Despite the broad definition of a broker in the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, an official of the U.S. Treasury Department says that non-brokers will not be targeted even if the bill is not amended. The official added that crypto advocates’ fears are unwarranted. Treasury Official Says Non-Brokers Will Not Be Targeted The U.S. Department of the Treasury explained Tuesday that the crypto reporting requirements in the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill will not target non-brokers even if the bill is not amended, CNBC reported, citing an official of the department. Crypto advocates are concerned that the bill defines a broker so broadly that it could include miners and software developers who do not have the information sought by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Some lawmakers are very concerned about the language of the bill regarding the crypto requirements. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, for example, commented: “This infrastructure bill has in it a portion that is designed to obliterate crypto. That would be a tragic mistake.” Senator Pat Toomey said, “Simply put, the text is unworkable.” However, the Treasury official told the news outlet Tuesday that these fears are unwarranted. “Reporting requirements would only be extended to those able to comply, like certain decentralized exchanges, for example, if written into tax law,” the publication conveyed. A few amendments to the crypto provision in the infrastructure bill have been proposed, including a compromise amendment that is supported by the Treasury. Nonetheless, all of them failed to pass the Senate when the infrastructure bill passed on Aug. 10. In addition, the official clarified that the Treasury plans to take time to research to understand who might be asked to comply with the provision and verify whether they would be capable of doing so prior to establishing the law. This process could take years, the official indicated. The infrastructure bill is awaiting the House of Representatives to take up. There are efforts to get members of the House to amend the bill. Rep. Anna Eshoo from California recently urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “to fix potentially harmful language on cryptocurrency in bipartisan infrastructure bill.” On Tuesday, the House passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution and advanced the bipartisan infrastructure bill. In a statement Tuesday, Pelosi said she is “committing to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill by September 27.”

According to a regional report, the Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is focusing on the blockchain-powered game Axie Infinity over tax concerns. Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko explained to the press that BIR is looking into methods aimed at capturing Axie Infinity players failing to pay their income taxes. Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue Wants Its Cut From Axie Infinity Earners The Ethereum-game “Axie Infinity” has made waves not only in the crypto realm but also in terms of mainstream media attention. The game has gathered a lot of popularity and the native tokens called axie infinity (AXS) and smooth love potion (SLP) have seen significant gains this year. In places like the Philippines and Venezuela people are earning a lot of money playing Axie Infinity. In fact, some players are earning more playing Axie Infinity than they would at their 9-5 jobs. The Philippines government has caught wind of these earnings and just like all global tax collectors, BIR wants its cut. In a press release published by the tax authority, the agency and the region’s finance undersecretary Antonette Tionko say “Axie Infinity earnings are subject to tax.” Philippines Finance Undersecretary: ‘Remember the Principle of Taxation, It’s a Flow of Wealth’ Tionko stressed that regulators have not decided on whether or not “Axie” is a currency or security and believes that decision is up to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Tionko also thinks the central banking authority Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) should weigh in on the Axie Infinity subject. “But regardless of how it is characterized, it’s taxable, subject to income tax,” Tionko insisted on August 23. “It is not registered in the Philippines. That is one of the things that we hopefully capture once we have that system of registration for non-residents. It’s not in the Philippines, but certainly whoever earns currency from it, you should report it,” Tionko added. The creators of the Ethereum-powered game Axie Infinity Sky Mavis are based in Vietnam. Tionko further stressed to the public that all internet schemes that allow people to make money are subject to income taxes. “Remember the principle of taxation, it’s a flow of wealth,” Tionko concluded.

