He said yes.) There's only so much mental bandwidt?h for this st??uff, I know. That said, this crew puts on a good production, all things considered.

My body is not ready for another summer of streams �not even a little �?but we're in this mess together, and that makes it all worthwhile in the end.

The post It’s time to watch the Summer Game Fest 2021 Kickoff stream with us appeared first on Destructoid.

Because it's all just one big mash-up of everyone and everything

Netflix is circling the video game industry, with an eye to getting deeper involved in the realms of interactive entertainment. The movie/TV streaming giant is now on the hunt for a new executi??ve to lead a non-specific gaming division within the company.

According to The Information, sources state that Netflix is attempting to find avenues into the gaming industry, though whether this concerns game development, production, distribution, sales, rentals, or all of the above remains a mystery. Netflix has dipped its toe into gaming before — renting video games in its early years, producing TV series based on titles such as Castlevania and The Witcher and working alongside developer BonusXP for a Stranger Things tie-in title for Nintendo Switch.

Given that we now live in a media world where Everybody wants to do Everything with Everyone and earn All The Money, it figures that Netflix would look to expand into gaming's multi-billion-dollar industry, no doubt hoping to carve out a piece of that pie for itself. What exact form this expansion takes ?remains to be seen, but given the company's stranglehold on streaming, it would be wild if Netflix c??hose to launch its own Stadia-style cloud gaming service. Don't change that dial.

The post Netflix looking to get further involved in the game??s industry appeared first on Destructoid.

It'll be a Riot

It won't be too long before League of Legends has its own Netflix series alongside the many other video game adaptations on the service. A new teaser today announced that Arcane will arrive this fall.

Announced during Riot's 10-year anniversary stream, Arcane is a new animated series that is about two "iconic League champions," and the power that will eventually tear them apart. Following a delay last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, today we got confirmation that Arcane is coming to Netflix and a glimpse of the action, including what looks like current League of Legends champions Jinx and Vi.

The world of @LeagueofLegends is coming to Netflix.
Arcane drops this Fall. pic.twitter.com/7DJgqHpODM

— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) May 3, 2021

Netflix has had no shortage of video game adaptations making their way to the service. Dota: Dragon's Blood has already been locked in for a second season, Castlevania is gearing up for its final season this month (though more could be on the way), and a CGI Resident Evil arrives later this year.

With the world of Runeterra soon joining them, there's plenty of streaming series to go around. Hopefully a firm date's on the way for League's foray into the world of animated series.

The post League of Legends animated series Arcane is coming to Netflix? this fall appeared first on Destructoid.

Even in darkness, a familiar voice can make all the difference

Netflix has released new details regarding its upcoming CGI animation series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, which?? will premi??ere on the TV/movie streaming service later in 2021.

The series will see two of Resident Evil's most likable heroes, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, cross paths once again when their individual investigations converge, pointing toward more shady conspiracies, reanimated horrors, and a zombie raid on The White House itself. In a very fan-pleasing piece of news, Netflix has confirmed that actors Nick Apostolides and Stephanie Panisello will be reprising their roles from 2019's excellent Resident Evil 2 Remake, addi?ng some?? immersive familiarity to the show's protagonists.

Behind the scenes, the production of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness will be supervised by Capcom's Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who has worked in close proximity on many Resident Evil games and anime adaptations. The animation is being produced by the legendary TMS Entertainment, a long-running anime studio most recently renown for their great work on CGI movie Lupin III: The First.

While no specific date has been announced for Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness' premiere, the show will feature at the Anime Japan 2021 festival on March 27. Hopefully we'll receive further details, and perhaps even a new tr??ailer, during the course of that weekend.

Even in darkness, a familiar voice can make all the difference. pic.twitter.com/86LrMsbskY

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) March 12, 2021

The post Resident Evil 2 Remake actors? wil?l return for Netflix series Infinite Darkness appeared first on Destructoid.

Production finally begins on live action adaptation

It's taken the best part of a decade to get cameras rolling and slates chalked, but it seems that Amblin Entertainment's TV adaptation of Bungie's seminal shooter Halo is finally ready to go into production, with a tentati??ve release dat??e of Q1 2022.

As reported by Deadline, the Halo TV series is currently set to continue its shooting schedule in Budapest, which was halted by the start of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first season will launch on ViacomCBS' paid streaming service Paramount+ and will tell the story of an interstellar conflict between humanity and a mysterious alien species known as The Covenant. Pablo Schreiber (American Gods) will step into the role of Spartan Commando Master Chief, while Natasha McElhone (Solaris, Californication) will play while scientist Dr. Catherine Halsey, while Jen Taylor will reprise her role from the ?video game series as iconic?? A.I. companion, Cortana.

