Marvel Rivals is a 6v6 free-to-play hero shooter, taking the Overwatch formula and applying Marvel characters to it. In several instances, some of the Marvel Rivals heroes feel pretty similar to heroes in Overwatch, making it easy to jump from Blizzard's game to the one from NetEase. Other heroes offer a combination of abilities, making them a good pick for a couple of Overwatch heroes, and some of the picks on this list have more to do with playstyle than actual abilities. Not every character for each game is represented here, but most are. See who your Overwatch main best translates to in Marvel Rivals. If D.va or Rammatra is your OW2 main, try Hulk in RivalsHulk represents a mixture of D.Va and Rammatra. For D.Va fans, he's a dive-focused tank, who turns into a smaller character, in this case Bruce Banner, whenever he loses all of his health. Bruce Banner even runs around with a tiny pistol, just like baby D.Va. As for the Rammatra comparison, Hulk punches people. It's his primary form of attack, but he also has a shield, just for himself, and can stun enemies, sort of like Rammatra's grenade that pulls airborne enemies down. If Doomfist is your OW2 main, try Black Panther in RivalsWhile the character classes are different here, with Doomfist being a tank and Black Panther a damage dealer, the abilities and playstyle have enough crossover. Black Panther is melee-focused, often seen diving onto enemies, flying back and forth with his dash abilities, and gaining bonus health to keep himself alive. While Doomfist is technically a tank, his entire kit is focused on diving opponents and punching them around, keeping himself alive by jumping around quickly and erratically. Plus Doomfist was originally designed as a damage dealer, so this isn't as much of a stretch as you might think. If Junker Queen or Orisa is your OW2 main, try Captain America in RivalsLumping Junker Queen and Orisa into the same spot might seem strange to fans of those tanks, but Captain America does apply to both characters. While some abilities fit one or the other better, Captain America is a tank for tank players who want nothing more than to be incredibly annoying and constantly in the enemy's face. His shield and shield toss fit with how Orisa uses her Javelin, minus the stun, and his ability to constantly dash and dive at the enemy team fits with Junker Queen's aggressive playstyle. He's big, tough to kill, and is at his best in the middle of every fight, making Captain America a great choice for Junker Queen or Orisa mains. If Reinhardt is your OW2 main, try Thor in RivalsThis one is a bit of a stretch, but stick with me here, as it goes deeper than both of them simply having hefty hammers in their hands. Thor can power up his hammer to throw electricity bolts at enemies, similar to Reinhardt's Fire Strike. You can use Thor's hammer to dash at enemies, functionally similar to Reinhardt's charge, although without the pin. It's not an exact one-to-one replica, but enough abilities feel similar, and the playstyles overlap in a way that Reinhardt players should have no problem picking up and understanding Thor. If Roadhog is your OW2 main, try Magik in RivalsThis one is mostly vibes-based, but as someone with over a hundred hours as Roadhog, this setup works. Magik is not a tank, but a melee-focused damage dealer. Still, she is unique among the melee damage dealers in Marvel Rivals for one reason: She's slow. Magik throws out slow attacks that deal hefty damage and her passive ability gives her bonus health for dealing damage, making her able to sustain herself in combat, so long as you play aggressively. This aggressive, close-range focus lines up with Roadhog and his shotgun almost perfectly. Just pick Magik and play with the same mentality as Roadhog and this pick will make perfect sense. If Winston or Wrecking Ball is your OW2 main, try Venom in RivalsVenom is the most aggressive tank in Marvel Rivals, designed for you to constantly be diving on the enemy team and getting up in their business. While his swinging and diving actually fits more with Winston's leap than Wrecking Ball's grappling hook, the overlap here makes sense. You gotta get in close to be a problem, you can quickly enter and leave team fights, and there is even an ability that gives free shields, taking some of the work out compared to the Overwatch characters here. Venom is a nuisance, just like Winston and Wrecking Ball. If Zarya or Sigma is your OW2 main, try Magneto in RivalsMagento is incredibly similar to Sigma, but he also offers a few reasons for Zarya players to try him out. He has a shield like Sigma, although he holds his instead of placing it. He can give either himself or other players bubbles like Zarya, but instead of boosting his damage they power up his projectile. His projectile can knock enemies back, sort of like Sigma's rock throw. Magneto's ultimate is a giant area-of-effect attack, which doesn't line up with either hero, but most of the time his playstyle will feel pretty similar. If Widowmaker is your OW2 main, try Black Widow in RivalsUnsurprisingly, the sniper in Marvel Rivals plays very similar to the sniper in Overwatch. There isn't much more to say except that Black Widow has a sprint and high jump compared to Widowmaker's grappling hook. Black Widow also has a kick ability to defend herself and her ultimate is an explosive shot, but most of the time you're going to be clicking on heads, just like Widowmaker. If Ashe is your OW2 main, try Hela in RivalsAshe