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Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on Xbox Game Pass? The latest Ubisoft release, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is here and if you’re planning to play it on Xbox Series X|S or PC, you may be wondering if it’s also available on the Xbox Game Pass. Here’s everything you need to know. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has finally arrived and this open-world title invites players to step into the shoes of a Na’vi warrior and explore never-before-seen regions of the alien world. With any major release however, its availability on various platforms and services is a crucial piece of information, and those on Xbox and PC, in particular, may be curious to know if the Avatar: Frontiers on Pandora will be available to play on Xbox Game Pass. So, here’s everything we know about whether or not Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is on the popular streaming service. Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on Xbox Game Pass? Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is not available on Xbox Game Pass. Despite the growing library of titles on Microsoft’s popular gaming subscription service, this particular title from Ubisoft has not joined the Game Pass lineup. This might come as a bit of a disappointment to those who rely on the service for their gaming needs. However, all is not lost for fans as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is now available on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S, so there are plenty of options out there for those who want to jump headfirst into the action. Additionally, there’s good news for gamers subscribed to Ubisoft+, Ubisoft’s subscription service. The game will be available on Ubisoft+, offering another avenue for players to dive into this captivating world. That’s all we know about Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s potential release on Microsoft’s subscription service. For more content on the game, check out our guides below: Can you romance characters? | How to holster weapon | How to restore energy & health | How to fast travel | Can you pet your Ikran? | Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora system requirements | Does Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have crossplay and cross-progression? | Does Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have multiplayer or co-op? | Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora canon? | Can you play as a human in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora? | Will Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora be on PS4 and Xbox One?

Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora canon with James Cameron’s movies? UbisoftThe highly anticipated Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora game was released recently and you may want to know if the game’s story is canon with the movies. So, here’s everything you need to know about whether or not the Ubisoft title connects directly to James Cameron’s cinematic universe. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora gives fans of James Cameron’s massively successful Avatar film franchise to explore the world of Pandora for themselves. There’s a lot to explore in the game and plenty of skills to learn along the way. The game, which has been developed by Tom Clancy’s The Division studio Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft, is set in the Western Frontier, a new part of Pandora that fans of the first two films have not yet seen. Given the Avatar universe’s massive scope and immense lore, fans may be wondering if Frontiers of Pandora is canon to the franchise. Fortunately, we now have an answer to that very question. Is Frontiers of Pandora canon to the Avatar movies? In short, yes, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is canon to the film series. The game’s creative director Magnus Jansén confirmed to IGN ahead of the game’s release that “The Western Frontier is no less a part of the world of Avatar than what’s in the movies,” meaning things like new plants and Na’vi clans are considered canon. Previously, Ubisoft stated that Frontiers of Pandora offered a “stand-alone adventure” that’s set in the Avatar universe. Content created for Frontiers of Pandora has already been included in an Avatar exhibition, and Jansén says “There is already some talk about maybe using some of the stuff that we did in the upcoming movies.” There are even some intriguing tidbits for fans hoping for a preview of the upcoming third Avatar film, currently planned to release on December 19, 2025. “I can say that there are going to be some future sequel elements in Frontiers of Pandora that will pay off when Avatar 3 comes out in 2025,” teased Joshua Izzo of Avatar studio Lightstorm Entertainment. Izzo also suggested fans will want to “revisit certain things” in the game following the film’s release. However, don’t expect the game to be dealing with the characters of the first Avatar directly. The game is set in between the two Avatar films, but the events happen on another continent to the movies. That said, there will be some events that will be influenced by the happenings of the films, such as the evacuation and return of the RDA. That’s all we know about Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s canon status. While you wait for it to release, check out the rest of our coverage on the game and all things Avatar, including the guides below: Can you romance characters? | How to holster weapon | How to restore energy & health | How to fast travel | Can you pet your Ikran? | Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora system requirements | Does Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have crossplay and cross-progression? | Does Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have multiplayer or co-op?

Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on Nintendo Switch? UbisoftAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC but you may be wondering if it’s also available on Nintendo Switch. We’ve got the answer you’re looking for right here. James Cameron’s Avatar has been a box office juggernaut, ranking up to be among the top three highest-grossing movies ever made. Having a franchise with potential as incredible as Avatar means that it will spawn a plethora of series, games, and other forms of media. While there have been Avatar games in the past, Ubisoft’s foray into the Avatar universe with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a brand new next-gen title that lets players experience the open world of Pandora from a first-person perspective. However, a next-gen experience demands a next-gen system, which brings us to the question of whether or not Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is available on the beloved Nintendo Switch. Here’s everything you need to know. Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on Nintendo Switch? Unfortunately, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora isn’t available to play on the Nintendo Switch. The game has only been released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Amazon Luna, and Microsoft Windows. As of now, Ubisoft hasn’t unveiled any details about their latest Na’vi game coming to Nintendo Switch and it seems unlikely that the game will be released on the console in the near future. The Nintendo Switch is a fairly old and weaker console when compared to its next-gen counterparts, such as the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X. To be able to run an open-world game as vast as Frontiers of Pandora, the developers would have to sacrifice a lot of its graphical fidelity, which would in turn ruin the gameplay experience. That’s everything you need to know about whether or not Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is on Nintendo Switch! For more content on the game, check out our guides below: How to restore energy & health | How to fast travel | Can you pet your Ikran? | Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora system requirements | Does Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have crossplay and cross-progression? | Does Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora have multiplayer or co-op? | Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora canon? | Can you play as a human in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora? | Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora be on PS4 and Xbox One?

Is Atomic Heart open-world? MundfishAtomic Heart takes its Bioshock and Half Life influences and blends them together into a creative new FPS, but there’s been some confusion about whether or not Mundfish’s debut is open world. Here’s an easy guide explaining how the open world in Atomic Heart works. Fans have had their eye on Atomic Heart ever since it was revealed back in 2018, thanks to its striking setting and combat. Five years on, the game is finally here and generating hype once again, especially after the news it would launch on Xbox Game Pass. Atomic Heart is clearly an ambitious title with enormous scope, but many of the players keeping up with each trailer have wondered if it will adopt the popular open-world format used by many big-name games. So, is Atomic Heart open-world? We’ve got everything you need to know right here. Does Atomic Heart have an open world? Put simply, yes, Atomic Heart does feature an open world, but the developers have been keen to distance the game from the usual ideas of an open-world title. Atomic Heart takes place in Facility 3826, a sprawling section of the Soviet Union where killer robots have gone haywire. Following a brief introductory chapter, players will be able to freely explore the huge outdoor facility at their leisure, either on foot or by car. Then, story missions will take players out of the open world into more contained dungeons, such as underground bunkers or off-site locations. After each story mission is complete, you will be returned to the open world to blast your way through even more twisted machines. Atomic Heart game director Robert Bagratuni offered up more details about the open world, as well the narrative reasons for this approach, in a Q&A with IGN. “The world of Atomic Heart is quite large, but creating a completely open world doesn’t always work well,” Bagratuni explained. “We were aiming for more narrative consistency here, but not to turn it into a huge map with points of interest where you go from one issue to the next, completely forgetting about the story. “When the player exits the first underground complex, where he is just beginning to immerse in the story and understand the strengths of his character, an open world awaits them. There are many interesting territories in the open world and also carefully hidden optional locations.” The devs have also reassured players that transitioning between the huge open map and the smaller story-based areas will be “seamless,” in an effort to make Atomic Heart feel like a single connected world. It’s certainly an ambitious project for developer Mudfish’s first release, so much so that multiplayer had to be cut from the original vision. Hopefully, Atomic Heart can live up to the hype when it arrives in February. For more on the biggest upcoming games, take a look at our other guides: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | Pokemon Violet & Scarlet | Wonder Woman | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Haunted Chocolatier

Is Armored Core 6 open world? FromSoftwareArmored Core 6 is now in our hands, and the game’s exciting mech combat is keeping players entertained. But is it open world like FromSoftware’s last game, Elden Ring? Armored Core 6 is the latest installment in the beloved Armored Core franchise and the first series entry in over a decade. Players can live out their mecha fantasy in the game by piloting powerful mechs called Armored Cores in battle, and each mecha can be customized with specific upgrades and powers to suit different playstyles. After the massive success of Elden Ring, and the vast immersive open world it gave players, the prospect of making this game also open world is a possibility. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about whether or not Armored Core 6 has an open world to explore or if it provides a more linear experience. Is Armored Core 6 open world? No, Armored Core 6 is not an open-world game. This was originally clarified by game director Masru Yamamura in an IGN interview where he revealed that “AC6 will feature a mission-based structure to the single-player. It’s not fully open – it’s going to stick with that mission-based structure.” Now that we have the game in our hands, we can also confirm that this is the case and there isn’t an open world component to Armored Core 6. Despite this, the team did consider adding open world initially, as revealed by Yamamura in an interview with Inverse where he stated “Open world was considered not just in the sense of do we make this open world or not? It was a case of what kind of game it should be, and what we wanted to focus on in terms of what makes Armored Core what it is.” While the lack of open world may be disappointing for some – especially new FromSoftware fans who were introduced to the devs through Elden Ring’s The Lands Between – the more linear structure ultimately gives players the opportunity to completely customize their mechs before every mission so they can prepare for each battle. That’s everything you need to know about whether or not Armored Core 6 is open world! For more content on the game, check out our guides below: Is the Moonlight Greatsword in Armored Core 6? | Armored Core 6 PC requirements | Does Armored Core 6 have multiplayer? | Armored Core 6 pre-order bonus & edition differences | Is Armored Core 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Does Armored Core 6 have crossplay? | How to Stagger enemies with Impact meter | Does Armored Core 6 have photo mode? | Armored Core 6: How many missions are there? | Armored Core 6: How to get OTS chips upgrades

Is Atomic Heart on Xbox Game Pass? MundfishAtomic Heart, the bizarre FPS from Mundfish, has caught the eye of many fans since it was revealed, but Xbox players will no doubt be wondering if it’s coming to Game Pass. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about if Atomic Heart will be on Xbox Game Pass. Atomic Heart made quite the impression when it was announced back in 2018, thanks to flashy combat and creative enemy design. Then it seemed to vanish, with fans desperate to see and hear more about the striking title. Fast forward five years and Atomic Heart is finally about to release, and players are itching to hop into this twisted version of the 1950s Soviet Union. But before parting ways with any money, Xbox users will be desperate to know if it’s joining the Game Pass lineup. Luckily, we’ve put together an easy guide on everything you need to know about Atomic Heart on Xbox Game Pass. Is Atomic Heart available on Xbox Game Pass? Good news, Atomic Heart is available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, meaning anyone subscribed to the service can jump into the game when it launches on February 21, 2023 for no extra cost. It’s also available to pre-load right now if you want to save yourself time on release day. Anyone not signed up can still play Atomic Heart, but they will have to purchase it from the Xbox Store or on disc at full price. Luckily for PlayStation fans, although Atomic Heart is coming to Game Pass immediately, it isn’t exclusive to Xbox platforms. However, PS4 or PS5 owners will be forced to pay the full price of $59.99 (£54.99). Where to buy Xbox Game Pass If you’re not an Xbox Game Pass remember but the like the idea of trying out Atomic Heart, you can sign up for the service on the official Xbox website. Simply follow the steps, enter your details, and choose your tier. We’ve got a breakdown of each edition below: Standard ($9.99 / £7.99): Access to the Game Pass library consisting of hundreds of games, as well as Xbox exclusives on day one. – Ultimate ($14.99/£10.99): Everything in the Standard tier as well as Xbox Live Gold, allowing you to play online. – For more on the biggest upcoming games, take a look at our other guides: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | Pokemon Violet & Scarlet | Wonder Woman | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Haunted Chocolatier

Is Armored Core 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass? FromSoftware/Bandai NamcoFromSoftware’s Armored Core 6 has joined the mega mecha party. Xbox users are naturally wondering if the game will be arriving on Xbox Game Pass at some point. Here’s a full guide concerning the game’s status on the service. Armored Core 6 is the latest game in the beloved franchise and its player base is bigger than ever. No longer a niche, mech-fighting title, AC6 has the attention of old and new fans alike thanks to the massive influx of new FromSoftware players that Elden Ring has captured. For those planning to pick up the game on a Microsoft Xbox console or PC, you may want to know if it will be available on Xbox Game Pass. The beloved, paid service can save you a lot of money on the latest games if they’re added at launch after all. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about whether or not Armored Core 6 is flying its way over to Xbox Game Pass. Will Armored Core 6 arrive on Xbox Game Pass? No, the game will not be coming to Xbox Game Pass for the foreseeable future. If it does arrive at a later date then Microsoft will have to announce it. However, past games like Sekiro and Elden Ring have not made their way to Game Pass either, pouring cold water on the fires of hope. FromSoftware is quite strict about how they handle their games. FromSoft loves to keep games multiplatform and the only time they have even released exclusive was with Bloodborne and Demon’s Souls. If FromSoftware does decide it wants Armored Core 6 to join the ranks of Xbox Game Pass, then they need to strike a deal with Microsoft. Unfortunately, neither Bandai Namco nor FromSoftware have showcased any intention to take that route. Therefore, the chances of the title coming to Xbox Game Pass are almost negligible. If this changes, we’ll let you know if it happens. This concludes our guide for Armored Core 6 on Xbox Games Pass. If you found it informative, please look into some of our other game guides at Dexerto: Is the Moonlight Greatsword in Armored Core 6? | PC requirements | Is Armored Core 6 open world? | Does Armored Core 6 have multiplayer? | Armored Core 6 pre-order bonus & edition differences | Does Armored Core 6 have crossplay? | How to Stagger enemies with Impact meter | Does Armored Core 6 have photo mode? | Armored Core 6: How many missions are there? | Armored Core 6: How to get OTS chips upgrades

Is Armored Core 6 coming to Nintendo Switch? FromSoftware/Bandai NamcoArmored Core 6 is out now on PC, Xbox and PlayStation but will the game be coming to Nintendo Switch? Here’s everything we know about a potential Switch release for the latest FromSoftware title. The long-awaited Armored Core 6 has arrived and it marks the first entry in the franchise in over a decade. Thanks to the huge success of Elden Ring, the latest FromSoftware title has attracted the attention of new and old fans alike who are eager to dive into the exciting mecha combat. There’s also a big emphasis on customization in the game so you can upgrade your mechs to your heart’s desire before starting each mission. Some players looking to live out their own mech fantasy may be wondering if the game is coming to Nintendo Switch as the hybrid console is extremely handy for gaming on the go. So without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about whether or not Armored Core 6 will be on Nintendo Switch. Is Armored Core 6 coming to Nintendo Switch? No, unfortunately, Armored Core 6 will not be coming to Nintendo Switch. The game is currently out on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC and so far there’s been no confirmation that a Nintendo Switch release could be coming in the future. The only FromSoftware game that is currently available on Nintendo’s hybrid console is Dark Souls Remastered. Due to how demanding the modern FromSoftware titles are, it’s most likely the case that the Nintendo Switch just simply doesn’t have powerful enough hardware to handle them. Based on the developer’s extremely limited history with Nintendo, we can’t imagine Armored Core 6 coming to the portable device any time soon, however, if a port is announced in the future we’ll be sure to update this page to let you know. That’s everything you need to know about whether or not Armored Core 6 is coming to Nintendo Switch! For more on the game, check out our hub page and guides below: Is the Moonlight Greatsword in Armored Core 6? | Armored Core 6 PC requirements | Is Armored Core 6 open world? | Does Armored Core 6 have multiplayer? | Armored Core 6 pre-order bonus & edition differences | Is Armored Core 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Does Armored Core 6 have crossplay? | How to Stagger enemies with Impact meter | Does Armored Core 6 have photo mode? | Armored Core 6: How many missions are there? | Armored Core 6: How to get OTS chips upgrades

Is Arknights: Endfield free to play & is it a gacha game? HYPERGRYPHIs Arknights: Endfield free to play and is it a gacha game? Well, here’s everything we currently know about this highly-anticipated anime game. Arknights: Endfield is an upcoming 3D real-time RPG that aims to deliver a new experience for both anime fans and those familiar with the previous game’s world. Unlike its predecessor, Endfield aims to deliver a fully immersive 3D experience that focuses on real-time strategy and RPG elements. In fact, Arknights: Endfield shares a lot more similarities to Genshin Impact in its combat and flashy animations. Because of this, many players will be wondering whether Arknights: Endfield is free to play and if it will feature any gacha elements. Is Arknights: Endfield free to play? Yes, Arknights: Endfield will be free to play when it releases. While we don’t know much about the game, we do know that it will be available on PC, iOS, and Android. However, while Arknights: Endfield is free to play, it will feature microtransactions that enable players to purchase premium currency. Is Arknights: Endfield a gacha game? Yes, Arknights: Endfield a gacha game. According to early Aplha gameplay discussion posted on Reddit, players must roll on banners to unlock weapons to use with their favorite characters. This is fairly similar to other free to play games, like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. Both of these games require players to either purchase or earn currency to spend on banners. However, unlike HoYoverse gacha games, alpha players have indicated that the gacha mechanic is only available for weapons and not characters. Of course, it’s still early days and the developers could make major adjustments to Arknights: Endfielfd’s gacha elements before release. As always, we’ll be sure to update this piece as soon as we get official information, so bookmark this page and check back regularly. In the meantime, head over to our Arknights: Endfield release hub to get the latest details on the game’s release.

Is Armored Core 6 a soulslike? What to expect FromSoftware/Bandai NamcoArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon has entered the battlefield. Long-time fans know what to expect, but what about curious newcomers? Is it a soulslike similar to FromSoftware’s other recent titles? Here’s everything you need to know. Until AC6, FromSoftware hadn’t released a new Armored Core game in a decade. Over that time they’ve cultivated a dedicated fanbase with action RPGs such as the Dark Souls series, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Bloodborne. These games and their unique gameplay stylings have been lovingly dubbed with the catchy amalgam “soulslike” or “soulsborne”. More recently, interest in the soulslike brand of dark fantasy, meticulous storytelling, and precise but punishing gameplay exploded with 2022’s Game of the Year Elden Ring. Armored Core 6 is Armored Core indeed, but there’s far more to it than just that. To help you out, our explainer will run through the basics. How Armored Core is Armored Core 6? Armored Core 6 has all the hallmarks of the series’ predecessors, making it very much an Armored Core game. Players who have seen the 12-minute gameplay showcase and are familiar with the Armored Core franchise should have no doubt. The footage showed a player engaging with the trademarked linear missions of Armored Core. They’re seen darting around the mission area, blasting enemies with ranged machine guns and missiles in frantic combat. In an early interview with IGN following the initial announcement of Armored Core 6, FromSoftware President Hidetaka Miyazaki made it clear that their focus was on maintaining the series’ identity. “We’ve not been making a conscious effort to try to direct it towards more Soulsborne-type gameplay,” Miyazaki said. He explained that Armored Core 6 was about highlighting what makes the franchise special in his eyes, the customization of your mech, and the precise control that it allows. “So we wanted to take those two core concepts and reexamine those in our modern environment,” he said. What makes Armored Core 6 an Armored Core game? Title aside, Armored Core 6 maintains many of the series’ key identifiers. It’s set in the usual far-flung, dystopian future ruled by ruthless corporations with no regard for human life. Players will still pilot mechs (known as Armored Cores) as a mercenary for these corporations and be paid for their services. You still use the payment from these missions to augment your Armored Core with a vast selection of different parts, all of which have a dizzying array of stats and gameplay effects. The tone and format of Armored Core 6’s storytelling that’s been conveyed through the footage shown feel true to the series. It features core pillars from previous titles including repeatable missions, ranked outcomes to those missions, new missions in new game+, and multiple endings that stem from them. It’s important to remember that Hidetaka Miyazaki began his career at FromSoftware with the Armored Core series and these games have had a major impact on the soulslike titles. It has still been ten years since an Armored Core release though and in that time, he and his team have learned a thing or two from the soulslike games they crafted. Are there similarities between soulslike games and Armored Core 6? Just as easily as you can see the legacy of previous Armored Core titles in Armored Core 6, certain aspects of the soulslike games have crept in. Game Director Masaru Yamamura has openly stated this in the previously quoted IGN interview. “Boss battles are the highlight of the game in this title,” Yamamura said. “The essence of the battles, in which the player reads the enemy’s moves and then plays games with them, is of course provided, as is typical of FromSoftware.” Soulsborne players will understand just what he means when he refers to the nature of the game’s boss battles. A new hard lock-on system for these encounters and a notably greater focus on melee weapons is new to the Armored Core franchise but a standard in FromSoftware’s RPGs. Other recognizable features previously foreign to Armored Core include a timed block system, in-mission checkpoints, and healing kits. FromSoftware-focused content creator VaatiVidya opined that despite the similar mechanics “It still feels a lot like an Armored Core game, even with all those things”. Will soulslike players be able to enjoy Armored Core 6? Yes, we’d say that they can. While the game is thematically fargone from ‘traditional’ Souls games and their usual dark, mythical, and fantastical premises, AC6 shares many similar traits and characteristics. Quoting VaatiVidya again, when the question was posed whether soulslike players would enjoy Armored Core 6, he had this to say: “Yes, I think they will because while this is a very different genre of game, it’s also the first Armored Core game to have a lot in common with the Souls games.” “It absolutely makes the game more accessible for Souls fans and any modern gamer in general,” he concluded. We hope our guide has cleared these details up for you. For more on AC6, we have many other guides down below: Armored Core 6 PC requirements | Is Armored Core 6 open world? | Does Armored Core 6 have multiplayer? | Is Armored Core 6 coming to Nintendo Switch? | Armored Core 6 pre-order bonus & edition differences | Is Armored Core 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Does Armored Core 6 have crossplay?

Is Ark: Survival Evolved cross-platform? Crossplay on Xbox, PS5, & PC studio wildcardArk: Survival Evolved is an open-world game in which players can explore, build, and hunt massive beasts together. However, does Ark: Survival Evolved support cross-platform play? Ark: Survival Evolved has been available on most major platforms for several years. The game thrives on multiplayer play, letting various survivors either team up to hunt dinosaurs or go to war with each other. Cross-platform play is available in Ark: Survival Evolved, but there are some caveats. While some platforms can play alongside others, this doesn’t apply to every one of them. Below, we’ve included how cross-platform play works in Ark: Survival Evolved, and which platforms can play with one another. Is Ark: Survival Evolved cross-platform? Ark: Survival Evolved only supports cross-platform play between iOS and Android devices, as well as between PC and Xbox players. This means that those playing on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms will only be able to play with others on the same platforms. Read More: Ark: Survival Evolved console commands – For example, those playing on Nintendo Switch can only play with those also playing on Switch, and those playing on PS4/PS5 can only play with others using a PlayStation console. It also seems unlikely that Ark players on PlayStation or Switch will be able to play with those on Xbox, PC, or mobile platforms at this point. However, never say never. If this does become the case, we’ll be sure to update you here. So, there you have it – that’s everything you need to know on whether or not Ark: Survival Evolved is cross-platform. For games you can enjoy with friends, check out our other crossplay guides for the biggest multiplayer titles: Does Diablo Immortal have crossplay? | Is Minecraft cross-platform? | Rainbox Six Siege crossplay | Is The Elder Scrolls Online cross-platform | Does Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga support crossplay | Does FIFA 22 have crossplay?

Is Ark: Survival Ascended on PS5? Studio WildcardArk: Survival Ascended is the highly anticipated remake of Ark Survival: Evolved and while the game is available to play on Xbox consoles and PC you may want to know if it’s also on PS5. We’ve got the answer right here. The long-awaited remake of Ark: Survival Evolved, Ark: Survival Ascended has finally arrived and the game features a lot of exciting content for new and returning fans alike, such as improved visuals, new creatures to find and tame, and a handful of the original game’s DLC being readily included. The game is available to buy on PC and Xbox consoles right now but PlayStation fans may be wondering if the latest dinosaur-centric adventure is also coming to Sony devices. With that in mind, here’s everything we know about Ark: Survival Ascended on PS5. Is Ark: Survival Ascended on PS5? While Ark: Survival Ascended was originally due to launch on PS5, it’s not currently available on the console. The game launched for Xbox Series S/X, and PC on November 21, 2023, however unfortunately for PlayStation owners, it was announced that the PS5 version had been delayed via a statement on Twitter. Regarding the PS5 version of Ark: Survival Ascended the statement from the developers reads: “We’re still working closely with Sony on PlayStation 5 certification for Ark: Survival Ascended while we have been targeting a late November launch, today we’ve encountered some issues which will require some additional time. We now anticipate a PS5 launch in early December. We’re working diligently to bring you the best possible cross-platform experience.” While this news is bound to be disappointing for PS5 players, hopefully, there shouldn’t be too much longer to wait until the game comes to the platform with the studio aiming for an early December release. As soon as the official release date information is confirmed on PS5, we’ll be sure to update this page with everything you need to know. In the meantime, why not check out our metal farming guide for the game?

Is Ark: Survival Ascended on Xbox Game Pass? Studio WildcardArk: Survival Ascended has finally arrived for PC and next-gen consoles, but is it also available to play on Xbox Game Pass? Here’s everything we know about whether or not you can play the game on Microsoft’s streaming service. The latest entry in the dinosaur-centric Ark franchise has arrived, and it’s a remake of the beloved Ark: Survival: Evolved that features improved visuals and a wide variety of new content for fans to enjoy, including new creatures to find and tame. The game is currently available for PC and Xbox Series X|S, with a PlayStation 5 version coming in early December. Xbox and PC players may be curious to know if Ark: Survival Ascended is also available to play on Xbox Game Pass. With that in mind, here’s everything we know about Ark: Survival Ascended on Xbox Game Pass. Is Ark: Survival Ascenced on Xbox Game Pass? No, Ark: Survival Ascended is not available to play on Xbox Game Pass. While this may be disappointing, the Ultimate Survivor edition of the original version of the game, Ark Survival: Evolved is currently available on the Microsoft streaming service. So, while you can’t play the remake on Game Pass yet, you can check out the original if you want to get an idea of what the series is all about before you invest in buying the remake. If any news is revealed about the Ark: Survival Ascended being added to Xbox Game Pass in the future, we’ll be sure to update this page. That’s everything you need to know about Ark: Survival Ascended on Xbox Game Pass. While you’re here, why not check out our metal farming guide for the game?

Is Among Us coming to PS5 & Xbox? Dev responds to console demands InnerSloth/Unsplash: Chris LiveraniForest Willard, InnerSloth employee working as a developer on Among Us, has responded to fan calls for the game to be released on Xbox and Playstation. Among Us originally released in June 2018, and some players found finding games near impossible because of how few people were playing. However, 2020 has seen a host of the world’s biggest content creators and streamers turn their attention to the InnerSloth party game, in which teams must work out who amongst them is the impostor. It has been summarised as the perfect casual game given the ongoing discussion around SBMM, and now has hundreds of thousands of players. As player counts rise, console players want to know if they will ever see the game on Xbox or Playstation, as it is currently only available on PC. InnerSloth dev opens up on Among Us coming to PS5/Xbox During a clip with popular streamer Trainwreckstv, InnerSloth dev Forest Willard opened up on the possibility of a console version, addressing the ever-increasing fan demand. “It’s something we’re starting to talk about,” he said. “But we’d have to write a system for like, quick comms. It’d basically be for randoms – like Rocket League.” Basically, at the moment the main concern with a console launch would be the ability of all parties to communicate with each other; something that is of paramount importance in a game like Among Us. “I don’t know how or if we’d be able to implement console voice chat,” he finished. “One of the first things we wanna add is a friends list type account system, because it’d be so hard to do it without that sh*t.” The good news for Xbox and Playstation gamers is that a console launch is most certainly on InnerSloth’s radar, as they plan the next steps in Among Us’ life cycle. However, it does sound like it’s still a long way off, if indeed we see it all.

Is Alone in the Dark coming to Steam Deck? Pieces InteractiveAs the technology continues to improve, more people are turning to handhelds to play their PC games. Of those, the Steam Deck is one of the most popular. Here’s everything you need to know about running the upcoming horror Alone in the Dark on the platform. Alone in the Dark is an exciting reimagining of the 1992 cult classic original. That game would go on to define a generation of horror games, so it will be interesting to see if this is similarly influential. The story follows Emily Hartwood, played by Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer, and private investigator Edward Carnby, played by David Harbour of Stranger Things fame. The pair head to a home for the “mentally fatigued,” to investigate the disappearance of Emily’s uncle, Jeremy. From there, things go predictably horribly. Read on for the full breakdown on whether it’s possible to face the game’s evil denizens on Steam Deck. Can you play Alone in the Dark on Steam Deck? The developers behind the game have said that they are targeting compatibility for launch. That said, Alone in the Dark has not been verified for the Steam Deck, and there has been no further update from the developer on how successful they have been in ensuring its playability on the platform. That said, it is clearly on Pieces Interactive and THQ Nordic’s radar ahead of the game’s full release. Additionally, the confirmed recommended specs are within the tolerance for the current hardware in the Steam Deck. Although we cannot verify at this juncture, it’s likely that Alone in the Dark will be playable in some form. The relatively simple, console-style control system should also lend itself well to the handheld. That’s all there is to know about Alone in the Dark’s Steam Deck compatibility before launch. If the game does receive full verification from Valve or further updates from the developer, this guide will be updated accordingly.

Is Alone in the Dark coming to Xbox Game Pass? Pieces InteractiveAlone in the Dark is a reimagining of the 90s cult classic set for release on March 20, 2024. Here is everything you need to know about whether the game will arrive on Xbox Game Pass. Alone in the Dark is a psychological horror game originally released in the 1990s. However, the developers at Pieces Interactive are bringing this classic back, and players can experience the Lovecraftian horror in March. That said, March 2024 is also getting games like Dragons Dogma 2 and Rise of Ronin. Therefore, there is a lot to purchase and players who want to enjoy Alone in the Dark are searching for its availability on Xbox Game Pass. Here is what you need to know about Alone in the Dark on Xbox Game Pass. Can you get Alone in the Dark through Xbox Game Pass? No, Alone in the Dark is not available on Xbox Game Pass as of yet. The game will be available on Xbox Series X and Series S, but similar to other major titles, it will miss the Game Pass for the time being. The game will also be available on both PlayStation 5 and Windows PC. Therefore, if you want to try the game, you have no option but to purchase it on any of the available platforms. If there is any information regarding Xbox Game Pass, we will update it in this article for the benefit of our readers. Alone in the Dark re-imagines the cult classic from the 90s with modern-day graphics and technology. Therefore, if enjoyed it back then, you are sure to enjoy it now as well since the game is a love letter to fans of the horror genre. Will Alone in the Dark run on Steam Deck? | Is Alone in the Dark coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Alone in the Dark voice actors & cast list | Is Alone in the Dark coming to Nintendo Switch? | Is Alone in the Dark a reboot or a sequel?

Is Alone in the Dark coming to Nintendo Switch? THQ NordicWill the Alone in the Dark reboot be coming to Nintendo Switch? Here’s what we know about the upcoming return of the horror classic. After a few delays, the upcoming Alone in the Dark “re-imagination” is nearly upon us. In it, players will revisit the haunted Derceto Manor with main characters Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood. Given it’s a reimagining of the first game, players can expect differences as they fight monsters, solve puzzles, and boast a new story to digest. Notably, the game will take advantage of next-gen hardware to make it more horrifying. With that said, here’s what you need to know about whether or not Alone in the Dark will make the jump to the Nintendo Switch. Is Alone in the Dark coming to Nintendo Switch? Bad news for Nintendo Switch hopefuls, Alone in the Dark will not be on Nintendo’s platform. The Switch joins the likes of the PS4 and Xbox One as platforms that won’t feature the title. THQ Nordic or the developers haven’t listed any reasoning as to why a Switch port is omitted, but given it’s on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, it’s likely the developers want to take advantage of next-gen’s full potential. With rumors of a Switch 2 in the works, it may be plausible Alone in the Dark will hit the future platform. However, that’s a matter of if rumors are proven true. Will Alone in the Dark run on Steam Deck? | Is Alone in the Dark coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Alone in the Dark voice actors & cast list | Is Alone in the Dark coming to Nintendo Switch? | Is Alone in the Dark a reboot or a sequel?

