Gaming

“Call Of Duty” Secures New Deal With Nintendo

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Call Of Duty is one of the most popular video game franchises in the entire world. Throughout the years, this game has sold millions of copies. Overall, it is one of those titles that get a brand-new game, every single year. Although some fans are sick of these games, it is clear that most people like picking up the latest title. After all, Call Of Duty is a great way to stay connected with your friends through gaming. Those late-night COD sessions have always been amazing, regardless of the quality of the game itself.

Over the years, Activision has had a deal in place with Microsoft to make it so that the Xbox gets certain COD perks first. However, this has ultimately hurt fans of other consoles. This is especially true for those who have the Nintendo Switch. The Switch has gotten COD games on occasion, however, they game usually gets released months later. Moreover, fans don’t get all of the same DLCs and content packs. Now, though, that looks to be changing as Microsoft and Nintendo have entered a new agreement.

“Call Of Duty” x Nintendo

Brad Smith, the vice chair and president of Microsoft revealed on Tuesday that Nintendo has entered a 10-year deal with Microsoft. This deal makes it so that all future Call Of Duty games will be released on the Switch at the exact same time as the Xbox. Additionally, gamers will be able to every single content pack that Activision and its developers have to offer. Overall, this is a massive win for Nintendo gamers who are oftentimes forgotten about. Over the years, the console has been seen as a vessel for family-friendly games, which leaves little room for first-person shooters.

Hopefully, this deal works out for everyone. Ten years is most definitely a long time, however, Call Of Duty is one of those franchises that will never go away. Activision has covered a lot of ground with this franchise, so we are curious to see where they go next. Let us know what you think of the latest COD games, down in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the video game world.

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Lil Wayne Is Getting His Own Character For ‘NBA 2K23’

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Lil Wayne NBA Western Conference Finals 2018 Playoffs
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Lil Wayne will be making an entryway into the virtual gaming world very soon. The New Orleans rapper has been revealed as a new playable character in NBA 2K23. 2k Games, the video game’s publisher, made the announcement late last week. The latest installment of the basketball simulator will be released on February 24.

The Young Money rapper will be available as a Crossover Card in “MyTEAM” mode for a limited time only. Players will be able to unlock the “A Milli” hitmaker after finishing the Lil Wayne Spotlight challenge. The Grammy award-winning rapper’s character captures him perfectly, complete with his locs and tattoos, and has been given an 89 overall rating.

2k Games has plans for more updates in the future including an array of apparel and extra content, the will be released before the end of the month.

With a career spanning nearly three decades, Lil Wayne has certainly earned all the recognition he gets. Aside from being apart of the new season of NBA 2K, the rapper was honored by the Recording Academy —along with Missy Elliot and Dr. Dre— with the Global Impact Award.

Last year, “Lollipop” arguable one of Weezy’s biggest hits, was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Additionally, the rapper has teamed up with Rolling Loud for the Welcome To Tha Carter Tour, which kicks off at the Fillmore in Minneapolis in April.

John Cena Curates “WWE 2K23” Soundtrack Featuring Doja Cat, Post Malone, & More

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John Cena has been announced as the executive producer of WWE 2K23. In the role, he has curated a soundtrack for the game featuring a ton of noteworthy artists. Among them is Post Malone, who provides his collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott, “Take What You Want.” Doja Cat’s song “Vegas,” from the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic, Elvis, is also featured here. Other artists include Joyner Lucas & Lil Baby, Metallica, Idles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more.

The new game will feature a special Showcase game mode which will allow players to relive the career of the 16-time world champion, John Cena. “The champ is here!” 2K Sports explained in a statement. “Play through an interactive sports documentary, narrated by John Cena himself, covering the key moments and toughest opponents of John Cena’s storied 20-year WWE career. And in a franchise-first, take on the role of each marquee opponent – some of WWE’s greatest of all time – as you aim to take down Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect.”

“WWE 2K23’s” Soundtrack

“The Doctor of Thuganomics John Cena put his personal touch on the WWE 2K23 soundtrack as an executive producer,” the company said in an announcement on Twitter. “Listen now.” WWE 2K23 will be available on PlayStation5, PlayStation4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. There will be multiple editions that affect the release date. Those who preorder the Icon and Deluxe Editions can start playing on March 14. The Standard and Cross-Gen Editions will be available on March 17. If users do preorder, they’ll receive access to Bad Bunny as a playable wrestler. The game will also be the first of its kind to feature WarGames matches. Check out the soundtrack to WWE 2K23 as curated by John Cena below.