"(The show) delivers the visceral excitement of playing the game, along with a muc?h deeper emotional experience around the Spartans, human beings who got their humanity chemically and genetically altered," explained Showtime Networks CEO David Nevins to Deadline. "The story is about reclaiming what makes them human, and therefore it’s a very powerful story."

The Halo TV project was officially announced by none other than Stephen Spielberg himself, during Microsoft's notorious Xbox One reveal way back in 2013. Pre-production on the long-awaited series would not begin for another two years, however, with cameras finally rolling in 2020. In all, the journey from announcement to premiere will have taken eight years, so here's hoping that the show will deliver for Halo's legions of dedicated fans... or is at least as good as Frogger.

Halo TV series moves from Showtime to Paramount+ [Deadline]

The post Halo TV s??how will premiere on Paramount+ in early 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

Dune is in the house, literally

Warner Bros. has released a trailer showcasing the string of cinematic releases headed to theaters and streaming channel HBO Max in 2021. Buried among the films that feature in the exciting montage are the first live-action glimpses of the new Mortal Kombat movie.

Directed by newcomer Simon McQuoid and starring a cast of expert martial arts actors, Mortal Kombat will tell the story of a group of humans - including new boy Cole Young - hand-picked to represent EarthRealm in a once-in-a-generation tournament held by the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung. While several still images from the movie were revealed earlier in the month, the HBO Max trailer gives us our ??first look at the movie in action, with blink-and-you'll-miss-them appearances by Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, and the ice-master himself, Sub-Zero.

Elsewhere in the trailer, we are teased with footage from Denis Villeneuve's Dune and James Gunn's Suicide Squad, alongside brief snippets of Those Who Wish Me Dead, Godzilla vs. Kong, Tom & Jerry and, most importantly, Space Jam: A New Legacy. All of these movies will premiere day-and-date in theaters and on ?the streaming service, in efforts to get the wheels turni??ng in the movie industry as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Mortal Kombat will premiere April 16.

The post HBO Max ‘premieres’ trailer features first glimpses of Mortal Kombat movie appeared first on Destructoid.

Featuring your favorite MK kharacter: Cole Young

After a long wait, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have finally released images and plot details concerning the upcoming cinematic adaptation of NetherRealm Studios' bloodthirsty fighter Mortal Kombat.

The new images – first revealed by Entertainment Weekly – give fans their first look at the new picture's cast of iconic heroes and villains, including elemental ninja Su??b-Zero, Black Dragon arms dealer Kano, and U.S. special forces agents Jackson "Jax" Briggs and Sony?a Blade.

Mortal Kombat will tell the story of a washed-up MMA fighter - played by Wu Assassins' Lewis Tan - who finds himself thrust into an inter-dimensional battle with the forces of Outworld, lead by evil sorcerer Shang Tsung (Skyscraper's Chin?? Han). A selection of Earth's fighters, all of whom share a mysterious mark, (have a guess), are brought together under the guidance of elder god Lord Raiden, to engage in a battle for humanity itself.

Director Simon McQuoid was eager to point out that Mortal Kombat will feature "gore, blood, and fatalities," with Tan adding that there are some "crazy" fatalities." They're brutal, man," said Tan. "They, they don't hold back." Mortal Kombat is shooting for an "R" rating, though McQuoid also noted how difficult it was going to be to avoid the dreaded "NC-17" certificate, which is generally considered deathsville at the U.S. ??box office.

Mortal Kombat – which began production back in 2019 – has been in the can for some time now, but has had a fragile release schedule due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new film will be one of a number of Warner Bros. movies released simultaneously in theaters and on paid streaming service HBO Max. Denis Villeneuve's Dune, DC Comics' Wonder Woman '84 and The Suicide Squad, and The Matrix 4 are all scheduled to roll out in simi??lar fashion.

Mortal Kombat will debut in theaters and on HBO Max April 16.

The post Mortal Kombat movie finally reveals first ?images and? plot details appeared first on Destructoid.

I recently downloaded every Wii U game I want for safekeeping

It's too early to feel nostalgic about the Wii U – or is it? (You're right.? It probably is.)

