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Harmony: The Fall of Reverie preview – One of Don’t Nod’s most captivating stories yet Don’t NodDon’t Nod has returned into the fold with another narrative-rich game in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, this time in the stylings of a visual novel. And after an hour with an early preview, there’s no denying it’s shaping up as one of the studio’s best stories thus far. Don’t Nod has had a fairly rocky track record with its stories over the years, despite billing itself as a studio that creates “powerful and immersive narrative experiences” over all else. Despite being one of their most famous offerings, Life is Strange didn’t quite click for me and hasn’t particularly aged all too well in the years since. In the words of the ever-critical Yahtzee Croshaw, the game is “a French’s interpretation of an American high school teenager”. Joking about the fact it’s a majority French team who were working on a story all about being a teenager in American suburbia. One could argue that story lacks an abundance of substance and introspection, and that is what I found to be a trend in many of Don’t Nod’s games. However, while not falling in love with much of the team’s previous work, I was left more than impressed after jumping into their latest endeavor, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. A deep and philosophical story to sink your teeth in As I played the very beginnings of Harmony, I was immediately struck by not only the weight of its main topic, but by its subtle and nuanced execution. 2022’s Gerda: A Flame of Winter showed off what was, in my eyes, Don’t Nod’s best narrative offering to date. The game, set in World War 2, masked itself as a simple isometric RPG focusing on a wife finding her captured husband. In reality, under the surface was an incredibly sober look into how the war ravaged its citizens and the various moral dilemmas millions had to make to ensure their survival amongst the bloodshed. Harmony: too masks itself as a simple story. It’s about a woman named Polly (or Harmony in Reverie) who comes home, Alma, after years away because of the news that her mother has gone missing. It’s only after returning home she is suddenly transported into a world, Reverie, which is crumbling, a world that Polly is tasked to fix by slowly appointing who will ultimately rule the land based on her decisions in the real world. But that is just the surface layer. Rather, its story is quite clearly the reality of gentrification, how communities are torn apart, and the vast history of those who came before are lost because of megacorporations. MK, in this case, is seen as the overarching yet unseen villain. As we uncover the disappearance of Polly’s mother, we slowly uncover MK’s plans for the city, but we also uncover how Reverie, her mother’s disappearance, and MK are all intertwined. And in Reverie, there are six different “aspirations” which are vying for power. Each of them represents the aspirations of humanity: Glory, Bliss, Power, Chaos, Bond, and Truth (I did not get to meet Glory in my preview). By the end, through our choices, one of these aspirations will ultimately rule Reverie. In all honesty, as I write this, I feel I’m barely scratching the surface of how expertly crafted the narrative truly is. Its writing is so unbelievably dense and intimate that it can’t possibly fit in a section of this preview. It’s a story that deals with so much. On how societies are destroyed by megacorporations, the journalists, academics, and artists who are shut down in their advocacy for truth, how individualism is left to rot by corporations, and the trauma which comes from growing up in a dysfunctional family. There’s really a great deal here to get caught up in. By the end of my playthrough of the pre-release build I was given access to, I was left deflated, though not in a bad way. I was immediately hit with a brick wall thanking me for playing the opening portion of the game, but all I wanted was to see how things progressed from there. That alone is a testament to just how captivating the story is here. A warm art style that befits the intimate story Just like their stories, Don’t Nod can be quite hit or miss with their visuals, at least for my taste. At times things can be quite bland like Life is Strange and Vampyr. But when it hits, it sure hits hard. Their debut, Remember Me, is still one of the most visually stunning games I have ever played. And Gerda too has a unique impressionistic style that drips with life despite its abstractions. And they have once again hit with Harmony. The game quite clearly takes a lot of inspiration from realistic animation of shows like The Legend of Korra and Invincible, but with their own unique twist. Characters and backgrounds almost seem to pop out of the screen when animated, breathing so much life into a game genre with normally stale art. And the colors and art style too have a role in telling its story. When we’re in the town, the buildings are dripping in color and life with some of the most vibrant and warm environments a game can give. But we also always see the grey skyscrapers and office buildings loom heavily in the background surrounding everyday life, a stark reminder of the troubles MK is bringing to the city. When we’re in Reveire, everything feels otherworldly. It all looks at once out of this world but simultaneously from Earth. Each character has their own home in Reverie. Chaos’ home is a chaotic smorgasbord of stuff from the real world. Power’s home feels like a cathedral only meant for the most powerful being in the universe. But even at its most absurd setting, nothing in Reverie ever feels alien. Just different. Harmony is an incredibly beautiful game at its core. Each location has this warm undertone assuring every single scene feels right like you’re going home for the first time in a long time. Which might actually be the point, and in that they have succeeded. Visual novels aren’t for everyone I have to stress, Harmony is first and foremost a visual novel. I can wax poetic about its amazing story and visuals all day long, but if you aren’t attracted to the format of a visual novel in the first place, chances are you will leave the game disappointed. But as visual novels go, its execution is stellar. Harmony’s visual novel gameplay might not be innovating the genre, but it sure gives you a good illusion of player choice. Before every scene, we are at times asked to pick from several choices from a narrative branch. At times, the branch can be small, with only one to two outcomes. At times, it is massive with up to four or five vastly different outcomes. And with each choice you make, the path you choose will see you earn crystals of six variants. The six variants being the six aspirations. And as you go along the story, you will rack up crystals for one of the aspirations, ultimately helping decide which aspiration will rule Reverie. And at times, choices are blocked off because of your past actions, usually indicated by you not gaining enough crystals in one of the aspirations. Naturally, you cannot revert your decisions. Once you choose a path, you cannot take it away. Unless you start a new save, but I would recommend not, as living with the choices you made in-game has so much more impact than doing it all over again. Overall, its gameplay does its job not only as a visual novel, but also as a good presentation of its story. It is unfortunately one of the aspects which I found to be lacking in Harmony as it is very much constrained to its game genre. But if you are a fan of visual novels, you most likely wouldn’t mind it. Contender for best video game story of the year As to whether Harmony will dazzle critics as the awards season rolls by, we will have to wait and see upon its full release this June across PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X | S, and PC. But what I can confidently tell you with this preview is Harmony is undoubtedly vying for the best video game story of the year. I came out of the preview feeling the indescribable warmth I felt when I first read a Ryu Murakami book, or a Don Hertzfeldt film. Despite presenting a world much more alien than what I have lived, it still is one of the most humanistic stories I have had the pleasure of going through. Harmony’s full release can’t come soon enough.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie interview – Devs discuss tackling real-world issues in video games Don’t NodThe developers behind Harmony: The Fall of Reverie spoke to us at Dexerto shortly after the game launched to discuss everything from literary influences, the sudden shift to visual novel storytelling, and how they chose to tackle real-world political issues in a video game. 2023’s video game calendar is undeniably stacked. With big names like Starfield, Diablo 4, and the mega-popular latest installment of Legend of Zelda just the tip of the iceberg. However, a game that may go under the radar for some, despite coming from a relatively well-known studio, Don’t Nod, is Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. Despite its low-key release earlier this month, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie brought with it not only a fair few innovations for Don’t Nod, with a sudden shift to visual novels, and a 2D art style, a far stray from the studio’s normal stylings, but with the new changes also came what may be one of their best stories to date. So, to get a better insight into the newer look for Don’t Nod and the captivating story woven throughout Harmony, we decided to ask the devs a few questions on the sudden shifts. Don’t Nod’s shift to 2D with Harmony: The Fall of Reverie When you think of Don’t Nod, you may first think of Life is Strange or Remember Me, both games rendered in 3D. But with Harmony, Don’t Nod presents a new visual style, so I wanted to know why they felt this was the direction to take the game in. “Producing 3D sets is very demanding and since the beginning, we wanted to give more space to the writing and prose,” executive producer, Cyrille Combes, said. “We were also a very small team, so we tried to simplify the production of the sets while retaining a strong, polished visual style.” He described it as “a concept art rendering with movement and animation”, which was much faster to create. Not only was Harmony a dimensional shift for Don’t Nod, but it was also an art style shift. Going from their trademark 3D to 2D, it saw them adopt the visual stylings akin to Avatar: The Last Airbender, ala its fusion of Japanese anime aesthetics and Western animations. To which the devs were happy to add more influences to the list. “Yes, and many others like Tekkonkinkreet, Love, Death + Robots, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Combes said. Even adding that the art team drew great inspiration from the animated works of Alberto Mielgo, who you would know as one of the main brains behind the visuals of Spider-Verse. Devs talk integrating real-world problems into their game In my review of Harmony, I wrote extensively about how the game tackled real-world topics of gentrification, the injustices of capitalism, and familial trauma, which is once again quite the shift for Don’t Nod’s writing department. So I asked the devs whether it was a conscious decision for the team to tackle these topics. “It was definitely a conscious decision. Since hopes and dreams are at the core of our game, dealing with politics and social issues was unavoidable for us. Because one of the two worlds in Harmony is a fantastical and imaginary world, we wanted the other one to be very real and concrete,” Narrative designer, Matthias Fuchs explained. “These real-world problems are things that affect our everyday lives, and we think it’s important to discuss them through art and literature.” And it shows, as much of the game revolves around how a mega-corporation, Mono Konzern, affects not only the real world of Alma, but also Reverie, and the hopes and dreams of all its inhabitants. Heavily politicized issues of gentrification were such a big point for the team that it essentially inspired the approach to the game. “I’d say the world around us and the political climate was what inspired us initially,” Fuchs said of writing inspirations. “We wanted to tackle modern issues like capitalism and injustice through a solarpunk lens – one of hope, with a positive approach to darker themes,” he added. Fuchs further touched on the various inspirations the writing team had, and it’s quite the list. “In terms of world-building, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman was an obvious inspiration, along with Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber and even Tim Power’s Last Call.” And as for the writing side, he said, “We took influence from character-centric literature like Haruki Murakami, Lydia Davis, and Raymond Carver. “We knew we wanted to switch between small and larger scale, from the intimate to the metaphysical, with a pinch of magic to wrap it all together.” And because of how much focus was put into the game’s writing, it all but naturally lent itself to a visual novel. “We wanted to explore other possibilities of telling stories and that’s why we went with a very text-based game with the Augral at the heart of the choice system,” Combes explained on the studio’s decision to make Harmony a visual novel. “It took us time and iteration to find the right balance between these different pillars: leaving space to the writing, unfolding stylish visuals while sticking to this boardgame-ish gameplay, and the result is what you get in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie.”

Harmonium The Musical revealed at The Game Awards 2023 The Odd GentlemenA brand new video game called Harmonium The Musical was revealed at The Game Awards 2023, the beautiful art style and focus on music also touted as having a major focus on accessibility. When it comes to accessibility, the video game industry has been making waves in recent years, with big titles as well as smaller indie projects all working hard to create projects that can be played by as many people as possible. At The Game Awards 2023, a brand new video game named Harmonium The Musical officially debuted. The new title centers around music and looks like something straight out of a Disney Princess musical. With a distinct visual style and developed by The Odd Gentlemen, a company who is committed to accessibility in their projects, Harmonium The Musical is one to watch for gamers who love tapping into the musical side and passion. This article is currently being updated with further information.

Harmony The Fall of Reverie: Trailers, gameplay, platforms & everything we know Don’t NodHarmony: The Fall of Reverie is the next big game from iconic developers Don’t Nod, so here’s everything we know so far including trailers and story details. Don’t Nod have made a name for themselves with award-winning narrative games like Life Is Strange, but their next game looks like it will be something a little bit different – and not just because of that gorgeous art style. Harmony: The Fall of Reverie was unveiled during February’s Nintendo Direct presentation. The reveal trailer shows off a lovely comic book art style and teases a story involving a greedy corporation and the power of clairvoyance. We’ve rounded up everything we know about Harmony: The Fall of Reverie so far, including details of the story and when you can expect it to be released. Contents Is there a release date? – What platforms will it be on? – Is there a trailer? – What’s the story? – What will the gameplay be like? – Is there a release date for Harmony: The Fall of Reverie? Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is scheduled to be released at some point in June 2023. There’s no concrete release date yet but we’ll keep this page updated when that gets confirmed. What platforms will Harmony: The Fall of Reverie be on? Harmony: The Fall of Reverie will be released on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. There’s been no word about previous generation consoles getting the game, so we assume it won’t be coming to PS4 or Xbox One. Is there a Harmony: Fall of Reverie trailer? A reveal trailer for Harmony: Fall of Reverie was shown during February’s Nintendo Direct presentation. You can watch it below: What is the story in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie? In Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, players will assume the role of Polly, a woman who returns to her hometown after a few years abroad to discover that a megacorporation known as MK is using its power to control the population. Polly also has the gift of clairvoyance which allows her to connect to Reverie, the Realm of Aspirations of Humanity. Here, she becomes a goddess known as Harmony who’s able to choose the Aspiration that will rule over Reverie. There are six Aspirations in total: Glory, Bliss, Power, Chaos, Bond, and Truth. Each one has a unique personality and style of rule, and the one that ultimately takes charge over Reverie will also influence humanity’s future. What’s the gameplay like in Harmony: The Fall of Reverie? Like other popular narrative games, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie will feature a branching story where your actions and decisions will affect the outcome of the game – as well as the fate of both our world and the world of Reverie. You can keep track of these decisions with the Augural, a board game that acts as a visual representation of Polly’s gift for clairvoyance and allows you to see the far-reaching consequences of your actions. Throughout the game, you’ll be able to decide which of the six Aspirations you want to form connections with. Doing so will earn you crystals, which unlock different paths at critical points and change how the story progresses. The game features a fully voiced and animated cast of characters to interact with, and as well as the lovely hand-drawn animation style, the game will feature a soundtrack from award-winning composer Lena Raine. While you’re here, check out everything we know about some of the biggest games coming soon below: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | The Day Before | Resident Evil 4 Remake | WWE 2K23 | Destiny 2: Lightfall | Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Harley Quinn announced for Gotham Knights along with Mr Freeze, Clayface Warner Bros. Games MontréalThe hotly anticipated Gotham Knights is coming out four days sooner than expected, and it’ll have Harley Quinn along with some other iconic villains from the Batman series. Details about Gotham Knights have trickled from developer Warner Bros. Games Montreal since its original announcement. But, at Gamescom 2022, we got one of the biggest reveals for the game yet in the form of a trailer framed around the game’s villians. Not only will iconic villains like Harley Quinn, Clayface, and Mr Freeze play a crucial role in the story, but we’re also getting Gotham Knights sooner than expected. The original release date of October 25, 2022, has been moved up four days to October 21. Now, we’ll be able to hop right into Gotham that much earlier. With how often games get delayed, Gotham Knights getting an earlier release date is a welcome change. Old villains reimagined As for our villains, they got revealed along with a new story trailer that gives us a loose idea of what to expect from Gotham Knights. Harley Quinn spent a good amount of time in the spotlight for this trailer, and we got to what she looks like at a few different points in the game. One of these appearances was a very brief look at her with a massive, electrified hammer. Mr Freeze also makes an appearance in what looks like a mech suit in a heavily modernized design. He’s surely up to no good. And, finally, we got to see Clayface in all his goopy glory. Red Hood, Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl all had some appearances in the trailer as well, and they’re the four confirmed playable characters for Gotham Knights. Gotham Knights is a spiritual successor to the Batman Arkham series, some of the most critically acclaimed superhero games of all time. It’s been almost 10 years since Batman: Arkham Knight came out, making this new game an anticipated title for longtime fans. With Batman dead in Gotham Knights, our new set of four main characters will have to stop crime in his place.

Halo Infinite’s devs address why Forge is online-only after initial backlash 343 IndustriesHalo Infinite’s new Forge mode is already a big success however, the lack of offline gameplay has sparked criticism and forced the devs to explain the reason for this decision. The Winter Update for Halo Infinite has dropped, serving as the biggest update for the game to date. Network co-op campaigns, Forge, and mission replays are just some of the biggest things to be brought in with the update. While the Halo community has been loving the new content, one aspect of the new Forge game mode has some players frustrated: the fact Halo Infinite’s Forge can only be played and accessed online, even when building a map solo. The previous game in the franchise, Halo 5, also kept Forge online and was met with a similar negative response. As a result, one of Forge’s lead designers tweeted out on the issue, explaining the dev team’s reasoning for making Forge online on. ”We’ve seen a lot of discussion around why Forge relies on an online connection,” began Forge dev Michael Schorr. Schorr’s tweet then includes an image from Halo’s community feedback page that outlines some of the main reasons for Halo Infinite’s Forge being online only. Overall, it appears that the dev team chose to keep Forge online to help ensure servers and content is protected and safe. It will also make loading up Forge creations easier, and will allow a Forge build to stay active even if the Fireteam leader leaves. Since releasing, the Halo community has already been hard at work making some exciting and fresh new maps in Forge. Iconic Halo maps of old are being remade by some, while others are choosing to bring other great gaming locations to life.

Halo TV Series sparks debate among fans because of Cortana’s appearance 343 IndustriesThe Halo TV series has fans of the franchise excited to finally see Master Chief’s adventures depicted in live action, but the revelation of Cortana in the trailer has caused some concern. The first trailer for the Halo TV series shows a mostly faithful recreation of the Halo universe with some characters, such as Master Chief, looking nearly identical to their in-game counterparts. However, some fans are disappointed by the appearance of Cortana, who serves as Chief’s AI partner in the games, and with whom he shares a complicated relationship. The appearance of Cortana in the trailer for the new Halo TV series is by far the most jarring moment, so it’s easy to see why some fans have fixated on it. Seeing Cortana in CGI, but not in her usual blue form is different from what most expected. It’s especially noticeable when so much else in the trailer looks so similar to the games, but plays out in live action. Contents Why are some Halo fans disappointed by Cortana’s appearance? – Why does Cortana look different in the Halo TV series? – Why are some Halo fans disappointed by Cortana’s appearance? The main complaint is that Cortana isn’t depicted in her trademark blue, like most human-designed AIs in the Halo universe. Or that the character is animated when every other Halo character is portrayed by an actor. Read More: Halo characters explained – Some fans are even comparing the situation to the controversy that surrounded the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie. This is when Sonic’s original design received such a backlash, that the studio decided to change it completely, making it appear closer to that of the games. Here’s what some Halo fans are saying about Cortana’s appearance in the Halo TV series on Twitter: This is the vibe I get from Cortana #Halo #HaloTheSeries #HaloInfinite #ParamountPlus #cortana pic.twitter.com/GT3baanAFJ — Nicholas Cocchiola (@nick_coach7726) January 31, 2022 Some are hoping that enough pressure will convince the studio to change Cortana’s design: https://twitter.com/MOGWlLD/status/1487897531480608771 Although some fans are more supportive of Paramount’s decision to depict Cortana without her blue tinge, saying: once you go with a live actor over pure cgi its better to go with a skin tone imo she looks weirder all blue i think this cortana will grow on people pretty fast halo has always mainly be the games the show is a bonus in my eyes dont think it needs hyper critique tbh pic.twitter.com/m3uVXqqxVa— Sean Dubs (@seanmcdubs) January 30, 2022 While others are just excited to finally see Cortana in a live-action Halo TV series: “”Hello Master Chief… I’m Cortana.”” 💙#HaloTheSeries pic.twitter.com/PlG6lJF8WK — ArturBloodshot | The Architect (@ArturBloodshot) January 30, 2022 Why does Cortana look different in the Halo TV series? Instead of casting a new actress to portray Cortana in the Halo TV series, Paramount has hired Jen Taylor to reprise her role from the games. While Taylor is no stranger to live-action productions, the studio has decided to animate her character with her just providing the voice. However, Cortana in the TV series also resembles Taylor more closely than Cortana did in the games. Casting Jen Taylor lends an incredible amount of authenticity to the character of Cortana, and Taylor’s voice saying the iconic line “Hello, Master Chief” instantly reminds fans of their first meeting in Halo 1. So it’s clear to see why Paramount were keen on casting Taylor, although why they chose to animate the character is less clear. Read More: Everything we know about Halo TV series – Perhaps it’s to make sure viewers can tell the difference between a human and an AI in the Halo TV series? Or perhaps retaining the character’s blue tinge from the games didn’t fit the design aesthetic of the TV series? It remains to be seen if the studio will cave to pressure from disgruntled fans, or if “finishing this fight” is something they’re simply not interested in, meaning this new version of Cortana is here to stay. The Halo TV series will stream on Paramount+ on March 24, 2022.

Halo Infinite Winter Update patch notes: Ranked improvements, new maps, Forge & more 343 IndustriesThe Winter Update for Halo Infinite has dropped and it is without a doubt the biggest one yet. With many new game modes and content updates coming to the Microsoft exclusive, let’s break down everything brought in with the Winter Update as well as the full list of patch notes. Halo Infinite has been out for almost a year, and despite initial reception to the game being mostly positive, the Halo community has expressed their frustration at the game’s lack of updates and missing content. Most notably, the game mode Forge had still been missing from Infinite as well as previously promised features like split screen Co-op now scrapped altogether. However, this new update does introduce online multiplayer. For more on that feature, check out Dexerto’s guide here. However, the Winter Update brings lots of big changes to gameplay, content, customization, and much more. So without further ado, here’s everything in Halo Infinite’s Winter update. Contents: Halo Infinite: New maps & Forge – Reworked XP system – Multiplayer playlist schedule outline – Matchmaking & Ranked overhaul – Halo Infinite patch notes – New multiplayer maps & the arrival of Forge After months of teasing and anticipation, Halo Infinite Forge finally arrived, in Beta. And while the delay was a source of frustration for Halo players, the depth and freedom of Infinite’s Forge mode promise to be the best version to date. For a more extensive look at Forge and its new features, Dexerto’s in-depth guide can be accessed here. As well as this, the Winter update brought with it two new Multiplayer maps. The maps – Argyle and Detachment – have both been created in the new version of Forge. Both include a UNSC backdrop and appear to be smaller maps. However, the fact that they have both been built in Forge is a hopeful sign of big things to come. New match XP system makes leveling much simpler One of the most common complaints from the Halo Infinite community is how hard it can be to level up in Multiplayer. While players have the chance to earn weekly cosmetics and upgrades by completing challenges, gamers are finding it hard to level up the Battle Pass and unlock the rewards it includes. Now, however, players will be able to earn XP for simply playing games. Match XP consists of: XP for completing matches – Additional XP for your performance in the match (this accounts for things like being on the winning team, your end-of-match placement, and more) – Developers 343 are also reworking the weekly and daily challenge system to make it easier to complete. Completing the Ultimate Challenge will only require players to complete 10 challenges now, this number reducing from 20. Challenges will also no longer be playlist specific and be more “general.” Revamped Playlist system includes permanent and rotational game types With more Multiplayer game types than ever before, Halo Infinite will be moving forward with a clear Playlist system so that players know which games will be available at all times and which match types will be made available for a limited amount of time. With the Winter Update live, the following game types are featured in the Permanent playlist: Quick Play – Big Team Battle – Ranked Arena – Fiesta – Tactical Slayer – Team Slayer – As well as these mainstays, Halo Infinite will include one rotational core slot and one rotational social slot. Game types such as Team Doubles and Team Snipers will be included in the core slot while the likes of Social Slayer and Rumble Pit will feature in the social slot. There will only be one match type per slot that will then be swapped out every two weeks for various purposes. Matchmaking & Ranked changes, fixes, and reworks Along with new content, the Winter Update also sought to fix up Matching and Ranked lobbies so that Halo players can dive into games without much of a fuss. In a recent blog post update, 343 explained that some of the areas of improvement for matching will include the following: Local Region Matchmaking will make its debut – Improved logic for CSR progression – Improved rules for quitting with uneven teams – Now that the update is live, continue reading below for the full list of Halo Infinite Winter Update patch notes. Halo Infinite Winter Update patch notes BALANCE CHANGES BR75 BATTLE RIFLE Headshot Prioritization Angle reduced from 0.25 to 0.2 degrees. – Bullet Magnetism Angle reduced from 2.4 to 2.2 degrees. – Bullet Magnetism Range reduced from 20wus to 18wus. – Bullet Magnetism Falloff Range reduced from 12wus to 10wus. – VK78 COMMANDO RIFLE Increased Headshot Prioritization Angle from 0 to 0.1 degrees. – Increased Bullet Magnetism Angle from 1.25 to 1.3 degrees. – Increased Aim Assist Angle from 5 to 6.25 degrees. – Decreased minimum error angle max from 0.8 to 0.6 degrees. – DISRUPTOR Increased magazine ammo count from 10 to 12. Plasma Pistol Increased base shot damage from 20 to 28. – Increased charge shot angular velocity from 20 to 35 degrees per second. – Increased charged shot guided angular velocity at rest from 50 to 70 degrees per second. – Pulse Carbine Increased guided angular velocity at rest from 25 to 35 degrees per second. – Decreased angular velocity from 50 to 30 degrees per second. – Increased targeted leading fraction from 0.35 to 1. – Increased guided projectile error radius from 0.2 to 0.22 degrees. – Frag Grenade Increased detonation timer by 0.2 seconds. – Resolved Issues and Bug Fixes GLOBAL Text on loading screens will no longer change size when the UNSC emblem appears in the bottom left corner of the screen. – The Mouse 4 and Mouse 5 icons in the Keyboard/Mouse tab of the Settings menu are no longer reversed. Binding an action to Mouse 4 will now show the upper side button of a mouse and binding an action to Mouse 5 will show the lower side button. – Various instances of overlapping text in menus have been improved. – MULTIPLAYER Sandbox Fusion Coils attached to the back of a Razorback will now consistently detonate when the Razorback is destroyed. – Firing the Disruptor will now correctly uncloak players using Active Camo. – Rockets reflected by the Repulsor equipment no longer appear invisible to some players. – Collision fixes have been implemented on the multiplayer map Catalyst so that players cannot take objective items out of the playable area. – Spawn points on the multiplayer map Catalyst have been adjusted to reduce instances of players respawning in an enemy player’s line of sight. – The Dynamo Grenade’s “ticking” sound effect will no longer play when dealing damage to an enemy in a Ranked multiplayer match. – The Volatile Skewer’s projectile will now be launched in Man Cannons like the base Skewer’s projectiles. – Visual Equipped armor customizations will now consistently appear on the player’s Spartan when rewatching the Season 2 Introduction Cinematic. – During multiplayer matches, emblems and nameplates will now appear consistently on the Scoreboard and the “Killed By” Heads-Up Display (HUD) element. – The third-person animation for reloading the Bulldog shotgun has been improved. – The third-person animation for Spartans clambering up a ledge no longer has a chance to appear temporarily frozen. – The Repulsor equipment is now visible in first-person. – The windshield tint of the Spacestation Gaming Warthog coating has been adjusted so that players in the driver and passenger seats are more visible to other players. – Multiple overlapping Spartans will no longer appear on the Multiplayer menu. – The Kythera Battlepad wrist armor will no longer appear to float above transradial or transhumeral prostheses on the Eaglestrike armor core. – A missing UNSC decal has been restored to the Liteknuckle gloves for the Mark VII armor core. – Audio Multiple Iratus AI voice lines have been added for kills with kinetic, plasma, hardlight, and shock weapons. – Menus Challenges listed on the pause menu during multiplayer matches will now show their correct XP values. – Reintroduced the “Congratulations” message for players who have completed all available Battle Passes. This message was previously removed due to a bug which has since been fixed. – Using the Save a Copy shortcut in the Custom Games Mode Editor menu will now save all currently applied but unsaved changes to the new copy. – To reduce instances of players unintentionally leaving a multiplayer match early, the Leave Fireteam shortcut in the in-game Pause menu’s Social menu now has a confirmation dialog. – Challenges and Medals Grappling to and hijacking a Brute Chopper now correctly progresses the Grapple-Jack Challenge. – Kills will now more consistently track for weapon-specific Challenges. – Theater Players can now consistently bookmark Theater films. – When viewing bookmarked films in the Content Browser menus, their tiles will show “New Film” as the film’s name. Selecting the film will show the correct map and mode names. – Theater Films in the My Bookmarks menu now have a Watch Film option. – CAMPAIGN Menus Previously enabled Skulls no longer have a chance to become disabled after resuming a save file with the Continue button in the Campaign menu. – Gameplay Time will no longer carry over between new save files using the same save slot in the Campaign menus. – The Bandana Skull will now be marked as collected on the Tac-Map as soon as players pick it up. – All Weapon Variants are now correctly labeled in the FOB tab of the TacMap. – Completing missions will now consistently show the correct difficulty levels in the TacMap and, if applicable, unlock the correct full Campaign completion achievements. – Access to the Screen Calibration menu during Campaign gameplay has been restored. – This menu can be accessed by navigating to the Video tab of the Settings menu and using the shortcut listed on the bottom of the screen. – Closing Halo Infinite via outside methods (such as Task Manager on PC or powering off the PC/console) then loading or starting a different save file will no longer overwrite or corrupt save files. – Gameplay Simultaneously reloading a weapon and refilling ammo at an ammo crate will now correctly refill both the weapon’s magazine and the reserve ammo. – An erroneous kill volume near the eastern anti-air Gun Battery has been removed. – Kill volumes have been adjusted so that enemies launched off the surface of Zeta Halo due to the Boom and Cowbell Skulls’ increased explosion velocity will no longer block objectives from being completed. – Visual Character facial animations now appear smoother at all framerates. – The Grunt Birthday Party Skull will now only trigger confetti effects when a headshot kills a Grunt. – Skipping cutscenes no longer has a chance to disable first-person animations and make weapon models invisible. – Network Co-Op The following improvements are based on feedback and Halo Support tickets from a Halo Insider flight in July 2022. Players will no longer teleport to the wrong position after having their vehicle hijacked. – Improved loading after Fast Traveling and initiating Mission Replays to resolve instances of players entering extended loading screens or being booted to the main menu. – Improved the Threat Sensor’s unlock sequence so that it can now be equipped consistently and no longer has a chance to halt player progression. – Skipping cutscenes will no longer result in Fireteam members seeing black screens with music or sound effects continuing to play. – New save files will no longer be named “Finish the Fight” in the Load Game menu and the Co-Op Save Slot Summary menu. – Achievements & Unlocks The Headmaster Achievement will now unlock consistently. – If the conditions for unlocking this Achievement were completed and it did not unlock in a previous version of Halo Infinite, the conditions will need to be completed again after installing the Winter Update. – The Requiem Revengeance stance, Act of Genesis stance, and the Infinity weapon charm can now be unlocked by achieving 100% completion on a single Halo Infinite Campaign save file. – For save files that reached 100% completion prior to installing this update, players may need to load into the save and play for a couple minutes to ensure these items are unlocked. – The “It Really Does Beat Everything” Achievement will now consistently unlock when the requirements are met. – Known Issues With this update, the team has added multiple new issues to our Known Issues lists: PC Prior to the Winter Update’s release, a recent NVIDIA graphics driver (version 526.47) resulted in players experiencing more crashes while playing Halo Infinite. If you’ve installed this driver version and are experiencing crashes, install the new hotfix driver update to improve stability.To view the recommended drivers and hardware specifications for Halo Infinite, visit the PC hardware specs and drivers article. – – MULTIPLAYER Gameplay Rarely, players may become stuck in place and unable to fire their weapons when joining a multiplayer session. – Weapon racks may remain half-closed after spawning a new weapon. Players can still pick up the weapon while the rack is not fully open. – In King of the Hill multiplayer matches, the third Hill location is skipped on all maps.Due to this issue, King of the Hill has been temporarily removed from the Ranked Arena playlist. King of the Hill will return to the Ranked Arena playlist once this issue is resolved. Stay tuned to @HaloSupport on Twitter for the latest news on game updates. – This issue also occurs in Custom Games. While King of the Hill is being temporarily removed from the Ranked Arena matchmaking playlist, players can continue to play this mode via Custom Games. – – Sliding into Kinetic Launchers may result in players not launching the intended distance and, on some maps, falling out of the map’s boundaries.Due to this issue, the map Detachment will not be included in Ranked matchmaking playlists. – – Menus The input-restricted Solo/Duo Ranked Arena playlists have been temporarily removed from matchmaking. The Crossplay playlist is still available.These playlists will return alongside a future game update, so stay tuned to @HaloSupport on Twitter for the latest news. – – When playing a Custom Game using the Local Area Network (LAN) server option, all players and observers will be removed from the lobby when attempting to load into either the Argyle or Detachment multiplayer maps. – Academy Detachment or Argyle are listed in the Map menu for Training Mode.These maps are not supported in Training Mode. Attempting to load these maps will result in an error. – – CAMPAIGN After completing the boss fight and activating the terminal at the end of the mission Spire, players in a Network Co-Op session may become stuck on a loading screen or stuck in place if they skip the cutscene. This issue only occurs when playing the mission Spire via Mission Replay. – FORGE CREATION TOOLS The Forge Beta will support canvas maps and not developer-made maps (such as Live Fire, Recharge, Fragmentation, etc.). Support for developer-made maps will be implemented in a future update. – At launch, uploading screenshots for a published Forge file is only available on Xbox consoles. To upload images for Forge files created on a PC, an owner or co-owner can upload screenshots on an Xbox console. – Exiting a Forge session without saving the map may result in a new map version being listed in the file’s Version History menu. This version of the file does not contain the unsaved changes made prior to exiting the previous session. – Once a player has placed the maximum amount of objects on a map, the Simulation Memory Budget meter and the Dynamic Object Limit meter show percentages less than 100%. – When viewing files in the My Bookmarks menu, they may have missing or incorrect information such as their version number, creator/owner name, or publish state.Workaround: viewing the files in another menu (for example, the My Files menu or by searching for them in the Community tab) may result in the file details populating in the My Bookmarks menu. – – Unexpectedly ending a Forge session will not trigger an autosave and all unsaved progress will be lost. Examples of unexpected conditions include game crashes, server crashes, losing connection to Halo services or the Xbox network, or the loss of power to the PC/console. – For a full list of known issues in Halo Infinite, go to our Known Issues section.

Halo Infinite fans slam 343 for campaign’s “poor replayability” 343 IndustriesHalo Infinite fans are slamming 343 Industries for its campaign’s “poor replayability”. After making Halo Infinite’s multiplayer beta open to the public on November 15, the game got its official release on December 8, and with it came the game’s campaign. The campaign feature has been a franchise staple since its first game back in 2001, Halo. Apart from the multiplayer, the progression of the game’s story is always sought after by fans. This time around, though, Halo Infinite was 343 Industries’ attempt at a different campaign. Instead of being a linear way of going about the story, players had other options in an open world. Even though it was a try at something new for the franchise’s campaign mode, Halo fans are not quite happy with it, and they have their complaints. Halo Infinite fans dislike the campaign’s “poor replayability” Alongside its multiplayer, the Halo series has always prided itself on its campaign. The game’s story brought forth one of the most iconic characters in video game history, Master Chief. This, in turn, gives a lot of reason for players to take part in the narrative, sometimes even replaying it multiple times. First brought up by Reddit user RectumUnclogger on the official Halo subreddit, the Redditor gave his complaints on the campaign’s “poor replayability.” They went on to explain themselves, stating, “I’ve completed 2 full legendary campaign runs, clearing everything on the map. I don’t feel motivated to play the campaign again because it just seems like a chore.” On top of that, the Reddit user further elaborated on how the game forces them to do “tedious tasks” such as unlocking Forward Operating Bases for easier travel, saving marines to unlock the wasp, and the like adding that if they “skipped all [of] those” they would “not get the upgrades necessary to survive the last 2 missions.” The Reddit user admitted that the open world concept “is cool” but ultimately felt that the game was “sacrificing way too much for it,” something that other Halo fans in the post resonated with. “The campaign feels like a very stretched out version of a single mission,” said one. Another disliked the open world idea. “That’s why I hate it being open world,” they said. ”It adds padding with no substance.” The game’s campaign being open world was the first of its kind for the series. Only time will tell if 343 will attempt something similar again in the future.