Fears of a major semiconductor chip shortage have started to make headlines again as the chips power nearly everything from new cars, phones, computers, and a myriad of other items. Reports stemming from Malaysia show that semiconductor manufacturers are dealing with an uptick in Covid-19 cases and this is plaguing the supply chain. Moreover, the machines that secure the Bitcoin network are also powered by these chips, and semiconductor prices might increase by over 20% in the near future. Semiconductor Shortage Could Cause a 10-20% Rise in Chip Costs On August 24, the well known German technology and engineering firm Bosch explained that the semiconductor supply chain is broken, as the world currently faces a major chip shortage. Covid-19 is hurting semiconductor manufacturing hubs like Malaysia that are dealing with the virus. The uptick in coronavirus cases in Malaysia is allegedly causing chip shortages, as major suppliers like STMicroelectronics Nvamong, NXP Semiconductors NV, and Infineon Technologies AG operate chip plants in the country. Despite Taiwan having almost zero Covid-19 cases, a regional report noted that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) could possibly increase the price of wafers by 20%. Unnamed sources stemming from the IC design houses say that TSMC has been notifying major clients that they could see a 10-20% hike on all chips involving sub-16nm process manufacturing. Smartphones, computers, cars, and bitcoin miners leverage sub-16nm process manufacturing and some of the top bitcoin mining rigs use 10nm to 7nm semiconductors. Taiwan’s Economy Minister: ‘Taiwan Is Doing Its Best to Assist on the Chips’ Similar to the way it was months ago, a few of the official websites of some of the top mining rig manufactures indicate that physical mining products are sold out across the board. A few firms do have rigs for sale on the spot, as Bitmain currently has mining rigs for sale that will ship in ten working days after the item is “fully paid.” At press time, the cost of an Antminer S19j Pro 100 TH/s is $10,000 per unit. The five other Antminer mining rigs Bitmain has advertised on the website are completely sold out. Every now and then in 2021, firms like Bitmain, Canaan, and Microbt announce large sales to some of the largest mining operations worldwide. The average consumer is forced to buy bitcoin mining rigs via second market providers, ones that usually tack on a significant premium. Meanwhile, a number of car companies are cutting production these days, as firms like BMW, Toyota, and Volkswagen have had major issues accessing chips. Taiwan’s Economy Minister, Wang Mei-Hua, addressed the public on Tuesday and said that Taiwan is doing everything possible to keep the supply chain of semiconductors going strong. Wang told the press that U.S. diplomat in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk discussed it with him on Monday. “I mentioned that Taiwan is doing its best to assist on the chips,” Wang told the press that day. Over the long term, alongside the fact that the shortage has already tightened supply chains, the effects of the global supply shortage of semiconductors may stall bitcoin mining operations and manufacturers who build these machines. Items like system on chips (SoCs), CPUs, GPUs, ASICs, and controllers are likely to cost more going forward if these shortages continue. All of the aforementioned semiconductor products are leveraged by the cryptocurrency ecosystem, in general.

The authorities of Spain must prepare a registry of cryptocurrency exchanges and custody providers to comply with legal requirements to address transparency and terrorism financing issues. This registry is specified by the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Law, approved last year. The process, which started in April, gives these service providers until October to register. Spain to Create Virtual Asset Provider Registry The Bank of Spain must determine the requirements to start registering cryptocurrency exchanges and custody providers, as determined by Spanish law. The virtual asset service providers must register with the institution to implement anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing measures. This is mandated by the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Law that was approved last year. The period established by law to allow these providers to register started in April and ends in October. After that, cryptocurrency service providers will have a second period to register that finishes in January 2022. The law states the purpose of the registry is to: …improve the mechanisms for the prevention of terrorism and improve the transparency and availability of information about true cryptocurrency owners. Stringent Regulations Spain has been busy regulating cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency interactions this year, approving a series of laws that exert more control on crypto and fiat holdings. The so-called anti-fraud law, passed on July 7, establishes that Spanish citizens must disclose their cryptocurrency ownership for assets inside and outside the country. The law also states that custody providers must report information about their customers and their holdings. The antifraud law prescribes harsh penalties for failure to disclose this information. Customer data will be available to all countries in the European Union, as well. According to Alejandro de la Cruz, a Spanish financial lawyer, the registry will mark a before and after for crypto-related service providers in Spain. This might affect the growth of cryptocurrency adoption in the region because exchanges will have to comply with a lengthy process and identity themselves and their customers to regulators. However, part of the Spanish congress seems to understand the importance that cryptocurrencies can have in the lives of citizens. A new draft law introduced earlier this month, seeking to modernize the Spanish legal structure, would allow Spanish citizens to pay their mortgages with cryptocurrency.

