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In 2010, Nintendo of America opened its brand-new headquarters in Redmond, Washington on a 10-acre plot owned by the company since the early 1980s. The late Satoru Iwata cut the ribbon on the state-of-the-art facility alongside then-Washington State governor Chris Gregoire on a "gleaming 300,000 square foot facility" with "cushioned benches shaped like d-pads" and a "Mario Kart-themed parking garage." It was everything a Nintendo fan could imagine, right down to the main boardroom being known as "The Master Sword."

Across the way, past a soccer pitch of the sort one often sees on West Coast tech campuses, is a much older building that isn't nearly as well-known. A former warehouse that houses a hodge-podge of departments ranging from data science to Product Testing and Development (PDT), it in some ways hearkens back to the days when NOA was simply an arcade distributor operating out of New Jersey. The warehouse doors are still visible, and the freight elevator near the greeting desk will sometimes get stuck open and make loud grinding noises. While Nintendo has spruced up the decoration with some Mario-themed diagrams, it's otherwise a nondescript work area with an atmosphere akin to a library.

These days, video game company acquisitions have become a routine part of the newscycle, and we tend to talk about them in billions. Look at a mega-deal like Xbox’s $68.7 billion Activision-Blizzard acquisition, Sony’s $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie, or the handful of other billions-of-dollars deals that seem to be the norm in 2022.

So the latest acquisition headline is surprising, at least at first glance, because the number involved is so much lower than we’ve come to expect - Embracer Group acquiring three Square Enix studios and their major franchises like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and more for only $300 million. For longrunning, critically acclaimed studios and their decades-long running series… that number, especially compared to other acquisitions, seems like a steal, right? Well, it certainly seems like it from a player perspective, but Square Enix has previously labeled many of these studios’ releases, despite critical success, as commercially disappointing in past earnings reports, and it has stated a goal to invest in more technologies like blockchain, AI, and the cloud. With this in mind, studios developing traditionally single-player, narrative adventures may not neatly fit into that company vision. And that means the sale might actually be a good thing for these studios in the long run.

Ubisoft has announced that the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is now being handled by Ubisoft Montreal, who created the Sands of Time trilogy. The project was originally in development over at Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, two of the company's studios in India.

"This decision is an important step and the team, building upon the work achieved by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, will now take the time they need to regroup on the scope of the game to deliver you the best experience for this remake of an all-time classic, when it's ready," Ubisoft says in a statement on Twitter.

An update on the development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake pic.twitter.com/8xQpqyPSwQ

— Prince of Persia (@princeofpersia) May 3, 2022

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake was first announced in September 2020 with a release date of January 2021. It seemed like everything was set as various retailers had listings and preorder bonuses up. However, in December 2020, Ubisoft announced that the game would be delayed to March 18, 2021. When February 2021 rolled around, Ubisoft announced that it had been delayed once again, this time indefinitely.

Xbox has unveiled its latest official wireless controller colour: Deep Pink.

Revealed on Microsoft's website, this is one of the more standard designs Xbox has released recently. The controller has a plain pink coating across the entire front of the controller, with matching pink buttons and a white back, and comes in at a $64.99 price point. You can buy it from the Microsoft Store now.

The existing line of one-colour controllers, including White, Black, Red, Blue, and Volt (which is either yellow or green depending on who you ask), now retail for $59.99, although some did launch at more expensive price points.

The Deep Pink iteration includes all the standard Xbox Series controller features players should expect - including textured triggers and bumpers, the hybrid, circular d-pad, and more - and is compatible as usual with any Xbox Series or One plus PC and mobile.

Microsoft has released several different versions of its new Xbox wireless controller since the Series consoles launched in November 2020, including limited editions such as the 20th Anniversary version and the shiny blue Aqua Shift.

Fortnite is returning to the galaxy far, far away for its now-yearly Star Wars event.

Kicking off the May the 4th Star Wars Day celebrations, Fortnite will be adding usable lightsabers into the game, with previously available Star Wars items unvaulted from May 3 until May 17, 2022.

Additionally, you can buy any non-Battle Pass Star Wars outfit as they return to the shop.

Legendary adventure game designer and Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert had waited years for this. By “this” he’s not just talking about the chance to finally make his own Monkey Island 3 – officially titled Return to Monkey Island – but also about the opportunity to announce it. “Announcing this game on April 1 has been a dream of mine for years,” he told IGN, referencing the April Fool’s-but-not-really post on his personal blog. “That was the big thrill to me.” The official reveal, along with a teaser trailer, came the following Monday, shocking the gaming world.

