February 2021

February is Back History Month and Microsoft is celebrating in a variety of ways across games and the wider Xbox ecosystem. For the duration of the month, Microsoft will highlight the efforts of Black and African American developers and personalities and help raise money and awareness for important causes.

"We believe that small actions from members of the Xbox community can lead to lasting change in the industry, such as speaking up to report and callout racist remarks, learning about Black history and culture, and empowering Black-owned businesses and inclusive creators," Microsoft's Q Muhaimin and James Lewis said in a blog post.

"By amplifying Black voices, partnering with more Black creators, and continuing to address racial injustice, we strive to contribute to real change in our industry. We are committed to supporting Black audiences across the globe through programs that focus on issues relevant to them," the statement goes on to say.

Just like its first year--which we detailed in our Year 1 recap--Apex Legends Year 2 (February 4, 2020 - February 3, 2021) was a transformative period for developer Respawn's battle royale game. The final days of Year 2 will see the start of Season 8: Mayhem, which adds playable character Fuse, remakes Kings Canyon for a third time, and implements the 30-30 Repeater, a bolt-action rifle, to the general loot pool. But before that arrives, it's worth looking at just how much Apex Legends has evolved in the past year.

"I think a big part of [Year 1] was just actually getting comfortable with and getting to learn what it is to make a live service game and build a relationship with the community," team director Steven Ferreira told me when talking about how Respawn's strategy for Year 2 was informed by the battle royale's first year. "And that was always the plan, but like any well-laid plan, it's not really real until you actually get into it, and then things change. I think that first year was definitely figuring out what was the right balance in terms of how much content could we actually make in a healthy and sustainable way."

Change is in the air at Sega, as the company is readying itself for not only an organizational restructure but also a new role for Yakuza series director Toshihiro Nagoshi. Having been involved in the Yakuza series since its inception in 2005, Nagoshi will step down as chief creative officer of Sega and will become its new creative director.

A veteran of Sega whose career dates back to the mid-1990s and the company’s arcade days, Nagoshi's new role will formally begin on April 1, 2021. Sega's upcoming restructure is also designed to "integrate corporate functions and administrative operations" and "accelerate global business" according to its announcement. This will essentially allow Sega to streamline its various divisions so that it can make quicker decisions.

Sega has been through some big changes over the last few months. With the COVID-19 pandemic having a massive impact on social gatherings, Sega's arcade and amusement facilities businesses were hit hard. Sega Sammy, the company that owns Sega, announced that it would sell the majority of its shares in its Sega Entertainment division to Japanese amusement rental business Genda Inc. after business in its arcades "declined remarkably" and resulted in "a significant loss."

Fortnite appears to be readying even more Mandalorian content. A teaser video released on the official Fortnite Twitter shows the hero of the popular Star Wars streaming series viewing a hologram.

The tweet shows Mando viewing a hologram with the offer of a job. In the Mandalorian series, the main character makes his way as a bounty hunter before his career takes a radical turn due to an obligation to protect The Child, aka Baby Yoda.

The game already added quite a bit of Mandalorian content, including a Mandalorian skin, Baby Yoda, and the appearance of his signature ship, the Razor Crest. It's unclear what else Epic Games may have in mind as a tie-in for the Mandalorian series. It could even just be using the bounty hunter role as a way to introduce another pop culture element altogether.

February is Black History Month and Halo developer 343 Industries is celebrating the occasion by promising to continue to fight systemic racism and launching a special nameplate for Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Writing on Twitter, the studio remarked: "We are proud to celebrate Black History Month with our colleagues and community! In keeping with that celebrating, 343 Industries remains committed to fighting against systemic racism and creating a space where everyone can be their best self and have fun."

As for the nameplate, all you need to do is log in to Halo: MCC during February to claim the special item (which you can see below). And looking ahead to March, 343 said it will give away a special Women's History Month nameplate--check it out here.

With the world in the midst of a deadly pandemic, Plague Inc.: The Cure shakes up the games usual formula by tasking players with saving the world instead of destroying it. The new expansion is now available on Steam and is currently free for all Plague Inc.: Evolved players "until COVID-19 is under control."

Developer Ndemic Creations has described the new DLC as the series' biggest expansion yet as it adds new mechanics to help you stop the spread of a virus. You'll dispatch research teams around the world to track the spread of the outbreak and boost testing capacity, implement measures such as contact tracing, lockdowns, and border closures to limit the spread of the outbreak, support the economy by using furlough schemes, and eventually develop a vaccine.

