GM will make EV motor components in New York with $154 million investment - Roadshow

The GM Lockport Components plant will add electric motor stators to its list of components manufactured for numerous vehicles.

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Score 7 free pounds of meat and more hot delivery deals today - CNET

We found five temping deals on beef, pork, chicken and fish to stock your freezer for winter.

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Verizon 5G Home Internet vs. T-Mobile Home Internet: Which is best for your household? - CNET

Both providers can get your home online with a dedicated cellular connection. Let's see how they compare.

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NSF awards $29 million in scholarships for cybersecurity training - CNET

Eight universities will receive the National Science Foundation funding over the next five years.

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2023 Cadillac Escalade V revealed with V8 power and bold looks - Roadshow

Cadillac's biggest V-Series product ought to be an absolute beast.

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Latest Tech News

UFC's first PPV of the year is set to have an unmissable card in California, with a finely balanced heavyweight title showdown as its headline act. Read on to discover how to watch UFC 270 and a Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane live stream, plus the rest of the card online with ESPN+ having exclusive coverage in the US.

Ngannou vs Gane date, time and channels

Date: Saturday, January 22

Main card time: 10pm EST / 7pm PST / 3am GMT / 2pm AEDT (Sun)

Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California.

Live stream: ESPN Plus PPV (US) / BT Sport (UK) / DAZN (DE/IT/ES) / Kayo PPV (Aus)

Ngannou is widely accepted as the UFC's deadliest puncher, while UFC head honcho Dana White recently described French fighter Gane as the best striker to ever appear in the heavyweight division.  

The unification clash headlines a packed bill that also includes a tasty looking flyweight title fight in the co-main event between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo. 

Follow our guide below as we explain how to get a UFC 270 live stream online - plus key details like the Ngannou vs Gane time, and the cheapest way to get a UFC live stream today.

• Don't miss out: get a UFC live stream for every Fight Night and PPV event

When is Ngannou vs Gane? UFC 270 time and schedule

Ngannou vs Gane takes place at UFC 270, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 22. The UFC 270 early prelim card is scheduled to begin at 6pm EST / 3pm PST / 11pm GMT / 10am AEDT, with the prelims kicking off at 8pm EST / 5pm PST / 1am GMT / 12am AEDT.

The UFC 270 main card is slated to start at 10pm EST / 7pm PST / 3am GMT (Sun) / 2pm AEDT (Sun) - with Ngannou vs Gane expected to enter the Octagon no earlier than 11.30pm EST / 8.30pm PST / 4.30am GMT (Sun) / 3.30pm AEDT (Sun).

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UFC 270 live stream: how to watch Ngannou vs Gane in the US 

See UFC 270 exclusively on ESPN+ PPV
The exclusive rights for US coverage is with UFC on ESPN Plus, meaning it is the one place to watch it. Early prelim coverage starts at 6pm EST / 3pm PST, followed by the main card at 10pm EST / 7pm PST, with Ngannou vs Gane expected to enter the Octagon after 11.30pm EST / 8.30pm PST - depending on the pace of the other fights.

There are three options on cost, which depend on whether or not you already subscribe to the service.

1. Existing ESPN Plus subscribers
If you already have ESPN Plus, then it's very straight forward. It's a classic pay-per-view scenario, and you'll need to spend $74.99 to watch UFC 270.

2. UFC 270 + ESPN Plus
If you don't yet subscribe to ESPN Plus, then you can take advantage of this great value offer. You'll need to go for the UFC Bundle, costing you $99.98. That gets you both the UFC 270 PPV and a year-long subscription to ESPN+ that would normally cost $70 alone!

3. UFC 270 + Disney Plus/ESPN Plus/Hulu bundle
Your final option is to buy access to UFC 270 for $88.98 and, with it, get one month of access to the Disney Plus Bundle. So that's a jam-packed 30 days of everything on Disney Plus - think all of Marvel, Pixar, The Simpsons, Star Wars and stacks more - the full catalog of live sports and documentaries on ESPN+, AND the hundreds of box sets and films on Hulu.

• More great sport: how to watch NFL live streams the world over

How to live stream UFC 270 without PPV in Europe

As we say, you're kind of stuck if you're in the US. It's PPV or bust.

Not so in Europe - probably because it's on during the middle of the night! Instead, it's sports streaming specialist DAZN that has the rights.

So if you're a UFC fan in any of Austria, Italy, Germany or Spain, then get yourself over to the DAZN website.

Although the DAZN free trial has now been consigned to history, watching UFC on the service in Europe is still much more reasonable than other parts of the world, with monthly plans starting at €14.99.

How to watch Ngannou vs Gane: live stream UFC 270 in the UK

BT Sport has exclusive broadcast rights to UFC events in the UK right now, and the great news is that despite its tasty line up of fights, this weekend's UFC 270 action won't be a PPV event in the UK!

You'll need to tune into BT Sport 2 for all the action from California, with coverage kicking off with its UFC 270 Preview Show 12.30am on Saturday night / Sunday morning ahead of the Prelims at 1am followed by the main card at 3am. 

Don't forget that you can now get BT Sport without a big commitment thanks to a BT Sport Monthly Pass. It costs £25 and gets you all of BT Sport's goodies - including Premier League football and Premiership rugby - for a whole month.

You can also access your BT Sport subscription or monthly pass from overseas if you're away from home. To do that you'll need a VPN to relocate your IP back to the UK as per our guide above.

Ngannou vs Gane: live stream UFC 270 in Canada

There are a host of pay-per-view providers offering a Ngannou vs Gane live stream in Canada on Saturday.

