Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is officially free-to-play on PC and Mac, and a new, smaller scale battle royale mode has been added.

Announced through counter-strike.net, the mode is called Danger Zone, and is played by 16 players at a time (this can go up to 18 if players queue as a squad of two or three). This battle royale mode revolves around a tablet that characters can use, seeing a visual representation of where the Danger Zone is closing in as the match progresses.

The tablet can also track the movements of other players and their drone deliveries, allowing you to strategically use this information to your advantage. The tablet can be upgraded to gain more detailed intel on the ever-changing Danger Zone.

Taking place on the Blacksite map, players can find equipment, money and special deliveries throughout matches that last 10 minutes on average. In-game cash can be earned by blowing up safes, carrying hostages to rescue zones, and hunting down contracts that give you extra money for taking out a high value target. This cash can then be used to upgrade your tablet, buy new weapons, and more.

Error 429 Mashing buttons will get you nowhere!

Mashing buttons will get you nowhere!

Guru Meditation:

XID: 708402067

Varnish cache server

Each Danger Zone match includes pistols, rifles, SMGs and heavy weapons featured in the CS:GO’s classic arsenal. Danger Zone can be played alone or with up to two friends and you can hunt, and be hunted, as a group. For a limited time, players can nab a MP5-SD | Lab Rats gun, and earn 17 rare weapons with skins designed by fans.

Though not explicitly stated on the website, it appears CS:GO remains a paid title on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and no announcement was made for Danger Zone to hit those consoles. The PC and Mac versions of CS:GO can be downloaded for free on Steam now.

In our review of CS:GO back in 2012, we called the game “Great” calling it a “top-tier tactics game that will probably share the long-tailed legacy of its predecessors.” CS:GO managed to make it onto IGN’s list of the top 25 modern PC games.

Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

JOLIET, Ill. — Dick Smith, a longtime coach at the University of Saint Francis and Valparaiso University, who also was an accomplished author and served his country in the U.S. Army and as an FBI special agent, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer. He was 83.

Smith served two 10-year stints as St. Francis head coach — most recently from 2003-12 — winning 562 games over his 20 seasons at the school. He was a part of 143 more NAIA victories as an assistant to his former all-conference pitcher Ali Franzen from 1999-2002 at St. Francis, and he claimed 24 Division I triumphs as Valparaiso’s head coach in 1995 and 1996.

In all, he was a member of the Saints’ staff for 27 of the program’s 37 years and was involved in softball for a total of 67 years — including the last 59 as a coach — starting in 1953 when he was introduced to the sport while in the Army. He had written for the NFCA’s member newspaper, Fastpitch Delivery, for most of its two decades of publication, and also wrote for Women’s Fastpitch World and penned two books, including Fast Pitch Softball Fundamentals.

“Our entire NFCA community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Smith,” NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman said. “Coach Smith was one of our most selfless members. He dedicated his time and talents equally between the softball teams he coached and the NFCA. His educational insight shared through his column in Fastpitch Delivery helped numerous coaches across the country. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Smith family.” 

After retiring from the FBI, where he did domestic counter-intelligence during a 21-year career that followed a stint in Army intelligence, Smith joined the St. Francis staff in 1981 under head coach Ed Serdar. Together, they led the 1982 squad to an NAIA World Series runner-up finish in just the program’s third season and Smith took over the reins in 1985.

In his first 10 seasons, Smith went 304-199 with three NAIA World Series appearances, seven Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles and another seven NAIA District 20 championships. His teams were ranked in the NAIA Top 20 Poll in eight of those years. After two seasons at Valparaiso, Smith won 258 more games in his second 10-year run at St. Francis.

During his 20 years as Saints head coach, his teams won 30 games seven times on the field and he graduated 100 percent of his players off the field.

“We are saddened to hear the news of Coach Smith’s passing,” Dave Laketa, University of St. Francis director of athletics said in a statement posted on the school’s athletic website. “He was a tremendous asset to our softball program and was very giving of his time and donated a lot to the program. We were extremely fortunate to have had him involved for nearly three-quarters of the program’s existence.”

“Dick never concerned himself with the wins and losses of the program or the many championships that his teams won,” Laketa continued. “His main concern was that the young women that he recruited to the program were successful in the classroom and after they left St. Francis. Everything else was topping on the cake.”    

