Tag:

Ultimate

MenaRD pumps his fist after making it into the Top 8 at Evo 2025.

Justin Wong and MenaRD face off at PlayStation’s Ultimate FGC Round Table

by admin August 18, 2025

PlayStation brought together some of the biggest names in the fighting game community for the Ultimate FGC Round Table, where legends and champions debated everything from legacy players to which games take the most skill.

Justin Wong, MenaRD, Arslan Ash, and Nitro all weighed in on whether veterans get too much respect. “I do think legacy players do get too much respect,” Wong admitted, before Mena countered that early pros had to grind without modern resources, adding, “They were godlike anyway.”

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The panel quickly turned competitive when Mena claimed he could beat Wong in Street Fighter 4. Wong immediately fired back with a $10,000 wager, leading to a one-game exhibition on stage that Wong ultimately won.

Other hot topics included retirement ages in the FGC, with Arslan suggesting champions in their 40s are proving what’s possible, and which game requires the most skill to win. Multiple players agreed that Street Fighter 6 is the toughest title to dominate, even for the best in the world.

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The roundtable closed with players praising PlayStation’s Road to Evo qualifiers, highlighting how online tournaments give new competitors the chance to break onto the biggest stage.

Watch the full Ultimate FGC Round Table now via PlayStation.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Esports

The ultimate NBA Game 7 betting guide: Best bets, insights and more

by admin June 21, 2025

It all comes down to this — Game 7. A new NBA champion will be crowned Sunday as the Indiana Pacers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Paycom Center.

Indiana dominated Game 6 in surprising fashion, leading by 30 points after three quarters en route to a 108-91 victory. Now things shift back to OKC, where the Thunder have been nearly unbeatable this postseason. What can you expect in Game 7?

Andre Snellings, Eric Moody and David Purdum offer plenty of tips on bets and insight.

NBA Finals headquarters: Recaps | Highlights | Odds | Watch live on ABC

Odds are as of publication time. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET

Bets for NBA Finals Game 7

Pascal Siakam over 11.5 assists and rebounds (+105). He contributes across multiple statistical categories, and with the championship on the line, I expect maximum effort from him and the Pacers, particularly with Tyrese Haliburton not at 100%. Siakam’s cleared this line in three of the six Finals games. More importantly, Siakam has averaged 6.2 potential assists and 12.2 rebound chances during the Finals, which positions him well to surpass this mark in Game 7. –– Moody

Editor’s Picks

1 Related

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 44.5 points, rebounds and assists (-120). It’s been nine years since NBA fans witnessed a Game 7 in the Finals and only four have occurred since 2000. There’s a lot at stake for regular-season MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, especially with the Thunder entering the series as overwhelming favorites. SGA will need a masterful performance to give OKC a shot at the title and to solidify his claim to Finals MVP. While he’s cleared this line in just two of the six games in the series, SGA has gone over in eight of his past 11 games when playing at least 41 minutes, which he’s likely to do in Game 7. — Moody

Andrew Nembhard over 14.5 total points and assists (-120). While Haliburton was able to play well Thursday, he is still dealing with a calf strain and might be limited. Nembhard took on a larger role in Game 6, notching a series-high 17 points with four assists (21 P+A), and I expect him to be called upon again in Game 7. Nembhard averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 assists (17.5 P+A) in the first two games of the series, both in Oklahoma City, and the Pacers will likely need him to at least match those numbers in Game 7. — Snellings

Jalen Williams over 22.5 total points (-125). Williams was in his scoring bag going into Game 6, averaging 31.0 points with at least 26 in each of the prior three contests. He got off to a strong scoring start in Game 6 with 16 points in the first half before the team got blown out in the third quarter. I look for Williams to bounce back in Game 7, playing at home, and generate another high-scoring effort. — Snellings

Pascal Siakam over 20.5 total points (-110). Pascal is the only healthy All-Star caliber player on the Pacers, and in a road Game 7 he will definitely be tasked with providing consistent scoring. Siakam has averaged 21.3 points in the past four games of the series, with at least 20 points in each of the three previous contests before he sat out most of the 4th quarter in the Game 6 blowout. I expect him to continue scoring at a high level in the finale. — Snellings

Line on the move

The line on Game 7 began shrinking Friday morning, dropping as much as 2.5 points, with reports of sharp money on the underdog Pacers showing up in Las Vegas.

The Thunder opened as 8.5-point favorites, but the majority of sportsbooks trimmed the line to -7.5 around 11 a.m. Friday. ESPN BET was an outlier and dropped its line to -6.5.

