Genshin Impact raked in over $3 billion from mobile players in less than two years, according to the latest report from analytics firm Sensor Tower.
Life imitates art, and nowhere is this more apparent than through these YouTube videos of a guy running through the streets of Tokyo, Japan as if he were a character from Grand Theft Auto 3. While the movement is strange for a human, it will look familiar to anyone who has tried moving around in a video game…
WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin is so pumped to play Johnny Cage in the next Mortal Kombat movie, all that’s left is for him to actually get cast.
Yesterday, a new trailer for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped. In anticipation of its upcoming release, Ewan McGregor is in full press mode supporting the six-part series and stopped by virtually on the Jimmy Kimmel show.
Over the course of the interview, McGregor dove right into a number of topics ranging from action figures of himself to fans who know more about the series than he does. But it is one specific side comment that made us pause.
In the interview, he praises director Deborah Chow who “really knows [her stuff]” regarding the various media the Star Wars universe inhabits. McGregor says that “all of the storylines have to … match up” and you “can't have some fact in a video game that doesn't match up to the movie.”
It’s a known fact that Star Wars Jedi: Fall Order is situated around the same time as the events of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. It isn’t that big of a hyperspace jump to think we could see a cameo from Cal Kestis or another Fallen Order character.
With over 120 internal studios, 230 games in development, and a massive stable of 850 IPs, Embracer Group has quietly become one of the biggest names in video games. The company, which calls itself “a parent company of businesses led by entrepreneurs in PC, console, mobile and board games, and other related media,” most recently purchased a handful of studios and IPs from Square Enix, including Crystal Dynamics/Tomb Raider, and now the gaming and movie rights to Lord of the Rings.
As Embracer Group continues to expand, many gamers have wondered, What exactly is Embracer Group, and what’s it doing with all these game franchises?
To answer that question, we’ve distilled Embracer Group’s thirty-year history into a digestible chronology, explaining how the company came to be and cataloging its growing list of notable development studios and game franchises. (Monetary amounts are listed in USD$ via exchange rate based on the days those deals were announced.)
Following the news that Haden Blackman, studio head and founder of Mafia 3's developer Hangar 13, is stepping down from the role after seven years, a new report has claimed a fourth instalment in the Mafia series is currently in early development at the studio.
That's according to Kotaku, which reports that newly appointed studio boss Nick Baynes is leading development on a brand-new Mafia game, codenamed Nero. The project is said to be a prequel to the Mafia trilogy - which would suggest a return to the prohibition era action of the very first Mafia game, if not even earlier.
Additionally, Hangar 13 will reportedly be ditching its Mafia 3 engine - used in the recent Mafia 1 remake - in favour of Unreal Engine 5. It may, however, be some time before either the studio or publisher 2K Games is ready to talk about the title, given it's still "early in development".
Sykkuno, one of Twitch’s top streamers known for his wholesome demeanor and for playing games like Among Us and GTA Online, left the Amazon-owned platform for the red pastures of YouTube Gaming this month. The move shocked the livestreaming space because Sykkuno was something of a household name on Twitch, boasting …
Popular Twitch streamer xQc recently admitted that he lost $1.8 million to gambling over the last month. After news of his losses spread online, his dad called him during a stream to ask if he was okay and to express how worried he was about the streamer’s gambling problems.
Hangar 13 studio head Haden Blackman has departed from the company. In an announcement made internally earlier this week and shared with several media outlets, owners 2K Games said that Haden was "leaving the company to pursue his passion at a new endeavor." Meanwhile, anonymous sources talking to Kotaku say that a Mafia prequel is in early development.
Overwatch 2's first beta test has been ticking along for a week now, and Blizzard have written a response to the feedback. It's almost relentlessly peppy, but there are details in there covering why things are the way they are, and how they'll be changing in future updates.
EA have provided a few scant details of the coming roadmap for The Sims 4, which includes a game pack and two kits coming in May and June. The three are all themed around nighttime, with heavy hints that the game pack will bring werewolves back to the series.
TennoCon, the annual convention and celebration for all things Warframe, is unsurprisingly happening again this year. Digital Extremes, the developer behind the action MMO, will be holding the show on July 16.