Gilbert had been noodling on a project by himself when Monkey Island unexpectedly came back into his life. “I was working on a little RPG game that I was just doing solo, just me,” he said. “That was kind of a hobby project more than anything.” And then came PAX 2019. “The whole thing started at PAX 2019,” he explained. “I got together with Nigel [Lowrie], who runs Devolver, and he said, ‘Hey, we’re interested in doing Monkey Island. We kinda have a little bit of an in with [Monkey Island IP owner] Disney, and we think we can pull this off.’ So I was intrigued by that. Having them involved made it interesting to me. So I told them that I needed to think about it for a while; to make sure I had a good idea. That’s when I called up Dave. When we felt comfortable, then I went back and said, ‘OK, let’s do this thing.’”

Elden Ring modders are currently adding a ton of pop culture franchises into the game, including clever (and bizarre) mods to add elements from Star Wars, One Piece, Hollow Knight, and even Life Is Strange.

The mods range from adding simple costumes – Zelda's Dark Link for example – that let players cosplay their favourite characters, to weapons that allow you wield spells using Harry Potter's Elder Wand.

The Nexus Mods community has been hard at work bringing just about every franchise imaginable to Elden Ring, and as it was released only two months ago, there are sure to be plenty more on the way. Here are some of our favorites so far:

Star Wars Elden Ring Mods

Back in the early 90s, a young Kazunori Yamauchi was working at Sony Music Entertainment Japan, publishing 2D Super Nintendo platformers, when he was drafted by the original PlayStation development team’s Shuhei Yoshida. Yoshida needed software for Sony’s first-ever games console and it turned out Yamauchi was overflowing with ideas. One of those ideas would be a true game changer; a racing game like no other made before. A realistic, 3D, home console driving simulator, packed with largely attainable, licensed cars, and bigger than any car nerd could’ve imagined. It would completely reinvent the genre. It would be the crown jewel of the original PlayStation; in the company’s words: the greatest racing game of all time.

It would be Gran Turismo.

It’s been a tough time to make a Souls-like action RPG these days. The market is stuffed to the brim with them, and standing out from the pack gets tougher and tougher every year. After six hours with Thymesia, the dark fantasy hack-and-slasher by OverBorder Studio, I’m not quite sure it will be the one to make waves. There are a handful of differences, both aesthetically and mechanically, that make it more than just a carbon copy of genre staples like Bloodborne, but they require patience and a lot of trial and error to truly discover in earnest.

As an agent codenamed “Corvus” you slice, claw, and stab your way through your own scattered memories of a kingdom that has fallen to calamity due to an alchemical plague. The location I explored, the plague infested Sea of Trees, was interesting if not a little familiar. The forest covered in boils and noxious gas made a striking first impression, but the winding tree paths rarely revealed anything new outside of its initial introduction. The vibes are spooky for sure, but “haunted swampy forest” is a pretty familiar trope nowadays.

Cross-platform play is finally arriving in FIFA 22 "in the near future" for players on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Google Stadia – but it'll just be a test for now.

The feature, which allows players to play together online regardless of platform, will only be introduced in a testing stage, however, and will only available for Online Seasons and Online Friendlies. EA hasn't said when the test will begin, or how long it might last for.

It's unclear if other cross-play modes or platforms will be added, as EA said in a blog post that feedback from the test "will help inform how cross-play could be further implemented in future titles", not saying anything about adding more to FIFA 22.

It also limited the feature to current-gen hardware and these two modes "with the aim of reducing the chance for introducing new issues into the game."

A cross-play menu will appear in FIFA 22 when testing begins, which allows players to add friends on other platforms and even turn the feature off altogether.

Cross-play won't affect the actual gameplay or matchmaking, EA said, as all it really means is that the pool of potential opponents will just be bigger than it was previously.

FIFA is one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world, and its continuing lack of cross-play (while rivals like Fortnite and Call of Duty wholeheartedly adopt it) has been a huge source of frustration for fans. This is a step towards remedying that issue.

A possibly major plot detail for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 has seemingly leaked from Daruk's Italian voice actor Pietro Ubaldi.

This article contains Breath of the Wild and possible Breath of the Wild 2 spoilers going forward.