Nintendo has confirmed that Netflix will no longer be usable on Wii U or 3DS as of Ju??ne 30, 2021. The app was already delisted from the eShop on December 31, 2020, but soon it'll be outright discontinued. If you're one of the few who still uses Netflix on either platform, come June 30, you won't be?? able to.

These things happen. Legacy systems fade away. Digital game stores won't last forever, and that goes double for streaming services. But at the same time, wow, the Switch doesn't have its own Netflix app.

As superi??or a system as the Nintendo Switch is, I have a soft spot for the Wii U. It's clunky to load anything, and the GamePad range limitations aren't ideal, but I still enjoy it for Virtual Console purposes.

Over the holiday break, I randomly got the urge to comb through my digital Wii U library. I cleared out all of the games I don't expect to return to (mostly titles that have since been ported to Switch like Pikmin 3) and downloaded everything I wanted on my console so it's good to go if and when games are ever pulled from the store. The one-by-one process was tedious – and it felt so bizarre to spend money on a few more Game Boy Advance titles in 2020 including Final Fantasy Tactics Advance – but it's done. My Wii U library is now "locked in place," and there's some??thing reassuring about that knowledge.

Also, I finally took the time to get homebrew running on my Wii U and dang was that worthwhile.

The post The Netflix ap??p for ??Wii U and 3DS will be shut off in June appeared first on Destructoid.

Not a moment too soon

After missing the console's launch, HBO Max is now on Pla??yStation 5 in t?he United States.

This really shouldn't be a big deal – it's one of many streaming apps – but given how elusive HBO Max can be on certain platforms and devices (like Roku), it's a sigh-of-relief news story for a lot of us hoping to go hard on movies in 2021. (Speaking of: here's a list of supported apps on PS5, if you need it.)

If you're unable to install HBO Max on your PS5, try restarting it – that sh??ould do the trick.

@PlayStation [Twitter]

The post You can watch HBO Max on PS5 as of today appeared first on Destructoid.

The Keighleys 7: Maximum Cool

Tonight -- a night when people usually dress up all fancy and gather together for the most high-profile celebration of games -- won't see any tuxes or gowns or high heels or graphic tees underneath blazers. This year, which is the spiritual embodiment of wine in a can,?? will instead celebrate games from a racer-style chair with a bookshelf full of anime and Funko Pops behind it.

It's time for The Game Awards and because of the state of [gestures broadly at all of existence], we have to do it a little differently than usual. They do. We don't. We get to sit here in the comments section like always, watching you guys throw down 2,000 or so thunderous dunks. Do me proud and break last year's total.

If you need a reminder, here's who's up for awards this year. It starts an hour and a half from now at 6:30pm Eastern / 3:30pm Pacific with the pre-show (and there's a NieR Replicant section during this). The proper show kicks off ?at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific. We'll laugh. We'll cry. We'll bitch.

If you can't join us -- in which case, you're seriously missing out on the magic ?of this comment thread -- a few of us will be breaking out all the news stories from th??e Game Awards reveals. You can catch it all on the front page. There may be a few typos because we'll have wine-in-can in tow. Those cab-stained lips are a dead giveaway, Jordan!

The post Let’s close out this disaster of a year by watching The Game Awards together appeared first on Destructoid.

In lieu of all those launch games

Xbox has revealed the line-up of entertainment and str??eaming apps that will arri??ve on Xbox Series X and S come launch, which is just one short week from today, believe it or not.

Once they unwrap their shiny new box, proud owners wi??ll be able to use a selection of the most popular TV and Video streaming services, which to be fair are probably available on every other device in your house, but the choice is still nice. Services available include movie channels Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, TV streamers such as HBO Max, Disney +, and NOW TV, alongside popular online services such?? as YouTube, Twitch, and Spotify.

Xbox not only promises that the services will boost the  image clarity, color, and dynamic sound experiences of your favorite se??rvices, but also notes that it has slashed the loading time of the Microsoft Store and its respective services in half, allowing you to access your entertainment faster than ever before.

You can check out a full list of the available services on the official Microsoft blog. It should be noted that cert??ain channels may or may no?t be available dependent on country.

Xbox Series X launches November 10. Xbox will be holding a launch live stream to mark the occasion.

The post Xbox Series X reveals laun?ch-day entertainment apps includin?g Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify appeared first on Destructoid.

The Sound of Silence

Twitch has implemented a mass purge of videos and clips from the VOD sections of its huge user base. Thousands of clips were removed from Twitch users' archives in a mass crackdown of the use of copyrighted material on the live-str?eaming website. Twitch has forgone its usual routine of re??questing users take down the videos themselves, and is not offering those affected the opportunity to appeal.

