Game Informer

Warner Bros. Montreal has altered Batgirl’s biography in Gotham Knights following backlash about the game’s explanation for her paralysis recovery.

Batgirl AKA Barbara Gordon is one of Gotham Knights’ four playable characters alongside Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood in a story that sees the Bat family defending Gotham after Bruce Wayne’s death. In the 1988 comic story The Killing Joke, Barbara is famously shot through the spine by the Joker, paralyzing and confining her to a wheelchair for many years in which she lent tech and information support to Batman as Oracle. In DC's 2011 New 52 comic reboot, Barbara regains her mobility due to an experimental surgery followed by physical therapy/training. 

Per Eurogamer, Gotham Knights’ original website biography for Batgirl vaguely references these events. It doesn’t mention the Joker or a specific culprit, but the offending bit was the implication that Barbara overcame her disability just by training hard. You can read the relevant section of the bio below: 

SPOILERS AHEAD!
If you haven't watched the first episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney Plus, you should avoid going any further. The latest Star Wars collectible announced introduces a new character, and it's unlike anything we've seen in the Star Wars universe. This odd companion appears to be this year's Grogu, and will be turned into a variety of collectibles that will be released this holiday season.

These announcements were made today by toy manufacturer Hasbro, and happened during Star Wars Celebration, a four-day event held in Anaheim, Calif.

The trailers for Obi-Wan Kenobi implied Old Ben would be keeping an eye on Luke Skywalker, but the show is more about his sister at this point. When we first meet Leia, we see she has a companion droid named LOLA (L0-LA59). This tiny, hovering droid is transforming into three different collectibles, one offering functionality that mimics the movements and sounds from the show.

Hasbro's animatronic edition features a touch sensor on LOLA's head that can activate over 45 different light, sound, and movement options. This version retails for $89.99 and will be released in the fall.

Day two of Star Wars Celebration 2022 brought the first news of new Star Wars video games, and the announcement has been a long time coming. EA and Respawn Entertainment have officially revealed the sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order. This new title will continue the story of force-wielder Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

A brief teaser trailer was shown with the unveiling, which you can watch above. In it, the odds seem stacked against Cal and what may or may not remain of his crew from Fallen Order. Of the known characters, only Kestis and his trusty droid BD-1 make an appearance in the footage, though their cohort Greez's ship, the Stinger Mantis, is seen from the cockpit, empty and in a bad way in a desert. Other notable characters are the potential antagonist who narrates the trailer and a mysterious person preserved in a tube. No one seems to know who this figure is at the moment (and folks at EA are staying quiet on the subject for now), but their characteristics of what looks to be a fit guy with long silvery floating in a vat of liquid is radiating cool dude energy like Star Wars' version of Sephiroth or Mega Man X's Zero. I already can't wait to find out who it is.

Team Fortress 2 remains an extremely popular game with a large active player base, but the last couple of years has seen it overrun by aimbots. A passionate group of fans has long pleaded with developer Valve to address the issue, and the company has finally responded. 

Yesterday, the official Team Fortress 2 Twitter account posted a message in response to #SaveTF2, a peaceful campaign of fans working to raise awareness about the game’s rampant bot problem. Basically, bot programs have made the game nearly unplayable for some since they’ll instantly kill players upon loading up into match-ups, giving the bots users an unfair advantage. TF2 players have become increasingly vocal about the problem, but Valve has remained largely silent on the issue (even going quiet on the game’s forums) until posting the following message: 

TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things.

— Team Fortress 2 (@TeamFortress) May 26, 2022

TF2 community, we hear you! We love this game and know you do, too. We see how large this issue has become and are working to improve things.

Valve doesn’t elaborate on how it plans to tackle the problem or when to expect a solution but getting the notoriously quiet company to respond is an accomplishment and measure of relief for Team Fortress 2 fans. Hopefully, it results in a substantial response that comes sooner rather than later.

