Destructoid

As both PlayStation and Xbox continue to struggle with low stock production of their respective new gaming consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, both publishers' efforts to get the new hardware into players' hands is being furthered hindered by the presence of scalpers — buying up multiple units to re-sell at a premium on the aftermarket.

Microsoft has announced that it is currently trialing a new system in efforts to ensure that incoming batches of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles only end up being ordered by and delivered to genuine Xbox fans. The Console Purchase Pilot scheme, now live in North America, allows Xbox Insider members to reserve a console directly through an app installed on Xbox One.

Microsoft's logic is that players reserving a console through this scheme would not only be registered as an Xbox Insider account, but also signaled their purchase via an Xbox One console, extra steps which Microsoft hopes will provide added authentication, remove anonymity, and also deny access for bot software, which scalpers have been using in order to raid retail web browsers. Of course, with these restrictions the scheme is only available to a specific group of people, but that's exactly the point.

Interested parties should check out the Xbox Insider Hub on their Xbox One console for more details. As a pilot scheme, Microsoft has noted that not everybody signing up is guaranteed a reserved console, but hopefully the scheme will prove efficient and will roll out globally in the near-future.

After a bit of turmoil, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is now ready to host its first DLC.

Wrath of the Druids is a major expansion in the same vein as "episodes" in past games, and the way you access this one isn't super straightforward.

Today's the (latest) big day, as Arc System Works' launches the latest beta for its slick 'n' sexy fighting game, Guilty Gear Strive. But before you get stuck into GG's complicated, Heavy-Slashin' universe, there's just one more Starter Guide for you to check out, shining a big spotlight on one of the franchise's best known superstars: I-No.

I-No is one of Guilty Gear's poster characters, having built up a huge following since her series debut in 2002's Guilty Gear XX. Formerly a boss character, I-No has since gone on to be a mainstay of the GG playable roster, winning over fans with her cool style and super-sexualized nature. Not many fighting games sport a time-traveling, heavy-metal playing witch, and as such I-No stands out as one of the entire genre's most magnetic fighters.

In case you don't follow along with Atlus games and see them when you see them, typically the company does a long lead of releasing games in Japan first, then elsewhere, roughly six months later.

This happened most recently with Shin Megami Tensei III HD, and with Persona 5 Strikers/Royal. In other words, spoilers from importers and Japanese fans are flying around for a bit, amid all of the economic considerations that Sega has to consider with a release schedule like this. Well, going forward, they may change tact.

Atlus is no longer a niche JRPG brand: they're a global powerhouse, and Sega thinks they should be thinking globally too. Sega Vice President Shuji Utsumi plainly states, when speaking to Famitsu: "Simultaneous worldwide release on multiple platforms will be a tailwind for titles. Of course we'll make adjustments for each title, but we'd like to be aware of global expansion for Atlus titles as well."

This possible decree didn't just come out of the blue. Utsumi explains that Yakuza: Like a Dragon was the catalyst, as it was the "most successful in the series," with the global launch being named as  a reason for its success.

It's a lot of work, making this happen, and having all of the translations and dubs ready for a worldwide release, so I wish Atlus the best of luck if Sega puts the squeeze on them to do this.

Sega [ryokutya2089 via ResetEra]

Sega has released its latest financial earnings report, and among the facts and figures pertaining to the legendary publisher's fiscal year, lies a mysterious tease for a brand new project set to launch at some point this generation.

As spotted by VGC, Sega is working on a five-year strategy for the creation of a "Super Game", expected to launch within the same time-frame. Now, before anyone gets excited for Monkey Balls or Virtua Fighters, Sega has noted that the title features a brand new IP, and will be sold on the international market. The report reads that Sega has a lot of faith in the long-term growth of the Super Game, despite it being an unknown franchise.

Bandai Namco's anime action-RPG Scarlet Nexus is still a ways out, but there will be a chance to test it out coming later this month.

