July 2022

Hello! We have a new series for you. It's called State of the Game and the goal is, basically, to tell you exactly that. Over the next couple of months we'll be running a series of features that dig into the biggest, most interesting and most influential live service games that are running at the moment.

Naturally, the words "live service" give some people the ick, and that's fair enough - but it's also the type of game where vast numbers of players want to spend their time, and the type of game that, in bottling the magic of fun-with-friends, can often capture the very best of the medium.

It's also an area that's been quite tricky to adequately cover here on Eurogamer. To borrow a phrase, these are 'hobby-grade' games - games that often demand extraordinary amounts of time or attention - and so keeping up with them all in sufficient detail quickly becomes impossible. The focus, naturally, falls on the biggest controversies or the most sweeping changes, when a lot of the really special stuff is found in the detail. It's also hard to know what on earth people are talking about when they do write about them, if you're not already immersed in the games yourself.

Read more

Following the informal announcement by Dragami Games head Yoshimi Yasuda that a Lollipop Chainsaw remake is in the works, the company officially confirmed the project via its Twitter account. Concrete details are still scarce (even its title is still tentative), but the company is targeting 2023 for its eventual release.

https://twitter.com/Dragami_Games/status/1544244693801713665

The original Lollipop Chainsaw launched back in 2012 on the PS3 and Xbox 360. It was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, with publishing assistance from Kadokawa Games and Warner Bros. Interactive. It was notable for the involvement of No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda and filmmaker James Gunn, who directed Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy films and Warner Bros. The Suicide Squad.

Yoshimi Yasuda will be act as producer for the remake and explained the situation surrounding the project in a statement.

Check it out below. It is in English and Japanese.

https://twitter.com/yasudaD5/status/1544245448696680448

Square Enix suspended the FFXIV Data Center Travel feature immediately after launch due to congestion. The company noted that, after it arrived with update 6.18, visit requests were at 15,000 per minute. As such, it is temporarily disallowing the option.

The FFXIV Data Center Travel congestion issues kicked off almost immediately after the feature became available. Early on July 5, 2022, Square Enix alerted people to problems. It also took to Twitter to explain what people could expect while the service was still live. It noted that any world ends up billed as "congested," then no one will be able to visit it.

The FFXIV issues also led to an update on Japanese, North American, and European worlds. At time of writing, Balmung on Crystal was congested in North America. In Europe, Louisoix and Spriggan on Chaos and Phoenix and Zodiark on Light wouldn’t allow new character creation. In Japan, Tonberry, Typhon, Bahamut, Durandal, Ridill, Ixion, Masamune, Pandaemonium, Mandragora, Shinryu, Unicorn, and Zeromus all were labeled as “congested.”

Valkyrie Elysium could be rapidly approaching its release window, if recently opened store pages on the PlayStation Network store are accurate. Tipster @Wario64 and Twitter user @Renka_Schedule spotted store pages opening up for the game in English and in Japanese that suggested Valkyrie Elysium's release date would fall on September 29, 2022. @Renka_Schedule also uncovered a Japanese trailer marked with the same release date.

The leaked trailer has since been taken down by Square Enix, and the PSN store pages revised to show a "To Be Determined" date. The PlayStation.com game page for Valkyrie Elysium shows a release window of 2022. The official Valkyrie Elysium Twitter account then sent out a post clarifying that the trailer itself will be publicly available to view on July 6, 2022 in Japan.

https://twitter.com/v_elysiumPR/status/1544230238116204545?

While the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak only released on June 30, 2022, it’s already hit a sales milestone. Capcom announced the expansion passed two million copies sold. It also confirmed it would be giving every player two free item packs on July 7, 2022 to commemorate the occasion.

Here’s Capcom’s official tweet confirming Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak sales passed two million. It also reminded people the base game is at 10 million copies sold.

Hunters!