is a sharpshooter focused on firing shots more frequently than a sniper, but for slightly less damage. Hela functions the same, with you focused on slinging blades at long range that deal a ton of critical damage on impact. She also has an explosive ability, which doesn't burn like Ashe's dynamite, but is somewhat similar. Hela does not summon a giant robot to help her fight unfortunately, but her ultimate ability is extremely powerful, so you probably won't miss Bob too much. If Bastion or Soldier 76 is your OW2 main, try Punisher in RivalsPunisher is the best fit for Soldier 76 and Bastion, being a hitscan damage dealer with a rifle. Starlord does have Soldier's auto-aim ultimate ability, but Punisher being able to consistently mow down the enemy team with his machine gun feels pretty similar to both Soldier 76 and Bastion. He has a turret he can set up and use, functioning sort of like Bastion's transform. He has a shotgun to defend himself from enemies who get too close and his ultimate gives him even bigger guns, which mow down enemies and a lightning-fast pace. Plus he's great at dealing with pesky flying enemies, just like Soldier 76. If Cassidy is your OW2 main, try Winter Soldier in RivalsThis is a slight stretch, since Winter Soldier's abilities don't overlap too much with Cassidy's, but the focus is on using a high-damage pistol to shred through enemies. Winter Soldier's isn't hitscan-dependent and explosive, but in practice it feels quite similar. He doesn't have an ability that really translates to Cassidy's grenade--although Blizzard changes what it does too frequently for that to matter anyway--and Winter Soldier's ultimate attack has him jumping in the air to smash down on opponents repeatedly, but the pistol play makes up enough of the gameplay for these two to feel like a good match. If Genji is your OW2 main, try Psylocke in RivalsPsylocke has it all: the dash strikes, the multi-projectile attacks, and even the sword-swinging ultimate ability. She doesn't play exactly like Genji, as she has a crossbow for a primary weapon and shurikens as an ability that heals. However, she can briefly turn invisible for a quick escape, with two dash charges that can finish off enemies low on health, just like Genji's dash strike. She also has some differences that Genji players will probably like, with her primary fire reducing her cooldowns when she hits someone, and her ultimate is a giant circle ability, with Psylocke dealing huge damage to enemies inside the circle. If Hanzo is your OW2 main, try Hawkeye in RivalsHawkeye has a bow and arrow, which does a disgusting amount of damage when you hit headshots. I could say more, but I doubt Hanzo mains need any more convincing. If Junkrat is your OW2 main, try Squirrel Girl in RivalsSquirrel Girl is actually a perfect pick for Junkrat players, offering a very similar skill set. Her primary fire is explosives that bounce, just like Junkrat, but they fire with much more velocity. She has a jump, which is just like Junkrat's explosive launch but easier to do in the heat of battle. If that's not enough, she can even trap enemies by throwing a squirrel at them, offering the same result as Junkrat's trap. Her ultimate is a stampede of squirrel's dealing damage to anyone in their path, which isn't similar to Junkrat's tire, but there is far too much overlap in the rest of her kit to not recommend Squirrel Girl to Junkrat mains. The rodent-to-rodent pipeline is strong. If Pharah is your OW2 main, try Iron Man in RivalsThis one feels almost too obvious to even bother mentioning, but Iron Man is a flying damage dealer that fires explosive rounds down onto his enemies, just like Pharah. The rockets operate pretty similarly and Iron Man's ultimate is just one blast instead of a barrage of rockets, making it easier to get the same result. Iron Man has a few additional abilities in his kit too, like an energy beam and a buff he can give himself, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is going to feel natural to Pharah players. If Reaper or Tracer is your OW2 main, try Starlord in RivalsAs mentioned earlier, Starlord does use Soldier 76's auto-aiming ultimate ability, with the added benefit of flying, but functionally he feels more at home with dive-focused gunners like Reaper and Tracer. His quick-firing dual pistols feel just like Tracer's and his dash allows you to quickly reposition like Tracer's dash. Where Reaper comes in is his auto-aim circle ability, which is a less powerful version of Reaper's ultimate but on a significantly shorter cooldown. He can also fly to reposition sort of like Reaper's teleport, but the most important thing here is that Starlord excels at getting in, quickly taking someone out, and exiting the fight, giving him a similar playstyle to Reaper and Tracer. If Sombra is your OW2 main, try Iron Fist or Spider-Man in RivalsSombra gets two Marvel Rivals equivalents here, not because both fit her perfectly, but both offer the same playstyle. To be clear, in terms of activating abilities Sombra doesn't really function like either character, but she does still play like them. Iron Fist and Spider-Man are both melee-focused, operating in close-range combat. They also excel at diving an enemy team's back line, finding a defenseless support, and bullying them repeatedly for the entire match, which is exactly how Sombra plays in Overwatch. If Torbjorn is your OW2 main, try Namor in RivalsNamor has turrets, which is why this comparison makes sense. Namor can