Halo Infinite player recreates iconic Blood Gulch map just hours after Forge Beta starts Twitter: Epsilon_church_One Halo player has already created one of the franchises most iconic maps, Blood Gulch, in the newly released Halo Infinite Forge mode. After months of waiting, Halo Infinite’s Forge mode has finally arrived. The game mode – made available as part of Infinite’s massive Winter Update – brings with it the chance for players to create their own maps, game types, weapon combinations, and more. And while Forge does give Halo players the opportunity to make new and exciting maps, it also allows them to recreate some of their favorite maps of old. With one Halo player recreating the Combat Evolved Blood Gulch map just hours after the Forge beta went live with the Winter update. The re-imagining has been made by a Halo player who goes by Church on Twitter, with the creator sharing their work on the social media platform for others to see. Blood Gulch is one of the most beloved multiplayer maps in the Halo franchise. It has also featured in Halo 2, Halo: Reach, and The Master Chief Collection under different names. While a simple design, the map’s scale and scope allow for big plays and epic battles, with vehicles a must when trying to take down the opposing team. How to play Blood Gulch in Halo Infinite The creator has provided a link for others to join the map and use it to play their own games. And while the main build of the terrain is completed, Church has added that they will be working on “refining weapon spawns and player spawns,” and that these features might be “a bit janky right now”. The map build has been named Coagulation in the Forge mode, the same name it is given in Halo 2. When Twitter users asked the creator why he had named it that and not the original, Church responded and said it was disallowed likely due to the word Blood not falling within the naming guidelines. Halo Infinite Forge has just arrived with the game’s Winter Update. As well as Forge, the update has also finally brought in network campaign co-op as well as mission replay. Make sure you check out our Halo page for all the latest news and game updates.

Halo CE terminal locations: All Combat Evolved terminals in Master Chief Collection 343 IndustriesHere’s where to find each of the Halo Combat Evolved terminal locations in the Anniversary edition included in the Master Chief Collection. Halo CE terminals were added to the first Halo game as part of its remaster for the MCC. The anniversary edition of Halo Combat Evolved borrowed the feature from Halo 3, which is where terminals first appeared, and they’re also found in the Master Chief Collection. Terminals in Halo CE exist in the game’s campaign mainly for achievement hunters, but they also offer little lore drops for players keen to learn more about the Halo universe. Halo CE terminals can even provide clues to help players complete a level. With that in mind, here’s every Halo CE terminal location. Contents Pillar of Autumn Terminal – Arriving on Halo Terminal – Truth and Reconciliation Terminal – The Silent Cartographer Terminal – Assault on the Control Room Terminal – 343 Guilty Spark Terminal – The Library Terminal – Two Betrayals Terminal – Keyes Terminal – The Maw Terminal – Halo CE Terminal Locations Here’s where you can find each of the 10 Halo CE terminals in the Master Chief Collection: Pillar of Autumn level terminal location The Pillar of Autumn terminal can be found once you enter the bridge. Just turn left and head over to the booth that’s glowing red. Inside you’ll find the first Halo CE terminal. Arriving on Halo level terminal location The Arriving on Halo level terminal can be found in the long tunnel after the Pelican ship drops the Warthog vehicle. When you get to the ramp that leads down, follow the path left into a hallway. Once there, turn right to see a glowing yellow terminal. Truth and Reconciliation level terminal location On the Truth and Reconciliation level, the Halo CE terminal location can be found on a raised platform in the bridge area. This one will also be glowing red. The Silent Cartographer level terminal location The Silent Cartographer terminal can be found in the area where the battle with the Hunters takes place. The terminal is in the middle of the metal ring. Assault on the Control Room level terminal location To locate this terminal, heard towards the pyramid-shaped structure and enter the nearby gap in the ground. The terminal can be found within. 343 Guilty Spark level terminal location Once the Flood begins to invade the level, take the elevator back to the surface. Once it reaches the top, activate the elevator again and quickly spin round. The terminal will become visible on top of the elevator entrance, you can then quickly jump off and reach it. The Library level terminal location The Library terminal can be found in the circular room on the third floor. This one is glowing yellow, so look ahead and you should see a yellow light. You’ll need to jump over some pipes and such, but you’ll soon reach it. Two Betrayals level terminal location The Two Betrayals level terminal can be found as soon as the cutscene first ends. Head left and circle around the structure until you see a glowing yellow light. Keyes level terminal location A glowing purple terminal can be found near the room where you find the captured Captain Keyes. Go to the base of the raised platform and look down to find the hidden terminal. The Maw level terminal location The final Halo CE terminal can be found near the Cryogenic Storage Room in The Maw. Descend the nearby ladder to get to the control room. You’ll see a glowing red terminal at the back of the room. That’s every Halo CE terminal location. See below for more Halo guides in the Master Chief Collection and others: Halo CE Skulls guide | Best Halo CE mods |Halo Characters Explained |10 Best Halo maps of all time|All weapons in Halo Infinite so far

Hades II players claim new Chaos design “doesn’t fit” character’s lore Supergiant GamesDespite its rave reviews and clever progressions from the first game, it looks like Hades II dropped the ball in the design for one of the most intimidating characters, Chaos. Hades II is making waves with its release into Early Access, largely thanks to how well it seems to have taken what the first game did right and built upon them in meaningful ways. However, there is one negative point that fans are point out, and that’s the new design for Chaos, a returning character who people feel has lost much of their mystique and intimidation. In the original game, Chaos had an inhuman, primordial look that reflected their existence and the world they resided in. In the sequel, however, they have much more human, feminine look that has fans scratching their heads. Many feel that Chaos had a presence that is now lost with the new design; now Hades II players worry that the character has lost much of what made them so memorable. As one user explains on the Hades II subreddit: “I think the seemingly genderless being fits better as a character that all of existence had came from.” As that comment touches on, many have observed that the lore of Chaos is not represented well in this new design, with the first game’s working much better. Some are conceding that the design is prettier than the original one, with the image being gorgeous as it is. The issue is that it feels like the quality of the image was favored at the cost of being accurate to the character itself. The first Hades was applauded for its character designs, so to see the sequel seemingly not get it right with this one is standing out for many fans. Now, the game is still in Early Access, so it’s absolutely possible that the Chaos design will be changing over time, but for now, it’s something that is sticking out for players in an ocean of home runs.

Half-Life 3 may finally be in development according to Valve leaks ValveBetween a mix of Valve leaks and data mining, it’s been revealed that a title named HLX/Project White Sands is in development. After all this time, we may finally be getting Half-Life 3. It’s been difficult to pinpoint what Valve’s been up to over the past few years due to an unannounced project, Deadlock. But, with leaked gameplay footage and several creators talking about it, its existence is all but confirmed by Valve as a multiplayer, MOBA-like shooter. With information about Deadlock now more widespread than ever, picking up the pieces and figuring out what is and isn’t related to that game is a bit easier for dataminers. According to prominent Valve leaker/dataminer Tyler McVicker, Half-Life 3 may be in development. A mix of publicly posted information from actors and former employees, as well as datamined enemy types, have made for strong indicators that Half-Life is coming back. An actress involved with the project put a reference to “Project White Sands,” a game from Valve that doesn’t match any prior datamined codenames for Deadlock. The credit they put in their resume has since been deleted, however. This coincides with a resume from a former employee at Valve who worked on level design for an “unnanounced” Valve project that included “layouts, lighting, combat encounters, and puzzles”. Additionally, their resume noted that they worked on the game from 2020-2023, meaning it may have been in development for years. Considering that Deadlock is a MOBA-like multiplayer title, the description of puzzles and combat encounters doesn’t match that sort of gameplay style. Not to mention McVicker’s datamining revealing some Xen enemies and an HEV suit. File names indicate Xen Jellyfish, Xen Gorillas, Swoopers, Pentatanks, Feral Manhacks and more could be included in the game, though we don’t have any indication as to what these enemies look like. Regardless, it’s the most solid news we’ve had on a new Half-Life entry yet. Though this could be another spinoff in Valve’s pursuit to never once count to three, there’s also a chance this is the Half-Life 3 people have wanted for almost two decades.

Hades 2 Technical Test: How to sign up, early content details, more Supergiant GamesThe Hades 2 Technical Test is right around the corner. From how to sign up and play early to a look at the new content on offer, here’s everything you need to know. A year and a half on from its reveal, Hades 2 is almost upon us. Well, sort of. No different from the first game’s rollout, Hades 2 is set to go through an early access period, ironing out all the bugs, drip-feeding new features along the way, and making it the very best experience possible before a full release on all platforms. Even ahead of this early access period, however, devs at Supergiant Games have locked in the very first playable build of the game. A Hades 2 Technical Test is set to kick things off once and for all, offering fans an early glimpse at the highly anticipated sequel. So if you’re looking to get in on the ground floor and play as early as possible, here’s everything you need to know about the Hades 2 Technical Test. When is the Hades 2 Technical Test? No concrete start date for the Hades 2 Technical Test has been announced just yet, though Supergiant confirmed it will “begin shortly.” Obviously, that could mean anything from tomorrow to next month. We’ll just have to wait and see on a specific start date. As for how long the Technical Test may run, devs clarified it will be “longer than a week” though “shorter than a month.” In essence, specifics are still up in the air and may change depending on any issues that crop up during the test itself. However, the overall goal is for the Technical Test to lead right into the full Early Access period, and given that has a Q2 2024 release penciled in, Hades fans won’t be left without access for all too long. How to sign up for the Hades 2 Technical Test Signing up for the Hades 2 Technical Test is simply a matter of navigating to the Hades 2 game listing on Steam and clicking the ‘Request Access’ button. Now it’s worth bearing in mind this simple process doesn’t guarantee everyone a spot in the Technical Test. By clicking Request Access, you’re merely joining a list of players “to be considered for participation.” Not everyone will get in, merely a “subset of players” seemingly chosen at random. The idea is for Supergiant to start small, providing access to an initial batch of Hades fans. From there, it will “grow over time. So, even if you aren’t invited to the Technical Test right away, you may still be invited later.” Currently, the Hades 2 Technical Test is limited just to PC through Steam. This is identical to the Early Access period to follow. So gamers on consoles or handheld devices will be waiting quite a while for the final product. What to expect in the Hades 2 Technical Test As the first playable build of Hades 2, fans can expect to see the opening chunk of the game, though far from feature complete. As explained by Supergiant, “the Technical Test contains much less content than what’s in store for the Early Access launch.” All up, it includes just the first area of the game along with a few new characters to interact with. After you clear the first region’s boss, the Technical Test ends and puts you back at the beginning. So you won’t be grinding through full runs, perfecting builds, and really getting into the nitty gritty just yet. After all, the goal of this initial build is to test to technical side of the experience on Steam, as the name implies. Once any early bugs are squashed, server issues resolved, and unexpected issues all ironed out, devs are set to “wind down the Technical Test,” and from there, the Early Access launch will follow “relatively soon after.” We’re conducting the Hades II Technical Test prior to our Early Access launch to help us find and solve any technical issues we might have missed thus far, to ensure anyone who tries Hades II in Early Access can have a smooth play experience from the start. The Technical Test contains much less content than what’s in store for the Early Access launch and may be available only to a relatively small subset of players who express interest in participating.”

Hades 2 roadmap: All planned updates Supergiant GamesHades 2 might only be in early access but Supergiant has some big plans for the game. We’ve compiled every planned update in the Hades 2 roadmap. Hades 2 is available on Steam in its early access version but don’t let that title fool you. Our time with the game has revealed it to be one of the most complete pre-release versions of a video game that we’ve ever played. The goodwill gained from delivering such a polished experience has made the title Supergiant’s most successful launch to date. All this is before we even have the full version of Hades 2 available. Hearing all that, you’re probably wondering how the devs could even fit more into the game but they’ve already made some announcements. This is a guide to all the planned updates revealed for the Hades 2 roadmap. Hades 2 early access roadmap Presently, Supergiant has only outlined inclusions for its first major update. It’s planned for release sometime in 2024 and it’s all that constitutes the Hades 2 roadmap for now. The stated additions are: A new region: A brand-new new region to explore that offers new enemy types as well as characters to interact with. – A new weapon: Another weapon will bring the total to six and it will come with new weapon aspects to flesh it out. – Customizable Crossroads: A new feature will allow you to make changes to the game’s hub area and customize it to your liking. – Resource Gathering changes: Supergiant doesn’t want resource gathering to “feel too frustrating,” so expect some changes here in the first Hades 2 patch. – Movement buffs: Melinoë can expect some ‘improvements’ to her Dash and Sprint in the first major update. – Various balance changes: No specifics have been locked in just yet, but from weapons to boons, expect a number of key balance tweaks in the first patch. – While there’s no concrete release date for these particular updates, Supergiant has stated that it “will take some months” before it is ready. They’ve also revealed that less impactful updates to in-game art, voice acting and music will also be released alongside these larger ones. It’s currently unknown whether more major updates will come during Hades 2’s early access but we’ll be sure to update this roadmap with any new details. In the meantime, check out our Hades 2 guides for help with the currently available content.

Hades 2 system requirements: Early Access PC specs Supergiant GamesThe hype for Hades 2’s early access is building up fast, but before it releases, how powerful does your system need to be to play it? Here is everything you need to know about PC specs for Hades 2 early access. Although there is no word of an official release date for Hades 2, the game is already garnering major immense hype as Supergiant Games gears release it into early access. Before we jump into our early access thoughts and reactions in the future, you might be wondering what Hades 2’s system requirements. Here is everything you need to know. What are Hades 2 early access minimum system requirements? According to Hades 2’s Steam Store page, the following are the game’s minimum system requirements: Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit – Processor: Dual Core 2.4 GHz – Memory: 8GB of RAM – Graphics: GeForce GTX 950 or Radeon R7 360 or Intel HD Graphics 630 – Storage: 10 GB – Luckily, Hades 2 is a relatively light game to run. This means that if your PC is anywhere near the current generation of processors and GPUs, it should run the game smoothly. What are Hades 2 early access recommended system requirements? According to Hades 2’s Steam Store page, the following are the game’s recommended system requirements: Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit – Processor: Quad Core 2.4 GHz – Memory: 16 GB of RAM – Graphics: GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 5600 XT or Intel Arc A580 – Storage: 10 GB – Despite the minimum specs being quite light, Hades 2 is still a modern game and requires relatively beefy specs to run it smoothly. It should be noted that the storage requirement of 10 GB is only for early access, with full release likely larger. The original Hades recommended 20 GB of space, so we’d recommend setting aside 20 to 30 GBs.

Hades 2 revealed at The Game Awards 2022, Supergiant’s first sequel Supergiant GamesThe sequel to the critically acclaimed Hades, Hades 2, was announced at The Game Awards 2022, marking indie developer Supergiant’s fifth game and first ever sequel. During the Game Awards 2022, Hades 2 was officially announced by Super Giant Games. This took the world by surprise, as Supergiant had never released a sequel for their games. But considering the massive success of their first entry, Hades 2 was a very welcome addition. The sequel seems to follow a new protagonist, who sports a dagger alongside a crescent blade for her weapons of choice. Players will control Melinoë, the immortal princess of the underworld, as she travels deeper into the mythic world. She is the sister of Zagreus, the playable character from Hades 1 and the son of Hades. This game is a direct sequel to the original Hades, and will therefore present easter eggs from the previous entry. And just like the first game, Hades 2 is a rogue-like, which offers an endless replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek Mythology. But for those who haven’t played the first game, don’t worry. Supergiant Games stated “No prior knowledge of the original Hades is needed”. Hades 2 release date As of now, there is no official release date for Hades 2. But there is news regarding early access and testing for the game. The game is under full production, having began in 2021. But the developers still have plenty left to build, with more information surely revealing once more of the game is filled out. According to the official developer’s blog, “Hades II will be available in Early Access for some time leading up to its full v1.0 launch. Expect more information on Hades II Early Access sometime in 2023.” To get notified of the early access, make sure to add Hades 2 to your wishlish on both Steam and Epic Games when the time comes. The early access will be available on Steam and Epic games at simultaneously, similar to Hades I when it was in early access. And just like Hades I, Hades II is a single-player game. They have plans to bring the game to consoles and PC, but we’ll have to wait to learn exactly which consoles Hades II will release on. That is all the information currently available for Hades 2. Expect this article to be updated with more information as it reveals.

Hades 2 players want Narcissus’ placeholder art to become permanent design Supergiant GamesA placeholder image for Narcissus in Hades II has players wondering if it needs to be replaced or if it should be a permanent design choice. Hades 2 just entered Early Access, meaning that some character designs are unfinished and have placeholder images in their place when talking with them. This includes Narcissus, whose character art is currently a mysterious, cloaked figure who covers their face with a hood. At first, many people pointed to the humor of seeing an egomaniac hiding themselves away. This placeholder image is used for a few characters in the game, which shows that it’s not meant to be the permanent art for the character. However, there is now a strong contingent of Hades 2 fans who see it as a completely new depiction of Narcissus and want the placeholder to become permanent. What makes this artwork special, as many players are pointing out on social media, is that it adds a new layer to Narcissus’, well, narcissism. They hide themselves in a hood because their beauty is only deserving to be seen by themselves. This is reinforced by a screenshot shared by a fan showing Narcissus telling the player they don’t truly deserve to see their beauty and can only “ogle” at them because they allow it. Another fan points out that the hood could be Narcissus’ punishment in the Underworld. As one X user explains: “Narcissus in the underworld eternally shrouded, unable to see his face ever again…” This would be an adequate explanation, as it fits the character of Narcissus and how the Underworld is meant to work. Given how the original game was celebrated for its depiction of Greek gods and characters, bringing a new depiction of Narcissus to the table would be further cause for celebration. Now, Supergiant could have a stellar design that they’re finishing up for the character, but it seems that their temporary art is more than enough to satiate the Hades 2 community.

Hades 2: Story, trailer, gameplay & more Supergiant GamesDeveloper Supergiant Games have announced Hades 2, a sequel to their critically acclaimed roguelike. Here’s everything we know about Hades 2, from the story to when it will arrive. Hades was one of the breakout successes of 2020, with the inventive roguelike defying all the odds to become one of the year’s best games, scooping numerous awards in the process. Fans have been clamoring for a sequel ever since, and they got their wish as Hades 2 was finally announced at The Game Awards 2022, in one of the biggest surprises of the show. We’ve put together everything we know about Hades 2 so far, including when players will be able to get their hands on it. Contents Is there a Hades 2 release date? There is currently no final release date for Hades 2. However, Supergiant Games has said early access will start “relatively soon” following the end of the technical test. Hades 2’s technical test started on April 17, 2024 with a select group of Steam users. The developers have announced plans to wind it down on Monday, April 29 after nearly two weeks, thanking participants for helping the team “identify and address a number of key issues we weren’t able to find before.” Whether that means we’re weeks or months out from Early Access is unclear, but fans shouldn’t have to wait too long. Though originally announced for a 2023 window, early access was delayed because “Hades II will have at least as much content from day one in Early Access as the original game did back when it launched in Early Access on Steam,” meaning the developers need more time to get it ready. Much like first game, the sequel will first launch in early access and receive regular updates before a complete version of the game is released later down the line. Hades 2 platforms Hades 2 will make its debut in early access exclusively on PC, but a console version is planned to arrive afterward. The first Hades didn’t hit consoles until it left early access altogether, arriving on Switch before being released on PlayStation and Xbox the following year. We’ll have to wait and see if the developers follow the same schedule again, or if they make the most of the hype by releasing Hades on all consoles at the same time. Early access will be available on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Hades 2 story Hades 2 places us into the godly shoes of Melinoe, Princess of the Underworld, and the sister of original protagonist Zagreus. Where the first game followed her brother trying to escape the underworld, the sequel sees Melinoe looking to defeat Chronos – the Titan of Time. Based on the footage we’ve seen so far, it appears that Chronus has captured Hades, and players will be forced to fight their way through level after level in an effort to free their father from his clutches. Hades 2 gameplay Hades will once again be an action roguelike that builds on the gameplay that made the first game so successful. Players must guide Melinoe through an ever-changing series of dungeons, where death means starting over from scratch. She won’t be alone, however, as the Gods of Olympus will be on hand to provide boons granting powerful abilities and buffs. Apollo has been confirmed to return, and a host of new characters will also feature to help Melinoe on her journey. The princess has a host of new weapons at her disposal, including a magical staff to ward off enemies with powerful spells, with even more to unlock as the game unfolds. Hades 2 trailer The only trailer for Hades 2 so far was revealed at the Game Awards 2022, giving fans their look at the story and combat. Check it out below: We’ll be sure to update this page with all the latest Hades 2 announcements when they happen. In the meantime, check out some of the other biggest upcoming games: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Wolverine | Wonder Woman | Dragon Age 4

Hades 2 players trade puns after hilarious revelation regarding major boss Supergiant GamesThe Hades 2 community has gone on a pun-trading roll on Reddit after one player pointed out a hilarious detail during a major boss battle. Hades 2 has finally arrived in Early Access. The first-ever sequel from developer Supergiant is already garnering major praise despite the fact its full release is still months away. Already, players have been making their way through the game, taking control of heroine Melinoe to defeat the villainous Chronos. While playing through the game, a Hades 2 player shared a hilarious revelation during one of the game’s major boss fights. In Greek mythology and Hades 2, Chronos is depicted as the Titan of Time and the father of the gods Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus — also known as the big three. In Hades 2, Chronos serves as the main antagonist. His ability to manipulate time is a central aspect of the game and when trying to defeat him. This discovery spawned a whole new thread on Reddit. But what is this revelation? As the original poster said, “Maybe the reason Chronos levitates everywhere instead of walking is because, of course…Time flies.” In light of this, fellow Hades 2 players have flooded the thread with their own puns and play-on-words. Another player commented that Chronos “has so much gold because time is money.” When one gamer noted that they find it odd that Chronos dislikes Cerberus, the guard dog of the Underworld, given that he himself is a “watch-dog,” a player chimed in and added that “he’s just an old timer; he doesn’t appreciate having pets around.” While these puns are largely player-driven, developer Supergiant is no stranger to adding their own wordplay to Hades. In the first game, the character Maid Dusa was ultimately revealed to be Medusa, the queen of the Gorgons who turns those who look at her to stone. The thread, which currently has over 1,700 upvotes and counting, is flooded with many more puns — all of which center around Chronos and his time-turning abilities.

Hades 2 first impressions – Doubling down on one of the best Roguelikes ever Supergiant GamesAlthough Hades 2 has only just begun its Technical Test, giving a small batch of players their very first hands-on experience with Supergiant’s very first sequel, just this extremely early glimpse is enough to prove the acclaimed devs are far from resting on their laurels. Hades 2 looks to evolve an already all-time great roguelike formula. From Bastion to Transistor to Pyre to Hades, Supergiant has never released a dud. The Californian indie studio has gone from strength to strength over the years, even while innovating with bold new genres and tackling unique challenges with every new release. When Hades arrived in full in 2020, however, the team’s first roguelike shot Supergiant into the stratosphere, selling exceedingly well while topping many critics’ lists as the best game that year, and one of the very best the genre had ever seen. Bucking their trend of going in an entirely different direction yet again, devs decided to stay put this time around, announcing their first-ever sequel in Hades 2. And while details have been scarce since its 2022 reveal, Early Access is almost upon us. To iron out any final kinks before the floodgates truly open, a small Technical Test is now live for a select portion of the community. We were able to dive into Hades 2 through this Technical Test, and even just in this very limited view of the full experience, it’s clear to see the sequel is a full evolution of what made the original such a tremendous, endlessly replayable treat. Note: No story spoilers from us here, but do be cautious if you’re hoping to remain in the dark until the Early Access launch in the coming weeks. While a Technical Test by name, this first look at Hades 2 does indeed push the story forward, so be warned if looking to go in unspoiled. The cycle begins anew Right out of the gate, it’s worth outlining that Hades 2 is still Hades through and through. From its delightful upgrade (Boon) system to its ever-charming cast of underworld demi-gods, you’ll feel right at home in a matter of moments. Stepping into the shoes of new protagonist Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld, you’re once again setting out on a quest for blood, much like you did as Zagreus in the original. This time, however, your motivations are quite different, but we won’t get into that here. Just know it very much maintains the structure of the first game in that you’re pushing through room after room, clearing floor after floor, all in pursuit of one final boss. Pushing through one room after another still plays out in much the same way. Why fix what isn’t broken? Especially as the original Hades absolutely knocked its combat out of the park, with its endlessly alluring roguelike systems, and it’s already clear the sequel is no different, only adding new variables into the mix. An array of new Boons to mix and match, Tarot cards (of sorts) to unlock, multiple weapons to acquire and master, new currencies to unlock further hidden surprises, an entire new hub world (The Crossroads) to upgrade and deck out. There’s a great deal crammed into just the opening hours. If this is merely what a Technical Test has to offer, then we’re in for one hell of a ride whenever the final build launches out of Early Access. One notable change from the original comes in the form of unique tools you can take with you into a given run. An early unlock gives you a pickaxe, for instance, allowing you to hack away at mineable resources you otherwise wouldn’t be able to pick up. This adds yet another layer to the already intricate gameplay loop, one where every run is prefaced by a considered look at your arsenal. Once into the grind, that good old Hades combat comes into the spotlight once again. In the early outings, difficulty is through the roof much like the original. With limited health, you have to learn enemy attack patterns. With limited tools in which to dispatch your foes early on, you’re forced to master movement, controlling the distance as you pick enemies apart. As you progress through the one available floor in the Technical Test, it all comes to a head with a traditional boss fight, one that just so happens to turn you into a sheep… if you’re not careful. I was not careful, on more than one occasion. Finish the boss fight and you’re met with a friendly message before looping back to the start to do it all over again. Though as any Hades fans will know all too well, the end of any given run is truly just the beginning of a new chapter in the greater story. Glorious storytelling unravels bit by bit Outside of the delectable moment-to-moment gameplay of Hades, arguably the most impressive aspect was its unique method of storytelling. Rather than hitting you over the head with cutscenes after every run or dropping tons of exposition on you with each demi-god encounter, you had to earn your progression through the narrative. Each run through the underworld, be it successful or not, pushed the story forward in fascinating ways. Perhaps you’d learn more about a key character in the current timeline, maybe you’d tease out a bit of backstory on the nature of your quest, or you could be met with a shocking revelation, urging you to commit to that ‘one more run’ before signing off. It was a brilliant cadence then, and it’s equally alluring now. Even in this limited capacity, purely a Technical Test not at all intended to offer up a ton in that regard, it’s still prevalent through every run. As soon as you’re swatted out of action by an overwhelming assault, you’re right back in the hub world, learning more, being exposed to new characters, expanding the view of the place you call home. It’s all excellently refined. You’re never handed too much at once, nor are you drip-fed too little as to feel cheated by the narrative’s methodical progression. Every single run is thrilling and yet every single return to the calmer, non-hostile setting is thrilling too as you learn and gear up to do it all over again. Truly, if this is just a first-taste with barely any substance baked in, as according to Supergiant, Hades fans are in for an absolute treat when Hades 2’s Early Access period gets underway in the coming weeks. While no set date has been locked in just yet, Q2 2024 has been penciled in, and with the Technical Test now live, the wait shouldn’t be much longer.

Hades 2 players split on whether powerful ability from previous game should return Supergiant GamesThe Hades 2 early access has proven to be a huge success among its players. Now many are calling for a key feature from the previous game to return – but not all agree. Despite being in early access, Hades 2 has sharply risen in popularity, boasting an impressive player count and a variety of pleased fans. Thanks to its predecessor, many are returning from the original Hades adventure, and are now diving into Melinoe’s story and unique abilities. However, it seems plenty of the player base is latching onto one key ability they want to see in the sequel, the ability to double dash. Double dashing was a lifesaver in the original Hades. It helped players get out of tight spots and enabled them to move around a little faster, as sprinting wasn’t an option. Now, on the Hades Reddit, tons of players are calling for its addition, with many begging Supergiant to revisit the beloved ability. “Add double dashing to Hades 2 and my life is yours” joked one user, proving just how desperate they are to be able to move faster. Others were quick to agree, commenting: “Yeah I’m missing that double dash, I might just need to get better utilizing sprint. But double dashing was so good and helpful in the first game.” Thankfully, sprinting is available in Hades 2, meaning you can still get around quicker, but the double dash dodging mechanic was certainly a useful ability. However, not all players agreed with the post, with many sharing that they’re “a fan of them removing the double dashing – as an option it was way too safe,” highlighting the issues with button mashing in the first game. Thanks to close-range attacks, constant dodging, and little need for movement, Hades can be a bit of a button-mashing game, while Hades 2 embodies more tactics, magic, and longer range, meaning there may not be the need for a double dash this time around. Others echoed the same sentiments, adding, “Idk if they will add a double dash, clearly they’ve put a lot of time into sprint, but I wish I didn’t have to hold down the dash button for it to work.” It’s clear that, while some would love the addition, others are a little hesitant and would rather see sprint receive a few changes than any more dashing abilities.

Hades 2: Every door symbol & meanings explained Supergiant GamesHades 2 has officially arrived on early access, the sequel once again dropping players into the roguelike franchise. With that being said, here are all the symbols players will encounter throughout their runs of the game and what each symbol represents. In Hades 2, players are tasked with clearing different rooms throughout their playthrough. Once a room has been cleared of all enemies, the player will then be able to process through to the next stage. However, the sequel typically offers a choice. With multiple rooms available to enter through, each have unique bonuses, rewards, and encounters. Hades 2 door symbols: All temporary upgrades & boons More often than not, doors in Hades 2 will include a temporary upgrade symbol signifying that the player will receive a reward or upgrade if they choose to enter. These upgrades are gifted by the Greek gods featured in the game. Included below is an outline of every single upgrade symbol that can be found on doors in Hades 2, as well as what each symbol represents. Hades 2 door symbols: All materials & progression items As well as including upgrades and boons behind doors, Hades 2 also offers up materials and progression items to pick up. These can then be used to make permanent upgrades to Melinoë. Here is the full list of material & progression item symbols that players will encounter when playing through Hades 2. And there you have it folks! Those are all the symbols in Hades 2. To keep up to date with future content, check out the full Hades 2 roadmap. You can also read up on Every Keepsake, how to get Limestone, and where to get Tears during your playthrough.

Hades 2 Early Access player count clears Baldur’s Gate 3, GTA 5, more as indie sequel soars Supergiant GamesHades 2’s Early Access launch has been an unprecedented success for Supergiant Games. The indie sequel’s concurrent player count on Steam has already cleared industry juggernauts like Baldur’s Gate 3, PUBG, GTA 5, and more, and it’s only the beginning. After three years of active development, the earliest public build of Hades 2 is now live. Eager roguelike fans are able to jump in and experience what’s essentially a full game, with the Early Access label not quite cutting it in this instance. With dozens of hours of content on offer right out of the gate, and the experience polished better than even some full AAA games, it’s been a smash hit for the relatively small indie team at Supergiant. So much so, the team’s first-ever sequel has quickly become its most successful launch. Just one day on the market and the Early Access version of Hades 2 has set a new concurrent player record for the studio, soaring through Steam’s top 10 most played games, and establishing itself as a true indie hit with a peak of more than 100,000 players checking it out all at once. As Steam’s current best-seller overall, Hades 2 has made an immediate impact. Through its first 24 hours, the sequel peaked at 103,567 concurrent players, placing it above the likes of mega-popular live service titles like PUBG and Rust, and even last year’s consensus GOTY in Baldur’s Gate 3. But not only is the sequel doing well, but as a consequence, so too is the original game. The first Hades has seen a staggering resurgence to the point it’s just a few hundred players away from breaking its own all-time concurrent player record as well. Back in September 2020, when Hades arrived in full after its Early Access window, the game peaked at 37,586 concurrent players on Steam. In the past 24 hours, 36,043 concurrent players came close to eclipsing that longstanding record. As for Supergiant’s other titles, none come close to matching the sheer popularity of the Hades series, at least on Steam. Below is a quick look at all-time concurrent player count peaks in descending order: Hades 2: 103,567 – Hades: 37,586 – Transistor: 6,657 – Bastion: 4,063 – Pyre: 3,995 – The numbers clearly don’t lie, Hades and Hades 2 are far and away the studio’s biggest success stories, and the sequel is only just getting going. Early Access is set to continue through the rest of 2024, meaning more content and improvements are in the pipeline. With each update, we can expect an influx of players, and with the full version 1.0 release, there’s no doubt we’ll see Hades 2 reaching new heights once again. As word of mouth spreads, expect to see both Hades games continue climbing through the charts on Steam.