Thank you so much for your incredible support! Monster Hunter Rise has surpassed 10 million units globally, with #Sunbreak already sun-breaking 2 million units too!

To celebrate this milestone, we’ll release 2 free items packs on 7th July! pic.twitter.com/mn74UZLgXb

— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) July 5, 2022

Hold onto your butts, because a remake of Suda51’s 2012 cult classic hack-and-slash zombie game, Lollipop Chainsaw, has been announced.

Read more...

If you didn’t beat them the first time around (fair, they’re huge), you now have a second chance. Three of the best Yakuza entries are coming back to Microsoft’s games-on-demand service, alongside a handful of more family-friendly games. Here’s everything coming to Xbox Game Pass over the coming weeks.

Read more...

Looking for tips on where to find Purecrystal in Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak? Then, here’s everything you need to know. Purecrystal is among the new crafting materials added with Monster Hunter Rise’s latest expansion Sunbreak. The item is pretty rare and is used to craft specific armor and equipment. So to make things easier and help you locate the ore much faster, here’s where you can find Purecrystal.

Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Purecrystal Locations

You can get Purecrystal in Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak by mining certain veins/outcrops in the Master Rank Flooded Forest. To find it, you will need to visit the Flooded Forest and then head for the Mining Outcrops. Once you reach the Flooded Forest, open up your detailed map and press X to select the icon for the Mining Outcrops.

You will be presented with two types of Mining Outcrops to choose from on your map – white and blue. The chances of finding Purecrystal from the white Mining Outcrops are much better than from the Blue Mining Outcrops. The White Mining Outcrops present you with uncommon ore, while the Blue Mining Outcrops offer standard ore.

Information is everything in Valorant. Having clear lines of communication to relay either friendly or enemy positions is often the difference between winning and losing games, and all that starts and ends with having a deep knowledge of map callouts. We would expect higher elo players to know virtually every callout in Valorant just by glancing at an image. So does that include you? Well, let’s find out.

Here, we’ve compiled 12 images of well-known but not necessarily official Valorant map callouts that should be familiar to those who play Valorant regularly. Of course, there will be some regional differences between what’s known in Europe, America, and Asia/Pacific, but veteran players should still nail these even still.

Good luck, and no cheating! As ever, we’ll assign you a rank depending on your performance.

Money makes the sandbox world go round in GTA Online; if you’re aiming to get anywhere in the game, you’ll need more than a hundred dollars on you. Thankfully, GTA Online has all kinds of activities for you to participate in, like treasure hunts and capturing bounty targets for varying rewards. Considering all the game modes available, let’s look at how to make money fast in GTA Online.

Making Money Fast in GTA Online

Visit the Diamond & Casino Resort

The Diamond & Casino Resort should be visited by players of every income, at least once a day. You’re not there to spend all your money though; instead, you walk in and spin the Lucky Wheel. This can be done once a day and you can win prizes like clothing, vehicle discounts, GTA$, and chips.

Looking for every passive ability in Overwatch 2? Then, we have got the full list revealing everything you need to know. Similar to Overwatch, the successor also features a bunch of new characters, each with their own active and passive abilities. Passive abilities are those that either activate without the player’s interaction or only affect the movement or state of the hero or their abilities. Here are all the passive abilities in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 Passive Abilities

Passive abilities are usually activated using the Space bar and those that need a button to press are negated by Hack. Also, not every hero has passive abilities. Overwatch 2 also features brand-new passives for each class. These passives apply to all the class members. Here is a list of every passive ability in Overwatch 2:

CBR4 is one of the most popular rapid-firing SMGs of CoD Mobile, which was introduced back in the Season 10 update. The weapon’s fast firing rate and low recoil make it ideal for close to medium-range battles. However, like all other Call of Duty: Mobile guns, players must pair CBR4 SMG with the right set of attachments to get the most out of it. Therefore, we’ve got you covered with the most overpowered loadout for Call of Duty: Mobile CBR4 SMG.

