July 2022

When it comes to MMOs, Final Fantasy XIV is hard to beat. The fact that it constantly gets new content only helps keep players engaged. There has already been word on the next patch players can expect. Here’s the release date for Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.2 Buried Memory.

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.2 Buried Memory Release Date

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.2 Buried Memory has now been announced to be released on Aug. 23. the original announcement had it as arriving in late August. Fans don’t have all that much of a wait left, at all.

Those looking forward to the Buried Memory patch can watch a newly released trailer below. However, it is certainly possible it contains spoilers, so be careful.

Video game companies are notoriously cagey about sharing their plans. In a market saturated with sequels and spin-offs, developers nevertheless treat every new project with extreme secrecy. They’ll rarely even be up-front about what they aren’t working on, but today the PlayStation studio behind Ghost of Tsushima did…

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20-year-old Brian Haugh has spent the past six years purchasing thousands of “:steam2016:” emoticons, which Valve created to promote the 2016 Steam Summer Sale and looks like a hot dog wearing little shoes. On Steam, you can purchase emoticons from other users in the Community Marketplace or create them by playing…

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For the past week, Games Done Quick has held its annual Summer-time speedrunning festival. As always, the event has been awesome, full of some truly mind-blowing feats, including an exploit-packed run through Halo Infinite’s open-world-ish campaign. But organizers appear to have saved the best for last, with a truly…

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We’ll be playing matches in Overwatch 2’s second beta today on Twitch at 2 p.m. Central. Join editors Marcus Stewart and Andrew Reiner as they try the upcoming sequel on for size and weigh in on the game’s big changes. We’ll also be playing duos in Fortnite because, well, why not?

Overwatch 2 arrives as a free-to-play multiplayer game on October 4, and Blizzard continues working out the kinks in this new beta. We’ll try out the new hero, Junker Queen, tour the new maps, and see how we adapt to the new 5v5 format. 

We’ll play an hour of Overwatch 2 before switching over to Fortnite. Reiner, a seasoned veteran, will carry me, someone who rarely touches the game but bought a Spider-Man skin just because, to a victory royale. Maybe. You’ll have to tune in and see what happens!

Watch on Twitch!

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Good Smile Company’s Anime Expo 2022 announcements also involved Hololive English Myth reveals of new Nendoroids, figmas, and Pop Up Parade figures. In some cases, only concept art appeared. However, both the Gura Gawr and Calliope Mori Pop Up Parades showed up as unpainted prototypes.

First, here’s the reveal that Amelia Watson, Calliope, Ina’nis Ninomae, and Kiara Takanashi Hololive English Nendoroids are in the works. No precise concept art appeared to show them in their upcoming chibi forms.

Investigate the myth further! Mori Calliope, Takanashi Kiara, Ninomae Ina'nis and Watson Amelia from hololive production are joining the Nendoroid line! Stay tuned for more info soon!#hololive #goodsmile pic.twitter.com/qYrtRgRYOU

— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) July 1, 2022

Next, here’s the reveal that Amelia, Calliope, Gura, Ina’nis, and Kiara will all get their own figmas.

When is a murder mystery game not a murder mystery game? When it's a combination murder mystery/shoot 'em up! Just as the "Yurukill" in the title Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is a portmanteau of the Japanese "Yurusu" (to pardon or forgive) and the English "Kill," the game itself is a combo of two seemingly incompatible genres. It is a puzzle-solving adventure and a flashy scrolling shooter. The result works far better than one might think at first.

Yurukill kicks things off in an unknown prison. The first character and protagonist, Sengoku Shunju, is a mass murderer. Convicted of bombing an apartment building and killing 21 people, he's been removed from his cell and carted off to "Yurukill Land," a freakish amusement park. There, he and five other "Prisoners," all convicted of various crimes but continuing to proclaim their innocence, must survive the "Yurukill Games." The games are a series of challenges posed by Binko, Yurukill's eccentric, fox mask-wearing game show host. But there's more. Each Prisoner is paired up with an "Executioner," an individual with some connection to the Prisoner's crime. In Sengoku's case, his Executioner is Rina Azami, the only survivor of the bombing Sengoku allegedly committed.