You can head to the likes of Shaw, Bell, Rogers, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus or Eastlink with pricing at CAD$64.99. It's also available on the UFC Fight Pass PPV.

Tune into the main card from 10pm ET / 7pm PT on Saturday, January 22.

UFC 270 live stream: how to watch Ngannou vs Gane online in Australia

As per usual, you'll find UFC 270 and Ngannou vs Gane available on PPV in Australia, setting you back AUD$54.95.

The main card is set to take place at 2pm AEDT early on Sunday morning. Ngannou vs Gane are expected to make their way toward the Octagon around 3.30pm AEDT.

So to watch the fight, you'll need to sign up via the Foxtel site or Kayo Sports Main Event. Click the link where you can sign up to watch, where you'll then be able to live stream the whole event via your web browser and devices like Android, iOS, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Telstra TV and Chromecast.

You can also catch all the prelims and the main card using UFC Fight Pass.

Ngannou vs Gane live stream: how to watch UFC 270 in New Zealand

Sky Arena is offering New Zealand viewers an Ngannou vs Gane live stream - with the PPV priced at NZ$39.95 for all the main card action.

You'll want to make sure you're watching from at least the 4pm NZDT main card start time on Sunday, January 23 to get all the action. 

The headline Ngannou vs Gane fight is expected any time from 5.30pm NZDT, depending on how the rest of the card plays out.

Ngannou vs Gane preview and predictions

This well-matched showdown between two former sparring partners has pundits divided right through the middle in their predictions for the outcome.

In normal circumstances it would be hard to bet against Ngannou, who has made short work of his his last five opponents with none of those opponents making it beyond the second round. 

Despite having put away an impressive list of former champs, the Predator is facing arguably the toughest fight of his life tonight as he comes up against an opponent who has yet to taste defeat as a professional mixed martial artist and has the guile to take out the sport's biggest hitter.

(Image credit: Kayo)

Who is Francis Ngannou?

The French Cameroonian fighter - the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion - has been officially crowned the hardest recorded puncher in UFC history. 

Having tasted defeat in his first title challenge against Stipe Miocic in January 2018, he then lost once again to a unanimous decision to Derrick Lewis. 

Undeterred, Ngannou bounced back in exceptional style, stringing six KO wins together, culminating in a title winning performance in his rematch with Miocic back in March.

Who is Ciryl Gane?

Having won all ten of his previous pro fights, seven of which have been within the Octagon, Ciryl Gane's ascent up the ranks has been as rapid as it has been flawless.

The Parisian former footballer and bus driver only made his MMA debut in 2019 but has already racked up big wins over solid heavyweight names such as Junior Dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov and Derrick Lewis ad now holds the  Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion title.

With a Muay Thai background that has instilled him with a varied strike style, Gane is often a patient fighter that can fall back on his sheer athleticism to grind his opponent down.

Ngannou vs Gane odds: who is the favorite to win?

Despite Ngannou's champion status, its the interim title holder who leads the betting, with Gane coming in around the 4/6 mark to take the belt, while the the Predator is currently drifting around 6/5 to retain his title with most bookies.

Ngannou vs Gane: recent results

Ngannou last stepped in the Octagon in March at UFC 260, showcasing his devastating punching power by knocking out Stipe Miocic in the second round to capture the undisputed UFC heavyweight title in Las Vegas at UFC 260.

Ciryl Gane's last fight back in August saw him become the first French fighter to capture a UFC world title. In a one-sided main event against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 in Texas, the 31-year-old clinched the interim heavyweight title via a third round TKO.

UFC 270 full card and highlights

Beyond the much anticipated headline act, the full line up for UFC 270 is also boasts plenty of top-drawer MMA action.

The co-headline act sees a much-anticipated flyweight title fight between Mexico's Brandon Moreno and Brazil's Deiveson Figueiredo. Saturday's clash is the third contest between the two fighters after a win for each. The previous two encounters were both blockbuster affairs, meaning no self-respiting MMA fan will want to miss the final instalment of the trilogy.

Full UFC 270 card for Saturday, January 22

MAIN CARD

• Francis Ngannou (C) vs Ciryl Gane (ic) (Heavyweight title fight)

• Brandon Moreno (c) vs Deiveson Figueiredo (Flyweight title fight)

• Michel Pereira Lima vs Andre Fialho (Welterweight)

• Cody Stamann vs Said Nurmagomedov (Middleweight)

• Rodolfo Viera vs Wellington Turman (Middleweight)

PRELIMS

• Raoni Barcelos vs Victor Henry (Bantamweight)

• Ilia Topuria vs Charles Jourdain (Featehrweight)

• Jack Della Maddalena vs Pete Rodriguez (Welterweight)

• Michael Morales vs Trevin Giles (Welterweight)

EARLY PRELIMS

• Tony Gravely vs Saimon Oliveira (Bantamweight)

• Silvana Juarez vs Vanessa Demopoulos (Women's Strawweight)

• Matt Frevola vs Genaro Valdez (Lightweight)

• Kay Hansen vs Jasmine Jasudavicius (Women's Flyweight)

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Latest Tech News

NordVPN has clarified its position regarding whether or not it will comply with information requests from international law enforcement agencies. 

As reported by PCMag, the VPN provider reached out to the news outlet saying that it “will comply with lawful requests as long as they are delivered according to all laws and regulations”. NordVPN also stressed that while it is a company that protects the security and privacy of its customers, it does “operate according to laws and regulations”.

This clarification follows a recent joint operation led by Europol in which law enforcement authorities from 10 different countries seized 15 servers from a separate VPN provider. Unlike NordVPN which provides VPN services to businesses and consumers, the now defunct VPNLab mainly catered to cybercriminals. 

