June 2022

Charlemagne, the protagonist of Fate/Extella Link, has appeared in Fate/Grand Order. The Japanese version of the mobile game has a new gacha pool that included the Saber-class Servant as one of the three featured characters.

Fate/Extella Link is a hack-and-slash action game that appeared first for PlayStation 4 and Vita in Japan in June 2018. Marvelous and Xseed have since brought the game worldwide with more platform choices, including Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices. It took roughly four years since Fate/Extella Link's release for Charlemagne to make his debut in Fate/Grand Order.

Charlemagne is the first new Servant from the Fate/Extella series to appear in Fate/Grand Order, which has been running in Japan since 2015. The 2016 title Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star featured the debut of Archimedes as a Caster-class Servant, but the latter has still yet to appear as a recruitable Servant in the mobile game.

However, Charlemagne is not the only new servant added to Fate/Grand Order with this update. Roland, one of his Twelve Paladins, also appears as a Saber-class Servant. Sigurd's wife Kriemhild completes the update's roster as a Berserker.

Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity is a weird little game! It’s a genre-bending indie title. One which is billed as a roguelike, though I’d say that’s not exactly true. It demands skill and precision! Especially since you only have a day to master the titular Tower of Perpetuity. But what really sticks with me is how well this platformer that prioritizes evasion really captures the shoot’em up spirit.

Cocoa, Imibi, Kanae, Kukuri, and Shippo de Tail all find themselves drawn to a deserted tower. They have no idea why. All they know is that they are compelled to ascend it and reach the summit. However, every day its layout changes. (That’s in real-world time.) Not to mention there will be an opportunity to choose paths within, which will further determine layouts and bosses. Your goal is to reach the top, and potentially also climb the online leaderboard as you do.

Square Enix kicked off 2022 by sharing FFVII Remake calendars. Each month, a different set of pictures appear. The June 2022 FFVII Remake ones are out now, and Yuffie is the character people will see all month.

Each month, people get two FFVII Remake calendar pictures. One is designed to be used as a PC background. The other is more mobile friendly. These always feature FFVII Remake main characters like Yuffie so far.

Here are the June 2022 FFVII Remake images.
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Yuffie follows Red XIII. That character was the star of the May 2022 calendars. Before that, Aerith appeared in April 2022. Cloud, Barret, and Tifa kicked off this year. This means that we should start seeing antagonists, like Sephiroth, or supporting cast members, such as Sinon, showing up for the next few.

AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative will have the debuts of more new characters, such as Amame, Gen, and Shoma. Spike Chunsoft has revealed the new characters through a Japanese press release. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]

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One of the new nirvanA Initiative characters, Amame (CV: Risa Kubota), is a senior student at Sekiba Girls High School, At the same time, she is working part-time at the Sunfish Pocket maid cafe. She also joins the school's dance club, where she becomes close friends with Kizuna and Iris Sagan. However, Amame is infamous for her sharp tongue. Sometimes, she will nonchalantly say harsh words without any ill will.

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Gen (CV: Yasumichi Kushida) is a chef who owns a popular international fusion cuisine restaurant in the city. Members of the ABIS and other characters like Amame frequently visit the restaurant, which is known for its superb-quality meals. Due to an unspecified reason, Gen covers his head with a smiley mask at all times.

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Knockout City developer Velan Studios announced back in February that its dodgeball multiplayer game would be going free-to-play. Today, that free-to-play version of Knockout City has launched. Plus, Season 6 is now live too. 

The new season is called City of Tomorrow, and in it, the Super-Science Symposium is back in town, and scientists from all over the world are duking it out in dodgeball to show off their wildest inventions as a result. With these scientists’ new tech comes plenty of new toys for dodgeballers to play with, which means players have a lot of new things to try out like a new Special Ball, updates to hideouts, new crew vehicles, and a new Brawl Pass that features an Among us crossover. 

