Dragon Ball Creator Akira Toriyama Will Be Especially Missed By The Hispanic Community
Akira Toriyama is the creator of various IP like Dragon Quest, Sand Land, and many other beloved titles. Yet despite having a rich catalog of materials, he was most well-known for creating the critically acclaimed Dragon Ball series. The announcement of his passing shocked the world because the work he did with Dragon Ball spoke to so many people. What you might not realize, though, is how prevalent a shock that loss is to the Hispanic community.
A common joke I’ve heard growing up around other Hispanic friends is that Toriyama has a “chokehold over our people.” This felt especially true because every Hispanic person I knew growing up had seen at least one episode of Dragon Ball Z or, at the very least, understood its significance. This wasn’t just with my immediate community. This was a common trend among Hispanics as a whole, and Goku had almost become a household name.
A large reason why I believe Dragon Ball resonated with the Hispanic community at large is because, at its core, Dragon Ball is all about protecting the ones you love while striving to be the best possible version of yourself. At a very young age, most Hispanics are taught that “family is everything and to always help one another.” This is exactly what they do in Dragon Ball whenever Goku and the Z-Fighters aren’t screaming at the top of their lungs and punching each other in the face.
Even after Goku dies in the show, he’s still there, helping his family and friends to ensure their happiness and safety. To take it a step further, South America has a long history of rebelling against its local governments. Meanwhile, Dragon Ball featured a whole arc in which Goku fights against an oppressive government known as the Red Ribbon Army.
In fact, the impact of Dragon Ball hit so close to home in Latin American countries that they began having city-wide screenings for episode # 130 of Dragon Ball Super. These screenings weren’t exclusive to Mexico. Thanks to Reddit user Rijapega, we know these screenings were happening all over South America, including Chile, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, and several other countries. This became popular enough that Toei Animation, the studio behind Dragon Ball Super, had to issue a statement saying that most of these screenings weren’t allowed. As pointed out by Kotaku, this became such a big issue that the Embassy of Japan sent a formal letter asking Mexico not to stream to the masses as they intended. Thankfully, Ciudad Juárez, a city in Mexico, was able to secure the rights to stream it, and as a result, thousands of fans came together to watch the episode.
And, of course, this fandom for Dragon Ball didn’t stick to screens of discussions. There’s even a local Mexican taco shop in Oaxaca called “Tacos Goku.” As the name suggests, it’s a taco shop centered around Goku, and what’s notable about this place is that the owner has continually updated the hand-painted mural of Goku to match whatever his strongest form is at the time.
But the love for Toriyama doesn’t stop there. After the news of his passing, people across South America came together to show their love for Toriyama. In a video posted by the Associated Press, we saw hundreds of people in Argentina gathered together at the Obelisk monument in Buenos Aires to honor him one last time. At the event, people raised their hands in the sky, a nod to the series when Goku would summon a Spirit Bomb. A similar thing happened in Zócalo, Mexico, as well.
If you look up “Dragon Ball Latin America” on virtually all social media platforms, you’ll find various posts expressing how much they loved Dragon Ball and how devastated they were upon hearing the news of Toriyamas’s death.
On a personal note, Dragon Ball played a considerable role in shaping me into the person I am today. Like many Hispanics who watched the franchise growing up, I strived to be as much like Goku as possible. Growing up in sports, I’d often find myself saying, “Come on, Goku would just want to do one more lap,” or something cheesy like, “Krillin could easily lift that, so I should have no problem.” Even now, early into my adult life, I sometimes ask myself, “What would Goku do in this situation?” whenever I’m uncertain about what to do. And all that’s before you consider that, like many others around the world, Dragon Ball was my introduction to anime. Without it, I’m almost confident I wouldn’t be watching the animation style or be as big a fan of it as I am now.
Although Toriyama may be gone, his legacy will continue to live on. There’s not a lot of media that can connect people the way Dragon Ball did and continues to do for countless Hispanics. Because of that, it’s something that many Hispanic people, myself included, will be forever grateful for. Even though this may not have been his original intention, Dragon Ball became a staple for Hispanic people everywhere while spreading a positive message.
Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile’s Cross-Progression Explained
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile launches worldwide on March 21. This new free-to-play mobile version brings back the game’s popular Verdansk and Rebirth Island maps, and it also shares content and progression between the PC and console versions of Warzone and Modern Warfare 3. Not everything carries over to Warzone Mobile, so here we highlight what content is shared and explain how the cross-progression works.
