December 2021

The first thing you do in every round of Nix Umbra is collect your sword. It burns in your right fist, casting a pool of harsh emergency lighting a few metres wide. As long as the sword is lit, you live. Your shared vitality is measured by a sun icon in bottom right. Ahead, coarse soil disappears into twitching shadow. Above, bedroom-wallpaper stars flicker uncertainly. You think you see the moon.

After around five seconds of walking you'll encounter your first tree: a gritty slash of texture in the baleful glare of your sword. Early on in your time with Nix Umbra the trees might seem comforting: landmarks and barriers, things to retreat to, weave through while fleeing. You peep around the trunk and it bursts into flame, illuminating other trees, grouped in a ring like petrified ogres at feast. Your sun icon dims a little. You keep moving.

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343 has addressed cheating in Halo Infinite, as concern about the state of the game has grown since launch.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer is free to download and play, and since it went live cheating has already emerged as a problem.

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Japan’s premiere sales chart Oricon has released a list of the biggest selling manga of this year in Japan. Yes, 2021 isn’t quite over yet, but hey, we’re close enough.

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Role Quests make a return!

The post Final Fantasy XIV 6.0 Preliminary Patch Notes Released appeared first on Siliconera.

The game will be a third-person action RPG set in a dark fantasy world.

The post Metroid Dread Developer MercurySteam’s Next Game is “Project Iron” appeared first on Siliconera.

Season two of Aliens: Fireteam Elite arrives next week as the game joins Xbox Game Pass along with Generation Zero and Evil Genius 2: World Domination.

On 14th December, Aliens: Fireteam Elite will be available on Game Pass alongside the new season (also on PlayStation and PC via Steam).

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Fall Guys developer Mediatonic has confirmed that the game's delayed Nintendo Switch and Xbox versions won't arrive before the end of the year.

These editions were originally due in the summer, but in April were pushed back to an undefined date - and we've not heard much since. As for when they will arrive, those details will have to wait for 2022.

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Square Enix has warned of heavy congestion in Final Fantasy 14 Online ahead of the Early Access period and release of new expansion Endwalker.

The MMORPG already suffered from congestion earlier in the year due to a mass increase in its playerbase, many of whom will be jumping back in for Endwalker.

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There's something I need to tell you all, dear readers, and it may be a bitter pill to swallow. Superhero comics are just soap operas with spandex and punching. This also goes for professional wrestling, but that's a topic for someone whose knowledge on the subject is more up to date than about 2003.

Don't get me wrong, I like seeing superpeeps thrashing seven shades of superpoop out of each other as much as the next person, but the real reason people keep coming back to the ol' funnybooks is the drama. Sure, Batman is cool, but would he still be popular after all these years if all he ever did was fight? Of course not! If that were the case, we'd be celebrating the 90s as a New Golden Age instead of quietly pretending they didn't happen while making jokes about pouches and feet.

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Rockstar has delayed the release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition's physical versions.

PlayStation and Xbox editions have been pushed back to 17th December. The Nintendo Switch version has been delayed further, and will now arrive "in early 2022".

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Twitch has launched a Suspicious User Detection tool to help safeguard streamers and their chat from abuse.

The tool comes in the wake of hate raids and harassment on the platform, particularly for streamers from marginalised communities.

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Since spring 2020, Japan has banned foreign visitors from entering the country. There have been exceptions—some fair, some not. Last month, Japan began opening the border to business travelers and students. And then, Omicron hit.

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Additionally, a new face option will be added for the male Midlander Hyur.

The post Final Fantasy XIV 6.0 New Mount and Minions Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

Playing this event will require Masters to have first finished Lostbelt 6.

The post FGO Tunguska Sanctuary Event Will Focus on Koyanskaya appeared first on Siliconera.

Additionally, the logo for the series has been shared.

The post Resident Evil Netflix Live Action Series Teaser Features Cerberus appeared first on Siliconera.

Deep Rock Galactic is a survival-focused crafting game that’s been in early access for a while, but it’s since been officially launched and Coffee Stain Publishing and Ghost Ship Games have just announced that it’ll be coming to PlayStation as well.

Here’s the announcement via the press release:

“While it hasn’t been the best kept secret, we are delighted to finally come clean and stop hiding our long awaited arrival onto PlayStation!” Søren Lundgaard, CEO & Co-Founder, Ghost Ship Games. “We are bringing the game to PlayStation fans at one of the most exciting times in the game’s development path, and are so excited to open the doors to a whole new set of fans.”

