May 2023

The new Apex Legends season, Arsenal, looks exciting from watching the new trailer. The 17th season is set to launch on May 9th, and features new character Ballistic, a competitor in the Apex Games' predecessor the Thunderdome Games, now making a comeback as the new legend. The popular World's Edge map is also getting some healing, and there's an Apex Museum within the map that celebrates Apex's past, present, and future. Although the theme for this season seems to be nostalgia, there are still some new features to look forward to, particularly the updates to the weapon system and upgraded Firing Range.

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Planet of Lana finally has a proper release date: 23rd May.

Releasing across both PC and Xbox consoles (as well as day one on Game Pass), it was previously listed as a spring release.

From publisher Thunderful and Swedish developer Wishfully, the game is a beautiful-looking cinematic puzzle platformer with a gorgeous, Ghibli-esque aesthetic. Check out some gameplay below.

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A pair of Pokémon anime episodes which never made it on-air have had their scripts translated and shared with fans, 12 years later.

Team Rocket vs Team Plasma (Part 1 & 2) were set to mark a significant moment in the long-running series' Black and White saga, where the two mobs faced off in a final showdown for control of the Unova region.

But despite being ready for broadcast, the episodes were never made public.

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NetEase announced an upcoming collaboration between its asymmetrical horror game Identity V and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. This news first appeared during the Call of the Abyss VI stream, which is the world finals for the game. Other future updates will bring a new map, mode, and characters.

There is no information on what characters will appear in the Danganronpa V3 crossover event in Identity V so far. NetEase will reveal them closer to the release window. During the event’s run, we will see the previous Danganronpa and Super Danganronpa 2 skins return. This will likely be the final chance for players to obtain these limited skins. Some outfits that NetEase released for the previous Danganronpa collaboration events include Nagito Komaeda for Mercenary and Kyoko Kirigiri for Coordinator.

https://twitter.com/GameIdentityV/status/1653672343540215808

PlayStation revealed last December that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will hit PlayStation 5 sometime this fall. And then, strangely enough, the voice actor behind the game's Venom hinted on Twitter that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be released this September. While we still don't have official confirmation of when we'll be playing this game, we do know when we'll get our next taste of Insomniac Games' Spider-Man world: this weekend. 

That's because on Free Comic Book day, which is this Saturday on May 6, PlayStation will release a prequel comic book for Marvel's Spider-Man 2. 

Billy and Jimmy Lee are making a comeback in Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. This new co-op brawler is coming this summer and will revitalize the dormant series in a new tag-team-focused adventure.

Set in New York City after it’s been destroyed by nuclear war, Billy and Jimmy must take back what remains from the violent gangs that have since taken over. They won’t be doing it alone, though. The game features 13 playable characters, including Marian, the brothers’ old love interest, who now packs a pistol to blast threats from afar, and newcomer Uncle Matin, a tank-like fighter with a riot shield. 

According to a press release, Double Dragon Gaiden boasts “seamless tag team abilities and a multitude of strategies for devastating combos, defensive and offensive moves.” Solo players can swap characters on the fly to switch between their individual skills, such as the offense-focused Jimmy and more defensive Billy. The game supports two-player local co-op at launch (online co-op is coming in a post-launch update). 

Microsoft has revealed that a "deep-dive" Starfield Direct will immediately follow an Xbox Games Showcase this June. 

Earlier this year, the company showcased various games, including Redfall and the shadow-dropped Hi-Fi Rush, at an Xbox and Bethesda Direct in January. Microsoft said at the time that a standalone Starfield show was in the works to "dedicate the proper amount of time for a deep dive" into the game, and now we know when that's happening: June 11, immediately after the June 11 Xbox Games Showcase. 

Spoiler Alert: we'll be talking about games ​
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Tune into the Xbox Games Showcase followed by Starfield Direct on Sunday, June 11 @ 10am PT: https://t.co/3mhkAsswII | #Starfield #XboxShowcase pic.twitter.com/4uFHPmqLyK

We’re one episode away from being in the double digits, folks! Whoop! But for now, let’s dive into episode nine of Indiescovery. This time we're chatting about our biggest Steam sins. That’s right, we’re revealing it all: shamefully ignored indie gems, outrageous playtimes, and games that we promise we’ll return to one day, honest! We also get into what we’ve been recently playing and then end, as always, with our hyperfixations.