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is joined by Game Informer Show host Alex Van Aken to talk about the upcoming Mario Strikers: Battle League. Brian has seen the game in action and is ready to tell longtime series fan, Alex, all about the live gameplay he witnessed. 

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken)

The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday!

Be sure to subscribe to All Things Nintendo on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Saber Interactive, Boss Team Games
Developer: Saber Interactive
Release: May 13, 2022
Rating: Mature

Evil Dead: The Game is a faithful adaptation, full of subtle and not-so-subtle homages to the classic horror series. You can visit iconic sites like The Knowby Cabin, wield boomsticks and chainsaw prosthetics, fight off a possessed severed hand, play as your favorite cast members, or command armies of Deadites as the series’ antagonist, the Kandarian Demon. They even recreated the first-person, off-axis camera effect synonymous with Sam Raimi’s directorial style from the movies. But while these elements fill the title with fanservice, none of them make for a very good video game, certainly not one that stands out in a growing subgenre. 

Asymmetrical multiplayer games are inherently uneven, with each side traditionally offering vastly different perspectives – and playstyles – from their counterpart. And this is what makes my time playing Evil Dead so frustrating: It’s incredibly one-sided for a game all about two sides. And it’s majorly unbalanced. 

High-gloss paper. Gold-foil covers. Uniquely-numbered issues. Ridiculously-low print runs. This is Game Informer Gold, an ultra-rare collectible that one of you can win through this sweepstakes. You need to get your hands on Game Informer Gold to truly understand how big of an upgrade it is over our standard edition. From its increased thickness to the gold shine on the cover, this is as high-end as magazines get.

This month, the copy of Game Informer Gold that is up for grabs is issue #345, our Evil Dead: The Game issue. Even better, this stunning alternate art cover features a younger Ash Williams and a horde of Deadites stalking behind him; it’s a great companion piece to the standard version of issue #345 you may have already collected! As always, this edition of Game Informer Gold is an extremely limited print run. The winner of this sweepstakes will get one of these issues. Only one person will win.

For more info on Game Informer Gold, watch this short video featuring our first Game Informer Gold issue #340:

Enter below by June 6th, 2022 for your chance at this unique exclusive collectible. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY. Full rules are available below. Many will enter, but only one will win! Good Luck!

When Jurassic World: Dominion opens in theaters in two weeks, we’ll see what happens when dinosaurs walk among us. Odds are most humans will be turned into tasty dinosaur snacks, but we probably won’t go down without a fight. Jurassic World Evolution 2 players can download a new expansion that adds some of the movie’s new dinosaurs to their parks on the same day. The Dominion Biosyn expansion adds the Gigantosaurus, Dreadnoughtus, Pyroraptor, Quetzalcoatlus, Therizinosaurus, and the long-overdue Dimetrodon.

The Gigantosaurs’ behavior in Dominion is apparently modeled after The Dark Knight’s Joker. This odd inspiration point was revealed by the movie’s director Colin Trevorrow in an interview with Empire Magazine. “I wanted something that felt like the Joker,” he said. “It just wants to watch the world burn.” We’ll have to wait to see just how much of that destructive quality comes out in the game’s version of the beast.

Sony has announced a new State of Play scheduled to air next Thursday, June 2 at 3 p.m. Pacific/6 p.m. Eastern. 

The PlayStation Blog states the event will run for 30 minutes and showcases “exciting reveals from our third-party partners.” The post doesn’t mention first-party at all, so it sounds like we shouldn’t expect updates on games like God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, or the rumored remake of The Last of Us.

Sony also teases that viewers will get a “sneak peek” into PlayStation VR2 games. Just yesterday it was confirmed the headset will launch with over 20 games. The only announced title is Horizon: Call of the Wild, though that project may not appear if the event is highlighting third parties. At that point, it’s anyone’s guess as to what PS VR2 software we’ll see.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Tate Multimedia
Developer: Tate Multimedia
Release: May 27, 2022
Rating: Everyone 10+

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew gathers to share their PlayStation State of Play Predictions. Which game announcements or big reveals do Sony have planned for Summer 2022? Will God of War: Ragnarok release this year? Where the heck is Last of Us Part II multiplayer? This week it's anybody's game as your hosts heat the kitchen with bold PlayStation predictions. 