You can check out the new season reveal trailer below: 

Here’s a look at what to expect, straight from Velan Studios: 

Diablo Immortal is finally out on mobile devices, a full day earlier than expected for some regions. 

The entire Diablo Immortal launch, which will see the game hit iOS and Android devices everywhere and PC, is still slated for tomorrow, June 2, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. If you plan on playing the first-ever, built-from-the-ground-up-for-mobile Diablo game on a phone, then head to your app store to see if it’s available.

While waiting for it to download, check out our latest gameplay from it below:

“As we prepare to launch Diablo Immortal on June 2 at 10 a.m. PDT for iOS, Android, and PC in Open Beta, some players will see Immortal propagate on the Apple App Store and Google Play beginning the morning of June 1 PDT,” a blog post reads. “This is in part due to the nature of how mobile games rollout to ensure a smooth full launch for the mobile version of Immortal. To confirm when Immortal will be fully launched for your region on all platforms, please reference the below time map.” 

Velan Studios' competitive "dodgebrawl" game Knockout City has officially gone free-to-play.

Knockout City - which launched on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC last May - was initially published under the EA Originals label, but earlier this year Velan announced it would be taking over publishing duties and shifting to a free-to-play model starting with its sixth season.

Both the free version of Knockout City and Season 6: City of Tomorrow are now here, introducing, among other things, the new Boomerang Ball across all playlists, the Starfruit Special energy drink, the sci-flyer crew vehicle, a permanent new career contract, an expanded hideout area, various map improvements, and more, as detailed in today's patch notes.

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The hotly-anticipated Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 got a new trailer this evening as part of the Warhammer Skulls Showcase event, and while it's light on new footage there are snippets that catch the eye.

Saber Interactive's Space Marine sequel was announced at last year's The Game Awards with a fancy CGI trailer that confirmed the return of Ultramarines hard man Captain Titus, as well as a few GIFs' worth of gameplay.

The new trailer, below, includes talking heads from Saber discussing their passion for the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Titus actor Clive Standen pottering about in full motion capture get-up, as well as a handful of new blink-and-you'll miss them clips.

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Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr gets a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S version later in 2022, publisher Nacon has announced.

The current-gen console version of NeocoreGames' well-received 2018 action RPG chucks in all 25 DLCs and extensions already released as well as "enhanced" features, including native 4K support, higher resolution textures, improved physics (including destructible environments), cross-gen multiplayer modes and DualSense controller features.

The new trailer is below:

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Warhammer 40,000 is getting a retro first-person shooter heavily-inspired by old-school Doom.

Boltgun is a single-player FPS in which you play a Space Marine who shoots the living crap out of all the Chaos Space Marines and daemons of Chaos sprites who dare get in his way. Doomguy would be proud!

The fun video, below, starts off looking back at the '90s and retro Warhammer 40,000 miniatures through a pair of nostalgia goggles before ripping into some quickfire gameplay:

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Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge is a free-to-play digital collectible card game due out on PC via Steam and mobile next year, with full cross-platform support.

It's in the works at Everguild, maker of the The Horus Heresy: Legions card game set during the all-encompassing Space Marine civil war that took place during the 31st millenium.

Warpforge is of course set in the 41st millenium. According to Everguild, "several" of the best-known armies from the grimdark setting are included at launch, with more set to be added alongside regular expansions.

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Pathfinder developer Owlcat Games is making Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, a classic role-playing game set in Games Workshop's grimdark science-fiction universe.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader fuses classic role-playing with turn-based combat, and is due out on PC and consoles at an unspecified time.

The debut trailer, which offers a decent look at the game (and teases some interesting enemies and locations), is below:

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Nintendo just showed off its second trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and it looks like a great game! The starters are cute, the environments look a lot better than in Legends, and the professors are hot. Wait, what?

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The new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailer introduced players to three new exciting Pokémon, the fluffy and electric Pawmi, greasy, gasping Smoliv, and the lil’ piggy Lechonk, who is already the subject of adoring fan art and odes of protection. But in this chonk eat chonk world, no one can protect the crusty-eyed pig…

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Today Nacon and Cyanide had a new reveal to share about the upcoming fantasy football game Blood Bowl 3.