Metallica – ‘Sad But True’
Bizarrap & Quezedo – ‘Brzp Music Sessions Vol. 52’
Doja Cat – ‘Vegas’
Luciano – ‘SUVs’
Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Can’t Stop’
Joyner Lucas & Lil Baby – ‘Ramen & OJ’
Hardy – ‘Jack’
Bullet For My Valentine – ‘No More Tears’
Del V ft Omar Courtz – ‘Dame Lu’
Letdown. – ‘Shipwreck’
Idles – ‘Grounds’
Post Malone ft Ozzy Osbourne, Travis Scott – ‘Take What You Want’

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Lil Wayne Added To “NBA 2K23” MyTeam Mode: Trailer

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Lil Wayne is a huge basketball fan who has always let his fandom be known. Additionally, he is considered to be one of the best rappers ever. Depending on your tastes and your upbringing, you may even consider Wayne to be the GOAT. Overall, that is simply a debate for a whole other day. Although, it is important to note the context in which Wayne operates him. He is someone that many fans look up to, and over the years, he has provided us with a ton of phenomenal albums and anthems.

If you play video games like 2K, you know that Wayne is an artist who typically gets featured on soundtracks. Many of his songs are perfect for when you first boot up the game and you peruse the various lobbies. Overall, it is a testament to his artistry that after this long in the game, he can still come through with tracks that grab the attention of the youth. That said, Wayne is now going to be an actual character in NBA 2k23.

Lil Wayne In 2K

In a new post on Twitter, the game revealed that Wayne will be part of the MyTeam mode. This mode allows players to draw card packs where they can then add valuable members to their team. Now, Lil Wayne will be getting his own card which makes him a playable character. However, if you want to unlock him, you will have to complete his Spotlight Challenge. For now, it seems like the Lil Wayne card will only be available during Season 4. That said, NBA fans will now get a chance to have the legendary rapper on their team.

Throughout the years, 2K has done some interesting things when it comes to characters that enter the game. For instance, the game has had J. Cole on the cover. Moreover, J. Cole has even lent his voice to the MyCareer mode. Moving forward, this makes us wonder which other celebrities we might see in the game at some point. Let us know who you would love to see in the 2K games, in the comments section down below.

Closer Look

Steve Lacy Isn’t Shy About Sharing His Biggest Musical Influences, Which Include Paramore And ‘Guitar Hero’

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Steve Lacy Grammy Awards 2020 smile
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Recording artist Steve Lacy is living life like a true rockstar, and apparently, that was always written in the stars for him. The Grammy-nominated singer has come a long way since bursting onto the scene as part of the band The Internet. Now, as a chart-topping, sold-out headlining tour solo act, the guitarist has found an artistic lane for himself that blends the sounds fans have come to know him by as well as what made him want to be a musician in the first place. The songwriter sat down with The Guardian to share what musicians inspired his irresistible sound and more.

Beginning his career in alternative R&B, Lacy shifted to an indie rock-influenced sound with his breakout single, “Bad Habit.” When asked by journalist Shaad D’Souza about this genre blending, Lacy replied, “I’ve always loved doing that — if I have a rocky beat, putting a soulful melody on it. Like ‘Dark Red’ and all those types of songs. It’s a way to play and introduce new ideas into things that we know already.”

He later added, “Growing up playing [the video game] Guitar Hero put me on to a lot of rock and guitar music. As I got older, artists such as Paramore raised me. Mac DeMarco, Dirty Projectors, Vampire Weekend. Even Weezer’s ‘Undone’ is one of my favorite songs ever.”

The singer did not hold back from gushing about Paramore’s Hayley Williams, sharing, “Hayley’s voice and melodies are crazy because she takes the rock thing and makes it soulful.”

As for what he loves about Weezer, Lacy said, “With Weezer, I love the wit and humor. The dissonance of the chord progression of ‘Undone’ is truly just weird. For something like that to exist was super important for me in my musical journey, to be, like: ‘Oh, wow, you can make this sound fun and dope.’”

Other muses of Lacy include late musical icons Prince and Jimi Hendrix. “When I make music, I take a small piece of everything that I love – I’ll take certain melodic approaches from Prince, but I’ll play it as if someone else was mimicking Prince, like if Jimi Hendrix tried to be Prince,” he said. “But I like to mix different approaches together. It happens naturally. I’m never doing it all purposely. It’s just inside of me.”

Lacy concluded his inspiration list by shouting out about indie act Faye Webster, calling her “dope.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Microsoft, Nintendo Reach 10-Year Deal For Call Of Duty Rights

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A new 10-year agreement has been reached between Microsoft and Nintendo. The deal will ensure that the Call of Duty video games are available on Nintendo consoles if Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard closes. 

According to reports from The Verge, the deal is a clear attempt to pressure Sony into accepting a similar offer. The decade-long length is similar to what Microsoft offered Sony earlier this week.