As part of its Anime Expo 2022 announcements, Good Smile Company offered looks at its Mob Psycho 100 Shigeo Kageyama and Arataka Reigen Nendoroids. There's no release window for either one yet. However, the latest images offer a first look at the painted prototypes for both characters. Pop Up Parade figures of both characters are also on the way.

First, here's how Mob will look. He's wearing his school uniform.

Anime Expo 2022 Figure Update!

Good Smile Company
Mob Psycho 100 III
Nendoroid Shigeo Kageyama

Stay tuned for more info!#MobPsycho100 #goodsmile #AX2022 #GSCatAX2022 pic.twitter.com/jLJbzSYUId

— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) July 1, 2022

Next, here's Reigen in his usual suit.

Anime Expo 2022 Figure Update!

Good Smile Company
Mob Psycho 100 III
Nendoroid Arataka Reigen

A number of indie game Nendoroid updates appeared as part of Good Smile Company's Anime Expo 2022 announcements. Most of them were looks at confirmed characters. For example, painted prototypes of both the Nendoroid versions of Shovel Knight and Undertale's Undine showed up. So did an unpainted Nendoroid prototype of the half-genie Shantae.

First, here's the painted Shovel Knight Nendoroid. He'll be armed with his shovel. His armor will also use metallic paint.

Anime Expo 2022 Figure Update!

Good Smile Company
Shovel Knight
Nendoroid Shovel Knight

Stay tuned to for more info!#ShovelKnight #goodsmile #AX2022 #GSCatAX2022 pic.twitter.com/zDkTHk4oNx

— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) July 1, 2022

Next, here's the Undertale Undine Nendoroid. She'll join Sans and Papyrus, who will appear in 2023.

Phantasy Star Online 2 and PSO2 New Genesis PS4 versions are finally going to appear outside Japan. As part of the Anime Expo 2022 announcements, Sega confirmed a global release. The only consoles with the MMORPGs outside Japan right now are ones in the Xbox family. They will arrive on the PlayStation Store on August 31, 2022.

Here's the official announcement.

"PS4 when?"
We're happy to announce that #PSO2NGS Global is finally coming to @PlayStation!

Join the never-ending adventure in Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis on PS4, coming August 31st! #AX2022 #AnimeExpo pic.twitter.com/jK6Qe6p68D

— Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis - Global (@play_pso2) July 1, 2022

PSO2 New Genesis launched on Xbox consoles and PCs back in June 2021.

The Tour De France, the grandest race in professional cycling, started today. Across three weeks, 176 cyclists will ride 3328 kilometres (2068 miles) winding through France, Denmark, Belgium, and Switzerland, including the Alps and Pyrenees. As a keen cyclist and avid Tour watcher myself, I'm excited. So in celebration, over the coming weeks I'll be gabbing about the Tour De France, cycling, and bikes in a wide variety of video games with my own Tour De Jeux, from big-budget open-world extravaganzas to cute wee indie adventures. Let's start in the obvious place: the official Tour De France video game.

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Today Japanese developer Sonic Powered announced the upcoming release of I am an Air Traffic Controller: Airport Hero Haneda for Nintendo Switch.

The game will release on September 8, 2022, and quite surprisingly, it’ll include English language support on top of Japanese.

As the title indicates, it’s an air traffic controller simulation based on the Tokyo Haneda airport in Japan, challenging the player with the task to direct aircraft around the aprons and runways in order to ensure smooth operation.

The I am an Air Traffic Controller series, originally developed by TechnoBrain for PC, has been around for 24 years since it debuted in July 1998. Recently, Technobrain released I Am an Air Traffic Controller 4 in English on Steam (featuring Haneda as well), followed by the Naha DLC, with Sapporo New Chitose incoming.