In its announcement saying VPNLab had been shut down, Europol implied that the VPN provider's refusal to cooperate with authorities was the reason behind the takedown.

Law enforcement data requests

NordVPN's new stance on complying with law enforcement data requests is quite different from what the company wrote in a blog post back in 2017, which reads: “NordVPN operates under the jurisdiction of Panama and will not comply with requests from foreign governments and law enforcement agencies” 

Now though, the original blog post has been edited and the post now reads: “NordVPN operates under the jurisdiction of Panama and will only comply with requests from foreign governments and law enforcement agencies if these requests are delivered according to laws and regulations.” 

The revised blog post also goes a bit further in regard to NordVPN's zero-logs policy by explaining that the company will log a user's VPN activity if there is a court order to do so: “We are 100% committed to our zero-logs policy – to ensure users’ ultimate privacy and security, we never log their activity unless ordered by a court in an appropriate, legal way.”

Meanwhile, the company updated its privacy policy back in July of last year with a new section that contains further details on information requests.

While NordVPN says that it will now comply with law enforcement data requests and court orders, its real-time warrant canary still says that it has never received any national security letters, gag orders or warrants from government organizations asking for user information. At the same time, as the company offers a no-logs VPN, there is very little if any data it could give to law enforcement agencies even if they requested it.

We've also highlighted the best VPN, best proxy and best privacy apps

Via PCMag

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Banjo-Kazooie is coming to Nintendo Switch Online today - CNET

The N64 classic arrives on Nintendo's subscription service on Jan. 20.

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Latest Tech News

Beginning with a shock exit and segueing into a drinks-related task, this week’s episode promises to be a dramatic concoction. Find out who Lord Sugar sends packing next with our guide on how to watch The Apprentice 2022 episode 3 online – and 100% FREE on BBC iPlayer.

*Warning: episode 2 spoilers ahead*

The girls stormed to victory last week with a space-themed electric toothbrush and accompanying app that shifted an impressive 11,000 units. The boys’ effort, meanwhile – a chunky brown wizard-inspired “wand” – conjured bathroom associations but for all the wrong reasons and failed to secure a single order.

Watch The Apprentice episode 3 online 2022

When: Thursday, January 20 at 9pm GMT

Channel: BBC One

Free stream: watch BBC iPlayer for FREE

Watch anywhere: try the top VPN around 100% risk-free

A demoralised Aaron brought Nick and Conor back to the boardroom to face the ire of Sugar and his aides. Ultimately, though, it was the former rugby union player who succumbed to the deadly digit, with Conor emphatically informed that, “you’re fired!”.

And then there were 14. Well, 13 it turns out, because Shama Amin drops the bombshell revelation this week that she’s leaving the show, citing difficulties with her rheumatoid arthritis.

When the dust settles, the remaining contestants are tasked with producing, creating, and marketing a non-alcoholic beverage. In addition to testing their mixology skills – and certain to cause even more drama – things are shaken up when the boys and girls are divided into two new teams and made to work together.

Will Nick prove worthy of the title of PM? Or does cocktail bar owner Sophie have the competitive edge in this challenge? Find out below with our guide on how to watch The Apprentice 2022 episode 3 online from anywhere – and completely FREE too.

How to watch The Apprentice online FREE in the UK

Episode three of The Apprentice will air on BBC One at 9pm GMT on Thursday, January 20. You can also stream the show live or on-demand through BBC iPlayer.

Both BBC One and BBC iPlayer are free to watch with a valid TV licence, and the streaming service works across a huge array of devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, media streaming devices like Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Roku, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

If you're not in the UK, use a VPN to stream your favourite BBC shows online from anywhere as if you were at home.

How to watch The Apprentice online from outside your country

If you’re abroad when an episode airs, you won't be able to watch the show as you normally would at home, thanks to annoying regional restrictions.

Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to stream it online no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch The Apprentice online from anywhere

ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN right now
Our experts have tried and tested some of the best VPNs on the market so you don't have to and recommend ExpressVPN as their top pick. Not only is it one of the fastest and easiest to use, but this VPN is compatible with a whole host of devices, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Xbox, Playstation, and iOS and Android devices.

Get an extra 3 months completely FREE when you sign up for an annual Express VPN plan now. If you're not happy with the service within the first 30 days, let them know and they'll give you your money back.

- Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30 days

Three simple steps to using a VPN to watch The Apprentice when overseas:

1. Download and install a VPN - we recommend ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the relevant server location - launch the VPN app, click on 'choose location' and select the right location (i.e. a UK server for iPlayer)

3. Head to the chosen broadcaster's live stream - in this case, head to BBC iPlayer

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The Apprentice 2022 candidates

• Aaron Willis, 38, flight operations intructor
• Akeem Bundu-Kamara, 29, financial strategy manager
• Akshay Thakrar, 28, digital marketing agency owner
• Alex Short, 27, commercial cleaning company owner
• Amy Anzel, 48, beauty brand owner
• Brittany Carter, 25, hotel front of house manager
• Conor Gilsenan, 28, sales executive
• Francesca Kennedy Wallbank, 26, sustainability company owner
• Harry Mahmood, 35, regional operations manager
• Harpreet Kaur, 30, dessert parlour owner
• Kathryn Louise Burn, 29, online pyjama store owner
• Navid Sole, 27, pharmacist
• Nick Showering, 31, finance manager
• Sophie Wilding, 32, cocktail bar owner
• Shama Amin, 41, children's day nursery owner
• Stephanie Affleck, 28, online children's store owner

How to watch The Apprentice: You're Fired

Comedian Tom Allen is back on hosting duties for The Apprentice: You're Fired, the sister-show that's almost as catty as the real thing. 