Robert Griffin III attends Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II event at the 2022 NFL Draft on April 27, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Activision)

Now that Nintendo has agreed to the deal, Microsoft hopes that Sony will follow suit. If they do agree to the deal, each new Call of Duty release will also be available on PlayStation consoles the same day as XBox.

However, Sony has reportedly been warning regulators of its concerns surrounding the future of the first-person shooter video game franchise. A recent 10-year commitment by Sony followed a public back and forth between the Japanese corporation and Microsoft.

Additionally, Microsoft has promised to continue offering new versions of the video game franchise on Steam. These will launch simultaneously with the Call of Duty launches on XBox consoles.

On January 18, Microsoft officially announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard for a whopping $68.7 billion.

If and when the acquisition closes and becomes official, the video game franchise will essentially belong to Microsoft’s corporation. 

The first self-titled Call of Duty game was published and launched by Activision in 2003. Since then, the company has released 19 titles in the game’s main series. 

The franchise remains one of the most popular in the world. According to a report from Paste Magazine earlier this year, the first-person shooter series is the third best-selling franchise of all time.

I think it’s safe to say that no matter the agreements in place, Call of Duty will continue to be played and enjoyed by gamers all over the world. With 425 million sales in 19 years, it beat out Super Mario and Grand Theft Auto for the third spot.

What do you think of the new agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo? Will Sony follow suit? Comment down below.

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Cordae And Hit-Boy Run The Board In Their Triumphant ‘Checkmate’ Video

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Earlier this month, Cordae once again linked up with California producer Hit-Boy to contribute the triumphant new single “Checkmate” to the soundtrack for Madden 2023. Today, they shared a simple but effective video for “Checkmate,” which focuses on Cordae and Hit-Boy in the studio with a football game on the TV in the background, black-and-white crew shots, and naturally, close-up shots of a chess board in the middle of an intense match. The video feels very much like a throwback to the 2000s in the way that the track does, evoking the exuberant, rebellious energy of the Dipset takeover at the turn of the millennium.

“Checkmate” followed up Cordae’s second studio album, From A Bird’s Eye View, which dropped in January and has spawned the singles “Sinister” — which was also produced by Hit-Boy and features Lil Wayne — “Parables,” and “Chronicles” featuring HER and Lil Durk. He also got into better shape, gave an insightful TED Talk, and shined in his Coachella debut. He kept momentum going in August with a double single release featuring “Unacceptable” and “So With That,” and he’s already begun teasing a new mixtape to add to his growing, impressive catalog.

Watch the video for “Checkmate” above.

Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Nas X Announces His New Song’s Release Date And Is Elected President Of ‘League Of Legends’

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While on his Long Live Montero Tour for his Grammy-nominated debut album Montero, Lil Nas X previewed a new song for audiences called “Star Walkin’.” Little was known about the song or when it’d get an official release, but today, Nas announced its release date — along with a new partnership whose launch is timed to the release.

Nas is pretty well-known for his brand partnerships; in the three years since he became practically a household name, he’s teamed up with Wrangler, Grindr, Taco Bell, and M&Ms. Each time, he’s shown off his flair for the dramatic — for instance, Taco Bell made him Chief Impact Officer, a made-up but significant role expansion from when he first worked for the fast food chain.

His latest pairing will be with Riot Games, the creators of the popular video game League Of Legends. This time, he’ll take on another impressive-sounding role: President of League of Legends, which will involve “creating explosive musical moments, an ingenious League champion skin, and a spectacular live Worlds performance,” according to the press release. He’ll kick off the League Of Legends World Championship with a performance of “Star Walkin’” on September 29 in Mexico City, then debut a new skin he helped design for a new character in the game, K’Sante the Pride of Nazumah (say that five times fast).

This isn’t the first time Riot has collaborated with rappers. Like competitors/colleagues Epic Games (creators of Fortnite), they’ve incorporated hip-hop organically into their game’s world through creations like in-game band True Damage, made up of real performers, and recruiting JID to work with Imagine Dragons on the theme song for the League Netflix spin-off show Arcane. They even previously worked with Lil Nas X to create a hype video for one of the competing teams in last year’s Worlds.

J. Cole’s ‘NBA 2K’ Cover Was Partially Inspired By His Dunk Attempt At All-Star Weekends

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While J. Cole has always put his pro basketball ambitions at the forefront of his rap career, he’s come way further than perhaps even he could have foreseen. At the start of the month, he was announced as 2K Games’ first-ever non-athlete cover model for the latest iteration of NBA 2K. The rap star-turned-hooper features on the Gamestop-exclusive Dreamer Edition cover of NBA 2K23. He’ll also appear in the game as himself; the player will encounter him and Dreamville associates Bas and Elite in the MyCareer mode, helping the player character achieve their own hoop dreams.