On the other hand, Sonic Powered has been releasing console spin-offs on PSP and Nintendo portables (Nintendo DS and then 3DS) since 2006 with the subtitle Airport Hero, proving quite successful in Japan and even getting a handful of localization.

Now the Airport Hero series is finally making the jump to the newest portable, the Nintendo Switch, and the fact that it’s coming in English is definitely great for the fans who don’t speak Japanese.

Today WayForward and Rooster Teeth had a new reveal to share about the upcoming RWBY action-adventure game RWBY Arrowfell.

First of all, we get a release window, which is now fall 2022 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, & PC.

The game features a canon story written by RWBY writers Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna, and Eddy Rivas.

We also get plenty of gameplay detail, which you can read below.

• Play as all four members of Team RWBY — Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang — each with their own weapons and abilities! Switch between them on the fly!
• Use each character’s Semblances to get an edge in combat and solve puzzles!
• Featuring the talents of RWBY’s original vocal cast, plus a new theme song by Casey Lee Williams!
• An all-new canonical story set during RWBY Volume 7 from RWBY writers Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna, and Eddy Rivas!
• Explore a variety of nonlinear environments in Atlas, Mantle, and the surrounding areas!
• Interact with familiar characters such as Penny, Winter, General Ironwood, and the Ace Operatives, as well as new faces like Team BRIR!
• Collect Skill Points to power up Team RWBY’s stats!

You can check out the new trailer and screenshots below.

Riot Games’ tactical shooter, Valorant, is now eight months on from its initial release, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t one or two lingering issues still impacting some players. Here’s how to fix Valorant voice chat not working if you’re having trouble using the in-game communication.

How to Fix Valorant Comms Not Working

Before doing anything else to fix your Valorant comms, try going into “Privacy settings” on your desktop, clicking on “microphone” and double checking that “allow desktop apps to access your microphone” is checked on. Fixed it? If not, keep reading.

How to Fix Valorant Voice Chat Not Working

First, we’ll start this guide by stating that although we do see some players struggling with this particular issue, it is by no means a widespread bug/glitch. There isn’t some issue with the current version of the game that is commonplace.

Unfortunately, if you’re struggling with in-game chat you’re in the minority. It isn’t typical, especially beyond Patch 1.07 or so, which is a good five months old at this point.

More likely, then, it is a problem on your end. So, we’ll start with the basics.

With all of the craziness going on during the show, one of the big questions on everyone’s mind is: is Max blind in Stranger Things Season 4? Considering everything that has gone on with this character throughout the events that have transpired, it’s a genuinely good question. Here is everything you need to know.

***Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 Below***

Is Max Blind in Stranger Things Season 4?

While Eleven is able to save Max Mayfield at the end of Stranger Things Season 4, she is left blinded, with broken limbs that end up putting her in a coma. So, as of right now, yes, it seems that Max is now blind.

Obviously, we will have to wait and see if any more crazy developments occur in Stranger Things Season 5, which is said to be the final installment in the series.

For now, though, that is everything you possibly need to know about is Max Blind in Stranger Things Season 4? For more on Stranger Things, check out our in-depth article discussing why Season 4’s approach to trauma is so mature.

There should also be some more Stranger Things-related content down below that you may find helpful, as well as some other news for the series. For any questions you have about the show that you can’t seem to find the answer to, always feel free to reach out to us in the comment section and we’ll do our best to help.

Featured Image Source: Netflix

Fallout: London looks great! It honestly could pass as a real, official expansion if you showed it to someone who had no idea it was a fan-created mod. And apparently the company behind Fallout, Bethesda, agrees that London looks marvelous because it keeps hiring up the ambitious mod’s developers.

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When I first watched Netflix’s new anime Bastard!!: Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy, I expected a melodramatic anime series along the lines of Record of Lodoss War. What I got was an unapologetically horny show about a wizard and his ever-growing harem of big-haired anime waifus. I loved every second of it.