Confirmed in a tweet today, Scarlet Nexus' demo will be coming first to Xbox on May 21. According to Eurogamer, the PlayStation version of the demo will follow on May 28. There's been no word on a PC demo, though we've reached out to Bandai Namco to clarify.

『Demo Sequence Updated』

Play the demo first on @Xbox when it arrives May 21st. #SCARLETNEXUS

Are you ready to connect? [Y/N] pic.twitter.com/fnO2OsJ0NE

— Scarlet Nexus (@scarlet_nexus) May 12, 2021

We've had a few glimpses at Scarlet Nexus thus far, both through gameplay and through its rockin' anime opening. Its mix of brain powers and action looks pretty rad, so it's nice to have a chance to go hands-on before its release date.

Scarlet Nexus is due out for the PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on June 25, 2021.

It's the little farm that could. Marvelous has announced, (via its latest earnings report), that mystical farming/adventure game Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is just a little short of hitting the one million sales milestone, having harvested over 950,000 shipments and digital sales since its 2020 launch on PS4, PC, and Switch.

The Season 4.5 update is coming to Fall Guys on May 13 with a pair of new levels, revamps of existing stages, and some pleasant surprises like the ability for PS4 and PC players to "matchmake together in all game modes." The best bit, by far: a "spiritual successor" to Slime Climb called The Slimescraper.

According to the developers, The Slimescraper is a race against rising slime across "multiple floors of mayhem." The other new Season 4.5 level, Button Bashers, is a one-on-one round in which everyone's split up into "dueling pairs." As for mid-season remixes, expect low gravity on Hex-A-Gone and Thin Ice.

Other Season 4.5 features:

ININ Games has announced that it will be releasing a standalone edition of Dariusburst Another Chronicle EX+ in western territories on June 11. Available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, the sci-fi shmup is an updated edition of 2011 arcade Dariusburst Another Chronicle EX (minus the "+").

It sounds like there's a lot of PlayStation 5 games in the pipeline. Hermen Hulst, a co-founder of Guerrilla Games who was made PlayStation Studios head in 2019, told Wired in a new article that the group has more than 25 games in development for PS5, and nearly half are new IP.

"There's an incredible amount of variety originating from different regions," Hulst told Wired. "Big, small, different genres."

In the same article, it says Guerrilla's Horizon Forbidden West is still on track for later this year. And while it's coming to PlayStation 4 as well, Guerrilla's studio director Angie Smets teases some of Forbidden West's DualSense haptics, like feeling the leaves when you dive into long grass.

While PlayStation 5 has had a number of exclusives so far, like Demon's Souls and Returnal, the news of more to come is a good sign for those who have managed to snag one of the new consoles. PlayStation still has its own exclusives, like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden West, on the docket, as well as console exclusives like Arkane's Deathloop. And while some are established franchises, it's good to hear more new IP is on the way for a new generation.

You absolutely have to hand it to nWay. While Mighty Morphin' tag-fighter Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid launched in a mediocre state, the developer has worked consistently hard over the past two years to build upon these ho-hum foundations - adding characters & stages, a story mode, improved visuals, cross-play, new mechanics, and extra platforms to create what stands today as a neat alternative to the market leaders.

Today, Battle for the Grid might not be the best fighter on the market, but its easy-to-play style and dedication to franchise lore has knocked it up several tiers, to the point where it can enter into a collaboration with the grand-daddy of them all: Capcom's Street Fighter. Incoming DLC will see SF poster kids Ryu and Chun-Li don Power Armor and step into the ring, bringing their unmistakable skills to Power Rangers' colorful, crazy universe.

You might remember, back in 2020, we reported that Mythic Games was in the early stages of devising a tabletop version of Ubisoft's intense multiplayer shooter, Rainbow Six Siege. Well, it seems that the game maker is getting set to launch a crowdfunding campaign, which will hit Kickstarter later this summer.

Titled 6: Siege - The Board Game, the finished product will see two players battle it out in typical twitchy Siege fashion, seemingly picking their way through a small-scale map as one of a selection of the game's huge roster of operators — stylized as cool miniature playing pieces.