Is Alan Wake 2 Open World? Remedy EntertainmentAlan Wake 2 brings the beloved protagonist back after a decade-long hiatus. But with its release, many are wondering if the game features an open world environment for players to explore. Let’s delve into the details. Since its inception, the Alan Wake franchise has been known for its gripping narrative, atmospheric setting, and suspenseful gameplay. It has carved out its own unique space in the gaming world, offering an experience that blends elements of horror, thriller, and action. So, does Alan Wake 2 expand on this legacy with an open world? Here’s what you need to know. Is Alan Wake 2 an open world game? No, Alan Wake 2 is not an open world game. However, don’t let that deter you. Much like the recent Resident Evil remakes, the game opts for a level-based design and a linear storyline that keeps players firmly rooted in its dark and mysterious world. In Alan Wake 2, players will find themselves immersed in an environment meticulously crafted to complement the narrative. With gameplay that combines third-person action with survival horror elements, the game promises an intense and engaging experience. You can take control of either Alan Wake or FBI agent Saga Anderson, using a mix of firearms and a flashlight to fend off enemies and navigate the shadowy terrain. Despite its lack of an open world, Alan Wake 2 has garnered widespread praise for its compelling storyline, high-octane gameplay, and stunning visuals. The game stands as a testament to the fact that a well-crafted, linear experience can be just as immersive and satisfying as any open-world adventure. This is all we have to say about the possible open world nature of Alan Wake 2. In the meantime, you should check out similar Alan Wake 2 content from Dexerto: Alan Wake 2 soundtrack | Will Alan Wake 2 have DLC? | Alan Wake 2 voice actors | Best GPU’s for Alan Wake 2 | 7 games like Alan Wake 2 | Does Alan Wake 2 have co-op? | Trophies & Achievements | All graphics modes | How long is Alan Wake 2?

Is A Plague Tale: Requiem coming to Xbox Game Pass? Asobo StudioAsobo Studio’s action-adventure stealth game A Plague Tale: Innocence surprised many in 2019, but will the sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem also come to Xbox Game Pass at launch? 2019’s A Plague Tale: Innocence is one of Xbox Game Pass’ premier offerings, giving players a strong narrative and unique mechanics that make for quite a special experience. Now, Asobo Studios and Focus Entertainment have revealed that the game’s sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, is launching on October 18, 2022, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It will no doubt be one of Fall 2022’s most anticipated games, but will Asobo’s action-adventure stealth sequel launch Day 1 on Xbox Game Pass? Or will it be coming to the service at a later date? Will A Plague Tale: Requiem launch on Xbox Game Pass? Thankfully, subscribers can look forward to downloading and playing A Plague Tale: Requiem for free through Xbox Game Pass when the game launches on October 18, 2022. Focus Entertainment revealed new gameplay footage of A Plague Tale: Requiem alongside information that Asobo is with NVIDIA “to add NVIDIA RTX features” to the game. Additionally, Focus Entertainment debuted a new collector’s edition that comes with a statue featuring Amicia and Hugo, the game’s two main characters. Xbox Game Pass subscribers looking to get caught up on the narrative before Requiem releases should certainly look into playing the original, given it’s free with the service. Fans can look forward to A Plague Tale: Requiem on Xbox Game Pass, as the game should be available for instant access when October 18, 2022 rolls around. For more answers on whether or not games are on Xbox Game Pass, check these out below: Is LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga on Xbox Game Pass? | Is MLB The Show 22 coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Is Elden Ring on Xbox Game Pass? | Is Rainbow Six Extraction on Xbox Game Pass? | Is Battlefield 2042 coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Is Dead by Daylight on Xbox Game Pass? | Is Halo Infinite on Xbox Game Pass? | Is Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox Game Pass? | Is Evil Dead: The Game coming to Xbox Game Pass?

Is Age of Empires IV on Xbox Game Pass? Relic Entertainment/XboxIs Age of Empires IV coming to Xbox Game Pass? Here’s everything you need to know about the legendary real-time strategy title on Microsoft’s subscription service. Age of Empire fans have had to wait over fifteen years for a new mainline entry in the series, and Age of Empires IV is almost here – finally launching on PC on October 28th. If your PC can run the game, then you may be wondering it’ll be included on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service so you can take your English, Chinese, Delhi Sultanate, or other chosen civilization to the top of the world. Here’s all we know about Age of Empires IV on Xbox Game Pass. Contents Is Age of Empires IV on Xbox Game Pass? Good news, football fans – Xbox Game Pass will add Age of Empires to its lineup on PC on launch day, October 28. Sadly, it won’t be available on Xbox, but you can stream it using Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service. For everything coming to Xbox Game Pass in October, be sure to check out our guide. Where to buy Xbox Game Pass Xbox Game Pass can be purchased via Xbox’s official website for both PC and Xbox consoles. Sadly, PlayStation players cannot take advantage of the deal. The pass comes in two tiers: Standard: Includes access to hundreds of games, as well as Xbox exclusive games on release. PC players can also get their first month for $1 (£1.) – – Ultimate: Everything that comes with the standard edition, but also includes Xbox Live Gold, the ability to play games via the Cloud, and free in-game content. – So that’s everything you need to know about Age of Empires IV on Xbox Game Pass. Be sure to check out our guide to the game’s PC requirements, too.

Is a Marvel Daredevil game coming to PS5? Troy Baker drops massive hint Marvel / Gazillion EntertainmentA Twitter exchange between prolific voice actor Troy Baker and Marvel Games’ Vice President Bill Rosemann has sent the rumor mill into overdrive. The comic book executive’s reply could hint at a Daredevil game for the PlayStation 5. Following the massive success of Insomniac’s exclusive Spider-Man title on the PlayStation 4, all eyes have been on Marvel as to which property they would bring next to the Sony platform. On May 17, a tweet by The Last of Us voice actor Troy Baker fueled speculation that a Daredevil a game could be in the works, after the comic book company’s Vice President dropped a major hint. Could Daredevil be coming to PlayStation 5? The whole rumor kicked off on May 17 when Troy Baker replied to a tweet by IGN lead Jonathon Dornbush who asked “What is your dream superhero game?” The voice actor tagged Marvel’s Bill Rosemann and said “Ahem. Cough cough.” While cheeky on its own, things quickly got interesting when the Vice President replied and exclaimed, “You, sir are clearly a man without fear.” Upon first glance, it sounds like the Executive is joking with Baker for leaking a potential project. However as many comic fans no doubt figured out instantly, the quote is a direct nod to Daredevil. The beloved hero is introduced from the very beginning as “the man without fear,” making the Twitter exchange extremely interesting. In 2018, Spider-Man swung his way onto the PlayStation 4. The exclusive developed by Insomniac Games was critically acclaimed, and led to impressive sales. So naturally, fans wondered which hero would getting its next title. If these tweets are anything to go off, it could possibly be Daredevil, and perhaps Baker himself will be playing the crime fighter. The Marvel exec’s answer certainly adds fuel to the fire at there potentially being a project in the future. While both individuals are key figures in their respective industries, this is by no means a confirmation. While it would certainly be a dream come true to have Baker and Marvel work together, for now they are just that – tweets. Read More: Xbox store leaks Mafia remaster screenshots – However, with the incredible success that Insomniac brought to Marvel’s property, it would be more unlikely that the comic book company didn’t have another project in the works with Sony. Time will tell if that next release is Daredevil.

Ironmouse reveals GOTY pick after 150 hours of playtime: “I’ve been obsessed” Zeekerss / VShojoIn an interview with Dexerto, VTuber Ironmouse has revealed her game of the year, after clocking over 150 hours in the title. VTuber and now, The Game Awards winner, Ironmouse is on the up. Just a day before her win at the TGAs Dexerto got a chance to catch up with the popular VTuber herself. As the year was winding down, we wanted to know the ultimate question: What’s Ironmouse’s game of the year? The answer, if you keep up with her streams, isn’t too surprising. However, in a year where multiple massive releases have come and gone, Ironmouse’s answer might still surprise you. Ironmouse’s GOTY is a fresh indie darling “This is the best and worst question you can ask me at this time right now.” She comments, before continuing. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been obsessed with a particular game that I’ve been playing nonstop… Like, the other day, I caught myself playing it for 15 hours on stream.” She laughs, as she continues to explain: “I feel like it came out so late that like, it’s not really on everybody’s radar, but it’s a game called Lethal Company.” Lethal Company takes Ironmouse’s Game of the Year “I’m absolutely obsessed with it. I have over 140-something hours in the game.” She stops herself, clearly clicking over to Steam to see just how many hours she has poured into the title: “I think it’s like more than 150 hours now.” Lethal Company is the new streaming gem. It’s a combination of vagueness, survival horror, and cooperative online play which makes for some incredibly entertaining videos. “It’s such a good game and it’s by this one developer and, it’s such a great game.” Ironmouse swoons over the title. Lethal Company has held its position as one of Steam’s best-selling games for about a month. Despite all of the work presumed work that’s yet to come for her in the day, all Ironmouse can think about is playing Lethal Company: “I’m obsessed and, God, I can’t stop, I’m thinking about it right now.” What does Ironmouse play off-stream? Ironmouse also shared her off-stream gaming habits with us, as not everything can be seen in front of the camera while she’s streaming: “I love playing visual novels a lot, solo stuff for me.” She continues: “…The best thing that I love playing when I’m done with streaming, are games with my friends, especially friends that don’t stream.” But, it’s not all multiplayer romps or obscure VNs. “It’s crazy, I love survival games so much, even though I’m a huge scaredy cat and stuff, but it’s my favorite survival horror, I love it.” “Yeah, being scared is very thrilling, especially since you know that you’re safe in your house.” “It’s a controlled fear and it’s an adrenaline rush, it’s fun.” The VTuber concludes. The VShojo star has also recently announced a collaboration with Razer, in an industry-first collab.

Is 7 Days to Die cross-platform? Crossplay and platforms The Fun Pimps7 Days to Die was a smash-hit on Steam before debuting on console, but answers about the game’s cross-platform status have been hard to find. If you’re looking for answers about crossplay or which platforms can play together, we’ve got everything you need to know. 7 Days to Die’s survival horror gameplay has kept fans hooked since 2013. From the early days as a Steam exclusive to its now widespread success across five different platforms, the zombie-infused shooter has found an impressive audience even eight years after release. Though the title has found a huge audience in that time, answers about the game’s crossplay capabilities have been hard to find elsewhere on the internet. Fortunately, we’ve got all the answers about crossplay and the game’s future compiled here. Contents Is 7 Days to Die cross-platform? – What platforms is 7 Days to Die on? – When is crossplay coming 7 Days to Die? – Is 7 Days to Die cross-platform? Due to the current state of the game’s console ports, 7 Days to Die is not cross-platform. This is due to problems related to the majority studio closure of Telltale Games, which had purchased the rights to the console version of the game. When Telltale shut down in 2018, the 7DD team had no way of working with Iron Galaxy, the studio that created the console ports. Hope is not completely lost though, as a November update on the game’s blog suggests that crossplay could arrive at some point in the future: “To future-proof our game, including allowing us to use the latest anti-cheat and expanding to other platforms later on for future crossplay capabilities, we added Epic Online Services (EOS) to the game.” What platforms is 7 Days to Die on? As of now, 7 Days to Die is available on Xbox One, PS4, PC, MacOS, and Linux. The title may see a next-gen release in the future, but there’s no official timeline for when that will be. When is crossplay coming to 7 Days to Die? There is no confirmed date for the game to go cross-platform, but developers have previously said that a lot of things need to happen first. Read More: Best Survival horror games 2021 – When addressing the possibility of connecting gamers across every platform, they made it clear that big changes will have to be made, possibly including a completely new release of the game on next-gen consoles. They said: “We are exploring all options that would eventually deliver a new version of 7 Days to consoles but this would likely happen after the PC version has gone gold and could end up being an entirely new product or on the next console.”

Iron Giant’s devastating down special in MultiVersus still broken after patch WB GamesEven after Player First Games deployed a patch to fix the issue, MultiVersus players continue encountering a bug that traps opponents in Iron Giant’s down special attack. The down special in question sees the larger-than-life character jump high in the air, then slam into enemies below. Instead of delivering the blow and moving on, a glitched Iron Giant will get stuck in the ground and repeatedly deal massive amounts of damage to foes in close proximity. Notably, Twitch streamer Hasan fell victim to this glitch in a match against Disguised Toast. It didn’t take long for developer Player First Games to tackle the problem in a patch. The update does not seem to have worked as intended, though. Iron Giant’s down attack is still a problem in MultiVersus Since WB Games deployed the patch that supposedly fixed Iron Giant’s down special, players have created at least two Reddit threads showcasing the issue’s persistence. EyZ0 started the first thread by sharing a clip of Iron Giant demolishing other fighters because of the glitch. When the video cut out, the character’s damage output totaled 1,000-plus. A few other users in the comments said they’ve encountered similar issues while playing as and fighting against The Iron Giant in MultiVersus. DrivePleasant6507 posted their own thread hours later, complete with a similar gameplay video. Interestingly, the clip shows a Batman player grappling into the Iron Giant down special bug and getting strapped inside. While both videos showcase the glitch on the Haunted Mansion map, one user claimed they’ve seen evidence of the Iron Giant bug occurring on other stages, too. MultiVersus players can only hope that Player First Games will deploy another update to address the error. However, if and when such a fix will go live is not yet known.

IRL Florida Joker sends Rockstar legal threat after demanding millions over GTA 6 parody The real-life ‘Florida Joker’ has threatened Rockstar Games with legal action after allegedly being parodied in the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer After the long-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer was finally released on December 4, albeit ahead of schedule after being leaked online, fans analyzed the trailer frame-by-frame where they spotted numerous easter eggs relating to real-life locations, past GTA games, and memes. Among them appeared to be a reference to the ‘Florida Joker’ — who went viral across social media after being arrested, as the man’s mugshot resembled the infamous DC Comics villain. The ‘Florida Joker’, whose real name is Lawrence Sullivan, quickly voiced his frustrations over Rockstar allegedly portraying him in the GTA 6 trailer, insisting that he speaks with them. A few days later on December 8, Sullivan pressed the devs again, this time demanding millions for using his “likeness.” ‘Florida Joker’ threatens Rockstar with legal action over GTA 6 trailer Now, in a TikTok post on December 12, the ‘Florida Joker’ has threatened Rockstar with legal action. “GTA I’m giving you the biggest free marketing you got in your entire history of running this GTA game. For that, I want an extra million dollars,” he demanded. “You’re taking forever to respond to me.” Sullivan continued: “Find the other person in Florida they portrayed that character from. I’ll wait, I will wait. GTA we got to talk.” He added: “You think I’m playing? You’ve got three days, three days before my lawyers go crazy on this case. This is not like the Lizzie Lohan case. I got hard evidence.” While Sullivan thinks he has a solid case, Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Morgan actor Roger Clark thinks otherwise. Hitting back, the actor put the ‘Florida Joker’ on blast, suggesting he should “capitalize” on the newfound fame he’s gotten since the trailer was released. “They’ve had people like you trying to sue them for decades,” Clark explained. “They are loaded up man. They know exactly what they can and cannot get away with.” With that said it’s unclear whether or not we’ll see a parody of the ‘Florida Joker’ in the actual game. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see when Grand Theft Auto 6 releases in 2025.

IOC President Says No Esports at Olympics Until ‘Violence’ is Removed Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympics Committee, has restated his affirmation that esports will have no place at the Olympic Games if it features violence or any form of discrimination, as it would impeach ‘Olympic values’. Bach has been somewhat attentive to requests to have esports feature at the Olympics, but remains cautious about their possible inclusion. He has previously made clear that violent games – which many of the most popular esports titles (CS:GO, LoL, CoD, Overwatch, Battle Royale games etc.) could be considered to be – would have no place in an Olympic setting. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, published on September 1, Bach has doubled down on this once again, saying: “We cannot have in the Olympic program a game which is promoting violence or discrimination. So-called killer games. They, from our point of view, are contradictory to the Olympic values and cannot therefore be accepted.” However, esports will feature at the Asian Games as a ‘demonstration’ event, with a view to becoming a full medal event at the Olympics in the future. But, it seems Bach himself will still need some convincing that many of the popular esports games are suitable. Bach was an Olympic level fencer, for which he won a Gold Medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Despite the use of a sword in fencing, and other combat sports such as Judo and Boxing which have been integral events at the Olympics for decades, Bach explains that there is a difference between this and the violence in certain video games. “Of course every combat sport has its origins in a real fight among people, But sport is the civilized expression about this. If you have egames where it’s about killing somebody, this cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values.” Following the shooting at a Madden esports tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, hosts of the Asian Games pointed to the issue being US gun laws and not games themselves. After all, Madden is an NFL simulator – not a violent game in any sense. The next Olympic Games following 2020 will be Paris 2024, and France as a nation has been supportive of esports. Paris Saint Germain, the biggest sports club in Paris, has their own esports teams in League of Legends and Dota2.

iPhone 15 Pro somehow natively runs console games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage UbisoftApple has made a bold claim during their recent reveal of the iPhone 15 series that could change the mobile gaming landscape. As part of the reveal, the iPhone manufacturer promised console games would run on the new devices. Apple’s Wonderlust event had some major announcements but none bigger than the unveiling of the iPhone 15 range. After the leaks from the last few months, people were finally treated to some concrete information on the new devices. While USB-C charging and ‘Action Buttons’ are all super exciting stuff, one thing has us more tentatively hyped than all that. According to Apple, the higher-end iPhone 15s will be able to run console games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, with raytracing no less. In one segment of a much larger presentation, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak broke it down. Apparently, the feat is made possible thanks to the miraculous A17 Pro bionic chip. How does the iPhone 15 Pro run console games? To clarify, Joswiak specifically said that these games would be “natively available” on iPhone 15 Pro devices. Cloud streaming wasn’t mentioned once during this segment of the presentation. On top of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Resident Evil Village, the Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Death Stranding were all announced for the iPhone 15 Pro. “iPhone is the best mobile gaming platform in the world,” Joswiak said. “It’s amazing to think that those games are running on a device that fits in your pocket.” Silicon Engineering Group Vice President Sribalan Santhanam broke down how the A17 Pro bionic chip would enable hardware-accelerated raytracing. “A17 Pro can run these graphics smoothly at much higher framerates than with software-based raytracing,” Santhanam explained. The presentation showed footage of large-scale games running on the iPhone 15 Pro at 30 FPS. “With the fastest chip ever on any smartphone, we are excited for iPhone 15 Pro to change mobile gaming,” Santhanam concluded. While the true performance of these kinds of games running natively on a mobile device remains to be seen, the prospect is an exciting one. With Apple’s annual cycle of hardware releases, we could see this technology perfected on later devices. Resident Evil Village, the Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Death Stranding have all been announced for iPhone 15 Pro in 2023. Assassin’s Creed Mirage will come later in 2024.

InZOI’s stunning character creator has Sims fans turning their backs kraftonInZOI has just debuted its character studio to let players take a glimpse at the game, and The Sims community is already claiming they’re “not looking back.” InZOI doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but developer KRAFTON has already offered players a sneak peek at the game via its character creator on Steam. For a limited time, players can create and dress up their Zois using all the features set to be available in the full game. While the character studio has only been up for a few days, and no actual gameplay is available, the demo has quickly successfully garnered the attention of the life sim community. Already, many are singing their praises to the game and comparing it with EA’s The Sims franchise. In a Reddit thread, players claim they’re tired of “half-baked” Sims content and can’t wait for KRAFTON’s life sim to officially release. Some are glad that The Sims 4 is finally getting some competition. One user admitted that the sole reason they’ve been playing The Sims 4 is because “it’s been the only option” they had to “scratch the life simulation itch.” They wrote: “But soon I won’t have to do that anymore. I’m glad that The Sims 4 finally has competition with Paralives and inZOI. But to be completely honest, when inZOI finally releases, I’m not looking back.” Many other players who jumped in the comments also agreed with this take, considering that InZOI has managed to exceed their expectations despite being just a demo. According to one user, The Sims 4 “took years to finally be even somewhat decent,” and even so, “it doesn’t look good” to them anymore. Meanwhile, InZOI is still at its “developmental stage” and is already “more interesting.” “Imagine if the S4 was still in its base game with NO UPDATES. So, no toddlers/babies/pools/white map/2 worlds/etc, and then compare it INZOI. But many are comparing the S4 now after 1000+ DLC to a new game that isn’t even out, just a DEMO,” they added. Meanwhile, another user mentioned that they “can’t wait to never look back” and hope EA will “actually have to deliver” with InZOI rising as a competitor. “The fact that InZOI is still in development and already has HALF the features of the Sims 4 is insane,” one chimed in. Overall, players are glad that The Sims 4 is finally getting the competition it needs after years of waiting, and they look forward to the new rival’s launch. If you’re curious and want to try out the character studio to see what all the hype is about, you’ll want to act fast. It’s only available until August 25 at 9 PM PT.

Investors look to Ubisoft as game developer reportedly primed for private buyout Wikimedia CommonsUbisoft is the latest studio to face buyout rumors in the middle of the whirlwind of acquisitions in the gaming industry. Two private investors are reportedly interested in buying up the developer as their stock price falls. Ubisoft, originally started by five brothers from the Guillemot family, could join Bungie and Activision Blizzard in the recent tidal wave of major buyouts shaking up the gaming world. Ubisoft have had their hands in the creation of ground breaking titles since 1986, with the Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, and Tom Clancy franchises being wholly owned by the company. This is just the tip of the iceberg on the Ubisoft gaming package though. Rumors have been swirling around the company since February 2022 when the financial world was seen taking interest in the company. Multi-billion dollar investment firms Blackrock and KPP have started actively sniffing around the AAA gaming studio, according to a report by Bloomberg. The Ubisoft brand has long been fiercely defensive in maintaining a strong Guillemot family presence. The company has fought off buyout attempts previously, but a string of poor PR and bad decisions has left the company struggling. Internal instability has been paralleled with a growing distrust from gamers worldwide for Ubisoft’s attempts to incorporate NFTs into their gaming ecosystem as well as their lax anti-cheat systems. Read More: Everything we know about Ubisoft’s Project Q – The struggle surrounding Ubisoft means that any of the interested parties in the purchase of the company are getting an incredible deal on the gaming studio package. The company is now worth half of what it was in 2018, down from a stock price of $110 a share to under $50. Speculation has grown rampantly on Twitter around who might be making the purchase of the mammoth gaming studio, and what that shift of IP would do to the gaming landscape. In a response to Kotaku about the rumors, a Ubisoft rep said “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation.” Before continuing “we’re ideally positioned to capitalize on the rapid industry growth and platform opportunities that are emerging right now.”

Invincible’s Atom Eve gets her own game and episode Prime Video’s show ‘Invincible’ made a major impact at Comic-Con, announcing that Atom Eve will be receiving her own origin story special episode and a video game. Invincible took the world by storm after its release in 2021, instantly gaining high critical acclaim and strong viewership. The hit animated superhero series, based on the comic by Robert Kirkman, became immediately successful after its jaw-dropping first episode shocked audiences with violent themes. Fans continued to adore the show’s unique take on the superhero genre, combining heartful characters, such as main character Mark Grayson with constant R-rated and shocking fight scenes. Leading to fans craving more. Amazon has reveled in the show’s success, which was influenced by their 2019 release of ‘The Boys’, a similar R-rated non-animated superhero show whose colossal rise became one of Prime Video’s greatest successes. Prime Video listened to the fans screams and strong taste for R-rated superhero content by not only announcing Season Two is premiering on November 3, 2023, but also that Season 3 is coming, release date unknown. What about fan-favorite Atom Eve? Amazon have also took this one step further announcing an Invincible mobile game is in the works in partnership with leading developers Ubisoft. The game ‘Invincible: Guarding the Globe’ is said to be a squad-based RPG game that will be based around using a collection of Invincible’s key characters as they face off against enemies. Fan favorite ‘Atom Eve’ has had quite the week, with Amazon first launching a special episode able to be immediately streamed on Prime Video. The origin story episode focuses on her tragic family backstory and the events that lead up to her gaining her powers. See the trailer below. Surprisingly to fans, her own video game was also announced complete with its own exciting announcement trailer seen below. Releasing on Steam with a future release date to be announced, fans are able to play as Atom Eve ‘as she navigates with the Teen Team, her family and her friends while figuring out the best way to use her incredible powers as a force for good’, Skybound games state. The game is said to be an interactive graphic novel where players are able to control her decisions that directly impact the game’s outcomes, as well as during combat scenes wielding her remarkable powers against foes. Atom Eve fans will be able to bring the comic to life when the game launches in 2023, with no official date currently revealed. As Dexerto waits for more details, be sure to check out more information on everything announced at Comic-Con for Invincible by following the links below.

Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days blends two games together with a seamless undead twist PikPokInto the Dead: Our Darkest Days marks a considerable step up for New Zealand-based studio PikPok, but just from a brief demo with an early build, it’s clear these developers know exactly what they’re doing. A visually striking 2.5D sidescroller, a challenging undead threat, and an ever-growing community to keep satiated. It’s all shaping up to be a must-play title in 2024. Other than Nintendo’s ridiculously large presence at PAX Australia 2023, perhaps the most eye-grabbing booth housed none other than the latest Into the Dead. With eerie 1980s decor scattered around and a thin black curtain blocking the public off from the mysterious project behind, its imposing presentation helped draw hundreds of attendees through over the weekend. We at Dexerto were lucky enough to go hands-on with this standout indie title early into the convention and pick the brains of the team behind it. Even through just a brief taste of what’s essentially one-half of the full package, it left us wanting to start from scratch and play it all over. Thanks to its challenging gameplay and harrowing permadeath feature, one wrong move can spell doom in this zombie-infested sidescroller. But permadeath means so much more than just losing your resources. It means losing a member of your community. Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days merges two games in one On the show floor, PikPok’s demo focused on the more intense half of the game. Stealthily plodding through various ransacked districts in Walton City for any remaining valuables, our goal was to make it through a handful of levels back to back in order to reap the rewards. A goal we ultimately failed. Resources found along the way, such as loose materials, improvised weapons, and the like, all came in handy as we tried to stay on our own two feet against the ever-looming zombie threat. But as we quickly learned, just one undead foe is enough to ruin your day, let alone an entire horde sprinting after you. In this survival-oriented chunk of the experience, every step is crucial as all it takes is one wrong turn to see your character violently ripped to shreds. Here, zombies aren’t the typical brain-dead afterthought you can easily brush by. More in line with 28 Days Later, these zombies will run right at you and give you no time to breathe. Making matters worse, death can’t be undone. Once your character is gone, they’re gone for good. All the progress you’ve made now lost, any gathered resources left on the ground next to their corpse, and any emotional attachment now hitting harder than ever. We fell to this fate twice during the brief demo, and similar to the thrill of FromSoft games, trying to retrace your steps and gather loot from a fallen character is utterly exhilarating. Though this is only one part of the equation. See, Our Darkest Days blends its more traditional action-packed half with an entire other experience. When not out in the deadly ruins of a world undone, the title turns into a community sim-type game akin to Fallout Shelter. While we only got hands-on time with the first chunk, it was plain to see just how these two halves overlap and form one greater whole. It makes all the sense in the world to bring these unique ideas together and it seems PikPok is well on track to pulling it off. A community sim playing as both its inhabitants and their leader In a traditional sim game, your task is to expand your home base. Building out new rooms, gathering more members, and supporting a thriving community over time with all the usual resources. Keeping your crowd happy, ensuring they have enough to eat, and safeguarding them from the vicious undead are all paramount, as you would expect. Though in other similar titles, you often send your strongest community members out on missions. Whether it be to grow your influence, shut down a nearby threat, or simply gather resources, these tasks are often automated and take place offscreen. Here, picture the very same objectives though you’re in complete control of it all. Which characters you choose to take out into the punishing world is ultimately your call. Risk losing a beloved member of the community and it could come back to haunt you. Or throw a newcomer into the fire and your longstanding companions might start looking at you a little differently. It’s all set to build over a lengthy and highly replayable single-player narrative, one we can’t wait to get our hands on in the first half of 2024. For now, we’ll just have to keep thinking back on our terrible decisions that left two community members dead just inches apart from one another in the cold Texan streets. You can wishlist Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days here on Steam.

Interview: Warcraft Rumble devs explain name change, tease possible PC port, more BlizzardWarcraft Rumble is Blizzard’s newest real-time strategy title available on mobile devices. We spoke to Blizzard developers Tom Chilton and Vik Sarraf to learn more about the game’s recent soft launch and get a glimpse at their plans for the future as it heads toward its full release. Blizzard’s ever-expanding universe of games is growing once more with the soft launch of their newest title Warcraft Rumble. The real-time strategy title has launched in the Philippines, which the team has expressed their excitement for as a form of technical test for the full launch. “It’s exciting stuff. This step is always exciting because it’s usually one of the last steps you go through before going worldwide. Our launch in the Philippines is set out to be a technical test to just make sure everything’s working, gather some device-specific information since there’s a wide variety of device types in that market as well,” Saraf explained. The goal for the Warcraft Rumble team is to roll out to the other servers as soon as possible and continue to carry on from the beta, taking things they learned and gaining player feedback and insight. On top of this, the team wants to take the time to polish the game fully and place the final touches before its global release. Inspirations and learnings for Warcraft Rumble The Warcraft Rumble team was fortunate to have shared learnings from the teams at Call of Duty Mobile and King who have published a heap of mobile games before them. However, working at Blizzard puts the team into a rather unique position, as they need to be careful with well-beloved franchises like Warcraft and Diablo, and stay true to the game’s origins whilst keeping it fresh. “I think with Blizzard one thing that’s different is because we have such heralded franchises… there’s a balance which Tom alluded to before which is also understanding and recognizing that you have a passionate fan base that really cares about the games itself. “And you already have a lot of AAA development and design experience helps you know how to design games that have great moment-to-moment gameplay, and good core loops. So what you want to do is stay true to your roots as a game developer on these prized IPs but also be able to then take mobile’s best practices to make sense for you,” Saraf elaborated. Rumble without the Arclight One major change that dropped with the soft launch of Warcraft Rumble was the removal of Arclight in the game’s title. Originally the RTS was supposed to have the lengthy title of Warcraft Arclight Rumble, before the devs decided against it, thinking about what players would do. “Before we announced the game, we were trying to figure out, ‘Ok, what are all the different things that we feel like encapsulate what the game is, and which parts do we want to emphasize, and which parts do we think players are going to glom onto the most?’” Chilton recounted. The devs knew that players often like to shorten the names of video games, take World of Warcraft becoming WoW or Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft becoming just Hearthstone, as two key examples. So the team thought about a variety of different factors, including reducing the title’s length and shifting around where each word went. The Rumble team even thought about reducing the name down to just ‘War’ as players might just call it by its acronym, devs shared. The team, however, was still unsure even after thinking it out and decided to “beta test” the title as well. “Our kind of take on it was like, ‘Let’s come up with a name that has the different components that we think really work well with this game and in a sense beta test the name’… After doing that and watching what players grabbed onto, it became pretty clear that Warcraft Rumble was what resonated with players the most.” Warcraft Rumble’s future may include a PC launch Many Blizzard games have had their time on both the PC and mobile platforms. Games like Hearthstone have seen major success double dipping across the platforms, potentially paving a path to PCs for Warcraft Rumble. “We’ll have to wait and see in a lot of ways. It’ll kind of depend on what players want. If there’s a demand for PC, which there may well be, then that would be something that we pursue,” Chilton answered. The team explained how they felt Rumble was the opposite of Hearthstone in that way, which was originally ported to mobile after being developed for PC. “We were sort of the inverse of Hearthstone from the standpoint that Hearthstone was developed for PC first and then translated onto mobile. We’re kind of the reverse of that. The game’s always been functional on the PC insofar as we’ve developed it using Unity on the PC and all that kind of stuff.” Alongside this, the team explained that they don’t have any problems with players developing emulators to play it on their PCs and believe that it may potentially make its way to the PC in the future, but they don’t have anything for players on that front at the moment.

