August 2022

With Better Call Saul being such a huge success and even surpassing Breaking Bad in certain aspects, it’s not surprising to know that fans might be wondering if there will ever be more Breaking Bad spin-offs in the future. Here’s what we know so far.

Will There Be More Breaking Bad Spin-Offs?

While the showrunners have adopted a “never say never” attitude, at the moment it looks pretty unlikely that we’ll see even more spin-off series set in the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul universe.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, showrunner Peter Gould had mentioned that at this point after the Breaking Bad finale had aired, he and Vince Gilligan had already been discussing and planning the development of Better Call Saul for a while. However, at this time, the showrunners are working on completely new projects and there hasn’t been any talk about another spin-off series in this universe.

Gould goes on to state that if they were going to work on another spin-off, it would have to be completely different from what they’ve done before, and it would have to be the right idea or concept. He doesn’t discount the possibility and also states that he would love to revisit the series if the stars aligned, but there’s just nothing planned at the moment especially with how much closure we’ve gotten with both shows and El Camino.

With every day comes a new challenge in Wordle, and preparing well will get you to the answer quickly.

Make the most of your six guesses in Wordle by making sure you know exactly what words can be made up of the letters at your disposal. In this guide, we’ll go through all the 5-letter words starting with P and ending with E 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.

Xbox will be returning digitally to the Tokyo Game Show 2022.

Its livestream will take place on 15th September (9am UK time), curated for players in Japan and Asia.

The stream will include updates on existing games from Xbox Game Studios, plus games from third party developers.

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The video game acquisitions continue: this time it's French developer Quantic Dream, which has been bought by Chinese game company NetEase.

NetEase, which publishes Blizzard's mobile game Diablo Immortal, said it had acquired the studio behind Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls without disclosing a fee. NetEase originally acquired a minority stake in Quantic Dream in 2019.

Quantic Dream, led by David Cage and Guillaume de Fondaumière, is now NetEase's first studio in Europe. It will "continue to operate independently, focusing on creating and publishing its video games on all platforms, as well as supporting and publishing third-party developed titles, while at the same time leveraging NetEase's significant game development capabilities", the company insisted.

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New details have emerged about the combat in God of War Ragnarök, including how Kratos can "play with this food".

The information comes from an interview with lead combat designers Mihir Sheth and Denny Yeh by Game Informer.

In Ragnarök, players will have more options than ever to dish out damage to enemies, controlling both Kratos and Atreus in unison.

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Netflix and Nippon TV have entered into a partnership, and as a result, the streaming service will be adding 13 new anime titles to its lineup. While most titles will be added at a later, unspecified date (or dates), 3 of them will be coming very soon. The first 38 episodes of Hunter x Hunter, all 26 episodes of Ouran High School Host Club, and all 26 episodes of Claymore will begin streaming on September 1, 2022. [Thanks, ANN!]

The complete list of titles coming to Netflix is as follows. They are listed in the order in which Netflix will stream them.

Immortality, the latest game from Sam Barlow, is on its way to Netflix via Apple and Android devices "very soon".

The game was released yesterday across Xbox Series X/S and PC (via Steam and GOG). It's also on Game Pass.

Netflix subscribers will also be able to play the game on their mobile devices, once released.

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A number of Steam curator groups have been removed from the platform after a developer managed to figure out they were in fact scammers.

BROK the InvestiGator, developed by solo indie dev Cowcat Games, released on 26th August on Steam and GOG. On Steam, Cowcat noted that BROK had received mostly positive reviews from players, gaming sites and curators alike.

Two days later, Cowcat posted a Twitter thread regarding some unusual behaviour from curators.

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Activision is currently battling to contain a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gameplay leak that popped up online last night.

The campaign gameplay appears to have originated from Twitter account @3rbbcod. It shows new vehicle mechanics, including hijacking, leaping from vehicle to vehicle and vehicle destruction.

These new mechanics, already discussed by principal Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward, are also coming to battle royale Warzone 2.

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Terraria is the first game on Steam to cross a million reviews and maintain an Overwhelmingly Positive status.

The game has received 1,000,308 reviews, 97.86 percent of which are positive, and has an overall rating of 97.11 percent.

Overwhelmingly Positive games are those with a rating of over 95 percent and at least 500 reviews.

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I went into my High On Life hands-on session with one expectation: its talking alien guns will annoy the heck out of me. But in a surprising turn of events, I left thinking the game was a real highlight of my time in Cologne's multi-hall maze of excellent people and overpriced schnitzel.