“Game 7 is the best two words in sports,” said Adam Landeka, vice president of sportsbook strategy and growth for ESPN BET. “We’re expecting a tight game and moving lines in accordance with a number of factors. Haliburton’s performance answered some important questions on his health, and the Pacers and their veteran leaders left no doubt in what continues to be a competitive series.”

Jeff Sherman, NBA oddsmaker for the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, told ESPN that it took a sharp bet on the Pacers -8, causing the book to drop the number to 7.5.

Chris Andrews, longtime bookmaker for South Point in Las Vegas, also reported seeing sharp money on the Pacers on Friday that caused him to drop his line to -7.

“Finally got some money back [on the Thunder] at -7,” Andrews told ESPN in a text message.

At 7.5, the line is the largest of any of the five Game 7s in NBA Finals since 1991, and the fourth largest in any Game 7 during that time period, according to ESPN Research. — Purdum

Projections and injury reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City Thunder
8 p.m. ET

Line: Pacers +6.5 (EVEN) | Thunder -6.5 (-120)
Money line: Pacers +215 | Thunder -265
Total: 214.5 (-105 O, -105 U)

Injury report:
Pacers: None reported
Thunder: None reported

News, notes and more

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From ESPN Research

If the Thunder win, they will join the 2008 Boston Celtics and 2013 Miami Heat to have won at least two Game 7s in a season on their way to a championship.
The Pacers look to be the first No. 4 seed to win a championship since seeding began in 1984. Should they win, they will be the lowest-seeded champion since the No. 6 seed Houston Rockets won the NBA title in 1995.
The Thunder have scored at least 110 points in all 12 of their home games this season, most in NBA playoffs history.
The Pacers won 18 fewer regular-season games than the Thunder, and if they win Sunday, it will break the record set by the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers for largest win differential upset in Finals history.
The Thunder have a +247 point differential at home in the postseason, which is on pace to be an NBA record. No team in postseason history has finished with a +200 point differential at home.
The Pacers have had four different leading scorers this series, which ties the record for most in Finals history.

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June 21, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Super Smash Bros Ultimate & more finally fixed for Nintendo Switch 2

by admin June 20, 2025

When the Nintendo Switch 2 dropped, millions of fans were quick to grab the console and install their favorite games, whether it was the new Mario Kart World, or one of the backwards compatible adventures… well, unless they didn’t work as promised.

It wasn’t exactly a secret when the console released, but roughly 2% of the first Switch’s games weren’t compatible with the second console. Since then, Nintendo has promised that almost 100% of their games will eventually work on the Switch 2, but that hasn’t stopped a plethora of titles from failing to run, save, or just work with the new Joy-Cons.

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Thankfully, despite a few broken games, Nintendo has been hard at work to fix them and ensure they’re playable. Now, in a brand new update, six epic games have just been fixed.

Six games fixed for the Nintendo Switch 2

As part of the June 19 firmware update, the following games are now fully backwards compatible and can be played on the Nintendo Switch 2 without fault:

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Capcom Fighting Collection 2
Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Nintendo Switch Sports

Nintendo

Previously, when playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate online, when a Switch 2 and a Switch player were matched and someone was using the Mii Fighter, it was possible that the match would end immediately. This has now been fixed.

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The rest of the titles will now also work without fault on both the Switch 2 and the original Switch, including the multiplayer systems, thanks to the recent firmware update.

Naturally, Nintendo is aware of all currently broken backwards compatible games and is working on providing a fix for them as soon as they can, so if your favorite game isn’t available or working properly yet, the chances are it’ll be fixed pretty soon.

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June 20, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The Ultimate Google Maps Cheat Sheet for Smarter Travel and Exploring

by admin June 20, 2025

Whether you’re heading across town or across the country, a navigation app like Google Maps can be essential to easier travel. It can help you steer clear of heavy traffic, accidents, toll roads and other unexpected delays. It can also show you the best places to eat and visit when you’re exploring a new place.

Want to get even more out of Google Maps? We’ve rounded up some useful tricks and lesser-known features that can enhance your experience.

For more travel advice, see the best time to shop for airline tickets and how to find cheap flights.

Google Maps tricks you’ll want to use ASAP

Google Maps is packed with features that aren’t always obvious, but CNET has uncovered some of the best ones. These are tips you’ll want to keep in your back pocket.

Google Maps tips for food lovers

If you’re someone who loves checking out new restaurants or planning nights out, these tips are for you. Even seasoned diners might discover something new.