Interview with My Time at Sandrock Vice President Aaron Deng and Writer David Peck: Art direction & NPC creation PatheaDexerto spoke with Pathea Vice President Aaron Deng and My Time at Sandrock writer David Peck about the creation of the “My Time” sequel, and how the developers brought the new story to life. Currently, there are several slice-of-life and farming sims enjoying high popularity among gamers. However, none approach the genre quite like the “My Time” series. Pathea’s first project, My Time at Portia, offered a charming and uplifting look at a post-apocalyptic world – and My Time at Sandrock takes the wonder of the first game and builds on it for an even more enjoyable experience. My Time at Sandrock is set in a small, western-themed town filled with quirky NPCs and a charming storyline. Players spend their time fixing up their homestead, building useful devices to run their farms, and completing questlines for the town’s inhabitants. While not fully released, players will find My Time At Sandrock’s early access gameplay is rich with content, and it is easy to slip into the daily chores and exciting exploration for hours at a time. Dexerto has the opportunity to sit down with Aaron Deng and David Peck to talk about how the Pathea team infused color and vibrancy into a dusty, desert landscape, and how they took a simple slice-of-life idea and expanded it into a multi-game story in a brilliant and uplifting world. To get started, we asked Aaron and David about the process of developing a sequel to My Time at Portia, and what hurdles they had to overcome while creating My Time at Sandrock. David started out by saying: “I guess it’s always the uncertainty. Like, Portia itself was kind of a surprise hit, and we found ourselves in a position where it’s like, “wow, people actually like this game, and we have a company. We’re making this game.” “We wanted to do a lot more, especially with the character quests. We did a bunch of free updates for Portia and we were going to make a Sandrock DLC because it was on the map next to Portia, so some stuff is just sort of improvised – which can be nerve-wracking. But I guess at this point, looking back, we have a lot more confidence. You can kind of do anything if you do it right.” Aaron also had interesting thoughts on what is required to add another chapter to an already established world, adding: “This is exactly the biggest drawback of the design of the sequel in this series. So let’s look at this topic from several aspects. First, the game’s main core gameplay loop remains unchanged as the legacy of the first game in this series. Even now, based on the workshop operation, various things are being produced to liven up, the progress of the main story. Second, we specially chose the location of Sandrock so that players can feel the difference as soon as they enter the game. Sandrock is completely different from the Portia of the game world. Portia is close to the sea, has warm springs and flowers, is rich in natural vegetation and resources, and the greeny port city. Sandrock is surrounded by sand and rock, and the color is yellow. Therefore, the first time a player enters Sandrock, he will feel a very distinct difference between the two games.” Starting over doesn’t have to be depressing My Time at Sandrock continues an interesting narrative twist that was first introduced in My Time at Portia: life after an apocalyptic event. The main character and the NPCs living in the town are all rebuildings after a catastrophic event leveling the world. However, instead of gritty, collapsed societies, there is an optimistic air in the world as people rebuild. Animals scuttle through the sand and grass, the sky is wide and blue, and there is hope that despite what happened before the events of the story, the future will be promising for all still thriving. Curious, we asked why the Pathea team decided to take this approach, and how it influenced the writing of the story. David replied with: “It’s funny to say, what if we all died? But what if we all didn’t? We blew ourselves up and then we were like, okay, let’s never do that again and just explore that direction. What if we actually did pick ourselves back up? That’s kind of the angle we were going for. “We want to give the players the ability to feel like they’re making a difference. If you’re going to build stuff in a game, what’s cooler than rebuilding society to kind of be the hero of the universe? So, in a sense, the narrative is also based on making the gameplay, which is building stuff, feel more useful and important.” Creating the best options for players My Time at Sandrock has a particularly in-depth character creator for players to use. They can customize their hair and skin colors, pick fun eye shapes, and tailor their avatar to their own perfect slice-of-life persona. We asked the Pathea team what went into making this creator, and how they created such a diverse selection of options. Aaron starts by saying: “Most of the game’s main NPCs are romantic, so we’ll do our best to design a variety of characters that everyone will love. This process is very complicated. Basically, there are several personality types listed, from which you can choose the personality that suits the story background of the game and form your character. Age, identity, skin color, etc. should also be considered at this point.” David goes on to add: “I think this might be a simple take, but I think what happened with the characters is we just gave the art team a bunch of time and resources and told them just go nuts and never stop and never look back – and they just made a bunch of stuff. I remember going over there one time. They asked me to just take a look at some of the new stuff they were doing, and we have, like, lizard eyes, and I was like, “Guys, do we really need lizard eyes?” And they said “people like lizard eyes.” A team of writers brings Sandrock to life When talking about the development of My Time at Sandrock, we also asked David how the Pathea team has created such a warm and detailed narrative. He offered some introspective thoughts about the writing process for the game. “I actually applied to do the music but ended up starting to do the writing. Things were going pretty well, so we started looking for, like, a writing team. “I think it’s a delicate line to walk. We all have our different strengths and collaborating can be difficult because we’ll disagree. As a random piece of advice for anybody, when assembling a writing team, I think one of the most important things is to just be able to give and receive criticism in a respectful and humble way. To give respectfully and to receive humbly will get you a lot further because, at the end of the day, you will have a better story if it goes past everybody’s desk and people throw in this or that quip or this character seems a little weird here.” The insight both Aaron and David brought in regards to My Time at Sandrock’s creation is a great way for fans to understand how the “My Time” world is developed. It is truly a treat to know what went into making this slice-of-life adventure tick.

Interview: UFC 4 dev explains Submission change & Ultimate Team decision EA SPORTSThe closed beta didn’t provide the clearest picture of UFC 4. In an exclusive interview with Creative Director Brian Hayes, we quizzed the EA SPORTS dev lead on changes to submissions, their decision to scrap Ultimate Team, and more. This year is going to be a little different for UFC 4 players, with Career Mode getting the bulk of attention. The development team recognized that the majority of the playerbase actually use created characters rather than those on the in-game roster, which led to a huge shift in direction. Ultimate Team might be the crown jewel of FIFA and Madden, although it just didn’t quite work out for UFC. Now, players can’t play it anymore and a universal system has been introduced to allow us to collect rewards for our created fighter as time goes by, across all modes. It’s also different in the sense that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have been added to the mix. The popular boxers represent the UK heavyweight scene, but also represent EA’s intention to appeal to a much broader audience than the hardcore UFC fans – while staying true to its roots. UFC 4 closed beta and submissions The closed beta arrived and left in a short space of time. This was certainly confusing for some. Movement felt a little clunky and the design of some competitors looked off. It was still in beta though, after all. One of the main concerns from players were with submissions. This is a feature in the game that fans have wanted to see tweaked for a while, in order to make bouts that bit more competitive than they have been. Yet, it didn’t feel very balanced in the beta and this is something the team noticed right off the bat. “I felt the same way when I was playing the beta, and I was like ‘oh man, people are choking me out like crazy.’ So yeah, that’s exactly the kind of gameplay feedback we can see,” Hayes said, before agreeing it needed to be tuned for launch. There was a clear slant in the submission gameplay for the closed beta. By this we mean the attacker seemingly had an advantage. After the closed beta version was released and feedback poured in, it was clear to the devs that even more work was to be done. Hayes continued: “We actually already, prior to the beta being cut or branched from the main game, we had already tuned back a little bit from where submissions were in the beta. As a result of the beta, we’ve said yeah we probably need to tune back a little bit more. “That’s not to say that when the game comes out to launch, everybody will be like submissions are perfect, but they should be much better. The OP-ness of submissions for the attacker should be much better, but as with all games these days it’s something you continue to monitor and look at post-launch based on player feedback.” Ultimate Team in UFC Players that have sieved through Brian Hayes’ statement on major changes this year will have noticed a huge shift towards customization and Career Mode particularly. There’s a lot of information in there. A large percentage of the player base use Create-A-Fighter characters much more frequently than the fighters included in the roster. Having said that, Ultimate Team on the other hand, doesn’t appear to have resonated with the audience in recent times. It just hasn’t worked out in UFC and we can now confirm that there are no plans for it to return in the future. Hayes said: “The future right now for Ultimate Team, for UFC 4, is that there is no future. There is no Ultimate Team in EA SPORTS UFC 4. We actually did not continue with Ultimate Team as a feature, but what we did instead is try and create a different set of features that still hit some of the motivations that Ultimate Team does. “Where you can play the game, earn rewards or currency that allows you to get content to make your fighter better, was always a strange part of Ultimate Team for our game. One, it’s not a team. It’s a fighter,” he added. “There were definitely some challenges conceptually with how Ultimate Team fit with a 1v1 fighting game.” Appealing to casuals One of the things that makes MMA so interesting is that there’s a huge casual audience to be tapped into. There are no clubs or teams to root for every year, instead fighters come and go in terms of popularity. The inclusion of Fury and Joshua is an interesting one, as it follows on from previous moves. The UFC games have seen crossover with the likes of Bruce Lee in the past, proving to be super successful additions. This year, it’s all about big name boxers. When asked about why these two guys were chosen, Hayes said: “At the end of the day, we want to put fighters in the game that more people want to play with as much as possible. “There’s no guarantee that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are going to be them. But they’re pretty popular heavyweight boxers and heavyweight boxing is certainly making a resurgence these days so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re used quite often as well.” The list of changes is a long one this year for UFC 4, with feedback and stats being considered right across the board. If there’s one thing to learn from our interview with Brian Hayes, it’s that the development team are dead-set on appealing to a casual audience. At the same time, they are also tailoring many features to the hardcore fans. That’s their goal. MMA fans will be hoping this creates a best-of-both-worlds scenario for the next game. Many will also be expecting improvements on the closed beta for sure. There are submissions to be tweaked, big fighters to play with, and potentially a much more immersive look at the journey of a fighter in Career Mode right around the corner. UFC 4 releases on August 14 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC platforms. There are currently no plans to have the game release on next-gen.

Interview: TOVG crew outlines IndieLand 2023 & teases bright future ahead TOVG/ Sabotage StudiosThe indie game showcase IndieLand will be running for its seventh year in a row in 2023. We spoke to Jirard Khalil and Michael Barrye of TOVG about the shift for this year’s event, as well as what the team has planned for the future. The annual indie celebration run by the team at That One Video Gamer has come quite a long way since its origins in 2018. With 2023’s event still to come, the team is setting up a more refined and technical showcase this year, instead of looking to go overboard with what could end up as a messier show. One of the donation incentives for IndieLand 2019 was to host the event live. Though with the global crisis in 2020, this live iteration was pushed back to 2022. IndieLand was held in Los Angeles that year and proved to be a huge success. This year, however, TOVG announced that IndieLand 2023 would be an online-only event once again, with viewers able to ‘attend’ via streaming platforms like Twitch or YouTube. When asked about the reason behind this decision, Barrye spoke about wanting a “tighter, stellar show”, as opposed to breaking their limits. IndieLand in 2023 to be a “tighter” show overall “Jiard pulled me into his office and was like, hey Mikey, ‘I wanna talk about IndieLand. We’re doing too much, we have taken on so many projects this year…’ We’re not normally the type of people, for better or for worse, who recognize our limits,” Barrye said. “This was a time when Jirard was like, ‘we need to recognize our limits.’ Yes, we absolutely could have done the event again in person, however, all the things that we had talked about would not have necessarily manifested the way that we wanted them to.” “Based on everything that we currently have going on looking at the calendar, it will serve us better overall to put on a stellar, tighter show that is digital than a more bombastic and half-developed show.” Looking to the future of IndieLand Whilst IndieLand 2023 has been somewhat locked in, the TOVG team is already eyeing what’s to come, more than hopeful for the future of the event. “We would love to be comparable and in some ways, we kind of are like being The Game Awards and being able to break exclusives. Last year we presented the trailer for Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince. PlayTonic Friends provided us with the game trailer, so that was very, very exciting.” Alongside the opportunity to unveil indie games, the team is hoping to continue the trend of showcasing exclusive game builds specifically made for IndieLand as well. The team has “kicked around” several ideas, however much of them require large productions like game jams and conventions, which require bigger sums of money. “The reality is, is that we are self-funding and a lot of the self-funding that we do is dependent on how I do as the owner of a business,” Jirard explained. So, you know, if The Completionist has a good year, then sure, IndieLand will have a good year. If The Completionist doesn’t have a good year, then it’s digital.” Looking toward the future, however, Jirard would love for IndieLand to be the indie game reveal stream with world premieres aplenty, giving indie developers their time in the spotlight more than ever. Even if some changes do come in the future of IndieLand, the TOVG team would love to remain true to sharing visceral conversations with developers. “It’s the people who make these games, in this kind of Hot Ones exposure-esque format. They’re not really doing the hot sauce stuff, but the aspect of them just being so raw and real with themselves and us in the moment. To show us their heart and what they’ve been working on is a herculean task that only some can do. “The fact that we tell developers, ‘hey, you’re gonna come on and talk to The Completionist…’ one of two things happen. They go, ‘oh, holy crap, Jirard, The Completionist. That’s insane. I don’t wanna do that.’ “Or option two is, ‘I like that guy. I know who he is. Yeah, I’ll talk to Jirard, it sounds awesome.’” The largest hope for Jirard, however, is to make an impact that will hopefully inspire others to follow in his steps and honor the legacy of all they’ve done. “My motto in the company is that I am here in this space to make an impact and to make it so that when I am long gone from this industry, we will have made such a large impact that everyone who comes after us will honor what we’ve done with our legacy and continue to carry that torch that we’ve kind of established.” We interviewed the TOVG crew over a three-part series. You can catch up on Part 1 & Part 2 here. IndieLand will return on October 20 – 22 2023 and can be viewed on The Completionist Twitch channel.

Interview: TOVG details the highs and lows of beloved IndieLand event TOVG / Devolver DigitalRunning a large event like IndieLand for several years in a row has both its ups and downs. We spoke to the TOVG team about what they felt were the highs and lows of running their annual indie showcase. That One Video Game’s indie showcase IndieLand has come a long way since its inception back in 2018. Since that time, the team has learned a great deal about the purpose IndieLand serves, how to run the event itself, and how to evolve the formula each passing year. IndieLand has not been without its hiccups, however, but the payoff appears to be more than worth it for those producing the show. Fortunately, we were able to speak with Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil and Michael Barryte of TOVG to discover how they’ve navigated the ups and downs of IndieLand over the years. IndieLand as an annual celebration Since the initial launch back in 2018, IndieLand has seen both micro and macro changes, with the team iterating on what they found worked and what didn’t. “The biggest shift that we made back in 2020 was making sure that every game that we spotlight has a developer present, either virtually or in person,” Michael explained. “So we’re never showcasing a game unless we’re able to talk to the developer directly about the process of game development, which I think adds a lot to the experience overall.” Another major pattern found by the TOVG team was the community that only continued to grow around the event. When the ticketed iteration of IndieLand 2022 rolled around, that community was brought together in a physical manner. “All these developers were just hanging out and supporting one another, both during and after their time on, on and off the couch.” This became even more true when relationships formed between devs transpired beyond the event itself, creating a “burgeoning support system”. “Jirard and I went to GDC and PAX East earlier this year and devs who had met at IndieLand were talking like ‘Oh yeah, we’ve been hanging out and we now do all these things together,’” Michael happily recounted. Production-wise, Jirard spoke about how it was easier to get more talent and guests as time went on, as their numbers for the event slowly improved and the team had a more concrete idea of IndieLand’s position in the community. “We’ve had some fantastic celebrities stop by and be part of the show to some degree. We’ve had people like Jamie Lee Curtis, we’ve had Sisqó, we had several hosts last year, and AEW superstar Adam Cole was one of our hosts.” Despite the show’s growth, Jirard wasn’t entirely fixated on the amount of money raised. Instead, his measure of success comes from seeing people from all walks of life banding together to celebrate a cause. “It’s not about the number of money that we raised, you know, we could raise 10 bucks and I’d be delighted… it’s about the cause, but it’s also about giving the spotlight to developers who are struggling to get publishing funding.” Difficulties of hosting a large-scale indie-focused event It wasn’t all flowers and rainbows when it came to IndieLand, however, with the team at TOVG putting in immense effort just to get the show off the ground. From the creative director’s side, Michael explained how awful he felt saying no to various passionate devs along the way. “Every year, what inevitably happens is I say the schedule is locked, we’re good, and then Jirard or somebody else is like, ‘Oh my gosh, have you seen this game?’ And then I ‘go, yeah, we have to showcase it.’ “And so then we’re reconfiguring and sometimes it is just too late and it stinks to be the guy who’s saying ‘I think your game is incredible, but not right now’”. On the flip side, gaining sponsorship and potential partners for a charity event was a pain point for the entire team in previous years. This became even more frustrating when the team has to re-explain themselves each year over. “It’s been very frustrating and difficult to continue to build our Rolodex of sponsors and potential partners to work with. Even developers and publishers who we desire to bring to the show, every year we share with them our stats and we share with them what we do, and what we’re looking to do. We have to re-explain ourselves every single time.” Jirard coined this routine as a re-education process, speaking about how they need to constantly remind sponsors who they are, what the event is about, and explain to them how it’s all for a good cause. Without sponsorship, IndieLand costs Jirard a decent chunk of change from his own pocket, meaning its budget could be reliant on how well The Completionist does in his own right that calendar year. “It is truly a labor of love out of our own pockets. The amount of brands and companies that just are like ‘We don’t get it,’ but then turn around and sponsor someone else, is a bit frustrating, just because you know, all we’re asking is for a little respect, a little time,” Jirard lamented. Gratification of seeing IndieLand come together Even with the trials and tribulations of organizing IndieLand, both Michael and Jirard take away their own favorite experiences from the event, making it well worth it in the end. For Michael, it’s being able to store up huge surprising moments for Jirard and the audience who then get to experience it on the show. As creative director, Michael plays through the games to notify Jirard of which titles he should become familiar with, however, there are times when he’ll specifically withhold the game in order to save it for Jirard and the audience. “There are some games that I say Jirard, ‘You’re not allowed to play these games’ because there’s like a moment where something might happen and I don’t want that moment to be robbed from Jirard and the audience.” “Those are moments that I always enjoy, I don’t wanna say like manufacturing them. But knowing that there will be these great moments that the audience and the talent are going to get to have together. And that then kind of supercharges developers a little bit because they get to see these in real-time reactions to things that they’ve spent so much time on.” For Jirard, seeing the show help the developers who attended, be it in form of attention on social media of wishlists on Steam, that’s his main enjoyment of the event. “I think the thing that I love most about the show is seeing the amount of developers who reach out to us after who go, ‘I pay $10,000 to be hosted at a digital event through my PR company and I got two wishlists. You did your event and I at the very least got 500-2,000 wishlists.” A certain sense of pride comes about for Jirard when he’s able to see these indie games that were originally featured begin to flourish. “And to have that year after year, grow and grow, and see indie games that we featured years ago get Game of the Year awards accolades. To really form relationships with these developers and see their projects kind of come through, it’s almost like raising a kid and seeing it go off to school and go to college and graduate, right? You have this sense of pride.” It’s the fact that the team was able to give these developers the confidence and support they needed is what Jirard truly takes pleasure in when producing IndieLand from year to year. “Those relationships that we established with those developers and the support we provided them, gave them the confidence and the support they needed. And that’s the stuff that I love more than anything. Just because it’s not a transactional thing. Their hard work earned the success, they didn’t get to it because of us.” We interviewed the TOVG crew over a three-part series. You can catch up on Part 1 & Part 3 here. IndieLand will return on October 20 – 22 2023 and can be viewed on The Completionist Twitch channel.

Interview: Immortals of Aveum creator Bret Robbins delves into game’s unlikely creation Electronic Arts / Ascendant StudiosImmortals of Aveum is an extraordinarily ambitious undertaking from a brand-new team at Ascendant Studios. In an industry with ballooning budgets and sky-high expectations, bold new ideas rarely come to the table, at least not at the highest level of AAA game development. So how did Bret Robbins pull it off with his newly formed team? We went straight to the source to find out. After a few hours in the world of Aveum, a recent hands-on session left me awestruck not only at the game itself, but at the very fact such a bold project even came to fruition in the current landscape. As mentioned in our preview, new ideas backed by blockbuster budgets of this size are exceedingly rare in the gaming industry today given the inherent financial risks involved. An original IP with a unique gameplay framework around it bolstered by industry-leading production value is all but unheard of at the very top of the AAA space. So how did a newly formed team manage to break the mold and deliver just that? We were fortunate enough to sit down with veteran game director Bret Robbins to piece together the story behind its development. From the early days with just a handful of employees to years of full-tilt production with more than 100 staff members, here’s what we learned about Immortals of Aveum’s journey at Ascendant Studios. “Clarity of vision” over all else Throughout Robbins’ illustrious career leading titles like Dead Space and a number of popular entries in the Call of Duty franchise, one rule has always remained paramount: “Clarity of vision.” Ensuring every single developer has a clear understanding of the full picture is vital to the end product’s success, he explained. It’s a rule that carried through while building his very own studio at Ascendant, as Robbins knew exactly what game he wanted to make first, and made as much clear while hiring for the project. “If you look at the design documents and the story outline I wrote back then [five years ago], it’s pretty much [Immortals of Aveum]. “There were some core pillars I really wanted to do in the game. I wanted really interesting, spell-combining combat. I wanted a big epic story. I had a bunch of characters in mind that you now see. Once I brought my lead writer on, we definitely improved it quite a bit, but the skeleton of it was all there.” For half a decade, Robbins was steadfast in his commitment to the original vision. In turn, the dozens of developers joining his effort knew exactly what they were getting into. From the overall narrative to key gameplay systems, a great deal was mapped out from the very beginning. “The vision didn’t flip-flop and change,” he said. “No, this is gonna be a magic-shooter, cinematic experience, and we kept it true to that.” Though it’s worth bearing in mind, Aveum is no standard game. Unlike with previous titles he helped bring to market, games like Call of Duty where you had years of previous examples to rely on as a reference point, this new project didn’t quite have that luxury. After all, it’s an original universe that players navigate through an innovative mix of gameplay systems. So when recruiting for the Ascendant team, Robbins had to pitch the idea without any other real comparison to draw on. “For the very early people, I just had some design documents,” he described. When hiring the initial batch of employees, he relied on his own “60-page” brief along with “a bunch of images pulled from the internet. Here’s how the game could look.” As development progressed, however, visualizing the project during the hiring process became easier. With new prototypes and demos put together, the team would show these early glimpses during interviews and candidates “got really excited” at the prospect of working on something entirely fresh. “I was very fortunate with my hiring because people just wanted to work on something new. You don’t see a lot of new games at this budget level in the AAA space. People knew they could really leave their mark on it and be part of creating a new franchise.” A new studio with some bold ideas So with a story mapped out and a blueprint in mind for Immortals of Aveum’s overall structure, the team got to work back in 2018. What came first was essentially a full year of “experimenting,” Robbins explained, as the team went back and forth on the core gameplay loop. “Getting the core gameplay right and creating that foundation, honestly was the hardest part. For the first year or so, we tried a lot of things. We went down some strange roads that weren’t always the best. “About a year in I just decided, let’s get our fundamentals now. Let’s make sure this feels like a great shooter first, then we’ll put in all the other cool stuff we want to do. That resulted in a combat demo that I think was really, really strong.” Having now played through a bite-sized chunk of the game, there’s no denying the originality on display. While Immortals of Aveum feels like an expertly refined FPS in one moment, it morphs into an intense battle of strategy in the next as you survey the enemies ahead, consider your arsenal of magical abilities, and position yourself for the optimal onslaught. It’s an incredibly satisfying mix of familiar components that coalesce to create something entirely new. It’s this exact gameplay loop that landed Ascendant Studios a partnership with Electronic Arts, Robbins then revealed. After reaching out “very early on,” before a demo was ever made, EA was originally reluctant. Though a year later, after going hands-on and experiencing this new combat, “EA got really excited once they saw what it was. It was really the strength of that combat demo.” The possible genesis of gaming’s next big franchise What stood out most during not only this most recent hands-on preview, but also the virtual event before it, was the depth of Aveum. Decades of lore underpin the main narrative, with multiple warring factions all having their own motives. There’s no shortage of storytelling to be found in-game, so much so, I couldn’t help but feel this first release is just that, merely the beginning of something much larger. While falling under the EA Originals label, Robbins clarified the partnership is purely for marketing and publishing purposes. When all is said and done, “Ascendant owns the IP” and retains “complete creative control.” Thus, the ball is fully in their court when it comes to the future of their new release, and throughout the team, “there’s definitely no lack of ambition for what the future could hold.” Ultimately, as you might expect, it boils down to the reception of the first game, Robbins said. Should the debut title connect with an audience and make people “really fall in love with the world,” possibilities are seemingly endless for what comes next. “I’ve got a lot more stories to tell.” In fact, we even got Robbins to subtly confirm a lore book in the works, one to further expand the exciting universe. “There might be one in the works,” he said with a laugh. When Ascendant Studios was revealed to the world in 2019, Robbins made his lofty goals public. At the time, he said he wanted to make a “big game that’s right up there with the best games ever made.” Four years later, with Immortals of Aveum just weeks away from its July 20 release date, I ended our conversation by reminding Robbins of this objective and asking if he truly believes he’s accomplished what he set out to back then. “I do feel like this game is as good as any game out there,” he responded without hesitation. “I think it will absolutely blow people away. I am so proud of it. I think we’ve made something great.”

Interview: How the team at TOVG crafted IndieLand TOVGThe team at ThatOneVideoGamer (TOVG) has been highlighting up-and-coming indie games for five years now at their immensely popular IndieLand event. In an exclusive sit down with Dexerto, the crew gave us a behind-the-scenes look into the origins of what’s become a major annual celebration. One thing fans of the team at TOVG can all agree on is that they’re insanely passionate about video games. Not only do they have The Completionist run through a new game every week, but they go far beyond that with new projects and events constantly in the works too. One such project has been the long-running indie game showcase event, IndieLand. Since its inception in 2018, IndieLand has become a staple for devs and the community alike. As an ever-growing platform in which to showcase efforts on the dev side, and a place for fans to learn of new projects on the other, it’s become a notable date on the calendar each passing year. Dexerto spoke to TOVG Creative Director Michael Barryte and Founder Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil to understand more about the inner workings of running such a huge event each year. An Introduction to TOVG Before learning more about the event itself, we asked Jirard and Michael to give us a bit of history on the creation of TOVG and break down exactly what the team does. “I started TOVG back in 2011,” Jirard, more commonly known on the internet as The Completionist, said. “It was originally supposed to be a content creation hub of all my projects that I make and it quickly became The Completionist. Everything evolved from that.” Now 12 years on, TOVG continues to create videos for both The Completionist and Super Beard Bros, while also functioning as a content management team to boot. “We actually team up with content creators mostly on the European or international scale that might want to work in the [United States] and want to work with certain companies but don’t have all of the Visa stuff,” Jirard explained. The team at TOVG also helps manufacture merchandise as a “white label house” often helping content creators under their umbrella. Meet the TOVG crew Being a small team means those at TOVG often “wear many hats”, but each member is still responsible for their own role. As the CEO of the company, Jirard makes all of the calls financially, and most of the calls creatively. His brother Jacque Khalil currently works as CFO or as Jirard stated “the money man”. General Manager Frazier Perez-Yadon ensures that everything is fulfilled and taken care of from a business perspective. Next, we have the two creative directors with Michael Barryte and Alex Faciane who are responsible for The Completionist and Super Beard Bros respectively. Brett Bayonne also helps out with Super Beard Bros often appearing in episodes. From there, TOVG has a fair few editors and community managers, these being Megan Baldado who works on social media for The Completionist, and Beard Bros, Ted Coonradt, who edits and takes care of Patreon fulfillment, and Patrick Stenglein who edits for The Completionist. Cameron Daxon is the head of writing at the Completionist who also has two other freelancer writers Jeremy Hanna and Iszac Gaton to assist on that end. Finally, Shawn (JetPackBraggin) works on thumbnails and merchandise as an artist. Carlos Padilla creates the art for the ratings and end cards shown in The Completionist, and Josh Kotoff assists in managing the channel and acts as a SEO consultant. As you can see, it takes a village. Early Inspirations for TOVG Whilst IndieLand is presented and hosted by Jirard, he attributes the creation of the event to Michael, Frazier, and Alex who were originally inspired by Polaris’ Scare to Care, working under the Maker Studios banner. Jirard would end up attending Scare to Care and even hosted the event within the TOVG offices to help out in the background. Eventually, when Michael joined Jirard he came to learn about the 501(c)(3) in honor of his mother. This was one of the catalysts for inspiration when it came to creating IndieLand. “That then sort of triggered us to go, hey, we should be putting on a charity event that is serving this cause. It was two-pronged and it actually answered two questions,” Michael explained. “Jirard had been wanting to be more involved in the charity space first and foremost. He’d done a lot of charity work, but he didn’t have something that was his. “Then also on YouTube, it’s a sad reality, but indie games do not necessarily perform well as far as video SEO, and Jirard’s very passionate about indie games.” So together they decided to make what they considered a “unique cross-section” that spotlighted indie games while also raising money for dementia research. The very first IndieLand event This all culminated in 2018 when Frazier, Alex, and Michael got together and began spinning up the event with Jirard’s blessing. The name IndieLand originated from much loftier inspirations when originally putting the event together but was deemed far too difficult to realistically achieve. “Originally the first IndieLand we designed in blocks because this was before we had developers joining us in the room. “So we went, oh, this block of games is going to be incredibly hardcore, difficult games. So that was ‘Hardcore Harbor.’ We labeled it a location because we wanted to come up with some fun theming as to why is it this block.” Two years later, however, the idea of micro lands ended up being removed as scheduling developers from all over the world into a similar time block was basically impossible. However, the name IndieLand stuck. For IndieLand 2018, Jirard was able to call upon both Yacht Club Games and Way Forward to join the event, and when it was all said and done, the team was in agreeance. “When we got to the end of that first one, at the tail end of that marathon, we went, ‘yeah, we should do this all the time.’ It went really well. And so every year since, we’ve made a point to expand and elevate how we’re showcasing games, who we’re spotlighting, and the different that talent joins us.” So that’s the inside story on the foundation of IndieLand, but there’s plenty more to the story. Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3 of our exclusive interview series in the coming days. We interviewed the TOVG crew over a three-part series. You can catch up on Part 2 & Part 3 here. IndieLand will return on October 20 – 22 2023and can be viewed on The Completionist Twitch channel.