Details are still thin on the ground, but Mythic has released the first images of the playing board, featuring a top-down view of the playfield, space-based movement, and 3D models for cover and door barricades. Just from this single image, I'm really intrigued as to how the final game plays, particularly as each player moves their team into strategically chosen positions. Given that Siege is all about surveying the scene and out-thinking the opponent, it seems a well-suited brand for tabletop gaming.

You can sign up to receive notifications when the Kickstarter campaign is live, but don't fret, as we'll be sure to give you a full recon report once Mythic is ready to spill all of the vital deets.

Global tech giants including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft have banded together to form a lobby known as the "Semiconductors in America Coalition" with an eye to solving the mass electronic component shortage currently plaguing the U.S. manufacturing industry.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the new super-duper friends club also includes communication companies such as AT&T, Intel, Hewlett Packard, and Verizon — all of whom are seemingly holding a ceasefire over market dominance because nobody is making All The Money anymore. The coalition is asking government leaders to fund technological research and chip manufacture processes to the tune of $50 billion USD. The coalition already has the support of U.S. President Biden.

"The current shortage of semiconductors is impacting a broad range of industries throughout the economy," said the SiAC in a letter addressed to U.S. congress Speaker Pelosi, as well as Leaders Schumer, McConnell, and McCarthy. "To address this problem in the short term, government should refrain from intervening as industry works to correct the current supply-demand imbalance causing the shortage. For the longer term, robust funding of the CHIPS Act would help America build the additional capacity necessary to have more resilient supply chains to ensure critical technologies will be there when we need them."

Pokemon Sword and Shield came out in November of 2019, and my how time flies.

I mean, adding two very spread out DLC campaigns will extend the life of your game fairly well, and I think at this point I prefer that single SKU additive approach over starting all over with a "third or fourth" version of the game: hopefully it continues! But despite how additive Game Freak was, there is still a laundry list of things fans want them to add, namely the National 'Dex.

Over 200 creatures were added via the expansions, but it still wasn't a true National 'Dex. So when I saw that Pokemon Sword and Shield was updated this week, I did a double-take and quickly dove into the patch notes...only to be greeted by sweet sweet stability.

This latest update "fixed the issue where some Pokemon icons were not properly displaying during online or local wireless battles" and adjusted "several issues have been fixed to improve gameplay experience." So if you were having problems playing the game recently, the new version might have shored things up for you.

Maybe Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will add more into the mix? Or Legends will do something? Surely they must be planning around the backlash if nothing changes.

Version 1.3.2 [Nintendo]

Valve president Gabe Newell has hinted that his company has plans to return to the console market, with further news currently scheduled for release later in 2021. Newell made the obscure teaser during a recent Q&A session held at, of all places, a high school assembly.

Taking the opportunity to quiz Newell on Valve's future plans, one student asked "Will Steam be putting any games on consoles, or will it just stay on PC?"

"You will... uh... get a better idea of that by the end of year," hinted the Valve boss, amusingly offering up the sort of teasing tidbit that reporters would kill for at an E3 or a Gamescom — but during a small school assembly. The Q&A was partially recorded by student Odysseic, who has since uploaded the footage to Reddit.

Valve's last console release was tactical shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), which arrived on PS3 and Xbox 360 way back in 2012. Perhaps the publisher's best-known console release remains The Orange Box, a stellar compilation from 2007 which included Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, and a debuting Portal. Since then, Valve has remained focused on its PC platform Steam, though its recent wares — such as the fantastic Half-Life: Alyx — would undoubtedly be welcomed back into the console market.

In case you missed it, a few years ago Image & Form Games merged with Zoink under the banner "Thunderful," an arrangement that continues to this day. In fact, the new conglomeration actually acquired Headup Games, so they're continuing to grow! And a Twitter update today is now reminding us of what's to come.

So the official Image & Form account (which still exists) is teasing out "several new SteamWorld games." That's nice! We knew they were coming, but it's good to hear that they're still in the works as of today and moving full (don't say it) steam...ahead. Images for the entire SteamWorld universe were shared in the tease.