And most importantly, the guns didn't annoy me at all! In fact, their craic contributed a great deal to my enjoyment of the strangest FPS I've played in a while - one where I was forever grinning at the screen like an idiot. If you're a fan of Rick And Morty from before it got weird to be a fan of Rick And Morty (or Squanch Games' back catalogue, or general bizarro laughs), this is one for the wishlist.

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The anime series based on CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 starts streaming on Netflix on September 13th, a new trailer has revealed. Jack in, boot up and sit down to watch the not-safe-for-work trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners below. Just tell your boss they’re needed in a meeting or something.

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Platforming hero Shovel Knight dons their horned helmet again on September 23rd when the series next instalment, Shovel Knight Dig, arrives on Steam. This time, ol’ Shoves and pal Shield Knight are tangling with the nefarious Drill Knight, who’s pinched all the stuff from their campsite, believe it or not. Devs Yacht Club Games enlisted YouTubers Arin Hanson and Jirard ‘The Completionist’ Khalil to announce the game, and you can watch the trailer below.

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Chinese tech giants NetEase have announced they’ve fully acquired Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain developers Quantic Dream, following a smaller investment in the company in 2019. Quantic Dream’s co-CEOs David Cage and Guillaime de Fondaumière will remain in place, and the studio will continue to function independently from NetEase. The cost of the deal hasn’t been disclosed.

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Back in March 2022, Cygames announced that Dragalia Lost would end service, and now we have a concrete date for that: November 29, 2022. Players are no longer able to purchase diamantium. As well, any packs or upgrades that you can purchase with diamantium will no longer be available as of October 30, 2022.

Players will not be able to top off diamantium or purchase anymore items with them. However, they can do anything else until the final day of Dragalia Lost. This will include summoning new characters, constructing the Halidom, recovering getherwings, and such. After service ends, you will no longer be able access the game at all.

Dragalia Lost originally came out in September 2018 as a collaboration between Cygames and Nintendo. It made over $3 million within the first five days, and over 800,000 people installed it. Though its reception has been mixed, it received a nomination for “Portable Game of the Year” during the 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.

Today Microsoft provided some details about the upcoming Xbox livestream that will be broadcasted to celebrate Tokyo Game Show 2022.

The livestream will happen on Tokyo Game Show’s official YouTube channel on September 15 at 6:00 pm Japan time, which translates into 11:00 am CEST, 10:00 am BST, 5:00 am EDT, and 2:00 am PDT.

According to the announcement, we can expect “updates on existing titles from Xbox Game Studios and titles launching from developer partners that we hope will delight players here in Japan, across Asia and around the world.”

To set the bar for what you likely can expect, one of the most exciting things announced last year was the World Update Japan for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

It’ll be interesting to see what we’ll get this year, but it appears to be unlikely to see new game announcements since the official post mentions “existing games.”

This year Tokyo Game Show will return in person at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, near Tokyo, with the theme “Nothing Stops Gaming.” You can also check out the list of exhibitors for the main event and expect plenty of coverage here on Twinfinite, as we will be back to the show as well, ready to bring you all the latest news and content.

The event will be hosted between September 15 and September 18, 2022.

Today Konami announced its lineup and stage shows at Tokyo Game Show 2022, and there’s a rather interesting tease in the list.

We read that on September 16 between 3:30 pm and 4:15 pm Japan time, the publisher will announce its latest game from a “series beloved worldwide.”

The stage event will be presented by Yuki Kaji, who is a veteran voice actor with leading roles in series like The Seven Deadly Sins, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and more.

Yet, it’s probably premature to read too much into his past roles, as the announcement mentions that Kaji-san will be in attendance as a “representative of the fans.”

Incidentally, speaking of beloved franchises, there is no indication of the presence of the Edens Zero console game that was announced at Tokyo Game Show 2020.

It has disappeared from the pipeline showcased in the publisher’s quarterly financials since earlier this year, and we have heard nothing about it since the original announcement.

This year Tokyo Game Show will return in person at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, near Tokyo, with the theme “Nothing Stops Gaming.” You can also check out the list of exhibitors for the main event and expect plenty of coverage here on Twinfinite, as we will be back to the show as well, ready to bring you all the latest news and content.

Today, indie game development YouTuber Cobra Code brought back a blast from the past in the gaming world, as they revealed they’ve made an indie spiritual succession to Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and that they used one of the greatest controllers of all time to do it: the GameCube Bongo controllers. Titled Bull Beat, the game sees players take control of an angry bull that is charging its way through a sky fortress looking for a fight.