A graduate of Huntington (Ind.) High, where he starred in baseball, and Indiana University, where he earned both bachelor’s and law degrees, Smith spoke six languages — English, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Russian and Spanish. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, his son, Ernie, daughter-in-law, Debra, and three grandsons. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Tracy.

Friends and family will be received on Thursday from 2-8 p.m. at the Monee Funeral Home in Monee, Ill., and a funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at the same location with an 1 p.m. burial at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Ill.  

The St. Francis softball team will honor Smith with a patch on their helmets this season.

— Some information courtesy of the University of St. Francis

Update #2: According to a report by Ars Technica, Wade Callender filed a discrimination claim with the Texas Workforce Commission’s Civil Rights Division 10 days before Gearbox sued him.

Ars Technica’s report says the claim alleged Gearbox took part in “harassment, discipline, inequitable terms and conditions, and discharge” because of an employee’s religious beliefs.

Gearbox then offered a statement to Ars, saying Callender’s recent allegations were “absurd” and without “merit,” while also pointing to the company’s policy of “equal opportunity for employment.”

Stay tuned to IGN for more updates as this story develops.

Update: Randy Pitchford has publicly alluded to the lawsuits following Kotaku’s original story, while Gearbox itself has offered an official statement.

In a series of tweets posted this afternoon, Pitchford said “The attacks made by my former friend and colleague have no basis in reality or law. He is simply trying to shake me down for money,” while Gearbox’s statement reveals the company is filing a grievance in Texas against Wade Callender.

Gearbox’s full statement to Kotaku reads:

“I am just going to try to focus on my work and trust that truth and justice will prevail with the courts,” Pitchford also wrote on Twitter. “It is very painful that a former friend and colleague would lie to try to associate me with such vile behavior in his own greedy pursuit of money.”

Additionally, while remaining unspecific, Gearbox’s former VP of Business Development David Eddings tweeted “Yes. It’s true” following Kotaku’s original report. However, Eddings did not go into any further detail regarding what specifically he claims is true from the lawsuits.

Stay tuned to IGN for updates on this story as it progresses. Original story follows:

Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox, and a former general counsel for the game studio are in a legal battle in which the counsel accuses Pitchford of allegedly receiving “a secret $12 million bonus from publisher Take-Two Interactive as an advance against Borderlands profits.”

As reported by Kotaku, the legal battle was sparked when Gearbox sued its former counsel, Wade Callender, for “fraud and breach of fiduciary duty.”

According to the lawsuit, Gearbox alleged that Callendar, who worked at the company from 2010 until 2018, borrowed money and destroyed evidence for a home loan, borrowed money for tuition, and paid back neither in full.

In addition, Callendar reportedly “abused the privilege of credit card access by charging unapproved, wholly personal expenses, including family vacations, gun club memberships and firearms accessories, and trying to get six-pack abs.”

A little over a month later, in December of 2018, Callendar sued Gearbox and Randy Pitchford, accusing Pitchford “of violating various contracts involving both Gearbox and a separate real estate company that they both owned, as well as Callender’s own employment contract.”

Callendar’s lawsuit claimed Pitchford and he were longtime friends, but the relationship began to deteriorate over the past couple of year.

The main point of the lawsuit alleges “Pitchford struck a deal in 2016 to receive a “personal, secretive ‘Executive Bonus’ of $12,000,000 to be paid directly to a Pitchford entity called ‘Pitchford Entertainment Media Magic, LLC.’” That bonus, Callendar and his lawyers argue, is an advance upon royalties that would otherwise go to Gearbox’s staff.”

The allegations don’t end there, and some get pretty ugly.

Callendar claims Pitchford left a USB drive in a Dallas, Texas restaurant that contained sensitive corporate documents for Gearbox and many partners including Sony and Microsoft. Furthermore, the lawsuit states “upon information and belief, Randy Pitchford’s USB drive also contained Randy Pitchford’s personal collection of ‘underage’ pornography.”

Wade also accused Pitchford of hosting parties in which “adult men have reportedly exposed themselves to minors, to the amusement of Randy Pitchford.”

“The allegations made by a disgruntled former employee are absurd, with no basis in reality or law,” a Gearbox spokesperson said in a statement to Kotaku. “We look forward to addressing this meritless lawsuit in court and have no further comment at this time.”

