August 2022

Purveyors of video game secrets have something new to get excited about following the recent fuss around Nier: Automata's ultimately rather underwhelming church mystery; a hidden two-player mode has been uncovered in Super Punch-Out!!, 28 years after its release on the SNES.

As explained by Unlisted Cheats - a Twitter account specialising in video game "secrets nobody heard about until now" - the discovery was made "while doing some request work" on Super Punch-Out and has revealed two additional cheat codes on top of the sound test and Japanese name input cheats previously known.

The first cheat unlocks a stage select screen enabling players to take on any fighter, including Special Circuit fighters, in a free single match. This can be accessed from Super Punch-Out's title screen by holding down Y and R on Controller 2 and then hitting A or Start on Controller 1.

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Midnight Suns, a turn-based tactical game set in the Marvel universe and made by the same guys behind XCOM, has been delayed once more.

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Today Spike Chunsoft revealed a new trailer of its upcoming JRPG Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness.

This video focuses on providing an overview on the game, letting us meet some of its characters and also delving into its gameplay mechanics.

We start with a look at some of the people that we’ll meet as we play the story, most of which will prove familiar to fans of the anime.

After that, the trailer showcases the base of exploration, including the reward we can obtain by exploring the abyss.

Speaking of rewards, we also see the progression mechanics that will let us level our Cave Raider up and unlock skills.

Next, is a look at the many weapons available to fight the monsters that we’ll meet in the abyss, and their crafting.

Lastly, we get a glimpse at the enemies we’ll have to fight, and just how dangerous they can be.

You can watch it below, both in English and Japanese, so you can choose your favorite voice-over option.

A late-night announcement from Paramount Pictures shared news for Sonic Cinematic Universe fans: the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie will see a theatrical release on Dec. 20, 2024.

The announcement comes from the official Sonic the Hedgehog movie Twitter page:

This is the first official reveal about the movie following Paramount announcing back in February that a third entry was in the works alongside an animated series that will star Knuckles.

Tekken 7 has maintained a strong and consistent competitive scene since the arcade machines were released in 2015 and the home console versions launched in 2017. The game has only grown in popularity, but all good fighting games must come to an end once their successor comes out. Here’s everything you need to know about when Tekken 8 comes out.

Tekken 8 Release Date

There is currently still no official word from Bandai Namco yet on when Tekken 8 will be released, though it has been officially announced as of the recent State of Play event. During the live stream, a video was released, which ended with the tease to stay tuned. While that’s not a release date, it means we will hear more soon.

That’s everything we currently know about when Tekken 8 is going to come out. The current amount of information out there is quite sparse right now since Bandai Namco doesn’t seem quite ready to show off the next iteration. Plus, competitive Tekken 7 is as active as it ever has been, so it seems unlikely that they would want to cut things short without giving the game a proper sendoff at a major tournament.

Today Entergram revealed a trailer featuring the opening cutscene of Aquarium, the upcoming pure love visual novel starring virtual YouTuber Minato Aqua.

The cutscene comes with lovely anime-style visuals and the theme song of the game “Imada, Aoi” (which translates into “Still Blue”) performed by Minato Aqua herself.

The full version will be included in a CD within the Hololive Official limited edition of the game.

You can enjoy it below.

The game releases in Japan on October 27 and no western localization has been announced for the moment.

The concept revolves around a love story between a noble and his new maid Minato Aqua set in a world that resembles western Europe. It’s a pure novel-themed visual novel in which the player plays the role of Minato Aqua’s employer and falls in love with his maid.

Our heroine is a new maid hiding a secret in service of the heir of the noble Francois family, who has lost his memories and has nightmares every night in which an unknown girl who says she hates him.

One summer day the hero is told by his sisters that he needs to practice leadership for when he’ll have to take over the reins of the family. To do so, he needs to give guidance to his clumsy maid and give her advice from time to time.

Today Atlus released two more trailers of the upcoming JRPG Soul Hackers 2.