But the account also talks a little shop, explaining that Thunderful is indeed the daddy of the situation, directing folks to that handle, while telling fans that Image & Form is still under their purview. Here's the rub: "The Image & Form teams are part of Thunderful since a while back. While we're no longer a separate studio from Thunderful, you can count on quality games from the same people (and new faces) for years to come! Thanks for all these amazing years. We can't wait to show what's next!"

That said, the Image & Form account has 22K followers, it wouldn't make much sense to trash it. According to the tweet this morning, they're "dedicating this space to SteamWorld games old and new." Fine by me! It's the thing that interests me the most out of all of Thunderful's offerings by far.

"New SteamWorld games" could include any number of new subfranchises, as well as sequels to Dig 2, Heist, Quest, and even SteamWorld Tower Defense, if they really wanted to get retro.

We sit at the eve of the newest beta for the complex and attractive fighting sequel Guilty Gear Strive. The latest playtest, which kicks off on PS4 and PS5 tomorrow, May 13, will feature GG's sexy starting roster in its fullest, including latter-day reveals Anji Mito and I-No.

As such, publisher Arc System Works has fired up its "Starter Guide" series, giving players a quick crash course on each and every one of the game's highly skilled warriors. This morning sees the arrival of Anji Mito, the handsome, fan-waving fighter of questionable loyalties and those abs. Anji Mito returns to the franchise after successful prior appearances in previous iterations such as Guilty Gear Xrd and Guilty Gear XX.

A new update is going out to Xbox Series X and S users today that's adding some quality-of-life upgrades to various aspects of the consoles, including the Quick Resume feature.

Jonathan Hildebrant, Director of Program Management at Xbox Experiences, broke down the new update in an Xbox blog post. A big part of it is improvements to Quick Resume, which will have faster load times and improved reliability, as well as tags for Quick Resume-capable games and a group that can aggregate all your Quick Resume-saved games into one area.

The Xbox team is also adding passthrough audio for certain media apps, for those who use external sound systems, and a new dynamic background.

Quick Resume has been a big feature for Xbox, allowing users to flip between games quickly rather than close one app and open another. It sounds like it's been a real hit for those who went with Xbox this generation, and it's nice to see them continue to build it up.

For the past few years, aided by the glamorous memory of Paris Hilton’s miniskirts and a reassessment of sex work by internet people who realized that money is cool, the word “bimbo” has flipped from meaning “brainless Barbie” to “savvy, powerful hot girl.” But for some makers and users of game mods, this positive spin on the bimbo isn’t exactly news.

Popular mod destinations like LoversLab and Tumblr have offered a decent selection for at least a decade, tucked away but not entirely hidden, like good cherries swinging from the top of a tree. Want to be a dirty homewrecker in the Sims? Check out SkillfulSimmer340’s “Homewrecker Aspiration Pack” that requires you to have several partners, find out one of them is married, and buy an expensive object in order to receive the Master Homewrecker trait. Wish you could rule Final Fantasy XIV as a bikini-wearing himbo? Who doesn’t! Just download Sko514’s “Thicclander” mod and let your tiny shirt, big abs dreams come true.

We've seen some of Overwatch 2's PvE in previous streams, but later this month, Blizzard will be turning the focus onto the competitive side. There will be a PvP livestream held on May 20 to detail some of the changes coming to Overwatch's multiplayer with the sequel.

In the first developer update hosted by new game director Aaron Keller, he says he'll be joined by other members of the Overwatch 2 development team to play through the new maps and talk through some of the philosophy behind changes coming to Overwatch 2's PvP.

Keller stepped in as game director following the departure of longtime director Jeff Kaplan. Revealed back in 2019, Overwatch 2 has been in development since, surfacing for the occasional BlizzCon stream. It was confirmed to not be a 2021 game, but after getting looks at the PvE prior, next week's stream will likely be big for those who are still playing competitive Overwatch today.