We get to take a look at two new teams, the Old World Alliance and the Chaos Renegades, which are basically all-star teams mixing different races.

We also take a look at three pitches, two are themed after Chaos, and one belongs to the Dark Elves.

You can watch them below.

If you’re unfamiliar with Blood Bowl 3, here’s an official description directly from Steam.

The game is coming to basically everything with a chip: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch in 2022.

“Strap on your boots, don your helmet, adjust your shoulder guards and chest plate… and slip a sharpened dagger into your belt (it’s the rules).
Blood Bowl 3 is the videogame of fantasy football. A turn-based strategy game inspired by American football in the Warhammer fantasy world where elves, humans, orcs and other creatures fight for the ball with shoulder charges, kicks, punches and weapons of varying degrees of lethality (and legality by the ref).

Auroch Digital and Focus Entertainment announced a brand new Warhammer 40K game, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.

The game is a retro FPS in the style of Doom and Quake but set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which is definitely cool.

It’s coming in 2023 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, & PC

You can check out the trailer and an official description below.

Auroch Digital and Focus Entertainment are pleased to lift the veil on the bloody and frenetic homage to the retro shooters of yore: Warhammer 40.000: Boltgun! Announced at Games Workshop’s Skulls Showcase and developed for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch & PC for release in 2023, this single-player FPS delivers a sprite-based, hardcore experience in the boots of the ultimate killing machine: a Space Marine. Check out the Reveal Trailer for a nostalgic blast from the pixel past!

Visceral retro FPS action to the Warhammer 40,000 flavor

Load up your Boltgun and plunge into battle headfirst! Experience a perfect blend of Warhammer 40,000, classic, frenetic FPS gameplay and the stylish visuals of your favourite 90’s retro shooters.

Today, during the official Warhammer Skulls showcase, Owlcat games announced it would be bringing the first ever CRPG to the Warhammer 40K universe. Titled Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, the game will see players take the mantle of a Rogue Trader, tasking them with exploring the vast and dangerous Koronus Expanse with a crew of your loyal companions.

You can check out the official release teaser for yourself below.

Owlcat Games is best known for their work on the Pathfinder series, which are role-playing games inspired by classic computer RPGs such as Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights. Their most recent game, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, received plenty of praise, as critics noted it was much better than its predecessor.

At the moment, there isn’t too much information regarding 40,000: Rogue Trader, so you’ll have to check back for updates in the new future. For now, be sure to check out our full coverage of the Warhammer Skulls event by heading over to the front page of Twinfinite, where we’ve got all the news on each of the series that belong to the franchise.

We’ve also linked the Youtube stream of the event for your convenience below.

Developer Saber Interactive and publisher Focus Entertainment gave a behind the scenes look at the upcoming Space Marine 2 during the Warhammer Skulls Showcase that gave looks at all sorts of titles coming to the longstanding franchise.

While it is definitely light on Space Marine 2 information, hearing developers discuss the Space Marine series is interesting, seeing as it has been 11 years since the first Space Marine game. The current release date is unknown, but this is a step in the right direction.

You can find the video here and below:

There is also a look at motion capture being done for Space Marine 2, giving a fun look at the rigs necessary to bring the characters to life.

The official Space Marine 2 site gives a small look at the story with:

Embody the superhuman skill and brutality of a Space Marine, the greatest of the Emperor’s warriors. Unleash deadly abilities and an arsenal of devastating weaponry to obliterate the relentless Tyranid hordes. Hold at bay the horrors of the galaxy in epic battles on far-flung planets. Uncover dark secrets and drive back the everlasting night to prove your ultimate loyalty to humanity. Heed the call of battle. For there is only war.

Today, during the official Warhammer Skulls showcase, Black Lab Games detailed its future roadmap for its fast-paced turn-based strategy game, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector. In the video, executive producer David Sharrock breaks down what fans can expect from the game, including plenty of new free updates and features.

