The latest patch to Blizzard's franchise-fest MOBA Heroes of the Storm includes a celebration of the Lunar Festival 2017, including new skins, bundles, and special event quests. During the festival, players that haven't already completed the Rooster Race quest have a chance that the rooster will appear in their team's starting area. Players can collect a list of required items and return them to the rooster, advancing its position. If four items can be returned before the time runs out, players will successfully complete the rooster race. After 25 successful attempts, players will unlock the Lunar Rooster portrait, and the Lunar Rooster mount.

New sandbox custom games are also available, including a new version of the Cursed Hollow that allows players to use "cheats" selected from a cheat menu appearing on the left side of the screen. Cheats include the ability to set the game speed, toggle minions, reset structures, set the team's level, and more.

Valeera Sanguinar is joining the hero roster, bringing a suite of shadowy rogue abilities to the field. Many of Valeera's abilities can earn Combo Points, up to three of which can be spent with her finisher, the Eviscerate ability, dealing increased damage for each Combo Point stored. She has three standard abilities, and three abilities that can only be executed while in stealth. Valeera also has a pair of heroic abilities, both designed to use as reactions to enemy attacks, reducing their effectiveness and giving her a chance to take control of the situation.

The update also includes new hero, ability, and talent art; shop bundles, mounts, skins, UI updates, and a huge list of changes to existing heroes. Check out the full list over at battle.net.

Heroes of the Storm isn't the only Blizzard game celebrating the Year of the Rooster, check out our full list of confirmed Lunar Celebration details in Overwatch.

SHIELD believes their problems with Aida and Life Model Decoys are over. They're about to discover there's more going on than they realized. If that wasn't enough, they're making plans to go after the evil Senator Nadeer, which probably won't go as planned.

Warning: Spoilers for Season 4, Episode 11 of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, "Wake Up," will be discussed below.

Agent May Tries To Escape

Melinda May is being held captive by Dr. Radcliffe and has been replaced by an LMD version of herself. She manages to escape her bonds but has to fight Aida before gaining her freedom. It's a rough fight, and May gains the upper hand by stabbing and short-circuiting Aida with a fire poker. The building's doors are locked so she flees upstairs. In an empty apartment, she's confronted by Aida once more. Defeating the android again reveals her mind is still in a program, called the Framework.

SHIELD Makes A Move Against Senator Nadeer

Daisy Johnson is going to sign the Sokovia Accords now that it's been made public she's working with SHIELD. While she and Director Mace talk to the senators, Coulson and Yo Yo will gain access to Senator Nadeer's office and plant listening devices. When Nadeer questions Daisy on her "undercover work" against the Watchdogs, she accuses SHIELD of taking the justice system into their own hands. She also points out two of their agents just broke into her office--Coulson and Yo Yo were caught.

It's clear they were set up. Even though they may get raked over the coals and have to face a senate committee, they know they have a leak. Nadeer knew what they had planned. Her guards were prepared for Yo Yo and her powers.

Mack and Yo Yo Get Closer

Mack and Yo Yo's relationship is moving to the next level. He gets a mysterious text and decides to take personal time off. Later, Yo Yo tells him he's free to do what he wants, but she isn't willing to play games. He makes it clear he doesn't want to lose her and explains it was his ex that contacted him. They had a daughter named Hope. Eleven years ago she died four days after her birth.

Robo May Confronts Radcliffe

The May LMD figured out something was going on after she was injured in the field. A wound in her shoulder revealed her metal frame under the skin. For the most part, she's still acting like the real May. She decides to confront Radcliffe to find out what he did to her. She raises the possibility of telling Coulson, but Radcliffe informs her she can't. Her mission won't allow her to try to harm him or tell Coulson what's going on. She can't know her mission is to get close to Coulson and find out where the Darkhold is because it would be a distraction. He tells the LMD she should just give in to May's feeling and do what she really wants--be with Coulson.

Radcliffe Revealed

Simmons figured out Fitz turned on the ocular receptors of the decapitated head of the first Aida. Fitz argues he's not obsessed with the android but was conducting an investigation. They realize Radcliffe is the leak. Fitz discovered that Aida wasn't corrupted when she read the Darkhold, but instead, she was programmed by Radcliffe to betray them.

