After Math: With the kids away, it's time to play

Since it looks like the fall school semester is happening whether we’re ready for it or not, you’ll finally have dibs on “next game” on that console your kids have been bogarting for the past quarantined four months. Lucky for you, there are plenty of upcoming titles — and some solid streaming selections — to help you fill the day while your kids hit the books.

wow (Blizzard)

Blizzard makes it free to change gender in 'World of Warcraft'

Used to be that if you wanted to reassign the gender of your World of Warcraft’s character, you’d need to shell out $15 — that’s in real cash money, not in-game currency. But with the forthcoming release of WoW’s 'Shadowlands' expansion, players will be able to change is as the see fit.

sonynite (Mike Blake / Reuters)

Sony invests $250 million in ‘Fortnite’ developer Epic Games

In case Epic Games’ year wasn’t already going swimmingly, the team behind battle royale juggernaut Fortnite just received a quarter-billion dollar financial infusion from Sony. For its investment, Sony will hold a minority stake in the company and given the PS5’s imminent release, it’ll be interesting to see how Sony will leverage its newfound inside access to the Unreal 5 engine.

superhot (Superhot Team)

Superhot's standalone expansion will be free if you bought the original

Now that your controller has finally cooled down from the last time you tried Superhot’s hyperintense gunkata action, the team behind it is back with an all-new standalone sequel. Best of all, if you already own a copy of the original, the Mind Control Delete expansion will cost you absolutely nothing. However, if this is your first foray into the franchise, you’ll have to spend $25 when it drops for the PS4, Xbox One and PC on July 16th.

sims (TBS/EA)

12 Sims players will compete for $100,000 on a TBS game show

Twitch has pretty convincingly proven that letting people on the internet watch you play video games can be a successful and lucrative pastime. Now TBS hopes to get in on the gaming action with its upcoming reality game show, The Sims Spark’d, wherein, a dozen aspiring overlords will compete to create “the most unique characters, worlds and stories.” But where will it end? Are we destined for a future filled with SimCity 2000 showdowns or a Rollercoaster Tycoon Tournament of Champions? I really hope so.

soccer (Engadget)

Peacock will stream over 175 Premier League matches next season

Now if you want to give your thumbs a rest and watch other people play games instead — especially if that game is fútbol — Peacock (NBC’s new streaming service) and CBS All access have you covered. While CBS All access will carry this year’s UEFA Champion’s League, Peacock has managed to acquire the rights to broadcast nearly 200 of next season’s EPL matches and that’s something to strut about.