Best Gunsmith Loadout for CBR4 SMG in CoD Mobile

The best gunsmith loadout for CBR4 as per the current CoD Mobile meta is:

As two of the three members of the big three in anime/manga, Naruto and One Piece will always stand the test of time as some of the most important series that have ever been created. The former is the story about a young delinquent achieving his dream of becoming a powerful ninja (aka Hokage) while the latter is about a young delinquent becoming a pirate in search of adventure and the elusive treasure, known as the One Piece.

Despite the overlap in premise, the look and feel of each series are pretty different, especially when it comes to animation. So what would it look like if you were to combine these two big hitters into one show? Well, check out for yourself below.

***Spoilers for the Final Arc of Naruto Shippuden Below***

Excavation Site XII is a Destiny 2 Lost Sector that players will need to seek out in order to complete various weekly challenges. It’s guarded by Dust-Choked Thrag, who can also cause plenty of problems to players that find this well-hidden location. In this guide, we’ll explain where to find Excavation Site XII in Destiny 2, as well as how to beat Dust-Choked Thrag.

Destiny 2 Excavation Site XII Location

Excavation Site XII can be found in the Firebase Hades area of The Gulch, found in the EDZ, Earth.

Once you’ve landed at The Gulch, head west down the long road until you reach the opening of The Gulch.

Stop me if you've heard this one before, fighting game fans. You invite a friend over to play your fighting game of choice. This buddy is either rusty or has never played it, but that's okay; they just want to have a good time throwing hands. To accommodate them, you purposely assume a weaker form, unleashing only 5 percent of your true power to avoid obliterating them while they haplessly button-mash in a futile attempt to stay competitive. 

Laughs can be had but holding back so much isn't necessarily fun because you want to go full force. If you're in that friend's shoes, you wish you could play more competently much quicker to avoid feeling inferior and babysat. As a fighting game fan, I've been on both sides of this situation, and neither is ideal. That's why Street Fighter 6's Modern control scheme is an excellent solution to this age-old problem. 

For the unfamiliar, Street Fighter's upcoming entry introduces an optional button layout dubbed "Modern." While I'm not a fan of the name ("Simplified" or "Streamlined" would better communicate its purpose), I adore the concept. This option eases execution by mapping special attacks to a single button combined with a directional input. The in-game description states that the Modern scheme is "designed for players who want to fight without memorizing and practicing special move combinations first." It's a fantastic remedy for easing newcomers into the typically intimidating genre.  

My first definitive verification of Haunted Chocolatier came straight from the source as I sat down with developer Eric Barone, AKA ConcernedApe, to look over Stardew Valley’s remarkable success. He touched briefly on his upcoming projects (yes, plural projects) and was happy to report that the game likely to come out first – Haunted Chocolatier – is a solo endeavor. Despite the lack of specifics, I was thrilled to hear the indie creator’s next project was in the works.

Then he surprised everyone. Barone publicly shared early Haunted Chocolatier gameplay footage, and it looked incredible. The art style immediately evoked Barone’s first title, though the developer made it clear fans shouldn’t expect the same experience.

“In Stardew Valley,” Barone writes in his news blog, “the focus was more humble: living off the land, growing food, and connecting to the people and nature around you. However, with my next game, I wanted to explore more fantastical possibilities… experiences that take you beyond the ordinary. That’s where magical haunted ghost chocolate comes in.”

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Developer: Black Forest Games
Release: August 30, 2022
Rating: Teen

Black Forest Games' remake of Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed is getting couch co-op. That's right, the world will now suffer from the might and insensitive jokes of two Cryptos invading at once. The latest trailer for Reprobed shows off the co-op carnage, and also provides a great look at the rearranged maps, which feature more buildings, plant life, and things to blow to kingdom come.