You can check out what is coming to Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector in full via the new 2022 roadmap video below. For anyone new to the series, we’ve also included a description of the game as well.

Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is a fast-paced turn-based strategy game set in the grimdark universe of the 41st Millennium. Pick your force, develop your army, field mighty heroes and fight for victory using superior strategy, awesome abilities, and devastating weaponry.

Age of Crimson Dawn

Experience an epic twenty mission single-player campaign that explores the aftermath of the Devasta-tion of Baal. Help Sergeant Carleon and his allies purge the Tyranid infestation on Baal Secundus, and preserve the honour of the noble Blood Angels.

Skirmish Mode

Today, during the official Warhammer Skulls showcase, an official release date for Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef was revealed. The game will arrive on consoles and PC on Oct. 20, 2022.

You can check out the brand new trailer and an official description for Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef right down below.

The Orks, a savage race commonly known as the ‘Green Tide’, sweep across the stars with unrivaled violence in frenzied crusades known as a Waaagh! They are savage, brutal, and crude, outnumbering all other races that lay in their path of destruction.

Become the spearhead of an Ork invasion as you bash, smash and shoot your way through the hive city of Luteus Prime on a mission to retrieve your hair squig and claim vengeance on your warlord! And just maybe become the warboss of a WAAAGH! along the way? Survival of the strongest has never been so violently fun!

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is being developed by the team behind the over-the-top gangster game Guns, Gore & Cannoli, and will feature an intense 2D run & gun platformer. For more on the game, be sure to check out all of our coverage below.

Today, during the Warhammer Skulls livestream, Fatshark had news to share about its Warhammer games, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide and Warhammer: Vermintide 2.

First of all, we get a new trailer for Darktide, providing a look at the characters and action we can expect.

On top of that, we also get the launch of pre-orders including their bonus and an “Imperial Edition”

Below you can find the trailer and a summary of all the bonuses.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide ($39.99)
● The Atoman Star Weapon Trinket: A cosmetic weapon trinket awarded to those who
answered in the hour of Atoma’s need.
● Vanguard of the Imperium Portrait Frame: A cosmetic portrait frame reserved for
those first to enter the fray, and last to leave it.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – Imperial Edition ($59.99):
● Base Game
● Loyalist Pack: Purge heresy in style with these 4 unique class outfits, 8 weapon skin
patterns, one headgear, and an Ogryn body tattoo.
● Mortis Veteran Portrait Frame: A cosmetic portrait frame used to pay tribute to the
fallen defenders of Tertium Hive.
● Caducades Backpack: A cosmetic backpack for human characters. Scavenged from
the fallen troops of Cadia, this backpack has been repurposed to serve those still alive
and fighting.
● 2500 Aquilas (premium currency)
● The Atoman Star Weapon Trinket: A cosmetic weapon trinket awarded to those who
answered in the hour of Atoma’s need.
● Vanguard of the Imperium Portrait Frame: A cosmetic portrait frame reserved for
those first to enter the fray, and last to leave it.

IGN has released the very first look at Sonic Frontiers gameplay. There’s not a lot of of context to be found, but what is seen is very promising and looks to be a Sonic the Hedgehog take on Breath of the Wild.

You can see all of the seven minutes of Sonic Frontiers gameplay here and below:

The video opens with a quite menacing tower in the far distance. We then get to watch as Sonic makes his way not only to this tower to demonstrate the open world, but he actually is able to climb it. Surmounting the tower takes quite a few traditional Sonic traversal mechanics such bounce pads, grind rails, and wall running. Seeing as the game as that same “if you can see it, you can get to it” vibe as Breath of the Wild, the comparison is definitely reasonable.

Sonic Frontiers wouldn’t be a Sonic the Hedgehog game if all the traversal was on foot, either. The looks given at the sky show the air above Sonic littered with grind rails for a bit of an adrenaline-fueled journey around the area.