The first trailer focuses on the DLC that are coming for the game, including costumes and BGM packages from previous Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games, on top of a set of swimsuits.

We also take a look at the additional scenario “Lost Numbers” and a new character that will appear in that story, Nana, voiced by Nao Toyama.

The second is the usual daily trailer that introduces one of the locations of the game and a food item that you can purchase there. Specifically, the Breaking Mart convenience store (which is a parody of FamilyMart), where you can buy a “Mochi Mochi Taiyaki.”

As usual with daily trailers, we also get the horoscope for August 9. Cancer returns to the top of the luck ranking, while Libra is at the bottom.

You can watch them below.

If, like me, you were convinced that She-Hulk was going to be the star of Marvel Snap‘s third season, well, egg on your face. And mine, I guess. The third season has just dropped, titled Heroes for Hire, and it introduces Daredevil as a new card for players to experiment with.

Daredevil is a 2-cost, 2-power card with an ability that sounds pretty nuts: on turn 5, you’ll be able to see your enemy’s plays before you make your own. The card does need to already be on the field for this to work, and this could make for some very interesting plays and counter-plays going forward.

Just like with the first two seasons, Heroes for Hire also comes with its own season pass. The paid track will grant you Daredevil and a variant at level 50, along with other goodies like extra card backs, variants, avatars, as well as Gold and Credits. The free track does offer up quite a bit of free currency, but if you’re an F2P player, you’ll need to wait about two months before Daredevil gets added to the collection track.

Since the dawn of Dungeons and Dragons, dungeon masters have been searching for the answer to a simple question. How do I make a super cool final boss for my players? Well, I cant answer that question, but I can give you some tips on how to run my favorite villain of all time. Follow along as I look into Strahd’s Stat Block and what the numbers mean and how to make this villain play as terrifyingly as he’s written.

Please note, this article will contain Curse of Strahd spoilers!

Who Is Strahd von Zarovich?

Strahd is probably one of the most iconic villains in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Since his original showing in 1983 in the original Ravenloft, Strahd has instilled joy and fear in many dungeon masters and players alike.

In 2016, Wizards of the Coast decided to update and modernize Ravenloft, releasing Curse of Strahd. Since then this module has been a fan favorite for new and experienced players alike, and of course the main focus is our big bad evil guy Strahd von Zarovich himself.

Strahd shows himself multiple times throughout the campaign, standing ominiously and even interacting with the party directly several times. Either to taunt them or try to win them over and have them join his side, and with the excellent writing present in this module some of the more morally ambiguous PCs may find themselves tempted to even join him.

Digimon Survive’s gameplay showcases many intense battles where valuable items can help you in the fight against multiple adversaries. In this guide, we’ll explain how to equip items in the game to maximize your full potential in this thrilling adventure.

How to Equip Items in Digimon Survive

Equipping items in Digimon Survive is a tool that will be available once you finally meet your companion in the Prologue. Therefore, if you want to use this mechanic, you won’t be able to access it until you reach this specific point in the story.

After your Digimon evolves in the game’s second battle, you’ll be granted the chance to attach an object to your creature.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to equip an item in Digimon Survive:

Since there are so many rumors and leaks about the return of a beloved Call of Duty map, could Verdansk finally be coming back to Warzone? We’ll tell you what developers have previously said about this location and its possible future to explain its current status in the franchise. Moreover, we’ll provide details on the map’s overall history, including various fan opinions on Verdansk.

Is the Warzone Verdansk Map Returning?

Currently, there are no updates about Verdansk’s return to COD: Warzone, even if fans have petitioned for its return in Season 5. The community has been divided on this subject matter because some consider it to be one of the best maps, while others have indicated the area’s various issues.

Game developers have given provided more information about the status of this map, where they discuss how its immense download size may turn players away, as shown here:

Knowing exactly how the answer in Wordle is structured can be key to making the fullest use of your six guesses. In this guide, we’ll go through all the 5-letter words with T as the third and fourth letters to lend you a hand on your quest to maintain a hot streak.