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Persona is a series with plenty of choice as you balance your alternate dimension demon-slaying responsibilities with your high-schooling social life. Playing as a student, you're free to decide how to spend your free time, which characters to spend it with, and who to inevitably romance by the end of the game. Plenty of options, for sure, but Persona 3 Portable was the last time we could choose our protagonist’s gender in the series. Until now. Thanks to the simply titled “P5R Female Protagonist” mod, you can now replace the default male protagonist Joker in Persona 5 Royal with a she/her Joker. On paper, that would seem like a novel change in a lot of games, but in the mammoth-sized Persona 5, a change like that requires some very impressive modding.

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In Honkai: Star Rail, all characters belong to paths that determine their moveset’s behaviors, with beings known as Aeons tied to all of them. People can “encounter” them in the Simulated Universe we can find on Herta Space Station. Now the newest HoYoVerse “Fables About the Stars Part 1” trailer features a fortune teller going over the series’ lore.

The Honkai: Star Rail Aeons “Fables About the Stars” begins by showing Nanook from The Destruction path. This Aeon also appeared in a cameo during the game’s introduction. That’s followed by The Hunt’s Lan. Nous from The Erudition follows. Then, The Abundance’s Yaoshi appears. After that, art for The Nihility’s IX, The Preservation’s Qlipoth, The Harmony’s Xipe, The Elation’s Aha, The Voracity’s Oroboros, The Beauty’s Idrila, The Remembrance’s Fuli, and The Propagation’s Tayzzyronth follow. Before the end, there are brief peeks at Mythus from The Enigmata and HooH from The Equilibrium. It ends with the fortune teller saying “This is the path you should walk, they say. Akivili. depart once more, Akivili.” For reference, Akivili is tied to The Trailblaze path.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JruxFQurUDQ&ab_channel=Honkai%3AStarRail

A full release of the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live, which saw a February 2022 beta launch in Canada, is coming. The Pokemon Company International announced we can expect to see it on June 8, 2023. This means everyone worldwide will be able to play on PCs and mobile devices. There will also be login rewards ahead of it leaving the beta phase, and people will be able to use the physical game’s latest expansion the moment ahead of its debut. Paldea Evolved will show up on June 9, 2023, as a reminder.

To get the free cosmetic items, people need to get the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live beta and start playing ahead of launch. Until June 6, 2023, everyone can get a special design coin, card sleeve, and deck box. When you create a deck in the game, you can set all three as your decorative options. Then, when you play a game, those sleeves and that coin and box are the ones you’ll see. All of them have “Global Beta” on them.

Here’s how those look:
[gallery size="full" ids="961635,961636,961634" link="file"]

Elaine, a VTuber from KoMETA first generation of performers, will graduate on May 8, 2023. It is unknown if her content from her channel will be removed once she retires. The company cited her multiple health issues, including a “recent diagnosis of diabetes,” as reasons from her stepping back from performing.

First, here's the official statement from KoMETA.

◤ANNOUNCEMENT◢

Important Notice Regarding Elaine's Health and Graduation from KoMETA Virtual Live

The contents of this announcement is published with Elaine's consent and approval. pic.twitter.com/LyLE5uU9AJ

— KoMETA Virtual Live  (@KometaLive) May 3, 2023

Here’s the statement from the VTuber Elaine herself about her upcoming graduation.

It still feels surreal that I am leaving soon and knowing that I’ve been an inspiration to some of you.

Thinking of my eliens was always something that motivated me to keep going and it’s sad that I am unable to anymore.

Mommylaine will always love you.

— Elaine KoMETA (@Elaine_KoMETA) May 3, 2023

Microsoft announced what its not-E3 events will look like. On June 11, 2023, we'll get to see both the Xbox Games Showcase and the promised Starfield Direct. This will be a worldwide presentation that will appear at 10am PT/1pm ET/7pm CET. People will be able to tune in on Microsoft's Twitch and YouTube channels, and FanFest will return.