Fitz later has a talk with Radcliffe, who is now in custody. He borrows a guard's gun and shoots Radcliffe in the head. It turns out, Radcliffe is an LMD. He was sending out a video transmission being watched by Senator Nadeer. Radcliffe knew he wasn't safe when the first Aida failed to retrieve the Darkhold. He wants Nadeer's protection. She tells him he'll have to meet with the Superior, the mysterious leader she and the Watchdogs answer to. Radcliffe also had May moved to a new location and figures out the perfect scenario to keep her contained in the Framework.

Our Thoughts

Bombshells are being dropped. We were caught off-guard when it seemed May was able to escape from Aida. It's hard to tell what the May LMD will do next. It/she knows what she is but is also strongly influenced by May's thoughts and memories. Will she try to get closer to Coulson because that's what May really wants, or is she trying to complete her mission?

The reveal that Radcliffe is teaming up with Nadeer and had a second LMD created will cause problems. Even though his LMD was revealed, it's probable he has more available. During the flashback portion at the beginning, he told Aida to activate the "Sunset Protocol." While it is possible a May LMD could have been 3D-scanned, it seems more likely that he has other LMDs already made, waiting to be activated.

Mack's revelation on Hope wasn't quite the big surprise we were expecting when we first saw him staring at a photograph with the name written on the back. Telling Yo Yo further strengthens their relationship. Unfortunately it seems whenever someone starts to get happy on the show, something really bad happens.

The next episode will deal with where the Darkhold is being kept.

BioWare and Lucasfilm announced yesterday new content for Star Wars: The Old Republic, in the Defend the Throne update, and the Stalwart Leader Cartel pack.

Defend the Throne includes a new increased difficulty level for those that like a challenge. Master Mode is available for all 25 chapters of the Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne expansions, which make enemies "more formidable than ever," according to BioWare's news article.

It also adds a series of new multiplayer battles for those that prefer to face-off against other player characters. Here are the descriptions from the announcement:

• Trench Runner: "Capture and defend the war-torn trenches of Denova against the fanatical Republic General Amos Rike and his elite commandos."
• Destroyer of Worlds: "Escort your team and a payload of explosives deep beneath Makeb to defeat a corrupted Jedi Master and seal away the ancient horror she's unearthed."
• Landing Party: "Take down a group of deserters from the Zakuulan military hiding on Rakata Prime before they can finish building a new and improved Star Fortress with which to terrorize the galaxy."
• Divided We Fall: "Infiltrate the hideout of a rogue Coruscant Security force and foil their plot to bomb the Republic Senate and incite war by framing the Alliance."
• Trial and Error: "Assault a hidden space station laboratory where an experimental combat adrenal based on the Rakghoul plague is being developed and stop the vile substance's spread before it can wreak havoc across the galaxy."

The Stalwart Leader Cartel Pack adds two new sets of armor, and the massive-looking E-95 Dread Behemoth tank mount, for anyone interested in trading speed for intimidation value.

What's in a name? As much as you can cram, or so Square Enix seems to think with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue. If nothing else, the awkward, mile-long moniker hints at the impressive breadth of content available: an HD remaster of the Nintendo 3DS' Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, a short-but-entertaining coda of sorts to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for the PSP, and an hour-long cutscene based on the mobile game Kingdom Hearts X. It's a jumble that suffers somewhat for its lack of any real cohesion among its three parts, but at least two of those components are strong enough to warrant a return visit to the world that believably drops Final Fantasy and Disney characters into the same universe.

If it's original content you seek, then you're in luck--it's the best part of the package. Birth by Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage picks up where the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts II: Birth by Sleep left off; Aqua and her Keyblade facing Cinderella's castle in a realm of darkness where the shadows are preying on the lore's more brightly colored locales like Aladdin's Agrabah.

Newcomers should beware, though. Aside from a text-based recap, it does little to prepare you for talk of characters like Ventus and Terra who haven't been in any of the recent games. It also takes a mere three hours to finish. Length aside, it's a rich and beautiful experience filled with effects that show off Unreal Engine 4's ability to render realistic details on surfaces like water and cobblestones without sacrificing the overall cartoony aesthetic. It's the best Kingdom Hearts has ever looked, frankly, and that's a good thing, since the engine (and the final cutscene) suggests A Fragmentary Passage could be considered a visual demo of sorts for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III.