NFTs are of the biggest developments to come from the emergence of DeFi, and have created a mania not seen in the market since the 2017 cryptocurrency bull run. NFT art has raised some fascinating questions over where value can be identified, but it is in the gaming world that NFTs could prove to be truly groundbreaking. NFT gaming is now one of the hottest spaces in crypto as leaders in the field create digital worlds with self-sustaining economies that utilize in-game NFTs that command a tangible value in the wider market and give participants a way to monetize their game time. Tezotopia Marketplace Sells Out in 20 Mins One emerging leader, Gif.games, recently launched an NFT marketplace and game called Tezotopia which allows users to play in a virtual environment and trade virtual assets using a currency called Unobtainium (UNO) which will soon command its own open market value. A testament to the huge interest that is quickly snowballing within the NFT gaming space, the Tezotopia marketplace launch on August 9th sold out in only 20 mins, raising an initial $76,514, which was spent on various in-game assets, and resources. The Potential of NFT Gaming NFT art grabbed the imagination of the crypto market in Q1 of this year and now the accessibility of play-to-earn NFT-based titles like Axie Infinity and Tezotopia is creating a whole new level of interest amongst casual players and hardcore gamers alike. NFTs raked in over $1.2 billion in sales in July 2021 and in just the last month dApp user volume has increased a massive 23.72% with more than 1.4 million daily unique users. This massive growth can be put down to a number of factors, but the most notable is the game-changing nature that in-game NFTs have brought to the table. In the virtual world, in-game items have always held high interest with players but lacked any tangible value outside of the game, until now. In-game NFTs allow players to own and control what they own, in a way like never before. The blockchain technology behind NFTs provides a probability for item authenticity so that such items can hold both not only their in-game value but also their open market value for players to sell or trade. Tezotopia: Explore, Excavate, Create Tezotopia is an open-world NFT game and marketplace for virtual assets based on Tezos. Players can buy, sell, and trade digital territories (known as Tezotops) & build numerous virtual assets using the in-game cryptocurrency, Unobtainium (UNO). On their futuristic journey across the open-world map, players use Unobtainium (0.5 UNO and 50 Energy points) to create new Tezotops. Players can also use Unobtainium and other resources such as minerals and energy to produce machinery and build battle units. Unobtainium not only has full utility within the game, but it will also be an FA2 token with liquidity, backed by Tezos. UNO has a maximum supply of 333,333 and is available to buy on Quipiswap exchange. These mechanics mean that players can conduct trades, barter, and exchange outside of the confines of Tezotopia. Gif.games have taken full advantage of the capabilities of NFTs with Tezotopia, tokenizing all of the minerals, energy, and machinery within the game through Unobtainium and giving its players the freedom to use their NFTs outside of the gaming environment. $GIF Governance Token IDO On the back of the Tezotopia launch success, Gif.games was quickly accepted into the Blockchain Gaming Alliance as a silver member. Gif.games is now preparing to launch an IDO for its $GIF governance token with partner and decentralized launchpad Rocket Launchpad, on Tezos on August 28th, 2021. $GIF is a Governance token for all current and future blockchain titles from gif.games. $GIF holders will benefit from holders’ rights and have their say in any new project proposals and have the right to vote on things that affect Tezotopia and other future titles. $GIF holders’ will also get other benefits such as in-game perks, early access to new games, airdrops, and much more. The IDO will give anyone interested the opportunity to buy $GIF at a reduced price. Anyone interested in details about token supply and allocation can learn more here. What is Next for Gif.games With much already accomplished in the last month Gif.games is now preparing to have $GIF listed on Tezos’s DEX QuipuSwap, following the completion of the IDO which starts on August 28th. Funds from the IDO will be used to help scale games, bring on more developers & artists to expand the universe of Gif.games. The Tezotopia dApp is expected to be complete following the IDO so players will be able to build unique NFT assets on top of their Tezotop blocks. Later this year Gif.games plans to airdrop 10,000 $GIF per Tezotop to the owners of the first 400 Blocks of Tezotopia and have new collaborations planned with talented Tezos NFT Community Artists. $GIF token holders will be given access to Beta Test Gif.games battle engine and plan to announce a new game title later in the year.