Hades 2 Early Access Patch 1 notes: Resource improvements, bug fixes, more Supergiant GamesAfter a week in early access, Hades 2 has received its first update aimed at making some important bug fixes. Early Access Patch 1 makes a variety of changes to the game, most of which based on player feedback. Developer Supergiant Games refers to these as “targeted improvements and fixes” and promises “balance changes and additional improvements” for the next patch. Here’s everything Hades 2’s first Early Access Patch does. What’s new in Hades 2 Early Access Patch 1? Perhaps the biggest change in Hades 2 Early Access Patch 1 is how it overhauls resource gathering. Originally, you had to choose a single tool before starting a new run that would allow you to do things like mine, dig, and fish. However, that meant if players would often have to skip over valuable resource opportunities. For example, if a player chose the fishing rod and came across a dig spot, they would be completely locked out of mining throughout that entire run. This patch reworks the system so players won’t miss out on resources. Rather than barring you from interacting with objects you don’t have the tool equipped for, you’ll instead be able to gather anything so long as you have the tool unlocked. Following the update, choosing a specific tool makes it much more likely that you’ll find the corresponding resource. Conversely, resources for all the Tools you didn’t pick will be much rarer. The patch also makes some changes to Melinoe‘s movement, making her Sprint faster and her Dash more reliable and easier to use in certain areas. Hades 2 Early Access Patch 1 notes Supergiant’s patch notes can be found here. General Gameplay Your Sprint is innately faster and turning is more responsive; re-scaled abilities that boost this – You now can Dash out of many attack recovery animations more reliably – You now can gather from any resource point once you have unlocked the corresponding Gathering Tool; you now can Prioritize any available Tool in the Training Grounds to make its resources appear as often as before, while resources for Tools you do not Prioritize will appear far less often – Altar of Ashes The Swift Runner: now also makes your Dash immediate (note the faster speed means you are invulnerable for very slightly less time); re-scaled Sprint speed bonus since Sprint is innately faster now – Level Design & Environments It is easier to Dash across chasms in Oceanus – Driftwood resources are more common in the Rift of Thessaly – Menus & UI Using a Well of Charon displays your current Gold without the need to check your Boon Info – The Grasp Upgrade Tutorial in the Altar of Ashes will repeat if ignored – Added Patch Notes option to the Main Menu (where you can read this!) – Miscellaneous Early encounters with Eris are less likely to occur; she also drops something of value… – Related, if this already occurred, look for a one-time bonus in the Crossroads while Eris is present – Entries in the Book of Shadows are generally easier to reveal – You can gift Echo without having to wait around as long after conversing – Adjusted Animal Familiar upgrades invalidated by the Gathering Tool changes above – In the Hades Flashback, a hint will eventually play for players who don’t realize they are in control – Improved mouse selection in various cases – Improved support for some additional controllers – Abilities that boost Sprint speed display more-accurate numbers (generally lower than before) – Updates and fixes to translations in some languages – Bug Fixes Fixed several issues with Dark Side (Selene) – Fixed Sun Worshiper (Apollo) sometimes preventing new foes from spawning – Fixed Fire Extinguisher (Hestia) not dealing damage as expected – Fixed Sister Blades Omega Attack not hitting Chronos reliably from certain angles – Fixed Satyr Hoplites retaining the ability to block while afflicted with Twilight Curse (Selene) – Fixed various cases of foes sometimes spawning out of bounds – Fixed camera zoom-in getting stuck vs. Polyphemus in certain situations – Fixed cases where you could Dash out of bounds in the Crossroads – Fixed Fishing Pier events in the Crossroads not passing Whiles like other similar events – Fixed autolock not clearing as expected while using mouse controls – Fixed keyboard inputs sometimes getting stuck unexpectedly – Fixed several input issues switching from gamepad to mouse-and-keyboard controls – Fixed several issues playing in ultrawide resolutions – Fixed some visual effects vs. Chronos lingering between phases or after the fight – Fixed a Melinoë voice line repeating unexpectedly around the City of Ephyra Bat Cages – Fixed various rare crashes – Fixed several text errors – Other minor fixes – Quote of the Patch ‘…now plain to the eye, now shadowy, now shining in the darkness— all this in unnerving attacks in the gloom of night.’ ~The Orphic Hymns, 71: To Melinoë (Anonymous; A. Athanassakis translation)[/]

Hades 2 Early Access patch 2 notes: Massive Daedelus Hammer changes, bug fixes, more Supergiant GamesAlmost exactly a month after the game’s early access release, Hades 2 has received its second patch, bringing various gameplay, balancing, and performance improvements to the epic roguelike. Hades 2 Early Access patch 2 introduces more fixes to what is already a pretty solid and compelling game even in this unfinished state. Like the game’s first patch, this update doesn’t add new content, instead focusing on gameplay tweaks and bug fixes. Most of Patch 2’s changes were suggested by players, with developer Supergiant Games thanking fans for their input. This update largely adds new UI icons and weapon balancing changes, with the devs promising Boon changes in a future update. The weapons tweaks include changes to Daedalus Hammer upgrades, as several have been replaced with new ones. Each weapon has at least a few changes, but the Staff changed the most, having three upgrades replaced. There are also various combat and boss fight adjustments, with Supergiant noting that Chronos should be “patently unfair” less often following the update. Hades 2 Early Access patch 2 notes Supergiant’s patch notes can be found here. General Gameplay You now can encounter up to one additional Olympian each night (as in the previous game) – You now are likely to find one more Boon or other major reward while in Erebus – Increased invulnerability duration after your Death Defiance effects activate – Improved rewards of Ash and Psyche can now be found in Oceanus and the Rift of Thessaly – You now can press-and-hold to harvest repeatedly from Crescent Pick Outcroppings – Toula should now stay closer to you in Encounters, especially in the Fields of Mourning – Nemesis no longer offers Death Defiance items if you do not need to refill the effect – Reduced Gold cost of Selene’s Boon when available in Charon’s Shop – Minor adjustments to the order in which Olympians may first appear early on – Normalized chances of finding Fishing Points in various regions – Nocturnal Arms & Abilities Witch’s Staff: Special knocks foes away, but is slightly slower; Omega Special is faster – Sister Blades: Special staggers standard foes longer; Attack visual FX better match the hitbox – Umbral Flames: Attacks are stronger and faster; Omega Attack channels faster and uses less magick; Special gives a speed boost, but has reduced damage; Omega Special can be channeled while moving – Moonstone Axe: reworked Special provides a lingering barrier; Omega Attack channels slightly faster; Omega Special channels faster – Argent Skull: Omega Attack channels faster and hits a larger area – Aspects of the Nocturnal Arms Witch’s Staff (Circe): adjusted activation and duration of Serenity effect; Serenity now adds Omega bonus damage that scales with this Aspect’s rank – Witch’s Staff (Momus): reworked; each of your Omega Moves automatically fires several times in succession from where you use them – Sister Blades (Artemis): you will Block again if the effect recharges while you are channeling; Block now takes priority over Dodge and similar effects – Umbral Flames (Eos): reworked; Omega Attack now fires a slow shot that occasionally creates damage blasts and also copies your Specials – Moonstone Axe (Melinoë): reworked; now adds Power and Max Life – Moonstone Axe (Thanatos): reworked; faster Attack adds Critical chance to Omega moves – Argent Skull (Persephone): you now earn Glory much faster, but only by using your Omega Cast; improved control responsiveness during Omega Special – Keepsakes Moon Beam (Selene): increased bonus to Path of Stars upgrades – Daedalus Hammer Upgrades Marauder Wallop (Staff): cut from game; replaced with… – Rapid Thrasher (Staff): new! All your Attacks become faster – Double Wallop (Staff): cut from game; replaced with… – Wicked Thrasher (Staff): new! All your Attacks gain bonus Power – Double Cataclysm (Staff): cut from game; replaced with… – Mirrored Thrasher (Staff): new! All your Attacks hit twice, but you take more damage – Rapid Moonshot (Staff): also affects Omega Special – Dual Moonshot (Staff): also affects Omega Special; reduced range; renamed from Double Moonshot – Shimmering Moonshot (Staff): also affects Omega Special – Aetheric Moonburst (Staff): increased Magick restoration from Power Shots – Concentrated Flurry (Blades): cut from game; replaced with… – Melting Dart (Blades): new! Your Special destroys a large percentage of a foe’s Armor – Flick Knives (Blades): new! Your Dash-Strike also fires several Special knives in a fan pattern – Rapid Onslaught (Blades): reworked to also affect Omega Attack; renamed from Marauder Slice – Hook Knives (Blades): slightly reduced speed of knives returning to you – Furious Fire (Flames): cut from game; replaced with… – Mega Spark (Flames): new! All your Attacks travel farther and deal more damage – Inverted Spark (Flames): new! Dash to make shots from Attacks reverse direction and hit foes again – Leaden Spark (Flames): new! Your Attacks knock foes away and have bonus Power – Sustained Spark (Flames): also increases move speed, instead of reducing; formerly Sustained Fire – Melting Coil (Flames): no longer fires straight; also affects Omega Special; formerly Melting Comet – Origin Coil (Flames): also affects Omega Special – Rapid Slash (Axe): reworked to also affect Omega Attack; renamed from Marauder Slash – Giga Cleaver (Axe): removed two-stage channeling (it always double-fires but uses more Magick) – Dashing Heave (Axe): removed damage bonus; instead, it now hits twice – Sidelong Crash (Skull): cut from game; replaced with… – Mega Driver (Skull): new! Your Specials travel farther and you take less damage while using them – Colossus Driver (Skull): also affects Omega Special – Hexes of Selene Wolf Howl: reduced Magick-spend requirement – Twilight Curse: greatly reduced Magick-spend requirement; reduced foes afflicted; reduced cast time – Night Bloom: reduced Magick-spend requirement, effect duration, bonus damage, and cast tim – Lunar Ray: greatly reduced Magick-spend requirement; reduced damage; reduced cast time – Moon Water: slightly increased Magick-spend requirement; slightly reduced healing – Dark Side: slightly increased Magick-spend requirement – Foes & Encounters Chronos: various fixes and adjustments; there should be fewer cases where he’s patently unfair – Infernal Cerberus: minor adjustments to some attack patterns in the first phase – Eris: grenade attacks no longer wildly bounce around – Polyphemus: reduced effectiveness of Mutant Sheep – Goldwrath: reduced accuracy and tracking of beam attack – Queen Lamia: slightly increased Armor; increased speed; other minor changes – Reed-Stalker: increased projectile speed and target distance; reduced rotation speed – Mourner: slightly increased rotation speed; slightly increased speed while attacking – Lamia: slightly increased life and Elite armor – Dire Shambler: reduced tracking speed between attacks – Hippo: self-destruct area should more closely match the visuals – Level Design & Environments Driftwood resources are more common in the Rift of Thessaly (a further increase since last patch) – Burning Oil Slicks in the Rift of Thessaly will extinguish after Encounters, though may be reignited – Adjusted Oil Slicks in some locations in the Rift of Thessaly – Minor fixes to several locations – Fated List of Minor Prophecies Clearing Original Sins no longer requires choosing the very rare Barren curse from Chaos Chaos Trials Trial of Heartache: reduced difficulty and adjusted based on Aspect changes – Trial of Haste: reduced difficulty and adjusted based on Aspect changes – Oath of the Unseen Vow of Forsaking: no longer helps ensure you quickly get Duo and Legendary Boons – Menus & UI Added many new UI icons for Keepsakes, Weapons, Well of Charon offerings, and more Insight Into Offerings (Cauldron) now also lets you check each Olympian’s list of offerings in the Book of Shadows while choosing their Boons (or the equivalent with other characters) – [/]With the prior change, adjusted default key binding for Rarify; some custom bindings have been reset – Added a warning when you are down to your last use of Death Defiance – Opening the Book of Shadows should show entries for nearby characters more reliably – Removed the Unused Grasp notification when exiting the Altar of Ashes while at a high Grasp limit – Updated Pitch-Black Stone screen to use Aspect-specific icons – Adjusted input action bar layout at the bottom of the Boon Screen and similar – Added borders to icons for Selene Hexes on the Gifts of the Moon screen – Added informational pop-up when using F10 to report bugs – Other minor changes – Art & Visual FX Reduced some full-screen flashing or strobing, such as from time-slow effects – Music & SFX Added SFX for when certain active abilities such as Serenity are ready to use – Updated placeholder SFX for various Keepsakes – Updated SFX for projectile collisions with Umbral Flames (Moros) – Voice & Narrative Unique voice lines should play more reliably when certain incantations are revealed in the Cauldron – Added voice lines when using Phase Shift (Selene) vs. Chronos (or trying to…) – More voice lines should play when confiding in Frinos in certain contexts – Miscellaneous While brooding over the family portrait in the Crossroads, you may now snap out of it sooner – You now can fully control the game using keyboard only if you rebind Attack and Special – All timers now pause while in the presence of Charon – An Anvil of Fates will no longer be offered in Tartarus if you have not found a Daedalus Hammer – In the Hades Flashback, adjusted timing of hint for players who don’t realize they are in control – Reduced requirements for the incantation Power to Pause and Reflect to be revealed – Melinoë now respawns in the center of her magick circle near her tent (she was a bit off before…) – Improved compatibility with more types of controllers – Updated text for various upgrades and abilities – Bug Fixes· Fixed Double Up (Poseidon) sometimes doubling Mystery Boons; clarified description – Fixed Nightmare resources dropping unexpectedly in Chaos Trials – Fixed Omega moves occasionally becoming unresponsive after being chomped on by Polyphemus – Fixed deadliest attack of Chronos occasionally hitting when Melinoë was in a supposedly safe point – Fixed Umbral Flames Attack preventing Magick regeneration before channeling Omega Attack – Fixed The Queen and Judgment (Arcana) appearing active while no others Arcana are active – Fixed Hearth Gain (Hestia) no longer restoring Magick if chosen as a Sacrifice Boon – Fixed certain later Oath Testaments for the Sister Blades sometimes not appearing as expected – Fixed cases where you could go out of bounds using the Argent Skull in the battle vs. Chronos – Fixed more cases of some visual effects vs. Chronos lingering between phases or after the fight – Fixed Toula unceremoniously vanishing after you vanquish Chronos – Fixed additional issues with Sun Worshiper (Apollo) – Fixed additional issues with Dark Side (Selene) – Fixed additional issues with Twilight Curse (Selene) – Fixed a visual issue where Headmistress Hecate could appear to slide after snared by your Cast – Fixed Spark of Ixion (Charon) causing a Chaos Gate to appear in Asphodel? – Fixed Golden Boughs sometimes not marking all available rewards in the Fields of Mourning – Fixed several narrative events that could play out of sequence – Fixed Odysseus rather rudely walking away while in conversation with Nemesis – Fixed Heracles sometimes leaping away forever – Fixed Melinoë’s voice reverting during her return sequence despite certain Circe enchantments – Fixed incorrect Echo portrait in the Book of Shadows – Fixed incorrect music playing in some Chaos Trials, or not playing as intended in some instances – Fixed rare cases of a looping sound playing indefinitely – Fixed a rare instance when objectives in the Training Grounds could overlap – Fixed several minor issues on the Victory Screen that shows when you prevail – Fixed additional miscellaneous issues when playing in ultrawide resolutions – Fixed a rare crash in which the effect of Winter Harvest (Demeter) could repeat forever – Fixed various other rare crashes – Fixed several text errors – Other minor fixes – Quote of the Patch ‘Hecate was the Goddess of the Dark of the Moon, the black nights when the moon is hidden. She was associated with deeds of darkness, the Goddess of the Crossways, which were held to be ghostly places of evil magic.’ ~Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes (E. Hamilton)

Hades 2 character design detail links four important goddesses Supergiant GamesEagle-eyed Hades 2 fans have noticed a subtle but brilliant detail that connects protagonist, Melinoe, with other important characters in her story. Hades 2‘s art may still be a work in progress following its early access release, but there are already some great design details to find. This includes a motif featured on Melinoe‘s design that’s also present on character portraits for Hecate, Selene, and Artemis, three of the Greek goddesses included in the game. As one Twitter user spotted, the four all have a light green, light blue, black, and orange braided band somewhere on their person. Each color is a major aspect of one of the goddess’ designs – green from Artemis’ hair, blue from Selene’s outfit, black from Hecate’s cloak and hat, and orange from Melinoe’s dress – making it clear this is meant to link the four. The user praised Hades 2 art director and character designer Jen Zee, who worked on the first Hades and other Supergiant projects, for the detail. Lore-wise, it does make sense for these four goddesses to share such a strong connection. Hecate, Selene, and Artemis are all associated with the moon, though only Selene is truly meant to be its personification. While Melinoe isn’t a lunar goddess, Hades 2’s protagonist was raised and trained by Hecate. This itself is a reference to Greek mythology, as some believe Melinoe is just another name for the goddess of witchcraft. Other players were quick to appreciate the shared design, with one comparing it to a friendship bracelet and others dubbing the quartet “Silver sisters.” Not all Hades 2 designs have been equally praised, though. Some fans have criticized the new look of returning character Chaos for looking more human than in the first game. Since the game is in early access, though, it’s important to keep in mind that not all designs are final, even if some players may want Supergiant to keep the placeholder art in the final product.

Habbo Hotel goes back in time with Habbo Hotel Origins SulakeHabbo Hotels is going back to its classic 2005 look and design with the release of its new game, Habbo Hotel Origins. Many will remember Habbo Hotel from the early 2000s, as one of the primary chat games of the era. In Habbo Hotel, players can create their own characters, build and design their rooms, take care of virtual pets, and even take part in games or quests with other real players. While the title has been running since 2000, plenty has changed since its initial release. However, all that is about to change with the release of Habbo Hotel Origins. This new game revisits 2005, with all the highly-demanded features that made it the gaming giant it was back then. What is Habbo Hotel Origins? As previously mentioned, Habbo Hotel Origins will be a homage to the 2005 version of Habbo Hotel. It takes place in a separate hotel and will run concurrent with the original Habbo, so there’s no need to worry about your current character or creations. That being said, you will be able to add your previous Habbo character into Origins, transporting them back to when it all began. The style and gameplay will be exactly the same as it used to be. With the game going back to 2005, it’ll be featuring a variety of rooms from before, including the Habbo Lido (diving board included), private rooms, Cafe Ole, and even the fabled Battle Ball, of which many spent hours bouncing about in. In terms of gameplay and quality, we spoke to Dominic Gunn, the developer heading Habbo Hotel Origins, who explained that “We’ve learned so much in the last 20 years, we have a good idea of what works, and what doesn’t, and we now have the opportunity to involve the community in the direction of the game, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.” This means Origins will be honing in on all the successes of its past, and rectifying any failures, to create an enhanced experience for players both experienced and new. It’s worth noting, however, that Habbo Hotel Origins will have an age restriction of 18+, as opposed to the 13+ restrictions on the traditional Habbo Hotel game. Habbo Hotel Origins is available now and can be enjoyed on the Habbo Hotel website.

Hades 2 cast – All voice actors & characters Supergiant GamesHades 2 has a bunch of beloved characters returning while new faces and voices also join the battle against Chronos. Here is every confirmed voice actor and character in the game. When the original Hades was released back in 2020, developer Supergiant Games took the gaming world by storm. Part of what made Hades such a hit was the narrative and character development. The game focused on Greek mythology, introducing important figures such as Hades, Patroclus, and Achilles into the narrative and cleverly creating a story filled with many iconic Greek figures and gods. With Hades 2 out in early access, many of the main actors and characters set to star in the sequel have now been confirmed. Contents All Hades 2 main voice cast – Melinoe: Judy Alice Lee – Hecate: Amelia Tyler – Moros: Sterling Sulieman – Hades/ Chronos / Poseidon / Charon: Logan Cunningham – Dora/ Scylla: Erin Yvette – Nemesis: Becca Q. Co. – Odysseus: Jason Marnocha – Apollo: Colin Ryan – Schelemeus/ Narcissus: Darren Korb – Artemis: Jamie Landrum – Other voice cast – All Hades 2 voice actors: Main voice cast You can find a full list of all the confirmed voice actors and characters that have been revealed for Hades 2 so far below: Melinoe: Judy Alice Lee Judy Alice Lee is a Korean American actress best known for other voice acting roles in the Call of Duty franchise, WWE 2K24, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. In Hades 2, Lee will be voicing a brand new protagonist in Melinoe. Melinoe is Zagreus’s sister (the protagonist of the original Hades) and the daughter of Persephone and Hades. Melinoe prefers magic and witchcraft over conventional combat, a skill she learned from her mentor Hecate. Lee also lends her voice to Echo and Jetty. Jetty is one of the guitarists for Scylla’s and her sirens who acts as one of the bosses in the game. Echo on the other hand is an oread nymph who offers her Plaintive Echoes to Melinoe. Hecate: Amelia Tyler Amelia Tyler is a BAFTA award nominee and has featured on many of the biggest video games of recent years. She is the voice of the narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3 as well as appearing in the recent Dark Picture Anthology’s VR game. Tyler will be voicing Hecate. In Greek Mythology, Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft and necromancy and in Hades 2, she also serves as a mentor to Melinoe. Moros: Sterling Sulieman Sterling Sulieman is an American actor who has multiple voice acting credits to his name as well as many other acting roles. Most notably, he voiced Nirik in Horizon Forbidden West. Sulieman lends his voice to the role of Moros in Hades 2. Moros is the personification of Doom and is the son of Nyx and sister to the Fates. He is one of the antagonists in Hades 2. Hades/ Chronos / Poseidon / Charon: Logan Cunningham Logan Cunningham will once again return to lend his voice to the god of the Underworld, Hades along with a whole multitude of other characters. Fans fell in love with Cunningham’s portrayal of the king of the underworld and this time around he returns to lend his voice to the main antagonist of Hades 2, the Titan of Time, Chronos. Cunningham is also the voice actor of Poseidon and Charon as well. Poseidon is one of the Greek gods in the game while Charon acts as a merchant selling wares to Melinoe. Dora/ Scylla: Erin Yvette Erin Yvette has almost 100 credits to her name, including multiple roles in various TellTale games such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us. Yvette will play the role of Dora and Scylla. Dora is the fun and easygoing roommate of Melinoe that inhabits The Crossroads while Scylla is one of the bosses you encounter in Oceanus. Nemesis: Becca Q. Co. Becca Q. Co is an actor, musician, director, and more. She will voice Nemesis, known as the goddess of revenge in Greek mythology. Nemesis acts as a contemporary to Melinoe in Hades 2. Interestingly, she also wields the Stygian Blade which is the same weapon wielded by Zagreus in the previous game. Odysseus: Jason Marnocha Jason Marnocha has had notable roles in various English dub anime such as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Chainsaw Man, Vinland Saga and the recently released Pluto. He has also done smaller roles in Diablo 4 and Street Fighter 6. Marnocha lends his voice to Odysseus in Hades 2 who helps Melinoe in her fight with Chronos. Apollo: Colin Ryan Colin Ryan is best known for the role of Alphinaud in the Final Fantasy XIV as well as appearing in an episode of Doctor Who. In Hades 2, Ryan will voice Apollo, the god of light and one of the Olympian gods who will offer boons to Melinoe throughout the game. Schelemeus/ Narcissus: Darren Korb Schelemeus is a character you find beside the Silver Pool who acts as a training buddy allowing you to practice your moves on him. Narcissus on the other hand is a character you encounter in Oceanus who offers various gifts to Melinoe. According to Greek Mythology, he is said to be the most beautiful man in the world. Both of these characters are voiced by Darren Korb who also composed the iconic music for both the Hades games. Additionally, Korb also lent his voice to Zagreus, the main protagonist of the previous game. Artemis: Jamie Landrum Artemis is the God of the Hunt who accompanies Melinoe through certain parts of the game as she considers Melinoe to be her sister and even grants her boons in the game. Jamie Landrum lends her voice to this character who previously voiced the character Nyx in the previous game. Other voice cast Where is Zagreus in Hades 2? | How long is Hades 2? | Hades 2 roadmap: All planned updates | Who is Hades 2 protagonist? | Does Hades 2 run on Steam Deck?

GWENT: Rogue Mage – Release date, platforms & everything we know CD Projekt RedGWENT: Rogue Mage is a single-player expansion for The Witcher spin-off’s main game and it’s set to bring a whole host of new cards, battles, and content in pure solo-based action. The Witcher 3 is heralded as one of the all-time great games and one of the reasons players loved it so much was its addictive, card game distraction — Gwent. The success of Gwent was so substantial that CD Projekt Red ended up developing and releasing its own individual standalone title. The game is now welcoming the addition of a new expansion for Gwent – Rogue Mage – so here’s everything we know about the game. Contents GWENT: Rogue Mage release date – GWENT: Rogue Mage gameplay – GWENT: Rogue Mage platforms – GWENT: Rogue Mage trailer – GWENT: Rogue Mage release date It’s good news for Gwent fans if you’re eager to get your hands on the new GWENT: Rogue Mage DLC, as it was released on July 6, 2022, meaning you can buy it right now. The content is digital-only, so prospective buyers will need to choose between the Regular version or the Deluxe version. GWENT: Rogue Mage gameplay The gameplay for GWENT: Rogue Mage still retains the feel and design of GWENT: The Witcher Card Game released in 2017. It’s still all about building and fleshing out your deck of Gwent cards and facing opponents across the lands to acquire new ones. But the emphasis on GWENT: Rogue Mage is to deliver a game that focuses on a concentrated single-player experience. The expansion can only be purchased separately from the main game and the only hints of online multiplayer elements are leaderboards and cross-saving between formats. GWENT: Rogue Mage platforms Like the official card game, GWENT: Rogue Mage is accessible on several platforms including PC and mobile. There is no hint of it coming to any of the major gaming consoles like PlayStation or Xbox, but that could change later on. GWENT: Rogue Mage trailer For an even deeper look at GWENT: Rogue Mage, CD Projekt Red tingled the taste buds of fans with a launch trailer for the game that you can check out below. For news on more upcoming games, we have many more hubs below: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | FFXVI | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch | The Last of Us Part 1 Remake | God of War Ragnarok

Gundam Evolution: Release date, trailer, gameplay, & everything we know Bandai NamcoGundam Evolution is an upcoming team-based FPS game that enables players to pilot monolithic mechs and duke it out in fast-paced battles, so find out everything you need to know about the release date, beta sign-ups, and gameplay before the title officially launches below. Gundam Evolution aims to capture all the adrenaline-fueled action from the hit anime series by giving pilots access to a variety of deadly mechs. The upcoming free-to-play title has already sparked a lot of interest from the Overwatch community, with many being blown away by Bandai Namco’s own take on the hero shooter. Just like the team-focused battles of Overwatch, Gundam Evolution is all about objective play and coordinating with your team to claim a dominant victory. Battles can be fast and often incredibly fierce, with many mechs taking on different archetypal roles. So, if you’re a diehard Gundam fan or just wish to add another Overwatch-style game to your library, then we have outlined everything you need to know about Gundam Evolution. Contents Gundam Evolution release date? – Gundam Evolution beta – What platforms will Gundam Evolution be released on? – Gundam Evolution trailer – Gundam Evolution gameplay – Gundam Evolution release date Gundam Evolution will release on Steam on September 22nd, 2022. This means players won’t have to wait much longer before they can pilot their very own mech and begin taking part in the game’s action-packed multiplayer. Those looking to play Gundam Evolution on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One will need to wait a little longer. The regional release dates are below: Europe: December 1st, 2022 – North America: November 30, 2022 – Asia: December 1, 2022 – Is there a Gundam Evolution beta? The latest Gundam Evolution network test has now concluded, so you’ll need to wait for the full release to dive back into the mech vs mech multiplayer. What platforms will Gundam Evolution be released on? Gundam Evolution will release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. There is currently no news on whether the game will be released on Nintendo Switch, so those looking to play the mech-based action could be out of luck. Gundam Evolution trailer To celebrate the PC launch of Gundam Evolution, a launch trailer was released. It’s filled with intense battles, some gameplay, and a few hints regarding the Mech Mobile Suits you’ll be able to use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0looyN5tg Gundam Evolution gameplay Gundam Evolution will launch with a roster of 12 playable Mobile Suits and will pit players against each other in 6v6 PvP combat across three objective-based game modes. However, to achieve a dominant win over your mechanized foes, you’ll need to master and switch between the game’s monolithic mechs. Each unit has its very own unique playstyle, attack skills, support functions, and HP levels. Just like with Overwatch, teams that coordinate and synergize their attacks will be able to maximize their damage and chances of securing game-winning plays. So, there you have it, everything you need to know about Gundam Evolution. Make sure you check out our other game release hubs to get all the latest information on upcoming titles. The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | God of War: Ragnarok | 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 | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Haunted Chocolatier

Gungrave G.O.R.E review: A love letter to a forgotten franchise A long-forgotten franchise is revived, but is Gungrave: G.O.R.E something that should have stayed dead or not? B-tier games are something that I adore. These titles can either be secret gems, like Deadly Premonition or Mr. Mosquito. Other times, they might be completely horrid experiences, but not for lack of trying. Games like Disaster Report 4, or Siren, where they desperately try to achieve something that the development team just isn’t able to. The PS2 was rife with these types of games. With development much cheaper due to a lack of HD requirements, you would see a plethora of titles leak out into the abyss. Here, from the creator of Trigun and a relatively unknown studio, Gungrave was born. It had the hallmarks of Yasuhiro Nightow. A large, cumbersome main character who is inexplicably incredible at violence. Even on the PS2, the same feel of the animation was persistent in both games and the delightful cutscenes play out a surprisingly exciting story. Gungrave G.O.R.E trailer: Gungrave G.O.R.E: Key details Price: $49.99/£39.99/Available on Game Pass – Developer: Iggymob – Release Date: November 18, 2022 – Platforms: Xbox, PS4, PS5, PC – Gungrave of the past A couple of days before starting Gungrave G.O.R.E, I decided to play the original two games. The first has this incredible vibe, with a convincing scoring system to encourage replays. Combat, while simple, is fast-paced and a wave of nostalgia flowed over me – even for a game I’d never played before. The same cannot be said for the second game, Overdose. While it offers a far smoother experience, with a few more layers of complexity, it was designed without the original game studio in tow. It is filled with moments of frustration and confusing choices. I then couldn’t imagine where G.O.R.E would lead. Would the sheer disappointment of the second game follow it? Or would it be able to distinguish itself among the large swathe of shooters since its last entry in 2004? What’s the story here? If you want a quick idea of what type of game Gungrave G.O.R.E is, during heated action the backing track contains the lyrics ‘It’s time to die, it’s time to kill’. Gungrave G.O.R.E sees the return of Grave, the titular character, as he and his partner, Mika, try to stamp out the still persistent drug crisis in the city. The story isn’t exactly the game’s primary concern, but it does try its best. The cutscenes and story show that the team at Iggymob has a deep love for the series. This isn’t a reboot in any capacity, but a full-on sequel. The same tropes, style, and penchant for the ridiculous ooze out of Gungrave G.O.R.E, as if Iggymob had developed the originals themselves. This too carries over into the game. Gungrave’s gimmick is that Grave has infinite ammo, which you use to build a meter and fire off a massive ‘Demolition Shot’, to finish off the enemies in the area. Aiming is entirely automatic, with a lock on available. To not shoot is to invite death. You can also swing the massive coffin around for close-range combat. All this feeds into a frenetic energy, that is juxtaposed by certain limitations on you and Grave. In the first game, Grave moves slowly, as a hulking beast and running prevents you from shooting. The second, Overdose, Grave moves much quicker. Storing Demolition Shots to nine has been removed and healing, instead of being tied to a menu, is now tied to your damage dealt when shooting a Demolition Shot. It forces you to keep moving, killing, and building up that meter so you can carry on through the game unimpeded. Gungrave G.O.R.E is smart – to a point G.O.R.E carries on this tradition, opting to take after the second game rather than the first. In fact, as soon as I picked up the controller, it was almost as if the 18 years between never happened — that’s how seamless it was. While Grave is far faster, he feels considerably weaker than his prior two outings. It’s not that much of a disappointment, as the options available to you are smartly designed around this. Grave can now shoot a hook to finish off enemies, or take the hostage and used it as a temporary meat shield. His coffin attacks are a lot more in-depth, offering full combos once you begin upgrading. At the end of each level, you’ll be given experience points for you to pump up certain attributes. It’s finally given a reason for you to actually replay completed levels, or the game itself, other than the satisfaction of shaving down your time. Iggymob knows exactly how to design systems, and they know Gungrave through and through. Falling short So why is it then, that this game falls short, in so many ways? Gungrave G.O.R.E starts out fairly strong, offering a completely chaotic and wild first set of levels. Sure, the animations aren’t smooth and it is fairly clunky, but it sure as hell is trying its best to provide that classic Gungrave experience – even in spite of the insurmountable odds of game design. Gungrave G.O.R.E begins to fall apart sometime in the second section of the game. It’s here that you begin to realize that the new, fairly generic goons you’ll be taking on are no longer easy to decipher. There’s a sequence of levels in which you can tell Iggymob felt bad for having you run through similar hallways and open spaces. They try to keep things fresh by introducing some new styles of levels. You know the rules now, so you can probably do just fine with whatever the game throws at you. However, the train level is a microcosm of everything wrong with the game. Disregarding the endless walk through the various carriages, you’re then forced into a semi-timed platforming sequence. Grave must make it to the other side of the train before he’s knocked off by the incoming bridge. Once you’ve got the awkward timing down for the jumps over the incoming obstacles, it’s at this point you realize the game has wanted you to take note of the various enemy designs to know how to tackle each group that spawns. In the previous games, the outlandish art style was used effectively. Bold designs allowed you to see exactly how to deal with incoming situations. Here, the mass generic goons with colors that blend into the environments force you into the fray. The elegant revival of Grave’s design is not matched by anything else in the game. It’s with this lack of design in mind, that you’re suddenly confronted by the fact that on top of a lack of information, enemies aren’t placed in a manner that denotes any kind of planning. In some portions of the game, this makes total sense. The frantic, endless spewing of bullets and luring enemies around until you can progress allows for more loose planning in enemy placement. Some sequences in the game, like the train section or even one where you’re forced to ride a crate in a factory when enemies are intentionally put in to knock you off with no chance of survival, makes you realize that not much thought went into the general placement of enemies, to begin with. Levels also blend into one another. There’s no real distinction between each, aside from the aforementioned train one. Factories after factories, or facilities. There’s a real lack of flair in everything, except Grave himself. Grave combat consequences Then there’s the combat. The infinite bullets are still ludicrously fun to barrage enemies with, but outside of moving the controls for shooting to your trigger, that’s roughly where the quality of life improvements since 2004 ended. There are no accessibility options to have the trigger be held down and Grave continuously shoot, further limiting its potential. Instead, you must keep squeezing to fire off four bullets at a time. The game even states in a hint screen to “not tire yourself out”, but each enemy outside of the easy difficult takes far more than four bullets to put down. G.O.R.E is also around 10 hours long, all said and done. The prior two games, with full knowledge that the score and time improvements were the main elements of attraction, were both around four hours long all said and done. It allows for a limited concept to flourish, not outstaying its welcome. Here, you’re strung along, tiring out your finger and in the end, I became sick of the sight of it all. B-tier games like Gungrave will always mean a lot to me. The fact that a sequel to this long since dormant franchise exists in 2022, is just the coolest thing. However, Gungrave G.O.R.E, despite being a love letter to the old games, does not live up to the potential offered. Verdict – 2/5 Those looking for more Gungrave or even that nostalgic wave of something similar to it will be most delighted – as I was. It pains me to criticize something that is clearly made with love and adoration, and I hope that Iggymob gets another chance in the future. Reviewed on Xbox Series S

Guilty Gear studio eyeing new crossovers with major Western IPs for next fighting game Arc System WorksThe studio responsible for Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball Fighterz is looking to expand into other IPs, thereby creating potential for other hardcore anime fighting games. Hearing the news, anime fans have been quick to vocalize their dream crossovers. Arc System Works has earned a reputation for creating high-quality fighting games — many of which have become staples in the competitive fighting game scene. During a conversation with IGN, Arc System Works CEO Minoru Kidooka stated they were previously “very passive about collaboration with other IPs, and usually the IP owners proposed to collaborate with Arc System Works.” Moving forward, however, the company appears to be shifting its strategy in that regard, with a more active approach in mind. Kidooka continued: “If we have such an opportunity, we are actively pushing to collaborate with new IP owners.” Arc System Works’ games, such as Dragon Ball Fighterz and the Guilty Gear Strive, have incredibly committed followings — with Dragon Ball Fighterz standing as Arc System Works’ best-selling release of all time. Thanks to the well-rounded experience, continued updates, and incredibly popular IP, Dragon Ball Fighterz has sold over eight million copies since its launch. And despite having released in 2016, the game is still flourishing. The game’s success opened Arc System Works’ eyes toward the potential of borrowed IPs, something they used to shy away from. They are looking to cater to the Western market’s appetite with future projects. Hearing the news, the Western anime gaming community is now incredibly excited — vocalizing demands which have often fallen on deaf ears. Many fans have screamed for a polished Naruto fighting game, one which isn’t an arena fighter and has some semblance of balance. Previous casual fighting games have existed for Naruto, and despite their faults, the most recent Naruto game entries still sold very well. Fans are certain a balanced, competitive Naruto fighting game would continue to trend. Bandai Namco currently holds many of the licensing rights for anime games, such as Naruto and Dragon Ball. And considering Arc System Works already worked with Bandai Namco for Dragon Ball Fighterz, and to great success, a Naruto fighting game is definitely possible. Though there’s a lot of excitement, it’s hard to tell what exact IPs Arc System Works is realistically looking towards next. Rest assured, we’ll keep you updated with any further developments.

