Eurogamer

UPDATE 9/1/24: Magic: The Gathering maker Wizards of the Coast has issued a statement saying it will work with external vendors to ensure AI-generated artwork is kept out of promotional material for the game.

The statement follows the recent departure of an artist at the company, who said he had quit in protest at the promotional material.

"Thanks to our diligent community who pointed out a series of recent marketing images may have included elements of generative AI, we are rethinking our process of how we work with vendors for our marketing creative," Wizards of the Coast wrote in a new statement.

Read more

A remake of the original Metal Gear Solid game is reportedly still in development at Konami.

According to the Spanish website Areajugones – which previously, and correctly, leaked God of War Regnarök's DLC existence ahead of a formal announcement – "Konami is still working on a remake of the first installment, although right now Metal Gear Solid Delta is a priority in the studio".

The website reports that the claim comes from "multiple sources" and suggests that it will only be playable on PS5, not PS4. Similarly, there's been no mention of a PC or Xbox release, either. Given Metal Gear Solid Delta is coming to multiple platforms, though, it stands to reason that the Metal Gear Solid Remake will, too. But all we can do is wait for official confirmation.

Read more

A remake of the original Metal Gear Solid game is reportedly still in development at Konami.

According to the Spanish website Areajugones – which previously, and correctly, leaked God of War Regnarök's DLC existence ahead of a formal announcement – "Konami is still working on a remake of the first installment, although right now Metal Gear Solid Delta is a priority in the studio".

The website reports that the claim comes from "multiple sources" and suggests that it will only be playable on PS5, not PS4. Similarly, there's been no mention of a PC or Xbox release, either. Given Metal Gear Solid Delta is coming to multiple platforms, though, it stands to reason that the Metal Gear Solid Remake will, too. But all we can do is wait for official confirmation.

Read more

A new tweet from the official Spyro the Dragon Twitter/X account has sparked hopes that a new instalment could be on the way.

The account merely tweeted a screenshot of the fan-favourite dragon and the words "You gotta believe", but it's the text that accompanied it – "2024 motto" – that has sparked excitement that a new game could be coming later this year.

Read more

A new tweet from the official Spyro the Dragon Twitter/X account has sparked hopes that a new instalment could be on the way.

The account merely tweeted a screenshot of the fan-favourite dragon and the words "You gotta believe", but it's the text that accompanied it – "2024 motto" – that has sparked excitement that a new game could be coming later this year.

Read more

A new flatscreen to VR mod released earlier this week and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it is quite literally a game changer for PC VR. With just a couple of clicks of the mouse, you can now magically add VR support to potentially thousands of flat Unreal Engine games and it's all thanks to God-like VR modder Praydog's UEVR mod.

Praydog's Unreal Engine VR Injector Mod (UEVR) has been in the works for at least a year now and, in the Flatscreen to VR Modding Community at least, the buzz for it has been palpable since it was first announced. But does it actually live up to the hype?

Well, that's where this week's episode of Ian's VR Corner comes in! Check out the video below for an introduction to the mod which includes some short examples of how easy it is to convert flat UE4/5 games to full 6DoF VR and six examples of the mod in action across a variety of different game types. Including, most impressively, Housemarque's incredible shooter Returnal running in first-person VR with added motion controls!

Read more

A new flatscreen to VR mod released earlier this week and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it is quite literally a game changer for PC VR. With just a couple of clicks of the mouse, you can now magically add VR support to potentially thousands of flat Unreal Engine games and it's all thanks to God-like VR modder Praydog's UEVR mod.

Praydog's Unreal Engine VR Injector Mod (UEVR) has been in the works for at least a year now and, in the Flatscreen to VR Modding Community at least, the buzz for it has been palpable since it was first announced. But does it actually live up to the hype?

Well, that's where this week's episode of Ian's VR Corner comes in! Check out the video below for an introduction to the mod which includes some short examples of how easy it is to convert flat UE4/5 games to full 6DoF VR and six examples of the mod in action across a variety of different game types. Including, most impressively, Housemarque's incredible shooter Returnal running in first-person VR with added motion controls!

Read more

The new Job coming to Final Fantasy 14 in next expansion Dawntrail has now been revealed: the Pictomancer.

The announcement was made at the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Tokyo this weekend, along with new details about Dawntrail.

Unfortunately there's still no release date for the expansion beyond 'summer 2024'. Director and producer Naoki Yoshida stated there's an internal target date, but it's not public yet due to previous expansion Endwalker being delayed before its release. "We don't want that to happen again, even if it's just a few weeks," he said.