Interview: God of War Ragnarok’s biggest plot twist left Tyr voice actor fearing for his job Santa Monica StudioGod of War Ragnarok’s biggest plot twist briefly left voice actor Ben Prendergast fearing for his job. Here’s how the cast and dev team at Santa Monica Studio brought that moment to life. While the God of War franchise was once best known for its over-the-top violence and staggeringly ambitious boss fights, the rebooted Sony series has turned a new page. Now capturing the minds of players worldwide with its heartwrenching narrative and extraordinary performances, the Kratos-led games have never been more popular. It’s this pivot that earned the 2018 entry game of the year awards by the dozen and the same can be said of its 2022 sequel. One moment in particular from that most recent entry may even stand the test of time and be recognized as one of the all-time greatest plot twists in our industry. But exactly is it and how did it all come together? And why was the central voice actor behind it all left fearing for their job? We sat down with Ben Prendergast at PAX Australia to learn how this legendary moment came to life. Major spoiler warning for God of War Ragnarok. Do not continue reading this interview if you wish to experience the 2022 title with a fresh set of eyes. A “cold” first recording session on God of War Ragnarok When Aussie talent Ben Prendergast arrived on set in Santa Monica for the highly anticipated God of War sequel, two things stood out. Firstly how “intimidating” Christopher Judge was before they became good friends and even “golf buddies”. But secondly, just how “cold” most of the cast was to him. Breaking down the recording process on a AAA game of this magnitude, he outlined how the crew bands together for a full rehearsal day before any proper shoot. “There are no pickups,” as he put it, meaning there’s no room for mistakes on the day. Your takes have to be spot on. “When I went into the first session, I had this whole other take on Tyr that was slightly different,” Prendergast told us. “We did this whole rehearsal and it was a little bit cold. I felt it was a bit weird… I was like, wow, some of these people are really cold.” What he didn’t know was almost everyone else on the production had their reasons for being so frigid. After that unnerving first day of practice, Prendergast was only left more confused when Kratos himself, Judge, accidentally let slip not all is quite as it seems with his role. “We get to the shoot day, and Chris is like, ‘Oh, so you’re that guy…’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean? I’m Tyr, you’ve been through his temples, you’ve got his armor, what are you complaining about?” It didn’t take long from that point before the game’s director stepped in to explain just what was going on. Though for a few hours, the Tyr we all know and love today was fearing he might be replaced. Tyr briefly feared for his job “It got to the end of the first day and the director pulled me aside and wanted to have a meeting,” he said. “I’m like ‘Oh no, I’m being fired.’ I 100% thought I was being fired.” One of just a handful of cast members not clued into the shocking plot twist, it wasn’t until after he flew to sunny Los Angeles and made it through the first day of shooting that Prendergast learned of the truth behind his now doubly important role. “I go in, sit down, and they’re like ‘Look, we really have to tell you something… You are also Odin.’ “Wait…what do you mean?” he replied. “I thought that was [Richard] Schiff?” From there, it was off to the races, with Prendergast now fully aware of the scope of his performance. Not only was he responsible for bringing Tyr to life, but also for subtly representing Odin’s mannerisms and energy without going overboard. A delicate balance he was constantly trying to refine throughout the rest of the recording process. “I’m so thankful,” he continued. “They legitimately could have said nothing. But because they trusted in me being able to play both sides…” they clued him in early into the gig so it could help inform his direction, “which in the end became really important. “When you’re in a scene as Tyr, you’re also in a scene as Odin. They’re two different objectives. So it became a conversation after every take, we’d huddle up and ask ‘Is Odin doing enough of this? Is Tyr doing enough of that? Are players actually gonna cotton onto anything? “The whole time we were so afraid [of players catching on]. Tyr doing something too weird.” It’s clear now to everyone involved they did indeed strike that balance. Countless players were left stunned by the shocking revelation, and watching their reactions has now become a favorite form of entertainment for Prendergast. And while the events of Ragnarok post-Odin revelation seemingly set our characters off in a new direction, it appears there’s every chance Prendergast isn’t quite done with his work just yet. A few months prior to our conversation he teased we haven’t “seen the last of Tyr.”

Interview: Hi-Fi Rush director explains how game’s stealth drop was an immense success Tango GameworksHi-Fi Rush was suddenly announced during the January 2023 Xbox Dev Direct, stunning the world with its stealth drop. We sat down with the game’s director to understand more about the impact of this surprise release. During Xbox’s January 2023 Developer Direct, many fans came into the event knowing what games to expect on display. From Minecraft, Redfall, and Forza, the community mostly knew the score. However, something new stole the spotlight, a game that was suddenly revealed and released to unsuspecting players, Hi-Fi Rush. The rhythm action game caught the gaming world by storm, not only through its shock release, but with its unique musical combat and a complete departure from Tango Gameworks’ previous titles in The Evil Within and Ghostwire. It was shortly after its announcement at the Xbox Dev Direct when Hi-Fi Rush was made playable, to which many players and reviewers questioned why the devs would stealth drop such a unique and ambitious game so suddenly. Dexerto recently talked to John Johanas, director of Hi-Fi Rush, to ask why they decided on their Beyonce-esque stealth drop. Pushing back the announcement of Hi-Fi Rush “One thing that kind of prevented us from announcing it early,” Johanas began, was the ongoing global situation at the time, he explained. “Thinking of a good opportunity to show it off, there’s nothing. There’s no shows, there’s no chance to show it off.” So instead of rushing to reveal Hi-Fi Rush to the masses at a time when the world was locked down, the team kept pushing back its announcement. Ultimately, these delays pushed us rather close to the planned release of the game in full. “We knew we wanted to do a short release timing because [Hi-Fi Rush] was something so different from our studio. It’s very easy for people to misconstrue, or the perception to be weird,” he said. The director explained that because it was such a departure from their previous works, with The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo preceding it, they had a feeling the wider reception from the gaming world would be one of suspicion and doubt, which they wanted to minimize as much as possible. Thus, keeping it under wraps for so long was clearly by design. “They could say, ‘They made horror games, now they’re making this colorful action game, it’s probably going to be terrible. The music, I don’t get it.’ So we had to think about how we were going to market it and how we were going to get it across,” Johanas added. He revealed that the team had different ideas of how to announce it, but they kept running into the risk of gamers being instantly negative about the project, to the point the team decided to announce it as close to release as possible, the very same day, in fact. “The opportunity came up to do the [Xbox Dev Direct], and they said ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we could show it there and then release it very shortly after’, and then that turned into, ‘what if we released then?’” Naturally, if you put so much time and effort into a game, one Johanas described as his “dream game”, he and the team were naturally anxious about the public’s reaction, especially with a release cycle that was so fast, it could’ve gotten lost in the wave of other news from the show. But, as Johanas described, their PR and marketing team was confident in Hi-Fi Rush’s greatness, knowing the game was unique and that it would naturally attract fans from the get-go. “So the perception was just to get it out there. So if anyone is skeptical they can play it right away. It’s on Game Pass, so the barrier to entry is as low as possible.” There are always risks when shadow-dropping However, Hi-Fi Rush’s stealth drop wasn’t without its critiques. Many indie devs urged others to not follow in Tango’s footsteps as the chances of a game getting lost in the market increased. Johanas commented on the indie devs concerns, “I do think it is an inherently risky venture. Just like I said, it could have gone wrong for us as well. “But even though we stealth dropped it, we stealth dropped it in a major marketing beat for Microsoft, so it wasn’t like it appeared on Steam one day and no one knew what this thing was.” But Johanas said he feels that it’s completely fine to stealth drop a game, though devs should know the risks of doing so. “I wouldn’t say that no one should ever shadow drop a game, and we’ve seen since then titles get announced and say you can play it tomorrow, and that’s exciting. I think if you’re confident and you think you can pull it off, sure? But understand what risks you’re taking.”

Internet roasts Ubisoft’s NPC AI as “soulless” UbisoftUbisoft just showcased a prototype of its generative AI NPC technology, and the internet is roasting it as a “soulless” development. The chase for realism in video games has been a driving force of innovation in the industry ever since the beginning. This is what led to Unreal Engine’s stunning graphic fidelity, or the creation of VR to better immerse ourselves in the world of games. Ubisoft’s idea for greater realism is what’s now led us to the company’s new generative AI NPC called Project NEO NPC. This technological advancement was showcased for the first time at GDC 2024 on March 19. However, the idea of AI-generated NPCs hasn’t exactly gone over very well with most gamers on the internet. “So your games will be even more soulless? I thought that’s impossible,” a commenter wrote in response to Ubisoft’s tweet announcing the project. “They aren’t ‘really talking’ to you. You are setting up your game to be completely devoid of characters with any type of personality.” Others also decried the sidelining of writers with the new technology. “Nobody wants this except obsessive tech bros. How about paying writers to do something interesting and on-theme?” said one Twitter user. “Video games are a 200 billion dollar market. You can afford to pay writers and actors so there’s at least an ounce of art left in what is clearly just a money-grab product to you.” Despite the player concerns, it seems Ubisoft was already well aware of how controversial their AI NPC would be, or at least understanding that players wouldn’t take kindly to the idea. In their blog post delving into the project, the devs admitted that generative AI is a “hot topic of conversation in the video game industry”. However, the Ubisoft devs say that NEO NPC is ultimately still a prototype and needs a lot of work, before it reaches the market in any capacity. Though in funding this research, they see a future where AI and storytelling can somehow live side by side.

Interactive streamer game ‘Gamer Girl’ sparks backlash on social media FMV Future / Wales Interactive[jwplayer Y7PB7YwV]After being revealed on July 16, upcoming FMV title ‘Gamer Girl’ has sparked backlash on social media. Critics claim the interactive release is “dangerous” and making a “game” out of female streamers facing threats and harassment in real life. On July 16, ‘Gamer Girl’ was announced for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The thriller game aims to simulate the life of a female streamer who is faced with constant harassment from internet trolls. However, the interactive release was quickly met with backlash, with many disturbed by its subject matter. Responding to the controversy, developer FMV Future claims their project was meant to educate people on the serious issue. ‘Gamer Girl’ sparks backlash In Gamer Girl, players will take on the role of a moderator for fictional streamer ‘Abicake99’. The interactive game will allow people to make multiple choices, and the story has a multi-branch narrative. A day after it was announced, users took to social media to criticize the release. Twitter user ‘whatmelodywrote’ explained, “If you support the Gamer Girl game, you are turning a blind eye to actual female streamers experiencing actual harassment from actual people. THIS IS NOT A GAME, THESE ARE OUR LIVES AND REAL EXPERIENCES.” The user also linked to Twitch streamer ‘Sweet Anita’ who revealed that she’s been to the police to report a stalker that is threatening her in July. Other tweets criticized the developer’s alleged lack of diversity on their team, such as ‘Ani-Mia’ who said, “This is their team photo. Now it makes more sense how this messed up game made it into production.” Developer FMV Future responded to the backlash, when popular streamer Hannah Rutherford explained why she wouldn’t be playing the game in a tweet on July 16. “Best of luck with it, but as a streamer that was stalked for two years, I won’t be playing. Can’t put myself through that,” she said. Replying to her tweet, the developer stated, “Sorry to hear that. The reason why we created the game was to raise the issue of the toxic environment which can appear online, and how the support of a moderator can help. It’s real, and it’s still happening every day.” Twitter user ‘hidanielle’ responded to the team and raised concerns about the player controlling a moderator that saves the streamer. “Creepy obsessive men do not need more reasons and examples of how they can “rescue” women. The mod aspect of the game is one of the most egregious parts,” they said. Former Twitch staff member and streamer ‘ShannonZKiller’ agreed with the tweet. Twitch’s biggest female streamer Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys also gave her thoughts on Gamer Girl, and took shots at its trailer. “”Gamer Girl” > pretends to play scuffed mario kart for .2 seconds,” she joked. While the game has received intense backlash on social media so far, the producer ‘Wales Interactive’ claimed that Gamer Girl is a “empowering story of a female streamer who, with the help of a moderator friend, battles the trolls.” The studio also stated that the its story was co-written by actress Alexandra Burton who plays the streamer, and that she “improvised the entire script.” Regardless of how the game will be received in the long run, it’s certainly kicked off a debate about the dangers female streamers face in real life.

Internet mocks new PlayStation 5 Slim for looking identical to existing console SonySony has revealed new PlayStation 5 designs, and the Internet is largely roasting them for looking the same as the originals or worse. Following months of rumors, Sony has revealed two new PlayStation 5 models, one standard and one digital only. The main selling point of these consoles – which are set to become the new standard models once the current inventory is sold out – is their lighter and slimmer design. They also come with 1 TB of storage, an increase from the original’s 825 GB. While there are some improvements here, reactions to the PS5 redesign are pretty mixed to negative overall. PS5 slim design inspires some great memes Since the new PS5 design was unveiled, fans online have had some pretty funny reactions to it. Most have focused on the fact that the new consoles look pretty much exactly like the current PlayStation 5. In fairness to Sony, previous PlayStation mid-generation hardware revisions generally haven’t looked that different from the originals. Anyone expecting a complete overhaul was really bound to be disappointed. Still, the slimmer design makes the standard edition’s disc drive even more pronounced than that of the original. Others have pointed out that the announcement comes at a time when the future of PlayStation 5 exclusives is largely a mystery. Outside of this month’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and next year’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth from Square Enix, we don’t really know what Sony has in store. On top of that, most PlayStation games this generation are either cross-gen releases or have been ported to PC. As some have joked, the PS5 has almost as many console editions as it does exclusives. Though the additional storage and smaller design may be good news for those who haven’t yet purchased a PlayStation 5, it seems the redesign isn’t going to encourage many gamers to switch to the new hardware.

Insomniac’s Wolverine game reportedly set before Logan’s X-Men days Marvel Games/SonyA new rumor claims Insomniac Games’ eagerly-anticipated Wolverine game may take place before Logan teams up with the X-Men. An Insomniac-developed Wolverine adventure constituted one of the many surprises during PlayStation’s September 2021 showcase. But apart from a few minor teases here and there, details about the game remain scarce at best. The premise and basic character-related information have yet to surface, for example. And the original teaser is all that anyone’s seen of the project, thus far. However, new insight from a trusted industry insider suggests Wolverine’s classic lone-wolf routine will reign supreme in the Insomniac title. Insomniac’s Wolverine game set before Logan’s X-Men adventures In a recent Game Mess Mornings stream for Giant Bomb, reporter Jeff Grubb shared fresh details allegedly tied to Marvel’s Wolverine. According to the insider, Insomniac is targeting an M-rated game, one that could feature dismemberment. The team’s also steering clear of anything related to Fox’s X-Men movie franchise. “They want it to stand on its own,” he said. Grubb added that he’s heard the game will center around Wolverine’s pre-X-Men adventures. For now, though, additional details regarding the setting elude the reporter. Regarding release plans, Grubb claimed “two different dates” have been shared with him. Insomniac’s Wolverine game could hit stores “as early as fall 2024.” Supposed internal talks also pinpoint 2025 as the targeted launch window. A 2024 launch would be a quick turnaround given the scheduled 2023 rollout for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. But it wouldn’t mark the first time Insomniac’s shipped two major PS5 titles in a 12-month timespan. The studio deployed Miles Morales in November 2020, then unleashed Ratched & Clank: Rift Apart that following June. Either way, an M-rated Wolverine adventure set before his X-Men days seems ideal for the character’s return to leading a solo game. Logan hasn’t starred in an interactive experience all his own since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He’s long overdue for another stab at leading the charge.

Insomniac hacker leaks Wolverine gameplay in major ransomware attack Insomniac GamesInsomniac Games’ upcoming Wolverine PS5 game has just been hit with a huge wave of leaks, with ransomware hackers revealing gameplay footage, the full cast, and more. Insomniac Games has just been the victim of a massive ransomware attack with footage and plot details for their next big project, Wolverine, being shared online. The devs have found themselves on the resurgence after finding massive success with their recent Spider-Man games. Set to follow this year’s Spider-Man 2, we knew a Wolverine project was in the works, however, beyond a brief teaser trailer, not much had been revealed or shown about the upcoming game. That is until this news surfaced online on December 18, 2023, via a ransomware group trying to extort money from Insomniac. Cyberdaily (via IGN) reported comments from the group, called Rhysidia, which said: “Yes, we knew who we were attacking. We knew that developers making games like this would be an easy target. We were able to get the domain administrator within 20–25 minutes of hacking the network.” The group also confirmed they were solely concerned about financial gain. Wolverine details are out there so be warned The leak included over 1.5 terabytes of information, including incomplete gameplay footage, details about the story, characters, and voice cast, as well as admin documents about Insomniac and employees. It was revealed that the game was internally aiming for a 2026 release, which is likely later than most would be hoping. However, it’s not clear if this leak could affect the release date further, which is a distinct possibility. Unsurprisingly, there are also plans for the game to lead into the bigger Marvel’s Spider-Man story, and the broader Marvel universe even more. We know from the information that Wolverine will travel to various countries with playable areas throughout the game, and it will be a third-person action game. We will not be revealing further information about the leak or its contents in this story. For all the latest gaming news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

Insomniac shoots down rumors of Spider-Man: Miles Morales PC release Insomniac Games/Marvel/SonyA PlayStation Store ad for Spider-Man: Miles Morales sparked rumors that the PS4/PS5 title would be coming to PC, but Insomniac has confirmed that there are no such plans to bring the game to the platform. With the release of games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Death Stranding on PC, many gamers were hoping Sony was finally allowing their exclusive titles to eventually release elsewhere and that more would follow. Sadly, since then, that hasn’t been the case. Pretty much no other game has made its way to PC other than Detroit: Become Human and a couple of others. Despite this, people on Twitter were convinced that Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the follow-up to 2019’s critically acclaimed title Marvel’s Spider-Man, would be coming to PC after its PS4 and PS5 release. Now, Insomniac Games says that rumor was false. Spiderman Miles Morales is coming to PC 👀 pic.twitter.com/8mNSYL3dIM — JayRock (@JAAY_ROCK_) November 17, 2020 In a response on Twitter, James Stevenson, the Community Director at Insomniac, confirmed that there are “no plans to bring it to PC.” His response to a fan who posted the ad effectively shut down any further rumor or speculation. The image that Stevenson was responding to was a photo of a banner in PlayStation 5’s shop. The advertisement shows Miles Morales but the fine print clearly says it’s “not available on other consoles for a limited time. Also available on PC.” This obviously confused some fans, considering Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the headlining title for the PlayStation 5 launch. Sony isn’t likely to move its premier game to “other consoles” in the near future. That’s a mistake with their template. We have no plans to bring it to PC. — James Stevenson (@JamesStevenson) November 17, 2020 That being said, it’s worth noting that this may only be the case as of right now. Miles Morales still has a chance to come to PC, just like any other Sony exclusive. At one point it was thought that PC releases for games like Horizon Zero Dawn were impossible, but it’s now available on the platform long after its initial launch. Still, considering Stevenson works for Insomniac this is as close as we’re going to get to official word from Sony or their partners.

Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine: Trailer, platforms & everything we know Insomniac Games/MarvelInsomniac Games is one of the big players within gaming, developing major titles such as Spider-Man and Ratchet and Clank, and they’ll now be turning their attention to another Marvel character, Wolverine. With Spider-Man releasing on PC thanks to Sony and Insomniac games, new major titles based on your favorite heroes are being announced everywhere. One such title is the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine game that was announced in 2021. With the release of the reveal trailer and hype beginning to emerge, players are already searching for more information well ahead of launch. Here’s all we know about Marvel’s Wolverine from Insomniac Games. Contents Marvel’s Wolverine Trailer and Leaks – Is there a Wolverine release date yet? – What platforms will Wolverine be on? – What do we know about Insomniac’s Wolverine story? – Wolverine Trailer and Leaks If you haven’t seen the trailer for the new Wolverine title, you can view it below: Additionally, Mike Yosh, developer, and lead animator for Wolverine posted this enigmatic image to Twitter. It appears motion capture was underway as early as April 2022, perhaps indicating the game is well into development. Following on from a GDC 2019 talk where Insomniac Games declared they don’t work on mo-cap until after a script is done, it’s a solid indication the game is running to schedule. So peaceful and quiet, ….it will not be like this for long pic.twitter.com/JvPzfPlEvS — Mike Yosh (@Mike_Yosh) April 21, 2022 Is there a Wolverine release date yet? Currently, there is no announced release date for Wolverine. However, Insomniac has revealed that the game was in very early development when it was revealed. But they’ve also stated that “Marvel’s Wolverine is a standalone game being directed by Brian Horton (creative director) and Cameron Christian (game director), who recently led the creative efforts on Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, a game we’re extremely proud of at Insomniac.” The latest reports point to a release between 2024-2025, putting it at least one year behind the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. What platforms will Wolverine be on? Wolverine will be available on the PS5 due to Insomniac Games being a Sony first-party studio. In a PlayStation development blog post announcing the release of the game, it stated “Veteran developer Insomniac Games creating two new titles for PlayStation 5 consoles”. Additionally, all announcements have been made with the #WolverinePS5 tag on Twitter. What do we know about the story of Insomniac’s Wolverine game? Obviously, given it’s still very early days yet, plot details remain scarce. However, reports from industry insider Jeff Grub claim the title is far more adult-oriented than Insomniac’s Spider-Man game. Specifically, the game is allegedly targeting an M-rating, with a gameplay system that could even feature dismemberment. According to the same reports, the game will seemingly focus on Wolverine before his time with the X-Men. Though exactly when we pick things up or which other Marvel characters get involved all still remains to be seen for now. For more on other upcoming releases, be sure to check out our hub pages for the following: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Spider-Man 2 | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild seque

Insiders tease Silent Hill PS5 reboot announcement at The Game Awards KonamiFans of the Konami classic Silent Hill may finally get their chance to revisit the iconic horror franchise on the PlayStation 5 if some new rumors turn out to be correct. Talk of a new Silent Hill reboot coming to PS5 first began when business analyst Roberto Serrano posted what he had been hearing to Twitter. “Rumor,” he began including the emoji of two big eyes. “12.10 The Game Awards – World Premiere. Konami. PS5. Silent Hill.” The Game Awards often features trailers and announcements of major games, so it would be prime reveal territory. Included in the tweet was a picture of TGA’s logo along with a makeshift Silent Hill poster. “Picture not representative of any official announcement,” he further added. https://twitter.com/geronimo_73/status/1322454498921644033 While this rumor by itself may not mean too much, another insider in the form of KatharsisT on Resetera also voiced her opinion on whether or not we’ll see an announcement. “I would expect something if I were you. I think it’s better not to wait until 2021,” she said, suggesting that a reveal would come before the end of the year. “I’m not saying we will have something during the Game Awards, just that I expect something.” She and Serrano are not the only two to hear rumblings about a Silent Hill reboot either. The website Rely On Horror has claimed that the news “lines up with some information we received a little while back but chose not to report on.” KatharsisT went on to state on Resetera that she was not Rely On Horror’s source, but she had heard of extremely similar discussions. “So we’re at least 3 sources who’ve heard the same thing,” she noted. Of course, take this all with a grain of salt, but having Silent Hill return to form on PlayStation 5 would be amazing, especially as we haven’t gotten anything from the franchise in years. The last time we had anything playable in the form of Silent Hill, it was with the form of a playable teaser dubbed P.T. for the canceled Silent Hills back in 2014.

Insomniac finally responds to massive data breach and Wolverine leaks Insomniac GamesInsomniac Games has finally issued a statement on the massive data breach that leaked of their upcoming games. Earlier this week, Insomniac Games, the developers behind PlayStation’s Spider-Man games and Ratchet & Clank were hacked. Individuals breached company documents, stole sensitive employee data, and took gameplay files. The group then went after Insomniac and threatened to leak the data unless they were paid a ransom. When Insomniac refused, the hackers spent no time leaking all the gameplay and crucial info about the upcoming titles on the internet. What followed was social media chaos with fans sharing the Wolverine footage all over the internet. Well, Insomniac has now broken its silence and issued a statement. Insomniac issues formal response on the data leak situation Insomniac Games has now posted its thoughts on X surrounding the Wolverine PS5 game leak and the data breach. To begin with they thanked their community for standing by them and supporting them throughout the situation. The statement goes on to explain how the criminal cyberattack on the studio has taken an emotional toll on the dev team and how they are supporting one another. The statement also reveals that stolen data includes personal information belonging to Insomniac employees, former employees, and individual contractors, alongside the obvious Wolverine game early development details. Currently, the team has been at work to determine and check the impacted data. However, they ended their statement with a hopeful note and said, “Like Logan, Insomniac is resilient. Marvel’s Wolverine continues as planned. The game is in early production and will no doubt greatly evolve throughout development, as do all our plans.” They continued, “We will share official information about Marvel’s Wolverine when the time is right” and ended their statement with a thank you note to the community. While Marvel’s Wolverine PS5 is still under development at Insomniac Games, you can check out our coverage for similar games by the studio — like the Spider-Man series right here at Dexerto.

Insiders leak more Nintendo E3 plans & Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 release NintendoAs E3 2021 fast approaches, some Nintendo insiders have revealed more of the company’s plans for the event including what to expect regarding the long-anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. E3 2021 will be an all-digital event, featuring some of gaming’s biggest companies including Microsoft, Ubisoft, Konami, Capcom, and of course, Nintendo. With so many eyes tuned in for announcements, we can expect some big news to drop. As Dexerto previously reported, leaker SamusHunter claims that Nintendo will have some Smash Ultimate and Breath of the Wild 2 news at E3 and now, more of the company’s plans have surfaced. Prominent insider Jeff Grubb posted on the Resetera forums that Nintendo will be announcing its plans by the end of May – specifically in the last full week of the month. “Probably not next week, but the week after,” he said on May 13. Elsewhere, on Twitter, he suggested that BOTW 2 could be creeping up on Horizon Forbidden West’s release date in the form of a meme. Even though the Horizon Zero Dawn sequel doesn’t have a release date set, it is expected to release in 2021. The fact that Zelda could be occupying that spot as well implies Breath of the Wild 2 is actually coming out this year. However, this does contradict fellow leaker Zippo who wrote on his blog that the sequel won’t be releasing in 2021. “If any Nintendo game was affected by the pandemic, it was this one. From what I heard, the game is nearing completion, but a release by the end of the year just isn’t seeming feasible,” he wrote. “The game needs a bit more time, and with the last year in mind, that’s entirely understandable.” SamusHunter2 also addressed Zippo’s claims on Twitter writing: “The title is planned for this year but as I’ve always said, developers aren’t given a defined time/budget until they’re satisfied with the quality they’ve achieved.” Surely it was also one of the titles on which they worked hardest to reduce as much as possible the delay covid programming side — Samus Hunter | Nintendo Leak and News Inside (@SamusHunter2) May 14, 2021 Not much is known about the BOTW sequel, including its full name, but considering how it helped launch the Switch as cross-gen title with the Wii, it’s possible the same could happen if Nintendo plans on releasing a Switch Pro around the same time. It’s also possible that Horizon is being delayed to 2022 and that’s where it could find itself competing with BOTW 2 in the future. Finally, the two also dug into the possibility of a new Mario Kart and it doesn’t seem like Mario Kart 9 will be next in line, but something a bit different. MARIO KART As said so many times, I’m not convinced Nintendo is working on a direct sequel to MK8DX, they definitely have plans in the future with the Smartphone title as well. As for what Yabuki’s team is working on, I still don’t have any specific details.— Samus Hunter | Nintendo Leak and News Inside (@SamusHunter2) May 14, 2021 “I’ve heard multiple times that Yabuki’s team are hard at work on a new Mario Kart of some sort, and have been for the last 3 years. I also made sure to specify that this project wasn’t Mario Kart Tour, Live Circuit or the Universal theme park ride,” Zippo claimed. Meanwhile, SamusHunter backed this up stating that while they’re “not convinced Nintendo is working on a direct sequel to MK8DX” they do “have plans in the future with the Smartphone title as well.” It will be interesting to see what ends up transpiring come June 12 and Nintendo finally shows its hands. Luckily, we don’t have that much longer to wait!

Insider hints that Bethesda will delay Starfield after Deathloop BethesdaIt seems like Deathloop will be far from the only Bethesda game delayed in 2021, as the major studio appears to be gearing up to announce that Starfield won’t release this year. On Thursday, April 8, Bethesda revealed that Deathloop would have its release date pushed back a few months from May to September to make sure the team had ample time to complete the game. Now, according to former Game Informer and Fanbyte journalist Imran Khan, Starfield will be the next game to be delayed. In a tweet, Khan addressed the Deathloop delay and posted a screenshot to an article he had written about how the global health issue had impacted game development and the industry. https://twitter.com/IdleSloth84/status/1380386836007247873? “I’ll point out this part of my recent piece. I’ll probably point to it several more times this year,” he captioned the screengrab. In this part of the article, a developer expresses concern that the industry will be reeling from the global health crisis for years. “The truth is, players aren’t going to get every video game we — we, as in every developer — want to put out this year,” the dev remarked. “That sucks, but it’s the truth. We don’t want to put out a mess, we want to put out the best games we can, and we’re moving at three-quarters speed on average days and way less on bad days.” Idle Sloth, another insider, has backed up that Khan was speaking to a Bethesda employee. In particular, in regards to players not playing every game they want to put out this year, he says was a direct reference to Starfield. Starfield is set to be a massive RPG. It was first announced way back at E3 2018 and was set to be the company’s first new IP in 25 years. It’s not clear yet when or if Bethesda will announce a Starfield delay, especially as the game does not yet have a release yet, but some were anticipating a hopeful 2021 release. That, however, seems unlikely given these recent developments.

Insider claims PlayStation’s rival to Xbox Game Pass is “close to launching” PlayStation, MicrosoftPlayStation Plus has been rumored to launch a service to compete with Xbox Game Pass, and now, the exciting project could be close to an official reveal. Xbox Games Pass continues to impress players with its superb array of games. Mixing both new and beloved classics together, PlayStation players have been pining for a similar implementation for PlayStation Plus. Rumors of PlayStation’s ‘Project Spartacus’ project have been circulating for a while, but according to GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb, the wait might not be for much longer. PlayStation’s ‘Project Spartacus’ is “close to launching” During his premium GiantBomb show Grubbsnax, GameBeat’s Jeff Grubb revealed that he had obtained fresh information regarding PlayStation’s ‘Project Spartacus.’ While the Game Pass-style service has yet to be officially announced, Grubb explained: “It’s probably getting pretty close to this actually launching, something’s probably going to happen by the end of this month.” “I don’t think that necessarily means publicly, I think in terms of the internal milestone of where the service needs to be” added Grubb. Players have been pondering on PlayStation Plus would incorporate the service, and it seems that ‘Project Spartacus’ will opt for a tiered subscription model. Grubb said that “Right now they are called essential, extra, and premium.” “Pricing is $10 a month for essential, $13 a month for extra, and $16 a month for premium” continued Grubb. However, these prices may just be a “placeholder” as PlayStation works on the service. While Xbox Game Pass allows players to download full games, it appears that PlayStation’s rival service may not offer that luxury initially: “For premium, $16 a month… do you get full games? Not really, kinda… it’s like EA Play. You get full game trials. I don’t know if that’s for every single game that comes out, but it seems like that.” Interestingly, Grubb did mention that ‘Project Spartacus’ could look to have a focus on “classic games,” but clarified he doesn’t exactly know “what classic games means” in the context of the service. The ‘extra’ tier will allegedly feature downloadable games from PS Now too: “250, 300 games, something like that. You don’t get cloud streaming, but you do get 300 games you can download.” With Xbox Game Pass offering access to the biggest games on the day of release, PlayStation’s service will need to pull out all the stops to make it a worthy contender.

Insider claims UFC 5 coming in 2023 with Fight Night reboot delayed EA SPORTSIndustry insider Tom Henderson has reported that UFC 5 will be released in 2023 and says the game’s development caused the long-rumored reboot of the Fight Night franchise to be put on pause. The UFC franchise has been a big one for EA Sports. Back at release, UFC 4 ranked as the second-highest selling game of the month in August, losing only to another EA juggernaut in Madden 21. While you might expect that kind of success to immediately warrant development for a sequel, the MMA franchise has never been one to go gung-ho with releases. It has been over a year and a half since the release of its predecessor, and this is the first real news fans have heard about UFC 5. UFC 5 could be arriving in 2023 at the expense of a Fight Night reboot In a series of tweets, Henderson announced that the game could arrive as early as summer 2023, making it nearly three years from the release of UFC 4. “UFC 5 is summer 23 I believe. A Fight Night reboot had to be *paused* for it.” UFC 5 is summer 23 I believe. A Fight Night reboot had to be *paused* for it 😭 https://t.co/qJNmCBY00N — Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) May 10, 2022 He initially claimed that the newest Fight Night installment had to be shut down for this to happen, but he later clarified that it has only been paused and that there’s still hope that development could continue. If his sources are correct, this would be the first entry to the boxing franchise since 2011’s Fight Night Champion which drew high praise for its tight controls and an inventive new story mode. While it might not be the kind of news that fans of either franchise were after, at least there’s still hope that two iconic combat sports games could be coming down the pipeline.