deploy temporary squids that target and shoot at enemy players, just like Torbjorn. Namor's primary fire is a spear throw, similar to Torbjorn's long-range pistol in practice. Namor doesn't spew lava everywhere for his ultimate, instead summoning a giant fish to deal damage, but the focus on turret management makes him feel like a fit for Torbjorn players. If Baptiste is your OW2 main, try Rocket Raccoon in RivalsRocket Raccoon plays just like Baptiste in many ways. His primary fire is a machine gun and his secondary is a heap of healing blasts, just like Baptiste. While Rocket doesn't have a field of invulnerability he can place, he does have a respawn machine that will bring back fallen teammates if placed nearby. Rocket's ultimate even provides a massive damage boost just like Baptiste's, but instead of firing through a window, teammates just need to stand near a device he creates. If Lucio or Kiriko is your OW2 main, try Luna Snow in RivalsLuna Snow combines some of the area-of-effect healing abilities of Lucio with the shooting mechanics of Kiriko. Luna Snow deals damage and heals by shooting projectiles at enemies, taking Kiriko's attack and using it for both offense and defense. She can freeze enemies and buff herself to both do more healing and deal more damage. Her ultimate is a dance that creates a circle around her, either healing or providing a damage boost, taking Lucio's normal kit and adding the buff aspect of Kiriko's. It's not a perfect one-to-one, but there is enough there to recommend Luna Snow. If Mercy or Illari is your OW2 main, try Adam Warlock in RivalsAnother combination pick, Adam Warlock offers aspects of both Illari and Mercy. For Illari, his beam of light primary fire feels identical, offering a precise shot that deals high critical damage. His healing is done by tethering to teammates with a soul bond, sort of like Mercy, and flinging healing over time to teammates as well. His ultimate ability resurrects all of your dead teammates, bringing back 2016 Overwatch Mercy. If Moira is your OW2 main, try Scarlet Witch in RivalsSure, Scarlet Witch isn't a healer, but that's not really why Moira mains play Moira. No, instead Scarlet Witch has an auto-locking tether attack that deals damage continuously, just like Moira's primary attack. She can briefly disappear and move around quickly while being invulnerable, just like Moira. You can dive behind enemies and tick away their health, which is what most Moira players spend their time doing. The ultimate isn't a giant beam, but instead a massive blast that decimates enemies in range. If Zenyatta is your OW2 main, try Mantis in RivalsMantis can't debuff enemies the way Zenyatta can, but she does have to manage orbs. Mantis can place orbs on teammates to either provide a temporary buff, or healing over time; the second part functions like Zenyatta, except that she places multiple orbs. Mantis gets Orbs back by dealing critical hits with her precise projectile attack, the same type of primary attack as Zenyatta. The best part is that Mantis can provide her damage buff to herself, allowing her to deal with enemies diving her, something Zenyatta can thrive at doing in the right hands. Her ultimate is an area-of-effect healing circle, functioning like a less powerful Zenyatta ultimate. The upside is that Mantis also provides movement bonuses and can still attack while using her ultimate. Heroes with no easy comparisonsThere are more than a handful of characters in both Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals that don't have an obvious comparison. If your Overwatch 2 main isn't above, you can check out our explanations and then maybe pick one of the Marvel Rivals heroes that doesn't have an easy Overwatch 2 comparison, or perhaps migrate to a new type of character from the earlier breakdown. For each game, we've listed the odd ones out.Overwatch 2Hazard - He was released shortly after the launch of Marvel Rivals and doesn't (yet) have an equivalent.Ana - Her sniper healing basis doesn't have a healing equivalent nor does her massive buff of an ultimate.Brigitte - There aren't any melee-focused healers just yet.Echo - Loki does share the same ultimate ability of becoming another hero in the match, but the rest of the kit doesn't make sense for Loki to be a good comparison.Juno - There is a mix of healers that focus on shooting teammates for heals and offer movement boosts, but not both at the same time like Juno.Lifeweaver - His abilities to make platforms, pull teammates in, and create a large healing tree don't align with anyone on the Marvel Rivals roster.Mauga - His machine guns sort of line up with Peni Parker, but the rest of the abilities at his disposal don't.Mei - No damage dealers match her combination of beams and precise projectiles. Groot can make walls, but that's the only similarity.Sojourn - There are plenty of damage dealers who have rapid-fire guns or precise shots, but not both and especially not in a synergistic way like Sojourn.Symmetra: The turrets and beam attacks aren't found in a Marvel Rivals hero.Venture: The digging and short-range gun is present in some heroes, but not together in a way that makes for an easy comparison.Marvel RivalsCloak and Dagger: Cloak and Dagger just have so many abilities between the two forms that no healer--or even any Overwatch hero--really makes sense here.Groot: Sure, he builds walls like Mei, but the walls can deal damage, and he's a tank, so it doesn't really make sense.Doctor Strange: Doctor