The nine-year-old game has been more relevant than ever over the past year, but The Cure adds a number of pertinent mechanics that will be familiar to anyone who's glanced at the news recently. It was created with the help of world health and infectious disease experts from all over the world including the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).

Nintendo has once again played down reports that an upgraded Switch console will be unveiled in 2021, saying in a recent open Q&A that was translated by Japan-based analyst David Gibson that it has "no new model plan" beyond the Super Mario and Monster Hunter Rise limited edition consoles due for release in February and March. When pressed for more details about future console plans by Bloomberg reporter Takashi Mochizuki, Nintendo said it was "not planning to make an announcement anytime soon."

Nintendo has been cagey about a revamped Switch console, refusing to comment about reports indicating that the device will have support for 4K graphics and upgraded hardware.

Earlier this month, dataminer SciresM revealed that Nintendo's latest firmware update contained mentions of an upgraded Switch console code-named Aula, and that the device will also include a new OLED screen. As for the ability to output to 4K when docked, Aula claimed that the necessary Tegra X1+ chip may be moved to the Switch's dock.

While fans will have to wait longer than usual to hit the baseball diamond, we finally know MLB The Show 21's release date and platforms. Announced on the PlayStation Blog, MLB The Show 21 arrives on April 20 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. The impending departure from PlayStation exclusivity was known since late 2019, but Sony hadn't revealed which platforms the popular series would appear on going forward. MLB The Show 21 is available to preorder now for all four platforms, and the collector's edition will be unveiled this Wednesday, February 3.

MLB The Show 21's PS4 and Xbox One standard edition will cost $60. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S edition will go for $70, the new price point for select next-gen games. You cannot upgrade the standard edition to the next-gen version. However, the collector's edition will include access to both generations of the baseball sim.

MLB The Show 21 preorder bonuses

If you preorder any digital edition from the PlayStation or Xbox Store, you'll receive a Gold Choice Pack for Diamond Dynasty. The PS4 and Xbox One versions also come with 5,000 stubs. Meanwhile, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S edition includes 5,000 stubs as well as 10 The Show Packs.

In a big shakeup for the world of sports video games, it has been announced that Sony's long-time PlayStation-exclusive baseball series, The Show, is coming to Xbox consoles.

This is not entirely out of left field, however, as it was confirmed back in 2019 that the exclusivity for PlayStation was ending, with the first multiplatform release penciled in for 2021 at the soonest. Now we know it's happening with MLB The Show 21, which has 22-year-old San Diego Padres shortstop phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. on the cover as the leaks suggested. The game is scheduled to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on April 20, 2021.

It's also been confirmed that MLB The Show carries a premium price tag on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as it will cost $70 USD on the next-gen systems. The PS4/Xbox One edition is $60 USD.

The ongoing legal battle between Apple and Fortnite developer Epic Games will require time from Apple CEO Tim Cook. A judge has ruled that Cook must sit for a seven-hour deposition, rejecting Apple's request that he be excused.

Apple Insider reports that the case is set to go to trial in May 2021, but the testimonies and depositions are being requested ahead of that start date. US Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixon rejected Apple's request on the grounds that its argument only limits the length of the deposition. He also rejected Apple's offer for the deposition to last four hours.

"[In] these three antitrust actions, the facts of the case go way beyond the historical facts of what happened when," the judge stated. "There is really no one like Apple's CEO who can testify about how Apple views competition in these various markets that are core to its business model."

Microsoft has told fans to expect for the ongoing Xbox Series X|S shortages to continue through summer. Microsoft's head of investor relations, Mike Spencer, said in an interview with The New York Times that he expects supply to be limited "at least through June," according to NYT.

This is no big surprise, as Microsoft CFO Amy Hood recently also discussed how she believes demand will continue to outstrip supply for the next-gen consoles for some time to come.

Despite the shortages, Microsoft recently posted $5 billion in quarterly revenue for its Xbox division, which represents a new all-time high in quarterly revenue. Spencer confirmed that Microsoft sold every new Xbox unit that the company could make during the system's launch quarter, and this helped boost Xbox hardware sales by a whopping 86% for the period.