Insider claims next Deus Ex focused on being what “Cyberpunk 2077 couldn’t” Embracer GroupAn insider has claimed that Deus Ex developers Eidos Montreal are gunning for the next Deus Ex game to deliver on the fantasy of what Cyberpunk 2077 wasn’t able to. The future of the Deus Ex franchise could be looking quite bright. In May 2022, Embrace Group acquired the Deux Ex franchise and developer Eidos Montreal, from Square Enix and tons of other properties in a massive $300 million deal. Since then, Embracer has promised that a new Deus Ex game will be on the way as the series hasn’t had a main installment in six years. Now, an industry insider claims Eidos has huge ambitions for the next Deus Ex. Industry insider reveals info on new Deus Ex game GiantBomb’s Jeff Grubb shared that the Deus Ex franchise has set its expectations high now that the series will be revived post-Square Enix sale. He said, “They want to do what Cyberpunk 2077 couldn’t, that’s the word going around.” Grubb also said it’s “so early” in the development process as it’s only been three months since the Embracer acquisition was announced. He also added that there was “no possibility for that conversation to even begin under the current Square Enix.” With a shift over to a new publisher, Deus Ex and the Tomb Raider franchise could return in a big way. Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most hyped gaming releases of all time, but after multiple delays, failed to meet expectations when it finally did launch in December 2020. Now, Eidos Montreal believes they can deliver what CD Projekt couldn’t.

Insane Liz Katz Borderlands 3 cosplay is the best thing you’ll see today Instagram: @lizkatzofficial / Gearbox Software / 2K GamesCosplay aficionado Liz Katz has created an incredible Borderlands 3 cosplay that will blow your mind with its accuracy and precision. The third instalment of the hit Borderlands series finally arrived on September 13, and fans have been going crazy for it ever since, especially since it contains a bunch of pop culture references such as Rick & Morty, One Punch Man, and even an homage to Twitch star Dr Disrespect. Talented cosplayer Liz Katz has also jumped aboard the BL3 hype train, and debuted an amazing outfit that is so incredibly accurate, it looks like she stepped right out of the game itself. A spot-on Borderlands 3 cosplay On September 18, Katz uploaded a lengthy clip to Twitter where she showed off her rendition of a Psycho from the looter shooter, who is one of the game’s most iconic characters. Shot by Los Angeles-based videographer ‘EccentricErick’, the video wasted no time in showcasing all of the cosplay’s intricate details, from the cel-shaded body and clothing paint, to an accurate recreation of the character’s deadly Buzz Axe weapon. Read More: Borderlands 3: How to get the LoTR shotgun – The cosplayer even sports a spot-on Psycho mask with piercing light-up eyes, which looks like it could have been sucked straight from the game and put into real life – it’s that detailed. To top it all off, the clip seems to have been shot in some sort of industrial setting, which really helps to tie the whole aesthetic together to make it look as real as possible. Blow me up, buttercup. You’re a vault hunter minding your own business until you see this. Tell me your main and what you think happens next. Video @EccentricErick #borderlands #psychocosplay #gearbox pic.twitter.com/nKEIArkAXP— Liz Katz (@LizKatzOfficial) September 18, 2019 Liz Katz is actually in Borderlands 3 The 31-year-old actually made her video game debut with Borderlands 3 as she plays a small voice acting role as a side character called ‘Bloodshine’. Bloodshine is a murderous Psycho who players encounter in the Proof of Wife sidequest in Lectra City after completing the ‘Kill Killavolt’ substory. In the mission, which can be picked up from the Lectra City bounty board, the foe’s lover asks for help in rescuing their beau in exchange for a hostage they’ve captured – and it turns deadly. Read More: Blind cosplayer wows Borderlands 3 fans – While the model only has a small role, she smashes the part, and her Psycho cosplay just goes to show how much she loves the looter shooter series. Liz Katz is one of the internet’s best-known cosplayers with over a million followers across her social media accounts as of September 18.

Insider claims Dead Space devs are working on EA’s Iron Man game Crystal Dynamics, MarvelDead Space developers are allegedly moving onto EA’s rumored Iron Man game, which could be released before an additional Black Panther open-world project. During the Marvel and Disney Games Showcase on September 9, players were treated to the first glimpse of Skydance’s new Marvel project, which stars the likes of Captain America and Black Panther. However, some anticipated the reveal of another Marvel hero due to get their chance in the limelight of gaming again. In August, rumors of a new Iron Man game began to circulate, that would come from Electronic Arts in the future. This project is also in development alongside a Black Panther open-world title too. Details of the Marvel game were light, but now GamesBeat journalist and known leaker Jeff Grubb claims that the project should have been teased during Disney D23 expo. Jeff Grubb on EA’s Iron Man game: “It’s coming before Black Panther” While the alleged Marvel project didn’t make an appearance at Disney’s D23 Expo, GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb said on social media that “you shouldn’t have to wait much longer to hear about it, but you will have to wait to play it.” The project will reportedly hit shelves before EA’s other superhero project too: “It’s coming before Black Panther.” Alongside his claims, Grubb also alleged that Dead Space developers Motive will be moving onto Iron Man once they’ve wrapped up the upcoming remake. “Motive is doing Iron Man after Dead Space. A team of former Shadow of Mordor devs will make Black Panther.” This leak was corroborated by a source at Axios, according to a report obtained by Gamespot: “an Axios source familiar with the project says it had still been in development recently at one of the company’s Canadian studios.” Motive are based in Montreal, Canada and have previously worked on Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Star Wars: Squadrons. With the absence of EA Play Live this year, the reveal of EA’s Marvel titles remains under wraps.

Insane Genshin Impact trick lets players sprint up cliffs miHoYoGenshin Impact players are continually finding new and exciting ways to make their travels across Teyvat easier. After all, traversing miHoYo’s vast open-world can take a long time. Find out how you can climb forever with this handy stamina trick. There’s nothing worse in Genshin Impact than climbing up a cliff in order to reach the treasures above, only to find that your energy is about to run out. As you hurtle towards the ground, you’re simply left with the bitter realization that you’ll need to upgrade your stamina bar. Unfortunately, securing all of the game’s Anemoculus and Geoculus can take a long time, especially if you’ve yet to unlock the entire map. Even if you do manage to upgrade your stamina bar, climbing up Genshin Impact’s tallest cliffs can prove tricky. However, Genshin Impact’s craftiest players have found a unique way to scale these monolithic rocks without spending hours searching for stamina-boosting trinkets. Find out how you can use this trick yourself by using our handy guide below. How to sprint up cliffs in Genshin Impact While Genshin Impact may share a lot of similarities to Breath of the Wild, it does feature enough differences that help to distinguish it from Nintendo’s hit Zelda series. However, one feature that has been borrowed is that of the game’s climbing mechanic. One of the best features from BotW was the ability to climb literally anything, so it makes sense that miHoYo would want to add this game-changing mechanic to their own open-world. Climbing is a lot more forgiving in Genshin Impact as rainy weather has no bearing on your progression to the lofty heights above. Of course, that doesn’t stop the frustrations of watching your stamina bar completely deplete just as your about to reach the top. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll often be sent plummeting towards the ground below with nothing but the hard ground to break your fall. However, one clever Genshin Impact player has found a way you can climb up cliffs without using any stamina at all. In order to do this trick, you’ll first need to run around until you’ve completely depleted your character’s stamina bar. Once you have no more stamina remaining, simply begin to bunny hop towards the cliff you wish to scale. You can find out how to bunny hop with our handy guide right here, so make sure you nail this speed-enhancing mechanic before attempting this. If you’ve done the bunny hop correctly, your character will ascend the cliff and continuously climb as long as you keep jumping. It can take a few attempts to get the timing down, but if you follow this guide, you’ll be able to make it to the summit incredibly quickly. It’s important to note that this technique only works on cliffs that have a gradient to them. If you wish to climb any cliffs that have a 90° angle, then you’ll need to rely on the game’s ordinary climbing mechanic. Be sure to use this nifty trick in Genshin Impact whenever you go mountain climbing. If you want to level up the rest of your Genshin Impact gameplay, then be sure to check out our other tips guides.

How to pre-register for Infinity Nikki beta on PS5 PapergamesInfinity Nikki pre-registrations are live now, allowing players to sign up for the open-world game ahead of its official release. Infinity Nikki was one of the surprise hits at PlayStation State of Play. While all eyes were on Silent Hill 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Where the Wind Meets – Papergames’ dress-up open-world title is one to watch. The game takes inspiration from Breath of the Wild, with players being able to freely explore vast landscapes, complete environmental challenges, and delve into Zelda-style Shrines and Dungeons. If that wasn’t exciting enough, Nintendo’s BOTW director Kentaro Tominaga is working on the game as its executive producer. So, if you’re looking to delve into the game and get a sneak peek before its release, then be sure to pre-register for the PS5 beta. How to pre-register for Infinity Nikki beta To pre-register for Azur Promilia and get a chance to play the open-world game ahead of release, you’ll want to follow the steps outlined below: Head over to the official Infinity Nikki website. – Click the ‘Pre-register’ button. – Enter your email address. – Click the ‘Pre-register’ button once more. – Once you’ve done the above, you’ll be ready to receive notifications from the developers once the game is ready to play. While Infinity Nikki doesn’t have a release date, we do know that the beta will be coming to PS5 later this year. We’ll likely hear more details on other pre-registration platforms once we get closer to the game’s release date. It’s important to note that Infinity Nikki pre-registration rewards or bonuses have also yet to be revealed, so we’ll update this article as and when these free goodies become available. If you’re a fan of Breath of the Wild, you’ll want to give Infinity Nikki a go as the game does share some rather exciting similarities.

Insane Elden Ring boss beaten by a goldfish named Tortellini FromSoftwareA goldfish named Tortellini has defeated arguably one of the hardest bosses in Elden Ring. Several enemies in Elden Ring can require players to pay close attention and have speedy reactions. While the role-playing game can provide users with endless hours of content, some people can quickly rage quit – except this goldfish. In the past, pet fish have actually excelled at video games – with some even using motion tracking to complete Pokemon Sapphire. In 2020, a team of four fish spent 3195 hours swimming around a tank to beat the Generation 3 title. Additionally, a beta fish accidentally revealed his owner’s credit card info on stream while playing Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Now, a goldfish has expanded its video game knowledge by playing Elden Ring. Goldfish manages to defeat first phase of Elden Ring boss Twitch streamer PointCrow caught the moment his goldfish beat the first phase of Malenia, Blade of Miquella. The content creator implemented a grid system in Tortellini’s tank to correspond with different in-game actions. In response, some couldn’t believe the fish’s Elden Ring skill was better than their own. “Bro I got outplayed by a fish. I need to put the controller down now,” one Twitter user wrote. Bro I got outplayed by a fish. I need to put the controller down now……@DallouTTV — PocketGlace (@ShinyGlaceon3) July 5, 2023 Another person jokingly suggested that Tortellini should immediately sign a “7 figure esports contract.” The goldfish also earned a nickname: “Tortellini, The Golden Fish, slayer of Malenia.” Someone get this Goldfish signed to a 7 figure esports contract immediately! — Frosty (@MrFrostyCombo) July 5, 2023 Besides goldfish, other methods used to beat Elden Ring include one speedrunner beating the game blindfolded in just two hours. Additionally, one streamer completed the entire game without touching the controller. Like Tortellini, a Twitch streamer beat Malenia on PC & PS5 at the same time using a Dance Dance Revolution pad. To learn more information about Elden Ring’s DLC, check out our article to stay updated.

Infamous Titanfall DDoS hacker exposed for racism Respawn Entertainment/EATitanfall 2 recently experienced a massive attack on its multiplayer servers, and the person behind it also appears to have gone on a racist tirade in a Twitch chat. The Titanfall community has hit a bit of a rough patch as of late. To start, Apex Legends was hacked on July 5 and redirected players to a website with the message “Save Titanfall.” Developers Respawn Entertainment quickly put out a fix though, removing the hacker’s work from the game. Titanfall has seen little love since Apex Legends became a huge success for Respawn. That community backlash led to the Apex hacking, and now, Titanfall 2’s servers have been hit as well. On July 12 a Titanfall 2 hacker made the game unplayable for it’s online modes, and Respawn announced that it has “1-2 people” working on a fix. The hacker seems to be somebody named Jeanue, and they’ve popped up recently Twitch chats spewing racist language and blacklisting streamers to stop them from playing the game. Titanfall 2’s hacker On July 17, a Titanfall 2 player named Sway Louie posted a video on Twitter showing off their experience with the hacker. well, i feel the need to share this run in i had with Titanfall’s racist piece of shit hacker the streamer is now going on and asking J to ddos certain servers, which J is doing. is this also not a felony? lmao???????? how much more of this are we supposed to take? pic.twitter.com/P4715aZBD8 — Sway D. Louie (@SwayLouie) July 17, 2021 In the video, Sway is viewing a Twitch channel that the hacker is a moderator of. Jeanue has the streamer whitelisted so that they’re allowed to play online. When talking about the chat, Sway says “I can basically sum it up as a big circle jerk, and a power trip for Jeanue.” Sway also says they were avoiding streaming and played Titanfall 2 off-stream so that they wouldn’t be blacklisted by the hacker. When Sway saw the hacker in the Twitch chat of that stream he says he got pissed off and hopped in the chat. The chat was asking what the title meant, to which Jeanue replied “banana (the streamer) has a special privilege. only white people has this privilege. Banana is white”. Sway came in and typed “the title means Jeanue is a dumb f**k.” Jeanue took issue with this, telling Sway “you are getting blacklisted forever.” Sadly, Sway says they “wish I could have faith” in Respawn’s ability to fix the servers and bring the game back to a healthy place. As of now, players across all platforms continue to have problems connecting to servers to play online.

InFamous dev finally shuts down rumors of series return Sony Interactive EntertainmentTo the chagrin of fans, Sucker Punch Productions revealed it currently has no plans to revisit its superhero game series, InFamous. The third and final mainline InFamous title, Second Son, hit stores during the PS4’s launch window in early 2014. While some considered it a step down from the first two entries, InFamous faithful remain as eager as ever for Sucker Punch to revisit the superpowered world. Since late last year, rumors have circulated suggesting Sony had its sights set on returning to Sucker Punch’s Infamous and Sly Cooper IPs. These uncorroborated claims never bore any fruit, though. Now it seems both beloved PlayStation franchises will remain on ice for quite a while longer. Sony’s InFamous game series is still on the sidelines Upon announcing plans to perform maintenance on InFamous 2’s user-generated content servers, Sucker Punch confirmed once and for all that InFamous and Sly Cooper projects are not in the works. The team wrote in a blog post, “With our focus on our current project, we have no plans to revisit inFAMOUS or Sly Cooper right now, and no other studio is currently working on projects related to those franchises either.” Understandably, the crew moved on after InFamous: Second Son, having never developed a series beyond its third entry. (Sanzaru Games produced Sly Cooper’s fourth adventure.) Thus, while Sucker Punch kicked off the eighth console generation with a superhero adventure, the studio’s samurai-centric action game served as the PS4’s swan song. Job postings, critical acclaim, and record-breaking sales numbers all point to said samurai game, Ghost of Tsushima, receiving a sequel. Perhaps it is the “current project” that Sucker Punch references in its aforementioned blog post.

Infamous stage crasher Matan Even threatens return at The Game Awards 2023 The Game AwardsIt’s the eve of The Game Awards 2023 and while Geoff Keely, his team, and a score of deserving developers prepare for the event, someone else is making plans. Matan Even, famous for crashing last year’s Game Awards, has threatened a repeat. A massive year for video games deserves a massive send-off to commemorate it and The Game Awards 2023 looks set to do it. There’s a tonne of deserving nominees like the crowd-favorite Baldur’s Gate 3, and scrappy underdogs like Starfield. It is hoped that this year’s ceremonies will not be marred by unwanted participation. Geoff Keighley himself stated that security has been bolstered for The Game Awards 2023 to avoid any stage crashing incidents. They may have their work cut out for them, however. Last year’s Game Awards stage crasher Matan Even has taken to Twitter with an ominous warning to Geoff Keighley himself. It appears he intends to return to the event. Even came to fame last year when he intruded on FromSoftware’s Game of the Year acceptance speech spouting nonsense about Bill Clinton. The incident was an internet-breaking event at the time. His’s antics inspired similar copycat acts including the invasion of a stage crasher at Gamescom 2023 during a speech from Geoff Keighley. During that instance, the crasher shouted repeatedly that “Bill Clinton wants to play GTA 6”. Since his own stage-crashing prank, Even has popped up here and there on the internet for similar shenanigans. Primarily streamsniping incidents involving Hasan and Kai Cenat. Now he has threatened a larger return to the grandest stage of them all. “See you tomorrow Geoff,” Even tweeted in response to a video of Geoff Keighley promoting The Game Awards 2023. Evan will have to contend with the newly increased security of the event and the fact that he’s likely public enemy number one. Perhaps with some prosthetics, he can get around it. The Game Awards 2023 will air on December 7 at 7:30 PM ET. Tune in to see if Evan makes an appearance.

PlayStation 5: Industry insider hints at PS5 price and release date Speculation regarding Sony’s next-generation console – the Playstation 5 – has been rife in recent weeks, now an analyst has suggested when it will release and how much it will cost. Various leaks have suggested that the PS5 could be one of the most powerful consoles in the market after a reported ‘secret’ meeting with Sony revealed that it would contain specs that even some PC’s were unable to match. Sony have confirmed there will be no new console release before 2020 and revealed they would not be attending E3 – the event where the majority of new and upcoming technology is typically showcased to the world. When will the PS5 be released? Nevertheless, new information has surfaced from a Japanese analyst, Hideki Yasuda, who is well known in the county for his predictions in the gaming market – regarding the release date and price for the console. Translated by Twinfinite, he predicts that the console will be released in November 2020 in his analysis of Sony’s business – confirming the leaks from AMD that suggested the console would launch in just over a year’s time. How much will the PS5 cost? According to the analyst, the PlayStation 5 will be available at a starting price of $499 and is predicted to sell 15 million units at this price by March 2022. That figure is similar to the price of the Xbox One X, the current most powerful console on the market, meaning fans are getting plenty of bang for their buck if the rumors regarding the PS5’s specifications turn out to be true. Although his claims seem to agree with the other leaks, this information is a prediction, and even made by an analyst with a proven track record, should be taken with a pinch of salt, as they are still only predictions. More information is likely to be released in the coming months, and we will keep you updated on everything related to Sony’s next-gen release.

Industry insider claims Crash Bandicoot multiplayer game will be revealed soon ActivisionAccording to a new rumor, a Crash Bandicoot game could be revealed soon with a highlight on multiplayer and “brawler” style gameplay. Crash Bandicoot is one of the most beloved icons in all of gaming, one that’s made a massive comeback over the last few years thanks to a long-awaited fourth installment. Now, nearly two years removed from his last appearance in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, and it looks like the Australian animal could be on his way back to consoles. Crash Bandicoot multiplayer game reportedly on the way Windows Central’s Jez Corden revealed that he believes developer Toys for Bob has a new Crash game on the way, which will be revealed at either the upcoming Summer Game Fest or Xbox Games Showcase. Corden said, “I think we could see a new Crash Bandicoot. And not only is it going to be a new Crash Bandicoot, it’s going to be multiplayer.” Jaz went on to describe the game as a “four-player brawler, almost, but Crash oriented.” Time starts at 1:29:44 for mobile users Toys for Bob developed Crash 4, and if this report is true, will have the reigns on the franchise once again. Jez had no specifics on the title of the game, or what platforms it would be released for, leaving many questions up in the air for now. Whatever the game ends up being, it won’t be long to find out as there are two massive game shows within the next week that could reveal the new title.

Indie FPS game’s official “sex update” adds support for adult toys as controllers YouTube/PITRVideo game controls can sometimes be a pain in the butt, but indie first-person shooter ULTRAKILL is taking things to the next level with an official “sex update.” The makers of ULTRAKILL have stepped up to deliver a never-before-seen video game experience that gives players a new way to stimulate themselves. Adult toys have become more accepted in society lately. After all, we live in a world where professional chess players have been accused of using vibrating adult toys to cheat in high-profile tournaments. As such, ULTRAKILL has implemented a “sex update” that adds support for adult toys with a wild rumble feature. ULTRAKILL adds adult toy support In an official announcement, ULTRAKILL revealed that the game’s “sex update” consists of a mod called ‘UKButt’ that adds support for adult toys. Now, when the screen shakes, a weapon is fired, or a player uses a movement ability, the mod can kick in and let the toy do its thing. The developers showed off the mod with the use of an Xbox controller, which is great if you want a default rumble feature and don’t want to stick anything where the sun doesn’t shine. However, for those who want a bit more spice in their lives, this is the mod for you. Plus, it even features an “emergency stop” cheat in case things get a little too intense. As for why the devs decided to make this to begin with? “Because we know our fans,” they said. ULTRAKILL and the new UKButt mod are available now on Steam.

Indie game goes viral morphing Smash Bros into 40-player Battle Royale Odyssey InteractiveA new indie game, Byte Breakers, is going viral online, and many are eager to check out the 40-player Battle Royale meets Smash Bros experience. Fighting games and Battle Royale titles are two of the biggest genres in the industry, so it’s no surprise that a new indie project, Byte Breakers, which aims to combine these two styles into one experience, has gone viral online. But what is Byte Breakers? According to the official Steam synopsis that went live on September 11, 2024, Byte Breakers “is a platform fighting battle royale for 40 players. Navigate a massive city, gear up, and escape the encroaching glitch zone while battling the world to become the last duo standing.” Developer Odyssey Interactive, who previously worked on Omega Strikers, uploaded a video to X in which they broke down their new title, showed off some gameplay, and announced it would soon be coming to PC, albeit as a prototype for the time being. The announcement post, which amassed over a million views in under 10 hours, has exploded on social media. Many gamers more than eager to jump into the 40-player experience as soon as they can. Popular VTuber Vienna said that they have already “tested” the game and stated, “it was a blast!” Further noting that they “can’t wait to see [the devs] cook it!!” “Tested this game and it was awesome. Gameplay loop is very reminiscent of Smash Run/City Trial and the movement feels fantastic. High hopes for this,” wrote another X user. In addition, those hearing about Byte Breakers for the first time were excited to jump in and experience “a new fighting game with a sick as twist!” However, the devs did emphasize that the title is just a prototype and that they “might not even make” a full version of the game. Should the concept not quite work out as they hope, there’s every chance this is merely a shortlived pipedream and gone before we know it. Though for those eager to give this new 40-player fighting Battle Royal title a go, the first playtest will begin on September 13 on American servers only.

Indie devs threaten to pull game after Unity announces controversial new fees Massive MonsterIndie devs behind Cult of the Lamb have threatened to pull their game after Unity’s announcement of a controversial Runtime Fee. The company behind the widely industry-used game engine, Unity Engine, has announced a new controversial Runtime Fee. On September 12, Unity revealed starting in January 2024, they will charge devs each time a game is downloaded. The charge rate depends on which Unity plan a dev is on, but when a dev reaches $200,000 in revenue over 12 months, devs could be subject to charges as much as $0.20 per install, depending on their plan. This means potential thousands of dollars, even millions for certain devs, would have to be given to Unity if their game were released with these charges. And indie devs are making their opinions clear, with one threatening to pull their game. Massive Monster, devs of the roguelike game Cult of the Lamb tweeted, “Buy Cult of the Lamb now, cause we’re deleting it on January 1.” And when a commenter jokingly said it was time to pirate the game, the devs reminded that it “also counts as a Unity download.” Other devs have voiced their concerns, with Garry Newman, the creator of Garry’s Mod, questioning the charges, “Unity can just charge us a tax per install? They can do this unilaterally? They can charge whatever they want? They can add install tracking to our game? We have to trust their tracking?” Dani, the dev behind Muck and Crab Game pointed out that if his games were to be released with these plans, he would have owed Unity $5,600,000. Although he most likely would avoid the charge since the games were released for free. The new planned Runtime Fees also question how some of the world’s biggest game devs will be affected by it, such as HoYoverse whose biggest games, Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and more are made with Unity. Some other notable games developed with Unity Engine are Pokemon Go, Cuphead, Hearthstone, Beat Saber, Firewatch, Kerbal Space Program, CoD: Mobile, and more.

Indie dev explains how pirating his game can actually help ULTRAKILLAn indie game developer revealed his thoughts on pirating his own games with some perplexing logic that actually works. A user on X posted a picture of them downloading a program with the text saying they love pirating indie games, sparking a debate among some community members. The comments underneath the post are filled with people explaining the good and bad sides of pirating games from small developers. Later, the poster claims that they had already purchased the game in question, ULTRAKIL, once before. In the end, the creator behind ULTRAKILL decided to step forward and state his opinions on pirating his own games. However, their response may not have been what some expected. “As creator of said game: You should support indies if you can, but culture shouldn’t exist only for those who can afford it,” said Hakita on X. “ULTRAKILL wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t had easy access to movies, music and games growing up. If you don’t have money, you can support via word of mouth.” This was not the end of Hakita’s response to the conversation, wanting to fill more people in on what it means to have gamers pirating the game, explaining that even “business-minded people” could acknowledge spreading the word about the game leading to a potential sale is the way to operate. “The more they, the customer, think you’re a cool person, a funny person, the more likely they’ll talk about you, and consequently, your product – unlike if they hate you for your business decisions that affect them,” explained another commenter underneath the post. Overall, the X post that was sent out mostly as a troll to the community had a positive impact on the community from the game’s developer.

Indie devs drop publisher over “predatory practices” with funding for ‘A Space for the Unbound’ Toge ProductionsIndie studios Mojiken and Toge Productions, the teams behind A Space for the Unbound, have parted ways with one of its publishers after discovering they had lied about and withheld grant funding from them. A Space for the Unbound is a much-anticipated indie title that was set to release later this year, taking players to rural Indonesia in a heartwarming tale about overcoming anxiety and depression. The game had generated a fair amount of buzz thanks to its stunning pixel art style, emotional soundtrack, and the developer’s previous work on titles like Coffee Talk. However, the game has been delayed until further notice after publisher PQube Games “intentionally withheld information” about a grant intended to help underrepresented devs. A Space for the Unbound delayed due to “predatory practices” from publisher On August 24, Mojiken and Toge Productions released a joint statement announcing the delay of A Space for the Unbound and explaining the situation with PQube Games that led to the shift in release date. The UK-based publisher was supposed to be handling the console release of the indie game in western regions, but they have dropped after leaving the Indonesian devs “feeling manipulated and exploited” over a grant awarded during the global health crisis in August 2020. The statement said: “PQube Games used our position and heritage as developers from Indonesia to obtain a diversity fund from a well-known console platform. The diversity fund was a grant fund intended to help underrepresented game developers, especially during the pandemic. However, instead of giving those funds to the developers as the grant was intended, PQube Games intentionally withheld information about the grant and used it as a leverage for their own commercial gain.” They also went on to explain that the publisher used the money to negotiate a higher revenue share, but this only came to light in March of this year. “We are absolutely heartbroken that a party we worked with would do this and a project we have worked on for seven years has been taken advantage of in such a way,” the dev’s statement continued. “Since the uncovering of this issue, we clearly cannot trust PQube Games nor continue to work together for the release of A Space for the Unbound as PQube Games has fallen considerably short not only of reasonable decency but also of their obligations to us due to these predatory practices.” For the time being, PCube Games is refusing to give control of the game’s console release back to the devs, meaning there is currently no new release date for A Space of the Unbound. Hopefully, the situation resolves itself quickly and Mojiken and Toge Productions find a way to get the game into players’ hands as soon as possible.