To successfully engage in brawls, you’ll need to have precise timing, as Bull Beat takes advantage of the Bongo controller’s unique ability to tie gameplay into rhythm-based mechanics. Swing your ax or block attack sensors or activate special speed boosters or stun moves using the controller’s clap to make for some interesting combat.

For hands-on gameplay and a developer walkthrough, you can check out the official breakdown video of the game right down below.

According to Cobra Code, Bull Beat took about three months to make the game using Unreal Engine 5, as it took them some time to get the movement system, boss fights, and map together while making it. The developer also noted that the game can be played with a keyboard but that it was made using the DK Bongos in mind.

Today Quantic Dream and Netease Games announced that the French developer and publisher will be acquired by the Chinese group.

Netease was already a minority shareholder of Quantic Dream since 2019, but this announcement marks a deal for the acquisition of 100% of the developer’s shares.

That being said, Quantic Dream will “retain its independence in terms of editorial line, the artistic direction of its projects, and the management of the studio.”

On top of that, all of the studio’s teams will be preserved and will “continue to grow and strengthen.”

Quantic Dream will still self-publish its own game and also publish and support games by smaller developers, like the recently-announced Under the Waves by Parallel Studios.

The studio itself is currently working on a Star Wars game titled Star Wars: Eclipse, but we haven’t heard about that since the end of last year when it was officially announced at The Game Awards.

Naughty Dog’s survival horror magnum opus is all set to receive a brand new “from the ground up” remake on PS5. It’ll bring a raft of visual upgrades to an already stellar-looking game. If you’re here, you’re likely curious as to when The Last of Us Part 1 remake preload and unlock times are and what the install size is. Worry not, as we have all the information you need right down below. So, without further delay, let’s dive in, shall we?

The Last of Us Part 1 Preload and Unlock Times

Specifically, The Last of Us Part 1 launches on Friday, Sept. 2nd, 2022, and will unlock at 12am ET/ 12am BST. Right now, you can preload the game to your PS5 if you pre-ordered the digital version of the remake.

The Last of Us Part 1 Install Size

The Last of Us Part 1 may not be huge by modern standards, but it’s a pretty hefty install. The PS5 version weighs in at 69.33GB. That being said, the size of the game may vary as future patches may increase or decrease the game’s footprint on your console storage.

So, that about wraps things up for today. We hope this helped to clue you in on The Last of Us Part 1 remake preload and unlock times, as well as what the install size is. For more on the game, check out our in-depth review. Or alternatively, feel free to peruse the relevant links below.

Today NIS America announced that it will host a reveal showcase next week.

The showcase will be hosted on September 7 at 8:00 am PDT, 11:00 am EDT, 4:00 pm BST, or 5:00 pm CEST depending on where you live.

According to the tease, there will be four new announcements and plenty of updates on previously-announced games.

There are several games by Nippon Ichi Software that have not been announced for the west yet, including Disgaea 7, Void Terrarium 2, Kurai no Bouken Meshi, and more.

Of course, NIS America doesn’t just localize games by its parent company Nippon Ichi, but it also often works with external partners, for instance with Nihon Falcom for the Trails JRPG series.

We’ll have to wait and see what NIS America has in store for us, but there certainly are plenty of possibilities. Ultimately, your guesses are as good as mine.

Of course, you can expect a full report here on Twinfinite as soon as the announcements air.

In the meanwhile, you can check out the teaser trailer below.

The Griddy is a dance made popular by NFL players, and has since been digitally immortalized in games like Fortnite as an emote. In FIFA 23, players can now perform the Griddy as their goal celebration, but like most other celebrations in the game, you’ll need to enter a specific button sequence after scoring in order to do it.

FIFA 23 Griddy Celebration Controls

To do the Griddy celebration, press and hold R2 and then flick the right stick up twice. It’s a relatively simple input, which was confirmed by the official EA Sports FIFA Twitter account.

• Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S: RT + flick right stick up, flick right stick up
• PS4 & PS5: R2 + flick right stick up, flick right stick up
• Nintendo Switch: ZR + flick right stick up, flick right stick up

Once you’ve done this, you should notice the player that scored the goal break into the Griddy celebration, putting their fingers up to their face to create ‘ok’ symbols on their eyes.

The year of acquisitions and shareholding antics continues. 

Just today, Chinese developer-publisher NetEase announced it was acquiring Detroit: Become Human dev Quantic Dream, and now, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Tencent have increased their stakes in From Software, the prolific developer behind the Dark Souls series and this year’s mega-hit, Elden Ring. 