This year's EA Play Live event will not only be dodging E3, but doing it by a whole month. Electronic Arts announced today that EA Play Live is coming back on July 22, 2021.

EA Play Live is coming back July 22nd. Save the date! pic.twitter.com/qh9OOGhPTm

— Electronic Arts (@EA) May 11, 2021

Last year, EA hosted a brief Play event, with new Dragon Age looks and the reveal that a new Skate in the works. It also took place in June, right around the time that E3 would've normally been happening.

This year looks to be a bit different though. Along with E3 2021 moving ahead with a digital event, there was also a recent tease that the next Battlefield will have something to share in June. Couple that with Respawn's constant growth, BioWare working on both a new Dragon Age and the next Mass Effect, plus Skate, and this could be a larger show—and maybe why the event is putting some distance between itself and June.

We'll see what EA has in store on July 22.

The eternal production of Skull & Bones, Ubisoft's multiplayer pirate game, shall continue on. The publisher confirmed that Skull & Bones won't be launching until at least 2022.

In an earnings report, Ubisoft laid out the road ahead for its various titles over the next fiscal year, which runs through March 31, 2022. Far Cry 6, Riders Republic, The Division Heartland, Roller Champions, and the game somehow still under this title Rainbow Six Quarantine. Ubisoft made special note of Skull & Bones as well, saying it will now be released in "2022-2023"—which means sometime between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.

More Nier is on its way to the west. Pre-registrations opened today for U.S. Android and iOS users to check out Nier Reincarnation, the mobile entry in the Nier series.

Stylized as NieR Re[in]carnation, it's a "command-action RPG" from Square Enix and Applibot. You can find the Google Play Store and App Store links here.

"It is a place called The Cage," the story description reads. "A girl awakens on a cold stone floor. She finds herself in an infinitely vast place filled with buildings that touch the very sky. Guided by a mysterious creature who calls herself Mama, she begins to explore her new surroundings.

"To reclaim what she has lost—and atone for her sins—she sets off on a journey through this place of unknown creation."

It definitely has some Nier style, though it looks like you also collect a party of various characters for combat. And yes, it looks to have gacha mechanics, through currencies and summons. Nier Reincarnation has been available in Japan for a little while now and already accumulated a pretty good amount of downloads, so hopefully that's a sign of good things to come when it arrives here.

CI Games has announced that stealthy shooter Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 will not arrive on PS5 June 4, alongside its PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S brethren. The PS5 port of the head-popping sequel has been pushed back to late-2021 due to "unforeseen technical issues" discovered just weeks before the title's launch.

QuakeCon will return this year, though it won't necessarily be back in Texas. The official QuakeCon account confirmed today that 2021's event will once again be a digital-only event.

"We can't wait to get back to Dallas with our QuakeCon family," the statement reads. "But for the continued safety of our staff, the volunteers, and the community, this year's QuakeCon will once again be a digital-only event."

We can’t wait to get back to Dallas with our QuakeCon family, but for the continued safety of our staff, the volunteers, and the community, this year’s QuakeCon will once again be a digital-only event. We’ll have all the Peace, Love, and Rockets – remotely – August 19-21. pic.twitter.com/8EaM7EY5Sv

— QuakeCon (@QuakeCon) May 11, 2021

QuakeCon 2021 will run Aug. 19 through 21, and there will be more details on streaming, charity, giveaways, and more in June.

Last year, QuakeCon was one of many events that went digital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, many seem to still be following suit and keeping their events online, from the FPS festivities of QuakeCon to E3 2021.

Magic: Arena is still rolling along with a heavy focus on standard, but over the past few years, Wizards of the Coast has added several classic modes to help extend the life of the game.

"But what happens to my old cards" is always a question people ask in digital games (where resell value is zilch), and with the Historic format, Arena had an answer. Allowing folks to use their old stuff has been a boon for the game, especially as Wizards has steadily added cards in via their "Historic Anthology" system.