The bombastic hack-and-slasher Lollipop Chainsaw is making a return, ten years after the original’s release. Yoshimi Yasuda, former CEO of Kadokawa Games (the original publishers of Lollipop Chainsaw) vaguely teased the game's return last month during its 10-year anniversary, but it's now been confirmed that the remake is definitely happening and that Yusada will be returning to the series alongside his new studio, Dragami Games.

If you never had the pleasure of playing Lollipop Chainsaw, watch the trailer below for a taste of the chaos.

Read more

We will no longer be getting any Xbox 360 games included with Games with Gold as of this October.

This is due to the fact that Microsoft has now "reached the limit of [its] ability" for adding new Xbox 360 games to the service, Microsoft stated in an email to customers seen by Eurogamer.

All is not lost though, as we will still be getting the usual monthly offering of Xbox One games.

Read more

A speedrunner from the recent Summer Games Done Quick 2022 event has admitted he faked part of his run.

Russian speedrunner Mekarazium completed a live run of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as one of a handful of online (rather than in-person) runs.

However, an extra run of the game's Blade Wolf DLC was offered as a charity donation goal incentive, but Mekarazium has since admitted this run was faked using pre-recorded footage, as PCGamesN reported.

Read more

In June 2022, we learned Dyspo would be a Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 DLC character, and now we know new versions of Goku and Vegeta will join him. The Conton City Vote Pack add-on will arrive on July 7, 2022. When it does, it will add Dyspo, GT Vegeta, and Ultra Instinct -Sign- Goku. This month’s additions will also include a Legend Patrol Pack for consoles other than the Switch on July 7, 2022. All of this will be preceded by a July 6, 2022 free content update.

First, the Dragon Ball Xenoverse free content update will add more customization options, activities, figures, and attacks. To start, Dyspo will appear as a Crystal Raid. There will be five other Raid Quests too. People who like collecting and seeing things will see 68 new Hero Colosseum figures and 77 more loading screens. You can also get a new costume, three CC Mascots, five Dual Ultimate Attacks, and five more Super Souls.

As for the Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Conton City Vote Pack with characters like Dyspo, GT Vegeta, and Ultra Instinct -Sign- Goku, the DLC adds other kinds of content too. People who buy that will also get access to two Extra Missions and four Parallel Quests. They’ll also have four costumes and accessories. 15 more loading screens will show up. There will also be five Super Souls and 10 Skills in it.

The next Fire Emblem Heroes summer banner is Taken by the Tide, and it features Thorr and Loki as a new duo unit. The characters on this banner consist of folks from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and Fire Emblem Heroes. In addition, Seth will appear as a four-star and five-star Tempest Trials+ reward starting on July 7, 2022.

There are four new units coming in the Taken by the Tide banner. Eirika is a five-star, flying unit with a green tome. Nifl is a five-star cavalry unit and colorless dragon. Lyon will be available as both a four-star and five-star hero, and he is a sword-wielding infantry unit. The summer Thorr and Loki Fire Emblem Heroes duo unit is only available as a five-star and is a flying unit with a blue tome.

Here’s the full Fire Emblem Heroes Taken by the Tide banner trailer showing off its new characters. As usual, Feh Pass subscribers who pull 40 times can pick one free focus unit.

Furyu is releasing a figure of Power from Chainsaw Man, as well as a 1/1 scale figure of Pochita. Both are available yo pre-order on the F:NEX website and are expected to ship sometime in July 2023. The Power figure will cost ¥34,980 (about $256), and the Pochita figure will cost ¥25,300 (about $185). Pre-orders will close on October 31, 2022. [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]

Notably, the Power figure is 1/7th scale and comes with its own stand based on her appearance. The figure recreates Power in her fiend form, wearing her typical Public Safety Devil Hunter's uniform. It pays significant attention to detail, down to the creases and folds of her slacks and how her coat hangs loosely from her torso. Surrounding Power is an array of blood weapons.

