Smite 2 Founder’s Editions are now available for purchase on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC — but there’s a catch: the game won’t be playable until its first closed alpha weekend next month.
Smite 2 developer Titan Forge has confirmed that the MOBA’s first closed alpha weekend is coming sometime this May, and that the only way to access this early look at the game is by purchasing a Founder’s Edition, available starting today.
There are three Founder’s Editions from which to choose, with each tier providing additional in-game bonuses like skins and Ascension Passes, the latter of which will allow you to level up gods’ Mastery levels. Regardless of which version players opt for, they’ll gain full game access, all future Smite 2 gods, 2x Legacy Gems, and some unique badges. Those who find themselves on the fence can snag the standard Founder’s Edition for $30 and then upgrade to a higher tier later if they decide they’d like the extras.
Though Titan Forge hasn’t nailed down an exact date for the first closed alpha weekend yet, don’t fret if you miss its initial outing — the team is planning multiple alpha tests as the game barrels toward its open beta later this summer. However, it’s worth noting that the Cacodemon Ymir skin will only be obtainable for those who purchase a Founder’s Edition during this alpha testing period, so if that’s important to you, you’ll want to go ahead and pick one up early.
You can purchase Smite 2 Founder’s Edition now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or PC via Steam or Epic Games Store.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.