News:: Best Labor Day gaming deals: Steam Machine, PS4 Pro, G-Sync monitors

As Labor Day come to a close, you may be thinking: "Damn, my three-day weekend is already over." Well that's real life for ya buddy. But in the midst of BBQ and summer heat, retailers are offering a scattering of interesting deals for this Labor Day and beyond.

Instead of our usual weekend deals roundup, we figure we'll just point you to the very best pickings that have occurred since Friday last week.

First up in the limited time department, you can currently pick up select console systems at Groupon with a 10% off SALE3 coupon. This means rarely discounted PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim 1TB Gold Edition are on tap for $359.99 and $269.99, respectively. Also available is a Nintendo 2DS New Super Mario Bros. 2 Bundle for $71.99 and with the 10% off code you're basically saving on sales tax (for those living in those ridiculous sales tax states).

Next up is two very sexy G-Sync gaming monitor from Dell, the 27-inch S2716DG and its little brother, S2417DG. Both are 1440p machines with 144Hz refresh and they are rarely discounted below the $400 price point. Use code DISCOVER10 and you can grab the 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor for $384.99, or if you want a smaller footprint on the desk, the 24-inch model  for $341.99.

Over at GameStop, they currently have an interesting offer on a Core i7 Alienware Steam Machine Core with 8GB of RAM and 1TB HDD for $299. This is an "open box" GameStop refurbished unit, and essentially it means the retailer has plenty of returned units in order to offer an online-only sale. In Steam related accessory, the Steam Controller and Steam Link are both 30% off at GameStop. For a limited time you can use FREESHIPPING to rid yourself of handling charges for hardware purchases at GameStop.

Finally, Lenovo is clearing out their Y710 gaming desktop machines. There are a few options on Lenovo's site, but we think the best picking is the GTX 1070 equipped model that drops to a reasonable $883 after using code HOMEEXTRA5 during checkout.

Groupon Console Deals

Use code: SALE3

• PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console — $359.99  (list price $400)
• PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB Console — $269.99  (list price $300)
• PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB Limited Edition Gold Console — $269.99  (list price $300)
• Nintendo 2DS New Super Mario Bros. 2 Bundle — $71.99  (list price $80)
• New Nintendo 3DS XL Galaxy Style — $179.99  (list price $200)

GameStop Deals

Use code: FREESHIPPING

• Alienware Steam Machine Core i7-4765T, GeForce GTX 860M, 1TB HDD, 8GB RAM (Open Box) — $299  (list price $299)
• Steam Controller — $34.99  (list price $50)
• Steam Link — $15  (list price $50)
• Sega Genesis Slim System (Pre-owned) — $29.99  (list price $35)

Dell Deals

Use code: DISCOVER10

• Dell S2716DG 27-inch 1440p G-Sync Gaming Monitor — $384.74  (list price $800)
• Dell S2417DG 24-inch 1440p G-Sync Gaming Monitor — $341.99  (list price $570)

Lenovo Deals

Use code: HOMEEXTRA5

• Lenovo IdeaCentre Y710 Cube 90FL0014US Core i5-6400, GeForce GTX 1070 8GB, 1TB HDD, 8GB RAM — $883.49  (list price $1,300)

Most deals above will expire on the morning of September 5, 2017 while some will run through September 9 this week. The Groupon deals are today-only and will expire by tonight.

Spot any other noteworthy deals? Let us know in the comments below and we'll add 'em to the list above.

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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News:: Jesus to leave one set of footprints in Buddha's face in Fight of Gods

Well, here we are. I was secretly hoping this was some kind of sequel to War Gods, but nope. It's PQube Limited's Fight of Gods, a fighting game where Jesus takes the punch from deities of varying cultural and religious origins like Buddha, Zeus, Amaterasu, and Odin. 