Indiana Jones & The Great Circle fans divided over first-person POV Bethesda SoftworksIndiana Jones & The Great Circle’s reveal left the Xbox community divided, as fans are split on whether or not first-person was the right direction. During Xbox’s Developer Direct, the mega-corporation pulled back the lid on four of the publisher’s most hotly anticipated titles, including Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Avowed. To round out the show, MachineGames debuted footage of the upcoming Indiana Jones & The Great Circle after years of silence. The debut was nearly everything fans of the explorer extraordinaire could’ve hoped for, with looks at Indy’s signature whip in action, puzzle solving, and a look at the villainous Emmerich Voss. Yet one key decision has opened the floodgates of criticism and that’s the decision to go first-person with one of history’s greatest explorers. Indiana Jones & The Great Circle’s reveal divides fans MachineGames is at the head of The Great Circle, with the developer’s previous works providing some of the most memorable first-person experiences to date. Of note, the studio worked on the Wolfenstein games, while some of the developers have also worked on 2007’s The Darkness. With The Great Circle, the studio is leaning in on what they know, creating a tight-knit first-person title. While some have praised this approach, others have been more critical, stating the studio should’ve gone with a third-person approach. Of course, this discourse presents a double-edged sword, as perfectly captured by this tweet from IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey. Plenty of threads and fans have spent their time debating the direction MachineGames should’ve taken, with many of the complaints wanting to see Indy in the flesh. Others have stated this is the correct path, as the studio needs to distinguish itself from Uncharted and Tomb Raider, two titles that have made names for themselves during Indiana Jones’ gaming hiatus. As mentioned, MachineGames is clearly leaning into what they know with this one. Indiana Jones & The Great Circle launches later this year on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a faithful but flawed experience BethesdaWhile a new look at Indiana Jones and the Great Circle revealed some clever gameplay systems that nail the tone of a classic Indy adventure, I can’t escape the concern MachineGames is having to rush this one out the door. It’s been 15 years since the last Indy game hit store shelves. As a lifelong fan of the franchise, the break has been nothing short of excruciating. While Uncharted no doubt helped fill the void, the announcement of Bethesda’s new project back in 2021 was the most exciting news that year. Finally, a new Indy experience on modern hardware. Better yet, it’s helmed by some of my favorite developers at MachineGames. The rebooted Wolfenstein series is absolutely peak, and I won’t hear otherwise. Since that reveal three years back, however, the team has remained relatively tight-lipped. Until now that is, as we’ve been able to see a good chunk of raw gameplay for the first time, teasing a globetrotting, Nazi-punching romp much like you’d expect. It’s got a blend of clever mechanics that not only look refreshing for a mostly first-person adventure game but also fit the IP tremendously well. There’s the expansive cast of characters, all written with that trademark wit, you’ve got some hard-hitting brawls Indy would be all too familiar with, there’s no denying it’s representing the source material incredibly well. But coming out of the preview, I couldn’t look past one thing. Still quite rough around the edges in terms of presentation and performance, the game nonetheless remains committed to a 2024 release. I certainly hope this one isn’t being rushed out the door before it’s truly ready. Adorning the iconic fedora First things first, let’s be clear: this is an Indiana Jones game through and through. Everything you’re doing in the moment to moment is completely authentic to the legendary archaeologist. You’re not exactly mowing through dozens of Nazis like you would in Wolfenstein. It’s a clear departure from MachineGames’ previous work, and the experience looks all the better for its unique approach. At the center of it all is Indy’s journal. Serving as a menu system of sorts, it’s here where you’re able to collate various scraps of information throughout your journal. Say you find a note tucked away on one table, then a key elsewhere in a bar; reflecting over your journal may help you piece together how the two are related and what secrets they may unlock. Indy also carries around a camera, letting you snap quick pics of various artifacts, enemies, or particular sites of intrigue. In doing so, you’re able to learn a bit more about the subject in focus, further pushing not only the narrative, but tons of optional content too. Rather than holding your hand through much of the game’s adventure, the onus appears to be on the player more often than not. It’s on you to figure out solutions for puzzles. It’s your job to unravel bigger mysteries by connecting the dots. While the golden path is sure to lay things out in a simple enough manner, tons of optional content may be completely missed if you’re not exploring every nook and cranny and intuitively figuring out the next steps, just as Indy would. Just like the films, the game is indeed very heavy on puzzles. Expect plenty of head-scratching as you reflect light in the right directions, place the right artifacts on the right pedestals, adjust paintings to the correct angle, it’s all core to the overall pace of the game. All up, it looks to be an authentic take on the heroic figure, one that places much more of an emphasis on this adventure-style gameplay than the action. Though that’s not to say there isn’t still plenty of Nazis to rid the world of. Whip-cracking combat Set between Raiders and the Last Crusade, this is Indy at his best. Then 38 years old, he’s seen a great deal already and just at the tail end of his physical prime, so there’s plenty of action at hand and he’s not shying away from any of it. Hand to hand combat is the biggest focal point, with far more to it than just button mashing. Indy has an array of different strikes to throw, with timing and combinations both vital. Of course, enemies can block and dodge before returning some strikes too, so there’s a balance of offense and defense in any one on one encounter. Mixing up your attacks, you’ve always got Indy’s trusty whip to fall back on too, and he does carry a revolver around. Just don’t expect this to be a true FPS with Indy carrying around a dozen magazines for a full-auto rifle, that’s not true to the character and not what MachineGames is striving for here. That said, you can indeed pick up weapons in the environment. So if you’re quick on your feet, whipping an SMG out of the hands of a Nazi can make it yours in short order. Beyond guns, a great deal of work has been put into combat environments too, giving you plenty of options in how to approach any given fight. In one stage you might pick up a beer bottle and bash it over the head of an enemy nearby. In another, you might find a brick, a wrench, whatever it might be. There’s almost always something to grab to put the odds in your favor. Much like the Wolfenstein games too, stealth is a key component here. While it’s unclear if combat is entirely optional in some scenarios, it does look like you can sneak past certain encounters if you time things right. Making this a true Indy experience, however, devs have taken some inspiration from the Hitman franchise with a clever disguise system. Much like how Agent 47 can don different attire to suit the mission at hand, Indy can dress himself up in different outfits to help approach whatever sticky situation he’s in. Not only can this help you access areas you otherwise wouldn’t be able to, but it seems to help avoid combat as well, as you simply walk right past enemies without them batting an eye. While it all comes together to form a well-rounded package that represents the hallmarks of the franchise, it’s not without its downsides too. In particular, traversal does look quite rigid in the gameplay we’ve seen. Not that Indy’s ever been a parkour expert, but maneuvering through the environment isn’t quite as smooth as you’d want it. The worst offender is when the whip comes into play while moving through the stage. Anytime you’re latched onto a surface, the game jumps from first-person to a third-person perspective. While this camera trick seems solid enough in slow-paced, purely exploration-focused chunks of the game, it simply isn’t appealing in the opposite scenarios. When intensity ratchets up and you’re swinging from one ledge to another to quickly get the jump on an enemy, having this bizarre pullback and push forward in the span of a few seconds is far from ideal. The same applies when in fast-paced action set-pieces too, especially if you’re jumping across gaps one after another. So while it’s quite rough as it stands today, hopefully there’s a solution before the game’s finished off. It’s worth mentioning the ‘Adventure Points’ system too. Clever naming, right? Unlike other games that do away with progression systems and virtual currencies, Indy is weirdly leaning into it. Every relic you unearth, every activity you complete, it all accrues a certain amount of Indy XP, so to speak. These Adventure Points can then be exchanged for new skills and upgrades that make Indy even more Indy. Admittedly, it’s a core pillar in plenty other contemporary titles, but the lack of creativity here leaves plenty to be desired. Can’t we just have a regular globe-trotting adventure without the need for progression systems? As for the rest of the game’s issues in this preview build, well on that, I’m not so optimistic about a quick fix. Running away from that boulder Release details for The Great Circle have been oddly hard to come by. When the first proper gameplay dropped earlier this year, Microsoft committed to a 2024 release. We’re now in August without a set date, yet even in this preview, devs remain steadfast. That gives us a four-month window to work with from this point, obviously not much time at all in the world of game development. While we’ve praised the authentic game design and its consistency with the overall franchise, it’s crucial to note an evident lack of polish this close to its planned launch. For a current-gen-only title, it looks to be struggling quite a bit when it comes to performance. Texture pop-in was extremely noticeable throughout the presentation, as was overall render distance. There looks to be some odd motion blurring and depth of field effects to try mitigate the issues, but they’re nonetheless apparent. Obviously this is an early build and there’s still time, but not much of it. With the window closing on 2024, I’m just not entirely confident this one will be in the best shape at launch, should it be pushed out in a few short weeks. A delay to 2025 could help immensely. Not for nothing, I also tried asking four relatively straightforward questions about the game in a developer Q&A. Not a single one was approved, so make of that what you will. To me, it shows the team is still oddly keeping cards close to their chest, despite now being the time to really start divulging information, if it is indeed committed to a 2024 release. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all pans out in the coming weeks. For now, Indy fans can rest assured they’ve got an authentic Indy experience on the way here. As a lifelong fan, I’m thrilled with how it’s all been approached. But for everyone else, as a fan of the industry, I’m concerned The Great Circle may need a little more time in the oven, and it’s not getting it. I’d love nothing more than to be proven wrong later this year.

Indiana Jones: Platforms, release window, & everything we know Machine GamesIndiana Jones is a brand new upcoming game by Machine Games and Bethesda. Here is all that you need to know about the game including the platforms, release window, and other details. Indiana Jones is one of the most beloved franchises out there. However, there hasn’t been a single Indiana Jones game in quite a long while. Machine Games announced an Indiana Jones game back in 2021, but they went silent after that. A recent leak albeit an accidental one pertaining to Microsoft’s plans regarding upcoming games, once again we got to see Indiana Jones being mentioned in their files. It was simply a mention but it gave some idea of what to expect and when. Here is all you need to know about the Indiana Jones game by Machine Games and Bethesda. Indiana Jones Release Window The leaked document claimed that Indiana Jones was supposed to be released in 2022. However, that is not possible anymore. Fortunately, Todd Howard has confirmed that we will hear about the game soon enough. Therefore, it looks like players can expect some information regarding a release date in 2024. Indiana Jones Platforms Indiana Jones will be released on Xbox and PC. A PlayStation release is unlikely as Microsoft has been quite strict when it comes to releasing games as exclusives when it comes to studios owned by them. This is all we know about Indiana Jones so far. If you found it informative, do not forget to check out some of our other hubs for upcoming games at Dexerto. Ghostwire Tokyo 2 | Elder Scrolls 6 | Witcher 4 | GTA 6 | Lords of the Fallen | Assassin’s Creed Mirage | Alan Wake 2 | Forza Motorsport | Sonic Superstars | Spider-Man 2 | Directive 8020 | Avatar

Incredible Witcher 3 mod lets you play as a Sorceress with new quests CD Projekt RedThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt now has multiple new ways to play, thanks to an amazing mod that features customizable characters — including a fully fleshed-out Sorceress class with unique quests. The Witcher’s fantasy world is portrayed from the perspective of, well, a Witcher. In this case, Geralt of Rivia is our protagonist, with a few rare exceptions, such as the playable Ciri segments in The Witcher 3, where we get to use her ancient magic and combat skills. While Witchers are certainly popular, they aren’t the only faction in the world that players are interested in. There are also Sorceresses, like Triss and Yennefer, who play a major role in the story and possess powers beyond what Geralt can use. Those who have ever wanted to wield true magical might in The Witcher world can now do so, thanks to Custom Player Characters by nikich340 on Nexus Mods. This mod lets you create your own character, including a male Witcher who isn’t Geralt, a female Witcher like Ciri, or a Sorceress. Not only is the Sorceress playable, but it comes with a magic system and unique quests that unlock new spells. These include the ability to teleport, create light, throw lightning bolts, conjure tornados, and even polymorph into animals like cats and birds. When customizing your hero, whether a Sorceress, a Witcher, or a Witcheress, you can use elements from any character in the game. You can outright use another character’s look or mix-and-match pieces from the entire cast. Those who want to play through the game as a Witcheress can also experience a fully revoiced version of Geralt’s dialogue. The new Sorceress quests feature full voice acting in both English and Russian. Custom Player Characters might be the most ambitious Witcher 3 mod to date, and the creator isn’t done yet. They mention on the Nexus Mods page that they want to add more Sorceress quests in the future, which means we might be able to dump Geralt entirely and obliterate the Wild Hunt without the need for Witchers.

Incredible Simpsons Hit & Run mod reimagines the entire game in Futurama YouTube: Slurm TeamAlmost two decades ago The Simpsons Hit & Run quickly became a major success as the Radical Entertainment project dropped players into a GTA-inspired open-world recreation of Springfield. But what if the game focused on 31st century New York instead? Here’s a look at that alternate reality where Futurama Hit & Run existed instead. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, Matt Groening’s cartoons were everywhere. The Simpsons family became a cultural mainstay, and close behind them followed the story of Phillip J. Fry in Futurama. While both went on to immense success in the realm of television, the two faired differently when it came to video game adaptations. Where The Simpsons saw more than two dozen gaming spinoffs, Futurama had just one across the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox. Arguably the most iconic from the former was none other than 2003’s The Simpsons Hit & Run. But what if Futurama was the focus of this particular project instead? No longer a pipe dream, a small team of dedicated modders is making it happen with a full-fledged recreation of the open-world title in Futurama’s sci-fi setting. Described as a “total conversion mod,” a handful of passionate developers at ‘Slurm Team’ have been working off and on for over three years in bringing this vision to life. Aiming to “replicate the gameplay of Hit & Run in the world of Futurama,” this ambitious undertaking includes all the features you’d expect from the original release, just thrown into the chaotic world of Futurama instead. This means both on-foot platforming through an entirely new map along with the obvious emphasis on driving as well. Just from a brief trailer released in August, we can see collectibles scattered around future New York, multiple playable characters in Fry, Leela, and Bender, as well as a number of familiar mission types. For the time being, there’s no telling when the project may be finalized. Devs did tease an early demo build is set to release sometime throughout August or September. Given the scope of the mod, completely reworking the classic Simpsons game from the ground up to fit Futurama, there’s no doubt it’ll be worth the wait.

Incredible Super Smash Bros Melee mod turns graphics N64 style Super Smash Bros Melee 64A new mod for Super Smash Bros Melee takes the Nintendo GameCube classic and morphs it into looking like the N64 original. The mod, appropriately named Super Smash Bros Melee 64, is available using the Dolphin Emulator. But the new old graphics can actually help with the game’s performance. According to a FAQ on the mod’s website, “Super Smash Bros. Melee 64 not only uses lower quality character models, but also has fewer polygons on many stages as well as simpler (and often lower resolution) textures.” They claim that in many instances, this mod of the game will run smoother than other versions of Melee. It’s cool to see what characters introduced in Melee would have looked like back on the Nintendo 64. Those characters include Peach, Ice Climbers, Zelda/Shiek, Young Link, Falco, Bowser, Ganondorf, Mewtwo, Pichu, Roy, Marth, and Mr Game & Watch and Dr Mario. The mod even gets its own new Fire Emblem character in the form of Leif. Leif is the protagonist from Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. He is only a visual change from Marth, however, and does not have an original moveset or his own stats. Additionally, the game features 29 playable stages, along with balanced and giant changes for some variety. The character select screen in the mod features all of Melee’s finest Super Smash Bros Melee was released in 2001 on the Nintendo GameCube and has become of the most popular fighting games of all time. It has sold more than seven million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling GameCube game of all time. While other Smash Bros games have been released since such as Brawl and Smash for Wii U, Melee’s competitive scene has outlived that of both titles. The most recent game in the series, Ultimate, is still going strong and has the most entrants out of any game at Evo 2019 in Las Vegas. Bowser did not appear in the Super Smash Bros on the Nintendo 64 You can download Super Smash Bros Melee 64 now. Let us know what you think about the mod on Twitter.

Incredible concept shows what the PS5 controller should look like YouTube: TCMFGamesOfficialA new controller concept for the upcoming PlayStation 5 console has shown what gamers could be playing with in the near future, and it looks incredible in every way. The current Dualshock 4 controller, which was designed exclusively for the PlayStation 4, represents a gradual advancement of the Dualshock controller which has been in use since the original PlayStation. However, this new concept for the as-yet-unannounced Dualshock 5 controller brings some changes that would leave fans drooling if it were real, bringing the series of controllers up several levels. The most noticeable immediate change is the shape of the controller, which more closely resembles that of the Xbox 360 or Xbox One, which even many PlayStation players claim to prefer as a bigger, bulkier option. However, it’s not just the shape that separates this concept from its predecessors. The D-Pad and action buttons look to be upgraded, with a cleaner look, while a high-speed USB-C connection is more accessible for players than the current micro-USB connection. Most interestingly, though, are some of the accessibility options provided. Interchangeable sticks mean that players can find the optimal comfort and positioning of their thumbs for those long sessions, while removable, remappable back paddles can replicate the actions of face buttons, making playing that slight bit easier. The controller has various other features that elevate it to the next level, such as honeycomb grips and an audio panel for sound configuration, but the level of accessibility is what really removes this concept from the current Dualshock 4 controller. The concept seems to take a lot of inspiration from other third-party controller companies with certain features, bringing together the best of the best to create a pad that would delight much of the player base. We don’t know much about the upcoming PS5, including what the controller will be like, but rumors are swirling that news could be on its way after the console’s splash page was added to the official PlayStation website in early February 2020.

Impressive ThreeZero Iron Man Hulkbuster figure gets second run ThreeZero reissues the epic 1/12 scale Hulkbuster figure from Avengers Infinity Saga, now available for pre-order before this Iron Man armor sells out again. Marvel fans, rejoice – ThreeZero’s massively popular 1/12 scale Hulkbuster is back! Allowing die-hard collectors another chance to add this brute to their ranks, the figure is now available again for pre-order after initially selling out. Bringing Hulkbuster armor to life right off the Infinity Saga screen, ThreeZero’s meticulous rendering in DLX form oozes detail. The chunky layers of mechanical plating, the signature markings, and even tiny rivets make this a piece deserving of study. Such accuracy extends within too – crack open that imposing chest plate to reveal sly storage for a sold separately Iron Man Mark 43 figure. Fully articulated and armed for many poses, Hulkbuster possesses over 65 movable joints granting impressive flexibility for a hulking hero. Between the sturdy die-cast zinc alloy frame and dense plastic armor platings, this robotic wrecking ball has the raw bulk to do justice to Avengers combat. Signature glowing eye slits powered by AG1 batteries showcase classic Iron Man flair while the lit chest and back reactors amp up the robotic realism. The figure was initially released in June 2021 and sold out quickly. But you have one more chance to grab this epic Iron Man Mark 44 Hulkbuster figure. Pre-order Iron Man Mark 44 Hulkbuster figure now at Hobby Link Japan Expected to ship out this June, the 30cm Titan can soon guard collections once more. At well under the original $335 price tag, this reissue chance makes now the perfect time to belatedly bring home the Hulkbuster brawn before stocks run dry again! With the Infinity Saga’s climatic battles still fresh in memory, the Mark 44 Hulkbuster is the ultimate centerpiece figure. Displaying all the mechanical intricacy that powers Iron Man’s most imposing armor, it encapsulates Avengers’ might. Don’t let this preorder opportunity slip away – secure the returning Hulkbuster behemoth at a special price while it lasts! If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Is Immortals of Aveum coming to Xbox Game Pass? Ascendant StudiosImmortals of Aveum trades out traditional gunplay for magic-wielding. The game is available on PS5, PC, and Xbox consoles but will the game be available on Xbox Game Pass? Immortals of Aveum lets you multitude of magical skills to traverse the world and defeat enemies, and it’s important to think creatively with your powers to overcome the numerous challenges you’ll face. The game is available to play on PC, PS5, and Xbox consoles but you may be wondering if it will be available to play on Xbox Game Pass. So, here’s everything you need to know. Will Immortals of Aveum be on Xbox Game Pass? Immortals of Aveum will finally be available on Xbox Game Pass on May 16. The game will be available through EA Play which can be accessed using Game Pass Ultimate. Immortals of Aveum will be released along with a bunch of other noteworthy games, such as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Lords of the Fallen, EA Sports NHL 24 and more, all set to come out on Game Pass throughout the month of May. That’s everything you need to know about Immortals of Aveum coming to Game Pass. For more on the game, check out our guides below: Immortals of Aveum PC requirements | How long is Immortals of Aveum? | Is Immortals of Aveum multiplayer? | Immortals of Aveum developer interview

Impressive Last of Us mod brings Bella Ramsey to life in the video game YouTube: SpeclizerA brand new mod for The Last of Us Part II imagines what it would be like to play through the game with a version of Ellie that looks exactly like Bella Ramsey, the actor who plays the character in the HBO TV adaptation. HBO’s new series The Last of Us is already a major hit for the service. Beyond having a well-received pilot episode, the second episode broke HBO records for the most growth in viewership from the first to second episode in a TV show, ever. One aspect of the show that has had both critics and fans singing their praises of is the casting choices. Particularly that of Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. For Ramsey, this support comes off the back of months of criticism from the gaming community about her not being right for the character. However, it appears she has been able to silence the naysayers, with one modder even creating a new feature in which gamers can play through The Last of Us Part II with a version of Ellie that looks much more like Ramsey. The mod was first posted on Twitter by Speclizer, the account captioning the modded footage by giving those who helped their credits. “Big thanks to @Vontadeh for making the model and @smasher248 for his tools!” The minute-long video cuts through multiple cutscenes from the first game, all of which have changed Ellie’s face model to look much more like Bella Ramsey. The full video clocks in at just under four minutes long and features the modded Ellie in many of the most heart-wrenching and pivotal cutscenes in the sequel. Time will tell if the creators come out with more content or even with an actual playable version of the mod. However, we’ll be sure to let you know if and when this does happen. The Last of Us is currently airing on HBO. For all the latest TV and movie content, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

Immortals of Aveum voice cast: All characters and actors Ascendant StudiosImmortals of Aveum has arrived and the magic-focused title features a vibrant cast of interesting characters bought to life by a talented group of voice actors. Here are the voice actors that make up the game’s main cast, and previous roles you may recognize them from. The first release from Ascendant Studios is Immortals of Aveum, a brand-new FPS title that brings a magical twist to the genre and swaps out magic abilities for traditional gunplay. Throughout the game, you’ll play as the protagonist, Jak, as you embark on an exciting journey full of interesting characters, who are all brought to life by talented voice actors. If you want to know more about the cast who are responsible for voicing the core cast, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about Immortals of Aveum’s main voice actors, including previous roles you may recognize them from. Contents Jak – Darren Barnet – Kirkan – Gina Torres – Devyn – Antonio Aakeel – Zendara – Lily Cowles – Sandrakk – Steven Brand – Thaddeus – Nick Boraine – Rook – Charles Halford – Kenzie – Anna Brisbin – Jake – Darren Barnet Jak is the main protagonist in Immortals of Aveum, who is a brand new member of the Immortals due to being an ‘unforeseen’ – a magic wielder who unexpectedly manifests magical powers later in life. After being recruited into the group, he is swiftly thrust into the endless war for mankind’s control of magic. Darren Barnet voices Jak in Immortals of Aveum. He has previously appeared in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever, and is featured in the upcoming Gran Turismo movie. Kirkan – Gina Torres Kirkan is the Grand Magnus of the Immortals and is a forty-year veteran of the Everwar – the war raging for the control of magic. She discovers and recruits Jake after his powers awaken and acts as his mentor. The voice actor for Kirkan in Immortals of Aveum is Gina Torres. She’s previously starred in a number of TV shows and video games. Some of her most noticeable roles have been as Jessica Pearson in the drama series Suits and Vanguard Ikora Rey in the Destiny games. Devyn – Antonio Aakeel Devyn is a member of the Immortals who is also the youngest master of green magic in history. He was born into a wealthy family and has spent the majority of his life studying. He’s a natural leader and is extremely witty. The voice actor for Devyn in Immortals of Aveum is Antonio Aakeel. He’s previously featured in the 2018 Tomb Raider movie based on the 2013 game, and starred alongside Gary Oldman in season 1 of the Apple TV series ‘Slow Horses.’ Zendara – Lily Cowles The final member of the Immortals, Zendara is a master of red magic. She serves as Jak’s field commander and hails from a royal family, though rarely speaks about her heritage. She has a strong, impatient, and unforgiving personality. Voice actor Lily Cowles plays Zendara. She’s been starring in the CW’s Roswell, New Mexico since 2019. In terms of video games, she voiced operator Helen Park in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Sandrakk – Steven Brand Sandraxx is the Grand Magnus of the Order of Masks and Lord Marshall of the Rasharnian army. If those terrifying titles didn’t clue you in, he’s one of the game’s main antagonists. He’s on a relentless mission to control magic and will stop at no cost to achieve his goals. Steven Brand is the voice actor behind Sandraxx in the game. He’s appeared in a variety of TV shows and movies throughout his career, including in Netflix’s The Sandman, Vikings Vallahala, and the Teen Wolf TV series. Thaddeus – Nick Boraine Thaddeus is a mysterious character in Immortals of Aveum. He’s a treasure hunter who has duel-wielding magic abilities and knows a fair amount about Aveum due to his time in the Order of the Immortals, however, he went into self-exile many years ago and no one knows where he is. Nick Boraine is the voice actor for Thaddeus. He has previously appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Black Ops 4 where he played Colonel Norris and Stanton Shaw respectively. He’s also featured in the TV shows Black Sails and For All of Mankind. Rook – Charles Halford Rook is the leader of The Aelori, an ancient humanoid race whose origins have been forgotten. Their aura disrupts magic and they can easily nullify spells and halt magical devices. Rook lords over the Underdwell as the leader of the group. Charles Halford is Rook’s voice actor in Immortals of Aveum. He had previously featured in the DC video game Injustice 2, as well as the CW TV series Supergirl. Kenzie – Anna Brisbin Kenzie is a red Magnus who has a particular disdain for the Everwar and Aveum’s military powers. Her hometown exploded so now floating islands and chunks of rock are all that remains of her home. Kenzie is portrayed by voice actor Anna Brisbin who’s most known for her YouTube Channel Brizzy Voices where she does a lot of fantastic impression videos of video game and movie characters. She played the role of supporting character Viola in Bayonetta 3. That’s everything you need to know about the main voice actors in Immortals of Aveum! For more on the game, check out our guides below: Immortals of Aveum PC requirements | How long is Immortals of Aveum? | Is Immortals of Aveum multiplayer? | Is Immortals of Aveum coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Immortals of Aveum developer interview | Immortals of Aveum preview

Immortals of Aveum preview: DOOM meets Lord of the Rings in creative new shooter EA / Ascendant StudiosBringing singleplayer shooters back to the fray with a fresh coat of paint, Immortals of Aveum mixes hard-hitting, explosive FPS combat with Tolkien-esque world-building in what’s shaping up to be yet another gem under the EA Originals label. Following a cryptic yet undeniably intriguing teaser at last year’s The Game Awards, all has been silent regarding Immortals of Aveum. What exactly is a “first-person magic shooter”? What can fans expect from Ascendant Studios’ debut project? And was that really the voice of Gina Torres? At long last, we now have answers to all of those questions and then some. After attending a hands-off preview, we’ve now seen the mysterious game in action and unraveled much of its mystery through a deep dive with a handful of the project’s lead developers. While we didn’t get to play it for ourselves, so gameplay impressions should be taken with a grain of salt, we nonetheless learned a great deal about what to expect, and from the jump, it’s clear Immortals of Aveum is one ambitious undertaking. Exceptionally rich lore setting the table. A diverse cast of fascinating heroes and villains. Uniquely presented yet familiarly robust first-person shooter mechanics. Gorgeous presentation and dazzling particle effects aplenty. All of that merging to form one expansive single-player epic set to run north of 25 hours. It’s a bold creation but if successful, one that could very well be the start of the industry’s next big franchise. Brave new world at war Kicking off the presentation, we were quickly filled in on just how expansive the world of Aveum truly is. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill FPS. There’s a degree of detail in the universe that seems to rival the likes of Destiny with its broad history and multi-faceted ongoings in current time. Central to the newly crafted fantasy is what’s labeled the ‘Everwar,’ an unceasing conflict over the control of magic and all its associated power. With Aveum split into multiple lands, factions battle for control over various ley lines, represented as ‘huge conduits of magical power.’ This power struggle has seemingly raged on for generations, with our story now picking up in a pivotal moment as ominous forces encroach on new territory. Defending the land is our protagonist Jak, a confident, if overzealous, Battle Mage. Making Jak unique is the fact he can wield any form of magic in Aveum as a rare ‘Triarch.’ Where others are limited in their potential, sticking to just one or two forms of mystical art, Jak can wield it all to his advantage, swapping between magical elements on the fly. As a new recruit, Jak joins forces with a group called The Immortals, led by General Kirkan, none other than Gina Torres herself. As a battle-tested mage in her own right, and now one showing the ropes to younger upstarts, it’s almost shocking how closely aligned her presence in this game is to her role as Ikora Rey, Warlock Vanguard in the Destiny franchise. Mixing it up with a number of other budding Battle Mages, The Immortals seek to shut down the advances of key antagonist Sandraak and his second in command, known only as The Hand, much like in A Song of Ice and Fire. While we didn’t see all too much of this opposing force, various glimpses and concept art of our main antagonists would certainly make Sauron smile. This rundown alone barely scratches the surface of what Immortals of Aveum seems to present. From tales of warfare countless years prior to the deeprooted history of various magic-wielding parties across the lands, and of course, what’s to come as this conflict evolves, the story at hand is immediately fascinating and one the team at Ascendant Studios is immensely proud of. In an age rife with adaptations and crossover media, it feels almost too perfect for a new franchise to begin with this much detail already mapped out. Theoretically, this universe could already pave the way for various spinoffs should the base game land well and find its audience. While it’s admittedly early days yet, this aspect has us most excited of anything. To experience a game this rich with lore, and to see just how far the developers can take it through not only a lengthy 25+ hour storyline, but perhaps what lies beyond that too. A true singleplayer FPS, just with magic in place of firearms Beyond the intriguing premise we just drooled over, Immortals of Aveum is actually a video game too, believe it or not. As you navigate your place in the Everwar, Jak, a Triarch, wields all three forms of magic present in the title. Each type, signified by either red, green, or blue colors, comes into play as a unique weapon of sorts. As a Battle Mage, you come equipped with various tools in which to harness your magical prowess. Through these tools, you’re effectively firing off rounds of magical energy at nearby foes. Take for instance, one particular effect that all but mirrors a shotgun. Foes up close can be blasted down with this close-range attack. Meanwhile, another color of magic may open the door for long-range, automatic attacks, some of which may even hone toward a particular target. Combat is all about flipping through your various magical powers on the fly. Certain enemy types may be more susceptible to a certain type of cast, keeping you on your toes as you look for the optimal path through a room full of otherworldly foes. With an emphasis on heavy-hitting weapons and fluid movement, the gameplay we were shown felt quite reminiscent of Bethesda’s latest DOOM reboot and its sequel. Jumping from one platform to another, finding the openings for counter-attacks, and cycling through a wide range of weapons, in this case magical spells, as you dodge incoming fire in a hectic and deadly dance. Although we obviously didn’t get to experiment with the flow of combat ourselves, what we saw was definitely engaging on the surface. Fleshing things out to a degree not seen in the titles that inspired it, however, Immortals of Aveum’s FPS gameplay is bolstered by a number of more in-depth systems. Be it a full inventory system with multiple armor and weapon slots all ready to be interchanged, or the expansive talents menu, allowing players to prioritize their favorite type of magic, and of course, swap various abilities in and out as you might expect, there’s some real substance on offer here. It helps too that gameplay variety appears to be a key focus of the development team. Rather than just barrelling ahead through 25+ hours of endless combat rooms, shooting down one big bad after another, there’s a mix of everything. Of course, you get your intense magic showdowns, some with areas full of smaller enemies, others with considerably larger bosses, but interspersed with it all are quieter moments of exploration, optional puzzles to keep you busy, and ample secrets to uncover. Built with a Metroidvania approach, it seems as though we’ll want to backtrack as our power grows, with new areas opening up as we evolve as a Triarch. Obviously, even with an in-depth look at what to expect, there’s still plenty left unanswered for the time being. Namely, it remains to be seen whether Immortals of Aveum can truly justify its supposed 25+ hour runtime. We’ve mentioned that figure multiple times throughout our preview for good reason. Even the very best games can often overstay their welcome. And when it comes to the FPS genre, a few dozen hours is a hell of a lot to ask for, even from the most avid fans. Very few throughout history have ever kept their momentum from start to finish, and fewer still have remained thoroughly engaging for that duration. All-time FPS greats often clock in under the 10-hour mark, and that’s honestly at a stretch. So it’s an ambitious task ahead for a story-driven, single-player shooter to keep us hooked in for all that time, but if Ascendant Studios can pull it off, it’ll be one spectacular accomplishment. From a total mystery to a must-watch title as 2023 rolls on, Immortals of Aveum is absolutely on our radar now as one of the year’s more creative and ambitious titles. We can’t wait to go hands-on properly and learn all there is to know about this richly detailed universe.