You're Fired follows each episode of The Apprentice, airing at 10pm GMT every Thursday on BBC Two. Remember, you can also watch the half-hour show FREE on BBC iPlayer, either live or on-demand. 

Tom Allen and a rotating panel of guests will roast and rehabilitate each week's unwanted candidate, who'll get a flavour of what the public really thinks of their antics on the show.

It's always packed with unseen footage, bloopers and suspiciously generous testimonials from boardroom frenemies.

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Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack: Banjo-Kazooie joins N64 game library Thursday - CNET

The 1998 bear and bird adventure comes to the subscription service's premium tier.

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Latest Tech News

God of War: Ragnarok is the much-anticipated sequel to 2018’s God of War and it’s coming to PS5 and PS4 sometime in 2022.

Since the game’s announcement back in September 2020, we haven’t been inundated with details, but a trailer released in September 2021 did give us an exciting look at gameplay and in-game cinematics. Originally supposed to release in 2021, God of War: Ragnarok is now expected sometime this year, with a more solid date likely to be locked in in the near future. 

While we wait for that release date and even more details on what Kratos and Atreus will be facing in their upcoming adventure, here’s everything we know about God of War: Ragnarok so far.

God of War: Ragnarok: cut to the chase 

• What is it? The sequel to the critically-acclaimed God of War (2018)
• When can I play it? TBC 2022
• What can I play it on? PS5 and PS4

God of War: Ragnarok release date and platforms

Image credit: SIE Santa Monica Studio (Image credit: Sony)

God of War: Ragnarok is due to release sometime in 2022 on PS5 and PS4, following a delay from its initial 2021 release window.

There was already speculation that Ragnarok could be delayed, given that Sony hadn't mentioned the sequel in its plans for 2021 following the game's announcement. Sony Santa Monica Studio confirmed the delay in June 2021, releasing a statement on Twitter. 

As yet, a more solid date for 2022 is yet to be confirmed.

pic.twitter.com/LLXnEof2LgJune 2, 2021

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God of War: Ragnarok trailer

Reveal trailer
We finally got a proper trailer for God of War: Ragnarok at the PlayStation Showcase 2021 that gave us gameplay and cinematic footage of what we'll be faced with when it releases. The combat looks just as devastatingly violent as we'd expect, and the new announcement also confirmed that we will indeed be facing Ragnarok – a series of events and catastrophes that ultimately lead to the end of the world according to Norse mythology.

Teaser trailer
Previously we had been shown a brief teaser for God of War: Ragnarok right at the end of Sony's live stream event in September 2020. All it showed was a brief logo and the words "Ragnarok is coming".

pic.twitter.com/VvHuaCKgGnSeptember 16, 2020

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God of War: Ragnarok story and gameplay

(Image credit: Sony)

God of War: Ragnarok is set to be a sequel to 2018's God of War and the final entry in the series' Norse saga. In a September 2021 PlayStation blog post, Santa Monica Studio gave us a slightly better idea of what Kratos and Atreus will be facing in their next adventure. 

According to the post, God of War: Ragnarok will pick up a few years after the events of 2018's God of War. Midgard is being hit by the freezing winds of Fimbulwinter, which makes "survival for Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir in the Norse wilds even more challenging than before."

Though the previous game built up trust and understanding in the relationship of Kratos and his son Atreus, Ragnarok will continue to explore the complexity of their interactions. 

The post describes Atreus as "desperately curious" and says that "he wants to understand who he is" and "who he could be". "The mystery of Loki’s role in the upcoming conflict is something that Atreus cannot let go of," the post says. "He wants to keep his family safe, but Atreus also doesn’t want to stand by and do nothing while conflict consumes the Nine Realms."

Kratos, meanwhile, wants to protect his son and "spare Atreus the bloody lessons he learned from his conflict with gods." 

(Image credit: Sony)

"Together, Kratos and Atreus will have to make a choice about which path they will take. Whatever they choose will define the fate of all those living in the Nine Realms as Ragnarök approaches." In the trailer shown in September 2021, we got a look at Frey and Thor and the post identifies them as the game's "two of the main antagonists".

As far as combat is concerned, the post promises more "visceral" and "spectacular" fights, with "new attack abilities, a new Runic Summon for Atreus, and of course, the return of Kratos’ legendary weapons." Santa Monica Studio says it's taken learnings from 2018's God of War to improve combat, with the aim of creating more player choice:

"Whether it’s through hard-hitting combos, a mastery of elements, or clever defensive tactics – you will find plenty of opportunity to fight alongside our duo in a way that feels uniquely expressive."

God of War: Ragnarok won't just expand on Atreus and Kratos' relationship and combat, it'll also expand in terms of setting. This time around, players are going to be able to visit all nine realms, including "the previously unreachable Vanaheim, Svartalfheim, and Asgard – as well as to new areas from locations featured in the last game. Exploring the realms will take you everywhere from verdant, otherworldly jungles to intricate subterranean mining networks."

God of War: Ragnarok news and rumors

Image credit: SIE Santa Monica Studio (Image credit: Sony)

Rumors of a February State of Play
Insider Tom Henderson has tweeted that a State of Play event may be coming in February and he thinks it could be a “pretty big one”.

The current rumor is that the next Sony event looks like it could be in February based on this month's media events and past PlayStation dates.It'll probably be State of Play, but it has the potential to be a pretty big one IMO. pic.twitter.com/Si0QSY7PeZJanuary 9, 2022

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There is further speculation around Sony hosting another State of Play event from other sources, too. AccountNGT, who is also fairly reliable for Sony-related leaks, responded to the question, “Any news about a PlayStation event early this year?”, by saying: “It's coming, I will have a lot of information to deliver when it will be announced.”