Follow us on Twitter: Stadnik (@Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Jill Grodt (@Finruin), and Wesley LeBlanc (@LeBlancWes)

The Game Informer Show is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join hosts Alex Stadnik and Alex Van Aken every Thursday to chat about your favorite games – past and present – with Game Informer staff, developers, and special guests from all around the industry. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

The Callisto Protocol is one of the most anticipated horror games in years and happens to be our June cover story. One of the project’s more intriguing aspects was that it canonically took place in the same universe as popular battle royale PUBG: Battlegrounds, albeit in the distant future and on another planet. As of today, that’s no longer the case.

Glen Schofield, The Callisto Protocol’s creative director, took to Twitter to announce that the game now unfolds within its own story and fiction and not PUBG’s. 

FYI @CallistoTheGame is its own story and world. It no longer takes place in the PUBG Universe. It was originally part of the PUBG timeline, but grew into its own world. PUBG is awesome, &we will still have little surprises for fans, but TCP is its own world, story and universe.

No stranger to Star Wars or the annual celebration happening right now in Anaheim, CA, Harrison Ford made a surprise appearance at the Lucasfilm Showcase today, but he didn't show up for a space-faring adventure this time around. Instead, he arrived to promote another Lucasfilm franchise he stars in by the name of Indiana Jones and dropped the big news of a 2023 release date for the next film installment.

Ford's segment started with a musical introduction by longtime Star Wars and Indy composer John Williams (who celebrated his 90th birthday in February) playing him onto the stage. Ford spoke about working on the new Indian Jones film and how it was nearing completion. "I had a wonderful experience working with James Mangold," said Ford, according to a Tweet from Decider. "I am really proud of the movie that we made. So I'll be seeing you around campus."

Ford says they've almost finished the next Indy film. "I had a wonderful experience working with James Mangold," who is also here. "I am really proud of the movie that we made. So I'll be seeing you around campus."

— Decider (@decider) May 26, 2022

Before leaving the stage, Harrison Ford dropped potentially the biggest bit of information from today's panel: Indiana Jones 5 will be released in theaters on June 30, 2023. How about that for a final segment surprise?

Star Wars Celebration began today with a panel showing with a showcase of the projects Lucasfilm is working on, and the new Star Wars series Andor had the spotlight after the cast of Obi-Wan Kenobi left the stage. Not only was there a brief interview with the show's cast and crew, but a teaser trailer debuted along with the release date on Disney+ of August 31.

The teaser trailer shown is musically paced with anvil-like percussion and throat-singing casting the theme of the footage. Focusing on the growing tension between the rebellious citizens and the overbearing Empire, Andor will depict the five years of Cassian Andor's life prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The trailer shows those citizens preparing for conflict with imperial forces while Diego Luna's Andor voices his displeasure with the Empire over the footage. We, of course, see Cassian Andor sneaking around, but also a new look at Genevieve O'Reilly returning as Mon Mothma, who last played this role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Peppered throughout are shots of a lush forest, a stark white base set in a body of water, and a large futuristic city that is most likely Coruscant.

The first season of The Book of Boba Fett almost transformed into the third season of The Mandalorian, so we haven't been away from Grogu, Luke Skywalker, and Din Djarin for too long. The wait to be reunited with them again, however, will be a little longer than expected. The Mandalorian's third season won't hit this year. The first episode is now officially slated to release in February 2023.

This news comes from the first day of Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, Calif. The series' creators, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, took to the stage in front of a packed theater to deliver the update. Actor Rosario Dawson also appeared in full Jedi makeup from the set of Ahsoka to reveal it would also be hitting in 2023, but no month was given.