On its website, Digital Extremes announced the show's timing and that it will once again take place virtually, promising an "all-day event packed with exciting reveals from the team at Digital Extremes." Despite having to watch the festivities from home, fans of Warframes can still participate in the big day by submitting to the Community Art Showcase. "Sculptures, drawings, digital art, Captura pieces, cosplay and more — we want to see it all," says the submission form for the showcase. Clans can also show off their group's home base with the Dojo Showcase.
Digital Extremes will also be donating to a Canadian charity that has yet to be determined. The company says it will announce the chosen charity at a later date.
At last year's TennoCon, a big cinematic solo quest called The New War was revealed, which was later released in December of 2021. Digital Extremes also announced the development of crossplay and cross-save systems was in the works, though these features have yet to hit the Warframe client as of the time of this story.
In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew discusses the new maps and modes in Halo Infinite Season 2, Square Enix selling their western studios for an ostensibly modest price, and the dichotomy of Trek To Yomi's disappointing graphics and stellar art direction. Jill highlights Loot River during The Playlist segment, an innovative roguelike dungeon crawler with Tetris-like puzzle elements.
Follow us on Twitter: Alex Stadnik (@Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Jill Grodt (@Finruin)
It is important to keep in mind what is going on within Activision Blizzard at this time regarding ongoing allegations about the work culture. The ongoing lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) against the company is over reported toxic workplace culture. The bulk of the suit focuses on "violations of the state's civil rights and equal pay laws," specifically regarding the treatment of women and other marginalized groups. To learn more about the proceedings thus far, including details listed in the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, please check out our previous coverage here.
A much-requested bundle of items known as the C.O.R.E. Defender Pack is returning to Call of Duty: Warzone in celebration of the Call of Duty Endowment hitting a landmark milestone in helping veterans find jobs outside of their military careers.
Today Cloud Imperium Games had a couple of reveals to make about its growing space simulator Star Citizen.
First of all, the Invictus Launch Week for this year has been announced, and it will happen between May 20 and May 31.
To temper expectations for those unfamiliar with the event, it has nothing to do with the “launch” of the game. It’s an in-lore holiday celebrating the military fleet.
This year it’s labeled “2952” because that’s the current year in the in-game calendar. The location will also change to Crusader.
Perhaps the most exciting part is that for the whole duration of the event, the game will be free to download and play, and a rotation of ships will be made available to enjoy without the requirement of any purchase.
It’s the perfect occasion to test the current full build of the game (alpha 3.17) for yourself if you’re on the fence, or confused by conflicting reports.
The visit to the Javelin destroyer will return this year, but we don’t know whether it’ll be expanded in any way compared to what we saw last year.
Below you can see a teaser trailer and the calendar of flyable ships. Incidentally, the teaser provides a peek at the X-Wing-like RSI Scorpius, which could indicate a flyable debut.
A second video also showcases the tools created for developers to continue to work on the game more and more efficiently.
Today, Nacon have announced that they are opening up a brand new studio for the purpose of Italian game development. The new project will be known as Nacon Studio Milan and will include RaceWard Studio, which specializes in racing games, and other teams, as it seeks to diversify its offering.
Alongside the expertise that RaceWard brings in terms of racing games, Nacon Studio Milan will also focus on developing action/adventure games by another team. It was also stated that they are willing to explore other game genres in the future.
Currently, the team is “working on a brand-new project: a survival game based on one of the world’s most popular film franchises.” When discussing the new studio, Nacon Studio Milan CEO Marco Ponte had the following to say:
“We are proud of the direction we are heading in. Originally a team of racing experts, the studio has grown quickly, and our new talent has given us the desire to explore new territory. That’s why we decided to broaden our horizons and try another type of game. We are looking forward to presenting this new project to the world. Our family is growing and we are hoping to welcome new members soon as we build our team.”
Earlier this year, Nacon also purchased Daedalic Entertainment for around $36 million and developer Midgar Studio for an undisclosed amount. According to the press release, more details will be shared on the new studio, RaceWard’s role in it, and the untitled project at some point in 2022.