It's not the greatest looking trailer in the world, but a playable, ultra-muscular Jesus who has pieces of the cross still embedded in his hands (catch these crucifixes) is kind of ridiculous enough to get my attention for sure. It's sacrlicious.

Fight of Gods is available on Steam. 

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News:: Nintendo's official profile on Mario says he is no longer a plumber

This news has come as a bit of a shock to most of us this morning so brace yourselves... Mario is no longer a plumber.

Nintendo's Japanese site keeps an official profile on Mario which has been translated by Kotaku revealing the startling news. In said profile, Mario is described as:

"All around sporty, whether it’s tennis or baseball, soccer or car racing, [Mario] does everything cool. As a matter of fact, he also seems to have worked as a plumber a long time ago..."

Read more...

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News:: Overwatch’s highest-paid pro lands $150,000 salary deal

In case you've been living under a rock, eSports is massive. So big in fact, that even traditional sports leagues (like the NFL) are getting in on the act. Aside from TV networks, soccer clubs, and F1 racing, of course. And, judging by the latest scoop, competitive gaming may soon boast its own draft day. Yes, eSports teams are trying to outbid each other for the industry's rising stars. One of these hotshots, North American Overwatch player Jay "sinatraa" Won just signed a $150,000-per-year contract, reports ESPN. As a result, sinatraa will be earning $100,000 more than the league minimum, with revenue-sharing options available. He also happens to be 17-years young.

Source: ESPN

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News:: Need a cure for that Mother itch? Reverie might be the answer!

Reverie is an action adventure game set on a fictional island known as “Toromi Island” in Kiwi-land (New Zealand), inspired heavily by classic Zelda games and the Mother series. In the game you play as Tai, a young kid on summer holiday who then suddenly due to plot reasons has to explore dungeons and other environments to deal with angry spirits that need to be put to rest.

The game will feature six dungeons to fight and puzzle-solve your way through, a variety of weapons with different gameplay styles, a story inspired by Maori legend, a wide variety of distinct environments to explore, and collectibles to find.

Read more...

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News:: Flixist's truly grand and emotionally fulfilling Fall/Holiday movie preview

Thank everything that has ever been given thanks to that this god forsaken August is almost over, and we can roll back into some decent movies hitting the theaters, and then from there we can actually get some good movies, and then we can get the holiday blockbusters, and hopefully once that's done we'll never have to experience another few weeks like this again. Unless, you know, January sucks. 

The point being, some really great movies are coming, and as we are wont to do at Flixist we're going to give you a heads up about the ones you should see. And possibly a few you shouldn't see. You can decide which ones those are, but lets just say one of them could be called G. Alone... no... that's too obvious... Gnome A. This isn't an exhaustive list either, it's just the ones we had something to say about or wanted the world to pay attention to. For instance the new Jumanji movie isn't on here because despite my love of The Rock doing things I just can't.

Let us know how terribly wrong we are with all our choices in the comments. 

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News:: Shots Fired, for the app-loving modern sniper assassin

The one-sentence description given upon sitting down at Shots Fired is a weird one. According to the representative at its PAX booth, it's a "visual novel time management assassination simulation."

I had to write that one down to make sure I got it right.

After getting some time with it, it makes sense. It's all in there. One thing the description neglects to mention is the particular brand of dry humor permeating the whole thing.

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News:: Pokemon on other platforms isn't likely, according to Game Freak

Every now and then, a game developer likes to state something so blatantly obvious that your shoulders will spontaneously shrug in utter bafflement. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Game Freak (the developer behind Pokemon) thought it was necessary to go on record to state that Pokemon is unlikely to be heading to any platforms not created by Nintendo.

Their official claim, as stated by Junichi Masuda (one of the directors from Game Freak), is, "With Pokémon, at least, we really feel it is really important to be with Nintendo, specifically with the Pokémon titles, so I don’t think that [release on another platform] would ever happen." Well, gee, I'm so shocked.