Strange does hold a big shield like some Overwatch tanks, but his dark magic meter management and powerful ultimate ability that stuns enemies don't line up with any of those shield tanks.Jeff the Land Shark: Jeff is beloved by many, and his healing spray makes some sense with Moira, but his ranged blast attacks and giant shark attack ultimately feel unique to the point that there's no reasonable comparison.Loki: He has Echo's ultimate ability, but managing fake versions of himself and switching between them is not something present in Overwatch.Moon Knight: Moon Knight uses a variety of abilities that ricochet from enemy to enemy, and off his Ankh's, which isn't something anyone on the Overwatch roster can do.Peni Parker: Peni focuses on setting mines and spreading webbing all over the map, and that sort of map management isn't something tanks do in Overwatch.Storm: Storm has such a basic kit that we either have to recommend her for anyone who plays a damage dealer or nobody.Wolverine: Wolverine sort of fits with the Spider-Man and Iron Fist types, but he doesn't have the speed or agility. He also doesn't do as much damage as Magik, leaving him in a place where maybe he could line up, but not better than another hero from Marvel Rivals.

Fall Guys has teased an upcoming collaboration with The Muppets, which will potentially involve skins and other in-game cosmetics. Fall Guys often launches special collaborations with beloved franchises and this time it is Kermit and friends' turn to become Beans.

YouTube streamer Johnny Somali has gotten more bad news in South Korea, as his trial date has now been moved back several months. This change to the YouTube streamer's legal situation could put him in a tight spot for the foreseeable future.

Hello GameDev.net Community,Ive been working on a personal project since January 2023a multiplayer card and board games platform with over 20+ games, including classics like Tetris, PopStar, and GoldMiner. The project is built with a scalable backend and is designed for seamless multiplayer experiences.Now, Im looking to take this project to the next level. Im seeking a partner who has expertise in game ownership, marketing, or business development to help push this platform

This article was originally published on GameDevDigest.com

Editors note: This article, originally published on May 20, 2022, has been updated.Advances in extended reality have already changed the way we work, live and play, and its just getting started.Extended reality, or XR, is an umbrella category that covers a spectrum of newer, immersive technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality.From gaming to virtual production to product design, XR has enabled people to create, collaborate and explore in computer-generated environments like never before.What Is Extended Reality?Virtual, augmented and mixed reality are all elements of XR technology.Virtual reality puts users inside a virtual environment. VR users typically wear a headset that transports them into a virtual world one moment theyre standing in a physical room, and the next theyre immersed in a simulated environment.The latest VR technologies push these boundaries, making these environments look and behave more like the real world. Theyre also adding support for additional senses, including touch, sound and smell.With VR, gamers can become fully immersed in a video game, designers and customers can review building projects to finalize details prior to construction, and retailers can test virtual displays before committing to a physical one.Augmented reality is when a rendered image is overlaid onto the real world. The mobile game Pokmon GO famously brought AR to the mainstream by showing computer-rendered monsters standing on lawns and sidewalks as players roam their neighborhoods.AR graphics are visible through cell phones, tablets and other devices, bringing a new kind of interactive experience to users. Navigating directions, for example, can be improved with AR. Rather than following a 2D map, a windshield can superimpose directions over ones view of the road, with simulated arrows directing the driver exactly where to turn.Mixed reality is a seamless integration of the real world and rendered graphics, which creates an environment in which users can directly interact with the digital and physical worlds together.With MR, real and virtual objects blend, and are presented together within a single display. Users can experience MR environments through a headset, phone or tablet, and can interact with digital objects by moving them around or placing them in the physical world.There are two types of MR:Mixing virtual objects into the real world for instance, where a user sees the real world through cameras in a VR headset with virtual objects seamlessly mixed into the view.Mixing real-world objects into virtual worlds for example, a camera view of a VR participant mixed into the virtual world, like watching a VR gamer playing in a virtual world.The History of XRTo understand how far XR has come, consider its origins in VR.VR began in the federal sector, where it was used to train people in flight simulators. The energy and automotive design industries were also early adopters. These simulation and visualization VR use cases required large supercomputers. It also needed dedicated spaces, including powerwalls, which are ultra-high-resolution displays, and VR CAVEs, which are empty rooms that have the VR environment projected on each surface, from