Even if it feels a little like playing the Kingdom Hearts games of a decade ago without all the additions in between, it's fun to play and often feels more fluid and focused. Light puzzles dot Aqua's journey, including some that have her chasing down gears to repair a bridge or using mirrors to tinker with gravity. The smooth combat sees her whacking aside fiends with her keyblade while double-jumping, building chained attacks, and casting spells. There's little in the way of true character progression, although various challenges allow you to earn cosmetic items like dress patterns and Minnie Mouse ears.

If you're put off by A Fragmentary Passage's three hour running time, you'll be happy to know you'll get a couple dozen hours out of the HD remaster of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. Considering that it's a straight remaster from the 3DS with nothing in the way of new elements, it doesn't look half bad. However, it's too bad nothing was done to populate Dream Drop Distance's overly roomy, empty worlds, a flaw that seems all the more obvious on a bigger screen. The upgraded graphics don't come anywhere near the detail in A Fragmentary Passage, but they are a big improvement over the source material. The Flowmotion combat system that sends you zooming past enemies, bouncing off walls, and swinging from light fixtures translates well, as does handling the Pokemon-like Dream Eaters that are now accessible with a quick flick of the analog stick. In almost every instance, the transition from handheld to gamepad has been smartly handled.

If you're put off by A Fragmentary Passage's three hour running time, you'll be happy to know you'll get a couple dozen hours out of the HD remaster of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance.

Unfortunately the same can't be said of the Drop system. Two characters, Sora and Riku, have independent tales that take place concurrently, but a constantly depleting stamina bar dictates how long you can play as a particular character. Once it drains completely, the game switches to the other character regardless of what you're doing. It worked well enough on the 3DS since its mobile nature meant gameplay sessions would likely be comparatively short, but it's just tiresome when you're playing for long periods on the PS4.

And that leaves us with Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover, the weakest link in Final Chapter Prologue. It's not actually a game; instead, it's better described as a roughly 80-minute cutscene that dramatizes events from the mobile and browser game Kingdom Hearts X, apparently so players don't have to bother playing through the actual game. As with A Fragmentary Passage, it looks fantastic, as it's all rendered with Unreal Engine 4.

However, it lacks some of Kingdom Hearts' charmingly goofy conceits, since it focuses on series-specific characters and omits cameos from the likes of Mickey Mouse or Jack Sparrow. The stars here are five animal-masked "Foretellers" whose heyday was ages before the Keyblade War and the events of Birth by Sleep. This might have been interesting had the runtime been extended to further examine the connection between the Foretellers. As it is, however, Back Cover amounts to little more than characters yammering about dull politics and fails to provide meaningful context for the lore. And worst of all, it ends on a cliffhanger that does little to justify the wait it took to reach it. It's largely forgettable.

It's a good thing, then, that Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue as a whole is more memorable than that. Birth By Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage might be short, but it's a beautiful, entertaining episode that fills in some gaps in the lore. Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance retains a lot of the fun that made it so popular on the 3DS, even if its Drop system grows tedious. And for all of its comparative drudgery, Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover is at least visually appealing. It might be an overall confusing entry for newcomers to the series, but on the whole, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue indicates that we have much to look forward to in the long-overdue Kingdom Hearts III.

An update for the Pokemon Bank application that adds compatibility with Sun and Moon is now available on the 3DS eShop.

In addition to the update, all Pokemon Bank subscribers can receive a special Z-Crystal, Mewnium Z, that only Mew can use in battle. You can redeem the item through Mystery Gift.

Pokemon Bank allows you to deposit and transfer Pokemon from multiple games, including from a previous generation up to a more current one. With the update, you'll be able to transfer Pokemon from X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire to Sun and Moon via the Pokemon Bank app. You can use companion app Poke Transporter to transfer Pokemon from the Virtual Console versions of Red, Blue, and Yellow to Pokemon Bank and from there to Sun and Moon.

Pokemon Bank requires a $5-per-year subscription.

