Fallout 4's next expansion, Vault-Tec Workshop, comes out later this month, but you won't have to wait until release to see it in action.

Bethesda has announced that it will show off the content as part of a livestream scheduled for this coming Tuesday, July 12. The event will be broadcast on Twitch.

Vault-Tec Workshop is priced at $5. It allows players to create a "massive" vault and outfit it with a number of new items. Players can also conduct experiments on dwellers.

Here is the expansion's official description:

"Build a brighter future underground with the all-new Vault-Tec Workshop. Create a massive vault and attract new dwellers using pre-war industrial kits complete with retro-nostalgic furniture, lighting, and art. And like every good Overseer, run Vault-Tec approved experiments on your dwellers to learn what makes an ideal citizen. Vault-Tec has given you the tools, the rest is up to you!"

Following Vault-Tec Workshop will be the substantial-sounding Nuka-World, which is definitely Fallout 4's last expansion.

[UPDATE] The blood packages have been removed from eBay. However, you can still buy them at developer Portalarium's own Make a Difference store. As part of this, Portalarium will donate a percentage of the sale price to charity.

People have already purchased three of the reliquaries, shelling out as much as $8,000. At press time, there are only two more available.

It's unclear why the blood was removed from eBay, but it might have something to do with eBay's "Human remains and body parts policy." On the list of prohibited items is blood.

The original story is below.

Famous game developer Richard Garriott, who created the iconic Ultima series and also went to space, is now selling his own blood on eBay.

Garriott had his blood drawn during a livestream yesterday to promote his new RPG, Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues. If you're up for it, skip to around 19 minutes to see it happen (via Kotaku UK).

Garriott then handed over his blood to artist Steve Burdniak, who built six reliquaries containing his blood, along with executive producer Starr "Darkstarr" Long's. These are now on sale on eBay for $5,000 each.

"The Lord British Blood Reliquary is a beautiful and unique piece of art made of bakelite, copper, nails, glass, and mirrored glass that can be hung on your wall," reads the item's description.

Its dimensions are 4.75" x 9" x 1." Here is what it looks like:

For $5,000, you get a lot more than blood. Also included is Episode 1 of the game itself, a number of digital items including a /bloodrain emote (see the full list here), as well as the opportunity to visit the Portalarium offices in Austin, Texas (travel costs not included).

Go to eBay to learn more about this.

Shroud of the Avatar was revealed in March 2013. Garriott and his team successfully funded the game on Kickstarter, while the developer continues to accept pledges on its website.

Fallout Shelter is growing in a big way this coming week.

The mobile game's major 1.6 update, as well as the PC version, will arrive in five days, according to a tweet today from the Fallout account. That would put the release at Wednesday (July 13) or Thursday (July 14), depending on if Bethesda is counting today or not.

As announced at E3, the Fallout Shelter 1.6 mobile update is a "really big update." There will be new locations to visit, enemies to defeat, and new characters to add to your Vault. You'll also be able to send dwellers out on quests, and an "all-new" combat system.

Bethesda has yet to share specifics, but with the release closing in, we expect to hear more soon. As for the PC version of Fallout Shelter, it remains to be seen what differences, if any, there are compared to the mobile version.

We'll bring you more information on Fallout Shelter's 1.6 update the PC version as it becomes available.

Fallout Shelter, a free game that also offers microtransactions, is a massive hit with some 50 million downloads to date.

The upcoming System Shock remaster has surpassed its Kickstarter funding goal.

As of July 9, funding stands at $905,396, clearing the $900,000 target. So far, more than 14,500 people have backed the campaign, which runs for another 18 days (via Game Informer).

You don't have to put down money on the remake until you've tried it: a demo for System Shock Remastered is available on Steam, GOG, and Humble right now.

The demo is "a proof of concept," according to developer Night Dive Studios. However, the performance, features, and visuals "are subject to change."

For lots more on the System Shock remaster, visit the game's Kickstarter page.