the walls to the ceiling.For decades, VR remained unaffordable for most users, and the small VR ecosystem was mainly composed of large institutions and academic researchers.But early in the previous decade, several key component technologies reached a tipping point, which precipitated the launch of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift head-mounted displays (HMDs), along with the SteamVR runtime.Individuals could now purchase personal HMDs to experience great immersive content. And they could drive those HMDs and experiences from an individual PC or workstation with a powerful GPU.Suddenly, VR was accessible to millions of individuals, and a large ecosystem quickly sprung up, filled with innovation and enthusiasm.In recent years, a new wave of VR innovation started with the launch of all-in-one (AIO) headsets. Previously, fully immersive VR experiences required a physical connection to a powerful PC. The HMD couldnt operate as a self-contained device, as it had no operating system and no ability to compute the image.But with AIO headsets, users gained access to a dedicated device with a simple setup that could deliver fully tracked VR anywhere, anytime. Coupled with the innovation of VR streaming technology, users could now experience powerful VR environments, even while on the go.Latest Trends in XRHigh-quality XR is becoming increasingly accessible. Consumers worldwide are purchasing AIOs to experience XR, from immersive gaming to remote learning to virtual training. Large enterprises are adding XR into their workflows and design processes. XR drastically improves design implementation with the inclusion of a digital twin.Image courtesy of Innoactive.And one of todays biggest trends is streaming XR experiences through 5G from the cloud. This removes the need to be tethered to workstations or limit experiences to a single space.By streaming over 5G from the cloud, people can use XR devices and get the computational power to run XR experiences from a data center, regardless of location and time. Advanced solutions like NVIDIA CloudXR are making immersive streaming more accessible, so more XR users can experience high-fidelity environments from anywhere.AR is also becoming more common. After Pokmon GO became a household name, AR emerged in a number of additional consumer-focused areas. Many social media platforms added filters that users could overlay on their faces. Organizations in retail incorporated AR to showcase photorealistic rendered 3D products, enabling customers to place these products in a room and visualize it in any space.https://developer.download.nvidia.com/cloudxr/videos/compressed/CloudXR_mclaren_002.mp4Plus, enterprises in various industries like architecture, manufacturing, healthcare and more are using the technology to vastly improve workflows and create unique, interactive experiences. For example, architects and design teams are integrating AR for construction project monitoring, so they can see onsite progress and compare it to digital designs.And though its still fairly new, MR is developing in the XR space. Trends are shown through the emergence of many new headsets built for MR, including the Varjo XR-3. With MR headsets, professionals in engineering, design, simulation and research can develop and interact with their 3D models in real life.Varjo XR-3 headset. Image courtesy of Varjo.The Future of XRAs XR technology advances, another technology is propelling users into a new era: artificial intelligence.AI will play a major role in the XR space, from virtual assistants helping designers in VR to intelligent AR overlays that can walk individuals through do-it-yourself projects.For example, imagine wearing a headset and telling the content what to do through natural speech and gestures. With hands-free and speech-driven virtual agents at the ready, even non-experts will be able to create amazing designs, complete exceedingly complex projects and harness the capabilities of powerful applications.Platforms like NVIDIA Omniverse have already changed how users create 3D simulations and virtual worlds. Omniverse allows users from across the globe to develop and operate digital twin simulations. The platform provides users with the flexibility to portal into the physically accurate, fully ray-traced virtual world through 2D monitors, or their preferred XR experience, so they can experience vast virtual worlds immersively.Entering the next evolution of XR, the possibilities are virtually limitless.What Is Spatial Computing?Unlike traditional digital experiences, which are confined to screens, spatial computing places virtual elements directly into the physical world, creating more natural and intuitive interactions. The technology combines sensors, cameras and AI-driven software to recognize and respond to real-world elements, so users can interact with digital objects as if they were tangible.Supported by platforms like NVIDIA Omniverse, spatial computing has broad applications, from industrial design and training to navigation and entertainment. For example, designers could use it to visualize 3D prototypes in real space, or field teams could harness the technology to receive AR guidance overlaid onto real equipment.As spatial computing evolves, its poised to reshape interactions with digital information, making it part of everyday physical environments and expanding the possibilities for XR in practical and creative ways.Learn more about how organizations can use NVIDIA XR technologies.