As usual, the Xbox Games Showcase will be focused on new Xbox and PC first and third party games. We could see This could mean a chance to see Forza Motorsport, Age of Empires IV, The Elder Scrolls VI, and Ara: History Untold again. We don't know how long it will last. This means we don't know exactly when the following Starfield Direct will begin. However, that will show more gameplay and what to expect from the September 2023 release.

Did you know there was a Eurogamer merch store? I bet you didn't! Well there is and we're giving away a bunch of T-shirts from it, for free.

For a limited time, anyone who signs up to become a yearly supporter of Eurogamer will be given a code to redeem a free T-shirt from said merch store, which you didn't know about, admit it, meaning you can take your pick and get whichever design you want.

We're also going to randomly select some existing yearly supporters to get a code for a free T-shirt as well, so we can include you too.

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UPDATE 5/5/2023: The previously announced standalone PS5 version of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is now available on the PlayStation Store.

As I reported earlier this week, those who already own any of the original PS4 versions of the game will be able to upgrade to the remastered PS5 version for $10. Meanwhile, if you are buying the game for the first time, it will set you back £49.99/$49.99.

As a reminder, those PlayStation Plus members who claimed any edition of Marvel's Spider-Man via their subscription are not eligible for the PS5 upgrade.

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Take one good look at Ravenlok and you’ll see Lewis Carroll’s fingerprints embed onto every voxel. Alice’s two literary adventures in Wonderland (plus several other adaptations) have clearly influenced developer Cococucumber, from the outsized teapots, off-brand Queen Of Hearts, and fish-out-of-water-into-a-fairytale-world setup. Ravenlok shares more than just surface-level nods to that classic book, though. Yes, it’s beautiful and dreamlike, but it’s also just as disorganised and nonsensical as Alice’s growing brain - for better and for worse.

Ravenlok is another gorgeous voxel adventure from Cococucumber, the delightfully named studio behind Echo Generation, only this time the turn-based combat is replaced by real-time slashing, and the retro-80s vibes get switched with a storybook world. The journey begins with your heroine chilling under a tree in the regular old world, before walking through a strange mirror and into the magical world of Dunia. A white rabbit quickly explains that she’s the nondescript chosen one, the titular Ravenlok, and you’re then swiftly sent to deal with the evil Queen plaguing the world.

There's a new Double Dragon game! It's called Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, and it's out on PC and all the consoles this summer.

This new Double Dragon is developed by Secret Base, the studio behind well-received multiplayer horror beat'em up Streets of Red: Devil's Dare Deluxe. It stars Double Dragon's famous duo Billy and Jimmy Lee as well as new playable characters in what's described as a "modernised celebration" of the beat 'em-up genre.

There's co-op (couch co-op for launch, online co-op later this year), 13 playable characters, and pixel art visuals. The trailer is below:

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Starship Troopers: Extermination launches in early access form on 17th May priced £20.99.

The early access launch provides a small sample of the first-person shooter, developer Offworld Industries (Squad, Post Scriptum, Beyond the Wire) said.

You play a Trooper as part of 16-player co-op versus Starship Troopers' famous nasty alien bugs. You need to complete objectives, gather resources, build and defend your base then escape to the extraction point in squads of four.

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Chivalry 2 just launched for PS Plus members, and there's a big new update to go along with it.

The Raiding Party update, which is for all versions of Torn Banner Studios' medieval first-person slasher, adds a new map and a cross-party invite system.

The new team objective map, dubbed The Sacking of Bridgetown, arrives alongside the beta release of the cross-party feature, which lets players add friends and create parties across all platforms.

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Microsoft has chosen today to announce final details of its Xbox Game Showcase, which will also feature an in-depth look at the highly-anticipated Starfield.

You'll be able to tune in via YouTube, Twitch and Facebook on Sunday, 11th June at 6pm UK time for Microsoft's main showcase event, with Bethesda's Starfield featured in an extensive deep dive directly after.

Today's confirmation of the event's timing comes just a day after Microsoft released Redfall on PC and Xbox to lukewarm reviews. All eyes are now on the delayed Starfield, as Microsoft's biggest release of the year.