How cross-progression works in Warzone Mobile
Warzone Mobile’s cross-progression will allow players to share all “compatible unlocked content” as well as seamlessly share progress between the PC and console versions of Warzone and Modern Warfare 3.
Now Playing: Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile | Official Gameplay Launch Trailer
Once the game is released, Activision says players will simply need to log in to Warzone Mobile using their Activision ID. This will transfer their Player ID, compatible content, and any existing player progression to Warzone Mobile, and then they will make progress in rank and battle pass no matter which game is played.
Of course, players can choose not to link their account, but they’ll need to level up a new guest account on Warzone Mobile and won’t have access to any content previously unlocked within Modern Warfare 3 or Warzone.
How content is shared
Most content operator skins, weapon blueprints, and other cosmetics should carry over, but just like Call of Duty’s Carry Forward program with MW2 and MW3, some specific items might not carry over. Activision says this includes Zombies-related items and “some other battle pass content.”
Activision says all items will be marked with visible tags so Warzone Mobile players will be able to tell what game each specific item originated from, and there will be symbols to show whether the content is shared or not. An icon designed as two connected links will mark if the content is shared on Warzone Mobile, and a game monitor will designate items that are only available on PC and console.
Battle pass details, XP tokens, and CoD Points
Battle pass progression
At launch, the current Season 2 battle pass will be available in Warzone Mobile for anyone who hasn’t purchased it yet. This means new players can still level up and earn the season’s new content in the free tiers, purchase the standard $10 paid pass, a $20 bundle with a bulk of battle pass tier skips, or even the $30 BlackCell premium bundle. However, it is worth noting that the Season 2 pass ends on April 3.
Existing MW3 and Warzone players who already leveled up some or all of the Season 2 pass will find those earned items unlocked and ready for use in Warzone Mobile, with the exception of the Zombies-related items. It’s worth noting that while those specific items aren’t available to use, Warzone Mobile players can still unlock those items in the pass for use in MW3.
Activision announced five additional items will be added in the Season 2 battle pass for Warzone Mobile, and these are items that are exclusive to this game and not shared.
These cosmetic items include:
- Blueprint: “Golden Dragon” (M16 weapon blueprint, BlackCell Instant Reward)
- Emblem: “Dragonfire Awakening” (Rare)
- Large Decal: “Celestial Arrival” (Rare)
- Calling Card: “Lunar Radiance” (Rare)
- Blueprint: “Radiant Dragonstorm” (SO-14 weapon blueprint Uncommon)
XP tokens
Warzone Mobile players with linked accounts will have access to their existing bank of XP tokens they may have earned. This means double XP, weapon XP, and battle pass XP tokens can be shared for use across Warzone, MW3, and Warzone Mobile.
CoD Points
Activision has warned that CoD Points currently do not transfer from one game to another. Players can buy CoD Points in the Warzone Mobile store, but they will not transfer to the PC or console version of Warzone or MW3, and vice versa.
A celebration event will begin the day after the launch of Warzone Mobile. Here’s all the details about Warzone Mobile’s Operation: Day Zero event.
Destiny 2’s Next PvE Mode Is Onslaught, A Defensive Showdown In The Last City
Ahead of the release of Destiny 2‘s upcoming Into the Light story event, Bungie showed off a new PvE activity debuting inside of it next month. Onslaught is a new three-player mode with a defensive flavor, as players will establish a beachhead in the Last City before they journey into the Traveler in The Final Shape expansion.
With every Guardian preparing to take on The Witness, humanity and its allies will be left defenseless against the hostile forces inside the Sol system. That’s where the Advanced Defense Unit comes into play, as this mobile forge can build structures to help keep the armies of the Witness at bay. In Onslaught, players will defend the ADU while it gets to work, with this activity playing out in multiple waves.
Up to 50 waves of escalating challenge can be taken on, and to shake things up, Guardians will venture into a Pyramid ship after a set number of waves for an offensive push against a challenging boss. When the focus is on the ADU, players can spend the new Scrap currency to set up and upgrade defensive structures in contested territory, like turrets, trip mines, and decoys. Bungie showed off some of the gameplay inside of the Midtown map–usually reserved for PvP activity–and this activity will feature Crucible leader Lord Shaxx as the primary vendor.