This news comes from Gematsu, which posted a press release from Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company behind From Software. It says that through third-party allotment, Sixjoy Hong Kong, a Tencent Holdings subsidiary, has purchased 16.25% of From Software’s shares, while SIE has acquired 14.09%. Despite this, Kadokawa Corporation is still the largest shareholder of From Software, holding 69.66% of the shares. 

Quantic Dream, the developer behind games like Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain, has been acquired by NetEase Game, one of China’s largest video game companies whose catalog of games developed and published include Knives Out, Naraka Bladepoint, and more. 

This news comes from a posting released by NetEase today that calls Quantic Dream its first studio in Europe. It’s unclear how much the acquisition cost NetEase, but the developer-publisher says it will allow the studio to continue to operate independently, focusing on creating and publishing games while supporting third-party developed titles too. 

“We are thrilled to embark on an exciting new stage of growth with Quantic Dream, bound by our shared vision, mutual trust, and respect,” CEO and director of NetEase William Ding writes in a press release. “NetEase will continue to fulfill our promise to support Quantic Dream to realize its full potential. By combining the wild creativity and exceptional narrative focus on Quantic Dream with NetEase’s powerful facilities, resources, and execution capabilities, we believe there are infinite possibilities that could redefine the interactive entertainment experience we provide for players worldwide.” 

Konami has released its lineup for Tokyo Game Show 2022, including a new unannounced game.

The presentation for this game will last 45 minutes and will feature voice actor Yuki Kaji "as a guest to represent fans of a world-loved series title", reports Gematsu.

It's unclear beyond this description what the game could be.

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A new update for Horizon Forbidden West adds a Mark of Pride face paint.

The face paint is also accessible in Photo Mode and adds LGBT+ colours. It's welcome support for the community, even outside of Pride Month.

Elsewhere, Patch 1.18 provides a number of tweaks and bug fixes.

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Former indie puzzle specialists Zachtronics are releasing another game despite having closed their doors earlier this year. It’s a collection of their many minigame interpretations of the classic single-player card game, solitaire. The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection releases on Steam on September 6th, and adds a new version themed around tarot decks. Each version of the card game has been updated with 4K graphics. Have a sneaky peek at the trailer below.

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Look, it’s not a comfortable topic. But, unafraid as we are to cover the more controversial, divisive topics at Kotaku, we think it’s time to admit it: Some Pokémon are just kinda hot. And it seems even official Pokémon companies may be willing to acknowledge this.

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Today Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the monthly games that will be granted to PlayStation Plus subscribers in August 2022 at no additional cost.

Subscribers for the Essential service will get Need for Speed Heat and Granblue Fantasy: Versus for PS4, on top of Toem for PS5.

All of them will be available on September 6.

Need for Speed Heat | PS4

Hustle by day and risk it all at night in Need for Speed Heat, a white-knuckle street racer, where the lines of the law fade as the sun starts to set. By day, Palm City hosts the Speedhunter Showdown, a sanctioned competition where you earn Bank to customize and upgrade your high-performance cars. At night, ramp up the intensity in illicit street races that build your reputation, getting you access to bigger races and better parts.

Granblue Fantasy: Versus | PS4

Legendary fighting game studio Arc System Works brings the Granblue Fantasy universe to PlayStation in an action-packed, head-to-head fighter. Granblue Fantasy: Versus features a colorful cast, each with a unique fighting style. Also includes an RPG mode that features an all-new, original story. Play solo or team up with a friend to fight waves of enemies in thrilling action-RPG combat.

Toem | PS5

Set off on a delightful expedition and use your photographic eye to uncover mysteries in this hand-drawn adventure game. Chat with quirky characters, solve their problems by snapping neat photos, and make your way through a relaxing landscape.

While Valorant borrows heavily from Counter-Strike in respect to its core design, its cartoonish aesthetic and colorful range of Agents really set it apart as something unique. Tying into that unique style are various voice narrations you’ll hear during games, which spotlight special plays as they happen. Here’s what Thrifty means in Valorant in case you’re confused.

What Thrifty Means in Valorant

If you’ve played Counter-Strike, you’ll be familiar with the term “eco” or “save” rounds, which are terms used to describe the practice of either not purchasing any weapons or purchasing a cheap selection of weapons due to having lost a previous round.

This is a decision your team will make in order to ensure that, win or lose, you will all have a decent amount of money in the next round. You are not expected to win eco/save rounds.

However, if you do manage to win an eco/save round, you will hear the term “Thrifty” at the end of the round.