Note that the following list of words has been tested and will work in Wordle. However, if you spot any missing or incorrect words, please inform us via the comments below so we can take a look at the list and update it if necessary.

Wit Studio has announced the debut of a Ranking of Kings special episode on the anime’s official Twitter, with an upcoming 2023 release.

Although information about this new exclusive has been vague, we do know the episode’s title, “Yuki no Takarabako (Treasure Chest of Courage).” Additionally, this heroic story will feature an all-new narrative in the series, where Bojji (also known as Bodge) and his friends embark on an ultimate test of their bravery.

You can check out the announcement on Twitter here:

In this reveal, fans received a sneak peek into the artwork of the special episode that showcases Bojji and his companion, Kage, opening a magnificent treasure chest.

There are roughly 221 million Netflix subscribers, but only 1.7 million actually engage with the subscription service's games on a daily basis.

To put that into perspective, that is less than one percent of users.

According to Apptopia (via CNBC), Netflix's game offerings have only been downloaded a total of 23.3m times since the company's foray into this market.

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It's still nearly two and a half years away, but the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie now has a firm release date.

Sonic, Tails and Knuckles will return to a big screen near you on 20th December 2024.

Fun fact for film fans - that's the same day as Avatar 3, the sequel to the upcoming Avatar sequel that's not even out yet.

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I wish I could tell you that the older and more tedious I get the more I see the appeal of dictionaries. In truth, I was born old and tedious, and I have loved dictionaries forever. I am unable to escape their gravity - I open the book to look up one thing, and then something else draws my eye, and that leads to something else, and something else...

This is particularly true of the dictionaries I love best: speciality dictionaries. Do you have a Rhyming Dictionary? You must get one - it's a life-changer, a kind stranger, a park ranger. Ditto a dictionary of historical terms, a dictionary of etymology. Spread out: I have a Who's Who in Ancient Egypt which is pretty well thumbed. And my favourite? The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Words, by George Stone Saussy III.

Check that last part. All dictionaries are wilful and secretly partisan - you can't really have language and definitions without this stuff. But a dictionary that's the work of a single person is going to be something very special. This is as much a way of being as it is a dictionary - it's a private guide to what a certain individual finds noteworthy and worth preserving. I open its pages and it's like being on the receiving end of one of those long transatlantic phone calls from the years before Skype. It's a gas.

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At the start, it was easy for critics to write off Genshin Impact as a shameless Breath of the Wild clone from a country with a reputation for knock-offs. Even when it did gain a following to everyone's surprise, coverage also had a hand-wringing focus on its gacha mechanics. But defying expectations, the free-to-play open world action RPG has gone from strength to strength, raking over $2 billion in its first year of launch on mobile alone, and becoming the most talked about game on Twitter in 2021. Its crossover success to Western markets has established developer miHoYo (or HoYoverse, as it's internationally rebranded itself these days) as a vanguard of the Chinese new wave in big budget game development.

Gone are the days of hearing people refer to this game by its dismissive nickname Breath of the Waifu. Now, people are searching for Genshin-likes instead (and Diluc and Zhongli mains can attest the game has its share of husbandos too). But with an estimated 500+ hours already invested, almost a dozen maxed characters and still so much more to do, it's hard for me to want to play anything else. This is especially true as we approach the 3.0 update, which aims to not only introduce the new tropic-and-desert region of Sumeru but also a new element, Dendro, to mix up combat.

As part of its deep dive pitch notes on FIFA 23’s Pro Clubs, EA Sports has addressed the backlash following its announcement that cross-play would be skipping the popular multiplayer mode in its latest entry in the soccer series.

Prior to diving into all of the new additions and changes coming to the game mode in the upcoming entry in the series due out at the end of September, Game Design Director for Pro Clubs and VOLTA Football Richard Waltz explained why cross-play would not be coming to the game mode for now.