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The Pokémon Company is officially migrating its online trading card ecosystem to its new app, Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, on June 8. This means if you’ve been playing the digital card game on Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, which has been the platform for official online play since 2011, you’ll have to make the…

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PlayStation has announced that a standalone version of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered will hit PlayStation 5 later this month. 

Previously, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered was only available by purchasing the Ultimate Edition of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Later this month, anyone will be able to play Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered. Players will be able to purchase it standalone or, if you own Marvel's Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 (or its Digital Deluxe Edition or Game of the Year Edition), then you can pay $10 to upgrade to Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered on PS5. 

This remaster is perhaps most famous for introducing a redesigned face for Peter Parker, but it also includes The City That Never Sleeps expansion starring Black Cat as well as some exclusive Spidey suits, such as those from Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Microsoft had already announced their annual not-E3 Xbox Games Showcase, but now we know when exactly to tune in: June 11th at 10am PT/6pm BST/7pm CEST. Microsoft are promising “new surprises and first-looks” from both Xbox-owned studios and third-party teams, but I'm sure most people will be tuning in for the (also previously announced) Starfield Direct, which is airing immediately after the Xbox show.

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Any premium supporters who're missing out on a good theme park sim may have cause to rejoice this week, as the good folks at Bandai Namco have given us a blast of codes to give away for fantastical theme park 'em up Park Beyond's upcoming closed beta test, starting this Friday, May 5th. Park Beyond is not just a complex theme park management sim, or a physics-ish coaster builder (although it is both of those), it's also an anti-physics weird-ride expando-game, allowing you to unlock increasingly unrealistic upgrades for rides in a process the developers Limbic Entertainment call "impossification". Deets on how to get your code for the closed beta below.

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Wishfully’s scenic platformer Planet Of Lana has received a fast-approaching release date: May 23rd. Planet Of Lana has been on the RPS Hivemind’s radar since its announcement thanks to its hand-painted art, evocative soundtrack, and comparisons to Ori and Inside - two excellent platformers in their own right. The newest trailer (embedded below) is just an extra treat.

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RTS-FPS hybrids aren't a new thing, but they also haven't been the most historically successful ventures. Well, Arma 3 developers Bohemia Interactive are taking a punt at blending the two genres with Silica, in the hopes that you can both shoot and command things with equal levels of good. It's the first project to hatch from Bohemia's incubator program, which helps indie devs make cool games.

Silica is largely the work of one developer, Martin "Dram" Malicharek, who was previously the lead on Bohemia's Take On Mars. Having given Silica a whirl for over an hour, I struggle to see whether the RTS, FPS hybrid can truly offer the best of both worlds. It does, however, make being a crab extremely good.

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A Street Fighter: Duel Devil May Cry 5 event is on the way and will add Dante to the roster as a playable character. Nico will also make an appearance running a shop. However, it will only be available in-game for a limited time. People will need to play between May 11-24, 2023 to get a chance to add him to their party. This event also appears to be accompanied by a storyline during which we’ll see Dante assist characters in facing M. Bison.

For the event, it specifically mentions characters like Chun-Li and Ryu working with Dante in Street Fighter: Duel. It also mentioned M. Bison potentially seek the power of Qliphoth. Playing will get people Demon Soulstones and Demon Stars, both of which Nico will use. The Demon Soulstones can buy items from her shop, while the Demon Stars are a power-up material.

There’s also a trailer showing off gameplay and imagery from the Street Fighter: Duel Devil May Cry 5 event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIliqwwPwP8&ab_channel=CrunchyrollCollection

As a reminder, there's already been a crossover with another Capcom series. Monster Hunter came to Street Fighter: Duel in a past event. That added a Gore Magala Ken alt.

Street Fighter Duel is available on mobile devices, and Dante from Devil May Cry 5 will be available May 11-24, 2023.

Ahead of the 6.6 update, HoYoVerse offered more details going over all the attacks the Honkai Impact 3rd Dreamweaver battlesuit for Misteln “Hare” Schariac will use. It specified she’s a MECH physical damage dealer. Her goal on the battlefield is to constantly attack. In addition, it went over how her Ultimate changes her form and playstyle. There will also be the Prophetic Dreams javelin in the Expansion Supply after 6.6, and there will be Alexandra (T, M, B) stigmatas designed for her. People can also craft a Mirage Spearhead javelin she can use.