Night Dive is also working on System Shock 3. The developer confirmed the news in 2015 and released short snippets of gameplay footage earlier this year. It looks similar to what you can see in System Shock Remastered's demo. Deus Ex and System Shock producer Warren Spector joined the studio to lead development on System Shock 3.

System Shock isn't the first game the studio's remade. Night Dive remastered and released the original Turok late last year, and it has plans to remake the sequel as well. Both games are on their way to Xbox One.

System Shock's original developer was Looking Glass Studios, while the sequel's development was a collaboration with Irrational Games. After System Shock 2, Irrational went on to develop the series' spiritual successor, BioShock.

When I first set my eyes on the stylish boss battle game Furi, I was sold by its striking presentation and excited about its mix of shoot-'em-up action and swordplay. It pits you against just under a dozen bosses, most of whom are relentless, strong, and fast. They don't just have one health bar; they have multiple, each one representing a new, and more challenging phase of combat. Their designs are the work of Afro Samurai artist Takashi Okazaki, and each is distinct and challenging in their own way; you won't soon forget their faces, let alone their fiendish fighting styles.

Armed with an energy pistol, a sword, and the ability to dash, you have to fight bosses that turn invisible, bosses that automatically generate protective barriers, and bosses that emit dense and chaotic waves of bullets. Most stages are small circular arenas, but there are other locations that bend the rules, introducing a web of platforms or shifting to a 2D plane. Every battle is heightened by a thumping, energizing song from artists like Carpenter Brut and Danger, whose electric compositions are second-to-none, providing the perfect accompaniment whether you're on the brink of victory or the verge of defeat.

Music aside, few battle stages are memorable, but the landscapes you trot across between battles leave an unmistakable impression. They are barren, weird, and coated in neon, presented through dramatic and occasionally unsettling camera angles. Furi is a beautiful game, one-upping its visuals from one scene to the next, but there are times when your surreal hikes overstay their welcome and you thirst for combat breeds temporary impatience; eye-catching cutscenes can't match the thrill of combat.

Battles typically encompass two phases of fighting: free-roaming in an arena, and close-quarters within a small, circular boundary. While free-roaming, you play Furi like a twin stick shooter, where the direction of movement is independent from the trajectory of your gun's projectiles. Though your gun allows you to attack enemies from afar, they are only vulnerable at certain times, often in the middle of an action that ultimately produces an attack you have to avoid, or if you're quick with your sword, deflect back. So you fire your gun and dance out of harm's way, but when a boss rushes up for a melee attack, you have two options: dash away, or try to parry their attack. Dash, and you may be safe, but you are doing yourself a disservice. To succeed at Furi is to master the art of parrying, and anything less will almost certainly guarantee failure in later stages.

Despite being difficult, Furi gives you all the tools you need to succeed from the very beginning, and while the odds are in favor of your opponents, it's the point. They don't call them bosses for nothing.

Before an enemy issues a parryable attack, they will flash for an instant. Logic tells you that you should press the parry button during the flash, but in practice, the timing feels somewhat loose. "No one said this was supposed to be fair," said one of my nemeses. She was right, and there were times that I felt Furi was unfair; times when I needed an excuse for failure. When you make it to the final phase of a 20-minute fight and die due to a small number of mistakes, it's easy to lose your cool having lost so much progress. Despite being difficult, Furi gives you all the tools you need to succeed from the very beginning, and while the odds are in favor of your opponents, it's the point. They don't call them bosses for nothing.

Though the pace and rhythm of each boss' melee attacks change, when you establish a subconscious alignment with Furi's timing, you feel at home in combat. Without that skill, success is nigh impossible. To enjoy Furi is to understand its unspoken rules, a process that may involve repeated failure, and in turn, frustration, however: once you attain the ability to deflect attacks and punish your opponent with confidence, any feelings that Furi's bosses are unfair disappear.

Upon completing the game, a bumpy process that took almost 10 hours, I felt accomplished, but I didn't feel like my work was finished; I couldn't help but start over. I had improved, both in terms of skill and knowledge. I knew how each boss behaved, and how to counter their most punishing attacks. My second time through the game, I had the advantage, and with my newfound confidence, I was an efficient killer, not desperate prey, and I beat the game in just over two hours without dying. Despite having seen it all before, Furi transformed as I had transformed, and what was once "too difficult" felt just right.