This isn’t the first time Gearbox has been in a lawsuit, as in 2013 the company found itself in a legal battle over Aliens: Colonial Marines for falsely advertising the title.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN and thinks this is quite a messy situation. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. –Barry junior Cheyanne Head and Catawba senior Carley Tysinger were named the Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively on Wednesday afternoon. The each earned their first nod after outstanding play during the week of Feb. 15-21.

Head was nearly perfect at the plate in Barry’s three-game Sunshine State Conference (SSC) series sweep of Nova Southeastern. The Surrey, B.C. native finished 9-for-10, walked twice, recorded five doubles, eight RBI and six runs. She swiped three bags, one in each contest, and posted .1.400 slugging and .917 on base percentages.

“Our team really came together this week, demonstrating our passion and perseverance,” commented Head. “We came out, played our own game and had fun doing it, which is why we were so successful. I always play better when I’m relaxed, having fun and know that the rest of my team is there to pick me up.”

Doing her damage from the three-hole, Head went 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored in game one. The designated played followed with a perfect outing in day two’s doubleheader sweep. She went 5-for-5 with two walks, three doubles, five RBI and three runs scored.  She doubled twice in game two and knocked in three runs in the series finale. In addition, Head was selected the SSC Player of the Week.

Tysinger, hailing from Lexington, N.C., had a memorable weekend in the circle for the now seventh-ranked and undefeated Indians (10-0). The right-handed hurler not only went 4-0 with a 0.25 ERA and three shutouts, but she reached the 1,000-strikeout plateau on Sunday, Feb. 21 in the sixth inning of a one-hit shutout against Columbus State. In that contest, she took a perfect game into the seventh and finished with seven punchouts.

“I know that reaching 1,000 strikeouts is a huge accomplishment and this may sound cliché, but it’s true, I never would have come close to this goal if it wasn’t for the amazing catchers and coaching staff we have calling pitches,” said Tysinger. “I have complete trust in my teammates on the field and in the batter’s box to get the job done day in and day out.”

In her first three starts, Tysinger went the distance with 10 strikeouts per contest, two shutouts and an upset win over then-No. 9 Georgia College. Against the Bobcats, Tysinger allowed just three hits, an earned run and did not issue a free pass in a 3-2 triumph. The South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Week twirled five and four-hit shutouts in her other two starts. For the week, she punched out 37 batters, walked just three and held her opponents to a .138 batting average.

“For Catawba, it’s an incredible accomplishment,” said head coach Nan Whitley. “Carley is a very focused, hard working and dedicated student-athlete.  She is definitely a team player despite all the individual accolades she has received.”

Images Courtesy of Barry (Joel Auerbach) and Catawba Sports Information

Player of the Week
Feb. 24 – Cheyanne Head (Barry)
Feb. 17 – Hannah Michel (St. Mary’s)
Feb. 10 – Darian Harris (Southern Arkansas)

Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 24 – Carley Tysinger (Catawba)
Feb. 17 – Hannah Perryman (UMSL)
Feb. 10 – Kaylee Garner (Southern Arkansas)