To make things more challenging, players can expect to encounter Champions and will be tested with bonus objectives that offer greater rewards but will pull them farther away from the ADU as enemies close in on it. Bungie plans to host two more livestreams this month, and you can tune in on the following dates to watch them. As a reminder, anyone watching can earn the “Those Held Dear” emblem by watching a livestream for at least 30 minutes, and watching for two hours in total will unlock the “Echo Diamond” emblem.
- Livestream 2 — March 26, 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
- Livestream 3 — April 2, 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
Into the Light will go live on April 9 alongside Update 7.3.6, and it’ll add new story content throughout April and May. Meanwhile, Destiny 2 players can purchase Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire cosmetics, just in case they want to tour the strangest parts of the galaxy in a spaceship inspired by the Ecto-1 car.
Sony Loses A Major Name To EA
Longtime PlayStation boss Connie Booth left Sony in 2023–and no reason was ever provided for her departure. Now, she’s landed at Electronic Arts in the role of Group Manager, Action RPG. In that position, Booth will oversee EA Motive, Cliffhanger, and BioWare, studios that are responsible for upcoming titles like Man, Black Panther, and the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect titles, respectively.
EA boss Laura Miele told IGN that Booth is “known for having created an incredible developer-first culture and supporting creative vision while driving innovation.”
In her 30+ years at Sony, Booth helped to build PlayStation’s internal studios and guided the development of titles like Spider-Man 1 and 2, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Uncharted, and Ratchet & Clank, among others.
Miele added: “She has an impeccable reputation within the development community and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our games.”
Booth’s arrival at EA comes not long after the company cut 5% of its workforce, or about 670 positions, in what was the latest mass layoff at a video game company this year.
David Scott Jaffe, the creator of Twisted Metal and co-creator of God of War, was first to report on Booth’s exit from PlayStation in 2023. Citing sources within PlayStation, Jaffe reported that Booth was fired.
“She was fired. She was not let go. She didn’t retire. She didn’t quit. She was fired,” Jaffe said. He added that “apparently” she had no notice or advance warning. “It just kind of happened,” he said.
Jaffe went on to say that outgoing PlayStation boss Jim Ryan gave a mandate for PlayStation’s teams to make more games-as-a-service titles, which in turn reportedly upset a number of PlayStation developers. “All of this was somehow blamed on Connie,” Jaffe said.
Booth comes to EA during a period of change, as the gaming giant recently announced plans to shift away from some licensed IP projects.
An Official Lego Dungeons & Dragons Set Is On The Way
Lego and Hasbro are teaming up on an official Lego Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale set, which will launch April 1 for Lego Insiders and April 4 for everyone else. The kit features everything you would expect from a D&D-themed set, including explorable dungeons, tons of monsters, and customizable characters. Best of all, it even includes its own adventure book, so you can use the new set to play a real D&D campaign.
The 3,745-piece set features multiple modular scenes, including an inn for the heroes to gather, a multi-room dungeon filled with traps and loot, outdoor ruins, and a large stone tower. The set also lets you build a bunch of monsters for your dungeon-delving heroes to battle, including a giant red dragon that’s easily the highlight of the entire display
You can also make well-known NPCs like The Beholder, Gelatinous Cube, Owlbear, and Displacer Beast, plus smaller creatures like skeleton warriors and Myconid mushroom people. There’s also a mini-fig of the evil sorcerer that rules the dungeon. Oh, and Lego Insiders get a free Mimic chest monster as a bonus when they purchase the set between April 1-7. That’s an impressive bestiary for a single Lego set.
Of course, D&D isn’t just about dungeons and dragons. Creating and playing your own custom character is the real draw of the game, and this D&D Lego set includes a collection of mini-figure pieces to mix and match so you can build your own custom adventuring party. Orcs, Elves, Gnomes, Dwarves, Humans, and Dragonborn are all included, and you can equip them with gear and outfits based on D&D classes like Fighters, Clerics, Bards, Rogues, and Wizards.
Hasbro is also launching a Red Dragon’s Tale adventure module to accompany the Lego set. The book includes a prewritten campaign that takes you and your friends through the set’s dungeons and includes all the monster stats and character information you need to play. It will be available as a downloadable PDF or through the D&D Beyond app. Lego Insiders can also spend 2,700 Insider Points to get a limited-edition paperback copy.
Plenty of D&D players already use Lego in place of painted minis for their campaigns, so pairing the Red Dragon’s Tale set with an official adventure module makes sense. You could also use the Red Dragon’s Tale set to play other D&D adventure books, or combine it with additional fantasy-themed Lego sets like the Medival Town Square or Lion Knight’s Castle for even more Lego-based D&D adventures. Lego also announced more D&D-themed Lego sets are on the way, including more D&D minifigures launching in September.
The Lego Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale set will launch for $360 on April 4, but Lego Insiders can grab the set early starting April 1.
Play Skull And Bones And Help Save The Oceans In Real Life
Ubisoft has announced a new charity drive featuring Skull and Bones where players can help save the oceans in real life by playing the pirate game. The “Waves of Change” in-game charity event is running now through March 31. During the event, Ubisoft is aiming to raise €300,000 ($325,000 USD) for the Oceana charity that is dedicated to ocean conservation, protection, and restoration.
All Skull and Bones players, including those using the free trial, are automatically entered into the event. Players can take down Skirmisher and Headhunter enemies, or Philippe La Peste, to contribute to a wider progress pool. Progress toward the donation goal will be displayed on a website.
Additionally, players will get the Pioneer set, a cosmetic, for participating in the event.
This is just the latest effort from Ubisoft as part of its participation in the Playing for the Planet Alliance, which calls upon video game companies to reduce their carbon footprint and raise awareness and education about global environmental issues. In 2021, Ubisoft set the forests of one of its games on fire to help raise awareness for climate change.
“At Ubisoft, we believe that we can harness the power of games to raise awareness and take action on environmental issues. With Waves of Change, we’re proud to give Skull and Bones players an opportunity to support Oceana’s vital work to preserve our oceans,” Skull and Bones senior producer Neven Dravinski said.
Skull and Bones launched in February after years of a tumultuous development cycle. The game had mixed or average aggregate review scores from outlets across the internet, including a 4/10 on GameSpot.
Save Nearly $100 On This Meta Quest 2 Bundle
The Meta Quest 3 is the latest and greatest VR headset from Meta, but it’s quite expensive at $500. If you’re new to the world of VR (or just want to save a bundle of cash), opting for the more affordable Meta Quest 2 is a better option, as it plays many of the same games and offers impressive visuals thanks to its Snapdragon XR2 Gen1 processor. The last-gen headset is more enticing than usual right now, as you’ll find it bundled with an accessory set for just $218, down from its usual $310 (h/t Wario64).
$218 (was $310)
This is the best price we’ve ever seen for this Meta Quest 2 bundle. The headset alone typically retails for $250, making this a great way to grab the headset for cheap and get a few free accessories with your purchase. Along with the headset, the Active Pack includes an easy-clean facial interface, wrist straps, and knuckle straps for improved comfort and safety. This version has 128GB of storage, which should let you download plenty of games before worrying about deleting older content.
Oddly enough, this is the only Meta Quest 2 bundle getting a nice discount at Amazon. You’ll find listings for a Comfort Bundle, Power Bundle, and Starter Bundle, but only this Active Bundle is on sale for more than a few bucks. The standalone headset listing is still full-price at $250–so even if you don’t care about the accessories, this is still the cheapest way to add the Quest 2 to your collection.
Our Meta Quest 2 review praised the headset when it launched in 2020 (back when it was known as the Oculus Quest 2), lauding its comfortable design and nice improvements over its predecessor.
“The Oculus Quest 2 is the most comfortable VR headset I’ve ever worn,” critic Mat Paget wrote. “The Oculus Quest 2 is an excellent VR headset that is well worth your time and money, especially if you don’t already own the original headset. If you do choose to snag the Quest 2, you’ll be picking up an improved version of one of the best VR headsets out there.”
You Have Another Chance To Get The Final Fantasy 7 Cloud Strife And Sonic The Hedgehog Amiibo Figures
Nintendo continues to roll out Amiibo reprints, and this time we’re getting two popular characters from Super Smash Bros–Sonic the Hedgehog and Cloud Strife. Both are now available for preorder at Best Buy, with a release date scheduled for April 26. Each one costs just $16.
It probably goes without saying, but these are likely to sell out before launch. That’s especially true for the Cloud Amiibo, as the frenzy surrounding Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s launch is yet to slow down. The Amiibo depicts the character with his iconic Buster Sword, and when used with Super Smash Bros Ultimate, you’ll get in-game goodies such as Spirits and Gold.
We don’t expect it to be as popular as the Cloud Amiibo, but Sonic is a perennial favorite, so it’s hard to say if it’ll run out of inventory.