At the moment, we don’t have any officially announced dates for approaching State of Play events but, now that we’ve entered the release year for God of War: Ragnarok, the first big State of Play of the year would be a good time to show more of the game or maybe even narrow down that release date. 

Release date may have been listed
A release date tied to God of War: Ragnarok has been spotted on the PlayStation Network database. 

The listing was flagged by the Twitter account PlayStation Game Size, which scrapes the database as it updates to find details on things like game file sizes prior to their release. The account tweeted out to say that "according to PlayStation database, God of War Ragnarok coming September 30th 2022".

🚨 According To Playstation Database , God of War Ragnarök Coming September 30th 2022 🟨 Maybe it's Just Place-Holder !🟧 #PS5 #GodOfWarRagnarok pic.twitter.com/g6y61iYMxCDecember 27, 2021

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However, while it would be very exciting to get a solid release date for God of War: Ragnarok right now, as PlayStation Game Size itself points out, it seems more likely that this is a placeholder date rather than the actual release date. Until Sony or Santa Monica Studio announces something more official, we’d take it with a pinch of salt. 

Concluding the Norse saga
Santa Monica Studios creative director, Cory Barlog, has confirmed in an interview that Ragnarok will conclude the Norse storyline that started with 2018’s God of War on PS4. Barlog explained that the main reason to conclude the Norse saga in God of War: Ragnarok was because of the long development time involved in making a modern God of War game. Between the five years taken to develop 2018's God of War and the four that will be spent on Ragnarok, the studio would rather the Norse storyline didn't run over nearly 15 years through a third game, as it’ll be “too stretched out.”

"Expressive choice" through new shields
The game will bring Kratos and players enjoy a little more variety when it comes to the shields that can be used, according to director, Eric Williams, in an interview with God of War YouTuber Jon Ford. 

When Ford pointed out that in the most recent trailer there are moments where it looks like Kratos’ Guardian Shield has a different design and Kratos is using it in different ways, Williams said this was true and that while he didn’t “want to go too deep on it”, the game will have “different shields, and they have different defensive options and abilities.“ 

The reason for this, William explained, is because he and the team at Santa Monica Studio “really want to open up expressive choice to the way that you build your Kratos, like the equipment and loadout and things like that."

This, Williams added, goes “all the way down to the defense, so you can kind of play a little differently and enemies know how to respond to that, or force you into these different situations where you need to use different things. I think it’ll be fun for players to explore that but also we want it to be more expressive, you know, your choices matter when you set him up.”

Rumors of a PC port
Could we see God of War Ragnarok come to PC as well as PlayStation consoles? Following news of the 2018 God of War port, there is a tentative rumor that its sequel could get a similar treatment. A clue came by way of LinkedIn via GameRant, which picked up on a Twitter user who spotted the profile of a Senior Programmer at Jetpack Interactive, Warren Lee, who has a project listed as ‘God of War Ragnarok’. 

So what do you make of this? pic.twitter.com/a6WIdYL5GoOctober 25, 2021

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It’s worth noting this could have been in error; Lee could have accidentally added the ‘Ragnarok’ bit while he in actual fact he might be working on God of War PC right now.  Jetpack is the third-party dev in charge of the current God of War port, with Sony’s Santa Monica Studio in the role of overseeing the project, rather than actually doing the port. With that in mind, we feel there’s a possibility this could be a mistake. 

However, with God of War finally getting a port, it does make sense that Ragnarok could get the same treatment. The caveat is, of course, that this would likely happen eventually, way down the line, rather than early in Ragnarok’s life. God of War was, after all, released for the PS4 in 2018, so it’s taken quite some time for the port to come about.

PS4 to PS5 upgrade fee
After the player outrage surrounding the confusing upgrade process for Horizon Forbidden West, Sony issued a statement detailing how it will allow players to upgrade from the PS4 version to the PS5 version of future titles.

It specifically named checked God of War and said that you'll need to pay a $10 digital fee to get the enhanced PS5 version of the game if you already own the PS4 version. Most likely this means God of War: Ragnarok will continue Sony's trend of $70 PS5 games, however, we hope things change by the time the game actually releases.

It’ll launch ‘when its done’, says creative director
Following the absence of an update on God of War: Ragnarok during PlayStation’s February 2021 State of Play, Santa Monica Studios Creative Director, Cory Barlog, appears to have posted a tweet in response to those asking for an update on the game. 

I don't know who needs to hear this...(certainly not me since I have never heard of it)but...WHEN. IT'S. DONE.❤️(trust that it's what's best for everyone) pic.twitter.com/DVE6hQ9BVAFebruary 25, 2021

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Reading “When it’s done it’s done”, Barlog’s tweet doesn’t directly mention God of War: Ragnarok but it seems likely that’s what he’s referring to.  The game still has a fairly wide release window of 2021, but there have been rumors that it might be looking at a delay and this tweet doesn’t exactly clear them up. But, as Barlog says, “Trust that it’s what’s best for everyone.”

Coming to PS4 too
PlayStation Studios boss Herman Hulst seems to have confirmed that God of War will be coming to PS4. In a PlayStation Blog post, when asked about how PS4 factors into PlayStation Studios' vision, Hulst said:

"Where it makes sense to develop a title for both PS4 and PS5 — for Horizon Forbidden West, the next God of War, GT7 — we’ll continue looking at that. And if PS4 owners want to play that game, then they can. If they want to go on and play the PS5 version, that game will be there for them."

Previously God of War: Ragnarok was only confirmed to release on PS5.