Deep Rock Galactic recently introduced the Performance Pass, which is basically a free version of the Battle Pass model that allows players to unlock tons of free content and cosmetics as they continue playing the game. It’s since surpassed the three million player mark, making it one of the more popular survival games out on the market right now.

Deep Rock Galactic is already available on PC and Xbox, and will be coming to PlayStation in January 2022.

The post Deep Rock Galactic Is Coming to PlayStation in Early 2022 appeared first on Twinfinite.

The Bard's Tale is coming to Amazon Alexa, in the form of a new audio role-playing game titled Warlocks of Largefearn.

It's a project developed in conjunction with Xbox's inXile Entertainment, and created by Wanderword - a Swedish developer which previously released other Alexa-based RPGs.

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Jessica Gonzalez, a key figure in the recent employee action at Activision Blizzard, is leaving the company and quitting game development.

Gonzalez announced her resignation yesterday, in a message in which she further criticised Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick and said his "inaction and refusal to take accountability" was "driving out great talent.

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EDM DJ Steve Aoki played a 60-minute virtual Sonic concert for the SEGA mascot's 30th anniversary.

It was weird.

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Although Black Friday is over, the Xbox Cyber Week sale doesn't end until midnight tomorrow. It's worth checking out some of the deals before they disappear, because there's a lot included, from arcade classics to last generation's best-sellers and the latest AAAs. You can find all of our top picks and highlights from the sale below.

Xbox Cyber Week game deals

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I loved The Forest. My small team of survivors committed a little under forty hours building fortifications around the crash zone, scouring for food and rare weapons in sprawling underground caverns, and keeping cannibals and, later, grotesque mutants at bay. The sequel, Sons of the Forest, got two trailers earlier this year, highlighting a newfound emphasis on storytelling. An unnamed NPC – specifically, a nonvolatile mutant – is slated to be the player’s companion. But beyond montages and short action sequences, previous Sons of the Forest footage inspired more questions than answers.

A new trailer (seen below) continues that exciting, albeit frustrating, tradition of narrative vagueness. However, this time around, we finally got a release date set for Spring 2022. 

Update, 1/20/21:

The upcoming story-driven DLC for cyberpunk action-platformer, Ghostrunner, has been delayed. 

Originally set to release some time this month, Ghostrunner's Project_Hel DLC will now release on March 3. This means players will have to wait a little bit longer to play the DLC, which puts you behind the blade of Hel, a boss from the base game. 

According to 505 Games, the delay is to give the team more time to improve the DLC while also ensuring the health and safety of the studio and its partners are maintained. 

The global release of the Project_Hel DLC will be delayed to March 3rd. We appreciate your understanding and want all our fans to know that we will use this bonus time to make even more worthwhile improvements while ensuring the health & safety of our team and global partners. pic.twitter.com/NAf4Zvbo6K

— Ghostrunner (@GhostrunnerGame) January 19, 2022

For more details about this DLC, be sure to read the original story below. 

The original story continues below...

Original Story, 12/1/21

Next year, a new story-driven DLC is coming to first-person cyberpunk action-platformer, Ghostrunner, and it’s called Project_Hel. 

Kirby will watch you clean your own hands!

The post Kirby Sanitizer Dispenser Will Appear in Japan’s Amusement Centers appeared first on Siliconera.

International fans will also be able to purchase the items through a dedicated web store.

The post Hololive Tokyo Sky Tree Merchandise Will Mark 2021 Holiday Season appeared first on Siliconera.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 versions of Gojo, Suguru, and Yuta are open for pre-order.

The post Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Nendoroids Will Fight Curses in 2022 appeared first on Siliconera.

The two characters join Jolyne and Jotaro as the third and fourth Stone Ocean Nendoroids.

The post JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Ermes Costello and Foo Fighters Nendoroids Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

The Xbox wireless controller isn't just a superb peripheral with improved ergonomic design, it's also a great canvas for people to express their artistic side with. One master of this craft is PopeArt, whose latest Xbox wireless controller project has seen the artist apply a Sea of Thieves theme to the device. The end result looks rather stunning:

This isn't the first time that PopeArt has worked their magic, as you can find Xbox controllers decked out in Gears of War, Iron Man, and GFuel colors. The controller that captures the creepy magic of next year's Destiny 2 expansion, The Witch Queen, is particularly good and you can see more examples on PopeArt's Instagram account.

In addition to the new additions to Xbox Game Pass in December, Microsoft is removing some games. Six titles have been announced for removal in the first half of the month.