Read more

The new Job coming to Final Fantasy 14 in next expansion Dawntrail has now been revealed: the Pictomancer.

The announcement was made at the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Tokyo this weekend, along with new details about Dawntrail.

Unfortunately there's still no release date for the expansion beyond 'summer 2024'. Director and producer Naoki Yoshida stated there's an internal target date, but it's not public yet due to previous expansion Endwalker being delayed before its release. "We don't want that to happen again, even if it's just a few weeks," he said.

Read more

Welcome back! Let's Get Evil is a monthly series for Eurogamer Supporters in which Bertie rampages through games being as evil as he can. It sounds easy, but is it? And how much freedom does each game afford in this area? There's only one way to find out.

Where were we? That's right - I, Percy, the human-paladin-slash-moral-abomination, was naked on a plinth with Nightwarden Minthara, celebrating a victory over the defenders of the druid grove. I say victory but it was more of an uncontested stampede. My betrayal led the goblin army there and let the goblin army in, and I slew the defenders in the way. That means Wyll, one of the game's companions, is dead, because he dared stand against me, and that Karlach left my game too. She refused to have any part in it.

But that's not quite where we left it. Specifically, we left with Minthara dozing on my chest as a thought occurred to me. A thought belonging to a deeper, more complicated entity that lives inside me. Something monstrous. I don't know what it is and I don't know why it's there, because I can't seem to remember much before I woke up on the beach, but I know whenever I get a sniff of blood, bad things happen. Right now I'm wondreing whether I should should snap Minthara's neck.

Read more

Welcome back! Let's Get Evil is a monthly series for Eurogamer Supporters in which Bertie rampages through games being as evil as he can. It sounds easy, but is it? And how much freedom does each game afford in this area? There's only one way to find out.

Where were we? That's right - I, Percy, the human-paladin-slash-moral-abomination, was naked on a plinth with Nightwarden Minthara, celebrating a victory over the defenders of the druid grove. I say victory but it was more of an uncontested stampede. My betrayal led the goblin army there and let the goblin army in, and I slew the defenders in the way. That means Wyll, one of the game's companions, is dead, because he dared stand against me, and that Karlach left my game too. She refused to have any part in it.

But that's not quite where we left it. Specifically, we left with Minthara dozing on my chest as a thought occurred to me. A thought belonging to a deeper, more complicated entity that lives inside me. Something monstrous. I don't know what it is and I don't know why it's there, because I can't seem to remember much before I woke up on the beach, but I know whenever I get a sniff of blood, bad things happen. Right now I'm wondreing whether I should should snap Minthara's neck.

Read more

A former Activision Blizzard executive has filed a discrimination claim with the company, alleging it of discriminating against "old white guys".

As reported by Law360 and spotted by our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, the complaint includes allegations against former CEO Bobby Kotick for remarks he made at an unspecified leadership conference in which he reportedly said that the "problem" at ABK was that "there are too many old white guys".

The filing – lodged by a 57-year-old white man who worked at the company from 2014 until he was laid off as part of the company's restructure in late 2023 – says that shortly after hearing these comments, a pair of white executives left "based, at least in part, on Kotick's ageist remarks", adding that "Activision placed profits over people by terminating the older, higher-paid executives".

Read more

A former Activision Blizzard executive has filed a discrimination claim with the company, alleging it of discriminating against "old white guys".

As reported by Law360 and spotted by our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, the complaint includes allegations against former CEO Bobby Kotick for remarks he made at an unspecified leadership conference in which he reportedly said that the "problem" at ABK was that "there are too many old white guys".

The filing – lodged by a 57-year-old white man who worked at the company from 2014 until he was laid off as part of the company's restructure in late 2023 – says that shortly after hearing these comments, a pair of white executives left "based, at least in part, on Kotick's ageist remarks", adding that "Activision placed profits over people by terminating the older, higher-paid executives".

Read more

Wizards of the Coast has hit back at claims one of its latest promotional images were made using AI generative tools.

After presenting an image of a new range of cards with the caption, "it's positively shocking how good these lands look in retro frame", Wizards of the Coast's social media channel filled up with accusations that the image was generated via AI.

The charge is particularly emotive given Wizards of the Coast confirmed last month that it "require[s] artists, writers, and creatives contributing to the Magic TCG to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final Magic products".

Read more

Wizards of the Coast has hit back at claims one of its latest promotional images were made using AI generative tools.