With the fifth set coming to the game, we were given five exclusive cards to show off. Hailing from sets including, but not limited (ha) to Dragons of Tarkir, Innistrad, Scourge, and New Phyrexia, this pack adds a new wrinkle into historic play, all with very low cost curves.

I'll just take a second to say how much I appreciate cards like Dromoka's Command, which offer up multiple choices and decision points, especially at instant speed. Four, no less! And I'm a huge sucker for permanent global enchantments like Intangible Virtue, plus the potential for Stifle can get really nuanced in some Historic play. And Phyrexian mana (found on Vault Skirge) is....interesting!

It's a fun bunch!

Anyone fancying a spot of sun, sea, surf, and... sinisterness is in luck, as today will see publisher Raw Fury launch the PlayStation port of its Lovecraft-inspired graphic adventure Call of the Sea, following on from its previous release on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass platforms.

Well boys and girls, the Switch has finally made it: Calculator is coming to the eShop on May 12.

Typically these kinds of throwaway apps can be a shell game for emulators, or some other hidden software that slips by the eShop certification process. Or, Sabec, a company with a reputation for Switch shovelware, is selling a regular calculator for 10 bucks. I just love that Calculator is rated "E for everyone."

Sabec seems to have cribbed from the iOS calculator style, basically using the same coloration and font. The Switch is definitely no stranger to shovelware, as Nintendo seems to approve basically anything in their bid to put 30-40 games on the eShop each week.

Crazily, this led to all sorts of chicanery with gaming eShop sales charts, a practice that was eventually squashed somewhat after developer outcry.

Calculator [Nintendo]

Dotemu has made a name for itself as of late for being a pretty reliable developer/publisher of sequels to, and remakes of, classic games from the '90s. Last year's Streets of Rage 4 is still one of the best games I've played this generation, and I can't wait to see how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge turns out. But before that hits, the company is giving players a one-two punch of some classic run'n'gun games from the 16-bit era of consoles.

On June 29, Dotemu and LucasFilm Games are bringing Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol to Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC as a combo pack. The last time either of these titles saw the light of day was back on the Nintendo Wii when they released on Virtual Console. This time around, the games will ship with some new features, including a quick save option, gallery of previously unreleased artwork, video interview with the original developers, and achievements.

If you've never tried these games and are looking for more local co-op titles, I highly suggest checking them out. While Ghoul Patrol may not have aged all that well, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is an eternal joy. You can pick up both games digitally for $14.99, but if you'd rather have a hard copy, Limited Run Games is handling the physical release and will announce details on when it'll open for preorders at a later date.

For years, folks have been making Sonic fan games without reprisal from Sega. It's an institution!

And in some cases, folks are even hired to make official Sonic games off the back of their work. It's a well known entity that Sega is more accepting of these types of projects than other publishers, and here in mid-2021, the company decided to remind people of the vague contract they have with creators.

Speaking on Twitter, social media rep MiniKitty explains: "So long as no profit is involved, there is usually* no issue with y'all using our blue boy to hone your art and dev skills." The "usually" bit is clarified to not serve as a catch-all, since for "legal reasons, [they] can't promise all content is OK." They follow up that fan game donations are a "grey area," clarifying: "If something Sonic-related is used as a vessel to make a profit (i.e. calling out the donations through the Sonic content), it's normally best to avoid if possible."

It's pretty standard stuff, but it's good to be aware of Sega's continued support for fan games. I mean, they kind of need it to keep the goodwill going at times when there's a good Sonic game drought.

The character is kind of in a holding period now, as there hasn't been a real successful game in a while, the films are doing their own thing, and the Sonic Boom TV series has been scrapped in favor of trying something new on Netflix. The fan community is doing a good job of bolstering Sonic's image while we wait for all this new stuff to arrive. 

Katie [Twitter]

Just yesterday, we got word that '80s action star John Rambo was readying his bow for war in the battle royale world of Call of Duty: Warzone. And it seems that old Sly won't be coming alone, as Activision has also been dropping hints that kamikaze cop John McClane — protagonist of the Die Hard series — will also be skydiving into Verdansk real soon.