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When people talk about the “best” year in gaming, they typically trot out the usual suspects: 2007 (Assassin’s Creed! Mass Effect! Halo 3!), 2013 (The Last of Us! GTA V!), 2017 (Horizon Zero Dawn! That other open-world game!). Allow us to posit that one of the best years in gaming happened exactly 20 years ago: 2002.…

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Starting a cult isn’t easy work, but somebody’s got to do it in Massive Monster’s Cult of the Lamb, which hits consoles and PC next month. Fortunately, the team behind the devilishly cute game has released a new trailer with tips and tricks to start, and maintain, the best cult.

The first step is simple: grow your flock. All you need to do is fight through hordes of demon monsters to save innocent woodland creatures that will make for perfect initiates. Of course, you rename each addition and select other facets of their new life to dictate what kind of cult member (and worker) they’ll be for you.

Check it out in action: 

As you can see in the trailer above, growing your flock is just the first step. You also need to satisfy the faithful. To do this, you must tend to your congregation by leading and feeding them and ultimately keeping them happy. You can give them gifts, invite them to feasts, and much more. The final step is to cleanse the non-believers, naturally. 

Unhappy cult members might lose faith in you, but this is fixable. You can opt to re-educate them in the ways of your cult, which will hopefully stop them from persuading other members to rise against you, or, if you just can’t see a solution, you can always sacrifice them to the gods. 

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is joined by John Carson as they run down all the big news to come out of the Nintendo Direct Mini that Nintendo put out with its third-party partners this week. But first, Brian gets John's impressions of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, the new expansion from the Switch and PC-exclusive Monster Hunter title, and Brian talks about his hours of hands-on time with Sonic Frontiers.

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), John Carson (@John_Carson)

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

Be sure to subscribe to All Things Nintendo on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Today Atlus released another daily trailer of the upcoming JRPG Soul Hackers 2, focusing on some of the demons that will be featured in the game.

This time we get the reveal of Fortuna, a demon that appropriately debuted in the original Soul Hackers and also appeared in the recent Shin Megami Tensei V.

Like most daily trailers, we also get the daily horoscope, which sees Aquarius at the top of the fortune ranking and Pisces at the bottom.

You can check the video out below.

Soul Hackers 2 releases for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam and Windows Store) on August 26, just one day after the Japanese launch on August 25.

You might not think of just how much there is to developing a modern top-of-the-line VR headset. Eye tracking is an important part of the future of VR and Sony has chosen eye tracking technology company Tobii to develop for the PSVR2.

At present, there aren’t any consumer level VR headsets specifically for video gaming that deal with eye tracking. At present, eye tracking in VR is mostly available in more productivity or business-based uses like the Microsoft HoloLens 2 ($3,500 base price) or the HTC Vive Pro Eye ($1,400). We should see that stat to change as the technology becomes more mainstream.

To that end, Tobii is already quite big in the world of video games, with their Tobii Eye Tracker 5 product for PC games (non-VR) that handles head and eye tracking.

Tobii describe the important eye tracking as:

Eye tracking is a sensor technology that decodes gaze. It is a foundational technology for a broad range of applications, including scientific research, behavioral analysis, and assistive technology.

While this isn’t only an application and a technology for gamers, eye tracking can take over something like aiming with a mouse (or analog stick) to bring the action to a more natural level.

Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games released more videos showcasing content coming in the next update and more.

The first video focuses on content that will be implemented with the upcoming Alpha 3.17.2 version of the game. It includes new armor, missions, locations (both in space and on planets), and more.

We also take another look at the “Siege of Orison” event, which will see players square off against NPC pirates in the floating city of Orison in close FPS combat.

We also get another video in which we hear from the game’s audio team.

You can watch both below.

In other Star Citizen news, the crowdfunding total is at almost $485 million and it’s currently sitting on $485,189,666.