After presenting an image of a new range of cards with the caption, "it's positively shocking how good these lands look in retro frame", Wizards of the Coast's social media channel filled up with accusations that the image was generated via AI.

The charge is particularly emotive given Wizards of the Coast confirmed last month that it "require[s] artists, writers, and creatives contributing to the Magic TCG to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final Magic products".

Read more

Star Citizen's latest DLC pack costs almost £46,000 (€53K /$58K).

Developer Cloud Imperium Group's latest Legatus DLC pack – always the game's most controversial add-on – initially went on sale for an eye-watering £21K ($27K) five years ago. The latest, as spotted by Tweaktown, is currently on sale for £46,000 and includes everything in prior Legatus packs along with all the add-ons released since.

The website adds that Squadron 42 is "currently under development" and reminds players that Star Citizen is currently available in Alpha with "additional features and updates" released "as they are developed".

Read more

Star Citizen's latest DLC pack costs almost £46,000 (€53K /$58K).

Developer Cloud Imperium Group's latest Legatus DLC pack – always the game's most controversial add-on – initially went on sale for an eye-watering £21K ($27K) five years ago. The latest, as spotted by Tweaktown, is currently on sale for £46,000 and includes everything in prior Legatus packs along with all the add-ons released since.

The website adds that Squadron 42 is "currently under development" and reminds players that Star Citizen is currently available in Alpha with "additional features and updates" released "as they are developed".

Read more

UPDATE 10/01/2024: Capcom has donated relief money to aid those impacted by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

"Capcom offers its most heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families, and all others impacted," the company said.

It has donated 120m yen to "the relevant regional authorities", which aims to "support the victims of this disaster as well as restoration and rebuilding efforts in affected areas".

Read more

UPDATE 10/01/2024: Capcom has donated relief money to aid those impacted by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

"Capcom offers its most heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families, and all others impacted," the company said.

It has donated 120m yen to "the relevant regional authorities", which aims to "support the victims of this disaster as well as restoration and rebuilding efforts in affected areas".

Read more

Netflix is reportedly considering introducing in-app purchases and in-app ads to its games in a bid to better monetise its games service.

According to Wall Street Journal (£), Netflix executives have had "discussions" about how to generate money from its games beyond subscription revenue, including microtransactions and ads, both of which the streaming giant has avoided up until now.

It appears Netflix would only serve advertisements to ad-supported subscribers, but is also considering offering "sophisticated" games for additional cost on top of the subscription fee.

Read more

Netflix is reportedly considering introducing in-app purchases and in-app ads to its games in a bid to better monetise its games service.

According to Wall Street Journal (£), Netflix executives have had "discussions" about how to generate money from its games beyond subscription revenue, including microtransactions and ads, both of which the streaming giant has avoided up until now.

It appears Netflix would only serve advertisements to ad-supported subscribers, but is also considering offering "sophisticated" games for additional cost on top of the subscription fee.

Read more

Surgeon Simulator developer Bossa Studios has laid off a third of its staff.

As reported by our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, it's thought 19 people were affected by the redundancies, "mostly in QA and production roles, as well as non-UK employees".

According to Bossa, the studio continues to employ 40 staff.

Read more

Surgeon Simulator developer Bossa Studios has laid off a third of its staff.

As reported by our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, it's thought 19 people were affected by the redundancies, "mostly in QA and production roles, as well as non-UK employees".

According to Bossa, the studio continues to employ 40 staff.

Read more

I've been working through all that comes with my 80-year-old mum being in palliative, end-of-life, care. It's an emotionally unpredictable time, that much I expected. But also, it's been a time of reconnection and reflection with her. Over the last few weeks, we revisited happy memories and renewed beliefs that offer her comfort.

More than one of these memories has been her encouragement of my discovery of video games as a child. We talked about visiting the Littlehampton Pier where we first laid eyes (and hands) on the large four-player Gauntlet arcade machine. She would stand by my side, providing 10 pence pieces for me to line up across the screen to mark my ambition (and status) to other kids waiting to play.

As we reminisced about the times she attempted to join in, tears formed at the thought of what her enthusiasm for my burgeoning hobby had brought to my life - not only a career in games but all those video game stories, trials and epiphanies I couldn't imagine life without. But then, we were laughing together as she performed her (now infamous) impression of Gauntlet's tumbling-into-the-exit sound.

Read more

I've been working through all that comes with my 80-year-old mum being in palliative, end-of-life, care. It's an emotionally unpredictable time, that much I expected. But also, it's been a time of reconnection and reflection with her. Over the last few weeks, we revisited happy memories and renewed beliefs that offer her comfort.