Guilty Gear Strive’s creators had to “destroy” past games to keep series alive Arc System WorksWe spoke with the development team behind Guilty Gear Strive for an eye-opening conversation about the challenges of making a fighting game that’s bucking major trends for Arc System Works as it seeks to connect with its global fan base. Guilty Gear Strive is the latest installment in the beloved fighting game franchise that first kicked off in 1998. Over the years, it’s seen an eye-popping amount of evolution, most notably when the series made the permanent jump from 2D to 3D with the release of Guilty Gear Xrd in 2014. Xrd became a staple in the fighting game community with its explosive graphics and ripping soundtrack. Strive elevated these elements to new heights, introducing exciting new characters like Nagoriyuki and bringing back old favorites such as Season 3 DLC fighter A.B.A, a character Guilty Gear creator Daisuke Ishiwatari told us he’d been planning to bring back to the franchise for several years. Even years after its initial 2021 release, the game is still a massive hit among fighting game players — but little do they know that the title was a much-needed refresher for the Guilty Gear franchise. Along with Ishiwatari, I also got to speak with Strive Director Akira Katano, Strive Producer Ken Miyauchi, and ArcSys CEO Minoru Kidooka about the complex and challenging process of making a Guilty Gear game that ‘breaks’ every rule the series set for itself in the past without alienating its diehard fans. Guilty Gear devs wanted Strive to “destroy” Xrd The process of making Guilty Gear Strive the breakout success it is today wasn’t an easy one. In our eye-opening conversation, series creator Ishiwatari explained the biggest difference between Strive and Xrd, claiming that their goal was to ‘break’ Xrd with Strive’s improvements. “The decisive difference between Strive and Xrd is that Strive was made to destroy Xrd,” he told us. “In that sense, we were trying to make Xrd as an example of failure. Of course, it wasn’t a failure, but we had to change the direction completely. We had to be prepared for that.” Game Director Akira Katano also chimed in, explaining that the team is focusing on their broader player base outside of Japan with Strive. “What we originally created came from a very limited world view, because we were focused more on our Japanese player base and values in terms of what we wanted to put into it,” he explained. “But with Strive, this is when our American division was born. And with Strive, we really wanted to expand our perspective and our field of view to the entire world. That’s another big difference in the mindset and the direction that we took when it came to Strive’s development.” “Since we decided to put more focus on the global market, we also have to start thinking about how we message to the global players,” producer Ken Miyauchi added. “We are very used to communicating to Japanese players. Even in the previous Guilty Gear Xrd, we ran a lot of location tests in Japan only, and had the first reveal in Japan. We took a step back from that kind of approach and tried to implement a new approach to messaging to the players around the world.” ArcSys is taking on the global market with Guilty Gear Strive This focus on taking Guilty Gear to a global market was a sentiment echoed by Arc System Works CEO Minoru Kidooka, who told me in another interview that the company strives (no pun intended) to cater to its international fan base. The explosion of Western popularity for the Xrd games, as well as Dragon Ball FighterZ, inspired them to look outside of Japan when it came to the marketing and creation of new titles. “Well, last year was Guilty Gear’s 25th anniversary,” he began. “At that time, there were people from all over the United States who were playing the game. We’re a small company based in Japan. Previously, all of our developments, efforts, events and things like that were really focused on appealing to the Japanese fan base. That was sort of the focus that we wanted to approach when it came to development and doing events and things like that. “We always felt like we needed to broaden our perspective to the global market. In our previous installment of Xrd, we switched to 3D graphics. And then we had the opportunity to do Dragon Ball FighterZ. We wanted to make a fighting game with the name Arc System Works, and we started making fighting games little by little in 2013.” “From there, it put ArcSystem Works on the global map, as far as a fighting game development company. And that was probably around 2017, when we started to become more established and more recognized globally. And then, Guilty Gear Strive really enabled us to propel and actually branch out into the world.” “There was a lot of risk involved in making that giant leap with Guilty Gear Strive. We really thought about, ‘What are our long-time fans going to think when we do this, when we go into this new direction?’ Yes, there were a lot of risks, but I think it paid off, and we have an even bigger audience now that we took that leap.” Taking that leap wasn’t the only challenge facing ArcSys, by far. The company is known for their jaw-dropping art style, as evidenced in Strive, something that Kidooka made sure to tell us was a major labor of love — emphasis on “labor.” “Those graphics are not easy,” he laughed. “It’s really, really hard. It’s very hard work to make that happen. It is true that it took a long time for us to make it, and we made our fans wait a long time. So in that regard, we feel a little bit bad about it. But we are very grateful for the response and the feedback that we get in terms of the graphics and visual style. “It’s a great project. Again, we’re a small company, and it takes a long time and very hard work to make this happen. But we really want to keep challenging ourselves and keep evolving as a company, and bring surprises — not just the expected thing.”

Guilty Gear Strive Season 3: New mechanics, moves & character revealed Arc System WorksGuilty Gear Strive Season 3 has just been unveiled, and it could be the game’s biggest shake-up since its original release. The fighter will introduce several new mechanics, expand movesets, and introduce new characters and stages. Arc System Works took to the stage at Evo 2023 ahead of the Guilty Gear Strive Finals to give players a glimpse at the future of the popular anime fighter. Two trailers debuted, with one showing off battle changes for many members of the 15-character roster, in addition to several new mechanics which could fundamentally change the way the game is played. In addition to this, we also got a glimpse at new moves for each character. Shortly afterward, a second trailer played, revealing a beloved fan-favorite character who will finally be landing in Season 3. Johnny returns for Guilty Gear Strive Season 3 Swashbuckling sky pirate Johnny is finally making an appearance in Guilty Gear Strive Season 3. A gorgeous-looking trailer shown off at Evo 2023 showcases Johnny’s rapid moveset and signature speedy sword. He is the first character revealed for Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 3, with one more to be released later in 2023, and two more coming in 2024. Additionally, players can expect Season 3 to introduce two new stages, as well as additional colors for each new character, and two new colors for every previously-released character, to boot. Players will be able to go hands-on with Johnny when Season 3 lands on August 24, 2023. New mechanics & moves coming to Guilty Gear Strive Season 3 Arc System Works also revealed that Guilty Gear Strive Season 3 will introduce new special moves for six players in its roster, with more being added to its full roster of 15 in future updates. We saw a glimpse of characters like May, Ramlethal, and more getting new options to add to their already lethal toolkits. More significant however is the introduction of several new system-wide mechanics. These are named Wild Assault and Deflect Shield. Wild Assault Wild Assault costs 50% of a player’s Burst Gauge, and will allow you to perform a rapid lunge attack toward your opponent. In the trailer, Wild Assault shows that it can be used to quickly close distance, or even be used as a combo extension. It is somewhat reminiscent of Street Fighter 6‘s Drive Rush mechanic. Wild Assault can be performed by pressing quarter-circle forward and D at the same time. The trailer notes that the specific properties of Wild Assault are character-specific. Deflect Shield Deflect Shield costs 50% of a player’s Burst Gauge, and allows you to block any incoming attacks, including overheads, low attacks, and projectiles. The mechanic will be usable by any character in Guilty Gear Strive’s Roster and can be performed by pressing quarter-circle back and D. Together, Deflect Shield and Wild Assault could prove to change the way that Guilty Gear Strive is played, specifically in neutral situations. By introducing an active defense, players will have to think and counterattack slightly more proactively than before. For more news from Evo 2023, be sure to check out all of our coverage here.

Guilty Gear Strive’s creator reveals he plotted A.B.A’s return for years Arc System WorksI got the chance to speak with the developers of Guilty Gear Strive about why they chose to bring back A.B.A after more than a decade and what they thought about players’ reactions to her big reveal. A.B.A is Guilty Gear Strive’s latest DLC character — but she isn’t new to the franchise whatsoever. A.B.A was first introduced in Guilty Gear Isuka all the way back in 2004, yet she hasn’t been seen since Accent Core. Now she’s back over a decade after her last series appearance with her trusty axe, Paracelsus, and a fresh new look, ready to rock on March 26. I got to quiz Guilty Gear’s creator, Daisuke Ishiwatari, as well as Strive Developer Akira Katano and Strive Producer Ken Miyauchi about this new character and got a first-hand look at their reactions to players’ response to her return to the series. While speaking with them, I learned that the team actually wanted to include A.B.A on Strive’s roster from the very beginning. However, they were initially worried that players wouldn’t remember her from Accent Core so many years ago. Guilty Gear devs wanted to include A.B.A on Strive’s release “It’s been a long time since she’s been in a new Guilty Gear game,” Ishiwatari told me. “I wanted to release A.B.A ever since the Strive project started, but we were a little bit behind schedule getting her out. I thought most people wouldn’t know about A.B.A, but after she was released and looking at everyone’s responses, I realized that she’s loved by a lot of players.” It’s true — Twitter has been alight with love for A.B.A, and YouTube comments underneath her trailer are full fans excited that she’s making a long-awaited comeback to the series. Prior to her release, theories abounded as to which character she might be, with many players using their super-sleuthing skills to try and decipher who was hiding behind the silhouette teased back in February. These theories amused the developers, who have clearly been paying close attention to her reception online. “From what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of comments about her visual style and her hair color,” Ishiwatari said. “Just seeing all the theories is very, very interesting, and I see that people have such a wide perspective. Their worldviews are very intriguing. You know, the fact that maybe she’s a homunculus, and her hair is made of copper that’s oxidized and turned blue. Very, very interesting stuff. They’re incorrect, however.” “We still haven’t actually released the character yet, so people have seen her footage from the demo area and are looking at the character portrait and trying to think about the storyline behind her in Guilty Gear Strive, and people predicting what’s happening to her,” Miyauchi added. “It’s really fun to read all those ideas and what they’re thinking or what they’re feeling from what we just published as graphics. I’m really excited for them to try out the arcade mode, which has a short story of her background and tells what’s happening to her right now.” Of course, the mountain of fanart that instantly flooded Twitter/X upon her release didn’t go unnoticed by the devs, who admitted they’re always shocked by such big reactions to nearly every character release that takes place. “This kind of happens with every character that we release, but we see so much different fan art that comes in within three hours of announcing the character,” Katano laughed. “Every time I’m just surprised and intrigued by all the beautiful fan art that comes in. Straight away.” “Personally, what’s really interesting for me is actually that A.B.A is a character that we designed and released 10 years ago,” Ishiwatari interjected. “And to see current Guilty Gear Strive players reacting to our design is very interesting to me.” A.B.A officially releases on March 26. Players can nab her individually for $6.99, or as part of the Season 3 Pass for $24.99 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & Windows platforms.

Guilty Gear Strive players dread “illegal” May buff in Season 3 Guilty Gear StriveA clip from the Season 3 trailer for Guilty Gear Strive has the community sweating bullets. May, an infamous character who has taken down many a competitor via dolphin spam, may have even more options to send a barrage of dolphins at her enemy. Guilty Gear Strive has been a breakout success for the series, capturing a massive audience and managing to hold onto it by releasing a series of DLC characters that really resonated with both series newcomers and veterans alike. However, May is a character that’s earned notoriety within the Guilty Gear Strive community. Her ability to send a barrage of dolphins at her opponent from across the screen has earned her the ire of many players. With the Season 3 trailer showing a clip of her cancelling her dolphin dash, the “Totsugeki!” spam may gain much more competitive viability in the near future. Guilty Gear Strive Season 3 trailer causes concern with May buffs The Guilty Gear Strive community was excited to hear more news about the future of the game. With a new defensive mechanic being added to the title, along with the return of beloved fighter Johnny, the crowd was electric. But a short clip of a new move for Mei caught the crowd off-guard. Seeing her cancel her so-called “Totsugeki” dolphin dash move has fans dreading the implications of adding a way for May to play mind games with her dolphin spam. The crowd took a moment to scream in dismay after seeing her jump off the dolphin, and initial reactions haven’t exactly been positive. What was hype turned to dread as players saw her hop off the dolphin with ease, propelling herself into the air giving herself an opening to score an unexpected hit. Though it’s yet to be confirmed how this move will function within her kit and what she’ll be able to do with it, this clip alone was enough to spark backlash from the community. Everyone from pros to casual players have had a negative reaction to the clip. This may seem like an overreaction, but May’s power level upon the release of Guilty Gear Strive quickly earned her the ire of the community. With this context in mind, the community’s adverse reaction makes a bit more sense. It remains to be seen how May’s Season 3 buffs pan out and whether or not the developers behind Guilty Gear Strive will respond to the negative reactions from players.

Guilty Gear Strive creator confirms Bridget is a trans woman Arc System WorksAfter a bit of ambiguity, Guilty Gear Strive’s creator Daisuke Ishiwatari confirmed that Bridget does identify as a trans woman. Like any good fighting game, the Guilty Gear series features plenty of lore surrounding its large cast of characters. However, Guilty Gear Strive’s latest returning character, Bridget, caused a bit of controversy after some ambiguity regarding her gender identity after release. Now, Guilty Gear’s creator, Daisuke Ishiwatari, has clarified the matter and officially confirmed that Bridget self-identifies as a woman. Bridget officially confirmed as trans woman The confirmation came from the 11th volume of Guilty Gear Strive’s “Developer Backyard” blog on September 14, 2022. The blog post mainly gave a rundown of Bridget’s introduction to Guilty Gear Strive, including her backstory and relevant behind-the-scenes info from Guilty Gear Strive’s development team. Here, Ishiwatari said, “We’ve received many inquiries about Bridget’s gender. After the events of Bridget’s story in Arcade Mode, she self-identifies as a woman. So as to where ‘he’ or ‘she’ would be the correct pronoun for Bridget, the answer would be ‘she.’” For those who may not be familiar with Bridget in the Guilty Gear series, according to Guilty Gear Strive’s official lore, “Bridget was born one of two twin sons of a multi-billionaire couple and was given only the best training and tutoring as a child.” The description goes on to explain that, because of a superstition held by Bridget’s village in which male twins were brought to bring misfortune, the townsfolk insisted that “the younger of any set of male twins be put to death or be exiled from the town upon birth.” As they were unable to allow either outcome to happen, Bridget’s parents instead raised her as their daughter. While Bridget was able to become a successful bounty hunter after the events of Guilty Gear XX, she struggled with trying to understand herself after accomplishing her goal. Now, it seems Bridget’s Arcade Mode ending has officially brought her character arc of self-understanding to a close in Guilty Gear Strive.

Guilty Gear Strive players celebrate as Bridget comes out as trans woman YouTube: Arc System WorksRevealed in a Guilty Gear Strive, Bridget officially came out as a trans woman during a conversation with Ky and Goldlewis. Fans of the game celebrated her gender confirmation, which has been a long time coming. Guilty Gear Strive recently debuted Bridget, which didn’t come as much of a surprise due to the character’s earlier popularity. But what surprised the fans was Arc System Works’ decision to finally take a stance on Bridget’s gender identity. For context, Bridget was born as one of two male twins. But her village believed male twins to be an ill omen, going as far as killing one of the twins to prevent superstitious misfortune. To prevent this, her family treated her as a girl her entire life, creating conflicting thoughts of self-identity. This resulted in an ambiguous gender identification, which has characterized Bridget for years. But Bridget officially came out as a transwoman in the latest gameplay trailer and the community is ecstatic for her. The reveal occurred in a cut scene after an Arcade battle, where Bridget confided to Goldlewis and Ky with concerns about her future. Bridget started the conversation by expressing a vague concern: “I’m too scared of losing what I have.” Goldlewis reassured Bridget, “you got your whole life ahead of you kid, gotta learn how to take a hit.” Ky added on, “there are helping hands right in front of you.” After reassurance, Bridget confidently stood up. “I don’t want to run scared anymore.” She continued her speech, “from now on, no matter what, no more lying to myself.” At this point, it’s a little unclear exactly what Bridget was struggling with, but they have a support system to help them through. The resolute Bridget bowed, “thank you! Both of you!” Relieved to see Bridget energized, Goldlewis responded, “Don’t mention it. Happy trails cowgirl. Or, uh, cowboy…?” Bridget responded, “Cowgirl is fine! Because I’m a girl!” Before now, the question of Bridget’s gender had always been a bit of a mystery — perhaps because she hadn’t quite come to terms with it herself. But after so many years since her debut in the Guilty Gear franchise, Bridget finally came to terms with her own identity. Arc System Works’ official gender reveal for Bridget didn’t only flesh out her in-game lore, but it also provided the trans community more representation in a sphere where they are often excluded.

Guilty Gear Strive character tier list: Best fighters for December 2023 Arc System WorksGuilty Gear Strive is full of awesome fighters, however, as the game changes some characters become better than others. Below you can use our Guilty Gear Strive character tier list to figure out who the best fighters are — and which ones should be avoided during the current meta. Guilty Gear Strive is considered royalty when it comes to anime 2D fighting games, but it takes skill and patience to master and overcome powerful opponents. This is why it pays to keep an eye on the Guilty Gear Strive tier lists to see which characters in the game are considered the most overpowered and useful. Guilty Gear Strive tier lists change often as characters get updated and altered by the developers. The game’s active community also frequently discusses and ranks the characters on a monthly basis. While the characters sometimes rise and fall in the rankings, there are some constants too. With Elphelt newly released, check out our current Guilty Gear Strive tier list below to see who’s on top at the end of 2023. While the following list isn’t exhaustive, they should provide a good starting point for experimenting in the current meta. Contents Guilty Gear Strive character tier list explained (December 2023) Below is a brief explanation of what each Guilty Gear Strive tier represents: S tier: Characters in this tier are undoubtedly the best ones to use in the game’s current form – if not overpowered. – A tier: Although not the absolute strongest characters, they can still be devastating and are a cut above the rest. – B tier: These characters are still worth using but lag behind those in the A tier. – D tier: These characters are currently considered the least powerful and should only be used for fun or by those who have mastered their moveset. However, the player will be at a disadvantage when compared to characters in higher tiers. – Guilty Gear Strive S tier Characters currently considered S tier include: Ramelthal and Chipp have both been dominating the rankings in recent months, with Ramelthal in particular with a high number of favorable match ups. However, multiple pro players including Zando and Leffen have ranked Chipp in the highest tier since October, which means he’s probably worth checking out, although with 8 unfavorable match ups for him at the moment, including Faust, he’s only worth picking if you’re confident of his kit. Guilty Gear Strive A tier Characters currently considered A tier include: Since Season 3 dropped in August there has been a bit of movement in the A tier ranks. As pointed out by long time ArcSys pro player, Lord Knight, Happy Chaos is still a winner, however his resource management style can make for difficulties in some match ups, we’ve dropped him down to A for now, but he may move up again in the new year. Guilty Gear Strive B tier Characters currently considered B tier include: Elphelt Valentine arrived in Strive early December, and a meta is beginning to form around her. Her gameplay focuses around mixup and rushdowns, and she seems well-rounded. She’s also a favorable match up against both Chipp and May right now, but her win rate in other match ups isn’t quite as strong, which is why she’s been placed in B tier for now. But, we’ll be keeping an eye on her movements as Season 3 progresses. Guilty Gear Strive C tier Characters currently considered C tier include: Testament has dropped heavily in rankings from earlier in the year, and without some buffs, Season 3 looks like it is shaping up to be tough for her. While, Johnny was released back in August alongside the start of Season 3, right now he’s become overplayed, making him a poor pick until the meta changes. Character rankings change in Guilty Gear Strive, and it’s always good to experiment, so don’t be afraid to play with one of the C-tier characters and learn their moves to see if they work for you. So, there you have it – that’s our Guilty Gear Strive character tier list for December 2023. For more tips and tricks, make sure to go through our various guides. RAID Shadow Legends tier list | Mobile Legends: Adventure Hero tier list | Clash Royale tier list | Arknights tier list | AFK Arena tier list | Illusion Connect tier list | Murder Mystery 2 Values list | Honkai Impact characters | Geometry Dash Vault codes | Geometry Dash Levels Guide | Blox Fruits codes | Cookie Run Kingdom Characters guide

Guilty Gear creator wanted “Hollywood,” James Cameron style for Strive Arc System Works / DIsneyGuilty Gear’s creator, Daisuke Ishiwatari, continuously referenced Hollywood movies and film director James Cameron when discussing the direction he wanted Strive’s visual style to take. Guilty Gear Strive is the latest entry in the Guilty Gear series, a fighting game franchise hailed for its immaculate art style and unique blend of 2D and 3D elements. We got the chance to sit down with Strive’s producer Ken Miyauchi, as well as 2D artist Shoichi Kitazono and environment artist Genki Mamada at EVO 2024, where Mamada let us in on some unexpected information about the origins of Strive’s visual style. “When we first started having conversations about Strive’s art direction, something Ishiwatari would often say was, ‘Hollywood!’” Mamada told us. “Rather than just making a fighting game, he wanted Strive to have more of an anime, movie or rock video type of look, with more of a grandiose sense to it. Instead of making a simple scene, he was thinking on a multimedia-level scale. “As more tech became available, his dream of making that became more possible — things like bigger stages, more information that could be put in the game. Making it bigger and bigger was where all of that came from, and it seems like he’s been able to meet that dream with Strive.” That’s not all; apparently, Ishiwatari also took a lot of inspiration from James Cameron, a revolutionary filmmaker known for movies like Titanic and Avatar. “He kept saying things like, ‘Hollywood, Hollywood,’ even mentioning James Cameron,” Mamada said. Bringing Ishiwatari’s vision to life is no small feat. Both Kitazono and Mamada admitted that there’s a certain amount of pressure that comes with living up to Guilty Gear’s high visual standards — but it’s something the team views as more of a fun challenge than an impossible order. “Everything that we’ve made up to now and everything that we want to keep making — yeah, there’s pressure, and we keep feeling that pressure, but it’s not necessarily a pressure that’s harsh or painful,” Mamada said. “It’s more of a pressure to maintain a feeling of making something great that we can really be proud of. With that will to make something great, we keep that pressure, but it’s a fun pressure to want to put those beautiful things into the game.” “Guilty Gear has a history,” Kitazono added. “It’s on us to expand upon what Ishiwatari-san built, all the designs and everything he’s put into the game. There is a pressure there, but putting that all together is also quite fun to do.” However, all this pressure pays off when fans are happy with what they’ve made. All three admitted that they love it when fans have positive reactions to their hard work, which they claimed is their favorite part about working on Strive. “I have a lot of pride with everything I’ve done for Guilty Gear Strive,” Mamada said. “Of course, there’s a lot of pressure too, but as a background artist, you often don’t see a lot of comments on what I’ve done. It’s more focused on the character designs, et cetera. “But when you do see those comments — when people are very uplifting in their comments about the background — seeing that is a truly happy point for me.” “Having something I made show up in the game and seeing other people like it is a really fun part of the job for me, and it really keeps me going,” Kitazono added. “We all have our own pride in making sure this title is the best of all Arc System Works fighting games,” Miyauchi said. ” And so we are very, very highly motivated to work on it. As a producer, deciding on what to do next is something that really decides the life of the title, which puts a lot of pressure on me. “But at the same time, when we reveal things, when there are a lot of fans reacting to what they’re seeing, and seeing their excitement, their words and emotions — It’s something that gives me more energy. That’s the really big moment that gives me a lot of power.” It’s clear that the team behind Guilty Gear Strive is immensely passionate about their work, and it certainly shows in the final product. But what keeps them going the most are fans’ positive reactions to their creations — over two thousand of which registered to compete in the title here at EVO 2024.

Guilty Gear Strive artists explain biggest challenges bringing fighting games to life Arc System WorksWe sat down with Guilty Gear Strive’s 2D artist, Shoichi Kitazono, and environment artist Genki Mamada, to quiz them about what exactly goes into creating the visuals for a fighting game. Guilty Gear Strive is the latest installment in the beloved anime fighting game series, hailed throughout the community for its heavy metal soundtrack and eye-popping artwork. Arc System Works, the game’s publisher, is known for crafting gorgeous visuals that blend elements of 2D and 3D animation for a unique look that’s difficult to replicate. We got the chance to sit down with the minds behind Guilty Gear Strive, who let us in on some of the unexpected work that goes into creating such an intricate-looking game — and one of the most interesting answers came from Strive’s environment artist, Genki Mamada. Mamada told us that one of the biggest challenges in creating stages for fighting games is working with the system’s camera. In 2D fighters, players really only get to move right, left, up, or down in a two-dimensional space, which imposes some interesting limits on the artist making it. “For fighting games, the biggest thing is camera work, actually,” he said. “It’s in a fixed position, and you can only really slide from one side to the other. That’s a really particular point when making fighting game backgrounds. Even if you have a 3D background, there’s only so far that you can slide, and only so far that you can show depth and detail with that. “You’ve gotta be able to make it so that people can easily see not just the background, but also what’s going on in there. That’s one of the major points that you need to really think about when making a background for a fighting game, is the fixed point factor of the camera.” That’s not all; Mamada also explained that, as a background artist, he doesn’t want to outshine the game’s characters. After all, fighting games are heavily dependent on visuals for players to see incoming attacks. “The character is really important, so one of the biggest things is not to interfere with them,” he added. “The story mode, the location that appears in the story mode, things like the battle stage location… if the world inside Daisuke Ishiwatari’s head can be expressed in the background, I think the fans will definitely enjoy it, and they can discover a lot of things, but of course, characters are the most important part.” Strive’s producer, Ken Miyauchi, interjected to give Mamada some extra credit, thanking him for allowing Guilty Gear’s characters to shine on the stages he created with elements like lighting. “I also want to credit that the environment artist for making the character stand out on the stages,” he said. “for example, with the lighting. If there’s like a forest stage, and there’s sunshine coming through the leaves, and then that drops the shadows on the characters, which makes the character have more life in the actual world of Guilty Gear.” The team made it clear that a big part of creating fighting game backgrounds is also building upon the world of the game. There’s a certain amount of storytelling that happens in these stages that allows players to get a glimpse of what everyday life is like for the characters they’re piloting “If you take a look at our new stage in particular, you’re trying to tell the world setting through the stages, whether you’re going between the story locations or the battle stages themselves,” Mamada said. “It needs to explain, ‘What is this world?’ “We take Ishiwatari-san’s ideas for this world, and from that, create something that the fans can really love — something that they can enjoy exploring and searching through as they play through the game.” Of course, there are certain intricacies involved in making Guilty Gear’s characters, as well. These fighters boast some of the most complicated designs in the genre — but for concept artist Shoichi Kitazono, nailing down an attractive pose and overall form is most important. “For 2D character key art, I want to start with an attractive shape or an attractive pose for the character,” he explained. “So of course they have their head, their body, their limbs — but how do you shape them in a beautiful way that is also a way that is them, the character?” For Kitazono, his personal favorite piece of art he’s made for the Guilty Gear franchise has to be of A.B.A., a returning character introduced earlier this year. “My favorite work is actually the A.B.A. artwork that I did,” he told us. “I really feel like her pose speaks to who she is as a character.” It was enlightening getting an inside look at the creation of one of the world’s most iconic fighting games — a title that Miyauchi says they want to make sure is the “best of all Arc System Works fighting games.”

Guild Wars 2 launches on Steam next week ArenaNetAt long last, ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2 will launch on Steam in the coming days, marking the beloved MMORPG’s first release on a third-party platform. Since its release 10 years ago in 2012, Guild Wars 2 has remained exclusive to a dedicated launcher. Developer ArenaNet intended to change as much a couple of years ago, announcing in August 2020 that the Guild Wars sequel would land on Steam that November. Such plans were altered soon thereafter, with ArenaNet indefinitely postponing the Steam rollout to instead focus on developing the End of Dragons expansion. The studio hasn’t abandoned Steam in its entirety, though. In fact, Guild Wars 2’s migration to another platform will come sooner than players expect. Guild Wars 2 will finally hit Steam later this month Today, August 16, ArenaNet has confirmed that Guild Wars 2 will make its way to the Valve-owned PC platform on Tuesday, August 23. The Guild Wars 2 Complete Collection will land on Steam alongside the forthcoming launch, costing £86.97/$98.97. Collecting the first 10 years of the experience, the bundle packs in all five seasons of the episodic Living World. In addition, those who purchase the collection can expect every expansion to feature as well – Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire, and End of Dragons included. When ArenaNet initially announced the Steam version in 2020, it came with the caveat that existing players wouldn’t have the option to transfer their accounts. This presumably remains the case two years on. The game’s Steam debut also marks its first time supporting Twitch Drops, which users can obtain by watching streamers play Guild Wars 2 on Twitch. Rewards consist of classic outfits, XP boosters, and an exclusive Glowing Purple Mask cosmetic. ArenaNet plans to host the first Twitch Drop campaign from August 23 through August 28.

Guild Wars 2 Gift of Spiders locations, recipes & Arachnophobia bow ArenaNetGuild Wars 2’s Gift of Spiders is one of the game’s most highly sought-after Halloween items, so here are all of the locations and recipes you’ll need to transform it into the Arachnophobia bow. Halloween has descended on Guild Wars 2 once more in the form of the Shadow of the Mad King. As King Oswald Thorn’s spirit returns once more to haunt the plains of Tyria, players are buckling up for a fun-filled spooky experience. As part of the event, players will be able to craft some of the game’s most exotic items, one of these being the Arachnophobia bow. Weaved together of spiderweb threads stretched between the body of a spider, the item has become quite the treasure. Crafted from a Gift of Spiders, an item found during the Shadow of the Mad King event, here’s how to get your hands on one. Contents Guild Wars 2: Gift of Spiders locations If you’re looking to get your hands on this creepy eight-legged treat, then you’ll have to do a bit of exploring. Thankfully, though, you won’t need to dress up and go knocking on doors. Contained within different tiers of Trick or Treat bags, these items drop randomly: Bag of Trick or Treat Bags: A quest reward for completing “The Eve of the Mad King” – Child’s Trick or Treat Bag: This can be bought, or obtained via giving the Angry Chest pieces of Candy Corn. – Personalized Trick or Treat Bag: This can be bought, obtained in the Mad King’s chest, or through quest completion. – The Evon Gnashblade Trick-or-Treat Bag: Found in the Black Lion chest. – Guild Wars 2: Crafting recipe for Gift of Spiders If adventuring out into the night isn’t really your thing, then thankfully you can cook up a Gift of Spiders at home in your cauldron – if you have the right ingredients. Additionally, you’ll have to have the Huntsman crafting specialization, as the Gift of Spiders builds into the Arachnophobia short bow. In order to create your own spindly bundle of joy, you’ll need: 1x Gift of Ascalon – 250x Orichalcum Ingot – 20x Glob of Ectoplasm – 100x Destroyer Lodestone – Arachnophobia short bow While you might just be looking to make some eight-legged friends, the real reason you’re probably interested in the Gift of Spiders is so that you can craft the eerie-looking Arachnophobia short bow. This will require a quick visit to the Mystic Forge, and a few more odd ingredients: 1x Gift of Spiders – 1x Eldritch Scroll – 100x Mystic Coins – 20x Superior Sigil of the Night – The Arachnophobia bow is an Exotic item, making it the third-best tier in the game. So that’s everything you need to know about Guild Wars 2’s Gift of Spiders item. Looking to get up to speed on all the latest gaming news? Be sure to check out our gaming homepage.

Guild Wars 2 immortalizes a real-life hero as NPC ArenaNetDeveloper ArenaNet is partnering with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to add a CMN Champion child, April Arellano, as a Guild Wars 2 NPC. The crew at ArenaNet will once again take part in an Extra Life Game Day stream, a 24-hour broadcast that begins on Friday, November 4. Extra Life’s annual marathon sees content creators and developers around the industry host 24-hour streams to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network. All donations to the nonprofit hospital network assist with healthcare costs for ill children who lack medical insurance coverage. ArenaNet has helped raise more than $500,000 for the cause in the last five years. The Guild Wars developer‘s participation this year involves something extra special. Introducing April, Guild Wars 2’s newest NPC Untreatable pneumonia in 15-month-old April Arellano’s right lung resulted in her parents transferring her to Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC), a Children’s Miracle Network hospital. The doctors at CHOC treated April’s pneumonia, then identified further complications stemming from septic shock. While the illness has a high mortality rate in cases involving children, specialists from the hospital were once more able to treat April. Unfortunately, the septic shock had cut off blood flow to the child’s extremities, resulting in some areas of skin dying down to the muscle tissue. Doctors made the tough decision to amputate April’s left leg. Now a 10-year-old who enjoys dancing, theater, and video games, April is being immortalized in Guild Wars 2 as an NPC of the same name. Notably, April and her family helped ArenaNet design the character, who’s apparently “an ambitious and adept mesmer—and a serial meddler.” She’ll appear in Guild Wars 2 as an “important part” of an update slated to go live during the studio’s Extra Life 2022 Game Day event. Guild Wars 2 is available on PC.

Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons will likely be Scarlet’s last game ArenaNet, DexertoScarlet Briar is one of Guild Wars 2’s most infamous faces, but as End of Dragons brings her machinations to a close ArenaNet hint that more dangerous foes are set to follow in her wake – but be aware, there are spoilers ahead. Some characters are just made to be bad, and Guild Wars 2’s Scarlet Briar is one of the baddest of the bunch. Responsible for the bloodshed at the Battle of Lion’s Arch and the subsequent awakening of the Elder Dragon, Mordremoth, the Sylvari sniper has etched herself into GW2 history as a tyrant hellbent on destruction. Eventually slain during Lion’s Arch, her corruption transcends the veil between life and death in End of Dragons, conjured by Mai Trin in her hour of need. With her Echo still lingering in Tyria, fans have likely asked themselves whether or not we’ll be seeing her influence pop up in future expansions. Chatting to Dexerto about the future of Scarlet in Guild Wars 2; Living World Season 1 Team Lead, Joe Kimmes, revealed that, while her story may be over, there is no shortage of fearsome creatures lurking in the shadows with an aptitude for chaos. Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons may be Scarlet’s last story While “Mai Trin and Scarlet’s role in End of Dragons was actually taking shape well before the Season 1 restoration project,” Kimmes hints that her EoD cameo appearance may just be her last aside from in the game’s Living World Seasons. Read More: Is Guild Wars 2 on Steam? – “As you read this, the narrative team is hard at work on the next stories in Tyria, so I can’t spoil any details!” he notes. “That said, I think that with End of Dragons bringing a conclusion of sorts to the game’s longest story arc, the conflict with the Elder Dragons, there’s certainly room for new threats and enemies to take the stage.” Whether this means entirely new faces or ones we’ve met in passing remains unclear, but it does seem like Scarlet and her legacy of sin will finally be put to rest. Set amid the jade-tinted streets of the mysterious technological paradise of Cantha, End of Dragons thrusts players into a world where imagination runs free. Living World Season 1 returns as part of the game’s development cycle, reintroducing the age-old tale of ‘Scarlet’s War’ in five different episodes. With Episode 1 already underway and Episode 2 set to release on May 24, players can dive into the most iconic chapter of Tyria’s history all over again, and challenge this age-old foe all over again – possibly for the last time.

Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons fishing guide: How to catch fish & use Skiffs ArenaNetGuild Wars 2 End of Dragons introduces the fishing and Skiff riding mastery trees into the game, but just how do you go about exploring Tyria’s vast oceans? Here’s a rundown of how to fish in GW2. Accompanying the vast Asian-inspired vistas of Guild Wars 2 End of Dragon‘s Cantha are a whole slew of new features that players can dive into – in some cases literally. While you can zip around the city streets of New Kaineng City using the all-new Jade Bot mastery tree, some players may be more drawn to the quieter life of fishing and Skiff riding. Playing an integral part in the game‘s storyline, as well as its progression system, here’s a breakdown of how to fish and use Skiffs in Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons so that you can tame Tyria’s vast seas. Contents Fishing in Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons Right from the get-go you’ll be tasked with catching a fish for Aurene, your hero’s elder dragon friend who, unfortunately, is struggling to regain her magic. While this is the game’s introduction to fishing, you’ll also need to use it throughout your End of Dragons journey. In order to fish: Approach a body of water Ripples will sometimes appear on the surface, denoting a special fishing spot – – Click ‘J‘ – Use ‘1‘ to cast your line – Wait until ripples appear around the bobber – Press ‘1‘ again – An action bar will appear on the screen. Ensure that your bar is within the glowing area by using ‘2‘ and ‘3‘ to move it left and right respectively. – Pass this skill check, you’ll catch the fish! – How to get & use Skiffs in Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons As you can imagine, Skiffs and fishing go hand in hand, but you’ll only be able to acquire a Skiff a little later in the game. Read More: How many people play Guild Wars 2? – You’ll get your Skiff by completing The Scenic Route quest (specifically the Assist the Temple in its Defense subquest) just before you head across to the emerald world of New Kaineng City. You can buy your Skiff from Hall Director Soohee at Shinota Shore. To use your Skiff: Right-click on the Mastery section of your action bar (shown in the image below) – Select ‘Skiff‘ – Place your Skiff on a body of water – Jump in and use ‘F‘ (or whatever keybind you have assigned) to interact – Control the boat’s speed using ‘1’ and ‘2’ (1 is slow, 2 is moderate speed) As you level up the Skiff Mastery tree you’ll be able to increase the boat’s speed, but as a base, you can only reach moderate speed – – If you find an area you like, use ‘0‘ to drop anchor You must anchor your boat in order to fish or move around – – How to equip fishing rod and Skiff skins As you journey through the expansive world of Cantha, you can acquire a whole host of skins for both your fishing rod and Skiff. These are equipped via the ‘Hero‘ panel (keybound to ‘H‘) under the ‘Fishing’ and ‘Skiff’ tabs in the ‘Wardrobe‘ section. So that’s everything you need to know about the fishing and skiff mastery trees in Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons. Looking for our take on the new expansion? Be sure to check out our End of Dragons review.

Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons: Release date, new trait lines, Cantha map ArenaNetThe Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons expansion is set to add another chapter to Tyria’s history books, so here’s everything you need to know: from release date to trailers, new class trait lines and more. Despite first hitting our screens in 2012, Arenanet’s Guild Wars 2 continues to thrive, with yet another expansion lurking upon the horizon. Entitled End of Dragons, the ongoing Dragon Cycle is set to collapse, leaving Tyria in chaos and your hero as the only person who can keep it from fracturing entirely. Sent to traverse the spectacular Asian-inspired vistas of Cantha and master ancient magics, the third expansion is set to be a banger. Looking to dive right in? Here’s everything you need to know about Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons, including the release date, trailers, and new features. Contents Release date – Trailers – Cantha Map – New Class Trait lines – New features – Editions – Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons release date Guild Wars 2’s End of Dragons expansion will release on February 28, 2022. Players can pre-purchase End of Dragons via ArenaNet’s official website, so if you’re planning on getting ahead of the competition be sure to have a look! Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons trailers Expansion Trailer Featuring a spectacular crystalline dragon soaring above the skies of the newly unveiled Cantha, we’re introduced to a mysterious protagonist who appears to be the mind behind the all-new dragonjade. Gameplay Trailer Giving us a deeper dive into the Jade utopia of Cantha, players catch a glimpse of the Empire’s technological prowess and fascinating creatures. Hoping to earn the trust of this reclusive nation, the future of Tyria is on the line – so you’d best get ready to forge some new alliances! New Map: Cantha Our story will take place amid the jade forests of the spectacular Cantha (first seen in Factions,) and its coastal neighbor, Shing Jea Island. Inspired by traditional Asian culture, we can see characters donning colorful robes whilst riding around on golden dragon mounts. Sparkling ponds feature a plethora of green lily pads and cherry blossoms, while the island’s inhabitants can be seen fishing on spectacular barges (more on that later.) Additionally, players will be able to zip around the city on Jadetech powered ziplines, and will also acquire a new Jade Bot, which can provide everything from panoramic views to aid in combat. New Class Trait Lines Of course, what’s a new expansion without a slew of new trait lines? Traits are chosen within the game’s overarching classes, giving players the chance to tailor their playstyle. Nine new lines will be entering the fray, inspired by the magic and mystery of Cantha’s Eastern style: New Features Multiplayer Combat Mount The Seige Turtle, Guild Wars 2’s first-ever multiplayer mount, allows one player to control the turtle while the other lays waste to enemies with the creatures extensive arsenal of heavy weapons. Fishing & Skiffs End of Dragons finally introduces fishing to the game, as well as a selection of tournaments that will pit the most avid fishermen and women against one another. Additionally, players will be able to purchase their own barges, known as ‘Skiffs,’ which you can use as a quick getaway from the chaos on-land. Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons editions Since Guild Wars’ last expansion, Path of Fire, came out all the way back in 2017, you may be looking to celebrate the new release in style. If you’re determined to party hard, you can choose from either the Standard, Deluxe, or Ultimate editions. Below are all three, as well as their prices and special features: So that’s everything you need to know about Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons! Looking for something to occupy you in the meantime, though? Check out our gaming release hubs: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 | League of Legends Project L | Destiny 2 The Witch Queen | Rainbow Six Extraction | Elden Ring | Diablo 4 | Diablo Immortal

Guild Wars 2 devs reveal “turning point” that made Living World Season 1 return possible ArenaNet, DexertoResurrecting Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 1 seemed like an impossible task to both ArenaNet and the GW2 community alike, but the devs have revealed how the project came to be and, in turn, why it’s releasing alongside End of Dragons. Guild Wars 2 players across the magical realm of Tyria have long-since dreamed of Living World Season 1’s reprise, aching to dive into Scarlet’s War all over again. First appearing back in 2013 and concluding in 2014, this iconic chapter in the game’s extensive history has been left in the shadows, banished to the annals of history due to concerns that re-releasing it wouldn’t quite have the same effect as playing it during its debut. With the release of End of Dragons, though, ArenaNet have brought the classic saga back for free, allowing players old and new to dive back into the struggle to bring down Scarlet’s Alliance. Chatting to Dexerto about the new (yet somewhat familiar) season, Joe Kimmes, Living World Season 1 Team Lead, discusses the background machinations that brought this age-old story back to life. Guild Wars 2 Living World Season 1 returns A lot has changed in the gaming universe since Living World Season 1’s dramatic launch in 2013, casting a shadow of doubt over whether or not reimplementing it would be possible. “For a long time, there’s been doubt that Season 1 could be brought back – the original releases were built as live events with limited durations and time-based updates, and there was a belief even internally that key pieces might have been lost to time,” Kimmes told Dexerto. “One turning point was the Visions of the Past missions during Season 5, which proved that at least some of the shelved missions could be brought back. A similar triumph was the return of the Twisted Marionette after the end of Season 5 – that was a large-scale event in the open world, and if it could be brought back, the rest of Season 1 seemed like it had to be possible. “The work on End of Dragons had the studio focused on that, but in the leadup to it we knew that there would be a space for something to follow it, and a project to fully revive Season 1 came about as a result of that planning.” Scarlet’s reappearance in End of Dragons also prompted the revival of Season 1 in order to help players tie the narrative together. “Mai Trin and Scarlet’s role in End of Dragons was actually taking shape well before the Season 1 restoration project, but it was a provident connection. A huge part of the impetus for bringing Season 1 back is to make sure all players have the chance to play the full story in order and share the experience of seeing characters reappearing from earlier chapters.” As Living World Season 1 helps weave together the lore that makes Guild Wars 2 so great, players from across Tyria will likely be diving back into the fray to experience the rise and fall of Scarlet all over again. With Episode 2 releasing on May 24, we can’t wait to see how ArenaNet have breathed new life into Living World Season 1.

TwitchCon 2018: A guide for attendees and live stream viewers Twitch has revealed the full line up of sponsors, exhibitions and esports events set for TwitchCon 2018, including a hall dedicated to Fortnite, tournaments featuring popular players and lots of AAA game developers. TwitchCon is the live streaming platform’s annual convention, where they show off the best Twitch has to offer in streamers, gaming and esports, as well as announcing new features and future plans. Hosted at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in California on October 26-28, the event will allow fans to interact with their favorite streamers and brands over the course of the weekend, everything from guest speakers, tournaments and parties. On October 8, Twitch announced some of the ‘premier exhibitors – of which there are over 140 in total – plus details of all the events and big names attending. For competitive gaming, there are four main events, The PUBG ‘Broadcaster Royale: Omen Challenge’, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s ‘Doritos Bowl’, the grand final of Fortnite’s ‘Fall Skirmish’ and for fans of speedrunning, GamesDoneQuick will also be in action. You can see the full list of sponsors, exhibitions and events below. You can also find the full event schedule on the TwitchCon website. TwitchCon 2018 Schedule TwitchCon 2018 – Sponsors, Events and Exhibitors Helping to make TwitchCon 2018 possible are the following premier sponsors: Kakao Games – TwitchCon 2018’s Diamond sponsor will be showcasing Black Desert Online’s brand new expansion, Drieghan, which will be playable on 46 high-end Alienware PCs. Drieghan will feature a large mountainous area, over 300 challenging quests, fresh nodes to conquer and a new menacing dragon boss called Garmoth. It’s set for release on November 14 as a free update with TwitchCon visitors being treated to an advance look that includes never-before-seen content. – Legion, by Lenovo – Stylish on the outside and savage on the inside. With unmatched performance and modern designs, Lenovo Legion PCs are forged to deliver true gaming power directly into your hands. Stop by TwitchCon 2018’s Platinum sponsor booth #315 for a chance to win great prizes, get hands-on experience with their products, and a few surprises all weekend. – Level up TwitchCon with Twitch Prime – Twitch Prime members unlock exclusive perks, including a $10 credit and free Twitch tote bag at The Loot Cave (TwitchCon’s merch store) and access to the Twitch Prime Lounge which will host special meet-and-greet events with broadcasters, and more! – Intel Streamer Zone – Game + Record + Stream without compromise. The Intel Streamer Zone, which has become a staple at Twitch events around the world, will host 72 streamers all weekend long for more than 108 hours of content. Full schedule coming soon. – On the competitive gaming front, TwitchCon 2018 will be home to a number of events featuring top games and streamers, including: Broadcaster Royale: Omen Challenge – The biggest PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS streamers go head-to-head in this new style of tournament presented by OMEN by HP and Intel desktops and displays. Playing on OMEN by HP desktops and displays, streamers must survive against the competition and a gauntlet of OMEN challenges that require players to embrace risky strategies to win a piece of the $300,000 prize. The event takes place live across the street from the convention center at the City National Civic Theater, beginning at 1:30pm on October 26, 2018. For more details check out broadcasterroyale.com. – Doritos Bowl – Doritos Bowl will feature Twitch’s biggest personalities competing in Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4’s all-new battle royale mode — Blackout. Doritos Bowl team captains for this event will be Ninja, Shroud, CouRage and DrLupo. The event starts at 12:30 PM PST on Saturday, October 27 at the TwitchCon Esports Stage, Presented by Doritos. More details at DoritosBowl.com. – Fortnite Fall Skirmish – Grand Final – On September 21st, Epic Games kicked off a six week Fortnite Fall Skirmish series with a fun new club-based format. Over the course of the series, some of the world’s top Fortnite players and influencers will compete against each other for a $10 million prize pool. The Grand Final will take place over three days at TwitchCon with an open and invitational tournament to determine the Fall Skirmish champions, while fans from home can watch online at twitch.tv/FortniteGame. – Games Done Quick (GDQ) – GDQ makes its TwitchCon debut with GDQ Express, a 50-hour speedrunning marathon benefiting charities taking place in TwitchCon Charity Plaza. For the schedule of events visit https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule/24. – With more than 140 exhibitors taking part in TwitchCon 2018, the following is only a snapshot of several of them. For the full list of exhibitors visit TwitchCon.com. Fortnite Hall – Fortnite is landing at TwitchCon 2018 this year and bringing tons of fun activities for solos and squads. Find them at the South Hall and stop by for frights, delights and fun surprises or checkout the Fortnite Fall Skirmish Grand Finals. – Bethesda – Team Bethesda will be on the TwitchCon show floor for the very first time, where the team will be hosting multiple live-streamed events with the Bethesda community team and some of your favorite streamers. Games being highlighted include the upcoming Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, Quake Champions, and The Elder Scrolls Legends. Be sure to follow twitch.tv/Bethesda to catch all the action! – Sony Interactive Entertainment / PlayStation – PlayStation is heading to TwitchCon 2018 with the Road to Greatness truck – a new and improved gaming rig outfitted with PlayStation4 Pro gaming stations and PlayStationVR demos. Attendees can stop by to go hands-on with unreleased games and compete for their chance to win prizes, swag, and more. – SEGA / CREATIVE ASSEMBLY – SEGA and Creative Assembly™ are coming to TwitchCon 2018 with the latest playable demos of Total War™: WARHAMMER II and Total War™: THREE KINGDOMS, including weekend-long live gameplay demonstrations of the latest content for the Total War™ series featuring the Creative Assembly team and your favorite streamers. Stay tuned to the official SEGA and Total War twitter accounts for TwitchCon updates. – Magic & Dungeons & Dragons – Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons join forces to bring two of the biggest fantasy games together for the first time ever at TwitchCon. Play Magic: The Gathering Arena at demo stations or stream to one’s own Twitch channel onsite. Attendees and viewers alike can also watch Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons events live from the TwitchCon booth and on the D&D and Magic Twitch channels all weekend. – World of Tanks PC – Visitors to the World of Tanks booth will be able to indulge in heart-pounding online tank combat, meet with famed streamers, and get hands-on with their favorite game in AR. In addition, a real M60A1 US tank will greet all TwitchCon guests right at the entrance to the convention center. – Omen by HP – Located at the City National Civic Theater, attendees will be able to play PUBG to win prizes, as well as test out their latest PCs and accessories, such as the thin bezel OMEN 15 Laptop with GeForce® GTX graphics, the powerful new OMEN Obelisk Desktop with up to GeForce RTX™ graphics, the optical-mechanical switch OMEN Sequencer Keyboard and OMEN Reactor Mouse, with the just-released OMEN Mindframe Headset – the world’s first headset to have active cooling by way of their FrostCap technology. The booth’s shop will also feature the first ever drop of OMEN apparel! – Nerf Nation Experience – The ultimate Nerf experience is coming to TwitchCon! In the South Hall attendees can get hands-on and battle with the latest Nerf Elite, Rival and Laser Ops Pro blasters IRL. There will also be plenty of photo opps so bring a camera along with your squad. – GUESS?, Inc. – Level up your style and drop by the GUESS Arcade to pick up limited edition GUESS Gaming apparel, only available during TwitchCon. Explore their throwback retro arcade and win prizes from GUESS, Tetris, and more. Meet your favorite streamers with several surprise appearances by the world’s biggest gamers. For streamers, sign up at booth #321 to be a part of GUESS Gaming for an exclusive loot box membership. – Hershey’s – Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups will be teaming up for a special announcement at their first-ever interactive booth at TwitchCon. Two well-known gamers, Ninja and DrLupo, will be making an appearance Saturday for their fans and there will be a special sweet prize for those partaking in the photo booth portion. – Nissin – It’s all fun and games until Nissin breaks out the noodles…then it gets seriously fun! Stop by the Nissin Cup Noodles booth to try the new delicious Cup Noodles Very Veggie and take away a sample – a great snack to fuel attendees’ TwitchCon experience. Make sure to snap a selfie in their photo booth too! – TwitchCon 2018 will also feature a number of areas and activities, including the following: Indie Ally – As one of TwitchCon’s most popular areas every year, the Indie Zone is sure to surprise and delight attendees with something new and fun to play. Stop by to meet the developers and show support to Toynk.com, The Stonebot Studio, Motion Twin, Kitfox Games, Trigono, Grunka Munka Games, Exato Game Studios, Holospark, and Everland. – Streamer Workshop – With thousands of streamers registered for the show, TwitchCon continues to focus on educating them on how to optimize their channels for success with a special area on the show floor. This includes demos of relevant products and services from brands such as Blue Microphones, BoomTV, Game ON, Gear on Amazon, Intel, LiveU, Morgan Stanley, Noiz, Stream Elements, Stream Labs, Skype, TC HELICON, Tobii, and Vreal. – Charity Plaza, Presented by Tiltify – This year’s plaza will not only feature more than 10 charities that have been supported by Twitch broadcasters over the past year, but it will also feature the return of the highly anticipated TwitchCon Charity Decathlon. Stop by to show your support or watch it on Twitch here. For information on participating charities and more, visit the TwitchCon blog. – City National Civic Theater – Beyond cheering on their favorite streamer in the Broadcaster Royale: Omen Challenge presented by OMEN by HP and Intel, fans can get free PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS merch, rub elbows at the bar with their favorite PUBG partners, play the game at the HP OMEN booth, and battle friends in fun live activities, all while jamming out to a live DJ. – Additional areas and presentations to check out include the Table Top room, TwitchUnity Lounge, Cosplay Contest, Artist Alley, Arcade, Kappa Cabana, the array of events taking place in the Glitch Theater, and all of the sessions.

Guild Wars 2 Antre of Adjournment guide: Location & how to complete ArenaNetGuild Wars 2’s Antre of Adjournment jumping puzzle has bested even the most fearsome warriors, so here’s its in-game location and how to complete it. Nestled beneath the plains of Guild Wars 2’s Tyria is the path to the Antre of Adjournment jumping puzzle, a beast that has defeated even some of the game’s behemoths. If you’re looking to take a break from all that festive trick or treating or, if you happen to hate spiders and don’t fancy grinding for the Gift of Spiders and Arachnophobia bow, this terrifying challenge may just be the one for you. So, if you’re looking to stamp your name into the annals of history by defeating Guild Wars 2’s Antre of Adjournment puzzle, we’ve got a full guide right here. Contents Guild Wars 2 Antre of Adjournment puzzle location If you’re looking to take on the jumping puzzle from hell, you’ll have to make your way over to the Theater of Delight, which can be found at Malchor’s Leap. The quickest way to get there is: Spawn at the Valley of Lyss waypoint. – Head East until you come to the river. You can also head West from Pagga’s Waypoint if the Valley of Lyss one is contested. – – Jump into the river. – The entrance to the puzzle is underwater, through a small, circular tunnel. – Antre of Adjournment jumping puzzle: how to complete As you can imagine, completing this fiendish brain teaser isn’t easy, however, it can be done. Bear in mind that you can glide, but you cannot use mounts. To help you out, we’ve listed a step-by-step guide on how to complete it. Bear in mind that you’ll have to take extra care on the slippery surfaces: After seeing Arcanist Slizz at the entrance, swim to the second or third pool. – On the surface, jump on the pillars in a clockwise direction to obtain the first Smuggler’s loot bag. – Continue clockwise to get the second & third bags. – Return to where you found the second bag and jump across the chasm. – Here’s where it gets difficult: jump to the ledge to the left of the pillar, and then the pillar itself. – Keep going clockwise, across the zig-zags to get the fourth bag. – Proceed through the next room, dodging the holes in the floor to claim the next bag. – Continue clockwise to the next room and complete the jump. – Follow the ledges up to the sixth bag. – Go through the next room to get the final bag. – Follow the ledges counter-clockwise to get the Grand Chest. BE CAREFUL. There is a huge hole just in front of the chest, and falling through it will make all your efforts for nought. – – Your reward will be the seven Smuggler’s Loot bags, as well as whatever you find in the Grand Chest itself. So that’s how to complete the infamous Antre of Adjournment jumping puzzle in Guild Wars 2. Looking to keep up to date with all things gaming? Be sure to check out our dedicated page.

Guide to D&D Races and Species 2024 Find all you need to know about the playable D&D races/species, with info on subraces, stat increases, recommended classes, and more. DnD 5e has had unprecedented success over its lifespan, drawing more players into the game than ever before. There is such a wealth of player options available for 5e that finding the right ones for you can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to the available character races, so take a look and see what type of character you’d like to roll up next. It should be noted that, while ‘Races’ has historically been the term used in D&D, WOTC is making the switch to ‘Species’ in future products (and the two will be used interchangeably here.) D&D 5e Player’s Handbook Races Dragonborn – Dwarf – Elf – Gnome – Halfling – Half-Elf – Half-Orc – Human – Tiefling – With the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, ability scores are no longer tied to Races in the way they previously were. While you now have the freedom to put your starting ASIs wherever you wish, we have included the traditional racial stat increases and recommended classes regardless for players who wish to stick to 5e’s PHB rules. Dragonborn Breath and Blade Ability Score Increase: +2 Str, +1 Cha Size: Medium Speed: 30ft Subraces: Chromatic, Metallic, Gem Traits: Breath Weapon, Draconic Ancestry Recommended Classes: Barbarian, Paladin, Sorcerer A humanoid species with features resembling that of their namesake, Dragonborn are an uncommonly seen folk that traditionally value honor and martial prowess. When playing a Dragonborn, selecting the nature of your Draconic Ancestry is important. Not only does it determine the color of your scales, but also the associated element for your Draconic Breath Weapon. Breathing Fire, Lightning, Acid and more is the Dragonborn’s most iconic feature. Dwarf Gold and Glory Ability Score Increase: +2 Con Size: Medium Speed: 25ft, not reduced by Heavy Armor Subraces: Hill Dwarf, Mountain Dwarf, Duergar, Mark of Warding Traits: Dwarven Resilience, Dwarven Combat Training, Tool Proficiency, Stonecunning, Darkvision Recommended Classes: Fighter, Ranger, Wizard Hardy folk with a long and rich tradition of mining and stonework. Dwarves are a martially capable lot in D&D 5e. No matter how you choose to play them, they’ll start right out of the gate with some weapon proficiencies and are not overly encumbered by armor. Dwarves are at home on the front lines of battle, but their inherent toughness and resilience make them capable casters, eschewing the typical Wizard’s robes for something altogether more practical. Elf Ancient and Arcane Ability Score Increase: +2 Dex Size: Medium Speed: 30ft Subraces: Astral Elf, Dark Elf, Wood Elf, High Elf, Mark of Shadow Traits: Dwarven Resilience, Dwarven Combat Training, Tool Proficiency, Stonecunning, Darkvision Recommended Classes: Ranger, Rogue, Wizard Not straying too far from their Tolkien-inspired origins, Elves are a long-lived people who can bring the wisdom of ages to any otherwise short-sighted party. Differing wildly through their subraces, an Elf’s nature can often be surprising, but their equal capability with magic and weaponry can always be counted on. Gnome Craft and Cunning Ability Score Increase: +2 Int Size: Small Speed: 25ft Subraces: Forest Gnome, Rock Gnome, Mark of Scribing Traits: Gnome Cunning, Darkvision Recommended Classes: Artificer, Rogue, Wizard Suffused with the arcane and almost as long-lived as Elves, Gnomes are a people who understand the value of craft and creation. Whether tinkering on some strange new contraption in workshops or gathering in forest enclaves, Gnomish communities spark with joy and invention. Half-Elf Hybrid Heroes Ability Score Increase: +2 Cha, +1 to any two others Size: Medium Speed: 30ft Subraces: Mark of Detection, Mark of Storm Traits: Fey Ancestry, Darkvision, Half-Elf Versatility Recommended Classes: Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer Marrying Human curiosity to Elven diplomacy, Half-elves are wanderers in a world that may have yet to fully understand them. With a hugely versatile skillset at their disposal, Half-Elves can shine as charisma-focused casters, controlling conversation as artfully as they control the Weave of magic. Half-Orc Surging Strength Ability Score Increase: +2 Str, +1 Con Size: Medium Speed: 30ft Subraces: Mark of Finding Traits: Menacing, Darkvision, Relentless Endurance, Savage Attacks Recommended Classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin Among D&D’s most capable physical combatants, Half-Orcs bring resilience and overwhelming offensive power to the table. Picking themselves up and striding back into the fray, again and again, having a Half-Orc on your side can reliably guide you through a fight you’d otherwise be certain to lose. Halfling Home and Hearth Ability Score Increase: +2 Dex Size: Small Speed: 25ft Subraces: Lightfoot Halfling, Stout Halfling, Ghostwise Halfling, Mark of Hospitality, Mark of Healing Traits: Lucky, Brave, Nimble Recommended Classes: Rogue, Monk, Ranger A loyal, dependable, community-focused people. At times possessed of an equal love for the peace of home and the adventure of the open road, Halflings will keep their chosen companions safe with surprising strength and force of will. Human Worldwide Wanderers Ability Score Increase: +1 to all abilities Size: Medium Speed: 30ft Subraces: Variant Human, Mark of Finding, Mark of Handling, Mark of Making, Mark of Passage, Mark of the Sentinel Traits: Extra skill proficiency Recommended Classes: Cleric, Fighter, Monk Of all the D&D races, Humans are well known for their unbridled spirit of optimism and adventure. There’s no corner of the world that humans won’t seek to explore and make their mark on, and the questing life draws many of them like moths to a flame. Tiefling Devilish and Daring Touched by the power of the Hells, Tiefling are not always welcome among suspicious and god-fearing people. But their natural Charisma can make them fierce friends, natural leaders, and capable magic-wielders all the same. Ability Score Increase: +2 Cha Size: Medium Speed: 30ft Subraces: Bloodline of Asmodeus, Bloodline of Baalzebul, Bloodline of Dispater, Bloodline of Fierna, Bloodline of Glasya, Bloodline of Levistus, Bloodline of Mammon, Bloodline of Mephistopheles, Bloodline of Zariel, Variant Tiefling Traits: Darkvision, Hellish Resistance Recommended Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock D&D 5E Races – FAQs What is a Subrace in D&D 5e? A Subrace is an option that you can pick to further define your character’s lineage, granting additional skills and specialties. What are Ability Score improvements in 5e? Ability score improvements are boosts to chosen ability scores that are gained at 1st level and again at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19. Boosting your ability scores increases your character’s performance in their chosen area. Some classes gain additional Ability Score improvements. D&D 5E what are traits? Traits are additional abilities granted by your species or class in D&D 5e. They range from allowing you to see better in the dark to providing training in specific types of weapons of magic.

Guardians of the Galaxy Square Enix game leaked – will it be at E3? Telltale Games/DisneyIndustry insider Jeff Grubb has revealed that a Guardians of the Galaxy game is being developed by Square Enix – but will it make an appearance at E3 2021? With E3 2021 set to kick off on June 12, the gaming community has begun to speculate on which titles are going to be showcased at the event. Whether it’s another peek at Halo Infinite or an official trailer for Bethesda’s Starfield, fans are keeping their fingers crossed that E3 2021 is going to be an event to remember. Despite the showcase only being weeks away, confirmation that a Guardians of the Galaxy game is in development has led fans to wonder whether the title could be revealed at the upcoming E3 event. Guardians of the Galaxy game revealed by insider In an episode of Game Mess released on May 25, industry insider Jeff Grubb confirmed Square Enix is working on a Guardians of the Galaxy video game. While Grubb didn’t reveal any specific details about the title, he was confident in saying that the project was definitely in the works. “I heard Guardians of the Galaxy is going to be made by Square Enix, and now, yeah, that’s real, that’s real.” Topic starts at 9:20 Although it’s now been confirmed that another Marvel title is in the pipeline, is it possible we get a glimpse of the new game at E3 2021? Will the Guardians of the Galaxy game be at E3 2021? With so little information available on the game, it’s difficult to know whether Square Enix is ready to showcase Guardians of the Galaxy at E3 2021. After the poor reception of their Marvel Avengers game back in 2020, the studio will need to knock it out of the park with their second project in the superhero universe. Read More: How to watch Far Cry 6 gameplay reveal – Despite this, when it comes to gaming events, there’s no bigger stage than E3. This upcoming showcase could be exactly what Square Enix needs to generate some hype and excitement for the title. While it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing Groot, Star-Lord, and Drax at E3 this year, a surprise appearance would certainly get the audience excited for another adventure in the Marvel universe. You can check out exactly how to tune into E3 2021 here, so you don’t miss out on any of the huge game reveals.

GTA update cracks down on wide-scale griefing problem Rockstar GamesRockstar Games announced a ‘significant’ number of experience improvements for GTA Online as part of the upcoming Criminal Enterprises update. A few of those changes target griefing. Rockstar announced The Criminal Enterprises update, coming to GTA Online on July 26. The update adds new missions, vehicles, and criminal careers. Also included in the update is the long-awaited addition of the M16 assault rifle. GTA Online players have been waiting 10 years for the fan favorite weapons’ inclusion. Coming alongside the new additions is a bevy of quality of life changes. Griefing is a hot-button issue in GTA Online, and the developers listened to community feedback. GTA Online update addresses griefing problems Griefing in video games refers to players intentionally going out of their way to disrupt someone else’s experience. GTA Online has a long history of players griefing other players. Usually, GTA Online griefing takes the form of players stealing other players’ vehicles, destroying vehicles, or killing unsuspected players. Rockstar steadily made life harder for griefers, but they still find ways to ruin others’ enjoyment. Rockstar announced some significant preventive measures for griefing. Rockstar insider Tez2 Tweeted his thoughts about one of the new anti-griefing changes. A new anti-grief option makes it so players cant drive backward and ruin races. Players will no longer incur a charge for destroying another player’s Weaponized Personal Vehicle if they are attacked and return fire. Rockstar stated, “to reduce instances of griefing, the Kill/Death statistic will no longer be affected by kills made in Freemode.” The developers emphasized they will continue to lean on fan-submitted feedback for future updates.

Guardian Tales: What is it, trailer, gameplay & more Kakao GamesGuardian Tales is a versatile action role-playing game where you, a new knight, must protect your home from an unexpected attack. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Nintendo Switch title. Guardian Tales is not a new game, it’s been out for about two years on Mobile, but now it will be arriving on the Nintendo Switch, bringing a new experience to the console. Essentially, Guardian Tales is a thrilling action game where you complete puzzles, fight enemies and customize your own floating castle. With so much to do and the game being released on the Nintendo Switch, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about this popular action game. Contents: Guardian Tales Release Date Guardian Tales came out for Mobile on July 28, 2020, but has now been released for the Nintendo Switch on October 3, 2022. Thanks to the new availability, you can now enjoy this action role-playing game wherever you go and on plenty of portable platforms. Guardian Tales Trailer The announcement that Guardian Tales will be released on the Switch came in the form of a new trailer that showcased the gameplay and what players can look forward to. You can watch it below: Gameplay Guardian Tales is a single-player action role-playing game where you need to solve puzzles and fight tough monsters to save Kanterbury Kingdom from its attackers. While the story gameplay may be single-player, there are options for some intense PvP which allows you to assemble a party of three and battle other players using a plethora of unique weapons and combat styles. On top of puzzle-solving and combat, you also get to customize your own castle with entertainment, food, and different furniture, making your house a home. Platforms Now, Guardian Tales is available for IOS, Android, and the Nintendo Switch for free. There is no word on whether the game will appear on consoles in the future. That’s all we know about Guardian Tales. So, while waiting for the game to download, check out some other upcoming titles. The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | God of War: Ragnarok | 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 | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch | Haunted Chocolatier | Hogwarts Legacy | The Expanse: A Telltale Series

GTA publisher hits back at the US President for “disrespectful” comments YouTube: Sky News/Rockstar GamesThe CEO of Take-Two Interactive, Strauss Zelnick, has hit back at US President for “irresponsible” comments he made in the aftermath of the tragic shootings in El Paso and Dayton. August 3, 2019 was one of the darkest days in recent US history. A mass shooting in El Paso, Texas saw 22 people killed. Just 13 hours later a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio saw a further 9 people murdered. The tragic incidents reignited the gun control debate in the United States, with many arguing that more austere gun regulation would inhibit such terrible acts. However, many also blamed video games and claimed their violence can corrupt young people and encourage violent acts. The debate over video games causing violent, unlawful behaviour is not necessarily new, but was reignited following the mass shootings in the US. One of the people to vocally blame video games was US President, who said that video games contribute to the “glorification of violence in our society”. He also described video games as “gruesome and grisly”. Strauss Zelnick is the current CEO of Take-Two Interactive, the company that owns Rockstar Games. Many named Grand Theft Auto – developed by Rockstar – as one of these “gruesome” video games that can negatively influence its players. In an interview with Business Insider, Zelnick described the President’s comments as “disrespectful to the victims”, and lamented a wider social move to lay the blame on video games. He described the USA’s gun problems as a “uniquely American” issue. GTA V is one of the games blamed for “glorifying” violence. This is the main argument used by those defending video games: that other nations, such as South Korea or the UK, do not have nearly the same issues with gun violence despite similar video game consumption levels. Hence, the argument states that the main reason behind these mass shooting appears to be the USA’s gun control laws – or lack thereof. The statistics certainly support Zelnick’s view that video games are not to blame. “Blaming entertainment is irresponsible,” stated Zelnick. “Moreover, it is highly disrespectful to the victims and their families. The fact is entertainment is consumed world-wide…but gun violence is uniquely American. So we need to address the real issues.” Take-Two Interactive, alongside other publishers like Activision, saw their stock decline following the shooting, and the criticism of video games. Reports have surfaced that US companies, like Walmart, are instructing staff to remove violent advertisements. Companies like Walmart still have guns for sale in their stores. There has not yet been significant legislative change towards mental health procedures or video games.

GTA Online players slam “lazy” Rockstar for recycling GTA 5 story mission in Drug Wars Twitter: @that1detectiv3GTA Online players are furious at Rockstar Games as the new content added to the game feels “lazy” in their opinion. GTA Online has had its fair share of issues that other live service games go through in their lifetime. Critiques from the players who think content updates are too scarce, problems with hackers ruining the fun of other players. Some players are now also accusing the GTA Online developers of being “lazy” and reusing assets and animations from GTA 5’s 10 years old story mode to create “new” missions for the latest content update. The main talking point in this discussion are the newest missions added to GTA Online as part of the “Los Santos Drug Wars: The Last Dose” update released on March 16. According to fans of the title, multiple new tasks recycle locations, animations, or just whole missions from the story mode. GTA Online devs blasted for recycling story mission content A number of GTA Online players have taken to social media as they find the newest content “lazy” and “rushed”. As shown by Twitter user Gaming Detective, one of the new missions features a set piece that plays out very similarly to one featured in the story mode of GTA 5. When asked if it was developers getting “lazy” or some kind of Easter Egg, the responses were pretty divided. “Lazy for sure, this “update” was rushed and you can really see it,” said one user. While another agrees stating: “calling this anything but lazy is insane.” But other fans disagree, stating that the content is different enough to simply be an homage to the story mode mission. “I wouldn’t call it lazy since it’s a totally different animation. More like a reference/easter egg,” said one of the fans disagreeing with the accusations made against Rockstar. Some users in the replies section even speculate that most of the team has already moved on to develop GTA 6 while a skeleton crew was left behind to update GTA Online, thus the recycling due to a lack of manpower and resources. This is all rampant speculation as Rockstar

GTA Online Special Cargo guide: How to make money fast as CEO Rockstar GamesThe Criminal Enterprises GTA Online update launched on July 26. We have a guide for you if you are struggling to afford all the new weapons and vehicles. GTA Online’s Criminal Enterprises update adds new weapons and vehicles and addresses the game’s wide-scale griefing issues. Some new vehicles included in the update are the Benefactor LM87 ($2,915,000), Pegassi Torero XO ($2,890,000), Lampadati Corsita ($1,795,000), and the Obey Omnis E-GT ($1,795,000). Prices for buying these vehicles are astronomical, but there is an easy and fun way to grind GTA Cash. Here is everything you need to know. What are GTA Online special cargo missions? Special cargo missions involve players stealing initially purchased cargo and storing them in crates within their warehouse. Special cargo missions can only be conducted in Public Free Mode sessions, but a player alone can participate. Individual cargo crates can be worth up to $150,000, making it a perfect money-making scheme. How do you complete special cargo missions? GTA Online YouTuber Tylarious released a guide for completing Special Cargo crate missions. First, you must have at least $50,000 to become a CEO. Next, you visit the Dynasty8 Executive website and purchase a CEO office. The cheapest CEO office is Maze Bank West and costs one million GTA Cash. Next, players must go to their CEO’s office and purchase a Crate Warehouse. Players then access SecuroServ on the CEO’s office computer. Players need to access their warehouse map. Tylarious said the goal is to have at least two warehouses because there is a cool-down timer for warehouses after completing a crate retrieval. Small warehouses cost $50 per day, $100 per day for medium, and $200 per day for large. Here is a map of all the purchasable warehouses in GTA Online. Buying the Benefactor Terrobyte makes this process easier because you can bypass going to the CEO’s office. The vehicle costs anywhere between $1,375,000 – 3,450,500. The YouTuber insists on purchasing three crates at a time. There are two types of source missions for getting crates. three separate crates spread out across the map you have to retrieve – One vehicle that carries all three crates – Tylarious warns players that after collecting crates and returning them to their warehouse, they may be raided. Raids are triggered by inventory level and time of being inactive. Collecting crates is a fast and easy way to make cash in GTA Online.