“I share your desire to see cross-play in Pro Clubs, and understand the frustrations for not seeing it included in the launch of FIFA 23,” Waltz said. While we’re excited with the first steps to bring new cross-play features to FIFA 23, we also recognize what cross-play functionality could mean to the Pro Clubs mode with the potential for improving matchmaking and allowing friends from different platforms of the same generation to play together.”

“With the scale of such an important feature, our goal is to bring you the best possible experiences,” he continues. “As we look at our cross-plat future, we’re focused on matchmaking in Pro Clubs, VOLTA and FUT Co-op, as well as cross-platform lobby invites and ultimately cross-platform Pro Clubs.”

“We’re eager to provide updates in the future as the team continues to execute the plan for the future of cross-play. We love the passion of our community, and you help strengthen our resolve to push the mode forward and to bring quality changes for you to enjoy as players.”

God, we miss Robin Williams. Possibly one of the funniest and warmest comedians of his generation, the legendary Hollywood star will forever hold a special place in our hearts. Today, one of the Chicago-born actor’s family favorite flicks has managed to surge its way to the top of HBO’s bespoke streaming platform.

Specifically, the film in question is 1995’s fantasy-adventure Jumanji, which, per FlixPatrol, has climbed its way to the number 1 spot on HBO, meaning it’s the most watched film on the service right now. Impressive, no?

Starring Robin Williams as a bewhiskered old man who has been trapped in a wild, otherworldly land, Jumanji tells the story of a titular boardgame that whisks unsuspecting players away to a dangerous faraway world brimming with nasty critters and feral beasts. Rounding out the star-studded cast is a young Kirsten Dunst of Spider-Man fame, Beethoven’s Bonnie Hunt, and The Mummy‘s Jonathan Hyde.

Surprisingly, Jumanji wasn’t received very well by critics on release as it holds a pretty unremarkable 52 percent Critical Score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. However, it’s safe to say that the pic has gone on to become a fan favorite amongst the fanbase of the Mrs Doubtfire star, especially among younger audiences. Plus, the movie was also a modest box office hit, netting a not-too-shabby $262.8 million haul from just a $65 million budget.

EA Sports has shared the latest pitch notes for its upcoming FIFA 23, this time focusing on the popular online Pro Clubs mode, which sees players control one player in a team and take on an opposing side.

The news comes via a post on the official FIFA 23 website, which outlines a whole swathe of changes coming in the latest iteration of EA’s popular soccer series, with an overhaul of the Virtual Pro leveling system at the forefront.

In the upcoming entry, players will be able to level up their Virtual Pro by completing Skill Games while waiting for their teammates to come online. These will also include a ‘Club Leaderboard’ so you can see how you fare against your clubmates on each individual game. Each of the 66 Skill Games will also allow you to earn XP up to a weekly cap, with more XP being dished out for the harder Skill Games and higher ranks of each one.

Players will also now be able to earn XP for their Pro Clubs Player by completing VOLTA matches, including Arcade games like Dodgeball and Foot Tennis.

EA Sports has also taken on board the feedback that players shared from their time in the game mode in FIFA 22, namely that leveling up your Pro was too slow and as such, Perks were unlocked too slowly and so experimentation with different builds wasn’t possible.

To address this feedback, in FIFA 23, the amount of XP requires to level up has been decreased, while an additional 25 levels have been added to bump the max level up to 100. Players can also earn a maximum of 185 skill points, and all Perks will be unlocked throughout the first 25 levels of progression. Beyond level 25, players can unlock more perk slots and earn more skill points, with the aim that this will allow for more experimentation and variation in player builds.

A new mod for Skyrim: Special Edition draws inspiration from the Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor series by turning regular enemies into powerful Nemesis versions if they kill you. Rather than simply die and reload a save, you'll respawn elsewhere in the world, ready to hunt down your new named Nemesis. They might even loot your gear and use it against you.