Apparently the topic of ownership over the IP is what brought this about, to which the answer is not just "Nintendo." Masuda said, "Everyone really knows Nintendo; there is a familiarity with the brand, and they have that really strong brand and Pokémon being associated with that and being affiliated with that brand is very important." So...what?

As it turns out, Game Freak maintains partial ownership of the Pokemon brand alongside Nintendo and Creatures (a third company). If Game Freak truly wanted to, they could buy out Nintendo and Creature's shares of the franchise and take it to other platform holders. I guess they are sticking with Nintendo out of a show of respect?

I'm really just kind of confused why this was even a question. Why would Nintendo allow for Game Freak to take Pokemon elsewhere? Even if Nintendo doesn't hold total ownership of the IP, if Game Freak wanted to leave Nintendo for another company, I'm almost certain Nintendo would just buy them and their assets and then seize ownership of the brand.

It also then brings up questions about, if Pokemon isn't solely owned by Nintendo, why Game Freak hasn't shopped around the idea to anyone else. Clearly in the late '90s, Nintendo was the only one willing to take a chance, but Sony and Microsoft would love to have something as gigantic as Pokemon on their consoles today. This whole story seems really odd and I'm just left with more questions than answers.

So, for the time being, here is a clearly obvious answer to a particularly stupid question. Why isn't Pokemon on another platform? Nintendo aren't dumb asses. Case closed.

Game Freak Says They Don’t Expect Pokémon Appearing On Any Non-Nintendo Platforms [Siliconera]

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News:: Celtic Throwdown 2017 takes place in Ireland, results feature Infiltration, Luffy, Phenom, Problem X

This weekend saw the Celtic Throwdown fighting game tournament take place in Ireland, with some of the FGC's most recognisable names gathering to battle on all the top titles of today.

The brawl erupted out of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin, and saw a plethora of great players converge to grab those sweet league points. National, European and International names (such as Daigo and Infiltration) made the journey to be a part of the Street Fighter V Capcom Pro Tour, Injustice 2 Pro Series and Tekken 7 World Tour.

Alongside these official ranking events, prestigious tournaments were also held on Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 and Super Smash Bros. Wii U & Melee. The ever-present Grand Master Challenge crew were on-hand to host their Super Street Fighter II Turbo tournament, which travels the length and breadth of the U.K. throughout the year.

The Top 8 results, for all tournaments, are as follows:

Street Fighter V:

1. Mouz|Problem X (M. Bison)
2. RB|Luffy (R. Mika)
3. BX3|Phenom (Necalli)
4. MD|MisterCrimson (Laura/Dhalsim)
5. SaltyKid (R. Mika)
5. Prophecy|Akainu (Guile)
7. PRLS|Suleymon (Balrog)
7. RZR|Infiltration (Juri)

Tekken 7:

1. TheTruth (Feng)
2. TDG|Fergus (Asuka)
3. CKT|Shirdel (Alisa/JACK-7)
4. DG|ThePhantom (Master Raven/Paul)
5. RTFM|RooKang (Bob)
5. FH|KuroTao (Akuma/Steve)
7. DatGuyOvaDur (Kazuya/Miguel)
7. BX3|Dakes (Miguel)

Injustice 2:

1. PND|Madzin (Batman)
2. ED|Rudi (Red Hood)
3. Yuzu|Shyndoa (Wonder Woman)
4. ED|Jinty (Robin)
5. VSF|JustinXavier21 (Blue Beetle/Catwoman)
5. IrishMantis (Atrocitus)
7. Themata (Scarecrow)
7. Lar (Darkseid)

Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2:

1. RAD (I-No)
2. Popi (Baiken)
3. GATK|Corro (Raven)
4. Kaworu (Answer)
5. ED|Jinty (Chipp)
5. ApolloSteed (Venom)
7. Lordigan (Leo)
7. SamuraiPizzaKen (Leo)

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U:

1. MagiMagi (Mewtwo)
2. RedSlasher (Ryu)
3. Skarfelt (Fox)
4. AfroSmash (Samus)
5. PRLS|Yackabean (Toon Link)
5. sp00n (Mario)
7. SSKB|Arikado (Diddy Kong)
7. HackleSerpent (Little Mac)

Super Smash Bros. Melee:

1. MINT (Falco)
2. Verdant (Fox/Jigglypuff)
3. MagiMagi (Ice Climbers)
4. KingofLegend (Marth)
5. Craft (Falco/Captain Falcon)
5. BluePersil (Marth)
7. AdamAplz (Luigi)
7. Lultam (Marth)

Super Street Fighter II Turbo:

1. GMC|GolcarJack
2. GMC|Zero1
3. TwiF
4. ED Rudi
5. GMC|Festilence
5. Method|Cobelcog
7. blag
7. Tyrant

Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite: Exhibition Tournament:

1. UM|Tyrant (Zero/Dante)
2. Dansim (Chris RedField/Jedah)
3. PRLS|FaisalDante (X/Dante)
3. FH|PaulPesci (Ryu/Dante)

Congratulations to all the winners, props to everyone who took part and, of course, commendations to the organisers of Celtic Throwdown for another successful weekend.

Celtic Throwdown [Official Site]

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News:: The Mega Man movie is still alive, script is being worked on

I wouldn't blame you if you forgot that there's a Mega Man movie in the works. After all, any and all Mega Man news is pretty scarce these days given Capcom's stance on it, and pretty much everything in the past few years has been re-release or merchandise related. Producer Masayori Oka (Hiro from Heroes, who also produced the American Death Note remake), however, is here to remind us that it's still happening.

Speaking to Collider, Oka explains that although work has "just started," a script is being worked on now in the "beginning stages." He elaborates that the story might be "lighter," because of a large focus on implementing "game mechanics" into the film, a concept he admits is challenging. Oka also states that he thinks it's important that the filmmakers are "huge fans," of the material when working with an IP, which he says is the case with directing duo Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Paranormal Activity 3/4).

I don't know if I necessarily agree that someone needs to be a huge fan to create a good adaptation (a great film is a great film even if it isn't littered with references), but the fact that this is even being talked about at all at least shows us that it's not dead. Although as is the case with some adaptations, we might wish it were after seeing it.

Masi Oka on Producing ‘Death Note’, Adam Wingard, and the ‘Mega Man’ Movie [Collider via Rockman Corner]

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News:: Play spot the difference with ASUS' ROG Strix gaming laptops

Gamers are a broad and diverse community, and treating them all as the single customer with a single set of needs isn't very smart. It's why ASUS is trying to break the one-size-fits all mould with its ROG Strix edition laptops that it initially showed off earlier this year. The two devices, the Scar and Hero editions, are designed to cater specifically to both FPS and MOBA players, respectively.

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News:: Fans clamour for Overwatch's mysterious Junker Queen

That bastion of calm, rational order, the Overwatch fanbase, is going gaga over a potential new hero based on little more than a torn poster and a trailer narration.

The arena-shooter's upcoming Australia map, Junkertown, is a wasteland ruled over by one currently known only as "The Junker Queen", to whom tribute must be paid by all visitors. The self-proclaimed monarch narrates the trailer for said map, and can be glimpsed on a poster plastered within the map itself.

Naturally, it has been decided by the game's fanbase that she is absolutely amazing and is coming to the Overwatch roster. Moreso, she is already building a loyal following of servants with videos, fan-arts and cosplays popping up everywhere dedicated to the Legion of Doom-esque lovely, all spiked armour and Mad Max-haircut.

I too, won't deny being slightly intrigued and somewhat enamored with the mysterious ruler of the desolate wasteland. This situation recalls Sombra, who had the Overwatch community frothing at the mouth for months before they had even glimpsed her character design. It will be interesting to see if we learn more about this royal newcomer to the game's lore, and whether or not we will be swinging her mammoth axe in the future.