GTA Online players amazed by “insane” NPCs following The Contract update Rockstar GamesGTA Online’s Los Santos is a strange place and it seems like The Contract may have made that even worse, as NPCs are now pulling off insane stunts to kill players after the game’s newest update. There’s always been an aura of chaos surrounding the main locales of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. From angry pedestrians willing to fight at a moment’s notice to policemen that can teleport into friendly cars, GTA has a way of keeping players on their toes. That feeling has only been enhanced by The Contract update. Now, even the most mundane members of society seem to be losing their minds in the Los Santos streets. GTA Online player gets taken out by wild NPC There isn’t one AI in particular to highlight. Many of the game’s NPCs are acting out of order and seem to be more aggressive than they were before. This clip from Reddit user ‘spiderassassin5500’ shows off exactly how over-the-top the criminals of Los Santos have been. While in the midst of completing a mission, multiple enemies attempt to take out the player’s van, providing just enough of a distraction for a biker to come soaring through the air and find the perfect angle to shoot through the driver’s side window. After the surprise ending, one commenter suggested that the eventual shooter could be a silver-screen action hero under different circumstances: “That biker chick needs to be programmed in a Michael Bay movie.” Another user highlighted that even the city’s regular denizens have been acting strange since The Contract was released: “If the AI aren’t trying to shoot me, the civilians are going crazy doing U-turns on the motorway or just generally driving into me, speeding up/slowing down at an intersection depending on my speed.” It’s currently unclear if this was an intended change of behavior for the world’s AI or if Rockstar will be reigning them back in soon, but either way, it might be best to steer clear of any shootouts in the meantime.

GTA Online Pizza This jobs: How to start, payouts & more Rockstar GamesGTA Online players can now throw it back and deliver pizza to customers around Los Santos for Pizza This. Here’s everything you need to know about the new jobs. If you’ve played any of the old Grand Theft Autos, you’ll remember being able to do fast food delivery jobs. You’d steal a delivery driver’s bike, press the right stick on your controller, and start earning cash against the clock. Well, when GTA Online’s Bottom Dollar Bounty update was revealed, dataminers got their hands on a new set of drip feed jobs. And, yes, they’re all about being a delivery driver. Though, this isn’t as safe as Uber Eats. In GTA Online, you can now start working for Pizza This – a pizzeria with that classic bike delivery service. And, you’ll make a nice wedge of cash as you do so. How to start Pizza This jobs in GTA Online To get started with the Pizza This jobs, you’ll first get a message from Pizza This, letting you know that they’re on the hunt for new drivers. From there, all you have to do is drop into a Pizza This pizzeria and you’ll be prompted to start delivering pizzas against the clock. And yes, you’ll have to do it on the brand-new Pizza Boy-styled Faggio bike. Start a new session of GTA Online – Wait for a message from Pizza This – Visit a Pizza This restaurant – Hop on the Pizza Boy bike and start making deliveries! – How much are Pizza This jobs worth? In terms of payouts for the jobs, while they aren’t as lucrative as heists or contact missions, you can make some cash quickly and easily – just like the new Madrazo Hits. Each job, naturally, comes with the opportunity to make tips depending on how fast you and how warm the pizza is that you’re dropping off. These payouts start at $2,000 for your first job and will multiply – similar to Taxi Work – as you progress. However, there will be a cap. If you manage to complete a few sets of jobs for Pizza This, you’ll be able to knock the price of the Pizza Boy bike down from $195,000 to $146,250. They are worth a bit of time investment and there is a good hit of nostalgia to be had.

GTA Online player “paid in experience” as Cayo Perico heist gives $0 Rockstar GamesCompleting heists like Cayo Perico should yield a reward worth the risk, but one GTA Online player walked away from the completed heist empty-handed. GTA Online Heists come with a mixture of highs and lows. After smashing the $2 trillion heist challenge, every community member earned a free mystery vehicle. On the flip side of the coin, players slammed Rockstar for not helping players that lost all of their heist progress after crashing. Rockstar has been generous in awarding players, including $500,000 for completing a simple survey or a $2 million bonus as a heist bonus. Still, one player wasn’t so fortunate after completing the Cayo Perico heist. GTA Online player robbed out of Cayo Perico heist payout A Reddit user completed the Cayo Perico heist in just under 13 minutes, but it came with a catch. Hopefully, they got some internship or college credit because the user wasn’t awarded any money for completing the heist. And to rub some more salt in the wound, Pavel still walked away with his fee for completing the mission. It’s safe to say that this player didn’t add anything to the $2 million heist challenge either with that sort of return. One user joked, “You forgot to shut the duffle bag when you dived into the water, so…” A second player added, “Never knew R* put in a volunteer mode for heists nowadays.” Everyone in the thread took turns cracking jokes, as a third person chimed in, “The real treasure was the friends you made along the way.” Take this as a lesson in how not to complete the Cayo Perico heist unless you are just in it for some extra experience.

GTA Online glitch pulls ultimate trick-or-treat prank on players removing every weapon Take-Two InteractiveA GTA Online glitch removes every owned weapon from players, so be careful the next time you think about picking up a pumpkin. GTA’s annual Halloween event brings out all of the stops this year. Players can get in the holiday spirit by earning a Mummy or Vampire mask or collect Jack-o’-Lanterns to earn a special Pumpkinhead mask. There are also UFO sighting locations that may give clues about GTA 6. Also added to GTA Online in October are new vehicles, a new Adversary mode, and 2x GTA$ and RP. Unfortunately, a glitch with the Jack-o-‘Lanterns removes all owned weapons from players and forces them to rebuy the guns. How to fix GTA Online pumpkin glitch Reddit user Lrobo04 warned players, “do not pick up any more pumpkins; it has me a pay vote plant trick and took away every weapon I owned and is saying I need to repurchase it.” The GTA Online player shared a series of screenshots showing every weapon in his weapon wheel disappearing and showing up for purchase at Ammunation. One player responded, “now that’s a real trick,” and someone responded, “I feel bad for laughing.” Another user added, “I would open a support ticket. It’s like a 50/50 shot. They do anything.” Fortunately, someone dealt with the same issue and found a solution. “Same thing happened to me, but a restart fixed it.” Other community members confirmed that restarting the game solves any issues. So before you waste all of your GTA$ buying back lost weapons, try restarting the game first.

GTA and Red Dead Redemption movie rumors shut down by Take-Two CEO Rockstar GamesThe CEO of Take-Two Strauss Zelnick has shut down rumors of potential movies for the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises. Video game adaptations have been a hot topic as of late. With huge names like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, and The Last of Us TV series, gamers are waiting to see what might come to the big screen next. Since video games are some of the most descriptive and visually rich mediums of storytelling, players are hoping heavy hitters like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption come soon. However, the CEO of Take-Two has shut down rumors of a potential video game adaptation for both of the big franchises, believing the jump to film may be too risky of an endeavor for the company. Take-Two does currently have some movies in the works, with a Bioshock movie slated for Netflix and a Borderlands movie on the way. However, CEO Strauss Zelnick mentioned that the company would be taking a “very selective approach to licensing” in the future. Zelnick went on to state that Take-Two isn’t going to risk the company’s future or its IPs on “someone else’s execution in another area of the entertainment business.” While this statement doesn’t necessarily mention GTA or Red Dead Redemption, it’s unlikely that a movie for either franchise will come out anytime in the near future. While the movies are likely not on the cards for now, successful adaptations may mean that we can see them coming sometime in the future. However, it’s best not to hold your breath for now, as the Borderlands movie is still over a year away, meaning it’ll be quite the wait until we know more.

GTA dev reveals shocking call from actual “worshipers” of in-game cult Rockstar GamesA veteran GTA developer revealed he once received a voicemail from a fan who admitted to having a real-life following of the franchise’s in-game cult. The Grand Theft Auto series is known for pushing the boundaries between real-life politics and societal issues by weaving it into the games with a satirical twist. With the release of GTA 6 still on the horizon, the anticipation is palpable. The announcement trailer for the upcoming title has already revealed how the franchise will continue its trend of emulating viral real-life moments and pop culture trends, further fueling the excitement. While the franchise often draws inspiration from real life to poke fun, a developer on GTA 5 revealed in a new interview that some fans took the project’s in-game cult more seriously than they expected. The Epsilon Program was first introduced to the franchise in GTA San Andreas and has since become a staple of the series. When advertising San Andreas, Rockstar even created a fake website for the cult to market it’s release in 2004. During an interview with IGN, Lazlow Jones, a developer who worked at Rockstar Games for almost two decades, revealed that he was once called up by “worshippers” of the fake cult that exists in the GTA franchise. When working on the development of GTA 5, Jones received a voicemail on his work phone from a woman who referred to herself as a representative for the followers of the Epsilon Program. The woman then added in the voicemail that she and the rest of the Epsilon Program followers were “dying to know more” about the cult created for the franchise. “She was essentially saying that they were worshipers of this fake religion that we had come up with,” Jones began. “My second thought was, we should actually just come up with a fake religion and get really, really rich on the backs of people searching for meaning in life!” he joked. Jones then explained that receiving the phone call was a “crazy” experience and that realizing the cult had “proper followers of it” made him both “excited” and “scared to death.” “She genuinely sounded like she was a follower of the Epsilon Program,” he said. “It’s crazy when you make a satire of something because we were very straightforward about it. We created a website for the Epsilon Program back in 2004, and all the copy on that, it’s in my mind very clear that it’s a money-grab, modern-day fictional religion.”

GTA 6 trailer surprasses Minecraft in views but still short of one game’s record Rockstar GamesThe GTA 6 announcement trailer has officially become the second most watched video game trailer on YouTube, only sitting behind one other on the platform. The hype and anticipation for GTA 6 has never been higher thanks to the recent announcement trailer that dropped during December 2023. The game, which is set to release in 2025, has been the talk of the gaming world since the announcement trailer was officially released. And while there was major backlash surrounding the trailer due to developer Rockstar being hacked prior to the initial planned trailer release, the new footage still managed to break records for viewership numbers and popularity. After just over one month since the trailer dropped on YouTube, the footage has officially become the second most-watched video game trailer of all time. Overtaking another juggernaut game in Minecraft. At the time of writing, the GTA 6 announcement trailer currently has over 167,751,000 million views on YouTube, overtaking Minecraft’s current viewership total of 167,750,000 million. However, the GTA 6 trailer still has a way to go before it is able to topple the current reigning champion, Subway Surfers, to become the most-watched video game trailer on YouTube of all time. Subway Surfers debut trailer has managed to amass over 360 million views on YouTube, making it the biggest video game trailer on YouTube of all time. The mobile running-focused game a giant hit since first releasing back in 2012. Though obviously, a large portion of these views stem from automatic in-game ads. Given that the GTA 6 trailer is still managing to accumulate hundreds to thousands of views each day, the upcoming Rockstar game has every chance of beating out Subways Surfaces for the top prize in a matter of years. As such, be sure to keep up to date with Dexerto’s GTA coverage as we update audiences with the viewership progress of the GTA 6 announcement trailer.

GTA 6 publisher wants to bring more games to Netflix after GTA Trilogy Rockstar GamesTake-Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnick has expressed interest in bringing more GTA games to Netflix following the success of the GTA Trilogy on the platform. In the Fall of 2023, rumors swirled that Netflix was in talks to bring a Grand Theft Auto title to its Netflix Games service. Eventually, Netflix revealed that the GTA Trilogy would be coming to the platform. Once it arrived fans were surprised at just how well the title ran on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. After the GTA Trilogy’s impressive performance on Netflix Games, Take-Two Interactive’s CEO has expressed interest in bringing even more GTA games to the service. GTA 6 publisher optimistic about GTA on Netflix Games As reported by Business Insider, Take-Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnik revealed during an earnings call that the GTA Trilogy dominated Netflix Games in downloads following the GTA 6 trailer reveal. During the earnings call, Zelnik claimed that the GTA 6 trailer had a “halo effect across the entire franchise.” Naturally, this bolstered interest in the franchise across multiple different platforms—including Netflix Games. Zelnik went on to call GTA’s partnership with Netflix a “resounding success” following the Trilogy’s performance in December and expressed interest in launching even more GTA titles on the service. “We’d love to do more with Netflix. Who wouldn’t?” Zelnik asked. “As long as the consumers are happy to be there and as long as the economics of those arrangements make good sense.” Considering the Netflix Games service centers around mobile gaming, it’s unclear what other titles could make their way in the future. While many may suspect Take-Two will only bring older GTA titles to the service, that may not be the case. With reports of games like Resident Evil Village running well on certain tablets, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear either GTA 4 or 5 come to the Netflix Games eventually.

GTA 6 trailer makes history after breaking three world records RockstarThe Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer has made history, breaking three officially recognized Guinness World Records. It’s been over a decade since the release of GTA 5, and only now are we getting a glimpse at the next game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. On December 4, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 was leaked. With the internet in madness, Rockstar then officially released it themselves ahead of schedule — although many of the game’s developers claimed they were “robbed” of the launch they deserved. Still, the video broke YouTube records in a matter of hours, where the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer quickly shattered the record for the most views on a non-music YouTube video in 24 hours — taking the title from the platform’s biggest creator MrBeast. GTA 6 trailer sets three Guinness World Records In a post on December 6, the Guinness World Records recognized that the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer broke multiple records. “GTA VI’s first trailer has become the most viewed video game reveal on YouTube in 24 hours with 90,421,491 views,” they stated. The trailer also broke the record for the most-liked video game trailer on YouTube after amassing 8.9 million likes in the first 24 hours alone. Furthermore, Guinness recognized that the GTA 6 trailer also surpassed “the seemingly untouchable” MrBeast record of 59.4 million views for the most views on a non-music YouTube video in 24 hours. Nevertheless, Rockstar is certainly no stranger to setting records. Grand Theft Auto 5 set several records at its launch, becoming the fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion. While Grand Theft Auto 6 isn’t set for release until 2025, we can only guess that this title’s launch is going to be way bigger.

GTA 6 publisher Take-Two “highly convinced” by NFTs in games Take-Two InteractiveThe Take-Two CEO has revealed he is “highly convinced” by NFTs in gaming and the opportunity to fit them in with the company’s future offerings, which includes Grand Theft Auto 6, Red Dead Redemption, and more. Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs, have become a divisive subject in the gaming world. These digital pieces of art live on the blockchain and the most expensive NFTs can sell for millions of dollars. Many gamers aren’t fans of NFTs, however. Ubisoft received a bunch of backlash for their launch of Ubisoft Quartz, and fans were left skeptical when Nintendo revealed their interest in creating NFTs. Now Take-Two are showing a similar interest in NFTs, in a move that isn’t likely to go down so well with players of their games. In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, CEO Strauss Zelnick spoke a bit about NFTs and how he sees opportunities for them in future Take-Two titles. “We believe that NFTs are real, and why wouldn’t they be? We believe in digital goods and we’ve been selling digital goods for a very long time,” he said. “We believe in rare goods, we believe in collectibles. The concern we have is that there’s a speculation going on. “We want to make sure that consumers always have a good experience every time they engage with our properties. And losing money on a speculation is not a good experience, so we’re going to stay away from speculation. However, we’re highly convinced there’s an opportunity for NFTs to fit with Take-Two’s offerings in the future.” How exactly NFTs could work in games such as GTA 6 — which was only announced earlier in February 2020 — is unclear. Gaming NFTs are often looked at through the possibilities with in-game cosmetics, but whether GTA could follow this route is a big question. That’s for Zelnick and the rest of Take-Two to figure out, however. The main issue will be doing it in a way to appease their players — and avoid backlash.

GTA 6 hits “important” milestone amid 2024 release date rumors Rockstar GamesRockstar Games remain secretive about GTA 6 but an apparent shift in momentum behind the scenes could mean the highly anticipated sequel is closer than we thought. GTA 6 was confirmed to be active development by Rockstar Games in a very casual blog post as opposed to a huge announcement, that took players by surprise in February 2022. It is unknown just how long GTA 6 has been in development but with GTA 5 releasing all the way back in 2013, players are hoping the finish line is in sight. Now, notable Rockstar Games expert Chris Klippel has suggested that the open-world sequel’s development is far into the process. GTA 6 development to rumored to “speed up” according to insider Rockstar Mag creator Chris Klippel, who previously leaked information on the GTA Trilogy remasters, has given players hope in regards to GTA 6’s release date. Speaking on his Twitter, Klippel said: “An important step in the development of GTA 6 has just been reached. Things should speed up (internally at Rockstar). “I think that a (real) announcement at the end of the year may be possible” continued Klippel. However, the Rockstar leaker noted that he doesn’t “see the game arriving before the end of 2024.” Une étape importante dans le développement de #GTA6 viendrait d’être atteinte. Les choses devraient s’accélérer (en interne chez Rockstar). Je pense qu’une (vraie) annonce en fin d’année peut être envisageable. Dans tous les cas, je ne vois pas le jeu arriver avant fin 2024 ! 😊 pic.twitter.com/jDcrkxwjuo— Chris’ Klippel (@Chris_Klippel) March 11, 2022 Previously, industry insider Tom Henderson has confirmed that Rockstar’s announcement had only official confirmed “what’s been in the works for years.” GTA 6 has been in development for a long time, todays announcement wasn’t them saying “its just started”. They’ll handle projects as they’ve always done. Today’s announcement confirmed what’s been in the works for years, that’s all. — Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) February 4, 2022 Of course, this is purely speculative, but if Rockstar Games are to follow suit with their previous release strategy for Red Dead Redemption 2, then GTA 6 may well arrive by 2025 at the earliest. Red Dead Redemption 2 was announced on October 16, 2016, and then revealed on October 18, 2016. With GTA 5’s next-gen iteration hitting consoles on March 15, it wouldn’t be out of the question to expect a GTA 6 reveal in the months to come.

GTA 6 publisher concerned of review bombing “harm” Take-Two InteractivePublisher Take-Two Interactive has shared concerns that review bombing could “harm” its future games, including the highly anticipated GTA 6. Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind Rockstar titles such as the GTA franchise and Red Dead Redemption, has condemned the damaging review bombing trend that has infiltrated the video game, TV, and film industries in recent years. Earlier in July 2024, Dexerto reported how Apex Legends review-bombing pushed the game to its lowest-ever Steam rating. This is not an isolated incident, with titles such as Helldivers 2 also undergoing similar treatment for various reasons. On the TV and film side, Rings of Power, The Last of Us, and more have all found themselves in a similar position, painting a bigger picture of the widespread nature of this trend. In a recent SEC filing, Take-Two discussed review bombing; Game File first shared these comments. While the reasoning for review-bombing is unique to each product, Take-Two Interactive spoke out about the “harm” this trend causes and how “obtaining and maintaining high ratings of our games on the third-party platforms on which we operate are important as they help drive players to find our games.” Furthermore, the company added, “If the ratings of any of our games decline or if we receive significant negative reviews that result in a decrease in our ratings, our games could be more difficult for players to find or recommend.” “In addition, we may be subject to negative review campaigns or defamation campaigns intended to harm our ratings,” the filing continued. While GTA 6 is still a while away, the sequel over a decade in the making has already been in the spotlight for a number of debats. The introduction of the franchise’s first female protagonist has been a divisive decision to say the least and has spawned a bunch of online discourse throughout the gaming community. As such, Take-Two’s review-bombing concerns could be connected to GTA 6’s launch; the company later added, “Any such decline may lead to loss of players and revenues, additional advertising and marketing costs, and reputation harm.”

GTA 6 fans slam “cringe” developers for copying Rockstar’s announcement RockstarGrand Theft Auto fans are hitting out at “cringe” developers following Rockstar’s announcement confirming when the first trailer for the next game will be revealed. It’s been over a decade since Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto 5, and now after years of waiting the reveal for the next game in the series is just around the corner. In November, Rockstar confirmed reports and rumors that the trailer for the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto franchise would be released imminently, announcing that we’d get the first look at the game in December. On December 1, Rockstar sent gamers into a frenzy, confirming that we’ll finally see the long-anticipated trailer on December 5, 2023. Several developers, including 343 Industries, Mediatonic, and Raven Software have “copied” with a similar colorway and style to Rockstar’s announcement. GTA fans blast “cringe” developers copying Rockstar Many gamers have since hit out, with numerous slamming the developers as “cringe” for copying Rockstar’s announcement. “Am I allowed yet to say that every game publisher doing this after Rockstar is kinda cringe?” one wrote on Twitter/X. Several in the replies claimed it was just the developers celebrating Rockstar’s massive announcement after years of anticipation. “I think its celebration bro this is not them trying something,” said one. “I see it as them being just as excited as we are. They’re acknowledging this historical moment in time,” wrote another. “It’s better to celebrate with us then to act as if it wasn’t happening.” However, on the other hand, many agreed that it’s “cringe” from other game developers, with one stating: “Really cringe actually, like trying to ride their coattails or something.” “It was fine when Halo did it but now that everyone’s doing it, it’s become irritating,” another added. Regardless, it’s fair to say the world is pumped to now know when we’ll get our first look at the next Grand Theft Auto.

GTA 6 fans convinced they’ve found trailer’s strip club in real life Rockstar GamesFans of GTA 6 believe they have found the real-life strip club that a game location from the trailer is based off of. The GTA series is well-known for basing its locations, and sometimes characters, off of real-world people and places. As a result, fans are already hunting down the locations from the GTA 6 trailer to find their real-world counterparts. Now, some of the community believes they have found the strip club that serves as the basis of a location briefly glimpsed in the trailer. GTA 6 fans are sure they’ve found the real-world strip club In a post on the game’s subreddit, a user posted a video from the Kings of Diamonds strip club in Miami, the city that serves as the inspiration for the game’s Vice City. The title for the post explains its purpose: “The Jack Of Hearts stripclub in GTA 6 is inspired by the real King Of Diamonds stripclub in Miami.” The in-game club, named the Jack of Hearts, first came to the community’s knowledge after a large chunk of GTA 6 information was leaked last year. Given their similar names, as well as similar atmosphere, it is easy to make the connection that the in-game location is based on the real-world one. This isn’t the first time that players have made this connection, as just last week another nightclub joined in on the trailer’s hype after fans spotted its in-game equivalent. Despite the short length of the trailer, fans of GTA 6 are picking it apart to find any detail or information about the game as they await its 2025 release date.

GTA 5 leak details gruesome alternate endings scrapped from game Rockstar GamesThe recent GTA leaks brought forth massive info, including a brief look into scrapped alternate endings for GTA 5. 2022 and 2023 have been tough years for Rockstar Games, with the massive leak of 2022 revealing tons of info on the upcoming GTA 6. Of course, there were also the various leaks leading up to the official reveal earlier this month, robbing the team of their moment to stand tall. After a brief respite, another leak reared its head in the form of GTA 5’s official source code. However, this leak had much more info than just GTA 5 details, with a bunch of projects named and a variety of DLCs never delivered that fans would’ve loved to play. Regarding GTA 5, new information has shed light on alternate story endings for GTA 5, albeit much more gruesome. Note, story spoilers to follow. GTA 5 alternate endings were much more gruesome The end of GTA 5 provides Franklin with three options — kill Trevor, kill Michael, or “Deathwish.” As you can imagine, the first two options play out with Franklin killing either character and then dealing with the damage done. “Deathwish,” deemed the canon ending by Rockstar, follows all three working together in a cinematic firefight. Although the setup remains the same, the leaks showed a more brutal take on the game’s endings. Killing Trevor sees him frozen in liquid nitrogen before Michael smashes Trevor’s frozen remains with a 2×4. On the other hand, Michael would’ve fallen from the tower into the blades of a police helicopter. Details on how Deathwish would’ve played out are scarce, but in this ending, Lamar replaces Franklin as a playable character. Perhaps Deathwish is more literal than in the finalized version of the game. Interestingly enough, Lamar’s voice actor actually confirmed he was supposed to have a bigger role years ago in a Reddit AMA. At the time, he was dealing with personal issues, so Rockstar had to pivot gears. How this would’ve unfolded would’ve been interesting to see and is a bit of a bummer for fans who wanted more from the iconic character. Time will tell what new information comes to light as the source code continues to make rounds through the internet.

GTA 6 fans convinced Rockstar is trolling them with “hopeful promise” for 2023 Rockstar GamesGTA 6 fans are skeptical regarding Rockstar’s recent promotional blog teasing the game’s release is trolling the community with false hope. GTA 6 has been development for what seems like an eternity with no clear end in sight. Players have eagerly waiting, sipping up any leaks and news regarding the brand new entry to the franchise. But a recent promotional blog has the fans skeptical rather than hopeful, as the community is convinced Rockstar is trolling them. In the blog, Rockstar states “Every year comes with the hopeful promise that this year will be the year everything finally comes together. “Well, 2023 could be that year, so why not start clocking in on that ‘new year, new me’ attitude by taking a spin of the Lucky Wheel for the opportunity to win this week’s grand prize, the HVY Insurgent, an off-road armored vehicle strong enough to take on adversaries and pesky off-road obstacles alike.” In most other communities, such news would bring gleeful hope and speculation. But the community is remaining incredibly skeptical, as they’ve lost trust in such small teasers. It has been almost nine years since the fifth game’s initial release, and they’ve been burned one too many times. “They love pissing us off don’t they,” one Reddit user stated. “I do think they are intentionally trolling a bit as they sometimes do but I don’t think this means anything concrete,” another fan added. “At this point I just want to put a bullet in my head and call it a day,” one user, hopefully joking, commented. “Are you okay?” another asked. “Depends whether they launch the trailer or not,” they replied. Hopefully Rockstar will launch a trailer in the immediate future to satisfy the fans that have been waiting for years.

GTA 5 Franklin actor reveals biggest request for GTA 6 and fans will love it Grand Theft Auto 5 Franklin voice actor Shawn Fonteno has revealed his biggest request of what he’d like to see in GTA 6, and it would likely be a massive fan favorite. Fans of the Grand Theft Auto series have practically been left in the dark when it comes to the development of GTA 6, despite it being almost 10 years since GTA 5 was first released. Other than Rockstar Games confirming the development on the next game was “well underway,” not much is known when it comes to what fans should expect in the next-gen title. However, despite the scarce details, that hasn’t stopped eager players from suggesting ideas of what they’d like to see in GTA 6 – including Shawn Fonteno, the voice actor of Franklin adding his thoughts into the mix. While noting that rumors are pointing towards Rockstar Games heading back to Vice City for the next game, YouTuber SAY CHEESE asked for Fonteno’s thoughts and expectations for GTA 6 in a recent interview. “Man I think GTA 6, it should be – they should merge it, man. I don’t care what age they are, whether they’re old now, they gotta bring them back. I think they should bring everyone back for this one little reunion,” said Shawn. “Make one big nice reunion for Grand Theft Auto where you can get on a plane and go to different areas. “You can fly from Los Santos to Liberty City, to Vice City and you can go around and see what these old characters and catch up with them when they’re older age living the older life. Like if I could catch up with CJ, he’d be about 40 now, that’s still an age where you want to know what the f**k he’s doing.” “I definitely want them to bring me back,” Fonteno admitted. “Sh*t bring me back, if I have my say bring me back!” Shawn continued by stating there was no option for Franklin to die in GTA 5, leaving opportunities open. “I can’t die in the game, you can’t kill me it’s not an option! You’ve got options A, B, or C. Kill Trevor, Michael, or nobody.” The next entry in the series is already looking up to be the biggest ever, as it’s shaping up to be an insane “400-500 hour” experience, according to some claims. However, fans still have a while to go until they can get their hands on GTA 6 as the leakers state they don’t see the game arriving before the end of 2024.

Grow even more LEGO Flowers with the new Tiny Plants set Fans of LEGO Flower sets will be happy to learn the new LEGO Tiny Plants set is available to order right now, but if they’ll arrive in time for Christmas is another story. LEGO covers a lot of niches with their sets, so fans of Star Wars, Marvel, and even Harry Potter can find the perfect gift for the holiday season. This is perfect for younger fans, but older LEGO enthusiasts might want a more mature set to display. Enter the LEGO Flower sets that can really brighten up your home this holiday season, as they make the perfect gift for adult LEGO fans. The LEGO Icons Tiny Plants set is a newly announced set to the LEGO Flowers line and is available to be ordered right now. LEGO Icons Tiny Plants – 10329 The LEGO Store aims to ship the Tiny Plants set by December 21, 2023. That may cut it a little close for some, but it may make it just in time for the big day. The LEGO Icons Tiny Plants set contains 758 Pieces, making up, obviously, a variety of small plants and cacti. There are also pots containing all of the various flora. The saying goes, “Say it with flowers.” Now, you can say it with multiple brick-based plants instead. This set will cost $49.99 from the LEGO Store, which is a pretty good price, considering the multiple builds of plantlife that are included in the collection from all corners of the globe, from the wet rainforest to the dry desert. Speaking of flowers, LEGO has recently announced the new LEGO Icons Bouquet of Roses set, the pinnacle of romance recreated in LEGO bricks, a perfect gesture for Valentine’s Day. Again, the LEGO Icons Tiny Plants set is available to order now and LEGO Store plans to have the set shipped out by December 21. If you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

How to grow your MTG Arena collection – free pack codes, card styles Wizards of the CoastMagic the Gathering’s latest expansion Throne of Eldraine has been released on Wizard of the Coast’s digital platform MTG Arena, and with it comes a set of new codes to earn free packs and exclusive cosmetic card styles. With the official release of MTGA on September 27, hosts of new players have jumped online to test out Wizard’s new Magic the Gathering platform, diving straight into the card collection that’s become synonymous with the fantasy game. To help swell player’s collections at the start of new expansions, Wizards releases free booster packs, as well as interesting and expansion-relevant card styles (rare animated cards), all of which are available if you know the right code to punch into the system. Here are some of the most important free codes available on MTG Arena, as well as what they’re going to reward you with once you’ve entered them in, to get you started on your way to building the biggest and greatest Magic collection. Free Booster Packs Get three Throne of Eldraine booster packs: PLAYELDRAINE – Get one M20 booster pack: BINGOIVMYTHICCHAMP – Get three Core Set 2020 booster packs: PLAYM20 – Get three War of the Spark booster packs: PLAYWARSPARK – Get three Mythics from various Ravnica sets: MYTHICMAGIC – Get one War of the Spark booster pack: ONEBILLION – Get three Guilds of Ravnica booster packs: PLAYRAVNICA – Get three Ravnica Allegiance booster packs: PLAYALLEGIANCE – Experience Boosts Increases two Mastery levels: LEVELUP – Earn 2,000 XP towards rewards: BROUGHTBACK – Cosmetics & Card Styles Card style and single copy of Opt (M19): SUPERSCRY – Card style and single copy of Revitalize (M19): PARALLAXPOTION – Card style and single copy of Deathbloom Thallid (M19): FOILFUNGUS – Card style and single copy of Fanatical Firebrand (M19): SHINYGOBLINPIRATE – Card style and single copy of Druid of the Cowl (M19): SPARKLEDRUID – Cosmetic stained-glass card style for Arlinn, Voice of the Pack (WAR): OVERTHEMOON – Cosmetic stained-glass card style for Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted (WAR): INNERDEMON – Cosmetic stained-glass card style for Teyo, the Shieldmage (WAR): SHEILDSUP – Cosmetic stained-glass card style for Nahiri, Storm of Stone (WAR): WRITTENINSTONE – Cosmetic stained-glass card style for Narset, Parter of Veils (WAR): ENLIGHTENME – Free Decks from Physical Purchases Buy the Magic the Gathering Gift Pack 2018, get one Angelic Guardian, one Angler Turtle, one Vengeant Vampire, one, Immortal Phoenix, one Rampaging Brontodon – Buy the Ral, Caller of Storms Planeswalker Deck, receive a digital copy of the deck – Buy the Vraska, Regal Gorgon Planeswalker Deck, receive a digital copy of the deck – Buy the Dovin Architect of Law Planeswalker Deck, receive a digital copy of the deck – Buy the Domri, City Smasher Planeswalker Deck, receive a digital copy of the deck – Buy the Gideon, the Oathsworn Planeswalker Deck, receive a digital copy of the deck – Buy the Jace, Arcane Strategist Planeswalker Deck, receive a digital copy of the deck – Buy the M20 Planeswalker Deck, receive a digital copy of the deck – Buy the Throne of Eldraine Decks, receive digital copies of the decks – Read more: Is the PS5 going to be backwards compatible – Keep your eye out for more MTG Arena code updates as well — cosmetic versions of Oathsworn Knight, Grumgully the Generous, Harmonious Archon, and Midnight Clock all expired on September 29, meaning new rare codes may take their place.