A tweet on the official Call of Duty Twitter features a faux-advert for a company called "Nakatomi Duct Cleaning". As film fans will realize, Nakatomi Plaza is the opulent skyscraper held to siege in John McTiernan's excellent 1988 action flick, with the building's duct system used by put-upon NYPD officer McClane — caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

While there has been no official reveal or date for McClane's arrival, yesterday's teaser implied that John Rambo will be arriving on May 20. It seems unlikely that all of these Hollywood stars will drop on the same day — hell, it takes a month to save up for each of the highly priced prestige skins — but we'll be sure to give you a heads-up when we hear that John is ready to join the party... pal.

In 2020 The Pokemon Company debuted its first "Poketoon," which managed to draw inspiration from classic cartoons of the Chuck Jones and Fleischer eras. It was a hit, and as expected, it takes time to prep more. Well, here we are!

This Poketoon however is a stark contrast to the aforementioned goofy short, and is done in a more traditional reflective, slice of life anime style. That's not to say it's not as good, per se! It might not turn as many heads (especially since it's more limited with Japanese-only audio at this time, rather than the unspoken universal antics of its predecessor), but it's still a fun little watch.

This one takes us on a journey with a small boy and a dedicated Panchamp, who trains every day in an effort to become something more. Even if you don't understand Japanese, the message is fairly universal.

Whatever the delivery system might be, more Poketoons is a good thing. I love how these branching multimedia opportunities allow for different creatives to put their spin on it, without having to bow to the anime series.

Capcom has finally revealed the launch numbers for its newest survival horror sequel, Resident Evil Village. Available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, Ethan Winters' journey into a sepia-tinged nightmare has amassed over three million global shipments and digital sales in the few days following its May 7 launch.

This highly impressive number sees Resident Evil Village surpass the launch of 2017's Resident Evil VII and is more or less equal to the incredible launch numbers attained by 2019 remake Resident Evil 2. Resident Evil Village also made its debut at the number one spot of the UK charts. In addition, the success of Village pushes sales for the entire Resident Evil franchise beyond the 100 million mark. That's a helluva lot of scares.

It looks like we might be getting a look at the new Battlefield, uh, "soon." Today the Battlefield Twitter account put out a tease involving "soon" and "June."

"Words that rhyme with 'Soon,'" the tweet reads. "June. Boom." A clever way of saying hey, look forward to June. And also, boom?

Words that rhyme with Soon:

June
Boom

— Battlefield (@Battlefield) May 10, 2021

EA confirmed recently that two Battlefield games are in development, one being the next Battlefield game for console and PC, and another standalone mobile game. In it, the company said that a reveal for the new Battlefield is coming "soon."

While EA usually skips out on E3, a June announcement still fits right into place. We're still waiting to hear what the plans are for this year, but it's probably safe to say Battlefield will be a component of whatever news EA might roll out in June. In other news, I can't stop thinking of words that rhyme with "soon."

Dontnod Entertainment might be well-known for its work on the Life is Strange series, but it won't be helming the next entry in the series. From the sounds of it, the studio is looking to other options as it moves forward.

In an interview with IGN, Dontnod CEO Oskar Guilbert discussed the road ahead for the studio, which has also produced games like Vampyr and Tell Me Why. The Life is Strange intellectual property is not owned by Dontnod, but by Square Enix, and while that doesn't prevent Dontnod's return, it sounds like the focus for the studio is on what it owns.

"Never say never," Guilbert told IGN. "But for the moment it's not our strategy, yeah. We want to create our own IP. That's what we want to do."

The next entry in the series, Life is Strange: True Colors, is being developed by Deck Nine, who also developed the prequel series Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Dontnod, meanwhile, has been working on other narrative games, including Tell Me Why and Twin Mirror.