[gallery columns="4" ids="931709,931710,931711,931712,931713,931714,931715" link="file"]

On the other hand, the Pochita figure is a standalone figure made of soft vinyl. The figure's legs are posable, allowing the user to stand him up or have him sit down. As a 1:1 scale figure, Pochita is approximately 34 cm tall (about 1 foot tall) and is made with material that gives his tail and handles a distinctive glossiness.

[gallery ids="931716,931717,931718,931719,931720,931721" link="file"]

The latest Xbox Game Pass schedule is here and brings back Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 to the service. All three are immediately available on the service for both consoles and PCs. They are playable via the Cloud. They join other additions this month like DJMax Respect V.

Here’s the full schedule for July 2022 Xbox Game Pass titles so far.

The Intellivision Amico is a successor to the Intellivision home console from the 1980s. The new system will utilize a remote control style interface with a touchscreen and charging dock. The plan is for the system to feature a library of new, family-friendly games, some of which are developed by teams who created games for the original Intellivision.

Ubisoft recently announced that it would be ending support for the multiplayer aspect of several of its older titles, including Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Far Cry 3. The publisher stated the move will help it focus its resources on more recent games. As of the time of publication, 15 games are slated to lose…

Read more...

Following recent rumors, Kotaku can confirm via its sources that Rockstar Games is currently focused on developing Grand Theft Auto 6, and has shelved all remakes following the poor reception of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.

Read more...

Today Ubisoft announced the dates for two reveal livestreams coming over the next few months.

The first is the gameplay debut of the multiplayer pirate game Skull and Bones, which will happen on July 7 at 7:00 pm BST, 8:00 pm CEST, 11:00 am PDT, or 2:00 pm EDT, depending on where you live.

The livestream will happen on both YouTube (which you can find embedded below alongside a dedicated trailer) and Twitch.

The second event will come on September 10 at 12:00 pm PDT, 3:00 pm EDT, 8:00 pm BST, or 9:00 pm CEST.

It’ll be a full-fledged Ubisoft Forward with several games featured, so we can expect to see plenty of reveals then.

Seeing as this is NBA 2K23, the it only makes sense to make at least some of the game about the most legendary player to ever wear the number 23. 2K announced today that both the NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition and the NBA 2K23 Championship Edition will feature Michael Jordan on the cover when the game releases Sept. 9. Pre-orders for these and all other versions of the game will go live in July 7.

The press release sharing this information points out that this is the fourth time Michael Jordan will be on the cover of an NBA 2K game, having been on the cover for NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12, and the NBA 2K16 Special Edition. The cover athlete for the standard and deluxe editions of the game won’t be Michael Jordan and will be revealed when pre-orders go live.

Michael Jordan’s accomplishments include being a “14-time NBA All-Star, five-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, six-time NBA World Champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer.”

You can find the full announcement video below that takes you through some highlights of Michael Jordan’s career.

Are you wondering why the steering wheels are on the right in the Umbrella Academy in Season 3? Well, trust me, you aren’t alone on this one, as just about everyone is wondering whether this is an error or an easter egg. Here is everything you need to know about what is going on with this whole thing.

Despite being in America, the steering wheels for all of the cars seen being used by the Umbrellas have the steering wheel on the right-hand side in Season 3. Some have speculated that this is because the group have gone to a different timeline, but that doesn’t seem right considering no one brings up the oddity throughout the season.

As such, the Umbrellas must be used to the steering wheel being on the right, as the family car seems to always have it there.

Steering Wheels on the Right in the Umbrella Academy in Season 3

According to one eagle-eyed Redditor, the Hotel Obsidian cars in the show are all second-generation Toyota Centuries. These cars are mostly sold in Japan, which makes cars with steering wheels on the right-hand side. They can only be bought with right-hand steering wheels.

Interestingly enough, Reggie’s Rolls Royce in episode seven of season 3 has the steering wheel on the left, despite being a British car. The idea behind this one is that it is possible the car is actually made and bought in America.