Furi will make you sweat under pressure, scream in frustration, but it will also give you the drive to get better; to become a boss of your own.

Furi lures you in with a cool lead character and a powerful soundtrack--qualities that are easy to appreciate--but its the journey to become a better fighter that defines the experience. Its disparate components are potent and leave an unforgettable impression that you won't soon forget. Furi will make you sweat under pressure, scream in frustration, but it will also give you the drive to get better; to become a boss of your own. Once you do, there's almost no feeling like it.

It's been 10 years since the reveal of Final Fantasy XV, but only in the past two have we really learned what the game is. It's the story of a young prince and his friends on a journey to reclaim his throne, but it's also more than that. In some ways, it's a time capsule of our current era; the more we learn about XV, the more I feel the developers are striving to make its world twin our own. The protagonists use touchscreen cell phones to make calls and set morning alarms, use branded camping equipment to cook elaborate meals and drive across country in a modern vehicle.

Final Fantasy XV takes what is familiar to us and grafts it onto its fantasy. In its appropriate of what is modern, it makes its world feel like one we can inhabit, too, not just watch through a screen. I feel the series has been on this track since Final Fantasy X, which marked a major turning point for the series. The game and its sequel X-2 were also the first games--aside from MMO Final Fantasy XI--to be released post-2000. They were the first Final Fantasies of the modern era. And unlike franchise love-letter Final Fantasy IX and the cyberpunk works of Final Fantasy VII and VIII, Final Fantasy X placed much more emphasis on mysticism and spirituality in its plot, playing on the ideas of magic and the afterlife. In depicting a world struggling to honor its spiritual roots while embracing its technological future, it painted a striking picture of the Final Fantasy franchise itself. A series striving to include attractive concepts while still remaining relevant to both its longtime audience and potential newcomers.

In the first advertisements for Final Fantasy XV, then called Final Fantasy Versus XIII, promotional materials were splashed with the words, "This is a fantasy based on reality." Now, less than three months from XV's release, we know that it and reality as we know it are not so estranged. Noctis and his friends wake up to the sound of a buzzing cellphone in Episode Duscae. They use camping gear emblazoned with the name of real-world manufacturer Coleman. Prompto takes selfies and photos of his friends on their journey. The boys rely on a souped-up Rolls Royce-designed car for transportation. It's all too familiar.

These small touches are meant to create a more believable, identifiable universe. In a world where players praise games like Call of Duty and Tomb Raider for their primly polished guns and crisply animated hair, it's impossible not to look at a game and make a judgment call on how realistic it all feels. Noctis and friends definitely don't have the hair physics to match reality, but perhaps with an artfully placed cell phone or brand name, we can build up the illusion that his world could be, or is, ours.

Trading Blades for Bullets

Players want to identify with their games, and so Final Fantasy has been tinkering with ways to make this easier on those willing to sink into 40-plus hour role-playing games. This appropriation of popular culture didn't just start before Final Fantasy XV; it began long before, all the way back in 2006--back when Final Fantasy Versus XIII was first announced.

In January 2006, Square Enix released what would be widely regarded as the black sheep of the Final Fantasy VII universe. Dirge of Cerberus starred Vincent Valentine, an optional character from the original Final Fantasy VII that had been thrust into the spotlight with the release of the CGI movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children a year prior. It was the first and only Final Fantasy game to be a third-person shooter. Square Enix was dipping its toes into an already flooded but extremely popular field, appropriating perhaps the most popular genre at the time and giving it their own spin. They launched their game the same year as Half-Life 2: Episode One, the original Prey, Call of Juarez, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, Battlefield 2142, and Call of Duty 3. But it wasn't enough just to skin a shooter with Final Fantasy. It excelled neither at capturing its Final Fantasy audience nor the everyday shooter player, and received a mediocre critical reception. This foray into the shooter genre was a brave but ultimately flawed move from a company that knew where its strengths lied--pretty, fantastical RPGs.