Selected Top Performances
Valdosta State’s Caitlyn Calhoun garnered Gulf South Pitcher of the Week recognition after going 3-0 with a save, 0.00 ERA, 26 strikeouts, one walk and a .097 opponent’s batting average… Pfeiffer’s Rachel Crowder was named Conference Carolinas Player of the Week after hitting .615 with three home runs, two of which were grand slams, 14 RBI and four stolen bases… Peach Belt Pitcher of the Week, North Georgia’s Courtney Poole went 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA with 49 punchouts, two walks and  .115 opponent’s batting average in 28 innings… Valdosta State’s Kylie Rusen hit .588 (10-17) with five long balls, 15 RBI and a 1.471 slugging percentage on her way to Gulf South Player of the Week honors… RMAC Player of the Week, Katie Leiker of Colorado Mines went 10-for-14 (.714) at the plate with three doubles, two homers, six RBI and five runs scored… GNAC Pitcher of the Week Alyson Boytz of Western Oregon went 2-0 in three appearances with a one-hit shutout and 15 strikeouts in 16 innings of work… North Georgia’s Meredith Heyer hit .714 (10-14) with four doubles, two homers, seven RBI, five runs and a 1.429 slugging percentage to garner Peach Belt Player of the Week plaudits… PacWest Player of the Week, Concordia’s Ryann Ferguson hit .517 with six extra base hits, including a grand slam, 11 RBI and 11 runs scored… Limestone’s Jose Weber tossed a perfect game (5 IP, 7 K) against St. Andrews and finished the week 3-1 to garner Conference Carolinas’ Pitcher of the Week award… Destiny Kuehl of Western Oregon hit .688 911-16) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, seven RBI and six runs in earned GNAC Player of the Week honors… In earning G-MAC Pitcher of the Week recognition, Davis & Elkins’ Alexandra Lapallo went 2-1 with a pair of shutouts and 22 strikeouts in 22 innings… Chelsea Skipper of West Texas A&M tossed two shutouts and struck out eight in 10 innings to take home Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week accolades… Lenoir-Rhyne’s Jordin Phillips registered two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and seven runs scored to be recognized as the SAC Player of Week.., CCAA Pitcher of the Week, Cassandra Williams of Cal State San Bernardino went undefeated (3-0) with a two shutouts, 21 strikeouts and did not allow an extra-base hit in 21 innings… Saint Leo’s Stephaine Adkin tossed a no-hitter and struck out 10 agaisnt Embry-Riddle to earn SSC Player of the Week honores… Lone Star Player of the Week, Cameron’s Chelsea DeLong hit .526 with 11 RBI and seven runs scored… Kayce Wooldridge of Northeastern State collected MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors after a 3-0 showing with two shutouts, a 0.70 ERA, 21 strikeouts, one walk in 20 innings… G-MAC Player of the Week, Katie Chriyssofos of Salem International launched four home runs, knocked in 16 and hit .500… Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Week, Lauren Slatten of St. Edward’s finished 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 24 punchouts in 22 innings of work… Bellarmine’s Allie Foster went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings to earn GLVC Pitcher of the Week recognition… GAC Pitcher of the Week, Kimmy Beasley of Southern Arkansas went 2-0 with two shutouts, 13 strikeouts and no walks in 14 innings of work… Winona State’s Hannah Lythberg was selected North Sun Pitcher of the Week with a 3-0 record, 1.22 ERA, 16 strikeouts and a save… Mercy College’s McKaily Cusamano went 2-0 with two shutouts and 11 strikeouts in her first two collegiate starts… CCAA Player of the Week, Maddy Lewis of UC San Diego hit .722 (13-18) with three doubles, two triples, eight RBI and five runs scored… Henderson State’s Ashlyn White took home GAC Player of the Week honors by hitting .727 with three long balls, 11 RBI and seven runs scored… In three games, Indianapolis’ Erika Goodwin hit .667 with four extra-base hits, five RBI and six runs scored and was selected GLVC Player of the Week… Heartland Player of the Week Morgan Colburn of Lubbock Christian belted five home runs, slugged 1.333, scored eight times and knocked in 13 runs.

A new Ghost in the Shell anime is headed to Netflix by studios Production I.G. and SOLA Digital Arts.

Announced by Netflix, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 will arrive in 2020 and will be co-directed by Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex’s Kenji Kamiyama and Appleseed’s Shinji Araki.

This project was announced in 2017, the same year as the Scarlett Johansson-led film that had a underwhelming debut at the domestic box office.

In our review for the Ghost in the Shell film, we said that “as an adaptation of an iconic and beloved source material, Ghost in the Shell understands what makes this franchise special and does a good job translating that to the big screen.”

Ghost in the Shell began as a manga in 1989 written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. It has since been adapted into television series, video games, and movies, including 1995’s Ghost in the Shell which made our list of top seven essential anime every fan should watch.

Not much else is known about this new anime, but to prepare for its release be sure to check out our Ghost in the Shell primer and list of eight things you didn’t know about the popular anime.

This new Ghost in the Shell anime will be joined on Netflix by a new live-action Cowboy Bebop series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, anime series based on Pacific Rim and Altered Carbon, and much more.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who has been meaning to watch Ghost in the Shell and this is as good a motivation as any. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.

OTTAWA — Politics is ingrained in an era of “extreme partisanship” and unless parliamentarians tone down “anti-democratic” rivalries, public confidence in federal parties will deteriorate, warns a new report by the Samara Centre for Democracy.

The Toronto-based non-partisan charity published a report Wednesday titled “The Real House Lives,” encouraging parties adopt changes to limit the influence party leaders have over caucus members. The Samara Centre interviewed 54 former MPs from the last Parliament who were swept from office after the Liberals won a majority mandate in 2015.