As spotted by ResetEra user Alexander_Wand, Zelda-focused YouTube channel Lega Hyrule shared an interview with Ubaldi, who said he not only voiced Daruk in the sequel but also the Goron character's ancestor.

Daruk himself passes into the afterlife at the end of Breath of the Wild, meaning his appearance is a little odd in itself, but the apparent ancestor character is also a complete mystery.

Time is at the centre of Breath of the Wild's story - with Link waking up 100 years after Ganondorf ruined everything during the Great Calamity - and several flashbacks occur throughout the game.

This ancestor could indicates that Link will once again have to address the past, with some fans theorising that they're from the "ancient times" mentioned in the game, which took place 10,000 years prior. Daruk's ancestor could be an original Divine Beast pilot, for example.

Even more interesting, trailers for Breath of the Wild's (still officially untitled) sequel have shown what looks to be a longer haired, seemingly injured version of Link. Some now believe that that version of Link himself is from the ancient times – which could explain his toga-like clothing, too.

Facebook's parent company Meta is reportedly planning to release four new VR headsets by 2024 – including two new Meta Quest )formerly Oculus Quest) gaming headsets.

According to a report from The Information, Meta's internal roadmap has four VR headsets scheduled to release in the next three years. The two Meta Quest headsets will be for gaming, of course, while the latter two – including Project Cambria, which was revealed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week – will be for work purposes.

A high-end gaming headset, seemingly the successor to the Quest 2, is reportedly scheduled for release in 2023 while a budget model will release the following year.

Project Cambria, however, appears to be the furthest along in development and was actually supposed to be released last year but suffered delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. An updated version of Cambria, codenamed Project Funston, is expected to be released in 2024.

Cambria will be Meta's first work-focused VR headset, ehich has outward facing cameras allowing for full colour passthrough, essentially meaning users can see through the headset in real time, allowing for augmented reality as well as virtual.

Six years after being delisted, the original Forza Horizon made a brief reappearance on the Xbox Store on Saturday, according to a variety of Twitter users who managed to successfully access the popular Xbox 360 racing title.

Forza Horizon was initially delisted from all storefronts in 2016, but eagle-eyed fans reported the game showed up for $19.99 for a short while before disappearing again a few hours later. It's unknown whether the relisting is indication that Xbox is planning to bring the game back to the store or if someone at Xbox just made a mistake that caused it to pop back up for a little while.

Either way, the eventual removal of Forza games is a common practice for Microsoft, as the third party licensing deals run out for the series' wide selection of cars, tracks, songs, and more. In September 2021, Forza Motorsport 7 became the most recent game in the franchise to be delisted – 4 years after it was released on Xbox One.

Developer Turn10 is hard at work on an upcoming reboot of the mainline Forza Motorsport series, though news about the game has trickled out very slowly since its original reveal back in 2020. What we know so far is that it will act as a fresh start for the franchise, leveraging the power of the Xbox Series X – meaning that the game won't land on Xbox One. It will also launch on Xbox Game Pass on day one.

Square Enix's decision to sell a trove of franchises and studios to Embracer Group has yielded some interesting info, including the lifetime sales of the Tomb Raider franchise.

Following Embracer Group's agreement to purchase Eidos Montreal, Square Enix Montreal, and Crystal Dynamics, from Square Enix, the company shared a timeline of the Tomb Raider franchise. According to the timeline, Tomb Raider has sold 88 million units since its inception in 1996, with 38 million of the lifetime sales coming from the Reboot Trilogy alone, which includes Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Additionally, the franchise saw more than 53 million paid mobile downloads from entries such as Lara Croft: Relic Run and Lara Croft: Go.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is anticipating that the chip shortage, which has been negatively impacting many industries including the games industry, will remain an issue well into 2024.

In a recent interview with CNBC, Gelsinger told the outlet that the chip shortage might drag on for two years due to the strain on key manufacturing tools. "[W]e believe the overall semiconductor shortage will now drift into 2024," Gelsinger told CNBC.

Gelsinger previously predicted several times that he expected the chip shortage to drag into 2023, with the first mention of it coming last July during the company's Q2 earnings call. In October 2021, he reiterated that the supply chain issues could extend into 2023.

Despite the chip shortage remaining an issue across various industries, Gelsinger noted how Intel's own chips are doing very well and are close to meeting the demand for its own chips, as he said during the company's Q1 2022 earnings call a few days ago.

PlayStation is hiring a director of corporate development to help identify acquisition opportunities and bolster its collection of first-party studios.

The move mirrors a hiring advertised by Xbox last week for a manager of gaming strategy and development as both publishers seek to purchase increasing numbers of developers.

As reported by Video Games Chronicle, business analyst Robert Serrano spotted the job listing. The new director will lead Sony's corporate development team, which is responsible for "identifying inorganic growth opportunities through acquisitions, investments, or joint ventures".

Sony Interactive Entertainment (@PlayStation) is seeking a Director, Corporate Development to be responsible for identifying inorganic growth opportunities through acquisitions, investments or joint ventures, attractive M&A and investment opportunities

> https://t.co/1GA7zkswbC pic.twitter.com/t3lgypADDx

Following the Square Enix and Embracer deal, Crystal Dynamics will continue to co-develop Microsoft's Perfect Dark reboot with The Initiative.

The Initiative took to Twitter to confirm the continued partnership alongside sharing the team has made "great progress" building the next-gen take on Perfect Dark.

"We’re excited to see Crystal Dynamics take these next steps with their studio," The Initiative wrote. "Our teams have made great progress in building Perfect Dark together as co-development partners, and we will be continuing this work with them in their next chapter."

The Perfect Dark reboot was first announced at The Game Awards 2020 as a first-person shooter with an "eco sci-fi" theme. The game, which would be the first new entry in the franchise since 2005's Perfect Dark Zero, is "aiming to deliver a secret agent thriller set in a near-future world."

In September 2021, The Initiative announced it was partnering with Tomb Raider's Crystal Dynamics to develop Perfect Dark, saying the two teams "couldn't pass up a chance to work together."

The Matrix Awakens demo created on Unreal Engine 5 may have been created for one pop-culture franchise, but that hasn't stopped modders from adding other favorites like Spider-Man to its world.

As reported by Eurogamer, YouTuber DWR shared footage of a playable Spider-Man demo - which you can see here - set in the Megacity created for The Matrix Awakens demo that was created by using Lewis Fiford's UE4 Spider-Man Project. As one would expect, the demo - which you can download here - allows you to swing around like Spidey and even wall-run on the city's many buildings.

DWR notes that the demo is "a heavy load" and will come with some frame rate drops, but it does give a glimpse of what the future of Spider-Man could look like on UE5.

The Spider-Man demo follows a similar mod from TJATOMICA that stars Superman and allows players to fly through the city as Superman would.

The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience was released in December 2021, and is an impressive showcase that teases the potential of the new engine that is now available.

When I first laid eyes on Signalis, I was immediately fascinated by its futuristic sci-fi setting and the enigmatic aura that was brought alongside it. I knew very little about it going into my demo, but after my 30-minute playtime with the opening segment, I walked away with more questions about what lies throughout this mysterious adventure.

Signalis put me in the shoes of a Replika named Elster who wakes up from cryo sleep on a desolated spaceship. As I explored, I quickly found myself encountering foreign lifeforms who have infiltrated the ship, but lacked any apparent intelligence aside from their only known goal – that being killing you. I also learned that the ship’s goal was to find planets that were habitable to eventually migrate to and, for some unknown reason, the ship has crash landed on a snow planet.

I immediately felt enclosed in a claustrophobic space aboard the ship, with each room being small with little room to maneuver. This lack of capacity would have been even more effective if enemies would follow you into other rooms, but for whatever reason, they don’t. If you’re able to escape, they’ll just stay where they were when you entered the next room. Having them continue chasing me throughout the ship would have given me a more sense of urgency and realism to the experience.

Square Enix has shared some of its reasoning behind the decision to sell Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, and Square Enix Montréal to Embracer Group, saying the transaction will allow the company to invest more in the blockchain, AI, and the cloud.

Square Enix revealed the purpose of the transaction in its execution of share transfer agreement with change to subsidiaries document, saying it will assist the company in "adapting to the changes underway in the global business environment by establishing a more efficient allocation of resources, which will enhance corporate value by accelerating growth in the Company’s core businesses in the digital entertainment domain."

"In addition, the Transaction enables the launch of new businesses by moving forward with investments in fields including blockchain, AI, and the cloud," Square Enix said.

This news follow Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda's New Year's Day 2022 letter that was centered on the company's growing focus on NFTs, blockchain games, and the metaverse. Matsuda also reiterated his interest in blockchain games in April 2022.

Rudeism on Twitter has modded the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Game & Learn Controller to actually work on PC, and they even played Elden Ring with it.

Rudeism shared footage of Elden Ring being played with the Fisher-Price toy, which he effectively turned into an Xbox controller. He also explained a bit about how he modded the controller while leaving many of the toy's original sounds intact.

here's the Fisher Price Xbox controller in action!

let me know what games you'd like to see me play with it

and thanks to @Wario64 for the off-hand joke that inspired me to make this happen 😂 pic.twitter.com/3OETvcsEsI

— Rudeism (@rudeism) May 1, 2022

One of the biggest challenges was the fact that the controller has no right analog stick. To get around this, Rudeism utilized the mode switch on the controller that changes the mode from music to numbers.

When you switch the mode over, it turns the left joystick into a right joystick. It also changes some of the face buttons to do different actions as well. The joystick even pushes in as it would on a normal Xbox controller. There are two bumpers on top - one with a wheel and one that acts as a light switch of sorts - and they account for LB/LT and RB/RT.

Before I ever owned a game console or settled into the identity of being a gamer, I was still playing games. Specifically, educational games on a clunky Packard Bell like Reader Rabbit, Cluefinders, and one of my favorites, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

This was before our household had internet, or even before internet game guides were a thing. So when an in-game witness told me, a nine-year-old child, “He asked if I wanted to come along, because he had reservations for two in Kisumu,” my options were limited to staring at a giant globe we had on the nearby mantlepiece, thumbing through a dictionary or encyclopedia, or running to my mom to ask if she knew what it meant (a hit or miss strategy, depending on the clue). I always got a thrill out of this kind of sleuthing, and a lot of my earliest geography lessons came from trying to puzzle out where one of V.I.L.E.’s worst villains had run off to after swiping entire landmarks off the map.

While the Nintendo 64 never got a Metroid game, two fans are working on showing the world what a Metroid 64 could have looked like.

As reported by Nintendo Life, Luto Akino took to Twitter to share his Unity 3D project that aims to create what Metroid 64 could have been.

Instead of opting for a first-person camera a la Metroid Prime, this version features a third-person perspective and shows Samus running around a purple cave area, using her arm canon, and even using her Morph Ball form and bombs.

Our boi, Xûr, is now live in Destiny 2 for the weekend until next week's reset. If you're looking to get your some shiny new Exotic armor or weapons for your Guardian, look no further.

Each week, Xûr has a random assortment of Exotic armor, one for each Guardian class, as well as a random Exotic Weapon and an Exotic Engram available for purchase. In addition to his Exotic wares, he's got a random collection of Legendary weapons and armor to deck out your Guardians.

We've rounded up all the info on Xûr for the week including where to find Xûr, which Exotic weapons and armor are available, as well as which Legendary weapons you should pick up, either for PvE or PvP.

Where Is Xûr Today?

Xûr's location today can be found at Watcher's Grave on Nessus on April 29 through May 3. To reach him, travel to the landing point at Watcher's Grave. When you arrive, make for the red moss-covered tree straight ahead. Climb up the roots and you'll find Xûr waiting at the top.

Welcome back to IGN Game Scoop!, the ONLY video game podcast! This week your Omega Cops -- Daemon Hatfield, Sam Claiborn, Justin Davis, and Nicholas Limon -- are discussing the richest and poorest video game characters, Elden Ring, Rogue Legacy 2, Spiritfarer, and more. And, of course, they play Video Game 20 Questions.

Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service.

Listen on:

Apple Podcasts

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Spotify

Stitcher

Find previous episodes here!

Back in 2012, the pirate-themed title Libertalia, from a then little-known designer called Paolo Mori hit the shelves. Its blend of bluffing and hand management with that popular piratical theme made it a minor hit -- but after stock sold out it sunk without trace.

As it transpired, it’s a favourite of Stonemaier game’s Jamey Stegmaier, who has now bought the considerable might of his publishing house to issue a new edition. Moving the action from the high seas to the higher skies, Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest (see it at Amazon) adds some new cards and refreshes the components for modern production values.

What’s In The Box

Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest is mostly a card game, with an identical deck for each player, and the cards themselves are something of a letdown. While sturdy enough for play, the art, depicting anthropomorphic pirate animals, is odd. The aim is to emphasise the move from the high seas to high fantasy but the execution is lacking.