Job Listings
As spotted by GamesRadar, SIE Santa Monica Studio posted job listings in 2020 for a number of roles across its programming, art, design, and tech art teams – with one listing clearly citing the God of War reboot. 

Applicants for Senior Combat Designer "Must have knowledge of God of War (2018) and be able to speak in depth about the combat systems, mechanics and enemies".

A listing for Facial Blend Shape Character Artist also specifically mentions "next-gen videogame platform experience" for the role: something that should whittle down prospective applicants to relatively few animators, given that the next generation of consoles have yet to launch.

The waters were muddied slightly with a Senior Gameplay Animator posting, which asks for someone "to help us push the boundaries of action and combat movement and set the bar for gameplay feel on the PS4".

God of War PS4 theme
Back in April 2019, a new dynamic theme appeared on PS4 to celebrate the anniversary of the God of War reboot. The theme showed Kratos and Atreus rowing, however the theme contained a secret message (discovered by eagle-eyed God of War fans on Reddit). 

The boat the pair are rowing in has runes etched on its side which translate (in English) to "Ragnarok is coming" – which we now know to be a pretty official slogan for the game.

No God of War DLC
God of War director Corey Barlog had said there were originally plans for DLC for the 2018 reboot, but said they were halted for being "too ambitious". That means the studio can invest resources into an entirely new game as opposed to post-launch content.

God of War (2018) PS5 update
To make the wait for God of War: Ragnarok a little easier, Sony Santa Monica has released a God of War PS5 update that boosts the game's resolution to a checkerboard 4K resolution while maintaining a 60fps target. Hopefully this means that Ragnarok will continue the pleasing trend of more PS5 games hitting 60fps, even if it means compromising or dropping the resolution slightly to achieve it.

God of War: Ragnarok: what we want to see

(Image credit: Sony)

[Warning: spoilers for the ending of God of War ahead.]

Exploring that ending further
At the end of God of War, we found out that Kratos' wife (and Atreus' mother) Faye was actually a Giant called Laufey. That means Atreus is half God and half Giant and, what's more, he has a different name altogether: Loki. You know Loki, the trickster of Norse mythology. 

Hopefully God of War: Ragnarok will explore this further and we'll find out more about Faye's secret past, as well as why she kept it all a secret in the first place. We're also hoping Atreus will embrace the shape-shifting abilities that Loki is notorious for instead of simply standing on the sidelines firing arrows at enemies. 

Atreus isn't a boy anymore
The God of War sequel may continue on directly from the events of the previous game, however we think it would be more interesting to see how a teenage Atreus and grumpy dad Kratos fair on an adventure.  

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Warhammer Fantasy has always excelled at the catastrophic. Its grimdark world isn’t just full of heinous monstrosities, they’re practically baked into its bedrock. It’s a setting that forever hangs on the edge, as unceasing legions of bloodthirsty daemons, feculent spawn, and debaucherous sadists threaten all mortal life. Total War: Warhammer 3 looks to lose none of that dark grandiosity. In fact, the game dials it up even further. 

Playing an eight-hour, hands-on preview of the game’s new Cathay and Daemons of Chaos faction, it quickly becomes clear that Creative Assembly has set its sights higher for the third installment of the series. The familiar sandbox system for which Total War has become renowned remains intact, but it’s overshadowed by a greater emphasis on framed, focused campaigning. There’s a narrative edge this time around, and one from which you can’t escape.

Daemon spawn

(Image credit: Sega)

I begin by trying my hand at the Daemons of Chaos. A potpourri of evil, this lot amalgamates every Chaos faction into one big hodgepodge of daemonic blight. While the forces of the four Chaos gods – Nurgle, Khorne, Slaanesh, and Tzeentch – are usually played separately in the campaign, this faction hands you all of them, letting you march crimson Bloodletters alongside pestilent Nurglings. It leans into one of the best parts of the Total War: Warhammer series – its color, its bombast, and the sheer silliness that isn’t seen in the series’ historical titles. 

This new faction is also one of the most varied. FIlling out your armies with whatever units take your fancy allows for a level of customization that hasn’t been seen in any previous Total War game. At one end of your empire, you might be fielding a force predominantly made up of Tzeentch’s Horrors, Flamers, and other mutated creatures. But a few settlements away, another army of yours can be full of Beasts of Nurgle and Khorne Flesh Hounds. I found half the fun was building Chaotic combinations to field in battle, seeing which paired well together, and which made for the strangest result.

This customization is the name of the game when it comes to the Daemons of Chaos. Fronting your legions is your very own Daemon Prince, a scion of the Ruinous Powers that can be outfitted with weapons, armor, and even body parts of your choosing. As you conquer settlements and complete missions on the campaign map, you’ll earn favor with the four Chaos gods, choosing which to devote your affection towards. Earn enough favor, and you’ll not only unlock new units of that god’s roster to add to your armies, but also new heads, arms, and tails with which to mutate your Daemon prince for passive buffs and cooldown abilities. They make for big changes, majorly affecting how your Lord plays in battle as well as how they look.

Warhammer’s always been an excuse to play dress-up and the daemonic bodybuilding gimmick here goes some way to imitating the tabletop game’s model building. But I quickly became overloaded with choice. You unlock new accoutrements at such a rate that it feels like a slog to sift through every option. In my playthrough, I felt better throwing my hands up in surrender, before picking an outfit that had aesthetic nous rather than any tactical thought behind it.

Cathay’s coming

(Image credit: Sega)

On the other side of the map lies Cathay, a faction that’s almost as new to Total War as it is to the Warhammer franchise. Besides some fleeting mentions in the Warhammer lore, Cathay never received a rulebook or miniatures and has become one of those notorious ‘what could have been’ factions among players. Creative Assembly’s interpretation is really the first official implementation of the faction to date.