Blizzard Entertainment has hired its first ever Vice President, Head of Culture to help make the Overwatch and Diablo company have a more "diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture."
Jessica Martinez has joined Blizzard to help lead the effort to empower workers to feel they can "learn, grow, and bring their most creative selves to their work," Blizzard said in a news post.
Martinez previously worked at The Walt Disney Company for more than 14 years as its Chief of Staff and strategic advisor in the Parks & Resorts division.
"Jessica and the Blizzard leadership team will be responsible for growing and implementing our culture strategy, ensuring alignment across all teams and functions, and revamping learning and talent development programs," the company said in a statement.
Jessica MartinezMartinez said in her own statement, "When you create a people-first environment where teams feel safe, valued, and work together toward a shared purpose, everyone thrives–the employees, the players, and the business."
Martinez will work with Blizzard's communications, events, and the leaders of the company's franchise teams. "Making the values of our connections show up in what we do is how we bring humanity back to business," Martinez said.
As previously announced by Treyarch, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is getting the Jungle map originally from 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops. The developer tweeted an update to reveal Jungle would be added to Black Ops Cold War on May 6.
To celebrate the arrival of the classic map, Jungle will arrive with a 24/7 playlist of mixed game modes. This throwback map follow's Treyarch's previously released WMD map and Vargo 52 assault rifle for Black Ops Cold War's first chunk of Year 2 content.
While the tweet only mentions Jungle is coming this week, Treyarch announced back in April that two new weapons were also coming to Black Ops Cold War. They're said to be one ranged weapon and one melee weapon that players can unlock for use in multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. Treyarch's Year 2 content seems to be trickling in, so it's possible both weapons could arrive at later dates.
E3 2022 is canceled, but the games industry is moving forward with its usual cadence of summer gaming events. One of the biggest is Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest, which he created as his own virtual show--first as an alternative to the scuttled E3 in 2020, then alongside its virtual version in 2021. The centerpiece of this is Summer Game Fest Live 2022, a special event to kick off all of the game coverage under its umbrella.
Keighley is best known for hosting and producing The Game Awards every December, and he also heads up Gamescom's Opening Night Live. So he's no stranger to big stage shows, and Summer Game Fest is meant to be a celebration of all games, which differentiates it from the platform and publisher showcases that we also expect to see.
When Is The Summer Game Fest Live 2022 Showcase
The Summer Game Fest Live 2022 takes place Thursday, June 9. It begins at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET, and you can see more regional times below.
Thursday, June 9
How To Watch Summer Game Fest Live 2022
The Summer Game Fest Live 2022 presentation will air across the usual streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch. This year, the presentation will also be broadcast in select IMAX theaters. Ticket sales for the live event will begin on May 12. Keighley has also teased that the IMAX partnership will continue for The Game Awards later this year.
What To Expect At The Summer Game Fest Live 2022
As is customary during the week before a new Apex Legends season launch, Respawn Entertainment has released the introductory trailer for Season 13's newest legend. The trailer unveils Newcastle (AKA Jackson "Jackie" Williams, Bangalore's brother) in all his armored glory, and gives the typical abilities rundown that fans have come to expect from these trailers--but this time, there's a twist.
The first thing that will jump out at most fans is the absence of the female Apex announcer who has served as the narrator for every "Meet [Legend]" trailer since the game's launch in 2019. But this time around, the newest legend to hit the Games is being introduced by the person who knows him best, instead of the perky female announcer fans are used to. While it might be embarrassing to be introduced by his little sister, Newcastle definitely had it coming, after faking his death and leading said sister to believe he was gone for good.
Bangalore's frustration with her brother is palpable in the trailer's voiceover, though it certainly seems like she's pleased to have the opportunity to take said frustration out on him in the ring. She even slips up and nearly calls Newcastle by his real name instead of his Apex Games moniker while detailing his abilities.
NewcastlePassive: Retrieve the Wounded
Newcastle can use his knockdown shield while reviving and can drag a teammate over a short distance.