The number of registered accounts is at almost 4 million, having reached 3,949,304 at the moment of this writing.

Yesterday, the studio behind the Nintendo Switch port of Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords announced that it’s finally fixed a game-breaking bug that had previously rendered the game impossible to finish.

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One of Castlevania's most recognizable characters will inspire a new figure. Good Smile Company's Japanese Twitter account announced an item as part of its Anime Expo 2022 reveals. A Castlevania Alucard Nendoroid is in development.

The Alucard figure is early in development. There are no prototypes to show at this time. Instead, there is chibi concept art showing how the final Nendoroid could look.

Here's the official Castlevania Alucard Nendoroid announcement. It suggests he could arrive wearing a cape and wielding a sword.

商品化決定
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
ねんどろいど アルカード
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿#悪魔城ドラキュラ #Castlevania #goodsmile #AX2022

#ねんどろいど とは？https://t.co/9FZQRIMZHz pic.twitter.com/ia1F43DnrY

— カホタン＠グッスマのすみっこ (@gsc_kahotan) July 1, 2022

Check out the full conversation with Reaper_Chris and others in the comments.

We missed this one before but once we found it we knew we needed to highlight user tenken8, and their thoughtful post on our TMNT Shredder's Revenge review.

We now have a better idea of the VShojo Ironmouse Nendoroid will look. Good Smile Company's been teasing an array of figures that will be part of its lineup at Anime Expo 2022. Among them was a picture of the unpainted prototype of the Vtuber figure.

Here's a closer look at the Ironmouse Nendoroid. She was announced back at WonHobby G Spring 2022. At the time, only concept art for the character showed up. The unpainted prototype offers an idea of one of the face plates that will come with the figure.

商品化決定
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
ねんどろいど
　　アイアンマウス
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿#Vshojo #アイアンマウス#Ironmouse #ねんどろいど#goodsmile #AX2022

▼関連アイテム情報はこちらhttps://t.co/WoL8w3unOQ pic.twitter.com/yGz4e3jc1M

Bandai Namco is hosting its anime games panel from Anime Expo in Los Angeles and announced a new DLC for Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris, alongside a Nintendo Switch port.

The DLC is titled Blooming of Matricaria, and it’ll be the last one created for the game.

We get to see a new character named Rogu, who appears to have known Kirito, Eugeo, and Alice for a long time.

Rogu uses axe and shield, and this is also a new battle style available to players. It can be used to draw aggro and act as a tank, but also to deal considerable damage.

The story of the DLC is going to be the final chapter of the game’s story arc.

We also learn that the game is coming to Nintendo Switch. For now, there is no release date besides a “coming soon. ” The game will also include all the free DLC and updates released for the other platforms.

Below you can check out the trailer of the new DLC, alongside one for the Switch port.

Bandai Namco is hosting its anime games panel from Anime Expo in Los Angeles, and they started with a My Hero Academia game, My Hero Ultra Rumble, which was showcased with a new trailer.

It’s a free-to-play battle royale game based on teams of three players, and each character has their own strengths and weakness, reproducing the quirks from the anime and manga.

The trailer showcases familiar heroes and villains, alongside a look at their quirks.

In the game, you can encounter civilians which you can protect or attack, behaving like a hero or a villain. Teamwork is the most important part of this title, which isn’t surprising considering that it is a battle royale game.

While the game is free to play, there will be optional microtransactions, including original costumes that never appeared in the original anime.

We also hear that a worldwide closed beta is coming for PS4 between August 17 and August 21, so fans will have a chance to try it out soon enough.

As Usual, the game lost the “Academia” part of the title for the west, while in Japan it’s called “My Hero Academia Ultra Rumble.” Likely, this is due to licensing issues.

My Hero Academia Ultra Rumble rill come for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC

You can find the trailer below.

Bandai Namco is hosting its anime games panel from Anime Expo in Lost Angeles and announced the localization of a new game, Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher.

