Pre-E3 is underway and Google is using the time to break out lots of information regarding the cloud gaming platform Stadia. The stream featured game announcements, but if you’re wondering how you can access the platform, there are two main ways to play games with Stadia. Also, early adopters can get their foot in the door with a founder’s pack that’s now available for pre-order.
The two versions of Google Stadia are Base and Pro. The two have different ways to access games and also change what level of visual and aural quality you’ll be able to achieve. Stadia Base access is free and operates more like purchasing a traditional home gaming console. If you want to play games on the platform, you purchase them individually, and they can be played whenever you like. The max resolution for Base is 1080p, and the games can run at 60 frames per second. The sound in Base is limited to stereo as well. The platform’s FAQ says “purchasing an individual controller does not entitle you to Stadia access” and, to play Stadia in 2019, “you’ll need to purchase a bundle.” The only bundle available in the founder’s pack and the other option in the Google store is the Stadia controller. More bundles will likely be revealed in the future.
Stadia Pro is $10 per month and allows you to purchase games individually in addition to accessing a library of games that will grow over time and will not require additional purchases. Resolution for Pro maxes out at 4K and also can run at 60FPS with 5.1 surround sound enabled. The first game coming to the library that Pro users can access is Destiny 2: The Collection. This version of the game includes the base game, all previous expansions including Forsaken, the new Shadowkeep expansion, and the annual pass for that expansion. Bungie hosted a stream of its own for Shadowkeep and other Destiny 2-related announcements, including the official reveal of cross-platform saves. This means that Destiny 2 players using different platforms can continue their progress on Stadia.
If you’re hoping to be a part of the first wave of Google Stadia players, the company revealed a founder’s pack to get the ball rolling for you and a friend. The Stadia founder’s pack includes a Chromecast Ultra, a limited-edition Night Blue Stadia controller, a chance to get one of the first Stadia usernames, three months of Stadia Pro, and a buddy pass that gives a friend three months of Pro. It costs $130 and is available for pre-order now. Chromecast Ultra allows players to stream Stadia titles at 4K and plugs into televisions via the HDMI port. When Stadia launches in November, it will be available in 14 countries: The U.S., U.K., Belgium, Finland, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. The platform will expand to other regions throughout 2020.
The launch games for Google Stadia include Destiny 2, The Division 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, and more. Additional controllers for Google Stadia cost $70 and come in three color schemes: White, black, and wasabi green. The Stadia also supports PS4 and Xbox One controllers along with mouse and keyboard.
The Call of Duty franchise has held a special place in my heart ever since I played my first Black Ops game back in 2010. That game's campaign was something else, with twists and turns that culminated in a mind-blowing finale. We can all admit that compared to those older campaigns, the recent CODs have been lackluster at best, and a complete and utter disappointment at worst. The reboot of Modern Warfare did give me some hope, as the first two installments were actually quite good, but the third game left such a bad taste in my mouth that I wasn’t exactly expecting much from Modern Warfare 4.
After recently finishing the campaign, I can say that this installment is nothing like the recent releases and instead feels closer to the franchise’s roots. For the first time in a long while, the campaign comes across as well-crafted rather than rushed to hit a release date. It arrives three years after MW3, and you can see exactly where all that time went. It seems the studio finally made listening to player feedback a priority.
Epic Games has just announced the 2026 Epic AI MegaJam, which is looking to see how much game development can be squeezed into a very short window. This is running from November 12 through November 15.
Participants can work alone or in teams of up to five people, build in Unreal Engine or Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and bring along “as many AI agents as you want.” Epic explicitly encourages coding agents, AI-generated assets, audio tools, writing tools, and other AI systems. The official event page literally says "Vibe your way to $50k.”
It’s turning into a pretty good time to be a Monster Hunter fan who plays on a phone. Capcom has confirmed that Monster Hunter Outlanders will launch on Android and iOS on October 29, giving the series a new mobile-first game just as Monster Hunter Rise is also preparing to make the jump to smartphones through Netflix.
Outlanders is being developed by Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio Group under license and supervision from Capcom. Unlike Rise, which appears to be the full console and PC game adapted for mobile, Outlanders is a free-to-play survival hunting game made specifically for phones.