The Junkertwon map is currently playable on the Overwatch PTR.

Read more...

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News:: Review: Last Day of June

Have you ever been in love? If so, you would be hard pressed to have a love as true and as nauseating as that of Carl and June. You can tell how crazy they are about each other from a single glance and that's saying something considering they don't have eyes. 

Like most good things Carl and June's happiness is too good to be true. If you haven't caught on by now Last Day of June's title isn't referring to the month. A trip to the lake will leave Carl a broken man. Only through some supernatural puzzle solving can Carl alter the past to build a brighter future.

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News:: The producer of Final Fantasy XIV got drunk and brought the Yo-Kai Watch event back

Over the weekend, Square Enix hosted a Liveletter presentation for Final Fantasy XIV, which showcased a number of upcoming changes for the game as well as a preview of the massive 4.1 patch, "The Legend Returns."

In a surprise visit the CEO of Level-5, Akihiro Hino, dropped by, and over drinks, jested that the team should bring back the Yo-Kai Watch collaboration event. At least, everyone though it was in jest, until Square Enix flipped a switch and brought back the event yesterday. This could be entirely scripted of course, but the fact remains -- it's back.

For those of you who haven't partaken yet, the collab is basically an extra questline that lets you unlock extra minions, weapons, and mounts from the Yo-Kai Watch franchise. Head to the Golden Saucer to pick up the actual titular Watch, then equip it and complete FATEs across La Noscea, Black Shroud, and Thanalan.to earn medals for minions. By equipping certain minions in specific areas, you can earn weapon tokens, and eventually unlock the Whisper mount.

It's a bit of a grind if you want everything, but the unlocks are so damn cute it's worth it.

Final Fantasy XIV [YouTube]

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News:: The Witcher celebrates tenth anniversary with delightful video

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of The Witcher franchise, we all get to go to a tavern with Geralt, Triss, Ciri, Yennefer and even Johnny, for a drink, a reminisce, maybe even a tear or two.

The short video, by CD Projekt RED, was released to reflect on the series' journey thus far, as well as to make note on how quickly time passes, and how we should make the most of what we have.

There's little more to it than that, and to over-analyse it would ruin its simplistic but sweet intent, so just pour yourself a flagon of ale and enjoy.

Read more...

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News:: Let's recap every project related to Final Fantasy XV

Square Enix practically bet the farm on Final Fantasy XV.

Before its release they diversified their portfolio with a film and multiple spinoffs, most of which seem to have paid off given that it sold five million copies on launch day.

But given that we just got a whiff of yet another spinoff and a port, it's time to recap everything this monolithic subfranchise has given us so far, minus minor development changes like the addition of a New Game+ and such.

Read more...

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News:: Chloe and Nadine fighting off new releases in UK Charts

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy holds firm at the top spot of the U.K. charts for the second week running, despite numerous shake-ups in the top ten.

After months of stagnation, last week saw a huge shuffle in the rankings. Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle shot straight in at number 2, with strong debuts also coming from Everybody's Golf, ARK: Survival Evolved and Sega's remake: Yakuza Kiwami.

Former chart-king Crash Bandicoot refuses to go gently into the night, maintaining a position in the top five, whilst Overwatch came storming back into battle with a vengeance, moving all the way from number 21 to number 9.

Next week will see a full retail release week for the listed newcomers, so Chloe and Nadine have a fight on their hands. With many of these new releases semi-niche titles however, the numbers are on their side for a third week in the top spot.