Revealed during Gamescom 2021 Opening Night Live, a limited edition Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is coming this November 15 to honor the Halo franchise’s 20th Anniversary. The incredible design mimics the classic Master Chief armor, and comes with many swappable pieces and extra accessories. Joseph Staten, the Campaign Lead for Halo Infinite shared the Gamescom stage with Geoff Keighly to officially announce the Halo Infinite release date. This big reveal was accompanied by more information on the Season 1 multiplayer story, along with the announcement of the Halo Elite Series 2, as well as a beautiful Halo-themed Xbox Series X console. The green-and-black Elite gamepad comes with: Swappable adjustable-tension thumbsticks Swappable thumb grips Set of two D-pads: Standard, Faceted Optional paddles that add extra button inputs Thumbstick-adjustment tool Laser-etched charging dock Custom green and orange USB-C charging cable Digital Halo Infinite weapon charm Carrying Case The Xbox Elite controllers are well known for their level of customisation and durability, and it looks like this version follows suit. Some fans might be put-off by its $199.99 price tag, but considering a regular Xbox Series X controller will set fans back $69.99, an extra $130 for a highly customizable, durable gamepad that also comes with a charging dock and in-game content doesn’t seem too much more to pay for. In addition to the Elite Controller and Halo Infinite Xbox Series X Bundle, a Razer Kaira Pro Headset and Seagate Game Drive will also be released with a Halo-themed makeover. The Razer Headset also comes with an in-game Halo Infinite "Deathly Poison Armor Coating," but no price or release date. The Seagate Drive is available at $99.99 for 2TB of storage, or $159.99 for 5TB, and will be available some time in October. While the reveal that Halo Infinite will lack co-op and other major features at launch was a big disappointment to many fans, these incredibly designed extras are a great way to celebrate the iconic first-person-shooter’s massive 20th anniversary. Confirmation that the game is still on track for a 2021 release after it was delayed for over a year is also great news for Master Chief fans. As limited editions, the Series X and Elite Series 2 Controller will inevitably sell well, but the high price point and limited quantity might put a lot of fans off. Offering something smaller at a more reasonable price could have helped a lot of old and new Halo fans feel more included during the special anniversary.

Over the years, there have been a lot of popular simulation video games available for gamers. From games that let players get behind the wheel of race cars to others that let them negotiate intergalactic alliances, there seems to be a simulation game for everyone. Recently, the developers at Frontier Developments revealed a gameplay trailer for their newest simulation game, a dinosaur park simulator called Jurassic World Evolution 2. Originally announced back at the Summer Games Fest 2021, the game is a sequel to 2018's Jurassic World Evolution. Even Jeff Goldblum, famous from the original Jurassic Park, lent his voice for the reveal trailer narration. However, that original video only teased the project, this new trailer provides actual in-game footage. Revealed during Opening Night Live 2021 at Gamescom, this gameplay trailer gave players a new look at the gorgeous visuals of the sequel to Jurassic World Evolution. The trailer revealed a number of impressive looking dinosaurs such as the Mosasaur from the 2015 Jurassic World movie. The game appears to include a robust set of tools to help design exhibits as features for shaping terrain and rotating objects were seen. Futhermore, a number of different regions were shown for park settings like mountains and desert environments. Fans won’t need to wait long until they can play the game for themselves. In addition to providing gameplay footage and a glimpse of the creation tools available to players, the developers revealed that the park simulator launches on November 9. Pre-orders for the game are now available. Beyond this new trailer from Gamescom, fans have been receiving other updates on the game over the past few months. In a series of YouTube videos called "Developer Diaries," eager fans have been able to learn more details about the game. Furthermore, the developers have published a collection of species field guides showcasing some of the new and exotic dinosaurs coming to Jurassic World Evolution 2 such as Pteranodon, Dimorphodon, and Qianzhousaurus. This new trailer comes as the original Jurassic World Evolution is over three years old now. The first game in the series of prehistoric park simulators, the game gave players the opportunity to run a theme park full of dinosaurs that included favorites like the iconic Velociraptor. As is the case with dinosaurs, things often don’t go according to plan, forcing the player to resolve emergency situations at the park. The game also included some impressive voice actors such as Jeff Goldblum and Dallas Bryce Howard. It’s exciting for gamers to see this news about Jurassic World Evolution 2 come out of Gamescom 2021. It will be interesting to see what other features and new types of dinosaurs fans learn about before the game’s launch later this year. Jurassic World Evolution 2 is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 9.