Trek to Yomi doesn’t have your standard side-scroller combat. You neither hop-and-bop nor hack-and-slash. Instead, combat is more akin to something from Assassin’s Creed or Ghost of Tsushima, where you need to read your opponent’s attacks and react appropriately. It can take some getting used to, but here’s how you can get started on the right foot.
While Trek to Yomi will often tell you time is of the essence, you shouldn’t neglect probing the margins of its environments. Many times, going off the beaten path rewards you with upgrades to your health, stamina, and ammunition and will even provide you with new combos. While one unit of health may not seem like much in the immediate, having a healthy stockpile can mean the difference between life and a sudden death.
Health is always restored to full when you reach one of Trek to Yomi’s checkpoint shrines, however, you may sometimes find some are just not near enough. Keep your health topped up by parrying. Watch for the glint on your opponent’s blade before jamming the counter button, and not only will you open them up for an attack, you’ll get some precious life back.
Once you’ve become all grown up and have access to a few more combos, you’ll find some will stun enemies upon their completion. When an enemy is standing there in a daze, they’re open to a finishing move. Not only does this kill off whatever health they had left, but it also crams some life back into your samurai body. While this won’t work against bosses, it is a great way to keep some fuel in your tank between shrines.
While E3 2022 is canceled, there are a handful of big-time gaming events coming up this summer, one of which is the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. While the event is still some time off, it's never too early to get ready, and here in this post we're rounding up how to watch the showcase and what to expect.
For anyone catching up, Microsoft owns Bethesda following its purchase of the gaming giant in 2020, and that's why the companies are hosting their showcase together in this manner.
The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase takes place Sunday, June 12. It begins at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and you can see more regional times below.
Sunday, June 12
Microsoft has not yet officially announced how long the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, but marketing boss Aaron Greenberg said on Twitter that it should be in the area of 90 minutes. "We don't have a final show run time yet. But yes typically we end up close to that 90 mins mark," Greenberg said.
For comparison, 2021's Xbox & Bethesda event ran for 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Call of Duty Mobile’s Season 4: Wild Dogs launched on April 27, and Activision has detailed the new Tournament Mode feature coming to Season 4 on May 6.
Season 4's new Tournament Mode is separate to Call of Duty Mobile’s Ranked Play. While Ranked Play is for larger squads and determines qualification for the Call of Duty Mobile's World Championship, Activision says Tournament Mode is meant for duos or solo competitors who want to prove their individual skill. It also gives players another outlet to practice in a competitive environment before climbing the Ranked Play ladder.
Players will be able to access Tournament Mode from the main Multiplayer lobby. It will have its own hub, which features a mode selection, leaderboards, and will show the player's wins and losses during a tournament round.
Each tournament round will consist of four matches. These matches can be played on the following modes:
Winning matches will earn players Crowns, which is a tournament-exclusive currency for rewards. Those who win three matches will have a chance to earn double crowns, a dynamic Calling Card, and a special Tournament Crate for winning a fourth match. Players can play as many tournament rounds as they want to win that week's rewards. Additionally, players will be able to choose to spend CoD Points for additional matches within a round.
However, Activision says the additional match purchases won't affect the leaderboards. The publisher says a player’s leaderboard position is solely based on the number of wins, rewarding those who consistently win rounds regardless of extra match purchases.
The annual Warframe fan event, TennoCon, is returning in 2022 to celebrate the popular free-to-play shooter series. This seventh annual conference takes place on July 16, and Digital Extremes is promising "exclusive news and reveals, contests, in-game activities, giveaways, developer panels," and more.
This is a digital event that will be streamed free for everyone. Digital Extremes COO Sheldon Carter said fans can expect a "jaw-dropping lineup of announcements and reveals." Additionally, there will be interactive in-game experiences happening at the same time of the event inside Warframe.
TennoCon will also feature an art and cosplay contest. Fans can submit Warframe-themed art and cosplay for a chance to be featured during the TennoCon broadcast. You can see the full rules and details in the Community Art Show submission form.
The TennoCon Dojo showcase is also returning for the 2022 event. Similar to previous years, players can sync up with others in Clans and create and customize their own Dojos for a chance to have them featured during TennoCon. Submissions for the art/cosplay and Dojo contests close on June 16.
Last year's TennoCon included the reveal of Warframe's The New War expansion, which was revealed inside Warframe. More than 700,000 people logged into the game at the same time for this event, breaking Warframe concurrent player records.
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic's final content patch, the Fury of the Sunwell update, will arrive May 10, with the expansion's final raid unlocking on May 12.
Come Tuesday, Burning Crusade Classic players will be able to travel to the Isle of Quel'Danas and battle the forces of Kael'thas and the Burning Legion that have taken control of the Blood Elves cherished Sunwell. As detailed by Blizzard, this new zone introduces a new faction to earn repudiation with, the Shattered Sun Offensive, as well as new daily quests.
The expansion's ultimate raid, Sunwell Plateau, will be accessible a few days later. Widely regarded as one of the most challenging raids in the early days of WoW, Sunwell Plateau will see players confront the fallen Blood Elf prince Kael'thas once more, who seeks to summon one of the Burning Legion's most powerful commanders, Kil'jaeden. Unlike many other Burning Crusade raids, there is no lengthy attunement process to enter Sunwell Plateau, and in a major difference from the game's original release, all six of the raid's bosses will be available on launch day.
Fury of the Sunwell's release will also usher in a new PvP Arena season. Dedicated players who climb the ranks will be able to earn the unique Brutal Gladiator title as well as the Brutal Nether Drake mount. Some new pieces of PvP gear will require a certain Arena rating to purchase, while gear from previous Arena seasons will no longer have rating requirements and can be purchased normally.
OlliOlli World is already something of a strange, cartoony game, taking place in a world built for skateboarding. It's also one populated by humans, frog businessmen, fortune-telling fish, and skate gods, whose main teachings include grinding and kick-flipping. With its upcoming DLC expansion, Void Riders, the side-scrolling skateboarding platformer is taking things a step further with a cosmic theme and the addition of a whole bunch of aliens.
Though developer Roll7 hasn't revealed much in the way of details about what players can expect for the first story expansion for OlliOlli World, GameSpot got an exclusive look at the DLC's key art, which gives a few clues.
"Yes, it's as weird as it looks," said John Ribbins, Roll7's chief creative officer and co-founder, in an interview with GameSpot. "DLC is an opportunity to, as developers, have fun--we already know how to make the game now. And it's like, what cool twists can we put on it, and stuff like that?"
The twists in Void Riders primarily seem to concern visits by extraterrestrials, whose ships can be seen in the art sucking up objects, characters, and cows, thereby altering OlliOlli World's skatable landscape. Aliens previously made a few cameos in OlliOlli World's Burntrock levels, mostly hanging around in the background as a sort of running Area 51 joke. They're a big part of the foreground in Void Riders, composing a skate crew of their own that you'll interact with, much like those located throughout the different levels of OlliOlli World.
One of two popular Battlefield Portal modes in Battlefield 2042 will be featured in each Battlefield Portal rotation update "for the foreseeable future."
Traditionally, featured modes in Battlefield Portal change on a regular basis, and have been the home for limited-time events like the Christmas-themed Attack of the Elves mode, among others. Sometimes these modes are made by the developers at DICE and Ripple Effect themselves, while other times they can be community creations. With this change, either Flashback Conquest or Infantry Conquest will be included in the featured modes for Battlefield Portal for what sounds like a long time.
These two Featured Experiences are proving popular, and we want to continue to deliver experiences you enjoy playing.
— Battlefield Direct Communication (@BattlefieldComm) May 5, 2022
As of today, we plan to include either Flashback Conquest or Infantry Conquest in each #BattlefieldPortal Rotation Update for the foreseeable future. pic.twitter.com/Y6ep3JS1fS
The change is due to the fact that the two modes are among Battlefield Portal's most popular. As such, instead of rotating them out, the developers want to continue offering experiences that players enjoy.
Microsoft is giving Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members a chance to play a handful of games for free this weekend. Call of the Sea, Civilization VI, and Overcooked All You Can Eat are free until Sunday, May 8 at 11:59 PM PT/ 2:59 AM ET.