Why? Because you have beaten the enemy team despite having spent less money. You have been thrifty in your investment, and yet you still won. Valorant is basically giving you a pat on the back, champ, so enjoy it!

There are other voice narrations that you’ll hear after having won a round of Valorant, too, including “Ace” and “Team Ace.” The former is when you’ve single-handedly defeated the entire enemy team, while the latter means each member of the team scored at least one kill.

Today, a full 30-minute prologue has been released for the upcoming anime Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury. While in Japanese, the video features plenty of subbed caption options, which you can experience for yourself right down below.

At Fólkvangr, a front constructed inside an asteroid, the Gundam Lfrith is undergoing operating tests in the Vanadis Institute’s laboratory. The Lfrith has not yet managed to meet the conditions imposed by the council, and test pilot Elnora Samaya is growing impatient.

Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury is the first television show in the franchise since Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans originally aired in Japan back in 2015. This new series follows a lone girl from the remote planet of Mercury who transfers to the futuristic Asticassia School of Technology. The school is run by the Beneritt Group, a corporation that dominates the militaristic ecosystem that has been established throughout space.

Rainbow Royale, an event that Fortnite held last year to celebrate their LGBTQIA+ community, is once again happening this year. Though, this time around it’s happening a month later, as it originally took place in late July.

A fun little trailer was also released to get you in the Rainbow Royale spirit and you can find it below.

There are both new and returning free items on offer that will be available to everyone in the item shop.

The new free items will be dropped onto the Item Shop at tonight’s reset and you can find the list below.

• The Dip Emote
• Every Heart Emoticon
• Prismatic Keepsakes Spray
• Say It Proud Lobby Track
• Mazy and the Echoes Loading Screen
• Rainbow Royale 2021 Loading Screen

The free items that were available last year will also be available once again. This will be the second time this year that those items return, as they were also available during Pride month earlier this year.

If you’re looking for more Rainbow-themed items, the Play Your Way event is also going until next week.

The Last of Us Part I on PS5

Few games have left such an indelible mark on the gaming industry as Naughty Dog’s cinematic survival horror opus, The Last of Us. First released back in 2013 as a PlayStation 3 exclusive and then 2014 as a PlayStation 4 remaster, it managed to earn numerous accolades and Game of the Year awards, and deservedly so. Now, almost ten years after its original release, we have a “from the ground up” remake built specifically for the PlayStation 5.

I’m going to cut right to the chase: if you’ve not played The Last of Us yet, it’s safe to say it’s one of the best games ever made. From its deeply thought-provoking and tragic story to its nail-bitingly intense horror-action to its stellar post-apocalyptic world-building, Sony’s beloved horror IP tells a resonant story that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.

You assume the role of Joel, a likable father whose heart is heavy with loss. Following a global pandemic that transforms its victims into violent zombie-like monsters with a penchant for human flesh, modern society is turned upside down as governments around the world scramble to control the threat and curb the infection’s spread – by any means possible.

As time lurches on, pockets of primitive civilization begin to rise from the ashes, but it’s a resistance group known as the Fireflies that may hold the key to finding a vaccine that will potentially bring an end to humankind’s suffering.

The Last of Us Part 1 Remake has some DLC items available as preorder bonuses or as part of the Deluxe Edition of the game. These range from handy bonus supplements and weapon parts to giving you a head-start on your adventure with Joel and Ellie to early unlocks of weapon skins, a Speedrun Mode, and more. In this guide, we’ll explain how to redeem your preorder and Deluxe Edition bonus items in The Last of Us Part 1 Remake.

All Preorder & Deluxe Edition Bonus Items

Preorder Bonuses:

• Bonus Supplements
• Bonus Weapon Parts

Deluxe Edition Items:

• Two skill upgrades (early unlock)
• Pistol/rifle upgrade (early unlock)
• Explosive arrows (early unlock)
• Dither Punk Filter (early unlock)
• Speedrun Mode (early unlock)
• Six weapon skins (early unlock)

How to Redeem Preorder & Deluxe Edition Bonuses in The Last of Us Part 1 Remake

To redeem any of the bonus DLC you’ve got through your physical preorder or just the Deluxe Edition that you’ve picked up, you’ll need to enter the code that came with your copy of the game.

If you preordered The Last of Us Part 1 Remake digitally, you don’t need to redeem a code, as the bonus DLC is installed as part of the game’s installation files.

This code can come on till receipt, via an email, or might even be in the box with the disc, depending on your region and where you bought it from. It should be 12 digits in length, too.