Compile Heart released two more videos of the upcoming JRPG Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord, focusing on the music.

Like the previous videos, these don’t show any gameplay but reveal how two songs interact in the game.

The first is “Inori no Neiro” (Tones of Prayer), which is a song performed by the friendly diva Fleur, while the second is “Goku Yoru Hyousetsu” (Snow of the Polar Night) performed by the enemy diva Glace.

This time around we see how they mash up when they are performed together on the battlefield, creating a “Dramatic Resonance” area, a positional element in which both the buffs created by the friendly diva and the debuffs created by the enemy deva are doubled in effect. Basically, you can step in it for some high-risk, high-reward moments.

You can sample the music below, showing how it can interact in two different ways.

Microsoft and its gaming studios are getting into the spirit of Pride Month with a trove of physical and digital LGBTQIA+ themed items such as controllers, a free game, and in-game cosmetics.

The company has created a new controller that anyone can get and further customize through the Xbox Design Lab. The Pride themed controller features 34 community flags interwoven, as shown above, and will be available starting on June 9.

Dontnod Entertainment and Xbox Publishing’s episodic narrative adventure game Tell Me Why will be free across consoles, the Microsoft Store on PC, and Steam for the entire month of June to celebrate Pride Month. The game was previously made free for the same time last year.

Free digital and in-game items for the month include a new gamerpic, profile themes, avatar items, a “Unity” nameplate and emblem for Halo Infinite, and a “Forza rainbow livery” on the 2009 Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster for Forza Horizon 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Forza Motorsport 7 players.

Finally, Microsoft will be making several donations to various LGBTQIA+ non-profit organizations in addition to the $8 million the company said has donated over the past year. The company will be contributing $170,000 to OutRight Action International, African Rainbow Family, National Center for Transgender Equality, Mermaids, Lavender Rights Project, and Fulcrum UA. Xbox Publishing will also donate $25,000 to both Transgender Law Center and Trans Lifeline.

Nexon and Arc System Works revealed another trailer of their upcoming fighting game DNF Duel.

The trailer focuses on the online modes and features, including ranked matches, ranking, player profiles, and replay library.

This follows similar trailers that showcased the story mode, the practice modes, and the single-player modes.

You can check them out.

DNF Duel is coming for PS5, PS4, and PC on June 28, 2022. You can check out more videos showcasing the basics of the game.

Dungeon Fighter Online, which inspired this title, is one of the most played games in the world if you look at actual revenue, so it was pretty much a matter of time for it to expand to other genres and markets.

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, also called Miraculous Ladybug, is a South Korean animated series that has managed to garner popularity and fans across the globe. With the art style and aesthetics matching very closely to what many would consider anime-looking, several fans are looking for a clear and decisive answer on whether Miraculous Ladybug is anime or not.

So to end this discussion once and for all, in this guide, we will answer the question – is Miraculous Ladybug an anime?

Is Miraculous Ladybug an Anime?

It will be surprising to know that Miraculous Ladybug is very close be being called an anime, despite the show being set in France. This is because of Miraculous’s relations to Japanese animation, which makes a strong case for it being labeled as anime. The actual motivation for Miraculous Ladybug came simply because its producer had watched numerous anime shows and was really spellbound with the whole affair. 

The earliest promotional video for the series used traditional 2D animation, in hopes to give viewers a sense of manga-esque color. This raised issues with animating certain scenes, so the decision was made to animate the series with the help of CGI. The well-known study Toei Animation Co., which has produced shows like Dragon Ball Z, the original Generation 1 Transformers cartoon, also co-produces and distributes the Miraculous Ladybug series. 

This further problematizes the subject of whether or not Miraculous counts as an anime. After all, Toei is a Japanese company, which is commonly thought of as the acceptance criteria, though it did not actually animate the series. 

If you’re a fan of Aksys Games in North America, you’re probably wondering when does Piofiore: Episodio 1926 release? Well, wonder no more, as we’ve got all the news on this highly anticipated sequel to Fated Memories right here. So let’s dive in.