Taking advantage of the free-play weekend is simple. You can either install the games through the official Xbox website by signing into your account and downloading them to a linked console, or you can head over to the Subscriptions tab on your Xbox and check out the Free Play Days collection.
As is usually the case with these types of promotions, most of the games are getting big discounts while the event is live. If you find yourself enjoying any of the three titles, be sure to check out the below listings to permanently add them to your collection.
Though Dying Light 2: Stay Human launched earlier this year, the first game is still being supported. With Dying Light's new 1.49 patch, all players who own the Standard Edition of the game will now have their copies automatically upgraded to the Enhanced Edition.
The Enhanced Edition includes the story expansion pack The Following, as well as four additional DLC packs, which are the Cuisine & Cargo, The Bozak Horde, Crash Test Skin Pack, and the Ultimate Survivor Bundle.
The game also gets a new Dieselpunk DLC pack, even seven years after its original release. The pack includes a new chainsaw weapon called Gut Render, an SMG called Greaser, and a saw blade called Flesh Ripper. Players get a new outfit called Punk'd Beret and a new skin called Rugged Roaster which grants 50% slower fuel usage.
Dying Light's Hellraid mode gets one more final update for its mode-exclusive Deathbringer firearm, along with a revamped armory and new crystal consumables. The PVP mode "Be the Zombie has also seen some fixes as well.
Great news! 😍 Starting today, every player that owns the Standard Edition of Dying Light will be automatically upgraded to the Enhanced Edition.#DyingLight pic.twitter.com/jmSfQ3RkCd
Microsoft has announced a big new addition to the Xbox Cloud Gaming library, with Epic's hugely popular battle royale game Fortnite now available to stream for free with no subscription required.
This is the first free-to-play game on Xbox Cloud Gaming, but more are on the way. You can play Fortnite via the cloud right now through the Xbox website for iOS, Android, Windows PC via browser, or a tablet. This is particularly noteworthy in part for iOS players, since this looks like a workaround to play Fortnite on iOS. Epic famously removed Fortnite from iOS amid its battle with Apple.
"This is just the beginning for us--we're going to learn, implement feedback, and in time look to bring even more free-to-play titles to players through the cloud," Microsoft said.
Microsoft also shared some stats about Xbox Cloud Gaming, reiterating that 10 million people have streamed games with Xbox Cloud Gaming thus far through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Additionally, people in 26 countries have used Xbox Cloud Gaming on more than 6,000 types of devices.
Microsoft also mentioned that it has worked with more than 125 developers to launch in excess of 350 games through Xbox Game Pass in the cloud. What's more, the company said Xbox Game Pass users who make use of cloud streaming play "nearly twice as many games" as those who don't use the cloud. It's not hard to see why, as no local download is required, thus making it theoretically very simple to sample many games.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. For more, check out a rundown of new additions to the Game Pass catalog for May 2022.
While it's fun to fire off sorceries in Elden Ring, sometimes you'll have to bring out a melee weapon to take an enemy head on. If you'd like to get a bit of extra damage out of those encounters, you may want to check out Frozen Armament, as you can cast it on your weapons and build up a debuff on your enemies. Read on to find out where you can get this useful spell.
Frozen Armament is a sorcery that requires 15 Intelligence to cast. It coats your armament with the frost status effect, which will apply frostbite to enemies, lowering their damage absorption by 20% and reducing their stamina recovery speed.
Frozen Armament's item description reads:
Sorcery said to have been used by the old snow witch. Enchants armament held in the right hand with frost. This sorcery can be cast while in motion. The snowy crone taught the young Ranni to fear the dark moon as she imparted her cold sorcery.
Frozen Armament is found by killing a Teardrop Scarab directly north of Caria Manor in Liurnia of the Lakes. The only way to the location of the scarab, however, is to fully clear the manor and defeat the boss at the end. You'll then be able to exit out the back and explore a new area.
United Paizo Workers brought the concerns of workers in the tabletop industry to Washington D.C.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has a mid-credits and an after-credits scene
Roadhog mains, rejoice. Zenyattas who kick, get in here!