This isn’t the first time Nintendo has issued reprints for its hottest Amiibo, with a wave of Zelda reprints landing earlier this month. This included the Guardian, Wolf Link, and Sheik models–all three of which have already sold out at Best Buy. If that’s any indication of what’s to come with Cloud and Sonic, you’ll only have a short amount of time to snag one before they disappear.
Interested in more Final Fantasy deals? Consider looking at Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, which is down to its lowest price ever.
CoD: Warzone And MW3 Patch Notes Include SMG Nerfs And Removal Of Night Vision Gulag
A new update arrived to both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone on March 19. The patch notes include changes to the Warhamer 40,000 LTM, removal of Warzone’s night vision variant of the gulag, submachine gun balancing, and more.
For Modern Warfare 3, the update makes changes to Season 2 Reloaded’s limited-time Juggermosh mode that’s themed around Warhammer 40,000. Juggernauts are no longer immune to stun grenades, flash grenades, or the shock stick, and the update also addressed an exploit allowing players to equip custom loadouts in the mode.
Now Playing: Modern Warfare III & Warzone | Warhammer 40k Operator Bundles Reveal Trailer
A small change was made to the new Soulrender melee weapon in multiplayer, so players will no longer experience a delay after throwing equipment or swapping to the Soulrender.
The patch notes addressed a fix for an issue in Zombies modes where players could encounter an error message when viewing their Containment Levels from their player card. This update also includes various crash and stability fixes for the mode.
On the Warzone side, the update disabled the night vision variant of the Gulag, and laser attachments have also been removed and replaced in the Gulag loadouts.
Two of Warzone’s most popular submachine guns are nerfed. The RAM-9 received a decrease to near-mid damage from 27 to 24 and a reduction to the mid damage from 24 to 22, while the HRM-9’s max damage range was decreased from 12.95 to 11.30 meters.
Additionally, the Soulrender received the same update as multiplayer, with players no longer experiencing a delay after throwing equipment or swapping to the Soulrender.
The full patch notes for Warzone and Modern Warfare 3 can be found below, as shared by Activision.
In other Call of Duty news, Warzone Mobile launches on March 21, and there’s an Operation: Day Zero celebration event with cosmetic rewards to earn.
MW3
GLOBAL
CUSTOMIZATION
- Improved visibility through the glass of the Aegis Imperials Riot Shield Blueprint.
- Resolved graphical corruption on the hands of the Battle Sister Operator Skin.
MULTIPLAYER
UIX
- Bug Fixes
- In the Quick Play filter menu, the Maps widget will now only display Maps available in the selected Modes.
- Operator unlock Challenges will now properly display the requirements.
- Removed locked and unobtainable Modern Warfare II Calling Cards from the Customization menu.
- Completing a Weekly Challenge will no longer display an empty splash notification.
- In Private Match, the HUD will no longer disappear during the escort phase of Operation Tin Man.
MODES
- Juggermosh
- Juggernauts are no longer immune to the following Tactical Equipment: Stun Grenade, Flash Grenade, or Shock Stick.
- Addressed an exploit allowing players to equip Custom Loadouts.
- Entering water will no longer cause the player’s Weapon to lose functionality.
WEAPONS & ATTACHMENTS
» Melee «
- Soulrender
- Players will no longer experience a delay after throwing Equipment or swapping to the Soulrender.
ZOMBIES
UI/UX
- Addressed an issue where players could encounter an error message when viewing their Containment Levels from their Player card.
STABILITY
- Added various crash and stability fixes.
WARZONE
WEAPONS
» Submachine Guns «
- RAM-9
- Near-Mid Damage decreased to 24, down from 27.
- Mid Damage decreased to 22, down from 24.
- HRM-9
- Max Damage Range decreased to 11.30 meters, down from 12.95.
» Melee «
- Soulrender
- Players will no longer experience a delay after throwing Equipment or swapping to the Soulrender.
GAMEPLAY
- Gulag
- Night Vision Gulag has been disabled.
- Laser attachments have been removed and replaced in Gulag loadouts.
BUG FIXES
- Fixed an issue causing the Final Elimination Cam slow motion effect to persist after getting the final elimination with a vehicle.
- Fixed an issue on Fortune’s Keep that allowed unmanned vehicles to remain attached to the Research Vessel and would eliminate Players that came into contact with it.