As it happens, though, Cole planted the seeds for this idea even before he’d managed to make it onto a Basketball Africa League roster. In a new interview with Complex, 2K’s digital marketing director Ronnie “Ronnie2K” Singh explains how J. Cole actually approached Singh with the concept for his inclusion after giving the world one of his first public demonstrations of hoop talent at the NBA’s 2019 All-Star Weekend. There, J. Cole allowed himself to be used as a prop in fellow Fayetteville native Dennis Smith Jr.’s dunk attempt before attempting a dunk of his own. Although Cole got blocked by the rim — in his defense, he was wearing street clothes and hadn’t warmed up first — he was able to pitch Ronnie2K about being in a future version of NBA 2K.

According to Singh, “Three and a half years ago, when he dunked during one of the breaks of the All-Star Weekend Saturday Night, J. Cole said, ‘Ronnie, I’d love to be in MyCareer and help think about the ideation around that.’ I worked with our team on bringing this to life but it was very fitting to work with him. When we put out that tease, everybody thought it was going to be another basketball player…it allows us live in fashion, culture, music which 2K has a seat at the table now.”

The ‘Madden NFL 23’ Soundtrack Will Feature New Songs From Killer Mike, Cordae, And Others

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Killer Mike HOPE Global Forums Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets Summit 2022
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The latest installment of EA Sports’ mega-popular football video game franchise, Madden NFL 23, is just a couple days away from its August 19 release. The game has also turned into a music event in recent years, as the soundtrack has become a venue for premiering new music. Indeed, that’s the case again this year, as EA has announced this year’s soundtrack features a good handful of songs making their debut in the game.

The 39-song tracklist features 14 previously unreleased songs, including “Run It Up” by Bas, “Extra Credit” by Big K.R.I.T., “The Best (TUA Remix)” by Erica Banks, and “Get Some Money’ by Killer Mike. A couple of the new songs — Money Man, Babyface Ray, and Key Glock’s “No Limit” featuring Bleu, and Cordae and Hit-Boy’s “Checkmate” — will only be made available after the game’s launch.

On top of the soundtrack, Hit-Boy also created “33 exclusive beats for the game’s cinematics.” Beyond the new material, the Madden 23 soundtrack will also include familiar favorites from Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Tyler The Creator, and plenty of others.

Check out the full list of songs on the Madden 23 soundtrack below.

Aha Gazelle — “Tear It Down”
Bas — “Run It Up” *
Benny The Butcher — “Remember Me”
Big K.R.I.T. — “Extra Credit” *
Blackway, Aeph, Koko — “Impossible”
Boslen — “Levels”
Cam Wallace — “Energy!”
Charmaine — “Logic (Lucky Charm Freestyle)”
Coast Contra — “505”
Cordae — “Sinister” Feat. Lil Wayne
Cypress Hill — “Hit Em’”
Doechii — “Crazy”
Dreamville with Bas — “Lifestyle” Feat. A$AP Ferg
Earthgang — “Ghetto “Gods
Erica Banks — “The Best (TUA Remix)” *
Gizzle — “One Shot” Feat. BRE-Z *
IMRSQD — “Run It Up”
Joey Badass — “The Rev3nge”
Kendrick Lamar — “N95”
Killer Mike — “Get Some Money” *
King Green — “Cold” *
Kwesi Arthur — “Winning” Feat. Vic Mensa
Lord Afrixana — “Touchdown” *
Malachiii — “Hold Me”
Malachiii — “How To Be A Star” *
Marqus Clae — “Are You Ready” *
Nas — “Meet Joe Black”
Nigo — “Come On, Let’s Go” Feat. Tyler The Creator
OnCue — “Any Given Sunday”
Pap Chanel — “No Biggie” *
Pusha T — “Scrape It Off” Feat. Lil Uzi Vert and Don Toliver
Risqkae — “The Intro” Feat. Rti$ *
Robert Glasper — “Black Superhero” Feat. Killer Mike, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Big K.R.I.T.
Simon Said. and Jazzfeezy — “You Gotta Choose” Feat. Steve Samson *
Snoop Dogg — “Conflicted” Feat. Nas
Symba — “Go Get It” *
Symba — “Put Me In The Game” *
Trev Rich and Wallis Lane — “Whole Team” *
Ty Dolla Sign — “Champions” Feat. Wiz Khalifa
Money Man, Babyface Ray, and Key Glock — “No Limit” Feat. Bleu *^
Cordae and Hit-Boy — “Checkmate” *^

* exclusives and debuts
^ additional tracks with the start of the NFL season

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.