I consider Dirge of Cerberus an appropriation of pop culture precisely because it's Square Enix deviating from its roots. In order to survive the modern market, you have to adapt to current trends. But this was one trend that wasn't a match. Part of what makes the "fantasy" in Final Fantasy is the attachment to the mystical, the presence of things like magical crystals, Chocobos, and bad guys who have amassed intangible, otherworldly power that can be unleashed on the world in blasts and beams, not bullets. The game's release made me nervous; I didn't want to see this, I wanted some old-school Final Fantasy nonsense to play. I wanted the Moogles and potions and deus ex machina moments. I didn't want guns. I don't think many of us wanted guns.

A Fantasy Far, Far Away...

In the same way Final Fantasy appropriated the shooter genre for Dirge of Cerberus, Final Fantasy XII--launched the same year in March--was a spin on one of the most beloved fictional worlds of all time: Star Wars. I did not love Final Fantasy XII, though it is widely regarded as one of most acclaimed entries. It was the one game in the series to disappoint me the most (second only to Dirge of Cerberus). The Gambit system didn't inspire me. I needed a license to equip a hat. I couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere, in some way, I had seen this same plot play out before. I had been through it all already, and I had been through it with Star Wars.

GameSpot's own review of the game from 2006 called it a "Japanese take on Star Wars' galaxy far, far away." The similarities in some characters and narrative turns range from plausible to downright eerie. Prior to the game's launch, IGN ran an interview with Final Fantasy XII art director Hideo Minaba, in which he said: "I am a big fan of Star Wars--I will admit that. But, if we say Star Wars is our influence and create our game, you won't end up with an FF game nor will you end up with FFXII. I'll just say that I'm a fan. I wouldn't say that was necessarily an influence though."

I can't help but call b.s. here. I'll start with Balthier, who is obviously Han Solo--charming, sassy-mouthed, holds a reputation as a swashbuckling sky pirate. There is a huge bounty on Balthier's head, and one of the story's main antagonists is a bounty hunter who sets various traps to catch him. Balthier spends the game balancing evasion of those hunting him and trying to save the world, while flying around in his ship the Strahl, which he loves more than anything, similar to Solo's feelings on his Millennium Falcon.

Balthier's companion Fran is basically Chewbacca; she speaks rarely and mostly grunts or yells, comes from a mysterious tree-dwelling humanoid race that sequester themselves from the rest of the world, and abandoned her people to travel the world with Balthier. But she's a bunny-lady instead, because this is Final Fantasy.

The alleged protagonist of Final Fantasy XII--although there's a lot of debate that he's a red herring, deterring players from realizing who the real hero is until later--is a parallel of Luke Skywalker. Luke is an orphan who begins as no one cool with dreams of leaving his desert home planet. He's also a decent pilot. Vaan of Final Fantasy XII is an everyman-nobody with the burning dream of being a sky pirate. He is an orphan in the metropolitan city of Rabanastre, where he lives among the poor and downtrodden in the city's underworld--until he meets some crazy characters and learns to use a sword. Sound familiar.

Princess Ashe, like Princess Leia, sees her home destroyed by the evil powers and goes on the run, becoming the leader of an underground resistance. Ashe is willful and argumentative, but also highly capable and a leader people are willing to follow. Heroes Basch and Penelo are a little harder to place. Basch is older and wiser, a knight of an old, dead kingdom, similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Penelo has no real purpose in the game. Maybe she's the Droids.

Antagonists Vayne Solidor and Judge Gabranth are Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader to the letter. Both Vayne and Palpatine obtain absolute political power, dissolve the kingdom's governing senate, and kill the last of the most powerful warriors (the Jedi in Star Wars, the dissenting Judges in XII). Also, Gabranth, like Vader, has a familial connection to the heroes as Basch's twin brother, and has a 180-degree change of heart towards the end of the game, going out in a blaze of glorify that benefits the heroes. Also similar to Vader is Gabranth's armor, which completely hides his body and face, and the Empire's musical theme, which sounds eerie similar to Star John Williams' Imperial March.