Filoni and Favreau then surprised the crowd with the announcement of a new show called Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. This Disney Plus show is scheduled to launch in 2023 and will star Jude Law. It's yet another project touched by Favreau and Filoni and also has Jon Watts and Christopher Ford serving as executive producers. You can see the official teaser image below:

 

Supermassive Games’ The Quarry launches in just a couple of weeks and serves as a campy (as in a literal summer camp) spiritual successor to Until Dawn. While you’ll be able to brave the cinematic horrors with friends in person on launch day, the game’s online play has been delayed.

The studio tweeted a message stating that it’s delaying The Quarry’s online multiplayer to no later than July 8. That’s roughly a month after the game’s June 10 launch. Supermassive explains the move was made to ensure the rest of the game, such as its single-player and local co-op, is as polished as possible by the release date.

An update on The Quarry's online multiplayer: pic.twitter.com/Bipo0yxp2g

— Supermassive Games (@SuperMGames) May 26, 2022

The full statement reads as follows:

Deadline is reporting actor Ray Liotta has passed away at the age of 67.

Liotta died in his sleep while filming a movie called Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic. According to a source that has spoken with TMZ, there is "nothing suspicious about the death, and no foul play is suspected." The cause of death remains unknown at this time.

Liotta had a prolific acting career. Among his most memorable roles is Henry Hill in Goodfellas and Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams. In recent years, Liotta has had a resurgence in Hollywood with roles in Marriage Story, the Amazon Prime series Hanna, and multiple other projects in the works, including a film called Cocaine Bear and a series called Blackbird, that will, unfortunately, see the light of day without him around. 

In Jurassic World: Primal Ops, dinosaurs once again roam the world, and humanity is learning what it's like to live alongside them. You play the role of a seasoned dinosaur handler who wants to protect the dinosaurs. These efforts will pit you against poachers, mercenaries, and scientists looking to create deadly hybrids. This free-to-play action/adventure experience will release for iOS and Android devices soon.

The top-down gameplay pushes you to rescue and collect dinosaurs, and also use them for battle against other prehistoric beasts and hostile human forces. The dinosaurs can also be used to aid you in battle.  Pteranodons drop supply crates, and the Triceratops can ram through objects.

“Jurassic World Primal Ops lets players immerse themselves in the Jurassic World franchise, allowing them to deepen their connection with dinosaurs in thrilling, new ways,” said Jim Molinets, SVP of Production at Universal Games and Digital Platforms. “The game is reflective of the brand’s signature storytelling, intense action, compelling environments, and diverse characters, and promises to be engaging for new and long-time fans alike.”

Capcom Fighting Collection jams ten classic arcade games from Capcom's rich history into one package with all kinds of features added on like online multiplayer, training modes, and art and music galleries, making this title all the better. Ahead of its release on June 24, I was given the opportunity to go hands-on with the collection, and you can read my early thoughts on it here. On top of that, we were allowed to send some questions to the game’s producer Shuhei Matsumoto. Matsumoto is in charge of Capcom Fighting Collection, but he’s also involved with the Street Fighter franchise and more, so it’s fun to get some insight on the title from one of the minds behind this collection as well as other Capcom titles. Below are all of Shuhei Matsumoto’s responses to this Capcom Fighting Collection-focused Q&A.

John Carson: How did you choose which games are included in this collection?

It feels as if Sony is taking a victory lap in the wake of the success of its various exclusive franchises. The Uncharted movie garnered a strong opening weekend, The Last of Us is getting a highly-anticipated HBO adaptation, and a Jak and Daxter film is in the works. Now the God of War (live-action), Horizon, and Gran Turismo television shows are in development. 

Sony has officially announced new PlayStation Productions Series in Development

• Horizon coming to Netflix
• God of War coming to Amazon (previously rumored)
• Gran Turismo (no service announced)

Sony continues to heavily expand their PlayStation IP into Series / Movies pic.twitter.com/5b3nkD9diF

We still don’t know when PlayStation VR2 will hit stores, but when it does, it will have over 20 games available on day one, according to Sony. 