Piofiore: Episodio 1926 Release Date

Aksys Games has announced that Piofiore: Episodio 1926 is set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on Sept. 22, 2022, in both Standard and Limited editions. Each first run copy includes six full-color collectible cards featuring the main characters in the game.

Piofiore: Episodio 1926 takes place in 1926, following Liliana Adornato, a church orphan with a hidden past that is inexorably tied to the fate of the city and the unique marking on her chest. The game is a continuation of each character’s story from Piofiore: Fated Memories, containing five all-new episodes.

Key features include:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet might be following some traditions of the series, but it is also treading new ground in many ways. One of the most exciting things about the game is that there are two Professors, not just one. Where things get really interesting is that depending on which game you choose to play, that will impact which Professor you end up dealing with.

Who Are the New Professors in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

The new Professors in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are called Professor Sada and Professor Turo. According to the official press release, each Professor is carrying out research in the region, so it looks like there may be some friendly competition between the two. You might end up working for one and against the other as you explore Scarlet and Violet’s open world.

The names of the characters and how they are dressed also play into a popular theory about the game, which is that it will somehow be set in both the past and the future. Professor Sada, who is dressed in some older-looking garb, can be associated with the Spanish word “pasada,” which means past. Turo, on the other hand, is dressed in more futuristic clothes, and his name can be associated with the Spanish word “future,” meaning future. With the area and Pokemon name from Scarlet and Violet having obvious Spanish inspiration, it gives a lot of credence to the fan theory that the game might just involve some sort of time-traveling mechanic.

Today, Crunchyroll revealed an official release date for the highly anticipated anime movie Fruits Basket -Prelude-. The film is set to debut for the first time outside of Japan in select movie theaters in the United States and Canada on June 25, 28, and 29, subtitled and dubbed in English,

Tickets for Fruits Basket -Prelude- go on sale this Friday, June 3, 2022. The film will also debut in the United Kingdom, dubbed only, on July 20, with tickets going on sale June 24, 2022. You can check out the official trailers and screenshots alongside a synopsis and voice casting list right down below:

Part of the main fun of playing such massive games like Diablo Immortal is getting to play in a clan with friends. In this instance, it’s also a good idea to have a bigger clan to help tackle any possible obstacles. But, how many friends can you have? We’re here to tell you all about the max clan capacity in Diablo Immortal.

In Diablo, clans allow players to join their accounts into one common group which provides various social features including easy messaging within the clan, open game display and easy joining, legendary item find and achievement completion notification, and more. While useful, they are not mandatory and do not provide any special features or bonus content.

What is the Max Clan Capacity in Diablo Immortal?

Before diving into Diablo Immortal for the clan capabilities, you should know that the max clan size is 150 members. While this does sound like a lot, considering the game is free-to-play, there is certain to be more than the usual number of players. For reference on clan size, World of Warcraft has a max clan capacity of 1,000 players.

That’s everything you need to know when it comes to the max clan capacity in Diablo Immortal. Diablo Immortal is available now and free-to-play on PC, iOS, and Android devices.

The week-long Warhammer Skulls event has kicked off with an avalanche of announcements. Leading the pack are three new games: CRPG Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, digital card game Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge, and retro FPS Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef, the 2D action platformer, also got a release date. It’ll be out on the 20th of October.

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The Crucial P5 Plus is one of my favourite SSDs, as you might know from me writing about it last week. . Then, I was happy to announce that this rapid 1TB PCIe 4.0 drive had made it to £100 - a price it's gotten near a few times before but not stayed at with any regularity. You can imagine my surprise, therefore, when I discovered that Crucial are now selling the same drive at their site for £80.69 - a genuine bargain and the lowest price we've ever seen by some margin.