Backing up from the who and where, looking at Final Fantasy XII's main narrative reveals more elements familiar to Star Wars. There is a mysterious force called Mist (the Force) that allows people to perform magic. The evil Archadian Empire (the Empire) invades and takes over neighboring kingdoms (planets) under the leadership of Vayne Solidor (Emperor Palpatine) and his right-hand muscle man Judge Gabranth (Darth Vader). Princess Ashe (Leia), who has lost her kingdom and family to this empire, leads an underground resistance group (the Rebels) and joins a ragtag band of heroes on a quest to overthrow the Empire. The princess meets an orphan boy (Luke) and the sky pirate Balthier with his partner Fran (Han Solo and Chewbacca), the latter two of which are chased by the world's best bounty hunter (Boba Fett). Balthier owns an amazing ship (the Millennium Falcon), and initially joins Ashe's cause for money but eventually chooses to stay and help altruistically.

The heroes go to an independent city in the clouds (Cloud City) where they are greeting by Ondore (Lando), who later betrays them and hands them over to the Empire. Ondore later changes his mind and helps them escape. After hours of adventures together, the group comes up again Vayne on his home turf. Gabranth (Vader) is defeated in a duel by his blood relative Basch (in this case, Luke-ish), and then chooses to help them overthrow Vayne. He is gravely wounded and dies in the endeavor. Once Vayne is defeated, the Sky Fortress Bahamut (the Death Star) explodes, but the good guys all manage to get away just in time.

The original Star Wars trilogy is beloved by many, and in many ways there's no real way to copy its secret sauce, presenting similar elements in just the right way and in just the right order--although the recent Episode VII: The Force Awakens proves that under the right direction, the magic can be recreated. But Final Fantasy XII has similarities that go beyond uncanny..

Facing the Future

And now we're here, with Final Fantasy XV slated to launch September 30 of this year. The game is appropriating how young people behave, crafting an experience augmented with selfies and the ability to buy snacks at a convenience store during your road trip. It's overlaying the familiar with the fantastical, but in some cases--especially in the use of brands--it can detract from the experience. I both love and fear the idea of running through a world that functions similar to my own, because I can either identify with it or fail to lose myself in its fiction. Seeing a brand I'm familiar with in the hands of Noctis or Prompto could pull you out of the experience. Video games can be a form of escapism, after all, and presenting another world where you wake up to the sound of your phone vibrating isn't necessarily the most attractive of experiences.

And yet, watching characters like Prompto and Ignis eat hamburgers in diners, push their car along when it runs out of gas, and cook meals together under a starry sky--it makes me feel like I would befriend these boys in real life. The kingdoms of Lucius and Altissa feel real and accessible, like I could hop on a plane to Europe and visit the countries on holiday. The series seems to be is aiming for higher relatability, to be something players can latch onto--whether it's dabbling in another genre, wholesale riffing on one of pop culture's most famous franchises, or appropriating pop culture and behavior itself and laying it onto the world. With more outright visible connections to our world, Final Fantasy is beginning to feel less alien and far-reaching, and more like coming home.

On July 22, the newest installment of the Star Trek reboot will hit theaters, Star Trek: Beyond. The most iconic thing about the franchise is the ship, the Enterprise. Since the first television series debuted 50 years ago, there have been a few different versions.

Enterprise (OV-101)

In the original Star Trek: The Motion Picture, there were some drawings of the first Enterprise. After fans and Gerald Ford saw the film, the ex-President used his clout to get an orbiter called the Constitution to be renamed the Enterprise, in real life.

USS Enterprise (XCV 330)

The XCV 330 appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as an illustration. It also appeared in a flashback on the 2001 TV series Enterprise.