Jane Hilderman, the organization’s executive editor, said it was surprising to hear MPs say they saw partisanship intensify in the last Parliament. She said several MPs claimed the relationship between MP and party leader had grown even more unequal in caucus.

“I think we’ve entered an age of leader-centric politics,” Hilderman told HuffPost Canada, adding that a new level of self-censorship is permeating Parliament, increasing partisanship.

“MPs weren’t necessarily getting heat from their leader, but that they were getting from their own colleagues if they were seen to be stepping a little out of line,” she explained.

Watch ‘Backbenchers’: Prepare for a ‘nasty’ election campaign

Samara Canada spoke to former MPs from all parties across the country: 25 from the NDP, 23 Tories, three Liberals, and three Green and independent MPs. With more than 100 hours of interviews collected, authors threaded the 50-page report with stories shared by former MPs, but didn’t attribute names to quotes.

“The Real House Lives” is the third report in a series published in concert with the organization’s ongoing exit interview project. Hilderman called its finding a “bellweather” for what might come if federal parties fail to take timely action.

“Trust in democratic institutions and facts is decreasing and I think that Canada is not immune to these things,” she said.

Frustrations flagged by the former MPs were distilled into six general issues: extreme partisanship, useless caucus deliberations, unchecked party leaders, intense peer pressure, shrinking local party associations, and the growing influence of staffers.

An atmosphere of extreme partisanship was evident for one MP who said when they arrived in Ottawa in 2011, their cohort immediately settled into cliques. And as plum party roles were awarded and reassessed, people’s competitive edges began to flare.

“People silo-ed. Like, they’d be given a role and they’d go into protectionism…. It’s territorial. You don’t keep your ministerial role or parliamentary secretarial role for long and the general assumption is that everybody wants your job.”

Acknowledging how parties and partisan politics are inherent to a healthy democracy, the report authors noted how there was a broad consensus among interviewed MPs that “partisanship was really at a toxic level during the [Stephen] Harper years.”

An MP shared an anecdote about an awkward interaction with a colleague from an another party who initially rejected a dinner invitation when they were both on the same parliamentary trip in Geneva.

“About an hour and a half later, he phoned me in my hotel room and said, ‘Are you still free for dinner?’ ‘ Absolutely’ … During the dinner it came out — he basically said, ‘We’ve been told not to have dinner with you people … We’ve been told to stay away.'”

Interim strategies and hard fixes

The creation of more informal shared spaces and cross-party travel are two of five recommendations the Samara Centre propose parliamentarians adopt in the interim to promote more collegiality, and to release “extreme partisanship” tensions on Parliament Hill.

Conservative MP Michael Chong called the report’s recommendations realistic.

On the topic of the disappearance of shared, informal spaces on Parliament Hill, Chong told HuffPost that everyone is spread out between several buildings so it’s hard to casually meet. He said before his time in Ottawa, MPs used to gather in the reading room in Centre Block before it was converted to a committee room in 1990.

“It used to be a place where MPs could congregate, read the newspapers,” he said, adding how losing a space in the House where MPs could “get to know each other and chat” could be a factor in increased polarization on the Hill. “I think that created a different dynamic.”

Chong was the Tory MP behind the Reform Act tabled as a Private Member’s Bill in 2013 to help MPs “reclaim their influence” in their own parties by reeling in the power of leaders and giving more to influence to caucus members.

A watered-down version of his bill became law (amending section 49 of the Parliament of Canada Act) before the 2015 election.

The Wellington—Halton Hills MP said his party has adopted three of four Reform Act provisions since the last election, unlike the Liberals or the New Democrats. Those parties broke the law and didn’t fulfill their requirements under the amended section 49 of the Parliament of Canada Act, he said.

“I would welcome the opportunity to have this adjudicated in a federal court.”

Chong is optimistic reviewing the Samara Centre’s report recommendations, but said there’s still an need to diminish the power of party leaders, particularly the prime minister, and to empower members of Parliament.

Creating communal spaces and more all-party road trips is one thing, but making specific rule changes to the standing orders, to the statutes and unwritten conventions governing the House of Commons is another — and a lot harder, he said.

“At the end of the day, this goes to power: who has it, who wields it, and who doesn’t.”

Related on HuffPost: