Game Informer

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has secured its release date along with a new cinematic trailer. 

Gollum’s video game solo outing launches September 1 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The Switch version will arrive sometime later in the year.

The game was first announced in 2019 and was originally slated to arrive in 2021 before being delayed into this year. The story follows J.R.R. Tolkein’s books rather than Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, detailing Gollum’s happenings during the first chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring after he loses the One Ring to Bilbo Baggins. Gollum embarks on a journey across Middle-earth, visiting locations such as Mirkwood and Barad-dûr. 

The newest Magic: The Gathering set is on its way in just a couple of weeks (prerelease starts a week from Friday, so go sign up for events at your local game store). Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate returns the game to the setting of Dungeons & Dragons and the Forgotten Realms, but as it says in the name, the set focuses on an important location in video games as well as tabletop adventures, Baldur's Gate. Last week, we posted a rundown of the set and its mechanics, so check out that story to get the lowdown on the new and returning mechanics.

Wizards of the Coast has graciously allowed us to preview one of the cards coming with this set, and this creature may want all of the big-brain plays you can muster. Take a look at Intellect Devourer.

When Sonic the Hedgehog 2 launched on Sega Genesis in 1992, it took the foundation laid with the Blue Blur's debut entry and expanded it in myriad ways. In the 16-bit sequel, Sonic had new moves and a two-tailed fox friend to aid him, but with those upgrades came more significant threats from the evil Dr. Robotnik. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Genesis was immediately regarded as a definite upgrade over the already strong first entry in the series. Similarly, Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie expands the universe established by its predecessor and delivers a better overall film thanks to bigger action setpieces, laugh-out-loud gags, and some terrific fanservice moments.

Warning: While I try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, some aspects of the narrative and characters are mentioned throughout this article.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 carries the unenviable task of following up a movie that was, by most accounts, a surprise hit. The first film succeeds by being a fun, family-friendly video game adaptation that tells a heart-filled story while paying homage to the character of Sonic the Hedgehog. While Sonic the Hedgehog's unexpected positive reception could have put its sequel in a difficult spot since it comes in with higher expectations, the Jeff Fowler-directed Sonic the Hedgehog 2 clears the higher bar, delivering a better movie in nearly every way.

A new Destiny 2 trailer showcases the galaxy's creepy side with the reveal of "Season of the Haunted." Info about the event has been kept under wraps. Today, guardians everywhere can finally dive into the action-packed nightmare to explore a returning location and acquire exotic gear. You can watch the cinematic footage below. 

According to a post on the Bungie website, the Cabal's emperor, Calus, has ventured to the Pyramid ship on the Moon. His world-eating frigate, Leviathan, is back. But not all is as it seems, as dangerous "Nightmares" now call the explorable locale home. Activities like "Nightmare Containment" pit guardians against ghostly bosses in scaling battles. Moreover, in the "Server" weekly mission, players can progress the story and learn more about Calus's agenda. All the while, you can once again wield Shiro-4's lightning-fast Trespasser sidearm, collect a bevy of Opulent Weapons, and claim season firearms and armor for yourself (see the gallery below). 

Marvel Studios has released a new Thor: Love and Thunder trailer that runs more than two minutes long and features a ton of new footage, especially compared to the teaser trailer released last month. 

The new trailer features extended looks at scenes from the teaser, like when Thor realizes Jane Foster is back and now wielding Mjolnir. It also contains new footage of Korg, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the villain of Taika Waititi’s latest Thor film, Gorr the God Butcher.

For comic fans, one look at Christian Bale’s Gorr, and it’s immediately apparent that this is a very different take. Gorr is typically more alien-looking but still humanoid. Bale’s Gorr looks very much like a human, and it’s not surprising because if you’re going to hire someone like Bale to play a villain, why not squeeze out as much as you can by reminding folks that this is Bale. 

Take-Two, the publisher behind household name franchises like Grand Theft Auto, XCOM, and NBA2K, has officially acquired mobile juggernaut Zynga in the second-biggest deal in games history after Microsoft's eventual acquisition of Activision Blizzard. 

According to PC Gamer, the proposals were approved last Thursday, and the acquisition totals a whopping $12.7 billion. Zynga is notable for its globally enjoyed small screen titles like Farmville and CSR Racing 2, the most popular mobile racing game. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick voiced his company's excitement about the deal, stating:

"We are thrilled to complete our combination with Zynga, which is a pivotal step to increase exponentially our Net Bookings from mobile, the fastest-growing segment in interactive entertainment, while also providing us with substantial cost synergies and revenue opportunities. As we bring together our exceptional talent, exciting pipelines of games, and industry-leading technologies and capabilities, we believe that we can take our portfolio to another level of creativity, innovation, and quality."

Virtual reality hasn’t caught on as quickly as some predicted, but VR headsets have managed to amass an impressive collection of software in the last few years regardless. And given Sony's recent PSVR2 announcements, this could be a big year for virtual reality. If you just bought a Meta Quest or haven’t fired yours up in a long time, there are several great experiences to be had. We highlight some of the best VR titles out now for the Quest, from high octane music games to spooky shooters. Here are 10 VR games you shouldn’t ignore, in no particular order.

Honorable Mentions: Half-Life: Alyx and Lone Echo

If you have a VR-ready gaming PC, you can connect it to a Quest via an Oculus Link Cable or over WiFi using Air Link. Doing so unlocks a number of PC-based VR games, most notably Half-Life: Alyx and Lone Echo. You definitely need some extra firepower to run these impressive games, but those experiences are well worth the trouble.

Gloomhaven is a dungeon-crawling board game that required a little muscle from the player, as its massive box weighs over 20 pounds. That heft is the conversation starter that helped Gloomhaven find the audience it rightfully deserves. It's a great board game experience that was recently adapted into an equally as notable turn-based tactical RPG for PC. And now developer Flaming Fowl Studios and publisher Asmodee Digital have plans to release this digital version on consoles in 2023.

Asmodee is working with Saber Games and Embracer Group on this console port. No specific systems are known at this time, but Asmodee's tweet announcing this project shows an image of an Xbox controller. You can see it below along with a teaser video for the console versions:

Gloomhaven, the digital adaptation of the acclaimed board game, is coming to console in 2023. 🎮
We cannot wait to work with @SaberGames and @embracergroup to make this project a reality for you. pic.twitter.com/T5k6rUOqkZ

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: Switch, PC, Mac, iOS
Publisher: Dinosaur Polo Club
Developer: Dinosaur Polo Club
Release: September 19, 2019 (iOS), July 20, 2021 (PC, Mac), May 11, 2022 (Switch)

It’s said that even the best-laid plans often go awry, and that is fully evident in Mini Motorways. What starts as a pleasant city-planning simulation evolves into a frantic puzzle you must solve before time runs out. The stress of having your carefully planned city infrastructure crumble before your eyes is undeniable. However, it’s in that often-sudden transition from meditative to manic where Mini Motorways shines, offering players a unique take on both the puzzle and city-planning simulation genres.

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.

The Game Workers Alliance, a union of Raven Software quality assurance employees, has successfully voted to become officially recognized by Activision Blizzard. That makes them only the second formal union in the North American video game industry, following Video Games unionizing in December 2021, and the first within a major U.S. game publisher. 

According to the Washington Post, the Milwaukee branch of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) counted mailed-in ballots submitted by eligible Raven employees. Out of 22 ballots, 19 voted Yes, and 3 voted No. Parties have until May 31 to file an objection. If no one does, then the result becomes official. 

I was just telling a friend that I would love to see a Lobo television show that draws inspiration from The Mandalorian and Deadpool. Picture an intergalactic bounty hunter with an attitude problem – that's basically Lobo. He first appeared in an Omega Men comic book in 1983, and after bouncing through dozens of DC comic book series for decades, finally made his live-action debut in an episode of Krypton. The point being: We need more Lobo.

He's a wild character who almost starred in his own video game in 1996. Ocean of America was hard at work on a fighting game starring Lobo for Super Nintendo and Genesis. As the fact sheets below show, the developer apparently had most of the gameplay details worked out. The canceled project included moves like "Ram Grenade Down Throat," "Blow Opponent in Half," and "Fire Hole Through Opponent." The setup is what you would expect: Lobo must kill everyone who stands in his way. He even has to murder a clone of himself. Below are a number of fact sheets from Game Informer's archives that outline the project, and a gameplay video from a prototype.

If you were holding out on watching Sonic The Hedgehog 2, one of the most successful video game movies of all time, it’s your time to shine because it hits Paramount Plus today. 

That’s May 24, if you’re reading this today, and if you’re not, you can boot up Paramount’s subscription service right now to catch the Blue Blur’s latest. This news comes by way of the Paramount Plus Twitter account, which includes a new riff on the Sonic The Hedgehog 2 movie poster you’ve likely already seen. 

#SonicMovie2 is racing to #ParamountPlus! Haven't seen it yet or want to watch it over and over again? Stream it TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/AGWYB82Cos

Fighting game fans and brawler fans rejoice! The mashup you’ve pictured in your head a hundred times – Street Fighter vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – is becoming an action figure reality. That’s because Playmates Toys is releasing four SF vs TMNT character sets and two are coming later this year. 

The four sets respectively are:

• Ryu vs. Leonardo – the leaders face off
• Chun-Li vs. Michelangelo – authority vs. exuberance
• Guile vs Raphael – strength vs. strength
• Ken Masters vs. Donatello – restraint vs. intellect

 

The two releasing this fall are Ryu vs. Leonardo and Chun-Li vs Michelangelo, and it is then that they’ll hit retail shelves. Unfortunately, as you can see above, those are the only two sets with images so far. As for where, Playmates Toys doesn’t say in today’s news, but it’s likely they’ll end up where Playmates Toys figures are typically sold near you. 

Hot Wheels Unleashed is getting some content soon featuring some looney new vehicles and tracks. In a new partnership with Warner Bros., Looney Tunes are coming to the high-octane toy racer in July.

A brief teaser trailer shows off the ACME warehouse, and as the camera pans down, we hear the telltale sounds of the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote before they're seen giving chase in car form on a Hot Wheels track. The Looney Tunes Expansion contains five new Tune-flavored cars, a themed track builder module, themed profile and basement customization items, along with the Looney Tunes Adventure Park environment to cruise around. The Adventure Park features four environments with different themes, one of which being a desert area to recreate Roadrunner and Wile E. chases of your own.

Hot Wheels released a set of six physical Looney Tunes cars in 2017, with the two vehicles shown in the trailer among the group. The others not announced from that set include Bugs Bunny, Taz the Tazmanian Devil, Marvin the Martian, and Daffy Duck. If I were a betting man, I'd assume the other three cars will come from these remaining four collectibles as well.

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X/S
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Developer: Jump Over The Age
Release: May 5, 2022
Rating: Teen

When I booted up Citizen Sleeper for the first time, it immediately enthralled me with its premise. Its dystopian transhumanist pitch – surviving as a digitized consciousness of a human body implanted into a robot designed to work for a mega-corporation – is refreshing in the cyberpunk genre of games. Its slick, clean, and unique art style, coupled with its score, a Tycho-esque take on sci-fi beats, told me I was in for a good time, assuming the gameplay would click. And at first, I wasn't sure if it was going to because its early moments are overwhelming, with a barrage of new mechanics and systems defining the first hour. I was rewarded for sticking with it because all aspects of Citizen Sleeper, including its gameplay, had me hooked after that introduction. Seven hours later, I rolled credits on one of my favorite gaming experiences of 2022. 

2D Action RPG Lost Epic is graduating from Steam Early Access and going 1.0 this July. The launch also brings the game to PlayStation platforms, marking the game’s first appearance on consoles. 

Lost Epic first launched in Early Access in June 2021, and it blends Metroidvania-style exploration, Souls-inspired fast-paced combat, and a vibrant anime presentation. Players control a God Slayer on a quest to defeat a pantheon of divine gods threatening humanity. The hack ‘n slash combat encourages thoughtful combo-building and utilization of a parry mechanic to slay Lost Epic’s challenging enemies. God Slayers are fully customizable thanks to a deep skill tree, and you can craft enchantments and other items to bolster your arsenal. You can even tackle the campaign alongside friends in three-player online co-op. Check out the release date trailer below to see Lost Epic in action. 

Before launch, Steam Early Access players can now enjoy a new update, Ver 1.3.0, that adds a new world: the Abyss. This patch adds new bosses and the Eyes of God item used to uncover additional unseen paths leading to the game’s final world. You can watch the video for that below. 

Executive vice president and head of Marvel Games Jay Ong has revealed in a book that both Xbox and PlayStation were approached about making Marvel video games but only one of the console makers accepted the offer. 

A look around the gaming landscape reveals exactly which one, too: PlayStation, the company with an exclusive Spider-Man franchise, and an upcoming Wolverine game. And over on the Xbox side, you won’t find any new Marvel games developed by an Xbox studio because according to Ong, the company declined Marvel’s offer, opting instead to focus on its own IP, as reported by Video Games Chronicle. 

The book, Steven L Kent’s The Ultimate History of Video Games Vol 2, houses an excerpt where Ong explains this deal and how it led to Marvel prematurely terminating a contract it had with Activision to make Spider-Man games. Ong says in the book that Marvel was unhappy with Activision’s Spider-Man titles and the two companies came to an agreement to end the licensing deal early. Ong said that Activision then asked him, “What are you going to do with this IP after you get it back?” Ong said, “I’m going to find a better home for it,” to which, Activision replied, “Good luck finding your unicorn.” 

Sony unveiled its new and revamped PlayStation Plus service that combines Plus with PS Now back in March. Then, Sony revealed some of its PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and classic games lineup, including a selection of PS1 games, that would be coming to the service. That list wasn’t exhaustive, though, and now, two more classic games have seemingly leaked, as reported by Eurogamer. 

We've emerged from the depths of the BioShock series to begin a fresh season of Video Gameography! We're doing things differently this time as we're discussing the gameography of a developer rather than covering an individual game series. That studio is Supergiant Games, the acclaimed indie developer of Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades. This week, we conclude our season by analyzing 2020's Hades. 

Unlike Supergiant Games' previous titles, Hades had two release dates. Its first release came on December 6, 2018 when it launched in early access on PC, while the full game was available to be played on September 17, 2020. Hades takes everything the studio has learned up to this point and blends them into an ambitious rogue-lite that's developed in a way the team has never experienced before: with the gaming public playing the game as it's being made. Check out this episode to learn the backstory of how Pyre's large cast of characters inspired the evolving narrative of Zagreus and his dysfunctional diety family, how the studio fared developing an early access game, and learn all about Greek mythology from our guest, the incomparable Jill Grodt.

Join hosts Marcus Stewart (@MarcusStewart7), John Carson (@John_Carson), along with Game Informer associate editor Jill Grodt (@Finruin) for a verbal stroll through the history and narrative of Hades!

The revival and reinvention of Disney's Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers hits Disney+ today with a new film that turns the chipmunk duo's cartoon adventures into a Hollywood-focused satire set years after their fame has faded. In it, Chip and Dale deal with the realities of staying relevant in an industry that has changed significantly over the course of multiple decades. In one scene at a fan convention, the Rangers run into a familiar face that we never thought we'd actually see in a finished film, Ugly Sonic.

That's right, the version of Sonic the Hedgehog that caused the 2020 film to be delayed and re-modeled makes his triumphant return in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Polygon spoke with Akiva Schaffer, the director of Chip 'n Dale, who said getting the rejected mascot likeness is one of his favorite cameos in the movie. "It’s one of my favorite things in the movie. And I’m very excited for people to see it," Schaffer told Polygon. "I don’t know what I should, what I’m allowed to say [about it]. I think I will actually plead the fifth.”

I want more of Tim Robinson as Ugly Sonic pic.twitter.com/cxvLCwFn6I

This week marks the end of the first season of Halo's television adaptation, and while it was a rocky season, at least you can enjoy listening to the GI editors talk the ups and downs. The finale of the special GI Show review series is now available to watch or listen to here. With the end of that season also comes the end of the week, which was full of plenty of great Game Informer stories to catch up on over the weekend.

Mergers, acquisitions, and consolidation are all the rage with major conglomerates these days. Microsoft is in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard, Discovery and Time Warner have recently finished merging into one mega-media empire, and Sony is bringing Destiny developer Bungie into the PlayStation family. What we didn't know about is a now-failed bid for NBC Universal to strengthen its hand by folding Electronic Arts into its corporate umbrella. 

The conclusion to the first season of Master Chief's TV adventures is finally here, but did it stick the landing or continue to frustrate us? Join us for another special episode of The GI Show, where we're reviewing both episode nine of Halo and season one as a whole.

The regular team is back to wrap up the season, but we couldn't do a Halo review without a familiar friend. Alex Stadnik, Brian Shea, and Andrew Reiner are joined by Kate Sánchez, founder of But Why Tho? to break down the highs and lows of this episode and the season in this spoiler-filled discussion.

In episode nine, we find John and company reeling from the fallout of Makee's decision, setting the stage for the final battle. The good news is that "Transcendence" has plenty of satisfying action that genuinely feels like what we love about Halo as a video game. The bad news is those questionable story choices continue to bring down our enjoyment of the series.

Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Fireline Games
Developer: Fireline Games
Release: 2022

Fueled Up is a four-player couch co-op game set in space announced last month and the first trailer had us convinced it would make for some chaotic, and great, co-op sessions. We couldn't help ourselves so we reached out to Fireline Games to ask if we could play it and they said yes. And now, today, you get to watch more than 20 minutes of our gameplay!

This week on All Things Nintendo, Brian is joined by fellow Game Informer editor John Carson to dig deep on the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service. The two start the conversation by comparing the three platform holders' various subscription services before chatting about what Nintendo Switch Online could do to become a better overall service for players.

If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter, hit the following links: Brian Shea (@brianpshea), John Carson (@John_Carson)

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.

The delay train keeps on rolling. In a week that saw Kerbal Space Program 2 and Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown get pushed to 2023, one of the year’s promising indie titles won’t be arriving in 2022 either.

Tchia was first announced at the 2020 Game Awards and unfolds on a beautiful island inspired by New Caledonia. Players control a young girl with the magical ability to inhabit the bodies of animals as well as inanimate objects, such as coconuts. Exploration involves sailing to different tropical islands in an open ocean as well as climbing through forests and soaring across the landscape on a glider. The game last appeared at the 2021 Game Awards where it got a 2022 release window. 

Update on Tchia ⬇️💚 pic.twitter.com/knQYkJSYT1

First Person Shooter: The Ultimate FPS Documentary is an upcoming film that examines the history of the FPS genre through the lens of its designers and players. The project was successfully Kickstarted in 2021 and is gaining additional funding through an Indiegogo campaign. Game Informer shares an exclusive clip of the film covering the creation of Halo: Combat Evolved, including the importance of Master Chief and Cortana's relationship from the eyes of its creators. 

The five-minute clip is a snippet from the over three-hour documentary that features over 100 hours of interview footage with designers such as John Carmack, John Romero, Cliff Bleszinski, Warren Spector, American McGee, and more. The film also includes insight from professional shooter players and industry experts as they unpack the genre's origin, evolution, and impact on the industry and pop culture. 

First Person Shooter: The Ultimate FPS Documentary is directed by authors David L. Craddock and Chris Stratton. The project is in post-production and scheduled to release sometime during Q4 2022. You can learn more by visiting the movie's Indiegogo campaign, which concludes on May 28. 

Death Stranding hit the PlayStation 4 back in 2019. Since its release, and subsequent Director’s Cut rerelease, fans have wondered what was next for Hideo Kojima, the director of Death Stranding and the Metal Gear Solid series. 

It seems that what’s next might be a sequel to Death Stranding. That’s because in a new interview with Leo, Death Stranding actor Norman Reedus, who plays Sam Bridges in the game, seems to have confirmed a second one is now in production, as spotted first by GamerUP on Twitter. When asked about Death Stranding, Reedus said “we just started the second one” before diving deeper into how he got involved with the first Death Stranding. 

Super Rare Games has announced the Super Rare Mixtape Vol.3, a curated physical compilation of games from the “grassroots indie game scene” that harkens back to the days when mixtapes were physical items we could actually hold, and it looks awesome. 

As the name implies, this is the third indie game mixtape released by Super Rare. Like previous mixtapes, this one contains a ton of indie games, demos, concept art galleries, audio commentary tracks, and more. Only 2000 copies will be available for sale on PC and they’ll go live on May 26 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET/6 p.m. BST on superraregames.com. 

Super Rare

“Includes hardcore platformers, low-poly horrors, tactical games, classic RPGs, wholesome exploration games, arcade-like games, and even Dink Smallwood, a 1998 RPG that inspired huge games like Borderlands and Baldur’s Gate,” a press release reads. “Mixtapes are showcases of pure originality and creativity, giving indies the attention and preservation they deserve.” 

Here’s what you can expect on Super Rare Mixtape Vol. 3:

Nintendo announced in February that it plans to discontinue Wii U and 3DS eShop purchases in March 2023. However, the sunsetting process gradually rolls out throughout 2022. The lights begin turning off on Monday, May 23, when players lose the ability to add eShop funds using credit cards.

If you’ve recently turned on your 3DS or Wii U, you likely received a notification reminding you that your stored credit cards will soon become useless. You’ll still be able to add money using Nintendo eShop gift cards – that option won’t disappear until August 29. But if you want to take advantage of the convenience of using your own payment methods without taking a trip to the store, this weekend is your last chance to unleash a final spending spree. Nintendo has not specified the exact time on Monday that credit cards will be disabled.  

Keep in mind that even once credit and gift card options go away, players can link their Nintendo Network ID wallet (used for the 3DS/Wii U stores) with their Nintendo Account wallet (used to buy Switch games). The combined balance of both wallets can be used buy software on all three platforms. Once August passes, this will be the only method of buying 3DS/Wii U games until the March deadline. Afterward, whatever funds remain can only be spent on Switch purchases. 

As a final reminder, you will still be able to play 3DS/Wii U games online and redownload purchased games, DLC, and updates after March 2023. Nintendo states this will remain the case for “the foreseeable future.”

Players have speculated that Obi-Wan Kenobi could be making his way to Fortnite soon for a number of reasons. For starters, the upcoming Disney Plus show, Obi-Wan Kenobi, begins next week and Disney and Fortnite have an extensive history of collaborating ahead of big releases like movies or TV shows. There’s also the fact that Obi-Wan’s lightsaber is already in Fortnite as it was one of four added to the game during its May the Fourth Star Wars Celebration period. 

Now, it’s official: the Jedi master is coming to Fortnite to find the high ground. More specifically, he’ll hit the Fortnite Item Shop on Thursday, May 26, at 8 p.m. ET. That’s just in time for his big Disney Plus show, which begins the next day. As for what to expect, here’s a look: 

TT Games’ Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga hit consoles and PC last month and since its release, it’s received two new character packs. Today, however, it received its first patch and after downloading it, you’ll find that there are 34 new Kyber Bricks to discover. 

While this is the first update for The Skywalker Saga, it is surprisingly a smaller one, bringing just a few fixes and a handful of Capital Ship encounters with it, as reported by Nintendo Everything.

Here’s a look at the full patch notes for this May 2022 update: 

Numerous fixes to stability, quality, progression and performance issues throughout the title, including fixes for:

Trophy hunters, be on alert! According to Bend Studio, PlayStation's trophies are coming to select classic games included with the new PlayStation Plus subscription tiers.

Incoming From Bend Studio:

Agency intel reports that Syphon Filter will include Trophies when it arrives on the all-new PlayStation Plus. pic.twitter.com/YVdMixZxBR

— Bend Studio is Hiring! (@BendStudio) May 19, 2022

Bend Studio announced in a tweet today that Syphon Filter is going to come packed with trophies to obtain when it releases as part of the upcoming PlayStation Plus expansion. The tweet reads, "Incoming From Bend Studio: Agency intel reports that Syphon Filter will include trophies when it arrives on the all-new PlayStation Plus." The message was delivered with an attached video of a silver trophy notification for a milestone called "An Explosive Start." A follow-up tweet reveals the existence of a platinum trophy for the game as well. That trophy has the name "Excellent work, Agent."

June is fast approaching, and while there won’t be an E3, we’ll still get plenty of announcements thanks to a variety of summer gaming showcases. Most of them come out of Summer Game Fest, Geoff Keighley’s annual onslaught of livestreams and world premieres, but there are a few non-Keighley branded streams taking place as well. To help you get a grip on what’s going on and when, we’ve compiled all of the announced presentations with dates, times, and a brief description of what each entails. We'll update this list as more livestreams are announced. 

June 9 

Summer Game Fest

Start Time: 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern

What It Is: Geoff Keighley's centerpiece event and arguably the biggest stream of the week kicks off the festivities. If previous years are any indication, expect to see a ton of triple-A reveals, trailers, and other surprises. If you want to make the event feel even bigger, you can take a trip to the theater to watch the presentation in IMAX. 