Activision Blizzard has officially added a quality-of-life feature back into Call of Duty: Warzone that was originally added with Season 4. This feature allows players to make changes to their loadouts in the pre-game lobby. Raven Software originally removed the edit loadout feature from the pre-game lobby shortly after it was added. According to the team behind Call of Duty: Warzone and videos that were surfacing at the time, players were able to exploit the system in order to gain blueprints, free camos, and even an in-game advantage. The feature was quietly removed as a result of the bugs and exploits associated with it. Players who were benefitting the most from this feature were able to acquire infinite Dead Silence, giving them a significant advantage over the competition. With this game-breaking bug, among several bugs and exploits attached to the edit loadout feature, Call of Duty: Warzone players have had to edit their loadouts before a match. Thanks to the return of the feature, players will be able to edit loadouts as they wait for their next battle royale match. Call of Duty: Warzone Season 5 released with update 1.41, and it includes several changes to the game. Included with the return of the pre-game lobby feature in Warzone are new weapons, perks, map changes, and a Gulag inspired by the Rush game mode. Unlike the previous seasons to release, Season 5 doesn't include significant bug fixes or weapon balancing. Frustrated Call of Duty: Warzone fans have voiced their displeasure about the removal of the pre-game lobby loadout feature. Modern Warfare fans, in particular, had been affected by this change, as depending on the attachments they wanted to use, they weren't able to test them out in multiplayer mode first. Upon the return of this feature, Raven Software announced that it would be coming to Plunder and Modern Warfare multiplayer in addition to Warzone. On top of the changes to the Call of Duty: Warzone pre-game lobby, Raven Software also officially announced that Warzone update 1.41 changed the lobby screens for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone. The pre-game lobby edit loadout feature has been a highly requested addition to Warzone since it was removed with Season 4. With this old Call of Duty: Warzone feature returned to the game, it seems like Activision Blizzard and Raven Software are listening to the Warzone community. With Modern Warfare and Cold War fans both receiving this feature, it's likely that Call of Duty: Vanguard will include something similar with its Warzone mode. Call of Duty: Warzone is available right now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Gamescom Opening Night Live featured announcements, reveals, and more for over 30 different games, but for Valheim fans there was only ever one thing worth looking forward. Details regarding Valheim's long-awaited Hearth and Home update have been highly anticipated for months, as developer Iron Gate AB wrestled with viral success and demand for quick updates and new content. The time has come, as Iron Gate AB is ready to confirm that Valheim's Hearth and Home arrives on September 16. To celebrate Hearth and Home's release date announcement Iron Gate AB shared an animated cinematic trailer made just for the reveal. It featured a Nordic warrior battling a dragon and taking its head, followed by a long and perilous journey back to his homestead filled with friends and food. Of course, the effort was all to mount the dragon's head above the hearth, because home is where the heart is. Alongside the release of the trailer, Iron Gate AB also dropped its monthly blog on Steam for fans to delve into for more detail. To start, Iron Gate AB reiterated what players can expect in Valheim's upcoming update. Hearth and Home will include new furniture, building pieces, food, and more. The development team also teased two additional new additions via screenshots. One is a new type of forge and the other is a carved ornamental wolf head with jaws agape. While Iron Gate AB tells Valheim players that they can find early looks at other additions coming in the Hearth and Home update on its social media, it also says that an official list of content will not be forthcoming. That's not bad news, however. There are no problems, delays, or ongoing issues preventing Iron Gate AB from sharing that information. Rather, it's a decision made by the team. Iron Gate wants Valheim players to discover all of the new content for themselves. Some of the other changes being made to Valheim as part of the Hearth and Home update include changes to the reworked food system, as well as to shields. For food, there is now health food and stamina food, allowing players to choose what best suits their playstyle, with timed buffs instead of the food bar. Shields and blocking will be dependent on overall health, with the tower shield getting a buff just for tank characters who like defending. Another exciting development is that Valheim's developer has officially hired three new employees, bringing the total number of employees to eight. That includes a new animator, a new programmer, and a QA lead, which could mean that Valheim updates to follow Hearth and Home could come faster and more polished, or perhaps just larger. It'll be exciting to see what's next for Valheim. Valheim is available now on PC.