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It’s officially summer, although you wouldn’t think it based on the amount of rain we’ve had up here in Newcastle this week. Still, that vague hint of warmth that lingers between the raindrops has got me dreaming of all those lovely things that make summer so appealing. Al fresco dining, excluding that bit where a wasp crawls into your glass of Fanta, which seems to happen to me a lot. Music festivals, minus the part where you queue for half an hour to have a wee. Oh, and obviously spending time on a beach somewhere hot, purposefully ignoring that horrible bit where you try to get your socks back on after taking a dip in the ocean and the sand scrapes against your skin.

OK, so maybe summer isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Why do we even bother leaving the house, when we can stay indoors and play video games on PC instead? June is a little sparse when it comes to new releases (as is so often the case during these warmer seasons) but there’s still plenty on the horizon to keep you occupied.

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Intel's 12th-gen motherboards are getting cheaper, which is handy if you're planning a new build around one of Intel's excellent 12100, 12400F or 12600F CPUs for gaming. One of the best deals we've spotted is for the Asus Prime B660M-A WiFi D4, which launched at £197 and is now down to £86 at CCL in the UK.

This motherboard uses better value DDR4 memory, two M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots and WiFi 6 on board, so it ticks a lot of boxes in terms of the essentials. You're missing some things from higher-end Z690 boards - like PCIe 5.0, USB-C ports and 2.5-gig networking - but nothing that affects gaming performance, at least in the here and now.

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Chucklefish revealed new Witchbrook screenshots and opened a Steam page for the upcoming game. The magical life sim was first revealed back in 2018. Now we definitely know a PC version will appear. The new images also showed off Mossport, the town the academy calls home in Witchbrook. As for a possible launch date, the product page notes it is "still brewing."

Here's the new batch of Witchbrook screenshots showing off areas in the town of Mossport.
[gallery columns="4" ids="928818,928820,928817,928821" link="file"]

There is also one "outlier" screenshot. It shows what the school's potions classroom will look like.

The Persona series protagonists will get another clothing set in a new merchandise lineup coming from Animate. Their new costumes will feature splatters of paint based on the theme color of their respective titles.

The new Persona protagonist merchandise will appear in various forms. The lineup will consist of clear files at 550 yen each (~$4), postcards at 660 yen (~$5), and acrylic blocks at 1,650 yen (~$13). The most expensive item in this lineup will be framed art featuring the protagonist(s) from one of the five mainline entries at 18,700 yen (~$144).

This Persona merchandise lineup will appear at physical Animate stores in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, and Nipponbashi, Osaka, from July 22 to August 28, 2022. Most of the items are available for pre-order on Animate's Japanese online shop. The framed art will have a different release window. Animate will open limited pre-orders for the framed art on July 22, 2022, and deliver the finished products around October 2022.

The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R Dio Brando trailer is here. Bandai Namco's been gradually rolling out videos focusing on specific characters. It kicked off June 2022 with a look at the series' most famous villain.

Dio's been a part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure since the very beginning. He first showed up in Phantom Blood. He was the foil to Jonathan Joestar, his adopted brother. After that, he returned in Stardust Crusaders and faced Jotaro Kujo. The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R Dio shown below is based on his Stardust Crusaders appearance. (The fact that his name is shown as DIO instead of Dio is a giveaway. He's only referred as that after the third part of the series.)

Here's the full video.

"Oh, you're approaching me?"

Be a showstopper (and time stopper) with DIO in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R!

And for those sticky situations…don't forget your road roller is ready to help! pic.twitter.com/kr2o03LJlL

— JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R (@jojo_games) June 1, 2022

Piofiore: Episodio 1926, the next “chapter” in the Piofiore otome visual novel story, has a release date. Aksys confirmed people can pick it up on September 22, 2022. It also showed a glimpse at the first-run cards that will come with physical copies and offered details about the limited edition.

First, people who get Piofiore: Episodio 1926 at launch get six art cards. This offer is available with both the standard and limited editions. Each card has a picture of one of the main cast members on it. So in the example photo, people can see Dante Falzone, Gilbert Redford, and part of Yang’s hair.