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download hereHey gang! This week, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi stops by to discuss his latest game, Fantasian Neo Dimension. Plus, the PlayStation 30th anniversary celebration continues as the crew shares their favorite games on PS5 and PS VR2. Through the end of the year, well continue featuring picks from listeners and developers (and Kristen will return to share her top PlayStation games from the past 30 years).Stuff We Talked AboutNext weeks release highlights:Flint: Treasure of Oblivion| PS5Alien: Rogue Incursion | PS VR2Interview w/ Hironobu Sakaguchi (begins at 4:41)Special listener and developers favorite PlayStation games segmentThe podcast crew highlights their top games on PS5 and PS VR2 (discussion to be continued)The CastView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageSid Shuman Senior Director of Content Communications, SIEView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageTim Turi Content Communications Manager, SIEView and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageODell Harmon Jr. Content Communications Specialist, SIEThanks to Dormiln for our rad theme song and show music.[Editors note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Last week, asked you to share your favorite PlayStation games, consoles, and gaming collections using #PSshare #PSBlog to celebrate PlayStations 30th anniversary. Here are this weeks nostalgic highlights:View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imagedwardlozano shares the in-game 30th anniversary celebration in Astro Bot.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imagecall_me_xavii shares a picture of their old PS One.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imagesilentgear1 shares their expansive PlayStation collection, which includes the full God of War gaming lineup.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageMrioMoreno5 shares a collection of games across the generations that spell out PS.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imagerumunskibugarin shares Castlevania: Symphony of the Night booted up on PS1, surrounded by a PS2, a PSP, and PS VR2 headset.View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageUnlimitedGamesX shares their PlayStation collection laid out by era, with PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS Vita.Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this weeks theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?View and download imageDownload the imagecloseCloseDownload this imageTHEME: Astro Bot Winter Wonder LevelSUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on December 18, 2024Next week, were blasting back into Astro Bot to explore the newly released Winter Wonder level. Share moments jumping through the snow and presents using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Each week on Polygon, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.This week, Maria, Pablo Larrans biopic on the life and career of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, comes to streaming on Netflix. If virtuoso sopranos arent to your liking, not to worry: There are plenty more exciting new releases to watch this week on streaming and VOD. The holiday action comedy Red One starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson and J.K. Simmons drops onto Prime Video this week, while the religious horror thriller Heretic starring Hugh Grant comes to VOD. Thats not all Atlantics director Mati Diop has a new documentary on Mubi, and the Catholic thriller Conclave is available to stream on Peacock!Heres everything new thats available to watch this weekend!New on NetflixMariaWhere to watch:Available to stream on NetflixGenre:BiopicRun time:2h 4mDirector:Pablo LarranCast:Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba RohrwacherDirector Pablo Larran continues his trilogy of biopics about important 20th-century women with opera singer Maria Callas. Starring Angelina Jolie, Maria follows the titular opera singer as she hallucinates a young filmmaker and tells him her life story. Callas was the subject of a number of scandals, including an affair with Aristotle Onassis Jackie Kennedy Onassis husband. Which is fitting, since Larran directed a biopic about Jackie Kennedy back in 2016.It Ends with UsWhere to watch:Available to stream on NetflixGenre:Romantic dramaRun time:2h 10mDirector:Justin BaldoniCast:Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny SlateRaise your hand if your social media algorithms think that just because you like to read, youmustlove Colleen Hoovers books.It Ends with Usis based on Hoovers bestselling 2016 novel, which follows a florist in an abusive relationship who reconnects with her first love. Despite what the TikTok edits would have you think, its actually about breaking the cycle of domestic abuse.Carry-OnWhere to watch:Available to stream on NetflixGenre:Crime thrillerRun time:1h 59mDirector:Jaume Collet-SerraCast:Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia CarsonThis ones for all you Die Hardis a Christmas movie people out there! In this new Netflix thriller, a TSA agent cheerily shows up for a Christmas Eve shift only to get threatened by a mysterious stranger into smuggling a dangerous package onto a flight. If he doesnt follow orders, says the stranger through an earpiece, his girlfriend will be killed. But as the agent continues to defy the stranger, the consequences heighten. Nothing says holiday cheer like high-octane thrillers, apparently!New on HuluSugarcaneWhere to watch: Available to stream on HuluGenre: DocumentaryRun time: 1h 47mDirectors: Emily Kassie, Julian Brave NoiseCatCast: Julian Brave NoiseCat, Ed Archie NoiseCat, Charlene BelleauThis documentary follows an investigation into the Canadian Indian residential school system, which came under fire in 2021 following the discovery of several unmarked graves on the grounds of a school run by the Catholic Church. Sugarcane documents the national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities, and the efforts by said communities to reconcile with the horrors inflicted upon them.New on MaxJoker: Folie DeuxWhere to watch: Available to stream on MaxGenre:Psychological thrillerRun time:2h 18mDirector:Todd PhillipsCast:Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan GleesonArthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is back and this time, hes got a girlfriend! Todd Phillips sequel to 2019sJokerpicks up two years after the previous film, with Arthur still in custody at Arkham State Hospital awaiting trial for murder. Upon meeting Harleen Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), Arthur finds himself torn between his attraction to her (and her subsequent attraction to the Joker) and his uncertainty as to whether he wants to be the Joker anymore. Question is, doesJoker: Folie Deuxland the punchline, or is this curtains for Arthurs story?From ourreview:The truth, whether or not Phillips would want to admit it, is that his rapt framing of Phoenixs performance, his dedicated homage to 70s grit and 60s musical fantasy, the smugness of a script that omits the punchline from a knock-knock joke and submits that as smart character commentary these things are not so distant from the rule-of-cool, Easter-egg-hiding, smug-quip-dropping world of comic book cinema as he would like to imagine. Joker and Folie Deux are no less indulgent than any other films resting on the legacy of generations of work-for-hire comics artists whose output currently falls under the ownership of the Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate. Phillips just wants you to think it is.New on Disney PlusElton John: Never Too LateWhere to watch: Available to stream on Disney PlusGenre: DocumentaryRun time: 1h 42mDirectors: R.J. Cutler, David FurnishDisneys newest musician documentary is all about Elton John. The musician looks back on his career, going back to his really early days to the preparations for his final concert. He gets candid about his mental health, closeted sexuality, and drug abuse. The movie debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year.New on Prime VideoRed OneWhere to watch: Available to stream on Prime VideoGenre: Holiday comedyRun time: 2h 3mDirector: Jake KasdanCast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy LiuDwayne The Rock Johnsons Christmas action movie looks a little bit like Rise of the GuardiansmeetsTaken. InRed One, a secret organization protects the balance between the real world and mythological figures like Santa Claus and the Headless Horseman. But when Santa gets kidnapped right before Christmas, one of Santas security details enlists a tracker to help him find Father Christmas himself.New on PeacockConclaveWhere to watch: Available to stream on PeacockGenre:Mystery thrillerRun time:2hDirector:Edward BergerCast:Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John LithgowRalph Fiennes stars inAll Quiet on the Western Frontdirector Edward Bergers latest thriller as Thomas Lawrence, a cardinal tasked with convening a secluded conclave in order to decide on the appointment of a new pope. As interfactional disputes between the cardinals amassed give rise to conspiracies and questions, Thomas must weigh the future of the church against the weight of his own conscience.New on MubiDahomeyWhere to watch: Available to stream on Mubi USGenre: DocumentaryRun time: 1h 8mDirector: Mati DiopCast: Gildas Adannou, Morias Agbessi, Maryline AgbossiAtlantics director Mati Diop returns with a new documentary about colonialism, culture, and history as a living subject. Dahomey chronicles the return of 26 plundered treasures to the Republic of Benin formerly the African kingdom of Dahomey. Diops film asks whether or not the return of these items, which number among thousands of other artifacts taken from Africa, is sufficient restitution for despoilment of the continent and its people.New on Criterion ChannelIts Not MeWhere to watch: Available to stream on Criterion ChannelGenre: Biographical shortRun time: 41mDirector: Leos CaraxCast: Leos Carax, Denis Lavant, Nastya Golubeva CaraxDirector Leos Caraxs (Holy Motors, Annette) biographical short is a free-form retrospective of his career, looking back over the past 40 years of his life and films to meditate on the nature of time, art, and mortality. Originally intended for an exhibition at the Pompidou Museum that never happened, Its Not Me is Caraxs answer to the question, Where are you at, Leos Carax?New to rentVenom: The Last DanceWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Superhero actionRun time: 1h 50mDirector: Kelly MarcelCast: Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno TempleTom Hardy returns for one last outing as the long-tongued parasitic vigilante. Following the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Eddie Brock (Hardy) and the Venom symbiote are still on the run. Hunted by both the military and a mysterious extraterrestrial threat known as the Xenophage, Eddie and Venom must work together once more to survive and clear their name.From our review:The originalVenomfound success in the mess of Hardys gutsy performance straining against stakes as mundane as Eddie interacting with his ex and her aggressively normal new boyfriend, after they watched him feverishly climb into a restaurants lobster tank.Last Dance, however, removes every human consideration from the equation of Eddies life every social tie, every personal goal, every stake smaller than aliens and the government are trying to kill us.HereticWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Horror thrillerRun time: 1h 51mDirectors: Scott Beck, Bryan WoodsCast: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe EastStop me if youve heard this one: Two Mormon missionaries walk into a mans house right before a snowstorm. After realizing theyve been trapped, the missionaries are forced to participate in a twisted game for survival or be executed. No, youve never heard that one before? Well then, you gotta watch this movie its wild!The Best Christmas Pageant EverWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Holiday comedyRun time: 1h 39mDirector: Dallas JenkinsCast: Kynlee Heiman, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, Judy GreerSix unruly siblings suddenly decide to join the churchs Christmas pageant, much to the chagrin of most of the town. But the pageant director is determined to make this show the best Christmas pageant ever (ba-dum tss) and shows the siblings some kindness that they rarely get from the rest of the town. Now thats the true meaning of Christmas!The Best Christmas Pageant Everis based on a 1972 childrens book of the same name.