In many ways, 2013’s Outlast helped redefine what small-studio horror games were capable of. While Amnesia rocketed indie horror onto the scene with the help of YouTube personalities, it’s difficult to deny the Outlast franchise’s impact on the genre. Now, the next entry in the franchise, The Outlast Trials, has received a new trailer – though this game has a multiplayer twist. The trailer gives close-up looks at some of the titular trials that players will be facing as they work their way through the game. In a way, the trailer closely resembles a SAW film, with bloody rooms and vicious-looking obstacles dominating many of the game’s environments. It certainly doesn’t seem like a place for the faint of heart, though the Outlast games never have been – one of the contributing factors to their success. Undeniably the stars of the show are the enemies that are featured over the course of the gameplay trailer. Traditionally, the Outlast games have packed in one or two primary big baddies for players to avoid, but The Outlast Trials trailer shows a suite of enemies chasing down players. Impressively, each one of the enemies is uniquely terrifying, offering up some distinct visual elements that distinguish them from the others. The narration also adds a creepy layer to the trailer’s overall vibe, as the speaker claims to be helping the protagonists, ensuring their safety and insisting he's their friend. That clearly doesn’t seem to be the case, as players are subjected to physical and mental torment throughout the gameplay. Luckily, the game will support teams of up to four players, so at least there’s the option for allies to tackle each trial with. The gist of what's know so far is that the game is set during the height of the Cold War. Players are abductee test subjects taken by the Murkoff Corporation and held prisoner in a secret facility. There, they’ll be forced to take part in “physical and mental ordeals,” many of which seem to end with players being hung, stabbed, or otherwise brutalized if the corpses shown throughout the trailer are any indication. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of question marks about The Outlast Trials. This is by far the best look that fans have had at the game since it was revealed, but the only release date right now is a vague 2022 window. There are some other horror games coming out soon to fill the void, like House of Ashes, but The Outlast Trials seems particularly exciting. The Outlast Trials will release in 2022.

The upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Tutles: Shredder's Revenge has released a new trailer that confirms another member of the franchise's cast will be joining the game. Early trailers from the Shredder's Revenge reveal hinted at some extra characters possibly being playable, but a new trailer confirms it for the series' popular leading lady, April O'Neil. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge having a very retro art style, harkening back to the 1987 cartoon series and accompanying arcade titles, this means players will be able to jump into the game as the most recognizable April O'Neil. Additionally, the fan-favorite redhead will have her own weapon that leans in on the character's history as a reporter and investigative journalist. This new trailer starts off by showing the four turtles in a menu reminiscent of older TMNT arcade titles, before April appears using a microphone as her weapon. Her full moveset includes plenty of punches and kicks without the weapon, but several of her special attacks also add a news camera on top of a tripod as her heavy hitter. The whole loadout makes April a force to be reckoned with, as she has little trouble taking out dozens of Foot Clan ninjas with as much ease as any of the other turtles. In addition to her own attacks, April will also be able to combo with the main cast of turtles, moving from jump and spin attacks right into being thrown like a wrecking ball into a group of enemies. Overall, April is a welcome addition to the style of classic TMNT arcade beat 'em ups that developer Dotemu is striving for with Shredder's Revenge. Although, it isn't clear if April will be the only new character to be added for players to take control of through the upcoming game. Having April take her place in the fight alongside the turtles is a huge step for the classic 80's style that Shredder's Revenge emulates, especially considering the way that more recent adaptations have made her a more active part of the team. However, Dotemu may still have more in store for fans, as the initial reveal trailer for the game back in March implied that Master Splinter may also have a part in the fighting. While Splinter may be relegated to being an acquirable power-up or temporary ally, it is exciting to see April get the upgrade from stage presenter all the way to playable combatant. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge is set to release in 2022 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

Dr Disrespect is not only one of the most popular YouTube streamers going at the moment, but he has something of a controversial reputation, often being very vocal about his criticisms of video games. After being banned from Twitch more than a year ago, the Doc recently mentioned how he'd known the reason for months, revealing that he knew why the banhammer came down on him and his videos. On top of that, he has also spoken frankly about how the aftermath has made it difficult for him to partner up with big companies. In his latest YouTube video, Dr Disrespect laments how being banned from Twitch's platform has had an impact on his ability to work with companies like Disney or Nike, saying that it's affected him from a business perspective, as well as from a financial one, adding that his income is only a quarter of what he was making through Twitch. He added that Google searching his name brings up the news about his banning, believing that such headlines are the reason why he's struggling to work with huge companies. He concluded his statement by saying that it "f***ing sucks!" Dr Disrepect's banning from Twitch has caused quite a stir over the last year or so. With the ban being permanent, there were some uncertainties as to why he was kicked off the platform in the first place. One theory suggested that him being a high profile streamer who earns a lot from Twitch, his removal meant the streaming company could bring in more, smaller content creators instead of paying for one big star. However, those were only speculations, and nothing has been proved on that front. It's not unusual for the Doc to make headlines in the media. His brash opinions on certain video games often catch the attention of the community. Just recently, Dr Disrespect criticized the reveal for Call of Duty: Vanguard, having been let down by the teaser, saying that he would have preferred some hands-on action, rather than just a "cinematic" experience. Given that the Doc is now starting his own video game company, in which he plans to make a vertical Battle Royale title, it seems as though the moustachio'd champion gamer is making the most of his time away from Twitch. With his YouTube channel at a lofty 3.46 million subscribers, it begs the question of just how much bigger he could become if Disney and other huge companies would partner with him were it not for the controversy.