Immortals of Aveum review – An original, innovative, and downright superb FPS For a first outing by a brand new studio, Immortals of Aveum is a spectacular accomplishment. Through its fluid and inventive gameplay systems combined with its extraordinarily rich universe and wondrous storytelling, Ascendant Studios has delivered an all-time great FPS while laying the foundation for what’s hopefully many more exciting chapters to come. Despite having closely followed Immortals of Aveum since its reveal, and even having played a few hours earlier this year, I remained dubious of one thing: The game’s ambitious and very heavily publicized length. Historically, single-player FPS games can lose their charm after a few hours of repeating much of the same formula. So how would this newcomer hope to captivate the masses for a few dozen hours? Well, I’ve never been more delighted to eat my words as the full experience not only kept me glued to the screen from start to finish, but left me wanting even more. Its suite of intricate combat and movement systems presents a sandbox I barely scratched the surface of through 30 hours. Its vast open lands still hold plenty of secrets I’ve yet to unravel. And its exceptional story and tremendous performances throughout breathe life into a staggeringly deep world I can’t wait to learn more about, even after having rolled the credits. Immortals of Aveum is an incredibly well-rounded package, a AAA blockbuster through and through, and an all-time great FPS that respects every hour of your time. Immortals of Aveum – Key details Price: $69.99 USD | £69.99 GBP | $109.95 AUD – Developer: Ascendant Studios – Release date: August 22, 2023 – Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X | S – Immortals of Aveum trailer Centuries of lore embroiled in an Everwar Although Aveum’s genesis largely hinged on the idea of ‘Call of Duty with magic instead of guns,’ the end product frames this concept in a world so unfathomably rife with storytelling opportunities it handily blitzes past its early inspirations. What begins as a seemingly straightforward ‘hero’ origin in the opening hours as Jak, our protagonist, comes into his own as a rare Triarch, someone capable of wielding all types of magic present in the world, soon evolves into a tale of generational warfare and the many surrounding ideological conflicts. It’s an unrelenting story pushing the present-day struggles forward while recounting its past and never losing sight of the future, a complex yet balanced journey that truly does necessitate its roughly 20-25 hour core path. At the heart of it all is the Everwar. As the name implies, a seemingly eternal state of strife over the control of magic. Various powers that be have waged war for generations to claim as much control over the world’s magical forces as possible, significantly impacting the many regions of Aveum for generations to come in the process. Where this game takes place is just one small chapter of a much bigger story that slowly comes into frame the more you play. While you’ll meet a diverse cast of heroes, villains, mentors, companions, and otherworldly creatures along the way, all of which feel expertly fleshed-out, it’s Darren Barnet as Jak that steals the show for the vast majority. His performance through countless lines of moment-to-moment dialogue along with the more explosive twists and turns during many emotional cutscenes is stellar across the board. You’re with him through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. You feel the weight of his decisions among the unthinkable scope. And even through his overt faults, you come to appreciate his progression as you learn of the bigger machinations in play right alongside him. Depth to the surrounding universe knows no bounds in Immortals of Aveum. It’s simply staggering just how much thought has been put into seemingly every corner of its many distinct regions. From personal clashes in present-day kingdoms to epochal battles of an age long gone, even to speculation of other timelines and future destinies, there’s a great deal to wrap your head around. All of it fascinating and all of it complementing the main narrative. But don’t get it confused. Between the dozens of text entries and many optional conversations to deepen your understanding, the game is still very much a blockbuster. Production value is off the charts from start to finish, Aveum’s immense scale on display not only in linear missions but so too in its broader open-world areas begging to be explored long after the main path winds down. Sensational FPS gameplay loop with a magical twist Weaving you through every intricate narrative thread in Immortals of Aveum is a deeply engaging set of gameplay systems. On the surface, it may appear like any old shooter though with magical blasts as opposed to real-world ammunition, but when you actually sit and interact with these mechanics, you come to realize just how much nuance there is to it all. How much thought has been put into every unique element. As a Triarch, Jak can cycle through three different types of magic. In the simplest of terms, you can think of these as three different types of weapons. Blue is your precision-based attack, where timing and accuracy can give you the leg up from afar. Red is the opposite, a close-range attack akin to a shotgun blast. While Green rounds out the trio as more of a fast-firing, homing onslaught, think the Needler from Halo. While adjusting your magic on the fly for different environments, enemy types, and shields is one thing, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your full arsenal. Each type of magic comes with multiple upgradeable spells that function through a separate Mana system. Jak also has access to a number of additional tools like a whip to either pull targets close or grapple your way through an arena or a red beam of energy to interrupt your foes as they cast spells of their own. And topping it all off is a handful of movement quirks like double jumping and dashing. It’s a lot. At times, it can be a little daunting remembering just how extensive your kit is and how to best utilize it in any given scenario. Not only is it a workout for the mind, but your hands too, especially in the latter stages of the game as challenges become far more demanding and you’re dealing with more in each combat sequence. Even through roughly 30 hours of play, having rolled credits and then some, I’m still left feeling as though I’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible in this sandbox. The skill ceiling and freedom of expression are second to none in Immortals of Aveum. It’s an FPS you can play over and over again, constantly learning new tricks to more effectively conquer each task ahead. Exactly how you choose to shape the combat experience as you go is entirely your call too. With both a gear system and a hefty skill tree to sift through, there’s plenty that can be done to optimize all manner of playstyles. Whether you prefer red magic weapons with the impact of green spells, you’d rather just hone in on blue magic across the board, or even try balance all three, the game hands that choice to directly you. And rest assured, even after a full playthrough, there’s still plenty more to uncover in order to further strengthen your favorite builds. Substantive endgame with some slight setbacks Main story missions have you journeying through expansive and diverse biomes, rarely ever backtracking as the game constantly pushes you into new territories for narrative reasons. It’s your choice to what extent you stop and smell the roses along the way, or save it all for a rainy day. Each region is littered with dozens of hidden chests, optional puzzles to not only figure out, but even just find in the first place, and a range of additional challenges. Namely, you have 26 hand-crafted Shroudfanes that mix the best of everything together, pushing your platforming skills in one while testing your FPS fundamentals in another. Last but not least comes The Six, the toughest boss fights the game has to offer and believe me, they sure are tough. Although I was able to finish the main path on the hardest difficulty with just a few deaths, these optional endgame challenges are on a completely different level, forcing optimal play at every turn. But it’s on this subject of difficulty that one of my only gripes comes into the equation. Immortals of Aveum seems to struggle with how to balance its challenges given the immense options available to players. While there are some cases where simply adding more enemies to the mix does indeed ramp up the difficulty, more often than not, the game falls back on scaling up both health and damage numbers. Far more noticeable in the later stages of the game, certain enemy types, including one green guy in particular, appear to have at least quadruple the health of any other target for no apparent reason. Meanwhile, some bosses can deal staggering amounts of damage in singular attacks, knocking you out instantly even if your health bar was full just a split second prior. Rather than leaving room to adjust on the fly and figure out the best path forward, some content towards the end feels far more oppressive and tedious than perhaps it should be. On a similar note when it comes to tedium, I couldn’t tell if it was an intentional design choice or purely a bug on my end, but objective markers randomly disappeared for the last few story missions during my playthrough. While on one hand, you can always make the argument for immersion. Ensuring you’re paying attention to every conversation and know exactly where to go next. On the other, given the scope of the regions, it can be rather frustrating not having a clear direction. Without spoiling anything, one particular section near the end of the game tasks you with going to a specific region, though it failed to clarify where exactly in said region you need to go. This alone halted my progress for a few hours as I racked my brain trying to figure out just where the next part of the story required me to visit. And as a final point of feedback, something that may change down the line, not having a FOV slider on console at launch certainly isn’t ideal. While it’s worth commending the fact the game ran incredibly smoothly from start to finish on PS5, even in the more chaotic sequences with particle effects dominating the screen, not having an option for an expanded field of view does hurt in various circumstances. Given the demanding nature of combat, keeping track of enemies was only made harder by the limited vision. In a medium so reliant on sequels and copycats, the biggest positive for Immortals of Aveum is that’s it something truly fresh. An inventive mix of FPS systems we haven’t seen before quite like this. A sprawling, original universe ready for you to get lost in. A daring risk with tens of millions in investment on a brand-new IP. The Verdict – 4/5 For a first outing, Ascendant Studios has hit a home run. The team has established an incredible foundation for a universe we only hope we can continue exploring for years to come. Reviewed on PS5

Immortals of Aveum PC requirements: Recommended & minimum specs Ascendant StudiosImmortals of Aveum is the first game from developers Ascendant Studios and the title looks to trade in traditional gunplay for magical powers, and PC players will want to know what requirements are needed in order to run this unique FPS. Here are the recommended and minimum specs for the game. Immortals of Aveum is one of 2023’s most ambitious and craziest-looking games without a doubt. published by EA, Immortals centers around Jak as he uses an array of spells to help save many lives that are at risk. Labeled as a first-person shooter, Immortals of Aveum swaps guns for glitz. Players get to use weird and wonderful magic to fuel their gameplay. As a result, it leads to some truly spectacular visuals. So, to address any concerns, let’s run through the game’s PC requirements to make sure you’re prepared. Immortals of Aveum minimum system PC specs These are the minimum system PC specs if you’re just looking to get into the fight regardless of how flashy Immortals of Aveum looks: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system – Operating System: 64-Bit Windows 10 – Processor: Intel Core i7-9700 or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X – Memory: 16 GB RAM – Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super or Radeon RX 5700XT – DirectX: Version 12 – Storage: 110 GB available space – Immortals of Aveum recommended system PC specs For players with more powerful PCs capable of running top-end games in high quality, then here are the ultimate, recommended PC specs for Immortals of Aveum: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system – Operating System: 64-Bit Windows 10 – Processor: Intel Core i7-12700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5700X – Memory: 16 GB RAM – Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6800XT – DirectX: Version 12 – Storage: 110 GB available space – With all this newfound knowledge in mind, check out our other Immortals of Aveum content below: Is Immortals of Aveum multiplayer? | Is Immortals of Aveum coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Immortals of Aveum developer interview | Immortals of Aveum preview

Is Immortals of Aveum multiplayer? Ascendant StudiosAscendant Studios’ Immortals of Aveum is a brand new FPS that looks to trade guns for magical powers as players engage in a compelling narrative, but does the game have multiplayer? FPS games and multiplayer often go hand in hand, from pioneering titles like Team Fortress and Quake to modern-day mammoths Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty, multiplayer has been a big part of the genre for decades. With Immortals of Aveum set to bring a magic twist to the FPS genre, you may be wondering whether or not the game has multiplayer capabilities, or it’s it’s solely intended to be played alone. So, here’s everything you need to know about whether or not you can enjoy Immortals of Aveum with friends. Will Immortals of Aveum be multiplayer? It’s been confirmed by EA that Immortals of Aveum will not include multiplayer and will instead be a strictly single-player experience. Using the official FAQ’s words: “Immortals of Aveum is a single-player, first-person magic shooter.” This was the answer given to the question of Immortals including either co-op or multiplayer. Understandably, this may disappoint some, especially given the uniqueness of the gameplay and how it looks to differ from traditional, gun-toting FPS games. The use of magical spells and various talents and skills certainly makes it different compared to the rest of the crowd. It’s not uncommon for a game to start out as a single-player title and then factor in multiplayer at a later date though. So, we’ll have to see how Immortals performs from a critical and sales standpoint. If the devs do decide to factor in a multiplayer mode, we’ll be sure to update this guide as soon as this is confirmed. if you want even more content regarding Immortals of Aveum, check out our guides, preview, and interview below: Immortals of Aveum PC requirements | Is Immortals of Aveum coming to Xbox Game Pass? | Immortals of Aveum developer interview | Immortals of Aveum preview

Immortals of Aveum locks in new release date as devs take extra time to ‘get it right’ Electronic Arts / Ascendant StudiosUpcoming EA Originals release Immortals of Aveum has pivoted to a new release date in order to ensure a smoother launch experience across all platforms. Ascendant Studios has announced its debut project is being held back an extra month. Immortals of Aveum will now release on Tuesday, August 22, a mere 33 days behind its original target of July 20. This ever-so-slight delay comes as a result of feedback from early previews, a statement from Ascendant CEO Bret Robbins outlined. Dexerto was one such outlet invited to an early preview session where, after a few hours of hands-on experience, we came away incredibly eager to play more. At the time, we questioned Robbins directly on the game’s performance after noticing FPS hitches in the early build. The veteran dev was “confident” in the original launch window, but now, the extra few weeks are being utilized to really “get this right” on day one. “The recent feedback to the game proves to us what we already felt: that Immortals of Aveum is something special,” the June 20 statement reads. “In order to realize our full vision, we are going to take a few extra weeks, making our new launch date Tuesday, August 22nd. “This will give us time to further polish the game, finish optimizing all platforms, and deliver a strong launch. We owe it to ourselves and to you to get this right.” This delay comes on the back of multiple projects under EA’s banner suffering from controversial performance issues upon release. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor devs at Respawn issued an apology for the state of the sequel at launch, while Wild Hearts devs at Koei Tecmo also came under fire for PC problems. Looking to buck the trend, Robbins assured us during our exclusive sit-down last month that the Immortals team is keenly aware of the discourse at this point in time. “We’ve heard loud and clear from the community that performance is super important, especially on high-end PCs. Luckily, a lot of us are in that market. We have high-end PCs and we want to make sure that experience is great, so we’re doing everything we can to make sure it’s awesome.”

Immortals of Aveum hands-on preview: A magical dose of originality Electronic Arts / Ascendant StudiosAscendant Studios is redefining what an independent video game can look like through its staggeringly ambitious debut title Immortals of Aveum. With a near-fathomless universe ripe for storytelling opportunities, an addictive mix of gameplay systems promoting an entirely original moment-to-moment experience, and blockbuster production values tying every unique thread together, it’s shaping up to be one of 2023’s biggest surprises. Immortals of Aveum is something new. A new world with new rules of engagement while also being a brand new challenge for a brand new team of developers. On paper, it defies all logic. When we consider the term ‘indie game’, we immediately think of smaller studios carving their own path with innovative ideas and eye-grabbing concepts. We don’t necessarily think of big-budget productions standing toe to toe with industry juggernauts. Though that’s a mold Ascendant Studios is looking to break with Immortals of Aveum. While technically defined as an independent studio, a team with full creative control and no external parties in which to oblige, don’t let the label fool you. “We’re definitely a startup, but we’re not indie,” Founder and CEO Bret Robbins told me. Having toiled away in silence over a half-decade stretch, their first project is just weeks out from launch. The world of Aveum is coming to life and we’ve now ventured through a solid chunk of its war-torn lands. Bold, risky, yet unapologetic in its creativity, Immortals of Aveum is already an astonishing accomplishment. From the beginning to the end of our few-hour hands-on session, I was left in awe of not only the game itself, but the very fact such a game even exists in the current landscape. Shattering independent expectations with a breath of fresh air Video games aren’t cheap to make. The more intricate, the more expansive, and the more visually appealing we get, the bigger the budgets become. Your favorite AAA blockbusters may very well have cost upwards of $100 million to make. Thus, with expenditure ballooning, and development cycles taking years longer than in previous generations, studios are much more risk-averse nowadays. It’s the reason the gaming industry is so reliant on franchises. Sequels and spinoffs, for the most part, are safer bets than new IP. It’s easier to hedge a nine-figure sum on an established property than to risk it all creating something new and hoping it finds an audience. So when the latter does come along, it’s well worth paying attention. Ascendant Studios isn’t taking an easier route with Immortals of Aveum, quite the opposite. With the team’s debut project, they’re effectively creating an original universe while having players navigate it through a fresh, inventive mix of gameplay systems. Nothing about the project is ‘safe’, yet the dev team is unwaveringly pushing forward with its bold ideas, leaning into its originality more than I could have imagined, and giving us something truly unique despite the inherent risks. It’s one thing to tackle a new IP with a small crew and tight budget. It’s another thing entirely to do so with more than 100 employees, over a five-year period, with what can only be described as a blockbuster-equivalent budget. Put simply, games like Immortals of Aveum very rarely come to fruition in today’s landscape. It’s an absolute delight to see a project this creative yet of such an industry-leading quality enter the market. As Bret Robbins clarified in our interview at a recent hands-on event in San Francisco, don’t get the independent label twisted. While this enormous project has been brought to life by a new studio with its own authority, Immortals of Aveum is very much on par with today’s biggest launches, not what you would expect from the term ‘indie’. From breathtaking visual fidelity to staggering set-pieces and top-notch performances underlying it all, the game’s immense production value can’t be mistaken. This is no bog-standard FPS with a linear, 6-8 hour campaign experience. It’s an “epic”, as Robbins put it. What you get is an enormous open world to explore backed by a narrative spanning multiple years with further decades of lore layered on top. Pushing you along is an expansive progression system, optional puzzles, and boss battles to overcome, all bolstered by a heaping serve of customization features letting you tailor the frenetic ‘magic-shooter’combat to your liking. There’s a lot to digest here. It’s a considerable package. With our roughly three hours of playtime, we were barely able to scratch the surface. A whole new world at your fingertips What blew me away more than anything during my time with Immortals of Aveum was, well, Aveum itself. Although we’re only just getting our first glimpse at this fantastical world at war, the universe has a rich history you can’t help but be enveloped in. Factions in conflict, forces battling over territorial claims, magical origins, malevolent forces beyond the mortal plane, there are centuries of learnings just waiting to be unraveled. Dropped into the midst of the ‘Everwar,’ effectively an eternal power struggle over the control of magic, we enter the fight as Jak (Darren Barnet), a rare Triarch Magnus capable of manipulating all forms of magic where others only engage with just one or two. Though having only discovered his capabilities later in life, he falls under the tutelage of General Kirkan (Gina Torres). Together, alongside the rest of the Immortals, the group is among the final remnants of a defensive effort opposing Sandrakk, our key antagonist leading the Rasharn territory to utter domination. The first chunk of our preview session focused on Jak’s humble beginnings as he starts learning of his own powers. The second showed us a section much later into the game, years in the future, in fact, where we now see Jak as a much more experienced and thus confident magic-wielder. Exactly where the main narrative goes, how the Everwar evolves, what becomes of the Immortals, and most importantly, what Aveum’s future holds, is what propels you forward. Long after finishing the demo, I’m still wrapped up in the possibilities, more than curious to see what happens next. Yet beyond that, I’m equally excited to learn of this world’s rich history. This conflict is nothing new, as the name ‘Everwar’ implies. But how did we get to this point? What happened between the five realms? How did Rasharn claim its power? I’m so desperate to learn more and thankfully, the game is ready to deliver. Be it through optional conversations, lengthy exchanges with fascinating characters, environmental storytelling, and of course, ample lore entries to collect, the worldbuilding throughout our session was phenomenal. We even got Robbins to spill the beans on an upcoming lore book in the works, one I can’t wait to get my hands on. It’s clear the devs know they’ve crafted a special world here, one they’re hoping can continue to be explored for years to come. Given the focus on magic and its surrounding conflict, Immortals of Aveum is obviously a fantasy story at its core. Much like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings before it, imagination runs wild here as otherworldly designs and mystifying sights leap off the screen. Rather than relying on fantasy purely as set dressing, however, a key strength of Aveum is how it really leans into the quirkiness typified by the genre. I laughed at one point as Kirkan began talking to me from another location. How does she communicate from across the battlefield you ask? Why, through a magical floating rock that displays her face, of course. No further explanation required. It’s perfectly fantastical and just works for the game. How Aveum channels this over-the-top energy works wonders. While there is a very serious war raging on, one with dire consequences mind you, the game never loses focus of that ‘fun’ element, not taking itself too seriously at every turn as to become tiresome and drab. Addicting FPS gameplay with a shockingly high skill ceiling In case you hadn’t yet pieced it together from our gushing over the story, the world’s depth, and the business risks in play behind it all, Immortals of Aveum is actually a video game, and a damn good one at that. If you’re an FPS savant, you’ll feel right at home here despite peculiarities on the surface. As a Triarch, Jak is capable of wielding all three types of magic present in Aveum. It’s on you to pick and choose how you harness these distinct powers and how you optimize their use in any combat scenario. One type may feel similar to a semi-automatic rifle, allowing you to pick off targets from afar. Another can blast enemies back from close-range, effectively serving as a shotgun. Across the board, fundamentals are rock solid as the team at Ascendant spent a full year nailing down and refining the core gameplay loop before adding new variables to the equation. Casting each ability is fast and snappy, damaging targets with each magic type is tactile and responsive, and movement is exceptional as you reposition between actions. It’s on par with the best in its class in terms of pure FPS mechanics. Thanks to some fairly aggressive AI along with a diverse range of enemy types, you’re constantly on your toes while exploring Aveum. Around every corner is a new challenge as a number of targets sense your presence and force a reaction. Cycling through magic types is the name of the game. Which piece of your arsenal is best to solve the problem before you? What ability may turn the tide in your favor? Where can you reposition to find the best vantage point before chaos ensues? It may look incomprehensible while spectating, but with a controller in hand, it becomes somewhat of a rhythmic puzzle-solving act, one you’re always seeking to optimize. It helps too then, that the game prioritizes fluidity. Nothing ever really halts your momentum. Need to heal up? That can be done at the press of a button while retaining full control over your weapons and movement. No slowing down. Looking to brace for impact as enemy fire comes your way? Again, touch a button and your shield will emerge, yet still keeping the rest of your kit in play without ever bogging you down. It’s smart game design that promotes constant engagement in the heat of the moment, opposed to more passive play where you stay in one place and take potshots on repeat. Nowhere is this exemplified better than in the game’s boss fights. While standard encounters test your skills, nothing pushes you to innovate quite like these specially designed challenges. Whether they’re fast-moving beasts with varied attacks or slower targets with colossal health pools, the rush of figuring out a solution with your expansive toolkit is always a treat. In some cases, these fights essentially become bullet-hell levels though from a first-person perspective. How you survive is entirely down to you. Player expression is paramount in Aveum and it often feels like your own approach is just one of many strategies that could be employed. Through all of this, we haven’t even mentioned an expansive loot pool on offer, one that boasts not only new stat lines with upgraded gear, but even game-changing new abilities and different weapons too. At one stage in the latter half of the demo, I found a new option for my blue magic. Before, I would tap the trigger for semi-auto long-range shots. With this new piece of equipment, I could instead hold the trigger down to charge a powerful javelin. It completely changed how I thought about using that particular part of my arsenal. On top of that, there’s an enormous list of upgradeable talents to pick and choose as well, all of which can help benefit your preferred playstyle. And again, this is just what we came across in our brief session from two vertical slices. It’s safe to say there’s plenty of meat on the bone here and that the promise of a 25-hour FPS ‘epic’ is indeed accurate. Even with this lengthy write-up, there’s still so much more left to discuss with Immortals of Aveum. From the gameplay itself to the unbelievably well-defined universe that surrounds it, there hasn’t been a AAA-caliber release bursting at the seams with creativity like this in quite some time. It’s already an awe-inspiring achievement the dev team at Ascendent Studios should be immensely proud of, not only for pulling it off, but for doing it their way. If the full release sticks the landing on July 20, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see this next EA Originals gem sneak its way onto some Game of the Year lists down the line. I truly can’t wait to dive back in and see what the full game has in store.

Immortals of Aveum Achievement & Trophy list: 47 challenges to complete EA / Ascendant StudiosThe world of Aveum is rich with secrets to uncover, challenges to conquer, and characters to meet. So if you’re looking to tick every box and get it all done, here’s the full Immortals of Aveum Achievement & Trophy list to help out. Whether you’re simply blitzing through the main story or taking time to veer off the core path, you’ll no doubt unlock a number of achievements and trophies naturally in Immortals of Aveum. But if you’re a completionist looking to see and do everything possible, there’s quite a lot to wrap your head around. From endgame bosses to optional and missable conversations along the way, and even more than 100 hidden chests to find, there’s plenty to keep you busy. So if you’re eager to make the most of the new release from Ascendant Studios, here’s the full Immortals of Aveum Achievement and Trophy list to keep you busy. Full Immortals of Aveum Achievement & Trophy list Magnus of the Order Elite – Get all other trophies (PlayStation only) – Recruit – Complete the game on Apprentice difficulty – Lights Army – Complete the game on Magnus difficulty – Grand Magnus – Complete the game on Immortals difficulty – Socialite – Spoke to everyone at the party – Family Business – Spoke to Silas Mede about every topic – Diplomat – Spoke to Ambassador Damolie about every topic – Petite Bourgeoisie – Spoke to Magister Belming about every topic – Witch-Taker – Spoke to Hauser about every topic – Out of Time – Spoke to Orphe about every topic – Scholar – Collected 50 Lore Texts – Armsman – Fully upgraded 1 Legendary Sigil – Kitted Out – Fully upgraded 1 Legendary Totem – Best Dressed – Fully upgraded 1 Legendary Bracer – Armaments Azure – Obtained 3 Legendary Blue Sigils – Armaments Gules – Obtained 3 Legendary Red Sigils – Armaments Vert – Obtained 3 Legendary Green Sigils – Periapt Cerulean – Obtained 1 Legendary Blue Totem – Periapt Alizarin – Obtained 1 Legendary Red Totem – Periapt Viridian – Obtained 1 Legendary Green Totem – Enlisted – Defeated 100 enemies – Solider – Defeated 500 enemies – Veteran – Defeated 1,300 enemies – Master of Ultramarine – Unlocked all Talents in Blue Magic branch – Master of Carmine – Unlocked all Talents in Red Magic branch – Master of Malachite – Unlocked all Talents in Green Magic branch – Shroudfane Explorer – Completed 10 Shroudfanes – Shroudfane Surveyor – Completed all Shroudfanes – Tip of the Spear – Defeated All of The Six – Treasure Hunter – Opened all Golden Chests in the main story – Secret Achievements & Trophies Unforseen – Completed ‘Streetwise’ – Battlefields Have Memories – Completed ‘The Magnus’ – Maybe Engage a Little – Completed ‘Yltheum’ – No More Names – Completed ‘The Immortals’ – Initiate – Completed ‘The Hand of Sandrakk’ – Thrada-Kul – Completed ‘Nocea’ – Gravity Challenged Rocks – Completed ‘Exile’ – All the Major Food Groups – Completed ‘The Magic Eaters’ – Beggers Would Ride – Completed ‘Caldera’ – Control is an Illusion – Completed ‘The Binding Mark’ – The Means to Save It – Completed ‘Colossal’ – Resilience to Sin – Completed ‘Ruin’ – A Familiar Nest – Completed ‘Occupation’ – Geas Aristeya – Completed ‘Glaivegate’ – A Perfect Cycle – Completed ‘The Shrouded Realm’ – Fowl Play – Found the bird in the Palathon – Backtracker – While looking for Thaddeus, returned from Kalthus to the Palathon – Good Boy – Pet the Veki – So, there you have it — those are all the trophies & achievements that you can get in your Immortals of Aveum playthrough.

Immortals of Aveum: Release date, platforms, cast, everything we know Ascendant Studios / EAImmortals of Aveum has finally been revealed in full, as Ascendant Studios is on track to deliver a wholly original, magic-oriented FPS. So from a rundown of how it all works, to a preview of the game’s ambitious narrative, here’s everything you need to know. As the debut project from Ascendant Studios, a team comprised of veteran developers with experience across the board on gaming’s all-time great shooters like CoD, Halo, and Borderlands, Immortals of Aveum looks set to take the FPS genre in a new direction. Replacing traditional guns with spells, and trading out a traditional militaristic setting for a fantastical, otherworldly backdrop, the upcoming game steps into bold new territory. For those on the fence about jumping in, there’s quite a lot to wrap your head around. From a richly crafted universe filled to the brim with lore to a range of unique gameplay systems and visuals to comprehend, it can certainly seem overwhelming. So to get you caught up ahead of its release, here’s a full overview of all there is to know about Immortals of Aveum. Contents Immortals of Aveum: Release date Immortals of Aveum has locked in an August 22, 2023 release date. While initially slated to release on July 20, devs soon announced a one-month delay in order to make the best first impression on launch. With extra time to polish, devs are hoping to “get this right” and give players a solid day-one experience. Immortals of Aveum: Platforms Immortals of Aveum is set to release across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the EA PC application. This means last-gen console hardware is out of the picture, as devs have specifically honed their efforts on newer rigs instead. And given the intense particle effects and detailed visuals present in early gameplay, there’s a good chance this one isn’t ported backward down the line. Immortals of Aveum: Characters & cast The sprawling narrative of Immortals of Aveum is bolstered by a star-studded cast of Hollywood stars, some of which are making their video game debut, while others you may recognize from other, perhaps eerily similar roles in the space. Headlining the batch is none other than Gina Torres as General Kirkan, the leader of the Immortals, a group comprising the most powerful Battlemages. While a popular actor from her years in Firefly, Suits, and The Matrix, she’s also prominent in the gaming space for her role as Ikora Rey in the Destiny franchise. Players assume the role of Jak, a newer recruit under Torres’ lead, voiced by Darren Barnett. Mixing it up among the group we find even more renowned actors of which, you can find below with a full look at everyone confirmed for the Immortals of Aveum cast thus far: Gina Torres – General Kirkan – Darren Barnett – Jak – Antonio Aakeel – Devyn – Lily Cowles – Zendara – Steven Brand – Sandrakk – Yvonne Senat Jones – The Hand – Immortals of Aveum: Trailers Teaser Trailer Reveal Trailer Immortals of Aveum Gameplay trailer Immortals of Aveum Colossal Assault trailer Immortals of Aveum Unpacked trailer Immortals of Aveum: Story details At its core, Immortals of Aveum is about the ‘Everwar,’ a seemingly unending conflict that’s raged on for generations. This ceaseless battle between ‘Aveum’s two most powerful kingdoms,’ is contested over the control of ley lines, what are described as ‘huge conduits of magical power.’ Picking up at a crucial time in this battle, Jak, our protagonist, evolves into a battlemage after growing up powerless, then joining forces with the Immortals to fend off the looming threat of Rasharn. Leading the assault is Sandrakk, a key villain backed primarily by a second in command referred to only as ‘The Hand.’ Exactly where this narrative goes from there, and who emerges from the Everwar victorious, if anyone, is something we’ll have to unravel through what’s teased as a 25+ hour game. Immortals of Aveum gameplay: A magic-infused FPS So we know what Immortals of Aveum is about and who’s in it, but what exactly are we doing in the game? Well, pushing us forward through the epic fantasy story is an explosive FPS loop, one that simply trades in authentic firearms for battlemage spells instead. As a Triarch, Jak is able to manipulate all three types of magical power found throughout the land of Aveum. By alternating through these powers, we can fire off a range of unique abilities that in some respect, mirror the actions of weapons you might be familiar with from other FPS titles. One form of magic might replicate the effects of a shotgun blast, for instance, while another may serve as a fully-automatic weapon, tracking down targets like a Needler from Halo. Jumping from one combat sequence to another, however, is just one part of the flow. Breaking things up, players will find a balance of Metroidvania-esque exploration and even puzzles to boot, ones that require magical prowess to complete. So it’d be wise not to go in expecting a 25-hour corridor shooter from start to finish. Through our own hands-on experience with an early gameplay demo, we can assure you it’s very much a diverse mix. So there you have it, everything we know about Immortals of Aveum thus far. We’ll be sure to update you here as any further details emerge ahead of its release. But in the meantime, feel free to brush up on some other upcoming titles as 2023 rolls on: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Haunted Chocolatier

Immortals: Fenyx Rising sequel will reportedly feature Polynesian setting UbisoftUbisoft’s Immortals: Fenyx Rising was a success when it came out in 2020, and now it looks like a follow-up is on the way, reportedly based on “Polynesian culture.” Immortals: Fenyx Rising was a massive, open-world title centered around Greek mythology as young Fenyx takes advice from the sage gods and even fights them in some cases. Its gorgeous, sprawling world was much-loved, and it seems like a sequel could be on the way. Leaks are pretty much to be expected in the modern era of gaming and one of the driving forces of this practice is industry insider Jeff Grubb. He has been responsible for a number of leaks and rumors, a large portion of which have turned out to be correct. Grubb has now outed another potential new game in the pipeline, and it’s new content in Ubisoft’s Immortals universe. Immortals: Fenyx Rising sequel on the way? Information and insider gaming gossip are regularly discussed on the weekly “Jeff Grubb’s Game Mess” podcast. On the most recent edition of the show, Grubb talked about Ubisoft doing another game to succeed Immortals: Fenyx Rising as the Zelda: Breath of the Wild-inspired title performed very well. “Ubisoft Quebec sequel to Immortal: Fenyx Rising is not a proper sequel, it’s more of a spin-off, in the same way, the production name of the game is called Oxygen, you’re a hero, a guy or a girl, because Ubisoft, it’s based on Hawaiian-Polynesian culture this time around.” Grubb continued: “[There] will still be a God narrator, they will still try to be visually stylized but less of a copy of Breath of the Wild. They [Ubisoft] talk about a visual reboot, it’s in early pre-production, I’ve seen some concept art, and it’s coming maybe in 2025.” Grubb clarifies that he’s reading this information from a source and doesn’t believe it’s one of the canceled Ubisoft projects following in the footsteps of Splinter Cell VR, Ghost Recon Frontline, and more. As we alluded to earlier, the biggest criticism of Immortals: Fenyx Rising was the game’s identity or lack of it. Few games have delved into Polynesian territory before, so it’ll be interesting to see how Ubisoft includes the culture, as well as its biggest gods: Kane, Kanaloa, Hikule’o, and more. It borrowed quite heavily from Breath of the Wild, which isn’t a bad decision considering how highly regarded that game is, and having a reported sequel try to reinvent itself could finally give the franchise some individuality.