And it’s a good one. Building on all the usual tropes of Chinese mythology, Cathay won’t win any fantasy awards for originality, but it does stand out as unique in the world of Warhammer. The only other human faction in the game besides Kislev, it’s halfway between an ordinary medieval army and a dunk in a wild storybook. Infantry march alongside armored gunners, while huge Terracotta Sentinels tower above. Flying war machines rain cannonballs and fire from above, and, to fit the Chinese theme, its Lords can transform into serpentine dragons.

"Total War: Warhammer 3 is far more framed than its predecessors. It focuses on a central campaign that can be played in any way, but pushes you towards a single objective regardless of which faction you pick."

On the campaign map, Cathay will be familiar to those who’ve delved deep into other Total War games. While the Daemons of Chaos are encouraged to constantly wage war in every direction, Cathay’s position on the map calls for more strategic conquering. At the start of the preview, the forces of Tzeentch were hammering away at the vital wall separating my mortal lands from the Chaos wastes beyond, while rebels were decimating my settlements from within. I needed to shore up support at home – either diplomatically or through force – while keeping the tide of Chaos at bay.

Other mechanics add variety. Every aspect of Cathay’s development, including building construction and progress along its rather linear tech tree, is governed by ‘harmony,' and every action you take on the campaign map will push its harmony meter towards either ‘Yin’ or ‘Yang.’ The trick is to strike a balance. At times, it will work out splendidly, as you find harmony has righted itself, granting all your units vital buffs for an upcoming battle. At other times, you might be pushed into a course of action you’d have rather avoided – maybe spare an enemy settlement – as you desperately try to keep harmony in balance to avoid suffering its penalties.

Framed and focused

(Image credit: Sega)

If it sounds like Cathay provides less of the sandbox strategy experience that many Total War fans are used to, that’s no coincidence. Total War: Warhammer 3 is far more framed than its predecessors. It focuses on a central campaign that can be played in any way, but pushes you towards a single objective regardless of which faction you pick.

While you’re conquering the mortal world, rifts to the Realm of Chaos will periodically appear across the map. They act as gateways to previously inaccessible, discrete areas themed around the Chaos gods. Send your armies through, and fight whatever marauding warbands lie waiting on the other side, before eventually making your way to a final stronghold and duking it out with a Chaos champion. Do that four times (one for each Chaos god), and you’ll unlock the campaign’s endgame.

These rifts function something like dungeons in classic RPGs. They’re short, self-contained, and totally cut off from the rest of the game. In my time with the preview, they appeared on the map around turn 35, after which point every faction dropped their previous goals and descended onto the gateways in force. They not only punctuate the campaign but set its cadence. After all, your conquest on the main map means very little to your wider success. If you’re not prepared to enter the rifts when they appear, you can kiss goodbye to any chance of successfully completing them before your opponents.

The real benefit, or monotony, of such an objective-focused campaign will only be seen at launch. But in my short time with the game, I found its linear elements gave me direction, without undermining the creative sandbox gameplay that makes conquering so fun.

Bigger and probably better

(Image credit: Sega)

You’d be hard-pressed to find many Total War: Warhammer fans that aren’t excited for this next installment. Through my hands-on session, I found it played to all the strengths of the series, embracing the vivacious grimdark fantasy setting while shaking things up through a new focus on framed, directed campaigning. The sheer novelty of commanding legions of daemons in battle didn’t wear thin across my eight hours; now we’ll have to see whether it can last for 80. 

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Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the latest game in TT Games' Lego Star Wars franchise and, after a few delays, we're hoping to see it release in early 2022.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will be the first Lego Star Wars game since 2016's The Force Awakens, and looks set to be the most ambitious addition to the series yet, covering all nine of the core Star Wars movies while giving players access to hundreds of playable characters from every era of the saga. It'll be possible for players to visit many iconic settings as they play through the movies “in any order they choose” to “create their own unique journey through the galaxy.” 

This will be music to the ears of any long-term fan, as well as good news for any Star Wars newcomers. Especially those who might have only recently found their way to the galaxy far, far away through the new The Book of Boba Fett or The Mandalorian TV series on Disney+.

Now that we're finally in its release year, we’re hoping to see a more definite release date soon but, while we wait, here’s everything you need to know about Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

(Image credit: Travellers Tales / Lego / Disney)

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Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – what you need to know

• What is it? The latest Lego game to take place in George Lucas’s Star Wars universe.
• When will it release? Spring 2022
• What platforms will it be available on? The Xbox One family of devices (including Xbox Series X), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC and Mac. So everything, basically.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga release date

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has had a difficult development. After missing an October 2020 release window, the game tried to hit a ‘Spring 2021’ launch date and missed that too. 

After an announcement at Gamescom 2021, we now know that Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's release date is set for 'Spring 2022'. A more exact date than that hasn't been announced yet but we're hoping that will change soon. Especially considering we're now in the supposed launch year. 

(Image credit: Travellers Tales / Lego / Disney)

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga trailers

A new gameplay trailer for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker dropped during Gamescom 2021's Opening Night Live, giving us a tantalizing look at the game in action. Check it out below.

Prior to that Gamescom trailer, we had, of course, already seen a little bit from the game. Way back in the summer of 2019 we were treated to a reveal trailer, showing off the franchise’s glitzy new visual look, and the series’ trademark humor, albeit in a teaser that didn’t appear to show any gameplay:

Then in August 2020 we were pleasantly surprised to see a gameplay trailer that matched the visual polish of the teaser. As well as showing off key playable scenes from the franchise, from dogfights to lightsaber duels, the game still features the wacky toybox-like potential for mischief that previous Lego games have had. Keep an eye out for C-3PO riding a bantha, for instance:

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga setting and gameplay

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is in the enviable position of being able to adapt tales from right across the entire ‘Skywalker’ saga. 