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Tactical superhero 'em up Marvel's Midnight Suns has been delayed for the second time. Pushed back once before, it's now nebulously due "later this fiscal year."

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Sonic and Mario may soon have some competition in the cinema space. According to a press release from Bandai Namco, it and Wayfarer Studios are working on a live-action Pac-Man movie. Wayfarer Studios is the production company run by actor Justin Baldoni, who played Rafael in Jane the Virgin. Wayfarer produced various series and documentaries, including the Disney+ film Clouds [Thanks, Hollywood Reporter!].

Other than the announcement, Bandai Namco and Wayfarer gave no visuals or detail about the Pac-Man live-action film or its release window. It will, however, be based on an original story idea by Chuck Williams. Williams produced the Sonic the Hedgehog live-action film series, as well as 2003's Brother Bear. Prior to becoming a producer he worked on Disney animated films like The Lion King and Aladdin.

Everyone was shocked to learn that simply accepting a hug in Elden Ring could actually harm you without much fanfare, but it turns out that’s not the only negative thing that can happen when you’re dealing with anything related to Deathbed Companions. In what is perhaps the funniest adjustment in Tuesday’s big 1.06…

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It’s been a while since Elden Ring saw any love, but patch 1.06 is here. There’s not much in the way of new additions, though notably the update means you can now do co-op or invasions in multiple places at once, in addition to having a larger invasion area. There’s also a new mysterious NPC who is supposed to help…

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Smartphone spin-off Mario Kart Tour will receive a multiplayer update in September which will add "new ways to play".

This seems likely to be the game's Battle Mode update, after files hinting to its inclusion were found a couple of months ago.

"With the Mario Kart Tour multiplayer update at the end of September, we're adding new ways to play multiplayer," Nintendo wrote, "and removing Gold Races (available only to Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass subscribers; see in-game notification for more details). Look for more info in early September!"

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Sean Booth of British electronic duo Autechre has claimed they were considered to score the GameCube classic Metroid Prime.

Booth streamed a "quick AMA" video on Twitch (ironically, six hours long) in which a fan asked if the duo were involved in Metroid Prime's music (thanks VGC).

Both Booth and his musical partner Rob Brown appear in the credits of the 2002 game, sparking much speculation as to their involvement.

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A new patch has just gone live in Elden Ring, with new balance changes, bug fixes, and changes to multiplayer.

Version 1.06 is now available across all platforms.

The biggest change is to summoning, with the additional functionality of sending summoning signs to pools in multiple - and distant - areas.

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Two lead developers on Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition have detailed some of the factors that led to the game's disappointing state upon release.

Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition released on 23rd June, and received a negative reaction from critics and fans alike. The controversy didn't end there, with many also unhappy about the delisting of the fan-made ScummVM version of the original game on GOG. The ScummVM version, seen as vastly superior to Nightdive's remaster, was subsequently reinstated a week later, and was also then packaged with the Enhanced Edition on Steam.

Now, Nightdive Studio director of business development Larry Kuperman and lead producer on Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition Dimitris Giannakis have discussed the troubled development of the project with PCGamesN.

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Take-Two has talked bullishly of its hopes for the success of Grand Theft Auto 6, amidst a mixed picture of financial results.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick blamed a "softer economy" for a downturn in revenue for both halves of the now-combined Take-Two and mobile giant Zynga.

The now-completed buyout has also left a $117m hole in the company's bottom line due to business acquisition costs.

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David Cage has responded to allegations of unhealthy studio culture and inappropriate behaviour at Quantic Dream, which he previously described as a "smear campaign".

Published in this month's Edge Magazine, Cage discusses in depth the company culture of the studio and denies a lack of humility in its response to allegations.

"I don't think we had an aggressive attitude," he said. "When you're accused of things that go against everything you believe in, everything you've done in your life, it hurts. It went beyond just attacking the studio culture.