MCC Island is the official Minecraft Championship public server, which will allow the public players to get access to Minecraft Championship content. In other words, it’s a place where fans can interact with others and compete in various different games. With this being the first time fans will be able to take part in the various games and events themselves, many are wondering what the MCC Island release date is. In addition, you might be wondering how to sign up for the MCC Island beta, we’ve also got that covered here!

What Is the MCC Island Release Date?

Thanks to a tweet from the official MCC Island Twitter account, we now know that MCC Island 2022 is due to come ‘sooner than you think…’

Currently, however, there’s no word on exactly when ‘soon’ is, but as soon we know, we’ll update this post so you’ve got the full details.

Microsoft announced the lineup of games coming to Xbox Game Pass across all platforms for the first half of July with new games and a few returning favorites.

Kicking off the month already is the return of a few of Sega’s Yakuka games, which left Xbox Game Pass late last year. Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are now available across PC, consoles, and the cloud. That means the entire Yakuza series is playable through Game Pass again with the addition of these earlier entries. Also added today was Last Call BBS on PC, a game that contains a retro computer with eight separate puzzle games.

Coming later this week on July 7 will be rhythm game DJMax Respect V, Matchpoint: Tennis Championships, and adventure game Road 96for all three platforms. Matchpoint: Tennis Championships will also be launching day one on Xbox Game Pass.

The last five games will be available on July 14 with Escape Academy, My Friend Peppa Pig, Overwhelm, PowerWash Simulator, and PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls. Escape Academy and PowerWash Simulator will also be launching day one with Xbox Game Pass.

Microsoft also announced a few games leaving the service on July 15 including Atomicrops, Carrion, Children of Morta, Cris Tales, and Lethal League Blaze.

Today, Rockstar Games has unveiled a brand new set of bonuses, discounts, and more that will be heading to Red Dead Online. This month, players will be able to earn double the usual XP and Gold while in Free Roam Missions and in Call to Arms, as well as some serious 3x rewards when clearing out Gang Hideouts.

This month’s Community Outfit, “The Rambler,” can also be picked up for free at local Tailors or directly through the Wheeler, Rawson & Co. Catalogue. You can take a look at all of the notable highlights coming to the update below.

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: HandyGames
Developer: Herobeat Studios
Release: July 19, 2022
Rating: Teen

During an Indie World Showcase last December, Nintendo highlighted Endling: Extinction is Forever, and I was immediately intrigued by the premise. It's attempting to tackle the issue of deforestation and climate change sorrowfully. 

The next big Ubisoft Forward reveal livestream will be broadcast on Saturday, 10th September at 8pm UK time, the company has announced.

The event will detail multiple games from Ubisoft teams around the world, and follow a dedicated Skull and Bones showcase - also just announced, and coming later this week.

Keep a weather eye on the horizon and you'll get an in-depth look at Ubisoft's much-delayed multiplayer pirate game this Thursday, 7th July at 7pm UK time, with a first (official) look at gameplay in quite some time.

Read more

Some games are so neat, succinct, and tidy. Everything is laid out in front of the player. You know what they’re getting into when you start playing. It’s a treat. Little Noah: Scion of Paradise, Granblue Fantasy creator Cygames’ roguelike, is a delightful adventure that can be enjoyed in large or small doses, gradually filling someone up. It’s a fantastic surprise.

Little Noah might look familiar, at least in terms of its appearance. That’s because The original version of the game, which people might know as Battle Champs, was a Clash of Clans sort of game with Akihiko Yoshida and Hitoshi Sakimoto involved. LIttle Noah: Scion of Paradise features the same alchemist protagonist Noah, as well as her airship and Lilliput champions. However, in this adventure she happens upon ruins, an amnesiac cat, and a power-hungry villain named Greigh while searching for her lost father. In the process, it hints she’ll be pulled into a world-changing adventure.