Google Maps tips for frequent travelers

If you’re constantly on the go, knowing how to use Google Maps to your advantage can make your travel days smoother. These features are especially handy while on the move.

For more, see our traveler’s prep checklist and how to improve your odds of not having your flight canceled or delayed.

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June 20, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Elden Ring Nightreign players have created the ultimate cheat sheet for the weaknesses and resistances of every Nightlord

by admin June 12, 2025

Elden Ring Nightreign has been out for just under two weeks now. Usually, that’s enough time for some prevailing strategies – and clever discoveries – to emerge. Because of the way the game is structured, however, it’s not always easy to replicate your experience, which makes it a lot more difficult to pin down those things.

Case in point, the Nightlords – the game’s ultimate bosses, which the entire experience builds towards. Most players can’t fight them as often as they want to; it’s not like you can just re-enter the boss room after dying, so it’s taken everyone a while to learn a few basic things about them.

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The FromSoftware community always delivers, though, and their latest accomplishment is one most players will benefit from. About a week after the game came out, one Japanese player posted a full chart of the weaknesses and resistances of each of Nightreign’s bosses.

The same chart was later translated to English by a different Reddit user, and it’s really something to behold. The chart lists all Nightlords, the type of physical damage each boss is weak against/resistant to (Standard, Slash, Strike, Pierce), as well as the same for elemental damage (Magic, Fire, Lightning, Holy, Poison, Rot, Bleed, Frostbite, Sleep, Madness).

It’s also colour-coded, which makes it much easier to see everything at a glance. Nightreign actually lists the weaknesses of each Nightlord in game, but it only shows one element they’re weak against, and is nowhere near as detailed as that chart.

No more guessing (or arguing). | Image credit: FromSoftware, Bandai Namco Entertainment, CestLaDonut.

Looking at the chart, you can see how Rot is effective against all Nightlords. The only other broadly effective element is Sleep, though not against Augur or Equilibrious Beast. You can also see that each boss has two to four weaknesses, except for Darkrift Knight Fulghor, who only has one.

On the subject of exposing data Nightreign just doesn’t show by default, a dataminer and modder recently dug deeper into the letter grades the game assigns attributes on each character’s stats page and found that they’re mostly misleading. In the background, character stats work pretty much the same way they do in Elden Ring proper.

If you’re looking for similarly useful advice to help you tackle every challenge in FromSoftware’s latest, our Elden Ring Nightreign guide is definitely one you should keep bookmarked. We continue to update it with new discoveries each week, so check back from time to time.

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June 12, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

The ultimate 5.1 surround sound SteelSeries Arena 9 gaming speaker system gets a big $130 discount

by admin June 5, 2025

Gaming and media are all about immersion; the more you feel a part of it, the more engrossed you get, and the enjoyment level skyrockets. Having great visuals from a good monitor is certainly important, but in my opinion, the sound should be a bigger consideration. Sound effects from the environment, directional sound profiles, and musical game scores can transport you to other worlds and really capture the imagination.

Headsets are very good at isolating you and providing a superb experience with faux surround sound, but if you want the absolute best-in-class experience, true surround sound is the pinnacle to reach. Enter the SteelSeries Arena 9 5.1 surround sound speaker system at $549. Available at Amazon, the 6-speaker setup is reduced by $130 from the $679 list price. It’s worth keeping your eye on the upcoming sales too, as the Arena 9 has been on sale for lower prices during key events.

The Arena 9 gets our recommendation for the best 5.1 speaker system for a PC, thanks to its excellent sound quality and immersive surround sound experience. The Arena 9 comes with five satellite speakers, a center channel speaker that sits under your monitor, two left and right front channels, and two left and right wireless rear channel speakers, as well as a 6.5-inch down-firing subwoofer.

The rear satellite speakers are wireless, making for an easier setup experience than trying to run speaker cables under carpeting and flooring. The rear speakers connect to each other and are powered separately, but connect to the system wirelessly. There’s also a handy control pod, which features an informative OLED display and touch-sensitive buttons for controlling all aspects of the speakers.

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June 5, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

MSI Titan 18 HX AI Review: The Ultimate Gaming Laptop

by admin June 2, 2025

The MSI Titan is not for the faint of heart—it never has been. It’s an 18-inch behemoth, fitting into that “desktop replacement” class of gaming laptop. This one in particular is meant for PC gamers who don’t just want top performance, but also some bling.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a gaming laptop with this many high-end features. With a Mini-LED display, a mechanical keyboard, and an invisible haptic touchpad, there’s no other 18-inch gaming laptop like it, and that means a flashy price, too.