GRID Legends review – A return to form, but still chasing down its rivals CodemastersGRID Legends is a fun racing game for casual drivers, and is a welcome addition to the series after the disappointing 2019 reboot of GRID. When Race Driver: GRID was released back in 2008, it not only breathed new life into the TOCA franchise but also into arcade racing in general. In fact, Race Driver: GRID is still looked back on fondly by fans of the genre, and for many, it’s still the highpoint of the series. After a disappointing reboot in 2019, Codemasters is back with GRID Legends, a fun arcade racer that is full of action. Whether you love to send it down the inside or just bash opponents out of the way, the only limit to your overtaking is your own imagination. Despite this, GRID Legends still feels like a game that lags behind its competitors, and while the game’s Drive to Glory story mode is enjoyable, it’s not enough to make the game a viable long-term racer. GRID Legends – Key Details Price (Standard Edition): $59.99 | £59.99 – Developer: Codemasters – Release date: 25/02/2022 – Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC – GRID Legends trailer Driven to Glory After the success of Braking Point in F1 2021, Codemasters have introduced a detailed, fully narrative story mode to GRID Legends called Driven to Glory. If Braking Point was a nod to blockbuster Formula 1 series Drive to Survive, this is more of a direct adaptation. The story is told through cutscenes, with live-action drivers and team owners talking to cameras just like Christian Horner or Lewis Hamilton would in Netflix’s smash-hit docu-series. Our character in this mode is ‘Driver 22,’ a nameless, faceless racer who never speaks, or really adds anything to the story other than their existence. This is probably the weakest part of Driven to Glory because while we grow to care about his teammate Yume Tanaka, we’re never really given a reason to have any interest in the character we actually play as, and any success is the team’s, not our own personal glory. Read More: Total War Warhammer 3 review – The mode’s other characters are fleshed out and interesting though, and the developers did a great job making you dislike your rivals at Ravenwest Motorsport, especially their star driver Nathan McKane, whose arrogance and smugness are at times infuriating. Driven to Glory is a fun story mode, but I did feel that it started to rush through its final act toward the end, and could have benefitted from more cutscenes in the run-up to the finale. Codemasters say that Drive to Glory lasts between eight and 10 hours, however, I found that I had completed the mode in less than seven hours. GRID racing at its best If casual racing is your thing, then you’ll love GRID Legends. This game doesn’t mind if you get your elbows out to overtake. In fact, it encourages you to bump your opponents out of the way, and the aggressive AI makes it almost impossible not to. GRID’s Nemesis system is back though, so make sure not to crash into your opposition too often, otherwise, they’ll be gunning to wipe you out. Still, clean overtakes are possible, especially if you can master the art of late braking. Your opponents often slow quite early, so if you’re confident in your car control, you can usually slip down the inside and nab the position. GRID Legends improves on the racing system used in the series over the years, offering their most refined driving experience yet. Best of all, curbs don’t spin you anywhere near as often as GRID 2019 did, so you can throw the car into corners and hit your apexes without the fear of losing it instantly. Read More: Lost Ark review – I tried the game using both a controller and a racing wheel. While it is more than possible to use a wheel, I found the settings a little tricky to work with and felt that the responsiveness wasn’t quite as good as it was on the gamepad. After a couple of hours, I ended up switching to the controller and never considered going back. I’m sure with tinkering you could find the perfect setup for your wheel, but I think GRID: Legends is much better suited for a controller. With 22 locations, 137 track layouts, and over 120 cars, there are plenty of races to keep you enthralled. While the game includes real-life tracks like Brands Hatch and Austria’s Red Bull Ring, racing through cities is where the game shines graphically, with the Strada Alpina and Dubai locations really catching the eye. Each of these is a facsimile of the location, and it’s fun to careen past landmarks that have no business being this close together at times. On top of that, GRID Legends comes with eight different race types, spread across eight different vehicle types. In one race, you’ll be flying around a circuit in a GT car, the next you’ll be doing a Time Attack in a Truck. Having all these modes is great to keep the racing fresh, but something Codemasters could work on is how often you play the same race. Especially during Driven to Glory, it felt like every other race was Elimination, where the cars at the back get eliminated every 60 seconds. Elimination is a great mode and a GRID classic, but by the end of the story mode, I didn’t care if I ever played it again, and when I booted up career mode and saw it again, I couldn’t help but groan. Every car in the game feels different too, which helps add to the longevity of the game. For me, the introduction of electric cars based on Formula E is a real breath of fresh air, with the addition of the Boost mode adding more strategy to your races. Use it too soon, you’ll have run out by the end of the lap, but hold on too long and your opponents will zoom away from you. Fun — but lagging behind GRID Legends is certainly a fun game, but it feels like a game that’s still playing catch up to its competitors. Forza Horizon 5 is still the standard-bearer for casual racing games, with its open-world giving players opportunities to race, compete, or just drive around and admire the gorgeous landscape. If you don’t want to drive, Horizon has a top-level livery design tool, and the stunt missions are a welcome reprieve from racing. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something a little more serious and realistic, Gran Turismo 7 drops March 4, while pure simulations like iRacing or Assetto Corza Competizione will scratch that competitive itch in a way that GRID Legends just can’t. Even in terms of longevity, GRID Legends doesn’t match up to another of Codemasters’ titles in F1 2021. With real-life drivers to compete against and constantly changing vehicle regulations, there’s a reason to keep playing. The GRID World Series doesn’t change, and once you’ve lifted the championship once, I’m not sure why you would try and do it again. 7/10 GRID Legends is definitely an improvement on its 2019 predecessor and is a solid pick-up for anyone who enjoys casual racing games. The Driven to Glory story mode is a fine addition, but won’t blow anyone away, and while it does feature the franchise’s best in-game racing yet, it doesn’t quite match up to its competitors.

GRID Legends hands-on shows Codemasters at its very best CodemastersGRID Legends sees Codemasters throwing everything at the racing genre, and we were impressed by how much of it sticks. The GRID franchise has always felt like Codemasters’ chance to embrace its wilder side, and in GRID Legends, it’s clear the historic developer is offering its very own “sample platter” of racing disciplines. GRID Legends will not only feature a fully-acted campaign and an innovative new cross-platform multiplayer process where players can join on friends instantly but there is an incredible variety of event types that run from standard circuit races to Stadium trucks to a battle royale-style elimination setup. We went hands-on with Codemasters’ new racer at a recent preview event, and it’s already looking promising. Feeling 22 While our hands-on session didn’t include any of the game’s Driven to Glory campaign mode, we were able to dip into a few modes on some of GRID Legends’ tracks – and some of the drama from the story definitely slips through. For one, our race around a facsimile of London felt like pretty standard fare until we’d bumped one opponent too many times heading into the last lap. They were then marked as a “Nemesis”, denoting that they’d be hunting us down where possible. Read more: Forza Horizon 5 review – With 22 racers in the majority of events, that means there’s plenty of scope for carnage (although in our preview build, vehicles didn’t show any cosmetic damage). It was all fun and games until we approached the last couple of bends and our aforementioned new rival got a little too friendly with our rear bumper. Thankfully, we recovered and won the race, but the next event was a little tougher. Last one racing The Elimination mode is a tricky prospect in itself, as a growing number of racers at the back of the pack are removed from the race. This prompts an “overtake at all costs” mentality, and that almost always leads to trading plenty of paint – and plenty of chances to make new enemies. What made it worse was that this particular event stipulated open-wheel cars, meaning a lot of speed, but with it an increased probability of bouncing from corner to corner. The result? Even after multiple attempts, it was a tough ask to get to the head of the pack. One misjudged corner could send a car spinning out, smashing into others and creating new inadvertent rivals. It’s a great way of making races intense and memorable, while also adding a dash of narrative to the mix. It’s not all banging and crashing, though. GRID Legends pulls from the racing genre’s now customary rewind feature in case you really mess up the last turn and lose it all. Big mother trucker We could go on for pages and pages about GRID Legends’ racing disciplines, but another clear standout is the inclusion of Stadium Trucks. This event type sees, as you can imagine, huge vehicles crunching each other out of the way. That makes rivalries easy to build, but there’s an impressive amount of skill required to navigate races versus their more nimble, smaller car counterparts – while cross-discipline events will allow multiple vehicle types to go head to head. Whichever vehicle you’re driving, GRID Legends will reward you for it. Each mile driven will offer bonuses, and every overtake, every drift, and even just following the racing line will see your reputation grow – helping grow your collection of over 100 cars. While we’re excited to try the Driven to Glory mode, GRID Legends is already poised to offer a varied driving experience. If you enjoyed Forza Horizon 5, it feels in many ways like the perfect follow-up – a racing game built for fun, with a pinch of drama found in every turn. GRID Legends arrives on February 25.

Grid Legends’ multiplayer ‘hop-in’ mechanic might be a game-changer CodemastersWe’ve played Grid Legends’ multiplayer, and it’s about to shake up the racing genre with some neat new tricks. Following our first preview of the game last year, we went hands-on with some Grid Legends multiplayer. It’s clear that aside from the huge number of events in the game, its online-focused features may further help it stand out in a crowded pack. Grid Legends multiplayer boasts some innovations that are bound to up the ante when it comes to competitive play. The team at Codemasters has also thought up exciting ways to cut out time spent in lobbies, so players can jump straight into the action. Here’s a breakdown of the main new multiplayer features in Grid Legends. In, out, shake it all about Grid Legends multiplayer features a neat ‘hop-in’ system that allows players to join an existing game by seamlessly taking over from an AI that’s already in the race. This is a great way to reduce lobby wait times and allows players to join friends quickly, without spending too much time matchmaking. Of course, there are some caveats, as jumping into a race can be risky. You don’t always know what car you’re going to be driving or what position you’ll be in. We experimented with the hop-in feature during our time with the game and found it could be a curse and a blessing, depending on the race. For example, players who’ve been in the race from the start are likely to have already established a comfortable lead, leaving many of the AI cars in the dust. By the time you hop into the race, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Read more: When is GRID Legends coming out? – However, on other occasions, we took over from an AI doing well and were able to seamlessly take over from them, with most of the other players already in our rear-view. Should you need to leave for any reason, the AI takes over again. If you then re-join a race after leaving, you’ll always take control of the car you had before. So don’t think you can hop out, then hop back in again and improve your position. Trust us, we tried. Although our AI had done a stellar job at maintaining our place. Grid Legend’s hop-in system could truly change how multiplayer racers work. We think it’s especially useful for groups of friends looking to play together. The transition from AI to player back to AI again will also eliminate issues with rage quitters. While you’ll be rolling the dice when jumping into an existing race, you will at least be rewarded for your time spent there. As we noted in our prior preview, everything you do in Grid Legends pushes some kind of progression meter up — unlocking new cars, events, and more. “Do you know what Nemesis means?” Grid Legends also contains a new Nemesis feature, and if you think this sounds a lot like the system in the Shadow of Mordor series, you’d be correct. It’s a lot like that, but with cars. It also works well and adds another layer of drama to proceedings. Did you nudge that car and cause the driver to spin out of control and fall behind? Congratulations, you just made a Nemesis. The game will alert both players when it establishes such a rivalry. This happens instantly and you’ll be made aware of that player’s movements in the future, meaning there are short-term repercussions for aggressive play. Read more: Forza Horizon 5 review – Should you enter a race with them again, they’ll have the chance to settle their score with you. Not only do you need to deal with 21 other racers – one of them is out for revenge, or to at least prove they’re the better driver. The Nemesis feature also works with AI drivers in a similar way. For now, we’re unsure of the full extent of the Nemesis feature and what other gameplay changes it brings. However, we’re confident it will turn up the pressure on drivers in a fun way. We look forward to seeing if these multiplayer improvements feel just as impressive when the final game launches. Grid Legends will release on February 25, 2022, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Greg Miller slams Activision CEO at DICE awards: “F**k Bobby Kotick” Twitch/Flickr/Thomas HawkCo-founder of entertainment company Kinda Funny, Greg Miller, roasted Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick at the 2022 DICE awards amid lawsuits plaguing the gaming behemoth. Back in July, a lawsuit was filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing alleging that women were not only harassed on the job, but given unequal pay when compared to their male colleagues. As news broke, more and more stories were shared by both former and current employees with some even claiming that their breast milk was stolen while at work. With Bobby Kotick refusing to resign despite demands for him to do so, the controversial Greg Miller took aim at the embattled CEO at the DICE awards. Greg Miller blasts Bobby Kotick During an opening ceremony, Miller, along with co-host Jessica Chobot poked fun at Kotick before deciding to hammer him with some words that wouldn’t typically be broadcast on TV. “We can’t talk about the industry we love so much without also talking about the stories of abuse and harassment that employees faced at Activision Blizzard and other companies,” Miller said. “But, because this is a formal event, being broadcast to audiences around the world, I’m only going to say ‘F’ Bobby Kotick,” he slammed to a chorus of cheers from those in attendance. Not wanting to leave without pushing the limits a touch, however, Miller continued, adding a touch more spice to the event. “I’m just kidding! F**k Bobby Kotick!” he roared. “Come on!” Given Kotick’s negative track record in the gaming community, it’s no wonder why many will be happy to see him go once Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision is complete. That said, he could see himself leaving with nearly $300m in his back pocket if he’s terminated “for cause.”

“Greatest update in Discord history” lets you play D&D directly with Roll20 WotC/Roll20/DiscordD&D players now have an excellent option available for online play, as Discord can now launch Roll20 directly, keeping your RPG experience all in one place. Roll20 came to prominence during the COVID-19 lockdowns, as RPG players everywhere had to get creative to carry on their campaigns, converting to digital play or even trying out the hobby for the first time remotely. Now, Roll20 and Discord are making it easier than ever to play D&D digitally. You can now open the Roll20 software directly through Discord as an Activity. Communication is absolutely key in playing D&D remotely, and Discord direct play will help you prioritize this as seamlessly as possible. DMing can often be a job of spinning many plates at once and cutting down on the amount of programs you have running can help your games to run much more smoothly. Roll20 makes so much of the TTRPG experience simple and straightforward. DMs have the tools to build maps and structure incredible encounters, and players have all the resources they need without scrambling and searching for a sheet or ruling at a critical campaign moment. Keeping your character sheets, rulebooks, dice-rolling, and battle maps all in one place is invaluable in recreating the tabletop experience, and now Discord is the best place to be for that. TTRPG players have been greatly enthused with the news, with one fan on Twitter/X stating: “This is the greatest update in Discord history.” In further praise for the Roll20 collaboration, another account said: “This is honestly the best activity Discord has added so far.” It isn’t just Dungeon and Dragons that is supported by Roll20 either. Other giants of the contemporary TTRPG space are fully supported through the app. If you’re a fan of Cyberpunk 2077 and want to dive into further adventures of chrome and chaos, Cyberpunk RED has you covered. And if Dune’s global prominence has you longing for more detail on Arrakis, the Landsraad, and more, Modiphius’ Dune TTRPG is right there and waiting. Discord’s Roll20 integration will include D&D’s revised 5e ruleset, as well as the big 2024 Roll20 platform update, giving you the most up-to-date version of the TTRPG experience.

GreekGodx banned again from NoPixel GTA RP server amid toxicity drama Twitter, @Greekgodx / Rockstar GamesOne of the more infamous figures in NoPixel’s GTA RP server, GreekGodx, has been banned for a second time due to drama surrounding repeated rule-breaking toxicity. The “Tay Tay Tyrone” saga may be over, as GreekGodx’s now-notorious Grand Theft Auto roleplay character has been banned from the NoPixel 3.0 server. In a clip shared to Reddit, players revealed that Tay Tay would probably not be returning to “the city,” which Greek elaborated on in detail during his own stream. As it stands, the rationale behind this ban is unclear. What is known is that Greek and the server’s admins discussed the situation and subsequently agreed upon cutting off his involvement for the time being. This follows numerous incidents in which he was found to violate the server’s rules by repeatedly making other players uncomfortable, despite them asking him to stop. In the most notable example, he was originally banned for constantly calling other characters “thick,” despite complaints. That original ban was subject to various reactions, including summit1g’s, who found that the appliance of behavioral rules to the server was a tricky situation. He noted some inherent difficulties, namely, ensuring that such rules are applied to everyone and not just high-profile streamers. As for the new ban, it’s not precisely clear what prompted it — but fans on Reddit seem to believe that it’s due to a general culture clash between Greek’s expectations of the server and NoPixel’s community goals. During his own February 23 Twitch stream, Greek explored the issue in some more detail: “They’ve put me on ‘cooldown,’ because of the drama and shit. So even if I want to play, I can’t because I agreed on a cooldown.” So he is banned from the server, but the decision appears to have been amicably settled on and therefore temporary. As for the differences in mindset, he also shared some details on why he feels the server is at odds with his content. Noting that the behavioral rules make much of the streamed content simply feel like a “Discord call,” Greek explained his wishes for NoPixel’s RP: “I get it: rules are rules. But people need to be a little bit more wild…a little bit more action … It needs to be a little more reckless … a little bit more crazy, to make it a little bit more exciting.”

Gray Zone Warfare: How to get attic key for Helping Hand task Madfinger GamesGray Zone Warfare includes over 100 tasks, some of which can prove challenging due to the many steps involved. Helping Hand is one such task, serving as a fetch quest offered by Handshake. Finishing Helping Hand requires players to find a key to the locked attic in the starting town’s restaurant. From there, the goal is to retrieve information hidden inside the attic, then return it to a waiting Handshake. Here’s a rundown on how to loot the key and where to find the restaurant for Gray Zone Warfare’s Helping Hand task. How to get the attic key in Gray Zone Warfare The restaurant’s attic key spawns on the bodies of fallen enemies who patrol near the restaurant. Searching their pockets or bags should yield the item. Players may also find themselves fortunate enough to get the key from fellow faction members by asking around at their base. How to find the restaurant in Gray Zone Warfare All three Gray Zone Warfare factions have staked their claim on different territories. As a result, the restaurant has different coordinates based on the player’s faction of choice. The precise coordinates for the restaurant in all three regions are as follows: Crimson Shield International: 141, 164 for Kiu Vongsa Restaurant Storage Key – Lemang Recovery Initiative: 203, 163 for Pha Lang Restaurant Storage Key – Mithras Security: 170, 116 for Nam Thaven Restaurant Storage Key – It’s worth noting that, when looting a body, the key will be labeled as an “Attic Key.” However, the item description upon inspection calls it a “Restaurant Storage Key.” After finding the necessary key and entering the restaurant, players should head to the top floor and unlock the attic. The intel that Handshake requested sits on a blue folding chair near the door. The next step is to call in a helicopter from the extraction zone and return to base. Then, all that’s left is to visit the vendors and speak with Handshake to complete Gray Zone Warfare’s Helping Hand task and receive the associated rewards.

Best weapons in Gray Zone Warfare to use in the early game & beyond Madfinger GamesYou must use the best weapons to dominate the early stages of Gray Zone Warfare but choosing the right one can be daunting. So, here’s a list of the best weapons you can use in the new FPS. Being a realistic military shooter, there are a plethora of weapons to choose from in Gray Zone Warfare. Similar to other games like Call of Duty and Escape from Tarkov, these weapons serve a particular purpose. Some can be great at close to medium range, while others are ideal to fire from a distance. Lamang Island is filled with obstacles, and Gray Zone Warfare’s early stages can be unforgiving for new players, so having the best weapons will help you dominate the early game meta. Best early game Gray Zone Warfare weapons The weapons we’ve mentioned below are pretty easy to get by looting. Otherwise, you can also buy them from vendors and they don’t cost much. Mosin (Sniper Rifle) Weapon type: Bolt Action Rifle – Recoil pattern: Vertical – Heavy – RPM: 80 – Weight: 3.4kg or 7.5lb – Mosin is one of the best sniper rifles you can use in Gray Zone Warfare during the early game. You can find this weapon by taking down enemies using snipers or by looting weapon chests. The Mosin is based on the M38 Carbine bolt action and its reliability and easy-to-control recoil make it an easy choice among early Gray Zone Warfare players. However, as you progress, we’d recommend upgrading to a better sniper. Sa vz. 61 Skorpion (SMG) Weapon type: SMG, Full Auto – Recoil pattern: Horizontal – Moderate – RPM: 870 – Weight: 1.3kg or 2.9lb – If you’re looking for the best SMG during the early game in Gray Zone Warfare that’s ideal for mid to close-range combat, go with the Sa vz. 61 Skorpion. This SMG is versatile as you can use it as a primary gun and a powerful sidearm. The barebones gun works well as a side arm, but if you’re looking to use it as your primary weapon, you’ll want to have some attachments like crosshairs and better magazines. M4A1 (Assault Rifle) Weapon type: Auto Rifle, Single-Auto – Recoil pattern: Vertical – Moderate – RPM: 800 – Weight: 3.51kg or 7.74lb – M4A1 is the second-best AR you can use during the early stages of Gray Zone Warfare. It’s one of the go-to choices for Call of Duty and PUBG veterans and does a pretty decent job of dealing with enemies at different ranges. What makes the M4A1 a great choice is that it has multiple attachment options like bayonets, carriers, crosshairs, and more. Remington Model 870 (Shotgun) Weapon type: Pump Shotgun – Recoil pattern: Vertical – Heavy – RPM: 300 – Weight: 3.6kg or 8.0lb – The Remington Model 870 is the best early-game shotgun to one-shot PvE enemies at close range in Gray Zone Warfare. Despite being heavy and having a recoil that’s difficult to control, it’s one of the most viable shotguns in the game. AK-47 (Assault Rifle) Weapon type: Auto Rifle, Single-Auto – Recoil pattern: Vertical – Moderate – RPM: 600 – Weight: 4.78kg or 10.5lb – The AK-47 is hands-down the best AR in Gray Zone Warfare. Similar to CS2 or PUBG, this type of gun can deal great damage to enemies at every range. What’s even better about the AK-47 is that the gun itself and the ammo you’ll need are really easy to find compared to the other weapons on this list. PvE enemies carry AK-47s, so killing them will earn you one. It can pierce helmets and one-shot enemies, provided you land the headshot, and comes with fewer attachment options than the M4A1.

Gray Zone Warfare: How to retrieve the flash drive for Business or Pleasure Madfinger GamesWhile progressing in Gray Zone Warfare, the vendor Handshake will eventually task players with completing the Business or Pleasure quest. Here’s how to complete the challenge. The source of the assignment is Handshake’s curiosity about an armed group of enemies hanging around the Pha Lang Airfield. He specifically wants intel on their hiding place and intentions. Handshake doesn’t spell it out, but the mission requires the retrieval of a flash drive that can only be found in one location. Here’s a rundown on how to complete Gray Zone Warfare’s Business or Pleasure task. Where to find the flash drive in Business or Pleasure To get started, players must travel to the Pha Lang Airfield at the 183, 158 map coordinates. Armed hostiles may be patrolling the area, so remaining on guard is advised. Users should head to the back of the airfield near the terminal, and search for a white stone building. Inside the building sits a desk holding a single laptop. Next to the laptop is a flash drive that should be labeled “Flash Drive Containing Intel” upon inspection. Like other tasks in Gray Zone Warfare, retrieving the associated rewards for Business or Pleasure requires players to return to their faction’s base. To do that, head to an extraction area on the map and call in a helicopter. Visiting the base’s vendors and selecting Handshake will complete the quest and offer the following rewards: 2x CQ A1 assault weapons, 150 Reputation with Handshake, 1000 XP, and $5,500.

Gray Zone Warfare April 30 patch notes: Better performance, server fixes, anti-cheat improvement Madfinger GamesJust 12 hours after its release into Early Access, Gray Zone Warfare is getting its first patch to help fix some stability and performance issues. Gray Zone Warfare has finally arrived in Early Access, and as such, there are plenty of tweaks to be made to get the game where the devs want it to be. Shortly after its initial launch, the game got its first patch that aimed to improve how well the game runs. While nothing groundbreaking, the game’s first patch is keeping the game up and running as best as it can be. Gray Zone Warfare Hotfix #01 patch notes Fixes Fixed: An issue that players would sometimes spawn without heads, clothes, or secure containers – Fixed: 2 separate issues where the anti-cheat would prevent players from joining a server – Fixed: 3 separate server crashes – Changes Changed: The default antialiasing settings to FSR for graphics cards that don’t support DLSS frame generation – Changed: The default antialiasing quality for FSR to performance – Gray Zone Warfare will continue to get steady improvements as the game is conditioned for its full release. We’ll be sure to keep players updated with patch notes as they’re made available.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising review – Anime and D&D clash in thrilling form Return to a land of anime characters in Dungeons & Dragons garb with Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, the latest fighting game from the critically acclaimed Arc System Works. 2023 has been the year for fighting games. Though Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 haven’t been without their controversies, they ruled the roost for a year that also left fans waiting with bated breath for more from franchises like Tekken, Fatal Fury, and – could it be? – Super Smash Bros. Quietly stepping into the middle of this fracas is the latest Arc System Works release, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. ArcSys has had a hell of a streak with the releases of DNF Duel and Guilty Gear Strive. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising lands in a bizarre space. Rising has already been a little muddled as fans try to figure out what it is. Is it an update? A sequel? Or something new entirely? Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising – Key Details Price: Free (Free Edition) – $49.99 (Standard Edition) – $74.99 (Deluxe Edition) – – Developer: Arc System Works – Release Date: December 14, 2023 – Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam – What is Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising? In practice, Rising is a fairly standard ArcSys update, similar to how games like Guilty Gear Xrd had multiple versions. The game incorporates many of the same elements from the first game but remixes and updates them for a new release. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising has a story mode that mixes an updated version of the original Versus story with new elements and chapters. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar, though; a number of glossary entries and character bios are linked throughout the story mode and character guides, helping to catch up on who’s who in the world. The end result is a fighting game with some serious narrative heft. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is dripping with character and style. It’s flashy and fun, and the characters have big personalities that shine all the way through the match. Rising has everything fans loved about the original but with more characters, refined mechanics, and a ton of new modes. It’s a no-brainer if you’re into it, but don’t worry if you’re on the fence; a free edition is releasing that offers a restricted roster, allowing users to try out the first chapter of story mode and the game’s online functionalities. Versus a plethora of single-player offerings The fighting itself is fast, fluid, and frantic, just like you expect from an ArcSys fighting game. Much like more recent efforts, it uses a simplified control scheme, too. I found Rising to be fast to pick up. I was into matches and doing cool stuff immediately, which is the ultimate goal of any fighting game. The core fighting game elements really shine through in the single-player offerings because of this. I came into the game not knowing much about Granblue, but I found myself quickly growing attached to the world. There’s a lot going on here, with enough technical depth for fighting game pros and enough hand-holding for newbies. I found the tutorials to be surprisingly robust, though they were occasionally missing some crucial context. Because they’re situational tutorials, there’s not a ton of guidance on how to apply them in battles, and the lack of feedback if you whiff means learning a new concept can be frustrating if you’re just not getting it. Online battles that rise to the occasion The online components are essential for any fighting game today, and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising delivers them in spades. There are ranked and casual matches, as well as the ability to create rooms. Much like most modern fighting games, Rising makes use of a lobby system where you’ll create an avatar to wander around an arcade-ish environment, skewing closer to Street Fighter 6’s lobbies than Guilty Gear Strive’s. The lobby is a massive, sprawling thing with plenty of nooks and crannies. Those hidden areas are mainly for additional arcade machines to sit at for matches, but they provide plenty of secluded areas where you can meet up with friends. There are also some odds-and-ends to interact with, like a soccer field and a few crane games that unlock statue poses, profile banners, and alternate color schemes. But you’re going into the lobby to fight, most likely, and Rising’s rollback netcode is as smooth as you want it to be. I found the online matches to be incredibly responsive. Early access matches allowed for a sturdy connection, and we found no issue with lag, drops, or stuttering. If you enjoyed the single-player mode of Rising or any recent ArcSys fighter, the online mode here will still scratch that itch. Grand Bruise Legends is all you really care about The biggest surprise out of this is easily the new Grand Bruise Legends mode. It’s largely been compared to Fall Guys, and that’s not wrong, but my first impressions made me think more of Mario Party. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking for a new Mario Party, though. Grand Bruise is a three-round match-up against 12 other players, with each round having a different objective. Some rounds are races, others are horde survival modes, and some require you to simply not get knocked off a continually shrinking platform. It is absurdly chaotic and fun but in the best way. There’s a certain retro, PS1-era charm to the look and feel, and it’s the kind of thing you would absolutely turn your nose up at if it were a solo release. As a separate mode in a full game, though, this is a huge value add for an already packed-to-the-gills experience. Getting into Grand Bruise took some time, and getting eliminated meant getting back in line. It sometimes took us around five minutes to get into a match, but this was early access; I fully expect the wait time to go down drastically once the game is in wide release. Who is Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising for? The biggest issue with this game is that Granblue remains fairly niche in the States. The original game was a Japanese-exclusive mobile game, meaning the only exposure the Americas have gotten to date has been the first Versus and the 2020 anime. But Rising is coming out at the perfect time to potentially capitalize on a wave of hype. The fighting game community is eating well in 2023; Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and more have given fans plenty to play. Dropping near the end of 12 killer months of fighting games, Granblue can capitalize on a community stronger than it’s ever been. There’s also more to come in the form of Granblue Fantasy: Relink, a new roleplaying game that explores the Granblue world. This is a unique opportunity for fighting game enthusiasts or those who want to know more ahead of Relink to get into the franchise now. With a robust character roster and a glossary of character bios and world explainers throughout its story mode, Rising may be the best way to learn about Granblue short of reading a wiki. The Verdict – 4/5 With its gorgeous anime aesthetics, stylish characters and easy-to-pick-up/hard-to-master fighting mechanics, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising provides an exciting, challenging alternative to the bigger, more established fighting games that have populated the year. If you’re looking for more of that Arc System Works magic, this one’s a no-brainer. Reviewed on PS5 If you click on a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising roster: All characters Arc System WorksGranBlue Fantasy Versus: Rising features a lot of great characters to use, so here’s a full rundown of all the fighters that are currently available in the game. The latest installment in the GranBlue Fantasy franchise has just arrived, and it’s the follow-up to the beloved fighting game that brought the gacha game into more of a mainstream light. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a direct sequel to GranBlue Fantasy Versus, and whether you’re a series veteran, or simply want to get a taste of the game‘s world and cast before Granblue Fantasy: Relink arrives in 2024, there are a lot of great new and returning fighters to choose from in this action-packed title. Here’s a full rundown of the roster in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. Every character in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising There are a total of 28 fighters currently available to use in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. These include new and returning characters. You can find a full list of them all below: Returning characters Gran – Djeeta – Katalina – Charlotta – Lancelot – Percival – Ladiva – Metera – Lowain – Ferry – Zeta – Vaseraga – Narmaya – Soriz – Zooey – Cagliostro – Yuel – Anre – Eustance – Seox – Vira – Beelzebub – Belial – Avatar Belial – New characters As well as a handful of returning faces, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising also features 4 new characters at launch, these are: Anila – Siegfried – Grimnir – Nier – It’s also important to note that the game will have DLC content in the future that will add even more fighters to the roster. That’s everything you need to know about the Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising roster! While you’re here, check out our preview for Granblue Fantasy Relink.

How to play Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Open Beta CygamesCygames and Arc System Works will soon host an open beta for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising; here’s what players can do to join the fun. A sequel to 2020’s Granblue Fantasy Versus, the upcoming Rising release is finally scheduled to launch worldwide on December 14, 2023. The 2.5D fighter previously had a due date penciled in for November 30. However, feedback from a beta in July encouraged the team to modify the game’s battle mechanics and design. These tweaks and others throughout the late development phase informed the two-week delay, but fans will soon have a chance to get their hands on the sequel, thanks to a currently active open beta. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising open beta dates and requirements Granblue developers have shared an open beta overview detailing who can join and at which times. The beta kicked off on November 9 at 6:00 PM PT and will close temporarily on November 10 at 5:00 PM PT. It’ll resume on November 10 at 11:00 PM PT, then wrap shutdown again on November 12 at 11:00 PM PT. Rising’s open beta period will be accessible to those who download the title via the PlayStation Store (PS4/PS5) or Steam, so long as they meet the following requirements: Be at least the minimum age to play the game in their respective region – Have a stable internet connection – Reside in and have an account for PlayStation™Network or Steam in one of the following regions: Japan, Asia, North America, or Europe – Read and consent to the Disclaimer, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy before applying – It’s worth noting that Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising open beta data will not transfer to the final product. As such, players shouldn’t expect their beta progress to be reflected in the actual game. But at least the wait for its full release is quickly coming to an end. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising hits PC, PS4, and PS5 next month on Thursday, December 14. Suffice it to say, the title will help cap off an excellent year for fighting games, given the releases of Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, and more.