Enterprise (NX-01)

The NX-01 was the star of the Enterprise television series, which was helmed by Jonathan Archer.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

The NCC-1701 is the most familiar of all the versions of the ship, as James T Kirk captained this vessel during the Star Trek television series, as well as the first three films.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)

In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the Enterprise was destroyed. Kirk and his crew take control of the NCC-1701-A in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home after completing their previous mission, which consisted of traveling to the past and talking to whales.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)

The NCC-1701-B appeared in one film: Star Trek: Generations, which featured the casts from the original television series and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C)

The NCC-1701-C appeared on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation titled "Yesterday's Enterprise." The 1701-C traveled to the future, and the current Enterprise crew must send it back to its timeline.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

This vessel was the primary setting for the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The ship was lost during Star Trek: Generations.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)

The NCC-1701-E appeared only after Star Trek: The Next Generation went off the air. It was featured in the films Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek: Nemesis.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J)

In the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Azati Prime," the crew is taken into the future and watch a climactic battle that happens in the 26th century, 300 years into the show's future.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D): Alternate Timeline

During the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, this ship from an alternate future made its debut. In that timeline, it did not crash during Star Trek: Generations.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701): Alternate Timeline

Finally, there's the alternate timeline version of the NCC-1701, which is featured in the 2009 reboot of the Star Trek franchise, as well as the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness.

Video game movies have a track record of mediocrity or worse. Ubisoft believes this year's Assassin's Creed will buck the trend. And now, Ubisoft's head of content for Assassin's Creed, Azaizia Aymar, has spoken up to discuss how the movie aims to achieve this.

"What we're trying to do is make sure the [Assassin's Creed] DNA is respected," Aymar said in an interview with the Ubisoft blog. "On top of all of that, we're making sure we're able to move forward on new inspirations and ideas.

"We want everything to feel legit. As you saw with the trailer, we think that part of the job has been done in a really nice way at the moment."

Aymar also talked about how Assassin's Creed aims to appeal to a wider audience than just fans of the game series alone. He said every Assassin's Creed transmedia project needs to be "completely independent and self-sufficient," including the movie.

"The idea was if someone knows the franchise, we want them to see all the references and all the characters they love, but a newcomer should be able to get into the experience without feeling overwhelmed by all the information," he explained. "What we've been trying to do for years is avoid too many self-references. We kind of did the exact same thing with the movie. It has a nice balance of getting a really strong story with a new perspective."

You can read the full interview here.

Assassin's Creed, which stars Oscar-nominee Michael Fassbender in the two lead roles and Oscar-winners Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons, opens on December 21; that is one week after Star Wars spinoff Rogue One comes out.

Recently, an Ubisoft executive said the company is not expecting to make a lot of money from Assassin's Creed. "It is a lot more a marketing thing. It's also good for the image of the brand," European boss Alain Corre said.

"We have our core fans, but what we would like is to put this franchise in front of a lot more people who, maybe, will then pick up future Assassin's Creed games," he added.

Breaking from tradition, Ubisoft will not release a new mainline Assassin's Creed game this year. This is good for the movie, Ubisoft said previously, because it gives the film's marketing team more time and opportunity to focus on hyping it.

The next game in the Assassin's Creed series, which is rumored to launch in 2017, is believed to be set in Egypt.

Microsoft has confirmed that Halo 5's monthly expansion releases has ended. In the latest weekly update blog post, developer 343 Industries mentioned this, but also teased that "there's still more on the way."

"While you won't be seeing updates every month moving forward, nor updates the size of the Warzone Firefight release, we're happy to let you know that there's still more on the way," the developer said. "Things we have yet to talk about or discuss. Things that I have seen, and I think you will like. These and more are in the works, so in short, there is indeed more to come. Rest easy."

There have been eight free Halo 5 expansions released to date, the last of which, Warzone Firefight, launched at the end of June. It was Halo 5's biggest and most substantial free update ever, featuring things like the Warzone Firefight mode, new maps, and a lot more.

It was expected that Warzone Firefight would be Halo 5's latest expansion, as 343 previously said the game's free DLC campaign would wrap up in June 2016.

Given that Halo 5's playerbase continues to grow, some nine months after release, it makes sense that 343 would continue to support the game with more content. We'll bring you more information about the teased add-ons as it becomes available.