Capcom's latest jaunt into the world of survival horror, Resident Evil Village, has had a successful start, debuting at number one in the UK Charts. The creepy sequel saw the second-biggest physical launch of 2021 so far, behind Nintendo's Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. In regards to UK physical sales, Village saw both the third biggest launch on the PS5 platform, and the second-largest launch on Xbox Series X/S.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Resident Evil Village did not hit the same UK launch numbers of Capcom's 2019 remake Resident Evil 2, nor did it hit the same launch numbers of 2017's Resident Evil VII. It should be noted that with each passing year, sales lean further toward digital sales, so Village's true impact is yet to be ascertained. Assuredly, however, it has definitely been a hit.

If you've thought of yourself as SOLDIER material, the chance to virtually prove your mettle is coming. Registration is open right now for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier's closed beta.

Square Enix has sign-ups open through May 27 at 8 a.m. PDT, after which a play period of June 1 through 7 will follow for those selected. You can pre-register on the Google Play Store, and you'll be notified if you make the cut—though Square Enix mentions that registering does not guarantee a closed beta invite. It's also only open for Android users; sorry, Apple fans.

If you need a refresher, Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is a battle royale set in the universe of Final Fantasy VII, where SOLDIER candidates compete to be the last one standing across Midgar. While there are certainly guns, there's also plenty of more Final Fantasy options, like summoning Ifrit for help or using materia to get the upper hand.

It looks like the recent murmurs were true... The official Call of Duty Twitter has posted a short teaser video that implies John J. Rambo, the tortured military veteran played by Sylvester Stallone, is getting set to step into the deadly battle royale world of Call of Duty: Warzone.

A short video sees a hapless soldier picked off by a flaming arrow from a very familiar face. This is followed by the message "Become War. The Action Begins May 20", printed in the familiar Rambo typeface. With no details, one can assume that this means John Rambo will be joining the roster as a paid DLC skin on the listed date. You'd expect everyone to be playing as this character, but CoD prestige skins are pretty dang expensive, so donning the scarlet headband will likely be a financial commitment.

Just last year, Rambo also stepped into the realm of Outworld to lay waste to the roster of NetherRealm Studios' Mortal Kombat 11. Stallone also returned to the role for the big screen in 2019's Last Blood — a highly questionable flick which saw John forced to return to his killing ways when death and violence comes to the front door of his humble farm homestead.

The transition of Rambo from the mentally-ruined Vietnam veteran in First Blood to an M60-pumping cartoon, Mortal Kombat, and Call of Duty star is... odd to say the least. But I guess as long as a war is happening — on the front doorstep, in another dimension, or... in a free-to-play battle royale game — John and his serrated knife will never see the sanctity of retirement.

Gears of War studio The Coalition has announced today that it's moving into next-gen development and using Unreal Engine 5. The studio says it will be developing on Unreal Engine 5 for "multiple new projects" in the coming years, but don't expect an announcement of those titles for some time.

Today's announcement notes that shifting to a new engine for development is a big undertaking, so The Coalition says it will "not be announcing any new projects or titles for some time."

Gears 5 will still receive Operations 7 and 8, and there will be more store updates and new content through the end of the year. As for new games, the studio says it is eager to show what it's working on "when the time is right."

The Coalition has been hard at work over the last year or so, bringing Gears 5 to 120 FPS on the Xbox Series X and launching both Gears Tactics and the Hivebusters mini-campaign. Whatever they can put together with a new Unreal Engine will certainly be something to see. 

A dedicated NieR fan has finally completed their work on a HD textures pack for PlatinumGames' NieR: Automata. As noted by Eurogamer, the mod has been in development ever since the PC port of the much-loved sci-fi adventure first launched back in the spring of 2017.

As the NieR community knows all too well, the PC port of NieR: Automata was a less than stellar release, suffering from weak visuals and a stuttering frame rate — betraying Yoko Taro's opulent and stylistic universe. Modder GPUnity took it upon themselves to give the PC edition the visual polish fans expected from the release, and began steadfastly working on a homebrew texture pack to give Automata's world and characters a little more hi-tech sheen.