Video Games Chronicle reports that Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan told investors during a briefing call that,

“Right now, there is a considerable amount of money being spent on partnerships with independent and other third-party developers to secure a considerable pipeline of attractive VR content at the launch of PlayStation VR2.”

He continued by saying, “That energy, that effort, and that money will continue to grow as the installed base of PlayStation VR2 headsets grows also.”

A slide image from the presentation (posted below) states these games consist of both first-party and third-party games. The only PS VR2 title announced so far is Horizon: Call of the Mountain, a first-person experience in development at Firesprite and Guerrilla Games. 

The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi release tomorrow on Disney+. I can't wait to see Ewan McGregor reprise the role of Obi-Wan and hope Hayden Christensen gets the chance to be the version of Darth Vader that brings fear to the Jedi ranks. I'm also eager to see the Inquisitors in a live-action format. Rupert Friend is suiting up as the Grand Inquisitor, Sung Kang is The Fifth Brother, and Moses Ingram is The Third Sister, who we also know is named Reva Sevander. Reva is everywhere in the early merchandising announcements, perhaps implying she is one of Obi-Wan's significant threats.

Hasbro is also placing Reva front and center in three different action figure series. Yesterday, the toy manufacturer showed images of Reva as a Black Series, Vintage, and Retro action figure. She comes with her unique double-bladed lightsaber in all variations, which can split in two. More information about these figures will be made available this weekend during the Star Wars Celebration. For now, you can see the announcement video and images below:

It's no secret that the PlayStation 5 is frustratingly elusive for millions of Sony fans around the globe. In Fall 2021, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki outlined plans to invest more heavily in console semiconductor shortages linked to the pandemic. But according to Eurogamer, component scarcity isn't the only thing catalyzing the new-gen deficit. The Russia-Ukraine war has also affected part inventory. In a financial presentation conducted yesterday, Sony CEO Jim Ryan stated that PS4 sales continue to be higher than those of the PS5. However, the shortages are expected to stabilize and overtake PS4 sales by 2024. 

It's shaping up to be a great weekend for people who like getting lost in a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars Celebration kicks off tomorrow in Anaheim, Calif, and the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi hit Disney's streaming service a day later. Obi-Wan will also join the fight in Fortnite tomorrow night. And we should really start celebrating Star Wars right now, as today is the anniversary of A New Hope's theatrical release.

If past Star Wars Celebrations are any example to follow, we'll see plenty of collectibles announcements over the weekend. Some toy manufacturers are getting out in front of the potential bombardment of news. Funko just announced the first wave of Pops based on the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, and I'm guessing we'll see more in the days to come.

This line offers a new version of Obi-Wan, looking slightly older than he did in Revenge of the Sith. We're also getting a menacing sculpt of Darth Vader, who looks exactly like you would expect. The only new character is Reva, the Third Sister, looking ready to ignite her lightsaber. A deluxe version of Obi-Wan riding an Eopie is also on the way. All of these figures are expected to hit retailers in October. You can see them below:

It’s been a rough couple of years of schooling for anyone forced to persevere through recent challenges. If you have a gamer in your life who has reached the finish line, we have some suggestions for gifts that can make them smile after they walk the stage and pick up their diploma. Read more...

<p><img src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/05/25/fe4ed9e1/adol_monstrum.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> <p>A surprise patch has dropped for the PC version of the action RPG that many missed out on last year, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, which makes&nbsp;now would be a perfect time to get acquainted with the series.</p> <p>While working on the upcoming localization of Trails From Zero (another Falcom game you should keep your eyes on), PH3 <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1351630/view/3180116390598816080" target="_blank">developer&nbsp;Peter "Durante" Thoman</a> discovered how to increase CPU performance in that game. After finding promising results in Trails From Zero, he brought the technique over to Ys IX. Lo and behold, there was an impressive frame rate boost with the same implementation, with a 25% increase in parts of the game where the CPU can bottleneck performance. The update&nbsp;proved stable enough in testing to push it live for everyone playing the Steam version.</p> <p>Here are the full patch notes from the PC performance patch:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Improved&nbsp;CPU-bound performance.&nbsp;The degree to which you will notice this depends on the specific in-game scene, settings, and your hardware GPU/CPU balance.</li> <li>Adjust the&nbsp;refresh rate selection&nbsp;algorithm to more reliably pick the available refresh-rate closest to the one desired.</li> <li>The game&nbsp;executables are now signed.