Also in the blog post, 343 said the team is "hard at work" on more updates to the Warzone Firefight mode. An update that fixed the "back button" scoreboard and post game carnage report sorting went out this week.

"As we speak, teams are looking at all of the data and feedback you've generated so far, and evaluating as they work towards future updates for the mode," 343 said. "While we don't have a final ETA just yet, you can rest assured that work is well underway, and that you'll be hearing about more details soon. Oh, and fixes for Tidal lighting are being worked on, too."

343 also shared some standout statistics from Warzone Firefight so far:

• Total Kills: 413,373,178
• Total Deaths: 93,339,237
• Average Lifetime: 104 seconds
• Total Power Weapon Kills [excluding vehicles]: 21,470,685

Additionally, 343 confirmed in the blog post that Halo 5's free Forge tools for Windows 10 will not require Xbox Live Gold. The developer also shared a few more details on the Halo 5 content browser for Xbox One and PC, which has been in the making "for quite some time."

"Like Forge itself, it's been built from scratch to ensure that it is the most powerful it has ever been," 343 said.

You can read the full blog post on Halo Waypoint.

Recap!

Step away this week? Here's a recap of the week's biggest stories and some you might of missed.

Click "Next Image" to get started.

Pokemon Go Arrives

Pokemon Go, a mobile game where you catch Pokemon in the real world, arrived this week for iOS and Android devices. Check out this post for everything you need to know.

Finally

Rockstar's acclaimed 2010 open-world western Red Dead Redemption arrived this week on Xbox One through the system's backwards compatibility program. It was one of the most-requested games, alongside Skyrim and some Call of Duty games. [Full story]

Gold

No Man's Sky achieved a major development milestone this week. Hello Games completed development on the project, meaning it's now "gone gold." The game launches in August for PlayStation 4 and PC. [Full story]

Deep Dive

The English translation of a recent Nintendo investor Q&A went up this week, and it's a fascinating read. It dives deep into the company's direction and more. Read it here.

A Rare Look

Few people ever get to go inside Valve's design labs--but Make Magazine got that opportunity recently. Read the story and watch the video to see what they saw and learned.

Coming Soon

What's Bethesda's Hearthstone-like Elder Scrolls Legends all about? Glad you asked. Bethesda this week published a nice overview of what fans can expect when it launches on mobile devices and PC this year.

Discount!

Call of Duty: Black Ops III's microtransactions are discounted this week. If you want to pick up some Call of Duty Points to spend in the Black Market, now is the time.

Shaping Up

How is the Just Cause 3 multiplayer mod coming along? You can read this PC Gamer story to hear directly from the developers about how things are shaping up.

"Poise"

Kotaku has a cool interview up with Dark Souls III director Hidetaka Miyazaki in which he says he's sorry for the game's controversial "poise" stat and more. Read it here.

A Peek Into the Future?

A newly discovered patent from Nintendo is for a single-screen portable handset. Mhmm. Interesting. It doesn't necessarily mean the NX will use it, as many patents never amount to anything, but it's interesting to think about all the same. Get the details here at NintendoLife.

Cracked?

Hackers this week claimed to have cracked Denuvo, the DRM tool that many big-game games, such as Rise of the Tomb Raider and Just Cause 3, use to thwart piracy. Get the full story here at MCV.

Sold!

The developer behind Marvel Avengers Academy and Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff has been sold to SGN. For those unaware, SGN itself is an LA-based mobile game developer run by MySpace cofounder and former CEO Chris DeWolfe. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Get all the details here.

Head of Content

The Ubisoft Blog has a cool interview up with Aymar Azaizia, the head of content for Assassin's Creed. It's a big job, he explains, covering lots and lots of different things. Curious as to what the "head of content for Assassin's Creed" does? Read the interview.

Wow

Someone beat Fallout 4 without taking a single hit. You can get all the details about this pretty incredible story here at Kotaku.

Destiny Goes 2D

To celebrate Bungie Day this week (7/7) one talented and committed fan released a 2D version of Destiny that they'd been working on for a while. It looks quite cool. You can download it for yourself on PC right now. Get all the details here on Reddit.