Big and Beautiful

The MSI Titan is massive. It’s 1.26 inches thick at its largest point and weighs nearly eight pounds. You read that right. Eight whole pounds. Gaming laptops aren’t known for being particularly portable, especially ones with 18-inch screens, but the MSI Titan HX is almost a full pound heavier than the Razer Blade 18.

It’s hefty and well-crafted, though, as you’d hope for in a laptop north of $5,000. It’s not a single piece of machined aluminum like the Razer Blade 18, but the magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis feels sturdy. The MSI Titan HX uses a thermal shelf on the back, making the laptop larger, but providing a protrusion for extra ventilation and ports. MSI keeps it fairly minimalist with the all-black interior and silver trim, especially compared to older versions of this laptop. The invisible touchpad makes this feel even more modern. And yet, both the Razer Blade 18 and Alienware 18 Area-51 are more savvy designs in my book.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

In the rear, you’ll find the power jack, the HDMI 2.1 port, and the Ethernet. Next to some massive vents, you’ll find three USB-A 3.2. Gen2 ports on the side, along with the two Thunderbolt 5 ports, the SD card slot, and a headphone jack. That’s just about every port you can imagine, but the Thunderbolt 5 ports are the interesting part.

Intel sent me several Thunderbolt 5 accessories to demonstrate just how much bandwidth the new spec provides. I set up two 32-inch 4K 240-Hz OLED gaming monitors, all powered through a single USB-C cable. It’s magical seeing those two high-refresh-rate monitors being daisy-chained together, despite their 240-Hz refresh rates. In the past, Thunderbolt 4 ports were limited to two 4K monitors at 60 Hz.

Even if you don’t have two expensive gaming monitors to connect to, the MSI Titan 18 HX has a really solid Mini-LED display onboard. It can hit 414 nits of brightness in SDR and around double that in HDR. That’s not quite as good as the OLED gaming monitors out there, but it’s certainly bright enough to notice the difference in HDR. The color saturation is great too.

You want that 4K resolution when it’s spread across 18 inches of screen, even if you may not always want to play games at that native resolution. It’s incredibly sharp. This really is the best screen you can get on an 18-inch laptop right now, as OLED isn’t common in this larger screen size yet. MSI also offers an IPS version of this panel, as well as a lower-resolution 2560 x 1600 240-Hz IPS option.

Unfortunately, the speakers and webcam aren’t as premium. The 1080p camera is noisy, and the six-speaker audio system is mediocre. The speakers are almost irrelevant given how loud the fan noise is, at least when it comes to gaming.

Tricks Up Its Sleeve

Photograph: Luke Larsen

The keyboard is unique and an absolute joy to type and game on. It’s a Cherry MX low-profile mechanical keyboard that feels chunky and tactile. It’s unlike any laptop I’ve ever typed on in that sense, capturing the feel of a mechanical keyboard right on your laptop. My only complaint is that the many keys are not mechanical, such as the arrow keys, the number pad, and the function row. Once you notice, it’s a little jarring.

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

Nightreign knight holds his fist in menacing fashion

Product Reviews

Elden Ring Nightreign’s Wylder can not only rocket jump with his explosive ultimate, he can grappling hook combo into it to fly around like an offstage Smash Bros. character

by admin June 1, 2025

In a new video about hidden or poorly explained Elden Ring Nightreign character mechanics, FromSoft LoreTuber-in-Chief VaatiVidya revealed that the new game’s default, John DarkSouls character, Wylder, actually has some fighting game-worthy combos and movement tech.

The tricks were first outlined months ago during Nightreign’s network test by user OnslaughtCasualty42 on the FromSoftware subreddit. In the delightfully named “A Dogshit Guide to Make Wylder Fly,” OnslaughtCasualty42 outlines how Wylder’s ultimate ability with the Guts arm cannon has some surprising interactions and combos with his jump and grappling hook.

50 Nightfarer Secrets in Elden Ring: Nightreign – YouTube

Watch On

The marquee one, shown off by Vaati, is to pull yourself forward with the grapple, do a 180° turn, and fire off the ultimate to launch yourself even farther forward like a Quake rocket jump. It reminds me most of the kind of wild movement tech and offstage recovery combos you see in Super Smash Bros. Melee, like the Reverse Temple Jump.

‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ Season 33: Good Guy vs. Bad Guy

by admin May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025, 12:01 AM ET

“The Ultimate Fighter” returns for its 33rd season this month, but with a unique twist. Instead of featuring active fighters coaching up UFC hopefuls, this season the coaches will be UFC Hall of Famers-turned-analysts, as former double champion Daniel Cormier will lead a team opposite former two-division title challenger Chael Sonnen.

TUF has been a major pipeline for UFC talent over the years, providing the promotion with a handful of champions and even more MMA stars. Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Kamaru Usman, Robert Whittaker, TJ Dillashaw and Rose Namajunas have all won champions after appearing on the show.

In most of the previous seasons, the show has allowed fans to see what fighters must go through for the chance to earn a spot on the UFC roster, while also allowing them to see the tension build between the coaches ahead of a future matchup between them. With two coaches who have long been retired, that likely won’t be the case this season.

This season’s TUF competition, which will begin airing May 27 on ESPN2 and ESPN+, is at welterweight and men’s flyweight. Results of this season can be found at the bottom of this story.

Jump to episode recaps

How to watch ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ on ESPN2/ESPN+

Season 33 of “The Ultimate Fighter” debuts Tuesday, May 27, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN 2 and ESPN+ and continues weekly. Rewatch episodes after they air and watch past seasons anytime on ESPN+.

Get ESPN+ | Download the ESPN App

The coaches

Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen will coach Team Sonnen on Season 33 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Record: 30-18-1
Age: 48
From: Clackamas County, Oregon
Notable:

Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier will coach Team Cormier in Season 33 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Record: 22-3-0, 1 NC
Age: 46
From: Lafayette, Louisiana
Notable:

The fighters

Welterweights

Diego Bianchini

Record: 9-1
Age: 28
Fighting out of: São Paulo, Brazil
Notable:

Andreeas Binder

Record: 10-2
Age: 28
Fighting out of: Galway, Ireland
Notable:

Five wins by knockout
Trains at SBG Charlestown — the same gym as PFL fighter Leah McCourt
Former Level Fight League lightweight champion
Has not fought since July 2023

Jeff Creighton

Record: 11-2-1
Age: 29
Fighting out of: Poway, California
Notable:

Fought in LFA and Bellator
Trains at The Arena MMA, the same gym as former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche

Matt Dixon

Record: 11-1
Age: 29
Fighting out of: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Notable:

Daniel Donchenko

Record: 11-2
Age: 23
Fighting out of: Ukraine
Notable:

Trains at Tiger Muay Thai gym, the same gym as UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and former UFC men’s bantamweight champion Petr Yan
Has seven wins by knockout

Richard Martins

Record: 9-1
Age: 26
Fighting out of: Campinas, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Notable:

Alex Sanchez

Record: 15-3
Age: 31
Fighting out of: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Notable:

Fought in LFA
Has not lost a fight since November 2020
Trains at Entram Gym, the same gym as UFC welterweight Michael Morales

Rodrigo Sezinando

Record: 8-1
Age: 28
Fighting out of: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Notable:

Has won each of last four fights by knockout
Trains at Nova União, the same gym as former UFC fighters Renan Barao and Matheus Nicolau

Flyweights

Idiris Alibi

Record: 10-0
Age: Unknown
Fighting out of: Aktau, Kazakhstan
Notable:

Roybert Echeverria

Record: 10-2
Age: 29
Fighting out of: Miami, Florida
Notable:

Eduardo Henrique

Record: 13-2
Age: 29
Fighting out of: São Paulo, Brazil
Notable:

Tumelo Manyamala

Record: 6-1
Age: 26
Fighting out of: Cape Town, South Africa
Notable:

Arshiyan Memon

Record: 7-0
Age: 30
Fighting out of: Maharashtra, India
Notable:

Joseph Morales

Record: 12-2
Age: 30
Fighting out of: Sacramento, California
Notable:

Former A1 Combat flyweight champion
Had three fights in the UFC in 2017 and 2018
Trains at Team Alpha Male, a gym founded by UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber

Imanol Rodriguez

Record: 5-0
Age: 25
Fighting out of: Mexico
Notable:

Has fought in Fury FC and Combate Global
Has finished each of his opponents (four knockouts, one submission)
None of his professional fights has reached Round 3

Furkatbek Yokubov

Record: 14-4
Age: 30
Fighting out of: Uzbekistan

Fought in Karate Combat and LFA
Fought UFC fighter Vinicius Oliveira in UAE Warriors in November 2020, lost by first-round knockout
Has knocked out each of his last three opponents

Recaps

Episode 1: Henrique vs. Morales
The coaches evaluate the Season 33 talent and choose their respective teams. No. 1 picks Eduardo Henrique and Joseph Morales face off in the first flyweights fight of the season. Find out who wins on ESPN+.