Titles leaving Game Pass on December 15 include Beholder, The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, Guacamelee 2, Wilmot's Warehouse, Unto The End, and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.

Until they vanish, subscribers can purchase them outright and save 20%. The list of Xbox Game Pass titles leaving on November 15 follows below. If history is any indication, Microsoft will announce another wave of titles leaving on December 31 later in the month.

Titles arriving on Game Pass in December include Halo Infinite (campaign), Among Us, Stardew Valley, and Aliens: Fireteam Elite. In other Game Pass news, subscribers get the Pass Tense MA40 Assault Rifle skin, four double XP boosts, and four challenge swaps for Halo Infinite in December.

Xbox Game Pass Titles Leaving December 15

• Beholder -- cloud, console
• The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan -- console, PC
• Guacamelee 2 -- console, PC, cloud
• Wilmot's Warehouse -- console, PC, cloud
• Unto The End -- console, PC, cloud
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair -- console, PC, cloud

Halo Infinite's campaign mode will be free for everyone with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription across Xbox, PC, and cloud when it launches next week, but that isn't all subscribers get with their monthly fee. Starting at launch and continuing monthly, Halo Infinite will get extra Game Pass Ultimate perks to use in the multiplayer mode.

Beginning December 8, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will get an exclusive "Pass Tense" (get it?) skin for the standard MA40 assault rifle. The skin adds an Xbox-style green color to some of the weapon, including part of the barrel and the receiver. Alongside the skin, you'll also get four 2XP boosts to make it through the battle pass more quickly, as well as four challenge swaps for whenever the game wants you to get 10 kills with the Ravager or something. No one has ever done that.

These perks will continue every month, so subscribers will want to check back for the latest as Halo Infinite moves throughout its first season. Titled Heroes of Reach, the season focuses on Halo: Reach-inspired looks, including kits from some of the game's main characters. A premium, paid tier for the battle pass offers more rewards than the free version and is not included with Game Pass, but you can also get some rewards by making progress in the campaign. There are other games (and services) with perks each month via Game Pass Ultimate as well, and you can check out what's coming and going in December.

Battlefield 2042 has had a rocky launch since it was released on November 19, as it quickly found itself sandwiched between old rival Call of Duty and Microsoft's worst-kept secret, Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer mode. On PC via Steam, the game peaked at 105,397 players, and its current 24-hour peak sits at 34,000 players, as spotted by Bravo Intel.

To put that into perspective, Battlefield 2042 is currently being outpaced by Farming Simulator 22 and Football Manager 2022 according to SteamDB; those games were also released this month.

Now it's worth noting that these numbers don't include Battlefield 2042's performance on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, while EA also has its Origin platform on PC. But when EA and DICE's latest military-themed shooter barely makes its way into the Steam top 30 charts, then you can understand just how much of an impact Battlefield 2042's bug-riddled gameplay and its small pool of content has had on its numbers when it comes to the biggest digital distribution hub on the planet.

While more fixes are on the way--such as a patch that went live late last month--players haven't hesitated to make their voices heard lately. Battlefield 2042's reviews are currently "mostly negative," as players continue to voice their dissatisfaction with the game, while DICE has outlined the major updates and changes that will be coming to Battlefield 2042.

Wargaming has announced the first details on its latest Holiday Ops limited-time event for World of Tanks, and it will feature none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor, bodybuilder, and former governor of California.

"During this magical season, your fondest wishes will come true, even those from your childhood. Set out on a holiday journey with our new guest, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bring holiday cheer to you and your loved ones, and get ready to celebrate Holiday Ops in good company," reads a line from the event's description.

Wargaming put together an elaborate holiday video to celebrate the Holiday Ops 22 event, and it looks like something out of a Hallmark movie. The video wraps up with a first look at Schwarzenegger's character model for World of Tanks.

Last year's celebrity star for Holiday Ops 21 was Chuck Norris, another action movie hero.

Holiday Ops 22 begins December 8, and it will also include an event called Tankmas 2021. Additionally, a 12 Days of Tankmas Drops event is coming as well, letting people earn special content for World of Tanks by watching partnered streams on Twitch, according to The Daily Bounce.

The latest PlayStation 5 system firmware update has just gone live, and if you were expecting a new patch that adds more stability to the console, then you're completely right. The newest system patch--which is about as exciting as the last batch of Nintendo Switch patch notes--improves system performance once again, and that's it.

That being said, a PS5 that runs more smoothly than ever before is always welcome. Version: 21.02-04.50.00's patch notes simply state: "This system software update improves system performance."