DayZ creator and influential game designer Dean Hall has shared his thoughts on the situation surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 and its embattled yet highly successful launch in December.

In an episode of the podcast Kiwi TalkNZ, Hall was asked if he thought the situation was similar to 2016's No Man's Sky, which released to controversy and issues before going on to become a smash hit. Hall remarked that both games were successes, and Cyberpunk 2077 was factors larger.

"No Man's Sky made a fortune and Cyberpunk made many fortunes so it's difficult really to swing it as anything other than a resounding success," he explained.

The EU is set to rule on Microsoft's $7.5bn purchase of ZeniMax by March 5. A filing on the European Commission's website shows that the tech giant requested approval for the deal on January 29.

Reuters reports that the EU's antitrust regulators can approve the deal during the preliminary review stage or open a full-scale investigation if it has concerns.

Microsoft announced its intention to purchase ZeniMax last September, with the blockbuster deal boosting Xbox's first-party offerings and setting it up to better compete with Sony and Nintendo. Pending approval, Microsoft has said it intends for the deal to close by the second half of its current fiscal year.

While the first World Update of Microsoft Flight Simulator focused on Japan, third-party developers haven’t taken the chance to improve the country further. The recent release of Yao airport (RJOY) by TechnoBrain promises to change that.

The Kyoto-based studio has been part of the flight simulation scene for over a decade with its “FS Add-on Collection” series, and now it has debuted on Microsoft Flight Simulator. That’s very good news for those who love flying in Japan because TB’s lineup for other sims includes some very desirable airports like Osaka’s Kansai and Itami, Sapporo’s New Chitose, Okinawa’s Naha, and more.

That being said, for its debut in Microsoft Flight Simulator, TechnoBrain selected something a bit smaller with Yao Airport, part of Osaka’s metropolitan area.

If you’d like to see what the airport looks like in detail in Microsoft Flight Simulator, you can check out the in-depth flyover video below, showing every angle, every weather condition, and at night. On the other hand, the second video below showcases a visual approach to runway 9.

This wouldn’t be a new season of Apex Legends without a whole bunch of brand-new cosmetics to earn. Apex Legends Season 8 is going live tomorrow, so a trailer has just been released to show fans what they can expect to see once the new Battle Pass arrives.

Season 8, Mayhem, is bringing major movie action hero vibes to the game. That’s been apparent since the introduction of the new Legend, Fuse. He’s all about fiery explosions, and the new cosmetics reflect his personality in a way.

Today Bandai Namco Entertainment shared a new video and assets about the upcoming JRPG Scarlet Nexus.

The video features a conversation with director Kenji Arabuki and art director Kouta Ochiai as they talk about the enemies that we’ll have to face in the game, defined “the Others.”

On top of that, we get more cosplay guides for two of the characters that we’ll meet in Scarlet Nexus, Kyoka Eden and Arashi Spring.

Whether you’re interested in cosplay or not, those are great as they include plenty of artwork.

You can check out the video below.

Cris Tales is sure to have been on JRPG fans’ radars for some time with its sumptuous-looking mashup of stylish, hand-drawn 2D art and classic design. And after a delay toward the end of last year, they will also have been eagerly awaiting its revised release date. Well, today it’s finally been (re)set in stone.

Cris Tales will launch across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC platforms this summer, July 21. There’s a demo available for those who want to try before they buy, too.

Heavily inspired by turn-based JRPGS such as Chrono Trigger, Cris Tales tasks players with meeting and recruiting a colorful cast of supporting characters as they adventure across an expansive world and defeat a myriad of challenging enemies.

Twinfinite previewed Cris Tales back in June of 2020 and was thoroughly impressed, with our at-the-time features editor Greysun Morales commenting:

“I really enjoyed my time with Cris Tales and the game certainly seems impressive and I’m hopeful for its future. It absolutely wears its JRPG inspirations on its sleeve but it does just enough to make it stand out from the crowd. The gameplay is exciting and super unique, the environments are gorgeous, and the sidequests are actually meaningful.”

While the new release date is the big takeaway from today’s trailer, it also offers a full overview of the game’s features and story. Check it out below.

A new 3D animated series featuring Sonic the Hedgehog was accidentally leaked last year and rumored for some time, but it was officially confirmed today by Netflix and Sonic himself. The new series, called Sonic Prime, will premiere sometime in 2022 on Netflix.