In an email to many of its partners, obtained by esports writer Rod Breslau, Twitch stated that "We recognize that by deleting this content, we are not giving you th?e option to file a counter-notification or seek a retraction from the rights holder. In consideration of this, we have processed these notifications and ??are issuing you a one-time warning to give you the chance to learn about copyright law and the tools available to manage the content on your channel."

Twitch also requeste??d that all of its users go through their archives and voluntarily remove all videos that feature copyri??ghted video, music, or other media. The purge is believed to be a Hail Mary play instigated by the streaming site after it had received "thousands" of individual complaints and DMCA notices from music labels and other copyright holders, leading to an unmanageable backlog of videos requiring investigation.

Twitch purges videos af??ter "thousands" of requests from ?music labels [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Twitch deletes ‘thousands’ of videos in mass DMCA crackdown by copyright holders appeared first on Destructoid.

Shut up and take our money!

Update: Head on over to our Twitch channel at 8:30PM EST to watch all of the action!

Back in June, we hosted our first ever So You Think You Can St?ream contest, s??ponsored by G-Fuel and Luminosity. We got to see a lot of talented individuals, and a couple of impeccably sexy faces from the jbsgame.community, compete to win $5,000. Not only was it a huge success, but it was also just a g??enuinely fun time for a lot of the folks? involved. 

Well, as soon as that contest drew to a close, we decided that we should make an even bigger and better one happen in the very near future. Starting on August 2, that contest?? will be underway, and we hope to see as many folks from the jbsgame.commu?nity check it out!

After listening to a lot of audience and streamer feedback, we’ve decided to make a few changes?? to ??the format for our second contest.

During the initial So You Think You Can Stream contest, entrants had twenty minutes to demonstrate their talents as Twitch streamers to the jbsgame.community?? and Dreezy, one of our two resident streamers. They were then ranked both on skill and style points – essentially, how good they were at the game, and how entertaining they were.

From there, the ??top three, and a personality vo??ted for by the community, battled it out for that top spot.

Here’s a few of the changes that we’ve? made for our second contest:

First off, we’re cutting out the skill points cate?gory for voting. Folks will now be ranked entirely on how stylish they are. What counts as stylish, you might be asking? That’s simple! It’s a measure of how entertaining you are. Are you adept at coming up with amusing puns on the spot? Do you have a kickass lighting setup? Are you just downright fun to chat with? These could all count towards those sweet, sweet style points.

Then there’s a couple of changes to the tournament str?uctu?re, itself.

For the first round in this tournament, entrants will have ten minutes to impress us (and Dreezy) with their personalities while they play any game of their choosing. Heck, even Old School RuneScape would be valid here. The one caveat is that the game must be appropriate to stream on Twitch. Apologies to anyone who wanted to stream Nekopara, but this means that you'll need to uninstall?? that 18+ patch.

During the second round, there’ll be three judges selected by Destructoid instead of just Dreezy. Only th?e top twelve contestants from round one? will move over to this stage of the competition.

During both of these round?s, community members will still be able to vote alongside Dreezy and the other judges and, like the initial tournament, results will be pooled to de?termine who moves on to the next round.

Community picks, t??oo, will still be totally ??in effect. And neither Dreezy nor any other non-audience judge will be able to impact who moves on to that final round.

Oh, and I guess there is the most obvious change: the prize is now $10,000 instead of $5,000.

Alongside this wonderful cash prize, the winner will be fast-tracked to the top 32 during Luminosity Gaming’s upcoming Rising Stars tournament, where they can battle it out to win $100,000 and a one-year contract with these esports titans! This opportunity would have been offered as a prize to the winner of? our previous So You Think You Can Stream contest, RockyNoHands, but his performance was just so impressive that he was signed up with ??the organisation pretty much immediately.

The post Destructoid’s So You Think You Can Stream finale is tonight! Tune in at 8:30PM ET appeared first on Destructoid.

Watch it live

Today's the day! The first ever mobile-centric streaming event, Pocket Gamer LaunchPad, is going live today at noon eastern.

Experience game reveals, updates, news, and maybe even some surprises over the next three days focused on the juggernaut that is mobile gaming. Once the streaming is do??ne, our sister site Pocket Gamer will continue the action reporting on the?? day's events with updates, editorials, and more.