The Dreamweaver Adaptability of Life normal attack has between three and four attacks, though the combo with four requires the Seeds of Idea from her weapon skill. If you used her Ultimate and she’s in her astral form, it always involves a four-hit combo. In addition to attack, she can use Seeds of Idea to defend. Her astral form’s weapon skill involves throwing spears.

The Dreamweaver battlesuit Ultimate in Honkai Impact 3rd is Transience of Dream. That causes physical damage and transforms her to her astral form. This lasts for a limited time, though you can physically choose to end it. It involves more physical damage and the potential for AOE attacks.

We also already know about another Honkai Impact 3rd battlesuit that will appear as part of the next update. The Terminal Aide 0017 for Number 17 is also going to be included in the patch. That will only be an SP battlesuit, however.

Yuri “Dainsleif” Lowenthal is back once again with a Genshin Impact Collected Miscellany gameplay trailer, which discusses Kaveh. The new Dendro-user joined the game with the latest 3.6 banners. The four-star is a focus unit there, but also joins the general pool of possible gacha pulls. His latest video highlights how he uses his claymore in battle, which his AI toolbox companion Mehrak helps him handle.

First, the video looks at his Utility Passive. If you use him to craft in Serenitea Pot, you might get some of the materials back. After that, it looks at his actual attacks. It begins with his Normal attack’s standard and charged version. His Elemental Skill does AOE Dendro damage and makes Dendro Cores burst. Kaveh can also heal his own health when that happens if you get his first Ascension passive. His Elemental Burst also deals AOE Dendro damage and changes it so he deals Dendro damage with attacks when it is active.

Here's the full video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygb4k8FIGJQ&t=29s&ab_channel=GenshinImpact

This is the second Collected Miscellany Genshin Impact gameplay trailer to appear this week. The previous one looked at the new five-star Baizhu.

Capcom offered a bit of a tease suggesting what the Street Fighter 6 Arcade mode will offer, showing off three illustrations. In past entries like Street Fighter 5, we could see special pieces of art as they went through characters storylines. These will return in the latest game. In addition to playable fighters, some other familiar faces appear in the shared screenshots.

The first image is from Guile’s Arcade mode. It shows him getting his hair cut. A number of other characters also appear in the background. It almost seems like a younger version of Luke could be behind Guile waiting.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="961642" link="file"]

The second Street Fighter 6 Arcade mode teaser illustration seems like it is from Manon’s storyline. In addition to showing her, Seth and Lily appear in the background.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="961643" link="file"]

Finally, the third image features newcomer Jamie. It's the only one of the three to actually have text appear with the illustration. However, there are no spoilers and it only features him establishing who he is. It does note in the UI that someone could turn off subtitles or skip the story segment.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="961645" link="file"]

Pokémon TCG Live, the official free-to-play smartphone and desktop adaptation of the venerable trading card game, finally has a released day, and will be launching on 8th June.

The Pokémon Company announced Pokémon TCG Live all the way back in 2021, with the expectation it would get a soft launch in Canada that same year. Not long after, however, both the mobile soft launch and global open beta for desktop were formally delayed to 2022 to create a "more polished experience".

With TCG Live's current beta period now nearing its end, The Pokémon Company is finally ready to share an official launch date, and all versions - the iOS and Android app, as well as the desktop release for Mac and Windows - will arrive at 6pm BST/10am PDT on 8th June.

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“As world builders, our greatest responsibility is to inspire and invite joy,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said at the New York Game Awards in January. “It feels like today, seeking joy is an act of defiance.” In February, Microsoft lived up to that ideal with the stealth release of Hi-Fi Rush, a beautiful…

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As journalists and editors know, cutting through the noise to deliver the news can be a tricky business. It’s even harder when you’re trying to report on the invasion of Ukraine, and your target audience is located in Russia. Since March 2022, the Russian president has made it a crime to call the invasion a “war.” So…

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