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May 28, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Marathon is fighting the ultimate uphill battle

by admin May 25, 2025

Ever since its initial reveal, Marathon has had an air of skepticism surrounding it by the gaming community at large. At first, I mostly attributed this to Bungie’s uneven approach to handling its premier live service franchise, Destiny. Between decisions like removing past expansions, vaulting weapons, and more underwhelming updates than positive ones, I could completely understand the hesitancy around the studio attempting to launch and maintain a second live service game.

As we’ve inched closer and closer to its release date, the general outlook seems to have only gotten more dismal. Yes, there have been some very concerning controversies that shouldn’t be swept under the rug, but Marathon is suffering from a more systemic problem with live service games as a whole that it will need to overcome to succeed.

The trust is broken

Live service games are labelled as such because they’re meant to be living, evolving experiences that players can keep coming back to for months and years. MMORPGs were the progenitors of this model, but now we’ve seen it applied to all sorts of genres. Despite its ups and downs, Destiny is still the poster child for what we now call live service games and the model so many have tried to imitate.

As with anything successful in the gaming industry, it wasn’t long before every big player wanted a piece of that pie. The allure of a perpetual money-maker was too great to resist, despite the reality being much more complicated. Sony was arguably the one to invest the most heavily in the model, at one point boasting over 12 live service games in the works. Between released and cancelled projects, that number has shrunk to possibly two, those being Marathon and Fairgames. While we can’t discuss the broken trust between gamers and the current and upcoming slate of live service games without mentioning Concord, the root of the problem goes back much further than that.

The first game I recall raising major red flags in the gaming sphere was Anthem. Even before all the behind-the-scenes problems in development were brought to light about the game, fans were leery about a studio known for RPGs seemingly trying to hop onto the latest trend. Anthem launched to a less-than-stellar response and quickly went on life support. It failed to satisfy BioWare’s core RPG fans or any potential Destiny converts due to a lack of both a satisfying story or a compelling endgame grind. Before launch, EA shared a roadmap calendar detailing three acts of content, and when nothing beyond Act 1 was released for over a year, BioWare promised a major overhaul of the game, unofficially called Anthem 2.0.

All of these plans were cancelled.

Firewalk Studios

Since then, we’ve seen more major games make bold claims about months and years of future content, only to pull the rug out from players after a middling — or downright abysmal — launch. Examples include Redfall, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and, of course, Concord. That last one is likely the one that broke the camel’s back for most gamers due to how unprecedented it was. This was a PlayStation first-party release with prime showcase placement, an ambitious roadmap of content, an experimental storytelling method, and even a tie-in episode in Secret Level before the game had even come out.

That game failing would be bad, but it being scrubbed from existence is catastrophic for gamers’ trust in PlayStation and live service as a whole. Not only do we have to be concerned about a game simply breaking all promises of support, but also the entire experience being ripped from us. While I don’t think the sins of one game should be borne by another, I can’t blame anyone who has adopted a more wait-and-see approach to new live service games. If we can’t count on a name as big as PlayStation to make good on its promises, why should we think differently for any other studio?

Trust isn’t given anymore, it needs to be earned.

The impressions I have seen from both major pundits and average players in forums for Marathon feel a lot like what the sentiment was for Concord before launch. The general feelings appear to float around a “it’s pretty fun to play, but there’s not enough there right now” type of vibe. Justified or not, that’s a death sentence for a game that relies on a large population of people being willing to support the game at its weakest so that it can even attempt to reach its full potential.

Gamers have long memories — at least when it comes to being burned. A roadmap and a “trust us” from the development team just doesn’t cut it anymore. Marathon could very well have the potential to be amazing, but it has to start out great to even have a chance to get there. Not enough people will settle for even good, and with so many people perfectly content sitting on the sidelines to see if it fails before it even gets off the ground, it will result in a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Bungie shouldn’t be let off the hook for blatant plagiarism or the apparent crashing moral at the studio. Rumors swirling about how the unrealistic amount of money it needs to make to be considered a success don’t help either, but Marathon‘s fate wouldn’t look any more certain even if that had never occurred. Until enough live service games earn our trust back, each game is fighting an uphill battle that gets steeper with every failed attempt.

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May 25, 2025 0 comments