The biggest PS5 system update so far has been its September patch, which added M.2 drive support, additional 3D audio support for TV speakers, and several other quality-of-life updates. The PS5 still has a way to go before its user interface is more in line with what the PS4 had to offer, as some of the more fan-requested updates include custom folders to organize games in and a wider selection of background themes.

Other than those ongoing user experience updates, business is going smoothly for Sony, as it reported that it had sold more than 10 million PS5 consoles so far.

Stock has been limited due to an ongoing semiconductor shortage, so if you're looking to grab a PS5 for yourself, don't forget to check out our PS5 restock tracker hub for more updates.

Giants Software has announced that its latest game, Farming Simulator 22, sold more than 1.5 million copies in its first week alone. This sets a new first-week sales record for the series.

The developer self-published Farming Simulator 22 across PC and console, and the company said this was helpful as it allowed the studio to "streamline the communication with international distributors and extend the network itself to ensure all objectives are met."

Giants Software CEO Christian Ammann said, "I'm so proud! Of the team and the prospering environment it thrives in. Being able to successfully build international structures to transfer an already huge series like Farming Simulator into a self-published brand with new impulses, is not to take for granted. The great collaboration with our partners ensured a fantastic launch."

The developer added that Farming Simulator 22's cross-play multiplayer support helped bring "more and more players all around the world together."

Farming Simulator 22 also briefly had more active players than Battlefield 2042, according to SteamDB.

Mediatonic has spoken on rumours that Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will be coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch with Season 6.

Fall Guys Season 6 Party Spectacular is officially live and players around the world can now play the latest content including new limited-time events, 50 tiers of rewards to unlock, and a new patch to earn exclusive costumes. Many players believe that an Xbox and Nintendo Switch version of the battle-royale party game will also be released alongside the update.

The developer has addressed these rumours in a new blog post saying that the rumours are false but it's a top priority and adding cross-progression today was the first step.

The latest firmware update for the Nintendo Switch has arrived, but don't expect any significant changes. Version 13.2.0, which released on November 30, is focused on improving stability.

The single-line patch notes state: "General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience."

Twitter user OatmealDome dug into the update further and reports that the patch adds support for a new Chinese rating system, CADPA, while it also likely includes bug fixes for the "nim" component that communicates with Nintendo's servers, OatmealDome said (via VGC).

Before this, September's 13.0.0 update for the Nintendo Switch introduced Bluetooth support.

Square Enix has shared the Final Fantasy XIV 6.0 patch notes ahead of the launch of the latest expansion, Endwalker.

The preliminary patch notes for Endwalker includes not only everything that has previously been announced by the developer, such as new locations, Jobs, and quest content, but also updates including improvements, adjustments, content changes, and more.

Some rather notable updates include changes to side quests which will employ an automatic level adjustment system known as Quest Sync when the expansion launches, meaning their difficulty and EXP rewards will be adjusted to match the player's level. As players will be visiting brand new zones in Endwalker, that means new FATEs will also be added to 6.0 areas as well as new Treasure Maps for Treasure Hunts.

Disciple of the Hand or Land players will also be able to complete a series of Studium Custom Deliveries quests, located in Old Sharlayan, which will reward them with new items. The game's spearfishing system has also been overhauled and will now involve a mini-game.

Alongside the latest Jobs, Reaper and Sage, as well as the previously revealed combat adjustments, a few other tweaks will also be made. With 6.0, certain instanced battles will now display character portraits alongside the battle dialogue widget in the Main Scenario. However, players can disable this new option if they wish.

Ghostrunner, the first-person action platformer from Polish developer One More Level, is getting a brand-new DLC next year titled Project_Hel.

Project_Hel is the next major Ghostrunner expansion and will launch on January 27, 2022 for all available platforms. As reported exclusively by IGN, the DLC will be a story-driven experience featuring a major character from the main game.

Project_Hel will put players in the role of Hel, a boss who was featured in the main game. Hel is a combat-oriented character designed for "new players and veterans" and will have her own character ability progression system.

The DLC will include 6 missions and will follow Hel as she descends Dharma Tower, a massive skyscraper that was also featured in Ghostrunner which houses the remainder of humanity.

New bosses, enemies, as well as six new music tracks, will also be included in the expansion. According to IGN, Project_Hel was originally supposed to be a small DLC but evolved into a "full-blown Ghostrunner experience."

Ghostrunner players can sign up now for Project_Hel's private beta ahead of the launch. The expansion will cost $15 and will be available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.