Illusion Connect tier list: Best heroes for every faction in 2023 EcsRin / Superprism TechnologyLooking for an Illusion Connect hero tier list to help you choose the characters that are best suited for your playstyle in 2023? Check out the entire tier list below to find out everything you need to make the right choices. Illusion Connect is a mobile game that features a real-time strategy (RTS) layout combined with plenty of in-game multiplayer activities. However, with a huge pool of characters to choose from, forming your combat parties with the best heroes can be fairly confusing. To save you from this confusion, we’ve got you covered with a detailed hero tier list for all the available factions in Illusion Connect, so let’s dive right in and check out everything you need to know for this RTS title. In case you’re looking for a tier list of more mobile titles, don’t worry, we have you covered. Be it Clash Royale, Mobile Legends: Adventure, Echoes of Mana, or Arknights, our curated rankings will definitely help you get ahead of the curve. Make sure to also check out our list of the best mobile games in 2023 to ensure that you don’t miss out on any of our top picks. Updated February 9, 2023, to refresh the tiers according to the current meta. Contents Illusion Connect factions – Illusion Connect tier list – Illusion Connect factions Every character in Illusion Connect belongs to a certain faction, and each of these factions specializes in a specific set of tasks during combat. There are seven different factions in the game, and as such, it’s very important for you to know what each of them does. These are all of the factions in Illusion Connect: Heal – Spell – Light – Summon – Attack – Sorcerer – Guardian – Because the strength of a particular hero relies on specific scenarios that they’re in – from the synergy between the heroes in a party to how an enemy counters them – we’ve broken down our tier list for Illusion Connect, faction by faction. Illusion Connect tier list Heal Although the game doesn’t feature many healers, the developers have recently released a few new heroes for this category specifically. As the name suggests, these heroes are capable of healing their allies in the field of battle and can be extremely impactful in various scenarios. Spell Characters belonging to the Spell faction in Illusion Connect are extremely good at crowd-controlling enemies. While these heroes are not the best at dealing damage, their ability to inflict negative status effects can be fairly crucial during combat. Light Being one of the most versatile factions in Illusion Connect, Light heroes are a good addition for pretty much any team. Although these heroes do not make much of an impact by themselves, they are great at providing buffs, to other heroes. Be it invulnerability or combat buffs, Light heroes will have you covered during those intense fights. Summon Heroes that are capable of summoning other units into battle can be extremely lethal when combined with the right team. However, you should note that these characters are not only difficult to master but are fairly useless in PVE modes. Having said that, the real strength of heroes from the Summon faction is in PVP modes, where you can use sheer numbers to force out successful fights. Attack These are the heroes that you would want to use to deal massive damage to your enemies. Characters belonging to the Attack faction can fill up their Rage meter quicker than other factions, allowing them to cast their unique abilities and skills in quick succession. Sorcerer Sorcerers used to be one of the strongest factions in Illusion Connect until recently. Having fallen out of favor with most Attack and Light faction heroes, there are still certain situations when Sorcerers can be very crucial in determining the result of a match with their spells. Guardian Guardians tend to perform as the frontline for any team that they are on. With the capability of virtually becoming unkillable, these heroes combine well with characters from the Light faction and can be absolute game-changers in certain combats. Heroes that feature in the A and B tiers are the ones that you should be looking to use in your combat party. However, it is important to ensure that you have selected the proper faction of heroes that you are going to need for the specific quest that you’re about to start. So, there you have it – that’s our Illusion Connect hero tier list for February 2023. Make sure to check back in the future for any changes to the rankings. For more mobile gaming tips and tricks, make sure to check out our guides: Funky Friday codes | Roblox music codes | NBA 2K22 locker codes | Murder Mystery 2 codes | Call of Duty Mobile rank guide | My Hero Mania codes | Adopt Me! Pets list | Mobile Legends: Bang Bang codes | Geometry Dash Vault codes | Ro Ghoul codes | One Piece Millennium 3 codes | NBA 2K Mobile codes | Clash Royale creator codes | Cookie Run: Kingdom codes | Mobile Legends: Adventure codes

Ikonei Island early access review: A rough but delightful adventure Snowcastle GamesIkonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure is currently available in early access on Steam. The 0.2 update has added a wealth of improvements and expansions, giving depth and customization to many aspects of the game. Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure is an early access title in development by Snowcastle Games. Set in the same universe as the game Earthlock, players can select one of four young adventurers to explore Ikonei Island, restoring it to it’s former glory. The game sports delightfully colorful 3D graphics and a pleasant soundtrack, as well as many of the key mechanics of popular farming sims. Ikonei Island also combines combat with strategy, requiring players to solve puzzles on the island instead of simply attacking enemies with brute force. This makes it an excellent option for audiences of any age – especially as most of the puzzles aren’t too difficult to solve. Similar to games like Coral Island, players will also be able to plant and sell crops, care for animals, and grow a town. This makes it a great pick for fans of the cozy or slice-of-life genres, as well as JRPG players. Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure key details Price: $14.99 USD – Developer: Snowcastle Games – Current status: Early Access – Platforms: PC via Steam – Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure 0.2 update trailer Ikonei Island is perfect for animal lovers One of the most outstanding aspects of the 0.2 update of Ikonei Island is the animal companion mechanics. Early in the game, players can begin collecting creatures that will help them on their journeys. One of the first creatures players will encounter is the Longhorn. The adorable hyena/ram hybrid can follow you around, bash large stacks of rocks apart, and clear piles of junk. However, the creatures must be cared for. As added in the 0.2 updates, each of the player’s companions can be named, fed, and checked in on. They become more powerful the longer they stay with the player, thriving if they receive the proper care. They can even get dirty, requiring a quick dip in the ocean to scrub off the stink. Farming on Ikonei Island is simple but detailed Players will also spend a good deal of time growing crops while building their town on Ikonei Island. The farming mechanics are simple, with players tilling the earth and then planting seeds. These must be watered until they flower. However, the game adds an interesting twist that makes the farming process more complex than some of the farming sims currently available. In order to get fruit from plants, they must be pollinated while in the flowering stage. This requires the Pollen Bag item. In titles like Coral Island, Story of Seasons, or Stardew Valley, just watering the plants is more than enough to get the job done. However, for those who enjoy a deeper level of farming immersion, this extra detail makes the process more rewarding and interesting. Stunning visuals but bumpy performance While Ikonei Island is beautiful, offering different biomes and plenty of colorful locations, the game does currently struggle with a few performance issues at the time of this review. Players will notice that trees seem to stagger as they move around the map, and it isn’t unusual for rainy areas to hang and experience framerate drops. Additionally, the movement of water on the ocean can be a bit unsettling, and might make some players sensitive to visual motion sickness dizzy. This is due to a slow and repetitive set of tidal and tree movement animations. Is Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure worth it in early access? Ikonei Island is worth checking out in early access. The game offers plenty of things to do at a reasonable price. Despite the issues with visual performance – and a few small bugs and glitches – the gameplay is addictive and enjoyable. Additionally, Snowcastle Games has already offered large patches for the game, adding more for players to enjoy. Ikonei Island is the perfect choice for players of any age and is excellent for those who want an RPG adventure but also enjoy the simple and relaxing gameplay of farming and town management. It is perfectly delightful and feels like a storybook that has come to life. Dexerto was provided with a PC Steam code of Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure for the purpose of this review.

IKEA sends solo indie dev cease and desist letter to change horror game setting ZiggyFurniture and homeware store IKEA has sent out a cease and desist letter to an independent game developer due to the game’s similarities with the furniture store. One Indie game has managed to get the attention of IKEA for all the wrong reasons. The furniture and homeware franchise has sent the game’s developers a cease and desist letter. The reasoning? Because the horror game takes place in a store that looks very similar to IKEA. The game in question – The Store is Closed – is a co-op survival horror game. The game may take place in a furniture store. However, the official blurb of the game doesn’t exactly scream IKEA. As written on the official Steam page, the blurb for the game is as follows: “When the lights go out, the staff attack. You’ll need to craft weapons and build fortifications to survive the night. Explore the underground SCP laboratories and build towers to the sky to find a way out.” IKEA wants the game changed as soon as possible As first reported by Kotaku, the IKEA legal team has taken action against the developer. Not only that but the furniture franchise wants the game to be taken down entirely. Developer Jacob Shaw has allegedly been given ten days to “change the game and remove all indicia associated with the famous IKEA stores.” “Our client has learned that you are developing a video game, ‘The Store is Closed’,” the legal letter explained, “which uses, without our client’s authorization, indicia associated with the famous IKEA stores.” The letter then explained the exact issue with the game, and what about the content IKEA has taken issue with. “Your game uses a blue and yellow sign with a Scandinavian name on the store, a blue box-like building, yellow vertical striped shirts identical to those worn by IKEA personnel, a gray path on the floor, furniture that looks like IKEA furniture, and product signage that looks like IKEA signage. All the foregoing immediately suggests that the game takes place in an IKEA store.” And while IKEA may believe that Shaw has designed the in-game furniture store to resemble the inside of IKEA, the developer revealed that he “bought generic furniture asset packs to make this game.”

iiTzTimmy pulls off mindblowing Valorant ace in 4 seconds flat iiTzTimmy | TwitchiiTzTimmy has made a name for himself on twitch because of his incredible skill with FPS games. And Timmy continues to uphold that reputation with a 4 second solo ace in Valorant. After going from the lowest rank to the highest rank in one sitting in a 54 hour Apex Legends stream followed by doing the same challenge in Valorant, iiTzTimmy cemented himself as one of the best FPS players on Twitch. He regularly puts out insane clips making plays most people could only dream of being able to pull off. Suffice to say, iiTzTimmy is really, really good at Valorant. However, a Valorant play that Timmy pulled off with the Sheriff in hand is insane, even by his standards. After being walled in by Sage, Timmy had no choice but to fight. And fight he did. 6 shots. 5 kills. In 4 seconds. Without even having to reload his weapon, Timmy managed to take out the entire enemy team. This wasn’t the initial pistol round, either. Timmy went-all in on buying a Sheriff and gambled everything on winning this round. Despite having to outgun an entire team, including a player with a Vandal, Timmy made this ace look easy. There are good plays, and then there are plays so great that your teammates start shouting out their socials in the background because they know that clip is going viral. It’s one thing to ace the enemy team with a Vandal on a full-buy, but it’s another entirely to ace on an eco round in the fashion Timmy did here. As great as this play is, it’s also no surprise considering iiTzTimmy’s track record. Timmy is so good that he’s had to go to great lengths in the past to prove he’s not cheating in the past, and he’s managed to silence the doubters every time.

Iconic clips from banned Twitch streamers like DrDisrespect, Ice Poseidon & more YouTube: Dr Disrespect/Ice PoseidonA YouTube video from channel ‘Top Kek’ has gone viral after it revisited some of the most memorable moments for popular Twitch streamers who have since been permabanned from the platform. The video, which is aptly titled ‘Clips From Permanently Banned Twitch Streamers You Can’t Watch Anymore’, has amassed over 600,000 views since being posted on May 16. Because of the way Twitch works, once a user is banned, people are no longer able to view past clips from that user’s channel. This means that following a ban, memorable clips and moments from a user’s past streams are near-impossible for other users to find. This new vid has become a hit with viewers because it gives them the chance to look at some of the best moments of now-banned streamers like Ice Posedion, Dr Disrespect, Phantoml0rd and Gross Gore, among others. The video includes hilarious moments such as Dr Disrespect farting in response to a business offer and Phantoml0rd’s live expletive-filled rant live after losing a game of Fortnite. There are other more uncomfortable moments shown in the video that these streamers would probably rather stay hidden, such as the moment Ice Posedion’s friend reacts to a racist song he shows him and when Gross Gore starts going into explicit detail about his sex life while uncomfortable viewers looked on. Other banned streamers whose clips are included in this video include Hyphonix, Anything4Views, Protozero3, G4mergirl533, HelenaLive, ‘Asian Andy’, Brittany Venti, LeaHerring, ‘Mexican Andy’ and Brandon Hampton. There has always been confusion and scrutiny about Twitch’s moderation system and the reasons they ban streamers, but the pressure on Twitch to clarify their process has increased as of late. Users have been on edge since the DMCA drama in October last year, which saw many creators on the platforms including NICKMERCS and TimTheTatan receiving DMCA takedown notifications. As well as this, the platform’s TOS change in December, which banned the use of words like ‘simp’ and ‘virgin’, left many users scared that they’d end up getting banned after breaking rules unintentionally. With Phantoml0rd winning a lawsuit against Twitch in April this year, wherein he received over $20,000 in damages after claiming the reasons Twitch gave for his banning were “unsubstantiated,” many users are hoping that this will make the platform more transparent before issuing more controversial bans in the future.

Iconic Facebook game Farmville shutting down after 11 years ZyngaAfter 11 years, the iconic online Facebook game FarmVille will be shutting down on December 31, 2020. Here’s what you need to know about why it’s going offline, what will be done about in-app purchases, and more. In the mid-2000s and early 2010s, web games took the world by storm. Having the ability to play simple but fun games within your own web browser, without having to download any applications, was something that tons of companies took advantage of. One of the more popular web-based games was FarmVille. The Facebook title attracted millions and millions of players during its time online, so while it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying its popularity. Unfortunately, it’s time is coming to an end. Developer Zynga has announced that on December 31, 2020, FarmVille will finally be shutting down. The game was released on Facebook on June 19, 2009, which means it’s been over 11 years since its original launch date. According to Zynga, the move was done because of the loss of support for Adobe Flash Player, the platform that the game is built on. While a lot of games built on the platform have transitioned to other services, FarmVille seems to have not made the jump. In the lead-up to the game’s shutdown, the developer announced that the game’s microtransaction system will be shut off on November 17. While no specific details were revealed, Zynga confirmed that it is working on some final activities and events for people to sink their teeth into before the shutdown. While the loss of Flash Player was certainly the most defining reason why the game’s being shutdown, the game’s popularity is also more than likely to blame. While there’s no telling the current player-count for FarmVille, there’s pretty much no denying it’s not anywhere close to where it once was, with the game bringing in millions and millions of players when it was its most popular in 2010 and 2011.

I went from a Concord doomer to believer but I still don’t think it’s enough Firewalk StudiosI didn’t come into last weekend’s closed beta of Concord with much confidence. The night before jumping in, I’d expressed my concerns to my regular Overwatch team about Sony’s entry into the hero shooter category. There was nothing overly wrong with Concord’s reveal at May’s State of Play. There was an underlying sense that Sony wanted it to be a big reveal, giving the game a huge portion of the show and an expensive-looking cinematic. However, when that cinematic finished, everyone dealt with the whiplash of realizing this wasn’t a co-op story-driven RPG, but the latest entry in a pretty crowded hero shooter genre that has established monoliths. For those not into Overwatch, Valorant, or Rainbow Six Siege, this is a well-served, and admittedly, out-of-fashion genre. And for Overwatch, Valorant, or Rainbow Six Siege players – well, they have those games already. However, thanks to a (potentially now abandoned) push into live service games, Sony now finds itself on the verge of entering the space and making some noise. And as someone with 3000 hours of game time in Overwatch, I’m contractually obligated to play every competitive hero shooter that hits the market. Surprisingly though, I’ve walked away feeling a little different than I expected – even if there’s a broader sense of worry underlying my feelings. The Pros and Concord There’s something to Concord. A lot of people have written it off, which I get. I had too. However, last Saturday, I sat down intending to play a couple of games for this preview feature, and quickly, five hours had passed. There is a compelling hook here that works well within the flow of the game. Despite it apparently being a sticking point for some, I think within the context of the world it’s building, Concord’s characters work both aesthetically and also as hero designs. Firewalk Studios knows what it’s doing. While this may be the developer’s debut game, it has a rich team of multiplayer experts (reportedly many from early Destiny 2). It shows, too. There’s some real innovation on display here, and the game feels fluid. I found myself getting into cycles of play, running from fight to fight, taking stops at health packs. Once I’d discovered these rotations, that’s where I had the most fun. The gunplay also feels pretty tight. It avoids a lot of the pitfalls of new hero shooters, which often suffer from sometimes floaty, and less refined weapon feels, causing a disconnect between your shots and hitting your target. (I’d argue this is Marvel Rival’s biggest hurdle right now.) Abilities also flow into each other nicely. This is something that Overwatch remains unmatched at. That crisp way you can activate abilities, and it feels instantaneous. Concord isn’t at that level of refinement yet, but if it does have a successful future, it feels like the developers could get there. That’s the underlying feeling I got from the hours I put into Concord – this was made by a team that understands multiplayer games and how to make them feel good. The time to kill feels a little laborious, and the balancing of certain heroes feels out of whack, but these can be refined – and I suspect many players haven’t tapped into the power of some characters yet, either. I need a hero As a Sombra main in Overwatch 2, I thought I’d really push the boat out and try something different, by gravitating to the Purple lady, who has gadgets, disrupts abilities, and goes invisible. That’s a joke. For the most part, Concord does a pretty good job of avoiding the trap of “oh, this one is supposed to be Tracer, this one is Reinhardt, this one is Mercy.” Some characters feel like they may have started in the same ballpark of archetypes of heroes from other games –- but they play very differently. IT-Z is somewhat analogous with Tracer, like Kyps is with Sombra, and Roka is with Pharah. Kyps really started to click for me, though, when I learned her rotation of coming out of invisibility, shooting someone for a while, and then reentering stealth and running to a health pack. She’s different from Sombra, slower and less deadly, but her loop is pretty compelling. Inevitably, after taking over a lobby as Kyps, I’d see other players on the enemy team trying to take on the hero (who has a low health pool), completely unsure how to play her. It felt great to have begun to understand and master one of these heroes. It clicked. Differentiating it from others in the genre too, Concord is more of an arena shooter. In the moment-to-moment, it feels like it has its DNA more with the likes of Lawbreakers or Quake Champions (I told you, I played and remember all hero shooters). That isn’t the most prestigious company, but I’ve always felt there is a way to make that more classic, Unreal Tournament-esque shooter work with heroes. There’s a universe among the multi-verse where Concord cracks that nut finally. That’s not to heap total praise onto Concord though. It also has some very bold ideas trying to define itself that end up feeling quite bizarre. Cut the cord When it comes to the game’s structure, Firewalk Studios has taken some big swings to try to spice up the grind and encourage players to play in different ways. It’s easy to commend the devs for trying things to help differentiate Concord. For example, the game has the idea of crews, where you try to make a roster of the heroes to play with. Within that, you can then get certain buffs by switching characters and roles every time you die. It serves to encourage players to get to know the heroes and build their squads around these buffs – but it simply doesn’t work. Creating an identity around a hero in a hero shooter is one of the most compelling hooks in these games. I think of myself as a Sombra/Doomfist main in Overwatch. A Fade/Yoru main in Valorant. An Oryx/Iana main in Rainbow Six: Siege. Finding that identity is whats alluring. Concord runs counter to that. It wants players to get decent with a much deeper pool of heroes. To me, you’re either ignoring the buffs and nerfing yourself, or you’re encouraged to toss these characters aside, never really investing in their identity. It’s a nice try to do something different – but to me, it feels like a design dead end that’s flawed at conception. This is a hero shooter – let me care about the hero I’m playing, and master their abilities – not force me to become a jack of all trades. Variants, on the other hand, are a more promising vein for the game. These are essentially different versions of heroes you can earn. These unlock new color palettes, but more importantly, offer different passive buffs that alter a hero. The idea of modular passives is interesting, and somewhere Firewalk might be able to differentiate itself from the competition. That said, it’ll have to be careful with the balancing around these and their availability. For example, it’s going to feel really bad if you’re getting destroyed by a variant with a strong passive that was only available months ago, and you have no avenue to get it yourself. It could create a world of haves and have-nots that Firewalk Studios will have to grapple with if the distribution of these variants isn’t spot on. The not-so-freegunners Despite that – I’ve walked away from Concord interested in following its journey. There’s a sheen of quality here that comes from developers who know how to make good multiplayer games. That said, I still worry about Concord’s longevity. Its pricing model worked in 2016 for Overwatch, but it feels incompatible with the current landscape. It needs to be able to bring in players to give it a shot for free, rather than expecting them to spend $39.99 upfront to see if they might be into it. I get it. It’s genuinely admirable. A live service that you pay one fee for, and you get all the content as it rolls out. That’s what people have been begging for for years. This 100% feels like a Sony initiative, and to their credit, it really worked for Helldivers 2 earlier this year. Selling a game upfront and then running a compelling live service within that is an awesome idea (as long as the cosmetic microtransactions remain very reasonable, like in Helldivers 2.) But, the reality is, that’s not the market we live in. Free-to-play dominates the landscape. You can’t ignore that. People need to be clamoring for that experience enough to spend that cash. You can’t charge them $40 and expect them to just be ‘trying it out’. This is all a shame too. Concord has something going on. There’s been genuinely excellent work put into the character design, presentation, and story elements. In another world, this takes off. But we have to live in this world. People need to be convinced that this is a multiplayer game worth caring about, and that’s really hard when the barrier to entry is real-world money to even see if they like it at all. Concord has a place. It’s not like the other big players in the genre, and I played for five hours straight at the weekend without blinking an eye. This can carve out its corner of the market as a hero shooter with unique ideas. I just don’t think the hypothetical audience of someone who wants to get deep into a new hero shooter, loves this aesthetic and is willing to pay $40 upfront to experience it exists. I want to be proven wrong. This is a pretty good hero shooter. Something that could develop into its own strong voice and offer something different for the FPS multiplayer genre. This is clearly a talented team with a lot of very good ideas. But in a genre that has mighty mainstays demanding people’s attention, I just worry if it will be able to break through that noise.

Hyper Light Breaker: Trailer, gameplay changes, platforms & more Heart MachineHeart Machine have announced Hyper Light Breaker, the long-awaited sequel to the 2015 critical darling, Hyper Light Drifter. Here’s everything fans can expect from the follow-up. When Hyper Light Drifter was released way back in 2016, after smashing its original Kickstarter goal, players and critics alike were bowled over by its gorgeous pixel art style and old-school action RPG gameplay. Six years later, developers Heart Machine have announced a sequel named Hyper Light Breaker, published by Gearbox this time around. What can fans expect from the hotly-anticipated follow-up? We’ve broken it all down right here. Contents Hyper Light Breaker trailer Seemingly out of nowhere, on March 31, 2022, Heart Machine and Gearbox dropped the Hyper Light Breaker trailer, giving fans of the original their first peek at the new game. Check it out below: Is there a Hyper Light Breaker release date Unfortunately, the first trailer didn’t give a concrete release date, but it did confirm that players will be able to get their hands on Hyper Light Breaker sometime in Spring 2023. The sequel will initially be an early access title but don’t be surprised to see a full release follow later on in the year. Hyper Light Breaker platforms As it stands, due to its status as an early access game, Hyper Light Breaker has only been confirmed for a Steam release. No details have been released as of yet about if or when players on other platforms will be able to get their hands on it. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. When Hyper Light Drifter was released, it came solely to PC in the beginning but a console version launched a few months later. We expect the sequel to follow suit, possibly when it leaves early access, so PlayStation and Xbox users hopefully won’t have to wait too long before trying it for themselves. Hyper Light Breaker gameplay details Despite being a direct sequel that will continue the story of The Drifter, Hyper Light Breaker also marks a huge departure from its predecessor. While the original dropped players into a 2D sci-fi world, the new game is embracing a 3D perspective more akin to Heart Machine’s last game – Solar Ash. Traversing the larger areas of “The Overgrowth” will be sped up by the hoverboard and glider at players’ disposal, allowing The Drifter to glide around the world with ease. It also appears that Breaker will move the series away from its action-RPG roots in favor of rouge-lite elements. But don’t worry, the flashy hack-and-slash combat is going nowhere. A greater emphasis is being placed on co-op with the next installment, which was only added to the first game in a post-launch update. This time around, players will be able to tackle the challenge with friends from day one. For more details, take a look at the description from the official Hyper Light Breaker Steam page: “Play alone or with friends to explore massive biomes, defeat brutal monsters, create new builds, survive the mysterious Crowns, and overthrow the almighty Abyss King in this action rogue-lite adventure from the creators of Hyper Light Drifter.” There you have it! That was everything we know about Hyper Light Breaker. We’ll update this page with all of the latest information as and when it’s announced, so be sure to check back here regularly. For more on the biggest upcoming games, check out our other release hubs: Hogwarts Legacy | Forspoken | Elden Ring | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Hollow Knight Silksong | Sonic Frontiers | Evil Dead: The Game | God of War Ragnarok | Gotham Knights | Wolverine | Final Fantasy 16 | BioShock 4

Hungrybox makes wild LeBron James MultiVersus prediction using real NBA stats Super Smash Bros pro Hungrybox has made a wild prediction for the upcoming MultiVersus fighter LeBron James using real NBA stats. MultiVersus is Warner Bros’ attempt at making a fighting game using fan-favorite characters from a multitude of franchises. And while some of the matchups in more iconic fighting games like Super Smash Bros seem ludicrous, Bugs Bunny vs Arya Stark might take the cake. With 16 fighters included in the Closed Beta, the 17th character has already been announced. Slamming into MultiVersus when Open Beta begins on July 26, the Space Jam 2 hero and NBA Superstar LeBron James will cross up his opponents. While waiting for the character to drop, professional Smash Bros player Hungrybox has been reviewing footage of James’ NBA gameplay to make some wild predictions for the fighter. Hungrybox predicts LeBron James stats While the MultiVersus servers were offline to prepare for Open Beta, Hungrybox reviewed some of LeBron James’ gameplay footage. But not footage of the fighting game – went over clips of James’ NBA performances. More specifically, Hbox was counting the number of frames LeBron stayed in the air when jumping to the rim for a dunk. And in several different clips, he counted 18 frames. “18 chat! 18! It’s 18 frames every single time from jump to dunk!” Hbox shouted after his revelation. “I’m not crazy. This is now the fifth dunk I’ve counted. Someone post this right now because we’re gonna see it when he drops, and it’s 18 frames, I’m gonna be the smartest man in the entire world.” With the legendary athlete landing in MultiVersus later today, Hungrybox will finally get to see if he truly is the smartest man alive. Will MultiVersus’ LeBron James soar through the air like Jake from Adventure Time, or will he get the realistic physics treatment like Little Mac in Super Smash Bros?

Hyenas: Trailer, platforms, closed beta test & everything we know SegaHyenas is an upcoming FPS title from Sega set in the future and filled with chaos and pop culture references. If you’re wondering what the gameplay will be like, here’s everything you need to know. Sega and Creative Assembly have teamed up to bring a unique, interplanetary, and fast-paced multiplayer FPS title to your screens. The team was also behind the creation of Alien: Isolation and Halo Wars 2, so the results are expected to be interesting. A closed beta test for the game is also on the horizon. If you were looking for a detailed overview of the game, our hub has got all the information you need. Contents Hyenas release date – Platforms – Closed Beta Test – System Requirements – Trailers – Gameplay and story details – Hyenas release date Sega hasn’t mentioned a concrete release date for Hyenas yet, but it is going to be released sometime in 2023. Make sure to check back regularly as we’ll update you with more information as soon as further details regarding a release date are revealed. Hyenas available platforms Hyenas will release on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Mac in 2023. On PC, the game will be available on both Steam and Epic Games Store. At the time of writing, there’s no news for a Nintendo Switch release. How to sign up for Hyenas closed beta test Sega has announced that Steam users can register for Hyena’s closed beta test – which runs from August 31, 2023, until September 11, 2023. Those who participated in the closed alpha test will automatically receive a key on August 29. “The closed beta will feature eight specialists including newcomers Mozie – the OG Hyena – and rock-and-roll roadie Digits,” Sega said. “They will join ballerina Prima, astronaut Commander Wright, super speedy cosplayer Hero-Ki, Sniper El Silbón, gamer Doc Hotfix and defense connoisseur drag queen Galaxia as they dive into zero-G action across the massive Plundership, Earth Vintage.” Here’s how to sign up: Head to Hyenas’ Steam Store page – Click “Request Access” next to the “Join the Hyenas Playtest” box – Wait for a notification through Steam to find out if you got in – Hyenas system requirements Since Hyenas is still in an early alpha stage, the system requirements are a bit on the higher side. As the days go by, the developers will try to tone down the hardware requirements with further optimization. Here’s a rundown of all the minimum and recommended system specifications needed to run Hyenas: Hyenas trailer Hyenas’ official announcement trailer gave us a glimpse of the gameplay, the world, and its characters. Check out the original announcement trailer below: The gameplay revealed in the announcement trailer featured versatile shooting mechanics in a colorful comical world. More will be revealed in the coming months as the game nears its launch date. On August 16, Sega posted another trailer alongside the announcement of the closed beta test. The footage featured more gameplay of the multiplayer robbery game. Gameplay and story details The game’s story shows that the inhabitants of Earth have colonized Mars and are leaving the planet as it has become uninhabitable. Ships are sent back to Earth to collect the “pop culture” treasure and the Hyenas are now up to destroying these ships to rob their merchandise. During this process, they have to fight against AI security and other players, as the game is PvEvP, in order to pull off a successful robbery. Hyenas’ gameplay oozes with graphic novel art-style design with a combination of guns and a post-apocalyptic timeline. You have to combat in zero gravity and it’s sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience. So, there you have it – that’s everything you need to know about the upcoming futuristic FPS title Hyenas. Keep an eye on our hub often as we’ll make sure to update it as soon as new information surfaces online. For more gaming hubs, complete with all the latest information, take a look at: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Wonder Woman Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Dragon Age 4 |

Dune RPG bundle launches as Dune 2 hits cinemas Modiphius EntertainmentDune: Part 2 is finally here, and Humble Bundle is celebrating by making a huge trove of Dune RPG material incredibly affordable. Humble Bundle has been making a name for itself for some time as the place to be for RPG deals. While Humble’s deals have always enthused gamers and voracious readers, RPG players also have a place to stack their shelves and collections with new sourcebooks, supplements, and more. Right now, Humble has packed together a terrific set of Dune RPG material, just in time for Dune: Part 2 to hit cinemas. For RPG fans who have always loved sci-fi worldbuilding, and moviegoers who have been sandblasted by the sheer merciless majesty of Arrakis, this is your next best stop for Dune content. Dune RPG Humble Bundle lets you play politics and ride the worm Modiphius’ Dune – Adventures in the Imperium RPG brings Frank Herbert’s legendary series to the tabletop like never before. Your options for playing in this vast universe are myriad, from the squabbling Great Houses of the Landsraad to the scorching spice-laden dunes of Arrakis itself. What’s in the Dune RPG Humble Bundle? As with many past Humble Bundles, the content on display in this Dune bundle will have TTRPG fans and collectors jumping with delight. Including players’ guides, full setting sourcebooks and a number of standalone adventures, there’s something for every type of RPG player and Dune fan right here. The full list of 16 Dune RPG items in the bundle has been compiled below: Dune: Power And Pawns: The Emperors Court – Dune: Sand and Dust – Dune: The Great Game: Houses of the Landsraad – Dune: Time Becomes a Narrow Door – Dune: Kernels Of Doubt – Dune: Desert Flower – Dune: Coriolis Storm – Dune: Fatal Journey – Dune: Shaitan’s Bargain – Dune: Desertfall Adventure – Dune: Core Rulebook Standard Edition – Dune: Masters of Dune – Dune: Gamemaster’s Toolkit – Dune – Adventures in the Imperium – Character and House Sheets – Dune: Wormsign Quickstart – Dune: Agents of Dune Deluxe Starter Set – This Humble Bundle also contains a coupon for a 50% discount on select physical Dune RPG products, well worth checking out for anyone who loves the tactile side of RPGs and collecting. The products eligible for the discount are as follows: Dune – Adventures in the Imperium – Core Rulebook Standard Edition – Dune – Adventures in the Imperium – Gamemaster’s Toolkit – Dune – Adventures in the Imperium – Player’s Journal – Dune – Adventures in the Imperium: Agents of Dune Deluxe Starter set – Dune Dice sets – Arrakis, Arrakis Melange, Atreides, and Harkonnen – Why Dune – Adventures in the Imperium deserves your attention Sci-fi fans have been waiting so long for a full, faithful Dune adaptation, and it’s hard to believe one is finally here. Dune: Part 2 is sure to ignite further interest in one of the greatest Sci-fi universes of all time, and this RPG is the perfect way to dive in and see all of its many corners for yourself. There’s a lot more Dune to explore and endless stories to uncover. Modiphius’ pedigree in adapting world-famous IPs into intricate, layered RPG settings makes them the perfect choice to tackle Dune, and now you can see their work for yourself. The Dune – Adventures in the Imperium RPG bundle is set to run until March 21, so don’t delay checking out this bundle before it leaves.