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Join host Wesley LeBlanc as he takes you through a full mission in Square Enix's upcoming real-time tactical RPG, The DioField Chronicle. Not only will you be getting a glimpse at what combat in the game looks like, but he gives you a brief glimpse of what you're doing in The DioField Chronicle when you're not in a battle. 

Developed by Lancarse and Square Enix, this RPG is aiming to feel unique amongst a sea of other tactical RPGs by infusing real-time combat into its formula. So while you are controlling units on a battlefield, you're watching their moves play out in real-time, and you must adjust your classic tried-and-true TRPG strategies to match it. 

Check it out for yourself below: 

Enjoy this first look at The DioField Chronicle as Wesley walks you through one full expedition in the game before showing you around the main palace that acts as your home base. The demo showcased here takes place completely within Chapter 1 so if you're worried about spoilers, you should be alright. The DioField Chronicle hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on Sept. 22.

Cooperative shooter Arc Raiders has been delayed. Though the alien robot invasion was originally scheduled for some time this year, it'll now be descending from the upper atmosphere in 2023.

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Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? Chances are you have, and you might be among the potential players interested in giving it a go. Luckily, Square Enix is there for you, with a new FFXIV animated starter guide series.

The FFXIV animated starter guide is planned as a seven-part video series. The official page currently lists five videos available, not including the introduction. All star two characters: A Viera veteran named Meyra, and Kaz, a new catboy fresh off the chocobo cart. Meyra shows Kaz the ropes, beginning from character creation. Kaz chooses to start life in Eorzea as a novice Gladiator. The latest video available covers joining a Grand Company, Kaz's first Trial in the Bowl of Embers, and personal mounts. Overall, the content covers what a player might see in their first 20 levels or so.

Here's the intro. The rest of the playlist can be seen at this page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCMxiSH1Otw

Final Fantasy XIV is available on PC, PS4, and PS5. The game's free trial period covers all the content from the base game (A Realm Reborn) and the first expansion, Heavensward. Characters in the free trial can play up to level 60. The next patch, version 6.2, will add various new features, like an Island Sanctuary. The FFXIV animated starter guide series is ongoing.

As a seasoned strategy game enjoyer, The DioField Chronicle has been on my radar for a while. Square Enix and Strategy RPGs seemed like a pretty logical combination. "I mean, why not?" I thought, "They made Final Fantasy Tactics, didn't they?"

More specifically, I was interested in the direction the game would take. Rather than your typical turn-based "Strategy RPG", The DioField Chronicle differentiates itself as a "Simulation RPG" with a "real time tactical battle" system. After playing through the demo, however, some of that anticipation has waned.

The DioField Chronicle, as the name suggests, is a game set primarily on the island of DioField. You control a squad of young soldiers who, seven years ago, protected a prince from assassination. Their motivation now lies in changing the world for the better, which is why they don't hesitate to join a noble's private mercenary when offered. This also takes place in the midst of geopolitical conflict between the Trovelt-Shoevian Empire and Rowetale Alliance. Our heroes, however, are situated in the Kingdom of Alletain located on DioField island which is apparently rich with Jade, an important magical resource.

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Today Capcom announced new content coming to Monster Hunter Rise Runbreak.

The livestream was helmed by producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yoshitake Suzuki.

First of all, we take a look at the Free Title Update 1. It’ll come tomorrow, August 10 with new afflicted monsters, weekly event quests (starting on August 18), five-star anomaly quests, anomaly investigations, and more.

The monsters will be Seething Bazelgeuse, Silver Rathalos, Gold Rathian, and Lucent Nargacuga.

Below you can check out a roadmap including free title update 2 and free title update 3 in late September and in the winter. It appears that updates will continue in 2023.

September’s update will include rare species monsters, subspecies monsters, and powered-up monsters.

In the winter we’ll get more powered-up monsters and special species monsters. Of course, the updates will include more, but there is no information about that just yet, just like we know nothing of what the further updates in 2023 will entail.