The game is coming to the west for Nintendo Switch in 2022 and it’s a “role-playing simulation.” The release will be digital-only in the west.

The game was originally announced only for Japan and Asia during the Japanese version of the Nintendo Direct Mini a few days ago.

As the title indicates, it’s a collaboration between the Ultraman tokusatsu franchise and the role-playing simulation series Monster Rancher.

The game includes popular Kaiju from the Ultraman series like Alien Batlan, Zetton, and Gomora, mixed up with the mechanics of Monster Rancher.

You can summon your Kaiju, raise and train them, and explore the world with them. You can teach them different attacks to use in battle.

They also have different emotions and animations that were never featured in the Ultraman series, where they were simply enemies.

You can become the ultimate Kaiju trainer and enter tournaments. On top of that, you can also fuse the Kaiju you raised to create new and never-seen-before species.

You can check out the trailer below.

During its anime games panel at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Bandai Namco revealed a new trailer of the upcoming fighting game JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R.

The trailer focuses on the heroines of the sixth arc of the manga and anime, Stone Ocean. We get to see Jolyne Cujoh, Ermes Costello, and F.F.

Acting as punching ball for them, we also (rather appropriately) see Father Pucci.

You can check them all out in action below.

Quite appropriately, Netflix released basically at the same time a new trailer of the Stone Ocean anime, which will debut on September 1.

After all my griping about summer, torrential rain has arrived and yes, I'm still glad. I cycled home from seeing pals last night in a downpour and that's one of my favourite feelings in this world. Still, better stay indoors and dry off, maybe play some video games. What are you playing this weekend? Here's what we're clicking on!

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Ubisoft is using its games to help make players aware of the impacts of climate change.

That's according to the website Playing for the Planet, an UN-led initiative which seeks to use games to "inspire young people to learn and act in support of the environment".

For instance, for Riders Republic, Ubisoft says it will host a "short and intense" in-game event in Phoenix which will promote "strategies to reduce wildfire frequency and size as well as have an emotional impact on players regarding the consequences of wildfires".

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Hello! As regular readers will doubtless have spotted by now, all this week, Eurogamer has been marking Pride Month - on this, its 50th anniversary year in the UK - with a series of features celebrating the intersection of queer culture and gaming. It's been an absolute privilege to have so many great writers share their enthusiasm, personal journeys, and visions of a hopeful future across the week, but for those that might have missed their musings, we've gathered everything together in one convenient place for your leisurely weekend perusal below.

Once again, many, many thanks to our stellar contributors (in order of appearance): Sharang Biswas, Ed Nightingale, Lottie Lynn, Eli Cugini, Alex Meehan, Dr Lloyd (Meadhbh) Houston, Caelyn Ellis, Robert Purchese, and David Gaider. Additional thanks to Christian Donlan for his ever-invaluable assistance behind-the-scenes, and to Lucy Grimwood for her wonderful Pride Week artwork and logo.

Eurogamer will, of course, continue celebrating the achievements of, and highlighting issues that affect, the LGBTQIA+ community in gaming throughout the year, but rest assured we'll be back with more Pride Month celebrations again in 2023. Until then, we sincerely hope you've enjoyed 2022's Pride Week offerings, and I'd be remiss not to end this introduction by noting that Eurogamer's Pride t-shirts are now back on sale - in two ravishing variants - with all profits being split between LGBTQIA+ charities Mermaids and Mind Out.

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Sucker Punch says it has "no plans to revisit" its Infamous or Sly Cooper franchises.

In a blog celebrating the studio's 25th anniversary, the team said that whilst it was "proud to look back on the legacy of characters and stories" it had created, it is now focused "on [its] current project".

"As we approach 25 years since Sucker Punch first opened, we’re proud to look back on the legacy of characters and stories we’ve created, from Rocket: Robot on Wheels to Sly Cooper and infamous, and most recently Ghost of Tsushima," the developer said in a blog post.

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