Star Wars Celebration kicks off tomorrow in Anaheim, Calif. I've had the pleasure of attending this show a few times over the years, and find it to be joyous, exciting, and one of the greatest places to go for people watching, thanks to the wealth of stormtroopers, Jedi, and astromech droids roaming the halls.

Disney and Lucasfilm always bring a few surprises to Celebration, and I have a feeling we'll see a good number of them this year. The show runs until Sunday and should be packed with announcements. Here's what I expect to see, and how you can tune in to see the reveals as they happen:

Thursday, May 26

New TV Shows and Movies

Most of us will likely watch the first two episodes of Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi this weekend, and more info on this show and what's coming next for TV and theaters will likely be shown during Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase at 11 a.m. PT. We'll likely see the first teaser trailer for Andor, the live-action series spinning out of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, starring Diego Luna. Hot on the heels of that could be a look at the second season of the animated show, Bad Batch. If Lucasfilm wants the live audience to erupt, don't be surprised if the showcase concludes with a teaser for the third season of The Mandalorian (although this could be saved for Jon Favreau's panel later in the show).

Remember Replaced, the atmospheric, futuristic action game revealed during last year’s Xbox Showcase? Set in a dystopian version of the ‘80s USA, Replaced chronicles the exploits of an AI living within a human body. The combat is reminiscent of some of the best sci-fi movies and games out there, including Blade Runner and Cyberpunk 2077. Exciting right? Well, sadly, Replaced has been delayed until 2023. 

Ş̸̯̅̇͌̈̚ô̴̡̬̣͚̮͜ŗ̶̳̯̹͖̣̆͑r̴̢̖̲͎̙̬̹̓̆̓̾̂̈́̊̕y̶̡̡̫͔̩̲̩͉̌̈́̊ pic.twitter.com/KgY852bBna

— REPLACED (@REPLACEDGame) May 25, 2022

Publisher Coastink, parent company Thunderful, and developer Sad Cat Studios’ statement on Twitter reads (in its entirety) as follows:

Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds is the sixth entry in Level-5’s beloved JRPG series. The MMORPG was released in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan last year but is finally available in North America on mobile devices and PC starting today. You can watch the animation trailer below. 

Like the main installments before it – namely, Wrath of the White Witch and Revenant Kingdom – Cross Worlds is composed by the legendary Joe Hisaishi and features Studio Ghibli-animated cutscenes. According to the Ni no Kuni website, the story is as follows: 

“You are about to enter a brand new world in the virtual reality game Soul Divers. But as you explore and become stronger, you’ll realize this world is not a virtual one. A mysterious girl named Rania entrusts you with a mission: Rebuild your kingdom ransacked by powerful foes  and save the two connected worlds from certain destruction!” 

For all you anime fans out there, Cross World’s central narrative seems directly inspired by the isekai genre. The animation trailer above reveals that the new Ni no Kuni still brims with the whimsy and eccentricity that the franchise is known for. Moreover, the high-fantasy overtones and vivid art style make a welcome return. 

After finding success on PC, 2D fighter Them’s Fightin’ Herds is making its way to consoles this fall.

If the game reminds you of My Little Pony, it should. Them’s Fightin’ Herds is a spiritual successor to Fighting is Magic, an unlicensed fighting game based on the popular My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series created by fans of the show (who appropriately call themselves Mane6). A big “cease and desist” from Hasbro forced halted Fighting is Magic's launch, forcing Mane6 to rework the idea into an original title. However, Lauren Faust, the mastermind of Friendship Is Magic, admired the project and lent her artistic talents to design Them’s Fightin’ Herds’ colorful cast of four-legged combatants. 