With the re-release of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, fans have been celebrating the occasion in a wide variety of ways. Nintendo announced a while back the re-release of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl under the new name Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl with a brand new look to the game and its well known characters like Barry, Dawn, and Cynthia. Fans have been celebrating across all socials media formats, creating a hefty amount of fan-made content and leading one specific fan to recreate Dawn in a glorious cosplay. Originally, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl was released in 2006 on the Nintendo DS. With the cast of game becoming eventually even more well known due to their appearence in the Pokemon television series, devoted fans of the title have taken to fan content creation during the wait for the November release. Fortunately for many fans of the original game, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond is bringing back fan favorite features, and the community has been continuously fed this uplifting information from Nintendo as the wait continues on. With the character Dawn having joined Ash Ketchum, and becoming part of the main cast of the Pokemon television series, she has always been a popular character among longtime Pokemon fans. With Dawn also starring in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, a devoted fan cosplayer by the name of KawaiiQueen created an incredibly accurate recreation of the fan favorite character in celebration of the re-release. With fans already comparing the re-release Pokemon graphics to older ones, it is always refreshing to see Pokemon renditions in 3D. One of the little things KawaiiQueen added to her posts that just perfectly finishes it, is her addition of Sinnoh Region for the location of the picture on Instagram. From the skirt to the scarf, she amazingly recreates Dawn accurately, only missing her faithful Piplup campanion. Maybe Piplup is simply inside of the Pokeball she's holding. With Dawn's current involvement in Pokemon Masters and Brilliant Diamond, a cosplay this true to the original is a welcome sight for hyped fans. KawaiiQueen has a handful of posts on her Instagram of the dedicated Dawn cosplay and her love for the original game. She also cosplays Cynthia, who stars in both the anime and upcoming re-release as well, further showing her dedication to the series. With fans creating everything from life-size papercraft Eevee to bringing beautiful characters from the games into real life, the Pokemon community will have quite a lot to discuss while they wait for the official re-release. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will release on November 19, 2021, for Nintendo Switch.

Since the first team to score a raid clear in 2014, players continue seeking challenges to conquer inside the various raids available across Destiny and Destiny 2. The toughest players out there have been able to conquer Destiny's raids in either duos or solo, finding ways to beat bosses like Atheon and Riven at a severe disadvantage. However, one titan has overcome Atheon with nothing more than a hammer and some lucky glitching. Twitter user VoteforShifu posted the short clip from one of their most recent and successful Atheon solo runs inside the Vault of Glass raid. The clip shows the devastator titan using their throwing hammer melee on several vex harpies for a damage boost before turning their attention to Atheon. VoteforShifu then throws their charged hammer at Atheon twice, defeating the powerful Vex mind in just two melee hits. Several Twitter users were quick to comment about this, saying how surprised they were at how Atheon was beaten while others asked how VoteforShifu beat Atheon in two melee hits. A few users pointed out the throwing hammer bounces after making contact and glitched on Atheon's leg, causing the massive damage. Damage glitches like this are nothing new to Destiny's various raids, typically being found by fellow solo raid runners like VoteforShifu. Players uncovered another Destiny 2 damage glitch in January 2020 which allowed players to solo most raid encounters until was ultimately patched out. The glitch required players to run a hunter armed with a sword, plenty of heavy ammo, and the card shuffle emote for a combination of emoting, dodging, summoning their ghost, and hitting bosses with a jump slash. Another glitch was subsequently found in the Deep Stone Crypt raid after Bungie patched out the aforementioned damage glitch. This saw various warlocks casting nova bombs at the rubble before the raid's final encounter and dying, causing Taniks to zero-out if done correctly for a quick Guardian victory. However, VoteforShifu's glitch run is among the more ridiculous solo run completions seen within Destiny 2. Raid bosses typically require some combination of heavy weapons, supers, and strong secondary weapons, even with past damage glitches as highlighted above. Some melees can provide damage boosts, but are not typically strong enough to defeat major enemies in one or two blows. It will be worth watching to see if anyone is able to recreate VoteforShifu's lucky combination because, now that it has been done, other players will be keen to try and replicate it. Destiny 2 is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.