Lore has always been a tricky subject for fans when it comes to adaptations: Too close an adherence to the original text, and you get a diminished version of the thing you already love; too loose an adaptation, and suddenly your beloved series is unrecognizable. Im fairly outspoken about my belief that as far as the Netflix TV show is concerned, Witcher fans have had it rougher than most when it comes to their franchise being sullied by poor decisions. So its no surprise that when CD Projekt Red revealed the first trailer for The Witcher 4, which features Ciri as its main character and seemingly a full-blown Witcher, some fans (albeit a minority) met it with skepticism. However, with three Witcher games under its belt already, CD Projekt Red has earned the benefit of the doubt.The most understandable of these fans concerns seem to be over how The Witcher 4 fits into the world and canon of Andrzej Sapkowskis books. For instance, Ciri, after the events of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, would have been older than normal to undergo the Trial of the Grasses, and in the books, much of her magic was taken away from her as she saved Ihuarraquax yet in the trailer, she uses magic freely. Whats confusing about these concerns from fans, however, is how unaware they seem to be of the relationship between CD Projekt Reds games and the Witcher canon already. Its not that the two have diverged, necessarily, so much as it is that they werent ever tightly bound to begin with.The Witcher games have never been strict adherents to the books theyre based on. Instead, theyve always been more about committing to the spirit and themes of Sapkowskis series than about giving virtual life to his words. And, as a fan of Sapkowskis books, I think thats one of the greatest virtues of CD Projekt Reds game series. The rich complexity and detail of the world and characters that Sapkowski created always felt like they could be stretched far more broadly beyond the pages of his novels and short stories, and in the capable hands of CDPR, weve been able to see that expansion of the world.This is part of what makes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt arguably the best entry of any variety in the entire Witcher franchise. That game jumps past the established canon of Sapkowskis novels, imagining a slightly extracanonical story that takes place several years after the books tale has ended. Its an expansion and continuation of the stories of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, but it grasps the essence of their characters, and of The Witchers entire world, as well as anything in the series history.Throughout The Witcher 3, Geralts mission to find Ciri, then to save her, brings him into contact with the strangest inhabitants of his world. And while the game gives you choices about how to deal with them, CDPRs writing does a magnificent job of keeping you on your toes, constantly giving Geralts quests unexpected and often tragic outcomes despite his best intentions keeping them thematically resonant with the best of Sapkowskis short stories. In other words, its everything the Netflix series has failed at; thus far, the creative team for the show has pretty closely adapted the plot of Sapkowskis novels, but seems wholly uninterested in his themes.But whats even more confusing for the self-proclaimed fans of The Witcher 3 who now express skepticism over Ciris evolution in The Witcher 4 is that her transformation was first introduced in Wild Hunt. Depending on the choices players made throughout the game, Ciri could either end The Witcher 3 dead, as the queen of Nilfgaard, or on the path to becoming a Witcher. The question of how she got from that path to where we see her in The Witcher 4s cinematic trailer seems less like a plot hole and more like the exact plot of The Witcher 4 itself, something that was confirmed Friday on X by CDPR studio head Adam Badowski.And the truth is, as a fan of Ciri and of Sapkowskis books, I feel lucky that CD Projekt Red is committed to continuing her story and giving her a narrative future. Given the studios track record so far of capably expanding on Sapkowskis characters and world, its hard to imagine her in better hands including those of her original author. The only real downside is that it could be quite a few years before we actually get to see how her story plays out.