Them’s Fightin’ Herds sports a streamlined 4-button fighting system complete with combos (and juggle decay), a magic system, and super attacks. Players can duke it out in local and online versus modes, and an episodic story mode modeled as a classic top-down RPG features side quests and boss fights. The experience also boasts cross-platform matchmaking, rollback netcode, a replay system to rewatch matches, and a dynamic soundtrack that changes based on the characters. The game has been positively received since launching on Steam in 2020 and has amassed a dedicated following, with organized tournaments taking place at events such as EVO. 

End Global 7, a co-op company composed of prominent development studios like DC Universe Online dev Daybreak Game Company, revealed last November that it had a new Marvel MMORPG in early development. Now, End Global 7 has revealed that it’s been canceled. 

This news comes by way of Eurogamer, which first reported on End Global 7’s statement released today. In that statement, the company says it is re-evaluating things such as risk profiles, investments, and portfolio strategies and that development of Daybreak Games Marvel MMO has ceased as a result. 

“EG7 today announced it will be discontinuing the development of the Marvel project at Daybreak Games,” the statement reads. “Based on the re-evaluation of the development risk profile, size of investment, and the long-term product portfolio strategy for the group, the board has decided to change the development priorities and reallocate resources within the group to focus on alternative long-term projects.”

Developer Hello Games just released the Outlaws update for No Man’s Sky back in April alongside news that its next project won’t be a sequel to the sci-fi title, and now, the studio has revealed that it’s launching another expedition…today!

Dubbed “Leviathan,” this expedition is the result of a community in-joke that No Man’s Sky is missing space whales because space whales is exactly what Leviathan brings to the game. However, beyond that, Leviathan also introduces a roguelike experience to play through. 

“[Leviathan] is very different to anything we’ve done before,” a press release reads. “It is more roguellike, with players caught in a time-loop. Players start together on an expedition, and each time they die, they lose their progress, but help the community try to break free from this loop together.

It is important to keep in mind what is going on within Activision Blizzard at this time regarding ongoing allegations about the work culture. The ongoing lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) against the company is over reported toxic workplace culture. The bulk of the suit focuses on "violations of the state's civil rights and equal pay laws," specifically regarding the treatment of women and other marginalized groups. To learn more about the proceedings thus far, including details listed in the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, please check out our previous coverage here.

Diablo Immortal is just around the corner. After its big release date announcement last month, we released an installment of New Gameplay Today all about the game, how it plays on both mobile devices and PC, and more. Today, we're back with even more new Diablo Immortal footage and another developer interview. This time, we've got principal game designer Joe Grubb and senior game designer Scott Burgess joining your host John Carson to talk about the lore implications of Diablo Immortal, some of the big bads, returning characters, class changes, and even the game's audio design. 

Temtem is a popular online multiplayer monster-catching game that’s a lot like Pokémon and it’s been in early access for years. However, in just a few months, it will finally launch into 1.0 on consoles and PC. 

More specifically, Temtem 1.0 will go live on Sep. 6 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. Temtem has already been available to play on PS5 and PC so today’s news in terms of platforms is that it’s coming to Xbox and Switch in September. To celebrate the news, developer Crema has released a new trailer showcasing what to expect in 1.0. 

That includes a new endgame island and much more in-game. Pre-order links for Switch aren’t yet live, but on Xbox, there’s a standard edition you can pre-order and a deluxe edition. The latter includes “bonus cosmetic content (to be revealed at a later date) – available when Temtem launches.” If you prefer to buy your games physically, you can do that too because there will be both a standard physical edition of the game and a Temtem collector’s edition as well. 

With the news of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 hitting becoming available to stream as of today, we thought it might be helpful to point our readers toward some other video game adaptations you can watch whenever you want. Here's a handful of films you may want to check out, and where to find them on a given streaming service if they are available. If a movie below isn't available to view as part of a subscription, such as Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Disney+, etc., it's most likely available to rent or buy digitally from companies like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Vudu, and more. 