Whip ou??t your laptops -- or better yet, phone?s -- and follow along with us!

_{[Disclaimer: Pocket Gamer LaunchPad is co-produced by Destructoid parent company Enthusiast Gaming.]}

The post Join us for ??Pocket Gamer L??aunchPad, today through Saturday appeared first on Destructoid.

The Summer of Streams continues

With E3 and most other major conventions pretty much out of the picture this year, develo?pers, publishers, and even entire industries are taking matters into their own hands with streams announcing their wares. And with mobile gaming industry being such a huge force in the gaming world, why wouldn't they jump on the bandwagon?

Our sister site, Pocket Gamer, took up the mantle to produce Pocket Gamer LaunchPad, the wor?ld's first mobile-centric digital streaming event.

LaunchPad's inaugural event takes place July 23-25 and features n?ew games, updates, major announcements, and more covering the wide world of mobile gaming. Video streams, featuring announcements from studios and developers, will be streamed each day of the event from 12-2 PM EST with scheduled video and editorial, announcements, and news throughout the day. Gamers can expect live coverage, hands-on demos, and even some giveaways both on Pocket Gamer and across our Enthusiast Gaming network.

Mobile gaming continues to be a rising influence among gamers, old and new. Don't believe me? I own a PS4, Switch, and several legacy consoles, and yet I log roughly 40 hours a week playing Picross Galaxy on my phone. So long as pe?ople have smartphones, they're going to have gam?es to lug around with them everywhere. It's real, y'all.

Those interested can keep up with LaunchPad by:

• Sign up for the newsletter
• Subscribe to the YouTube channel
• Join the new Discord
• Check out the LaunchPad online hub

Be sure to check out t??he Pocket Gamer LaunchPad event, July 23-2??5.

The post Countdown initiated for Pocket Gamer LaunchPad, the first-ever digital mobile games event? on July 23-25 appeared first on Destructoid.

Congratulations Rocky!

Update: Congratulations to RockyNoHands, our grand prize winner!  A special thanks to all of our contestants and everyone in our community that voted. If you missed the show, check out the replay here. 

Folks, this is not over yet -- a new competition will be announced in the next two weeks as we get ready for this year's Luminosity Gaming Rising Stars tournament, with a prize pool of $30,000. Stay tuned!

--

Over the past month, dozens of streamers – including some familiar (and impeccably sexy) faces from the jbsgame.community – battled it out in our first ever So You Think You Can Stream competition.

The prize? $5,000 (American dollars, not Dollarydoos) and a fast-track to the top 32 in Luminosity Gaming’s upcoming Rising Stars competition, where they’ll once more battle it out for an even grander prize; $100,000 and one year contract to stream with these espor?ts titans.

Well, it’s nearly over. Tonight, the top three streamers, and a fan-favorite voted for by the community, will battle?? it out for the top prize.

Here’s our top three contestants:

• Fifakillvizualz
• RockyNoHands
• RLaw

Alongside those three streamers will be the community’s pick, BadGalShay!

It’s been a heck of a month, though. We’ve seen streamers dance merrily in Christmas tree costumes, folks attempting to appeal to our res??ident streamer – Dreezy’s – rampant mayonnaise lust, and we got a chance to hear ZombieCorps’ smooth and sultry radio-friendly voice. We also got t??o see PerfectlyBalancedGus's adorable kitten during his pre-stream interview!

Cat streams are best streams.

Oh, and I guess the community was subjected to the sight of me attempting to string together some vaguely-coherent commentary after a few beers, but that’s neither here ??nor there. Mistakes were?? made.

Either way, it’s going to be a great finale! So, come join us at 8PM EST on the Destructoid Twitch channel and check out all the action!

The post Destructoid’s Stream Talent Contest is over, and we have a winner! appeared first on Destructoid.

Hosted by Lorenzo Lamas

Calling all streamers, content creators, YouTubers, Twitchers, pontificators, ta??lking heads, and smartasses -- think you've got what it takes to impress Mr. Destructoid and win the hearts and minds of our?? adoring fans? Then enter our So You Think You Can Stream? challenge!

We're looking for the next big name in streaming and it just could be you! From June 15-30 we're asking all talented streamers to throw their name into the h??at to auditio?n to be Dtoid's next big thing.