Street Fighter 6 was announced late last night, and I can’t stop watching the short trailer that debuted the title. Ryu’s new model looks very impressive, and wow, is he a wide dude. He’s becoming one thick, square, sweaty muscle. Luke, on the other hand, looks way different from his recent debut in SFV, sporting a much more realistic hairstyle and veiny arms that would make John Cena jealous. We have almost no information on the game as of now, but that won’t stop us from thinking about the possibilities of what may come with SF6 or what we want the next big chapter in the series to be.

Capcom is no stranger to live service games, nor do they lack experience in seasonal content. Street Fighter V had plenty of both, with four seasons of new characters, plenty of costumes, and new stages. New bundles were created to sell content for big tournaments like Evo or Capcom Pro Tour that would add even more cosmetics to the game. For all intents and purposes, Street Fighter has been running like a free-to-play game for years, and I’d like to see the series lean harder into that model, at least for this upcoming entry.

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, the crew shares their Xbox & Bethesda Showcase predictions and impressions from a recent hands-on session with the Saints Row reboot. During The Playlist, we talk about a cool new mascot brawler called MultiVersus and how it differentiates itself from the Super Smash Bros. formula, our Vampire: The Masquerade Swansong review impressions, and how many hours we've lost to Rogue Legacy 2. 

Follow us on Twitter: Stadnik (@Studnik76), Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken), Kimberley Wallace (@KStar1785), and John Carson (@John_Carson)

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.

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Glen Schofield has spent the last several decades working with some of the biggest publishers on their most massive blockbusters. However, after leaving Activision, Sledgehammer Games, and the Call of Duty franchise behind a few years ago, he wanted to do something new – something uncompromised. The result is Striking Distance Studios, a new development studio Schofield founded alongside several industry veterans with whom he has worked throughout his illustrious career. While Schofield's most recent work is on the Call of Duty series, he's perhaps best known for his status as the creator of another beloved franchise: Dead Space.

With Striking Distance Studios' first game, the team capitalizes upon the expertise and experience of Schofield's team. The comparisons to Dead Space are unavoidable, but make no mistake: The Callisto Protocol is a different beast altogether. We witnessed exclusive, never-before-seen gameplay footage featuring our protagonist, Jacob Lee, trying to survive the terrors of Jupiter's second-larget moon and its suspicious prison. But that's not all; we also spent hours picking the brains of the sci-fi horror masters at Striking Distance Studios. In the story, you'll learn the origin tale of Striking Distance, the process by which it masterfully creates (and pays off) tension, and how the gameplay of The Callisto Protocol works.

Yesterday, Marvel teased that it would be announcing a new video game today, and it has done just that with Marvel Snap, a new free-to-play collectible card game for PC and mobile devices developed by Nuverse and Second Dinner. 

Marvel calls it a “revolutionary game experience that unleashes the entire Marvel multiverse into a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping card battle” that tasks players with assembling their ultimate Marvel dream team complete with both heroes and villains. To do so, players will need to collect “endless” card variants and use them in collectible card game plays. Each card game match lasts about three minutes. It is set to launch later this year. 

Things are getting looney today on Twitch at 2 p.m. Central as four Game Informer editors pair off in the tag team slugfest that is MultiVersus!

Editors John Carson, Alex Van Aken, Marcus Stewart, and Alex Stadnik will do battle in the MultiVersus closed alpha to see how Warner Bros. zany take on Smash Bros. style fighting is shaping up. For those unfamiliar, the free-to-play title brings together characters from properties such as DC Comics, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, Looney Tunes, Steven Universe, and more to duke it out in 2-on-2 match-ups. Who will come out on top? You’ll have to tune in to find out. To learn more, be sure to read our extended hands-on preview for a deep dive on how MultiVersus performs or watch footage of the game in action in our episode of New Gameplay Today.

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Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
Developer: Player First Games
Release: 2022
Rating: Teen

Player First Games is well on its way to releasing its fighting game MultiVersus, a new multiplayer platform brawler that pits the extensive list of characters from the Warner Bros. catalog against one another in chaotic button-mashing battles. It's easy to compare MultiVersus to other fighting games in the genre, like Nintendo's juggernaut Super Smash Bros., but after spending a handful of hours throwing fists, kicks, and lasers with the WB crew, there's plenty that impressed me about MultiVersus that makes it stand out, and should be a game to keep your eye on this year.