U.K. video game sales chart w/e: September 2 2017
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy - Sony Entertainment
2. Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle - Ubisoft
3. F1 2017 - Codemasters
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2 
5. Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy - Activision Blizzard
6. Everybody's Golf - Sony Entertainment
7. ARK: Survival Evolved - Studio Wildcard
8. Yakuza Kiwami - Sega
9. Overwatch - Activision Blizzard
10. Forza Horizon 3 - Microsoft

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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News:: Final Fantasy XV director says Switch can't fully handle the Luminous Engine, others being tested

The Final Fantasy XV team has been busy. Gone are the days where you ship a AAA game and be done with it -- now you have to optimize patches, free/paid content, and spinoffs. Final Fantasy XV is busting out nearly every facet of that playbook, including ports and a Pocket Edition demake of sorts.

Speaking to DualShockers, director Hajime Tabata gave us an indirect hint that the very same Pocket version may indeed hit Switch. He re-clarified that the team was looking into XV on Switch, but explained further that the system can't really handle the game's Luminous Engine, and that they're  "looking into" Unreal Engine 4 and Unity.

What does this all mean? Well, chances are they won't rework the massive XV for Switch, but rather, a Pocket release that still contains most of the same story beats seems more likely. This is all speculation as Square could make the full version sing eventually, but for now, I don't see them putting in a massive amount of effort in a 1:1 port given that their work is already cut out for them with the recently announced PC version.

Final Fantasy XV Director Clarifies Nintendo Switch Tease; Team Is Looking into the Platform [DualShockers]

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News:: Watch ten minutes of Secret of Mana remake footage here

Ten minutes of footage, taken from Square Enix's upcoming remake of SNES classic Secret of Mana, has surfaced out of this weekend's PAX West show.

The video shows the opening of the game, featuring the famous tumble down a waterfall, followed by some exploration, combat and dialogue, it gives a good impression as to how the basic mechanics of the game will "flow" in the anticipated release.

One of the videos commentators mentions that they were three-years-old when the game was originally released, and I die a little inside, before moving to the bathroom to pluck a few more grey hairs out of my sideburns.

Secret of Mana launches digitally on PS4, PS Vita and PC February 15th 2018. Japan will also get a physical release for the title.

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News:: Games Done Quick raises $225,000 in 48 hours for hurricane victims

The curtain fell last night on Games Done Quick's improvised, last-minute speedrun weekend, thrown together to raise money for victims of the hurricane that has swept through Houston, Texas.

Harvey Relief Done Quick, named after the terrible storm that has left thousands of people homeless, was put together by the GDQ crew, calling in popular speed-runners to stream games from their homes whilst driving for charity donations from the viewers on live-streaming site Twitch.

In just two days, the event was able to raise just over $225,000. This money which will go to the Houston Food Bank to provide meals, basic cleaning supplies and disinfection products for the tens of thousands of citizens now facing the unenviable task of having to rebuild their lives in the wake of the storm.

Gaming and gamers will likely always have a negative stigma attached. But in recent years, whenever gamers are called upon to answer the call of those in need, they constantly prove themselves an efficient, hard-working and generous community. It heart-warming to see so much accomplished in such a short space of time, and everyone involved, from the GDQ staff, to the speed-runners, to every last donor, should be incredibly proud of what they achieved this weekend.

Anyone still wishing to donate to the cause can do so at this page.

Harvey Relief Done Quick [Twitch]

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News:: The Morning After: Monday, September 4th 2017

Morning to you all. We're still diving deep into Europe's biggest tech show: the weekend included pianos that can talk with Alexa, and testing out both LG and Nokia's newest phones' photography -- including selfies.

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News:: VR throwback 'Duck Season' arrives September 14th

Stress Level Zero's Duck Season caught our eye for a number of reasons. It's not just a VR callback to the NES hit Duck Hunt, it's a broader celebration of '80s culture... with a horror twist, to boot. And now, you'll get to see whether or not it's as fun as it is weird. The studio has announced that Duck Season will be available on both Steam and the Oculus Store on September 14th. Yes, despite the early Vive-focused experience we saw in June, it'll be available for the Oculus Rift as well.

Via: Road to VR

Source: YouTube, Steam

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