Entrants will choose a battle royale or online shooter of their choice and strut their stuff for judging in front of Dtoid's resident streamer Dreezy and the jbsgame.community via chat. Streamers will b?e judged on:

Skill

• Aim/Accuracy
• Reaction Time/Reflexes
• Map Awareness
• Shot Calling/Team Communication
• Strategy
• Leadership/Moral

Style

• Personality (Wit, Intelligence, Humor, Uniqueness)
• Overall Appearance
• Setting/Background
• Stream Setup (Mic, Cam, Lighting, PC/Console)
• Interaction with community/chat
• Flow of stream, Consistency

Stre?amers will present via a 20-minute audition and then be judged accordingly based on the above criteria??. The top three streamers will move onto the final round, wherein after one more round of streaming a grand champion will be crowned.

I know y'all like prizes, so here they are: Our winner will receive $5,000, an invitation? to be a guest judge on future shows, and a fast-track to the top 32 in Luminosity Gaming's RISING STARS contest wherein the winner of that competition will receive $100,000 and a one year contract to stream with them.

So, you ??think you can stream? Enter via the link below, wherei??n you'll find full judging criteria and rules as well as the entry form. Good luck, and happy streaming!

Destructoid Presents "So You Think You Can Stream?" $5000 C??ompetition

The post Destructoid presents ‘So You Think You Can Stream?’ $5000 Competition appeared first on Destructoid.

A new addition to Destructoid.tv!

Earlier in the month we kicked off the new year with some more Dreezy st?reams, but as some of you who may follow the Twitch channel have noticed, we've introduced a new streamer in the form of Greekology to the channel! You can check out a brief montage of his antics at the bottom of this post!

As always, though, we'll be giving away copies of whatever is currently streaming or Amazon gift cards to lucky viewers! To be el??igible to win, you'll first need to type “!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel.
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord group.

The current streaming schedule:

Monday: 8:30pm - 1:30am
Tuesday: 8:30pm - 1:30am
Wednesday: 2:00pm - 7:00pm
Thursday: 2:00pm - 7:00pm
Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm
Sunday: 8:30pm - 1:30am

So relax, pull up your fav??orite chair, and listen to the sights and sounds of video games being streamed on the in??ternet! Heck, maybe you'll even win a game or two along the way!

The post We’re live again on Twitch this week with Dreezy and newcomer Greekology! appeared first on Destructoid.

Reminder: PlayStation Vue closes on January 30, 2020

Sony's live television streaming service PlayStation Vue is shutting down on January 30. In a bid to fill that void, one of the competing live TV services, YouTube TV, is now available on PlayStation 4.

For $50 per month, YouTube TV includes networks like CBS, NBC, ESPN, HGTV, and AMC along with local sports and news. The YouTube TV app can already be found on a range of TV, mobile, and streaming devices, but certain older models lack support, so a native PlayStation 4 app will have its? place.

Beyond live TV, there's also on-demand support and a super useful cloud-based DVR ?feature.

I'm not sure how many vagrant Vue subscribers YouTube TV will manage to pick up (I imagine some subscribers w??ill have already made the switch to another alternative like Sling TV), but I'm happy enough with the service as someone who can share – and split the cost with! – my family.

It doesn't have every channel I want, but it slots? in nicely with some of the other streaming services.

YouTube TV [PlayStation Store via Twitter]

The post PS4 adds YouTube TV support right as V??ue fades into the sunset appeared first on Destructoid.

New year, same Dreezy, unless you count the continued lack of body hair...

That's right! We're kicking off the new year on Twitch and ??we need your recommendations. 2020 is gonna be a packed and exciting year and we wanna know which new and upcoming games you folk??s wanna see!

Maybe you wanna see Dreezy stumble his way through Night City in Cyberpunk 2077? Perhaps some JRPG goodness with Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE Encore later this month!? Let us know! As always, we'll also be giving away copies of whatever is currently streaming or Amazon gift cards to lucky viewers! To be eligible to win, you'll first need to type “!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two sim??ple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel. 
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord group.

The current streaming schedule:

Wednesday (January 1, 2020)
Time: 6pm - End Of Challenge
Stream: Multi streaming challenge

Thursday (January 2, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30am
Stream: Live With Nanerboots

Saturday (January 4, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30am
Stream: Smash Ultimate

Monday (January 6, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm 2:30am
Stream: Hades

Tuesday (January 7, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30am
Stream: Live With Nanerboots

Thursday (January 9, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30am
Stream: Slay the Spire

Saturday (January 11, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30pm
Stream: The Binding Of Isaac

Monday (January 13, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30pm
Stream: TBD

Tuesday (January 14, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30pm
Stream: Live With Nanerboots

Thursday (January 16, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30pm
Stream: TBD

Saturday (January 18, 2020)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30pm
Stream: TBD

So relax, pull up your favorite chair, and listen to the sights and sounds of a man who sacrificed body hair this past year for video games live on the internet for your entertainment. Hell, maybe you'll even win a game or two along the way! This is the path Dreezy has chosen (and we've contractually locked him in??to it). Just as things were always intended.