Despite switching to a first-person perspective and ignoring all of its established characters in favor of newcomer Ethan Winters, Resident Evil 7 is not a spin-off nor a standalone entry to the series. Even the number at the end of its title unequivocally establishes RE7 as the next installment in the ongoing saga. However, prior to the game's launch, publisher Capcom would only confirm that the events portrayed in RE7 take place after the conclusion of Resident Evil 6. Thankfully, RE7 is now available publically, which means we know a whole lot more about how this game ties into the rest of the series.

Though RE7 contains quite a few subtle references to series lore, the biggest connection is Ethan's missing wife Mia--who, as it turns out, is partially responsible for the horror inflicted on both Ethan and the Baker family. Of course, the game hides this for well over half the campaign. Early on, Mia appears dazed and detached seemingly as a result of battling some demonic possession that causes her to repeatedly attack Ethan.

When Ethan and Mia eventually escape from the Baker's plantation, however, we discover Mia wasn't possessed by a demon, but rather, by a bio-organic weapon in the form of a little girl named Eveline. Prior to the start of the game, Mia was charged by her employer--a mysterious, unnamed corporation--with protecting Evelyn during a covert transport operation. Unfortunately, something went wrong, and Eveline used her considerable powers--including an organic form of mind-control--to destroy the ship they're traveling on. The wreckage eventually washes up in the bayou, not far from the Baker's place.

But here's the interesting part for series fans: while aboard the ship, you can find a document that references the Umbrella Corporation, and at the very end, Ethan flies away in a helicopter with an obvious Umbrella Corps. logo plastered on the side (though interestingly, this logo is clearly blue and white instead of the traditional red and white). Interpret that how you will, but it certainly seems to imply a rebirth of Resident Evil's long-time villainous conglomerate despite its apparent destruction well over a decade ago at the end of Resident Evil: Code Veronica.

Outside of Umbrella's resurgence, there's at least one other major piece of fan service: a brief cameo by Chris Redfield. During the final boss encounter, Ethan suddenly discovers all his weapons are utterly ineffective. Thankfully, an unseen person tosses him a special pistol called the Albert-01R (no doubt a reference to infamous series villain Albert Wesker) at just the right moment. After he finishes off the boss, Ethan's savior introduces himself as "Redfield" before climbing aboard one of those Umbrella-branded choppers. The character doesn't actually look all that much like the Chris Redfield we've seen in previous games, though, so feel free to start developing wild conspiracy theories.

Inevitably, fans will discover more references and Easter eggs in the coming months, but until then, be sure to check out our official review, as well as our video compilation of GameSpot employees screaming at RE7 in VR.

Announced today via press release, Oceanic teams will have the chance to compete to qualify for the Smite Masters and Paladins Masters events, held in Atlanta, Georgia in April.

This--alongside Hi-Rez expo held annually in January--represents a second annual opportunity for Australian and New Zealand Smite and Paladins teams to compete internationally, being exposed to challenging teams from other regions, worldwide audiences, and a combined USD$195,000 prize pool.

"On the back of strong performances in the region, Smite and Paladins esports teams in Australian and New Zealand will be guaranteed direct qualification for two international events this year," said Hi-Rez Sudios senior esports manager, Dan McHugh. "Building on already robust structural support for Oceania esports, we're excited to see how Oceania teams compete with our other teams from around the world, continuing to expand their skills at the highest level."

Teams will qualify for the international Masters events by competing in either the Smite Oceania Pro League, or the Paladins Masters Qualifier. The competitions have AUD$10,000 and AUD$8,000 prize pools, respectively.

"We have long been proud to offer one of the best pathways in esports for Oceania region teams, with direct qualification to the global Smite World Championship and Hi-Rez Expo," said Stew Chisam, president of Hi-Rez Studios. "We are committed to a flourishing scene for both Smite and Paladins, which in Australia boasts some of the strongest adoption rates in the world."

If you're interested in checking out the qualifiers for the Smite or Paladins Masters events, check out the details listed below.