More than one of these memories has been her encouragement of my discovery of video games as a child. We talked about visiting the Littlehampton Pier where we first laid eyes (and hands) on the large four-player Gauntlet arcade machine. She would stand by my side, providing 10 pence pieces for me to line up across the screen to mark my ambition (and status) to other kids waiting to play.

As we reminisced about the times she attempted to join in, tears formed at the thought of what her enthusiasm for my burgeoning hobby had brought to my life - not only a career in games but all those video game stories, trials and epiphanies I couldn't imagine life without. But then, we were laughing together as she performed her (now infamous) impression of Gauntlet's tumbling-into-the-exit sound.

Read more

Epic's Unreal Engine 5 is swiftly becoming the engine of choice for current generation gaming. It's not hard to see why: it combines ease of use and flexibility with some of the most advanced rendering tech in the industry, especially with its Lumen and Nanite systems. At the same time, that sophistication poses a challenge for lower-power platforms, which often aren't the target for Unreal Engine 5 projects - and that extends to Valve's Steam Deck.

The Linux-powered portable powerhouse is capable of some impressive feats, but more advanced titles often don't scale well to the system. So is Unreal Engine 5 a bridge too far for the diminutive handheld or does Epic's boundary-pushing tech scale down better than you might expect?

As of early 2024, we have a nice variety of early UE5 software to take a look at - mostly lower-budget efforts, but with some very attractive entries as well. Some of these games were even included in our best graphics of the year discussion back a few weeks ago, with some seriously impressive visuals on display. But are they 'too big' for Steam Deck? In our tests, we wanted to keep the games' visual character intact, while still aiming for 30fps or better performance levels.

Read more

Epic's Unreal Engine 5 is swiftly becoming the engine of choice for current generation gaming. It's not hard to see why: it combines ease of use and flexibility with some of the most advanced rendering tech in the industry, especially with its Lumen and Nanite systems. At the same time, that sophistication poses a challenge for lower-power platforms, which often aren't the target for Unreal Engine 5 projects - and that extends to Valve's Steam Deck.

The Linux-powered portable powerhouse is capable of some impressive feats, but more advanced titles often don't scale well to the system. So is Unreal Engine 5 a bridge too far for the diminutive handheld or does Epic's boundary-pushing tech scale down better than you might expect?

As of early 2024, we have a nice variety of early UE5 software to take a look at - mostly lower-budget efforts, but with some very attractive entries as well. Some of these games were even included in our best graphics of the year discussion back a few weeks ago, with some seriously impressive visuals on display. But are they 'too big' for Steam Deck? In our tests, we wanted to keep the games' visual character intact, while still aiming for 30fps or better performance levels.

Read more

Baldur's Gate 3 includes an incredibly touching tribute to a player's father living with Alzheimer's.

To fully appreciate this tribute, we need to go back a few years. When Baldur's Gate 3 was still in early access, forum user Solfalia messaged Larian to thank the studio for releasing Act I, despite the game not being complete. This release allowed Solfalia to play the game - as it was at the time - with their father, who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Their father had played other Larian games in the past and was a fan, so this opportunity meant a lot to them both.

"This Early Access means that this Xmas I'll be able to go on an adventure with him one last time, and I know he'll enjoy it," Solfalia wrote in their original post from 2020.

Read more

Baldur's Gate 3 includes an incredibly touching tribute to a player's father living with Alzheimer's.

To fully appreciate this tribute, we need to go back a few years. When Baldur's Gate 3 was still in early access, forum user Solfalia messaged Larian to thank the studio for releasing Act I, despite the game not being complete. This release allowed Solfalia to play the game - as it was at the time - with their father, who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Their father had played other Larian games in the past and was a fan, so this opportunity meant a lot to them both.

"This Early Access means that this Xmas I'll be able to go on an adventure with him one last time, and I know he'll enjoy it," Solfalia wrote in their original post from 2020.

Read more

Ubisoft's upcoming 2.5D Metroidvania game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been developed to be "accessible by design", with a host of features that aim to make it an approachable release for all.

In a new video from the developer focused specifically on accessibility, the team shared how they have approached this release, with senior gameplay programmer Christophe De Labrouhe stating "Metroidvania games can be quite hard, and this one can be quite hard too".

But while The Lost Crown can be challenging, the team doesn't want this to put players off, and so has included a variety of accessibility options as standard. This includes larger text by default, no quick time events and "no colour-based feedback". In addition, there will be options that will allow players to customise the gameplay difficulty to a style that's best for them.