The post We’re live on Twitch for the new year and taking upcoming game recommendations! appeared first on Destructoid.

Always a good time

It's the most wonderful time of the year. It's that magical night where we all gather 'round the glow of our monitors and settle in for the video game industry's most high-profile awards show. Here are all the nominees. In lieu of the glitz and glamour of a c??elebrity-packed red carpet, we'll get a night that's equal parts awards and game reveals. A look to the past, a look to the future.

If you're on this exact page, chances are that The Game Awards are only a fraction of the night's entertainment. The jbsgame.community always puts on a fine show in the comments section, a quick-moving stream of commentary and snark that manages to outshine the summer's E3 press conferences. If you need proof, look at 2018's show where y'all closed in on 3,000 comments.

Get ready because it's going to be an absolute ride, and we're in it together. It kicks off a half hour from now at 8:30pm Eastern / 7:30pm Central / 5:30pm Pacific, with streams available on a bunch of platforms including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Mixer, and Steam. If you can't join us, we'll be breaking out all the news?? as it happens.

I??t's your time to shine. Pitter patter, let's get at 'er.

The post Let’s watch The Game Awards together appeared first on Destructoid.

All games and no body hair

Join us and witness Dreezy consume the sweet, sweet juice of victory in Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare! As alway?s, we'll also be giving away copies of whatever is currently streaming or Amazon gift cards to lucky viewers! To be eligible to win, you'll first need to typ??e “!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel. 
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord group.

The current schedule for this week:

Tuesday (December10, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Rocket League

Wednesday (December 11, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm 1:30am
Game: Apex Legends - CoD Modern Warfare

Thursday (December 12, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: CoD Modern Warfare - Apex Legends

Saturday (December 14, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 2:30am
Game: TBD - New game release

So relax, pull up your favorite chair, and listen to the sights and sounds of a man who sacrificed body hair (on nume??rous occasions now) for video games live on the internet. Maybe even win a game or two along the way! It's always as things were intended to be.

The post We’re live on Twitch this week with FPS and giveaways galore! appeared first on Destructoid.

Now with 100% less chest and facial hair!

Dreezy continues his conquest in Pokémon Sword to become the best there ever was in the Galar r?egion and now with as little body hair as possible! As always, we'll also be giving away copies of whatever? is currently streaming or Amazon gift cards to lucky viewers! To be eligible to win, you'll first need to type “!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel.
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord group.

The current schedule for this week:

Monday (November 25, 2019)
Time: 11:00pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword

Tuesday (November 26, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Borderlands 3

Thursday (November 28, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword

Saturday (November 30, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 3:00am
Game: Pokémon Sword

Don't forget to also check out the VOD for last week's TUESDAY NIGHT WAXDOWN! Featuring Nanerboots who was tasked with waxing Dreezy's chest for the glory ?of internet viewage! So, relax, pull up your favorite chair, and listen to the sights and sounds of a man who sacrificed body hair (on numerous occasions now) for video games live on the internet. Just as things were always intended to be.

The post We’re live on Twitch this week with even more Pokemon Sword! appeared first on Destructoid.

Tuesday night waxdown!

Dreezy is live this week on the Destructoid Twitch channel with Pokémon Sword and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare! We're also gonna be giving Dreezy another round of waxing this Tuesday with special guest Nanerboots! But, what games do you wanna see? ?We're always in need of more community requested games for every Monday, so, feel free to let us know in the comments down below or in the Destructoid Discord channel!

We'll also be giving away copies of whatever is currently streaming to lucky viewers! To be eligible to win, you'll first need to type &ld?quo;!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel.
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord channel.

The current schedule for this week:

Monday ( November 18, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword & Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Tuesday (November 19, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 3:30am
Game: Getting chest waxed Live o?n stream and then Yoga with Nanerboots!

Thursday (November 21, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword & Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Saturday (November 23, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 3:30am
Game: Pokémon Sword & Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

So, relax, pull up your favorite chair, and listen to the? sights and sounds of a man who will once again sacrifice chest hair and sanity for video games live on the internet. Just as things were a??lways intended to be.