Smite Oceanic Pro League

• AUD$10,000 prize pool
• Competition begins in Australia on February 11
• Qualifiers will be followed by seven weeks of OPL competition from February 18
• Six teams
• OPL is broadcast every Saturday and Sunday from 7 PM AEST on the official Hi-Rez Smite Twitch channel
• Interested teams click here to register

Paladins Oceania Masters Qualifier

• AUD$8,000 prize pool
• Competition begins Monday February 6
• Three weeks of qualifiers, followed by three weeks of Masters Qualifiers Group Stage
• Paladins Oceania Masters Qualifier is broadcast every Monday from 7 PM AEST on the official Hi-Rez Paladins Twitch channel
• Interested teams click here to register

A premium-priced collector's edition for upcoming Final Fantasy XIV expansion Stormblood is now available for preorder, Square Enix announced today.

This special edition of Stormblood comes with the expansion and a combination of in-game and real-world items. The latter include a cloth map of Eorzea, an art book, a logo sticker, and--most significantly--an "expertly crafted" Zenos yae Galvus figure, the size of which wasn't shared. All of this comes housed inside a special "art" box.

On the digital side, you'll receive exclusive items: the Syldra mount, the Wind-Up Bartz minion, and the Chicken Knife. For an unspecified price, you'll be able to purchase a digital upgrade that includes the collector's edition's digital items, but none of the physical ones.

The collector's edition costs $200--quite a bit more than the standard, $40 edition.

Stormblood, the second expansion for the MMO, launches on June 20. Preordering any edition of the expansion provides early access that begins on June 16, along with two in-game items: the Wind-Up Red Mage minion and the Ala Mhigan earrings. Those preordering through the PlayStation Store also receive an exclusive theme and avatar.

Square Enix announced Stormblood back in October alongside the 4.0 update. Stormblood increases the level cap from 60 to 70 and adds new dungeons, raids, gear, and a fourth residential area. It sounds like a substantial expansion--director Naoki Yoshida has claimed it contains a "full standalone game's worth of content."

Notably, Stormblood raises the PC version's minimum specs and will not be available on PS3. Support for that version will be cut off when Stormblood launches.

Preorders for the PS4 and PC collector's edition are available through the Square Enix store.

[UPDATE] A PlayStation spokesperson told GameSpot there is "nothing to announce" right now regarding the Horizon PS4 bundle coming to North America.

The original story is below.

A Horizon: Zero Dawn PlayStation 4 bundle is coming to Europe, Sony announced on the European PlayStation Blog today.

Set to launch on March 1, the game's European release date, the bundle comes with a 1 TB PS4 Slim and a copy of Zero Dawn on a physical disc. It also includes a three-month PlayStation Plus subscription. Pricing was not announced; Sony said people should check with local retailers on that.

As of yet, this bundle has not been announced for any markets outside of Europe. GameSpot has contacted PlayStation's North American division to see if this system might be available in the US.

PS4 bundles currently available in North America include those themed around Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. There are no bundles for the PS4 Pro, at least not yet.

Zero Dawn was originally scheduled to release in 2016, before Sony announced a delay to 2017. Developer Guerrilla Games said at the time that the delay would afford the company "the extra time required to deliver fully on our ambitious vision for Horizon: Zero Dawn."

A newly released cinematic trailer revealed that The Wire and Lost actor Lance Reddick plays a mysterious character in the game.

For more on Zero Dawn, check out all of GameSpot's previous coverage here.

Following the big news this week that Star Wars: Episode VIII has the mysterious title The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson has now teased the movie further.

Johnson posted the image below on Instagram today, showing off someone in an editing bay with the movie's newly announced title clearly visible. Even R2-D2 is there. "Felt so good to drop this into the cut this morning," Johnson said, presumably referencing the movie's title.

Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill responded to Episode VIII finally getting a name, saying he likes the minimalist nature of the title. He's also glad he doesn't have to keep it a secret any more. Interestingly, he also said he likes how the title has a "samurai" feel to it.

Following a delay, The Last Jedi arrives in theaters on December 15, 2017. It also stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. Carrie Fisher filmed her Leia scenes for the movie before she passed away in December.

For more on The Last Jedi, check out GameSpot's new video feature, "What Could Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Title Mean?"

In other Star Wars movie news, Rogue One recently passed $1 billion at the global box office.