Is Granblue Fantasy: Relink coming to Xbox Game Pass? CygamesAre you wondering whether Granblue Fantasy: Relink will be coming to Game Pass for PC and Xbox? Well, our handy guide has everything you need to know about the RPGs release on Microsoft’s subscription service. Granblue Fantasy: Relink is one of the most highly-anticipated JRPGs of 2024, and fans of the original gacha game will finally be able to embark on a grand adventure. Unlike Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Relink is a fully-fledged RPG that puts a strong emphasis on real-time battles. Players can create a party and take down the game’s beasts with a variety of abilities and flashy attacks. There’s even a fully-fledged multiplayer mode, that allows adventurers to team up with friends and players online. So, if you’re looking to delve into this island-hopping adventure but want to know if Granblue Fantasy: Relink is coming to Xbox Game Pass, then we have you covered. Is Granblue Fantasy: Relink coming to Xbox Game Pass? No, Granblue Fantasy: Relink will not be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch. It’s important to note that both Granblue Fantasy: Versus and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising were never released on Xbox. While this doesn’t mean Granblue Fantasy: Relink won’t ever come to Game Pass or Xbox Series X|S in the future, it certainly looks rather unlikely. So, if you want to adventure through Sky Realm and take on the primal beasts, then you’ll need to purchase a copy. Granblue Fantasy: Relink will be released on PS5, PS4, and PC on February 1, 2024. For all the latest news on Granblue Fantasy: Relink, be sure to check out our handy release hub here. Will Granblue Fantasy: Relink be open world? | Granblue Fantasy: Relink: All Trophies | Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo: Content, how to download & more | Granblue Fantasy Relink preview | Is Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising free to play? | Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising DLC details

GranBlue Fantasy: Relink preview – An immense RPG full of action CygamesGranBlue Fantasy: Relink is set to release in February 2024. Dexerto got to have a hands-on preview of the RPG ahead of its release, so here’s what we thought of the game so far. GranBlue Fantasy: Relink is an upcoming RPG spin-off of the beloved gacha game, GranBlue Fantasy. This title is aimed at both new and returning fans of the franchise and aims to deliver a meaty JRPG experience you can sink your teeth into. We were recently able to sit down and experience serval portions of the game, including the opening hours of the main story, some multiplayer content, and a hands-off demonstration of just how deep the endgame can get. Without further ado, here are our full thoughts on GranBlue Fantasy: Relink so far. A Gran(d) adventure to experience The opening hours of GranBlue Fantasy: Relink do a fantastic job of introducing you to the game’s main party. Once you’ve selected your protagonist, either a boy called Gran, or a girl called Djeeta (you can rename your character if you want). We selected Gran for our hands-on and were immediately thrust into an adventurous narrative as the captain of a band of Skyfarers. At the start of the playthrough, Gran found himself in unknown surroundings and had to swiftly start looking for his shipmates. As we progressed through a lush linear forest, we got our first taste of combat and were soon reunited with our friends. These opening hours effectively gave us a good idea of what’s to be expected from GranBlue Fantasy: Relink’s single-player experience — an intriguing narrative packed full of adventure, and lovable characters to meet. Levels play out linearly and there are plenty of exciting set pieces throughout. Fans are definitely in for a gran(d) adventure here. Quests, quests & more quests! The main narrative is just one component of GranBlue Fantasy: Relink, however, as you’ll gain access to quests a couple of hours in. These shorter missions can be taken on alone with a party of AI-controlled characters, or they can be enjoyed with up to 4 players in multiplayer. There’s a nice variety of quests from defending an area to fighting a tough boss, and completing them will reward you with the experience and resources needed to continue progressing the main story. While you can’t experience the story in co-op, having quests be an essential part of the core gameplay loop allows players to regularly jump in with their friends — something that is particularly tantalizing for those who want more challenging co-op content. Once the main story is finished, you’ll be able to take on additional quests as well. A fighting style for everyone Combat is a huge part of GranBlue Fantasy: Relink and every character in the RPG has a distinct fighting style that makes them somewhat reminiscent of weapons in the Monster Hunter franchise. From all-rounders like Gran to the protection specialist Vane to mages like Io, who excel at charge attacks — there’s sure to be a character for everyone to enjoy. While you cannot freely swap fighters in battle, the amount of characters that will be available will surely add a huge amount of replayability to the game, and leave a lot of room for experimentation. Battles themselves are all about capitalizing on combos starting by simply combining your light and heavy attacks, then adding in face-button abilities for extra damage. Every enemy you fight has a stun gauge and once this has been filled, you’ll be able to activate a Link Attack with another party member. The more link attacks you use, the more your link level will fill. Once it reaches 100% for the entire party, you’ll gain an advantage by slowing the opponent down in link time. Lastly, Skybound Arts act as Ults in the game, and if you’re able to trigger the attack with your teammates, you’ll perform a Full Burst afterward that unleashes an additional group attack for maximum damage. Gameplay-wise, combat felt extremely smooth on PS5, and while there’s a lot of depth, it’s incredibly satisfying once you get to grips with all the various mechanics. It’s also important to note that the game does feature difficulty settings and an assist mode for those who may not be as experienced with action RPGs. Endgame galore Finally, there will be a lot of endgame content for players to dig into — featuring challenging boss battles that you’ll need to synergize party members and develop a plan of action. We were shown a hands-off live demonstration where two members of the Cygames team took on a level 135 boss that delivered a constant barrage of bullet-hell and AoE attacks that were reminiscent of some of Final Fantasy XIV‘s toughest raids. One player took on the primary damage-dealing role in the fight, and the other focused on protection, which emphasized just how important not only dictating specific roles will be in the endgame but also crafting your builds perfectly for every battle. Although the main story is set to be approximately 20 hours long, with all the multiplayer quests and endgame on offer, you could spend up to and over 100+ hours in the game depending on how deep you want to dig into the endgame experience. Overall GranBlue Fantasy: Relink looks to be a vibrant, immersive action RPG packed full of content to enjoy. In what’s shaping up to be a huge 2024 for the genre, GranBlue Fantasy: Relink is coming for the JRPG crown. GranBlue Fantasy: Relink will release on February 1, 2024, for PS4, PS5, and PC.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink review – Fast action & tropes Granblue Fantasy: Relink is Cygames’ first major attempt to bring the long-running gacha game to the prime time. For about three months in 2018, I spent time with the mobile and browser-only Granblue Fantasy. I never paid close attention to the story and I spent £300 on it in that short space of time, finally deciding to put it away forever. Granblue Fantasy: Relink might have reopened an expensive old wound. The game has been running since 2014 and is intensely popular in Japan. The country’s love of mobile gachas skyrocketed the game into its own full-fledged property. Outside of routine, regular updates to the mobile game, it also had its own fighting game which received a significant update in the last few months. Relink then, is Cygames’ big splash to bring the now-franchise to even more eyes. Bringing the underlying mechanics and concepts of the gacha game to an action RPG does pose some fascinating questions though. Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Key Details Price: $59.99/$99.99 (Deluxe) – Developer: Cygames – Release Date: 1 February 2024 – Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 & 5 – Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Trailer Granblue Fantasy: Relink feels like an anime movie Relink is perhaps one of the most stereotypical ‘video game’ stories I’ve come across in some time. It hits nearly every single trope that stems from RPGs with roots in Japan and anime. Mainly, Granblue Fantasy: Relink feels a lot like the movie of a long-running anime. It wastes no time with introducing the expansive cast of characters, instead asking you to catch up with extra learning in your own time. With this, it’s lucky that Granblue Fantasy doesn’t exactly have the richest cast. They don’t display any deeper conceits from the outset, so a lot of characters tend to gravitate toward what I assume is their main trait. Without the baggage of having to spend a dozen hours getting to know characters, Relink dives straight into it. There’s very little that gets in the way of the rapid thrust through events. It feels like a total blitz of going from a tiny village to much, much larger stakes. This isn’t the game for explanations, growth, or arcs. The developers knew this, as every text box and conversation you have is accompanied by instant access to a glossary for in-world terms. If you want to find out more about the large roster, there’s an entire section pulled from the Gacha game. RPG to the right, soap operas to the left Fate Episodes are deeper dives into the characters, giving you insight into their reasons for joining the group on their adventures. Granblue Fantasy: Relink is packed with things, but you can see where the corners had to be cut. Each Fate Episode is required viewing, even if you pay no attention, as they grant that character a permanent stat bonus. However, they’re not fluid cutscenes. Rather they’re a few stills of in-game models in poses as text is read. Some of the stories are genuinely intriguing and it would have been great to see them played out in some capacity. That said, when you have a couple dozen characters to sift through, I can understand why these are done with the minimum effort. Fate Episodes hide more than you think An unlockable character, Cagliostro, is the creator of alchemy, transferring her mind into a handmade body. It brings a crucial dark undertone to the character, but Relink just doesn’t make any attempt to interweave this into the game itself, instead opting to keep it separate. It does make them a little bit of a chore to marathon through after unlocking other characters or progressing further into the game and forgetting to catch up on the soap operas. For the main story, the game hits all the anime movie tropes as well. There are even three henchmen you’ll encounter and a bigger, overall villain who has evil machinations to do with giant, screen-filling creatures. It never strays outside of that safe zone, but it feels like a familiar blanket. It does it all in earnest too, so I could never fault it for its tempered ambitions. Granblue Fantasy: Relink never blinks in the face of not rocking the boat, and for that I respect it. The game eventually began to grab hold of my brain though, but it wasn’t the story that did it. Granblue Fantasy: Relink has me hostage with its structure. Granblue treads familiar Monster Hunter territory There’s no denying Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s influences for structure. Phantasy Star Online, Monster Hunter, God Eater Burst – it’s all there. Between the story, you’ll head back into town and enter some quests. The speed you complete these puts them closer to something like Phantasy Star, but there are some repeatable boss fights later that have massive Monster Hunter energy. As the game relies on a weakness system, you’ll be altering your party around different requirements. However, there’s no sense in trying to min-max these while completing the story if you’re playing solo. The playable character can’t be removed from the party until after the main quest is over. This can seriously hinder some quests too. They are Wind type, and heading into a quest with an enemy expressly designed to counteract Wind elements can scupper chances of success. It didn’t become irritating until the last stretch of the main quest, where they began to need reviving if I wasn’t directly playing as them. Never too hard The game isn’t lax on difficulty – you will need to learn boss fights for instance – but it’s not a particularly difficult game. Relink gives you a ton of opportunities for healing and reviving, and getting downed is often an inconvenience rather than quest-ruining. You’ll enter a ‘critical’ state, which the whole team shares a meter for. Once it depletes, it’s game over, but I only saw this twice. The majority of the defeats weren’t actual game overs, but due to time limitations some bosses have. On top, there’s also missing out on the extras from quests. While you’re doing the main objective, three checkboxes will haunt you while you do battle. These could be killing a particular number of enemies, beating them in a certain time frame etc. In the early stages, you might beat one or two, and then swing back to decimate at a higher level. But it’s irritating missing that one thing – being two seconds from beating it in record time to score higher on the results screen. You get rated from C to S++, and in traditional fashion, the higher your score, the better the rewards. This can weigh on the minds of completionists, especially when it’s incredibly easy to repeat quests by hitting a button on the results screen. This, however, ties into the more recognizable traits from the Gacha game. Grind mindset One thing brought over from the mobile game to Relink is the endless grind. Weapons, items, and characters, all need leveling up and upgrading. When the game starts out, you’ll only be required to find a couple of items. Further in, you’ll be getting orbs, shards, and bits of creatures. All these come from the game’s main loop it manages to weave pretty well into the main story. Not that it makes sense in the story that the crew spent three hours questing across the globe while the plot took a huge pause. However, the moment-to-moment gameplay is so chaotic, that it’s hard to hate that it encourages you to take a break from barrelling through its story. You can return to town at any moment you like to level up and jump back in from the last checkpoint. Usually, I found myself doing this while facing some later-game bosses that began introducing insta-kill moves you have to stop before a timer runs out. It also means that you’re not trapped in the story if you want to suddenly hop into an online quest with friends. Granblue Fantasy: Relink offers chaotic fast-paced fights That structure is fine and all, but what about the game itself? Well, the moment-to-moment is thrilling. It’s a basic X-Y masher, with some element of strategy stemming from your party rather than actual input. I found that the explosive action and almost sprint-like pace of fights made some of it really hard to read at times. It becomes a mess of numbers, particle effects and button prompts all too quickly without ever easing the player in. Sure, you start with weak enemies, but this quickly spirals into madness. Thankfully, during some of the more screen-filling boss fights, the constant reminders of where they’ll strike with marks on the ground are a rubber dinghy in a sea of confusion. I have the power of anime and friendship on my side The theme of friends and teamwork doesn’t simply stop at the story. You’ll be able to execute “Link Attacks” with B (or Circle) when beating down the same enemy as a companion. This builds up the Link meter, which when you all execute a Link Attack at 100% together, introduces slow motion and bigger damage. A large part of the game is cooperation, which I lost in playing the game mostly solo. Any attempt to organize or join a multiplayer game during the review process never really worked out. Coordination of Link Attacks, special moves and the like will surely shine through once you can matchmake with randoms online – right? However, the computer-controlled characters never really hindered the experience, with some moments where I’m sure they have invincibility turned on for large-scale, heavy attacks from bosses. There’s limited control over the CPU, which is fine for the most part. You can tell them to hold onto or use their super moves. That’s about it though. No squad mechanics here, they’re bashing their invisible X buttons too. Big roster allows Relink to switch it up While sometimes it can feel a little basic, with a lot of the characters’ key moves boiling down to mashing X and Y, it’s only because of how quickly it shows its hand. There’s a roster of 20 characters, with six unlocked from the start. Despite the methods being relatively the same for actually pressing on, each character does play in a fairly unique way. For instance, Katalina might seem like an ice-themed knight but she eventually develops into a key player for slowing enemies down by freezing them rather than dealing damage. The main character morphed into my healer, while another unlockable character quickly became my damage dealer. Some characters, like Eugen, even feature entirely different ways to play. By holding down the attack button, you’ll enter a third-person shooter view to ‘snipe’ enemies. Another gun-toting character, Rackam, doesn’t feature that, instead acting more like covering fire for the crew. At every juncture that Relink could get boring, it pulls itself back from the brink by offering different ways to play similar missions and quests. It’s a shame that unlocking these characters takes an age. You earn character tickets, which are locked either behind regular intervals in the story or certain quests. I guess it could be worse, and the full gacha randomness could have followed Relink, but it feels like this should be one of the faster elements of the game. Upgrading these characters also means repeating quests to earn points, which can be plopped into skill trees. For an idea of how large these skill trees are, after beating the main story, my main character sat around 30-35% complete in one of three trees. Attack, Defence, and Collection – which pertain to your weapon – all offer different moves on top of passive buffs to attack or HP. Stuffed with things to do Think we’re done? Well, once you do beat the main story, you unlock even more to do. It’s yet another one of those games to which you can apply the oft-touted meme “the real game starts now”. A major problem with this overstuffing is that incredibly useful elements can go amiss. I suspected the inventory was there just for traditional purposes. Later into the game though, I found I’d been picking up “spellbooks” which can give a huge amount of XP to characters you’ve been ignoring. Or that there are boxes that need to be appraised, which you only find out after seeing the credits. You’ll routinely see “trophy unlocked” during the main portions of the game. These give you bonus items, but it’ll never tell you that until you go into that menu. Granblue Fantasy: Relink is not without stuff to do, but it’s overpacked to a fault at times. Side quests, for instance, are merely a means to an end, with no stories to invest in. The characters themselves, having been explored for nearly a decade on phones, are left to the side as well. Some of the quests you go on feel like obligations, rather than interesting designs. Kill waves of enemies, but in the desert, rather than a forest. Granblue Fantasy: Relink PC version is fine on Steam Deck too It helps that Relink looks fantastic. I played on PC and Steam Deck, with the game offering excellent performance on the Framework 16 (RX7700S and Ryzen 9 7940HS), while on Steam Deck you’re limited to 30FPS to 40FPS for best performance. The game doesn’t support 16:10 aspect ratios though, so you will be met with large black bars on top and bottom on widescreens. The PC version also doesn’t feature nearly enough settings for personal tweaks, instead offering presets for most options. However, as the game is designed with a PS4 in mind too, you shouldn’t find it hard to run it smoothly. Go in as deep as you like Granblue Fantasy: Relink is perhaps a little better than its counterparts in the genre. The game never forces you down the path of perfecting it and pushing you into the meta. I’m sure Cygames would love for you to stick around for hundreds of hours, but the fact of the matter is, it’s entirely optional. The game’s core loop can be fracked for as much or little as you like. You could learn the game’s mechanics and attempt bosses entirely solo, or just relax through a fairly cozy video game with some low stakes. Verdict – 4/5 While the story elements of the game can feel a little wishy-washy, Granblue Fantasy: Relink itself is overstuffed with things to do. However, it is a rousing success at bringing the franchise to yet another genre – even if it’s adjacent this time. The big roster of characters is relatively easy to adjust to, and the moment-to-moment feels superb despite its hectic nature. It utilizes the Monster Hunter-esque structure to its advantage as well, offering a trove of quests to work through. It does fall into some of the series’ most known problems – namely grind – but it never feels like it outstays its welcome. If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Granblue Fantasy Relink: Release date, platforms, trailers & everything we know CygamesGranblue Fantasy Relink is the latest big project from Cygames. Here’s everything we know about the highly anticipated JRPG so far including platforms, trailers, and release date. Granblue Fantasy Relink is the next upcoming release from Japanese developer Cygames. The team has been busy producing a handful of Nintendo Switch exclusives, including Little Noah: Scion of Paradise, and Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle. Granblue Fantasy Relink, however, is the studio’s most ambitious project yet and it looks like they’ve created a gorgeous JRPG world full of wonder and adventure. Here’s everything we know about the game so far. Contents Does Granblue Fantasy Relink have a release date? At Gamescom 2023, Cygame announced the game would be released worldwide on February 1, 2024. Previously, it was set for a 2022 release but was pushed back several times. Platforms Granblue Fantasy Relink will be coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. It’s unconfirmed whether the game will receive an Xbox release in the future, but as the last Granblue console title – Granblue Fantasy Versus – was a PlayStation exclusive this seems unlikely. Trailers There have been a handful of trailers for Granblue Fantasy Relink since the game was officially announced in 2017. The PlayStation Showcase trailer gave fans a closer look at the game’s world, combat, and characters. A short trailer was released in December 2021 that featured a number of combat sequences where characters were battling all kinds of enemies from goblins to dragons. A cutscene-based trailer was released in 2019 that highlights some of the game’s core party members showing off their signature skills before heading into battle with a skeleton army. In 2018, an early trailer was released that detailed traversal and combat gameplay. You can check out all the Granblue Fantasy Relink trailers below: The trailer at Gamescom 2023 finally confirmed Relink’s release date and pre-order information. Pre-orders begin on August 23, with available deluxe and collector’s editions. Demo A PS4 and PS5 demo was officially confirmed by CyGames in December 2023 and was made available on January 12, 2024. Fans can play through 3 different modes in the demo including a small portion of the single-player main story, and quest mode which gives you the chance to play online in co-op. The Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo is live!https://t.co/vpKIgNprCW Masterful skill is built on a solid foundation—hop into the Tutorial mode featured in the demo and learn the fundamentals of combat in #Relink! pic.twitter.com/mNOWlaqOBY — GRANBLUE FANTASY: Relink (@gbf_relink_jp) January 12, 2024 Gameplay Granblue Fantasy Relink is an action RPG that includes four-person player co-op. The game’s main story will be a single-player experience and a multiplayer co-op mode will become available to players after the campaign has been completed. The quests that are unlocked in the endgame can either be tackled in co-op or alone with AI companions. Based on the gameplay footage, combat in Granblue Fantasy Relink is a real-time fast-paced system that utilizes standard base attacks, as well as magic and signature character abilities. From what we’ve seen so far, there’s a great deal of enemy variety within the game, and a number of vast, vibrant environments for players to explore. Story While details on the game’s story are still scarce, an official summary has been released on the game’s website, stating the following: “There exists a world where islands of all shapes and sizes float in a sea of clouds. It is a world forsaken by the gods. Once upon a time, people known as the Astrals attempted to seize control of this world with their overwhelming might, but the citizens of the skies repelled the invaders, thus ushering in a new era of peace. Living on a little-known island in a remote part of the skies, you find a letter left behind by your father telling you to set off for a legendary island. However, before you leave, you meet a mysterious girl named Lyria, inevitably setting the wheels of fate in motion.” That’s everything we know about Granblue Fantasy Relink so far. Be sure to check out our other release hubs to get the latest updates on all the upcoming launches: Dragon Age 4 | Metaphor ReFantazio | Hades 2 | GTA 6 | | Wolverine | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | Persona 3 Reload

Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo: Content, how to download & more CygamesA demo for the upcoming JRPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink has just been released. So, here’s everything you need to know about it, including how to download, what content is available to play, and whether or not your progress will carry over to the full game. Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the latest entry in the beloved franchise that began life as a gacha title and then received the fighting game treatment. Relink is a full-blown action RPG that’s ideal for anime fans, and for anyone curious to check it out before it releases, a playable demo has just been made available on PS4 and PS5. Here’s everything you need to know about the Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo including what content is available, how to download it, and if your progress will transfer to the full release. Contents How to download Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo The demo is currently available on PS4 and PS5. To download it on your device simply follow the steps below: Head to the PlayStation Store on your PS4 or PS5. – Search for “Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo” on the store. – When you’ve found the demo, press “add to library” and it should automatically start downloading. – Once the demo has been fully installed, you can open the app and start playing! – Demo Content The game’s demo features 3 different modes for players to try. These are: Tutorial: Learn how to move like a Skyfarer. – Story: Experience a snippet of Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s main story. – Quests: Choose from a selection of quests to tackle. – While the tutorial and story segments are single-player, the quests mode gives you the option to go online and take on quests with other players, so this is a great chance to see how co-op play works in the title. Will demo progress carry over? No, demo progress won’t carry over to the full game but you can earn some rewards for completing the content that can be used in the full version. It’s also important to note that game data can’t be saved or loaded in the demo so keep that in mind while you’re playing! That’s everything you need to know about the game’s demo. For more on Relink, check out our preview for the game.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink: How to unlock new characters CygamesCygames latest release, Granblue Fantasy: Relink has a sizeable roster of unique characters but how can you add new fighters to your party? Here’s everything you need to know about unlocking new characters in the game. Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the long-awaited game that brings the beloved characters and world from the popular gacha title to life in an action-packed JRPG that both dedicated fans and newcomers alike can enjoy. Throughout the game, you’ll get to experience a compelling main story, and complete quests either alone or with up to 3 friends in online co-op, and there’s also a challenging endgame to tackle once the credits roll. There are a lot of characters to use in Granblue Fantasy: Relink and they all have unique combat mechanics and roles they’re best suited to but how can you unlock new ones? Here’s everything you need to know about adding new characters to your party in Granblue: Fantasy Relink. How to unlock new characters in Granblue Fantasy: Relink You can unlock new characters in the game by exchanging Crewmate Cards. The ability to add new characters to your party becomes available at the beginning of Chapter 4 of Granblue Fantasy: Relink once Siero gives you your first Crewmate Card. To exchange the card, simply follow the steps below: Head to the Knickknack Shack in Folca and speak to Siero – Click on the Crewmate Card option in the store menu – Select the character you want to recruit – A short cutscene will play and that character will now be available to use! – You’ll have the option to practice with the character to get used to their combat skills as soon as they’re unlocked, and then you can start taking on quests and main story missions with them. A Crewmate Card can only be used once so you’ll have to obtain more as you progress through the game to get more fighters. Cards are gained as rewards for completing specific quests in Granblue Fantasy: Relink so make sure to take on as many quests as you can. For more Granblue content, check out our guides below: Will Granblue Fantasy: Relink be open world? | Granblue Fantasy: Relink: All Trophies | Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo: Content, how to download & more | Granblue Fantasy Relink preview | Is Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising free to play? | Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising DLC details

Granblue Fantasy: Relink: All Trophies CygamesGranblue Fantasy: Relink is now available for early access players, and there are a lot of Trophies you can unlock during your playthrough. Here’s a rundown of every available Trophy you can get in the action-packed JRPG. The latest installment in the Granblue Fantasy series is Granblue Fantasy: Relink, a release that takes the beloved world and characters from the gacha title, and fighting game spin-offs, and places them in a fully realized action RPG that both fans and newcomers alike can dive into headfirst. Between a compelling story to complete, quests to take on either solo or in co-op with up to 4 friends, and a challenging endgame experience, there’s a lot of content in Relink, and for any Trophy hunters out there, you’ll be pleased to know there are plenty of Trophies to unlock as you play. So, here’s a full rundown of all the Trophies in Granblue Fantasy: Relink. Granblue Fantasy: Relink Trophies There are a total of 54 Trophies you can get in the game, including the Platinum. You can find a full rundown of all of them below: Platinum Sky – Obtain all Trophies (Platinum) – The Ultimate – Complete the main story up to Chapter Ø on Ultimate Difficulty – Wings of Destruction – Complete quest “The Final Report” – Nothing is Impossible! – Complete all side quests – Id – Complete the final chapter of the main story – Skybound Heart – Complete chapter Ø of the main story – The Forgotten Sky – Complete Prologue of the main story – The Western Frontier – Complete Chapter 1 of the main story – Tempest on the Horizon – Complete Chapter 2 of the main story – Creation of the Stars – Complete Chapter 3 of the main story – Skies Forever Blue – Complete Chapter 4 of the main story – Shadows in the Snowscape – Complete Chapter 5 of the main story – In Search of Hope – Complete Chapter 6 of the main story – Warning Signs – Complete Chapter 7 of the main story – Relink – Complete Chapter 8 of the main story – Opposing Wills – Complete Chapter 9 of the main story – Squad’s all Here – Unlock all characters – Fate Can’t Wait – Complete all characters Fate Episodes – Reminiscence – Fill in every field note entry in Lyria’s Journal – True Potential – Unlock the power of an Ascension weapon for the first time – Leave It To Me – Achieve an S++ quest evaluation for the first time – It’s All About Communication – Use an emote – Primal Beast Punisher – Defeat primal beasts 100 times – I Try to Help – Complete a side quest for the first time – About to Full Burst – Trigger a full burst in battle (excluding certain battles) – Don’t Think it Goes Higher Than That – Deal more than 999,999 damage with a chain burst in battle – In Perfect Sync – Enter link time in battle (excluding Training) – Chain Burst Champion – Activate chain bursts 100 times in battles (excluding certain battles) – No Holding Back – Unleash Skybound Arts 10 times in battles (excluding certain battles) – Field Medic – Revive allies 5 times – It’s Called Skill – Use skills 50 times in battle – Buff Buffet – Use buffing skills to grant status effects to allies 20 times in battles – Debuff Deluge – Use debuffing skills to inflict status ailments on foes 20 times in battle – I Will Survive – Use 50 potions – Give Me Something To Break – Put foes into Break 5 times in battles (excluding certain battles) – A Fateful Encounter – Complete a fate episode prologue for the first time – A Fateful Farewell – Complete a fate episode epilogue – Push It To The Limit – Raise a character to level 100 – I like It When Numbers Go Up – Acquire a total of 100,000 rupies – Crabs are Neat – Find 20 wee pincers – Closer to the Truth – Find 30 archive entries – Treasure Hunter – Open 50 treasure chests (excluding town chests) – Unlocked and Unloaded – Open all locked treasure chests – Practice Makes Perfect – Get some practice in with Sir Barrold – No Cap – Uncap a weapon at the blacksmith – Knickknack Shack Regular – Use Siero’s Treasure Trade to complete 10 trades – On The Road To Mastery – Unlock a character action node from Masteries for the first time – Making Ends Meet – Sell 10 sigils – Welcome to the crew – Unlock a new character – On the House – Get an appraisal from Zathba – Sharpshooter – Destroy all guided projectiles of an enemy barrage using a single Charged Shot from an ether cannon in Chapter 4 of the main story – Cannon Crusher – Destroy all enemy cannons in Chapter 4 of the main story – Hidden Trophy – Hidden Trophy – For more Granblue content, check out our guides below: Will Granblue Fantasy: Relink be open world? | Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo: Content, how to download & more | Granblue Fantasy Relink preview | Is Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising free to play? | Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising DLC details

Gran Turismo 7: Top 10 fastest cars Polyphony DigitalPolyphony Digital’s racing simulation franchise has always been known for its expansive array of cars and authenticity. So for Gran Turismo 7 players wanting to get their hands on the fastest speed demons in the game, here are the top 10 for you to own and try out. Having a big pile of credits will allow you to buy the game’s fastest vehicles, and believe us, Gran Turismo 7 has a lot of fast cars. Aside from being able to dominate races and opponents in online play, it’s always a thrill to be able to control some of the world’s powerful cars and prototypes. One of the satisfying aspects of playing Gran Turismo is engaging in your own rags to riches tale. You start out the game with a handful of credits, accumulate more, rack up more owned cars, and once you’re many hours in, you will be sitting on top of a bloated empire of top-end vehicles and a fat stack of credits. So here are the top 10 fastest cars in Gran Turismo 7 for you to add to your wishlist. Fastest cars in GT7 As a brief disclaimer, whilst we’ve been able to play a ton of Gran Turismo 7, but there might still be one of two secrets lurking in the game that we haven’t come across yet. So these are the fastest cars in GT7 to the best of our knowledge. To measure the power and speed of each car, we’re using each car’s BHP (Brake Horsepower) as our unit of measurement. Furthermore, the majority of these cars are Gran Turismo’s Vision prototypes where they have worked with each manufacturer to create incredible designs that may be possible in the future. We’ll update this list if anything changes or any more beasts are added to the game. 10. Jaguar VGT Coupe Max Power: 1,019 BHP – Max Torque: N/A – The first of two quickfire, back-to-back entries for England’s Jaguar brand. It looks like the Silver Surfer’s personal beast that could cut through corners in a flash. Its 4WD status makes it appealing and starts off the top 10 in style. 9. Jaguar VGT Roadster Max Power: 1,019 BHP – Max Torque: N/A – A similar entry to #10, the difference between the Coupe and the Roadster is practically non-existent, save for a few slight aesthetic differences. The Roadster’s price point and specs are the same, so it’s all about which one suits the eye better. 8. SRT Tomahawk S VGT Max Power: 1,021 BHP – Max Torque: 69.2 kgfm – Adopting a similar shape to the previous Jaguar models, the headspace is largely centralized for the SRT Tomahawk S and it has a tiny bit more BHP in the tank. It’s also lighter in comparison, making it slightly more nimble. 7. FXX K ’14 Max Power: 1,049 BHP – Max Torque: 76.5 kgfm – Our one and only real-life tarmac-trashing behemoth on wheels. Ferrari’s FXX K ’14 is a gorgeous, premium-looking roadster with all the precise edges and curvature of an expensive sports car. The fact that this is a real car makes it even more special. 6. Porsche VGT Max Power: 1,114 BHP – Max Torque: N/A – Our first real jump in the list is the Porsche VGT concept car and it pushes the BHP scale past 1,100. Using a more conventional body type, its low center of gravity combined with its impressive 1,114 BHP makes the car a more ferocious animal than the usual bulky and brilliant Porsche designs. 5. McClaren VGT Max Power: 1,150 BHP – Max Torque: 86.8 kgfm – McClaren’s only entry on this list is the mega-futuristic-looking McClaren VGT that hits the 1,150 BHP mark. It shares the sporty characteristics of the FXX K ’14 and drops the car even lower to the floor. Its overall package of length, width, and height makes it a veritable sprinting ninja in the pack. 4. SRT Tomahawk GTS-R VGT Max Power: 1,470 BHP – Max Torque: 99.4 kgfm – Just like the power and speed of these final few entries, the BHP has shot up in the blink of an eye. The SRT Tomahawk GTS-R VGT goes above and beyond the early Tomahawk entry on our list, despite being practically identical. Its specs are where it takes a big edge and 1,470 is a lot of horsepower. 3. Bugatti VGT Max Power: 1,649 BHP – Max Torque: 187 kgfm – Every man and his dog has heard of a Bugatti Veyron, but it’s the Bugatti VGT concept car we’re focusing on today as it outclasses its more well-known sibling. This 4WD weapon is stocked to the gills with pace, power, and presence. 2. Jaguar VGT SV Max Power: 1903 BHP – Max Torque: N/A – Weighing in at a huge 1,903 BHP is the Jaguar VGT SV. Apart from its insane BHP, the overall design of the car fits into the classic VGT shape of other cars on this list and it’s also the longest car too by some way. Control and stability may be a tad problematic, but who cares, just floor it and have fun. 1. SRT Tomahawk X VGT Max Power: 2,623 BHP – Max Torque: 124.2 – Yep. 2,623 BHP. It’s a bit obscene, isn’t it? Which is why we love it we guess. The car with the most BHP, and it’s not even close, is another Tomahawk model from the good folks over at Dodge. Again, there’s nothing crazy or outlandishly different about its design, it just happens to have double the power under the hood as any car on this list! For even more GT7 guides and content, we have more for you here: Gran Turismo 7: Frame Rate mode vs Ray Tracing mode guide | How to change the camera in Gran Turismo 7 | Gran Turismo 7: Most expensive cars

Gran Turismo 7 update 1.17 patch notes: Pikes Peak Escudo returns, new track, more Polyphony DigitalGran Turismo 7 is receiving constant updates from Polyphony Digital and the 1.17 update is keeping the content train rolling with new cars to use and tracks to race them on. We’re only a few months removed from the release of Gran Turismo 7 and whilst there’s still already a huge ton of amazing content, as we covered in our extensive review, the devs are showing no signs of stopping with Gran Turismo 7. Update 1.17 is the latest patch for the racing simulation game and even though it’s not set to make any groundbreaking changes to the game, Gran Turismo 7 fans are set to benefit from it. GT7 1.17 update release date and time The 1.17 update is gearing up to go live on June 22 at 11:00 pm PDT and June 23 at 7 am BST. Read More: How to use nitrous in Gran Turismo 7 – As soon as the hour strikes at these respective times, players should be able to immediately set the new update to download to acquire the new raft of content. Gran Turismo 7 update 1.17 patch notes As we’ve said, there aren’t tons of alterations to look out for in terms of gameplay, but merely new content being dropped into Gran Turismo 7. New cars The headline addition has to be the long-awaited, return of the Suzuki V6 Escudo Pikes Peak Special ’98 – AKA Pikes Peak Escudo – a monstrous powerhouse of a vehicle that long-term fans of the franchise will be instantly familiar with. It’s been 10 years since we’ve seen it in Gran Turismo, but it’s back! Additionally, a new GT Vision car is on the way in the form of the Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo (Gr.3 Version) which is a simply stunning-looking piece of craftsmanship and will inevitably want a lot of your credits. The final vehicle on its way is the 1932 Ford Roadster and it couldn’t look any more vintage if it tried. An authentic hotrod, the Ford Roadster will make a fine piece in anyone’s car collection. New track Gran Turismo 7 already offers a copious amount of energetic and varied rack tracks for you to tear up, but the 1.17 update is increasing the total with Watkins Glen International. This New York-based track has plenty of opportunities to go fast and naturally provides more Circuit Experience for you to gain. New menus Another tiny but cool detail is the incoming arrival of new menus to complete. Players will be able to undertake the following goals and there’s also information on when they will become available too. Toyota 86 Collection: Opens at Collector Level 20 – Honda Type R Collection: Opens at Collector Level 20 – Rotary Engine Collection: Opens at Collector Level 32 – For more Gran Turismo 7 content and guides, check these out below: Gran Turismo 7: Frame Rate mode vs Ray Tracing mode guide | How to change the camera in Gran Turismo 7 | Gran Turismo 7 Speed Archdemon Trophy guide: How to reach 600km/h | How to wash your car in Gran Turismo 7: Squeaky Clean Trophy guide | Gran Turismo 7 Roulette Tickets: How to get them & what they do | Does Gran Turismo 7 have free roam?

Gran Turismo 7 Speed Archdemon Trophy guide: How to reach 600km/h Polyphony DigitalThe Speed Archdemon Trophy in Gran Turismo 7 tasks you with clearing a top speed of an outrageous 600km/h (373mph). While it may sound impossible at first, here’s how you can set a new record to get it done in the latest Polyphony Digital release. While keeping in control of your vehicle and perfecting every slight movement has always been the key in Gran Turismo, sometimes you just need to put your foot down and hit the gas. That’s exactly what’s required here with the new Speed Archdemon Trophy in Gran Turismo 7. Along with the 200mph Club and the regular Speed Demon Trophies, all three of these challenges demand that you drive as fast as possible. This means you need the right cars, some optimal tuning, and the ideal tracks to make some history. So here’s a full breakdown of how you can reach these benchmarks and clear 600km/h in Gran Turismo 7. How to unlock Speed Archdemon Trophy in Gran Turismo 7 First things first when it comes to reaching breakneck speeds in Gran Turismo 7, you’ll need a huge pile of Credits. Cars are expensive, and the absolute best rigs money can buy don’t come cheap. Your first step is to simply play the game. A lot. You’ll want to have well over a million Credits banked up before even thinking about this Trophy as it simply isn’t possible otherwise. Be sure to use our guide here to maximize your Credit gains and expedite this process. Once you’re loaded with Credits, your next step is to visit Brand Central. With a solid amount of game time under your belt, you should be familiar with this location. It’s where all the best vehicles in Gran Turismo 7 can be purchased. In order to reach the highest speeds possible, you want a car that pushes today’s technological bounds. Rather than sticking with vehicles that actually exist in the real world, you want to keep an eye out for conceptual cars designed just for Gran Turismo. With the highest PP in mind, there’s no better concept vehicle in the game than the Dodge SRT Tomahawk X VGT. With its PP set to 1216.99, it comes in as the strongest base vehicle in the game at launch. While it comes in at a hefty 1 million Credits, it’s the best car for the job when unlocking the Speed Archdemon Trophy. Read More: Gran Turismo 7: Most expensive cars – This car likely won’t be used in many actual races or events due to PP limits. So before making the huge investment, it’s worth keeping in mind that it’ll serve more as a showpiece than anything else. After purchasing the Dodge SRT Tomahawk X VGT, you’ll want to start fine-tuning under the hood. By now, your Collector Level should be in the double digits, meaning all tabs are unlocked at the Tuning Shop. Read More: Gran Turismo 7: Top 10 fastest cars – Check through the list of Extreme parts to further boost your vehicle’s PP. Whether it’s reducing weight or adding a turbo system, anything you can do to improve its speed is a good thing. There’s no need to worry about control here. When your Tomahawk is customized and ready to go, it’s finally time to get racing. Head to Japan and look for the High-Speed Ring track. This is a simple course with lengthy stretches of flat land to help you accelerate and reach the required speeds. Be sure to select one of the first challenges in this location, however, as these come without a PP Limit to restrict your vehicle. Once you hit the track, it’s all just matter of pushing the pace and reaching for those top speeds. If your car is tuned just right, you should be able to clear 600km/h with no issues whatsoever. In fact, you’ll likely be soaring well beyond that with this next-level concept vehicle. Read More: How to change the camera in Gran Turismo 7 – Until potential DLC arrives down the line, this is the best way to reach the fastest speeds possible in Gran Turismo 7. If you enjoyed that, here are more Gran Turismo 7 guides for you to use: Gran Turismo 7: Frame Rate mode vs Ray Tracing mode guide | Ultimate Gran Turismo 7 settings guide: Best options for the smoothest drive | How to wash your car in Gran Turismo 7: Squeaky Clean Trophy guide | Gran Turismo 7 Speed Archdemon Trophy guide: How to reach 600km/h