All of the details that were accidentally tweeted out by NX on Netflix last year turned out to be accurate. Sonic Prime will be created by Wild Brain (Yo Gabba Gabba) and Man of Action (Ben 10).

Berserk Games released an update for Tabletop Simulator that aimed to expand its list of supported languages, but the actual update missed the mark by opting to use Google Translate to do so. ...

Today is the last day to submit your game to the 2021 Independent Games Festival! ...

15. Xbox One – 41 million*

Initial release date: November 22, 2013 (NA, EU, AU, SA)

Production status: Ongoing

Highest-rated games: Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto V, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Flight Simulator's eagerly awaited UK and Ireland overhaul is, as we learned last week, now due to arrive in the second week of February, and ahead of that launch, developer Asobo has shared the first in-game footage - and revealed the next part of the world to be getting the makeover treatment - in its latest developer livestream.

Flight Simulator's UK and Ireland World Update continues the stunning work seen in previous geographical overhauls for the United States and Japan, and includes improved aerial and elevation data, new landing challenges, "nearly 80" new points of interest, five new hand-crafted airports, plus five brand-new photogrammetry cities.

As far as the new airports go, there's Barra, Land's End, Liverpool, Manchester-Barton, and Out Skerries, and the new photogrammetry cities were previously confirmed as Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford, and London.

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Monster Hunter Rise continues to amaze me.

The demo did a pretty good job all on its own, but the concept art and the zones themselves really take the cake. This could be the coolest collective of Monster Hunter locales to date.

Just take a look at the Frost Islands concept art below (as well as a gameplay video), which proves my point. The official Monster Hunter Twitter account has been showing off many aspects of the game near-daily, including how various weapons work and art for the game.

Ice is a huge aspect of the series (they even just had a full icy expansion for World!), and it looks like they're nailing it here.

Monster Hunter Rise [Twitter]

Fashion and Cyberpunk have always gone hand-in-cybernetic hand. And while we aren't quite in a place where we can replace our faces with super-cool, x-ray laser beams, Cyberpunk 2077 fans can at least bag themselves several slick items of apparel from Japanese fashion label SuperGroupies.

The premium brand has unveiled a range of clothes, watches, and other accessories based on CDPR's futuristic neo-noir, all of which are now available to pre-order from the outlet's official stockists. Of course, this being SuperGroupies, interested parties might want to check their wallets before ordering.

The new range includes a Cyberpunk 2077-themed jacket for $268 USD, a ring & cuff set for $198, a wallet at $118, a sweatshirt at $108, and a pretty sleek watch for a princely $308. There's also some replica clothing styled after Cyberpunk 2077's protagonist "V". A variant of V's cool "Samurai" jacket is available for $268. Additionally, a pair of slip-on hi-top sneakers will set you back $118, while some cool short-heeled boots retail for a pricier $198. Perfect for you or the drekhead in your life.

Finally, there are a range of more discreet items based on some of Night City's gangs. These include bags and watches sporting the logos of Tyger Claws, The Mox, Voodoo Boys, Animals, and Valentinos. To check out the full range of all of the above items, or for pre-order information, visit the U.S. SuperGroupies store right here. Pre-orders close on February 14, with all items scheduled to ship across the remainder of 2021.

Vaulting and a heavy focus on seasonal cadence, both in tandem, has probably been the worst decision Bungie has made when it comes to Destiny 2. And I've seen some head-scratchers.

In the before-times, Bungie could create larger expansions, which had longer lifetimes and less of a sense of a ratrace-esque seasonal grind. Now, we're getting the worst of all worlds, it seems. Beyond Light is very small in terms of content, a ton of (good) old content was straight-up erased from the game, and seasonal progression, coupled with vaulting gear (most notably armor for some reason), creates a situation where earning certain items feels pointless: since their efficacy will be nuked mere months later.

We're at the point where some sort of shakeup needs to happen. But for the time being, Bungie is sailing ahead with the above plans: with a twist. On their newest This Week at Bungie blog, the publisher explains that they're going to be cutting down on FOMO (fear of missing out) with some new changes. Here's the basic rundown of what they hope to achieve:

Google Stadia, the late 2019 streaming platform that promised to revolutionize gaming by letting users stream games without needing to own a powerful PC or console, is altering course, getting out of the game-making business and will now offer its platform directly to game publishers alongside offering Stadia Pro to…

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