The post We’re live on Twitch this week with Pokemon Sword and another round of chest waxing! appeared first on Destructoid.

Put your Switch in airplane mode and update your Roku device

Out of seemingly nowhere, Roku devices are mysteriously freezing, crashing, and restarting themselves in an endless, hair-pulling loop. Is it a faulty app? Ba?d hardware? No one seemed to know.

This past weekend, I experienced these issues first-hand with a Roku TV, and I never would've guessed the culprit: Pokémon. Specifically, Pokémon Sword and Shield and their wireless capabilities.

To make a long and frustrating story short, users on reddit figured out that by putting their Switch in airplane mode while playing the new Pokémon games, their Roku device would suddenly stop restarting itself – no need for a factory reset, a return policy, or a sledgehammer. The issue, it seemed, stemmed from Sword and Shield's Y-Comm feature, which lets players interact online and, in thi??s case, locally.

As someone who spent hours trying to?? figure out th??is reboot problem on Saturday, it's astounding to me that anyone was able to put two and two together and also devise a short-term solution.

After a bizarre weekend, Roku is now aware of the Pokémon-related bug, and a fix is ready.

In a statement to CNET, the c?ompany said "a limited number of Roku devices" were affected, and it recommended using airplane mode on Switch. "We are rolling out a software update to resolve [the bug] and impacted users can check for the update by going into Settings > System > Software Update."

What if the Roku restarts aren't caused by your copy of Pokémon? What if you don't even own a Switch? "If the [issue] is caused by a nearby Nintendo Switch that is not yours, unplug the Roku device from the power source temporarily," according to Roku. "Reconnect to power at a later time, possibly at night time, so that the Roku device can automatically check for an update during the night." Good luck.

What a wild turn of events.

Service Alert - Nintendo Swi?tch and Pokémon information - November 17, 2019 [Roku]

The post ??Is your Roku continuously restarting? Pokemon migh??t be the culprit appeared first on Destructoid.

Spooky games for the spooky season!

Dreezy is live this week once again on the Destructoid Twitch channel with this week's community in the form of F.E.A.R. and some new releases throughout the week such as The Outer Worlds and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare! But, as always, we're in need of more community requested ga??mes for next week, so, feel free to let us know in the comments down below or in the Destructoid D??iscord channel!

We're also gonna be giving away copies of whatever is ??currently streaming to lucky viewers! In order to be eligible to win, you'll first need to type “!raffle” into the Twitch chat to enter and complete two simple steps:

• You need to be following the Destructoid Twitch channel.
• As well as join/be a member of the Destructoid Discord channel.

The current schedule for this week:

Monday (October 28, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: Community Pick = F.E.A.R

Tuesday (October 29, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game: The Outer Worlds / COD: Modernware

Thursday (October 31, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 1:30am
Game:? TBD (most likely another ??scary game for Halloween)

Saturday (November 2, 2019)
Time: 9:30pm - 3:30am
Game: The Outer Worlds / COD: Modernware

So, relax, pull up your favorite chair, and???? listen to the sights and sounds of a man who sacrificed hair, sanity, and now his deepest fears during this blessed time of year!

The post We’re live again on Twitch this week with F.E.A.R. and more! appeared first on Destructoid.

One less option for cord-cutters

Sony is dropping its live television streaming service PlayStation Vue on January 30, 2020, citing a "highly competitive Pay TV industry" and ongoing conc??erns over "expensive content and network deals."

Over the past four years, PlayStation Vue established a dedicated following – our own Chris Carter loved the DVR capabilities – but it's an increasingly crowded and divvied-up market ou??t there for streaming. Sony Interactive Entertainment couldn't offer the licensed content it needed to in a sustainable way. Going forward, the company will "remain focused on [its] core gaming business."

In a blog post today, Sony said that "PlayStation fans can continue to access movie and TV content through the PlayStation Store o??n PS4 and via our partnerships with top entertainment apps."

If you're affected by the shutdown, your alternatives are Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV??.

As for the end: "Active paid? subscribers will receive their final charge for PlayStation Vue in December 2019, unless they cancel prior to t?heir billing date," and they'll be able to watch until January 30.

PlayStation Vue will s??top accepting n?ew trials and resubs "soon."

Sony Interactive Entert?ainment to Shu?t Down PlayStation Vue [PlayStation Blog]

The post PlayStation Vue is closing on January 30, 2020 appeared first on Destructoid.