Read more

Ubisoft's upcoming 2.5D Metroidvania game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been developed to be "accessible by design", with a host of features that aim to make it an approachable release for all.

In a new video from the developer focused specifically on accessibility, the team shared how they have approached this release, with senior gameplay programmer Christophe De Labrouhe stating "Metroidvania games can be quite hard, and this one can be quite hard too".

But while The Lost Crown can be challenging, the team doesn't want this to put players off, and so has included a variety of accessibility options as standard. This includes larger text by default, no quick time events and "no colour-based feedback". In addition, there will be options that will allow players to customise the gameplay difficulty to a style that's best for them.

Read more

UPDATE 8/1/2024: Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox players whose capture clips have been flagged by Microsoft should start to see their bans lifted.

Developer Larian shared an update on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend, to state work is ongoing to sort these bans. The bans in question saw players being penalised for capturing in-game footage containing nudity, which was then uploaded to Xbox servers.

"Microsoft team is aware of the issue," the developer said. "If you're wanting to upload any clips in the meantime, make sure to turn off mature content."

Read more

UPDATE 8/1/2024: Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox players whose capture clips have been flagged by Microsoft should start to see their bans lifted.

Developer Larian shared an update on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend, to state work is ongoing to sort these bans. The bans in question saw players being penalised for capturing in-game footage containing nudity, which was then uploaded to Xbox servers.

"Microsoft team is aware of the issue," the developer said. "If you're wanting to upload any clips in the meantime, make sure to turn off mature content."

Read more

Platinum Games Apple Arcade game World of Demons will end service and no longer be downloadable from 18th January.

A short blog for the game from Platinum further states the game will be unavailable to play from 1st February, even for those who have already downloaded it.

"We extend our gratitude to all players who have enjoyed the game since release," reads the post. No further reasoning has been given for the decision.

Read more

Platinum Games Apple Arcade game World of Demons will end service and no longer be downloadable from 18th January.

A short blog for the game from Platinum further states the game will be unavailable to play from 1st February, even for those who have already downloaded it.

"We extend our gratitude to all players who have enjoyed the game since release," reads the post. No further reasoning has been given for the decision.

Read more

Atlus has released the intro video for Persona 3 Reload, premiering the all-new music track Full Moon Full Life.

Each of the games in the series features a stylish animated opening, known for their brilliantly catchy songs. Persona 3 Reload is no different.

The remake of the 2006 RPG brings the game up to the modern standards set by Persona 5 and that's exemplified by this opening video: it's far more detailed and story driven than the original and the new music track is something of a remix. Check it out below.

Read more

Atlus has released the intro video for Persona 3 Reload, premiering the all-new music track Full Moon Full Life.

Each of the games in the series features a stylish animated opening, known for their brilliantly catchy songs. Persona 3 Reload is no different.

The remake of the 2006 RPG brings the game up to the modern standards set by Persona 5 and that's exemplified by this opening video: it's far more detailed and story driven than the original and the new music track is something of a remix. Check it out below.

Read more

It looks like both Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Silent Hill 2 Remake could be released this year.

In a new PlayStation blog and video (below) detailing the various games coming to the platform throughout 2024, Sony has listed both the upcoming remakes. Until now, neither game had an official release window.

Konami's Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 Remake both sit nestled among the likes of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Read more

It looks like both Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Silent Hill 2 Remake could be released this year.

In a new PlayStation blog and video (below) detailing the various games coming to the platform throughout 2024, Sony has listed both the upcoming remakes. Until now, neither game had an official release window.

Konami's Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 Remake both sit nestled among the likes of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Read more

One of the pleasures of January in Sussex is the aimless countryside walk. If you're lucky enough to live near a bit of greenery you might know what I mean. One morning, for no real reason, you find yourself heading off to wander around trees and grass and mud and the odd patch of sukebind.

This kind of walk can never be planned, but it can be postponed - by the kind of miserable weather we've had the past few days. So inevitably I found myself loading up Garden Galaxy on Steam and getting a bit of the same feeling going indoors. It's been wonderful, and it's our Game of the Week as a result.

Garden Galaxy is fascinating, slightly hypnotic even. I guess you could argue it's a clicker, but it has none of the usual connotations that come with clickers. Your job, such as it is, is to build a garden. You have a stretch of tiles and a magical pot. Visitors pop up in your garden now and then and when you click on them you get a coin, a coin that you can then drop into the pot to exchange it for an item for your garden. Repeat. That's it.

Read more