The following list was created on May 5, 2022, and the availability of these movies may have changed.

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: h.a.n.d.
Release: May 12, 2022
Rating: Teen

What if there was a way to stop the aging process and only your family knew the secret? How far would you go to protect it? And at what cost? The Centennial Case isn’t your typical murder-mystery adventure game. It goes out of its way to be different, whether it’s swapping you to various murders over the course of 100 years or using live-action footage to make you feel like you’re participating in a movie. The latter evokes a nostalgic feeling of the FMV games of yore, but the advanced tech and heavy focus on deduction create an experience that’s equally gripping and engaging, even if it doesn’t always hit the mark.

The Centennial Case is a narrative-focused adventure centering on the Shijima family, who are connected to a string of suspicious murders over the last century. They also hold a unique item that promises eternal youth. Is it real or a myth? As protagonist and mystery novelist Haruka Kagami, you must discover the truth, connecting various events and murders to uncover the family’s long-kept secrets.

On this week's episode, we review two weeks worth of comic books, including Grim, Eight Billion Genies, Thor & Hulk: Banner of War, Wolverine (which doubles as a new issue of Deadpool), and many more. We also look ahead to next week, which we believe will be one of the biggest yet for us – we estimate we'll both buy approximately 24 comics.

If you would like to follow us on Twitter: Andrew Reiner (@Andrew_Reiner) and Philip Hoff (@bnow23).

From Panel to Podcast is a weekly show created by two lifelong comic book readers who offer suggestions on which comic books you should be reading each week. Each episode also dives into the latest developments for comics in video games, movies, and television shows. We'll even discuss comic book collectibles and anything we think you should know about that pertains to this entertainment medium.

Be sure to subscribe to From Panel to Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. The show is available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Hogwarts Legacy releases this holiday for multiple platforms, but PlayStation 5 players will experience additional technical magic thanks to the game’s suite of DualSense features.

A PlayStation Blog post revealed the different ways Hogwarts Legacy takes advantage of the controller’s haptic feedback. For starters, spells sport individual physical button resistances and feedback to make them feel unique from one another. In a nice touch, these haptic effects are isolated to the right side of the controller to simulate wielding a wand in one hand more accurately. Hopefully, this feature can be flipped to the other side of the gamepad so that left-handed players can experience the same immersion. 

The DualSense light bar displays various flash effects for each spell, but it also radiates the color of your chosen house. For the uninitiated, that’s red for Gryffindor, green for Slytherin, yellow for Hufflepuff, and blue for Ravenclaw. 

The controller will also simulate sensations such as crushing botany ingredients in potions class, deflecting and disintegrating incoming magic using the shield spell Portico, and soaring the skies atop a broom or hippogriff. Hogwarts Legacy also leverages the PS5’s 3D audio to pick up smaller sound effects such as a crackling fireplace and other environmental sound cues.  

If you subscribe to the digital edition of Game Informer, you can now learn all about The Callisto Protocol. Following the cover reveal, our digital issue is now live to subscribers on web browsers, iPad/iPhone, and Android devices. Individual issues will be available for purchase later today. You can download the apps to view the issue by following this link. All of these digital options are included in a standard subscription.

The issue launches later this week on our third-party subscription apps, including Kindle and Nook.

Not a digital subscriber yet? Convert your existing print subscription or start a new subscription here.

It is important to keep in mind what is going on within Activision Blizzard at this time regarding ongoing allegations about the work culture. The ongoing lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) against the company is over reported toxic workplace culture. The bulk of the suit focuses on “violations of the state’s civil rights and equal pay laws,” specifically regarding the treatment of women and other marginalized groups. To learn more about the proceedings thus far, including details listed in the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, please check out our previous coverage here.

A few weeks after the confirmation of its existence, Activision Blizzard announced the release date of the next Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare II, in a tweet accompanied by a video showing off character art from the game.