In other words, you’ll be playing scenes from the original trilogy (Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi), the prequel trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith) and the sequel trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker).

(Image credit: Travellers Tales / Lego / Disney)

That does mean the excellent Rogue One, Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Mandalorian TV show are not set to feature. However, the Deluxe Edition of the game is set to include a ‘Character Collection’ bundle, which will throw in six character packs including characters from The Mandalorian, Rogue One, Solo and even the new Star Wars: The Bad Batch animated series, as well as an additional pack including ‘Classic Characters’.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is expected to be a slight departure from the Lego games that have come before it, promising deeper gameplay than the simplistic platforming and combat of previous Lego games.

(Image credit: Travellers Tales / Lego / Disney)

Each episode of film will feature five story missions, for a total of 45 core levels in the game. Combat has been sharpened up – lightsaber duels will focus on combo building, with a mixture of light, heavy and Force attacks wielded in tandem, while ranged shooting combat moves the gameplay to an over-the-shoulder viewpoint, ala Gears of War or Uncharted. It’ll still be family friendly, but might not be quite as button-mashy as previous Lego games.

You’ll have plenty of hub worlds to explore before taking on the core missions, and these will be littered with secrets to find and collectibles to… er… collect. Hubs will range from the desolate wastes of Tatooine to the forests of Endor and the dark heart of Exegol, where the Emperor holds court. It’s an incredibly ambitious undertaking then, collating all the major sights (and sites) of the near-complete Star Wars universe. All of these locations will include random encounters too – you might be messing around before being ambushed by a Tie Fighter fleet, for example.

(Image credit: Travellers Tales / Lego / Disney)

Vehicular based play will also be significant. The gameplay trailer shows the player taking the controls of everything from a podracer to an X-Wing, a Snowspeeder to those stupid horse things that turned up in Rise of Skywalker. 

There will be variety, collectibles and fan-favourite characters and scenes aplenty then. Who knows – it may even wash away the bad taste The Rise of Skywalker left us with. We’ll have more on Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga as it’s revealed, so keep checking back to TechRadar for all the latest news.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga news and rumors

Reaffirming 2022

We’re still waiting for an official confirmation of the Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga release date but the official Twitter account for Warner Bros Brazil has reaffirmed that we can expect to see the game in 2022, including it as part of a January 2022 Twitter thread of games that are expected to release this year alongside Hogwarts Legacy and Gotham Knights.

Em LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga você reviverá as três trilogias de #StarWars de maneira completa e divertida sob a clássica forma de jogos #LEGO. Aqui a aventura é sua e você monta ela da maneira que quiser. pic.twitter.com/9C5zG9Rd4YJanuary 17, 2022

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Narrowing down the release window?

TT Games hasn’t narrowed down the release date for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga but a recent report from Star Wars leaker Bespin Bulletin has suggested that the studio is aiming for either April or May. Writing in a blogpost, the leaker said, “The last thing I heard on LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was that April/May is when the game is looking to release, but it’s not set in stone and things are ever-changing in the current landscape due to COVID-19, which has already forced multiple delays upon The Skywalker Saga.” 

April or May would be right within the Spring 2022 window we currently have for the game but as yet nothing has been officially confirmed. 

Boba Fett?

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has been making some noise on Twitter with a brand new character clip. Following the release of The Book of Boba Fett, the Lego Star Wars Twitter account posted a promotional clip featuring Boba Fett on Tatooine. In the clip, Boba Fett wields a weapon but, even more importantly, he speaks. 

When one Twitter user asked whether the voice in the clip belonged to Daniel Logan, the voice of young Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones, Logan himself responded by saying that it was him. It’s possible that this means Logan will be the voice of older Boba Fett throughout the game, though this hasn't been outright confirmed just yet.

YepJanuary 6, 2022

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Marketing restarted?

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga didn’t get an update at the last big event of 2021—The Game Awards—but marketing for the game has restarted on its Twitter account. After a fairly long silence on the official Twitter page for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, there were a few tweets in November with brief clips of characters in the game. The game still has a vague 'Spring 2022' release window so seeing more life on its social channels again seems like the kind of thing that can be taken as a good sign, even if it was relatively short-lived.  

Winter is here. Who wishes they had a tauntaun? pic.twitter.com/E1hti884PWNovember 29, 2021

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You choose the order

We know that players will be able to play across nine films of the Skywalker saga but according to the Warner Bros page for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sage, players will be able to access all of them right away and play "in any order they choose. They can direct where to go and how to play." This means a good amount of freedom and the chance to play through all of your favorite worlds first.

In an interview with StarWars.com, Jonathan Smith, head of production and strategic director at TT Games, said this freedom of choice "is a really important principle for us", adding, "We love stories and storytelling; but we also feel, both as gamers ourselves and with particular concern for young players driven to experimentation and change, that stories exist to be played with, however the player wants."

Play on the light or dark side of the force

According to the Warner Bros page for the game, players will also have access to "hundreds of playable characters from throughout the galaxy and every era of the saga" from Luke Skywalker through to Darth Vader. Of course, this means you'll be able to choose whether to play on the light or dark side of the force. 

Plenty to explore

The game's official page also highlights some of the locations that players will be able to explore "such as the desert of Geonosis, to the swamps of Dagobah and the snowfields of Starkiller Base", never mind the space exploration. It will, apparently, be possible to revisit a planet at any time, too, so there's no need to worry about never seeing your favorite settings again. 

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