Other components are much better. There’s a big bag of chunky plastic loot tiles to draw from, similar to those in Azul, which slide and clack in a most satisfying manner as you rummage around amongst them. Players have score dials to track their booty and there are also coin tokens with a fun little plastic treasure chest to keep them in.

A big part of the appeal of Fortnite is that it gives life to all our childhood fantasies about heroes from different universes teaming up to battle evil. The game now includes skins based on Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Tron, Naruto, Street Fighter and countless other iconic franchises. But sometimes those crossovers are more than merely superficial, and that's where Fortnite x Marvel: Zero War comes in.

A followup of sorts to 2021's Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point, Zero War explores a major escalation in the endless conflict raging on Fortnite's Island. In this story, a fragment of the Zero Point lands in the Marvel Universe, forcing the heroes of Fortnite to join forces with the Avengers to prevent a disaster that could affect all worlds. It's a conflict that fans will see play out in both the game itself and the pages of the comic.

The comic series reunites the Zero Point writing team - Epic Games' Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard and prolific Marvel writer Christos Gage - with Sergio Davila (Wonder Woman) handling the art. Check out an exclusive preview of the first issue in the slideshow gallery below, and then read on to learn more about this major crossover from Gage himself.

Microsoft has announced that May 2022's Games with Gold are Yoku's Island Express, The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, and Viva Piñata: Party Animals.

As revealed on Xbox Wire, the four Games with Gold will be available to anyone with Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with Yoku's Island Express and Hydro Thunder Hurricane available starting on May 1.

Yoku's Island Express is an open-world pinball game with Metroidvania and platforming elements. Players take on the role of Yoku, a pint-sized mailman turned hero as he traverses and works to save Mokumana Island.

We named it among our top ten Metroidvania games (that aren't Metroid or Castlevania), and in our 8/10 review said: "Yoku’s Island Express is a novel Metroidvania-pinball hybrid that stands as something wholly unique and incredibly fun."

Also available on May 1, but only until May 15, is Hydro Thunder Hurricane. This rocket-powered speedboat racing game from 2010 didn't receive as much of IGN's favor.

"Between uninspired references to the original game and its reliance on aged arcade racer elements," we said in our 5/10 review, "Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a dull, monotonous experience that shows its hand early and fails to deliver on its pedigree."

PlayStation has quietly announced a delay to it's cat game Stray with a release now expected this summer.

The release window was previously set as spring 2022, but in a tweet (below) advertising indie games coming soon spotted by Eurogamer, PlayStation sneakily confirmed the delay.

Stray's launch on PS5, PS4, and PC will mark two years since it was first shown at the PS5 reveal event, when it was originally expected to be a 2021 release.

🐈 Stray
🎤 We Are OFK
🐑 Cult of the Lamb

These are just three of the can't-miss indies coming soon to PlayStation. Discover more at https://t.co/u40zhqkUoy pic.twitter.com/fkYbz7MoRl

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 28, 2022

Developer BlueTwelve's objective is simple: "Our goal is to create a unique experience playing as a cat," they said at the time.

But this isn't your average house cat, as the players controls the kitty as it explores a robotic cybercity and tries to return home with the help of a drone called B-12.

BlueTwelve has been pretty quiet since the original reveal, only really sharing more information about the game in July last year when the postponement to spring 2022 was announced.

Mobile Legends: Adventure (MLA) is the sequel to the addictive MOBA, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB). Unlike most mobile RPGs, MLA is an idle RPG that doesn’t demand hours of grinding as your heroes are always collecting resources for you, even when you are offline. You can pick it up for just a few fun minutes, and use the options to skip battles or enable auto-battling, to just kick back and watch the action.

Coming in May is New Era, a new annual event that will introduce a ton of updates such as new events, new heroes, and limited-time game modes with plenty of rewards. With this event you can gain a huge amount of rewards that will help you get your pick from over 100 heroes that you need to build your dream team.

1. Golden Wishes will be giving away a High Star-Level Hero

Beginning April 29th, if you complete tasks for 28 days you can permanently unlock a hero of your choice. By completing these tasks you will also be able to rack up thousands of diamonds and lots of upgrade materials. This high Star-Level hero is not only great for veterans looking for a huge power increase, but also for new players wanting to quickly beat the early stages.

2. A Tinted Mirage event will feature the release of the new hero Pharsa

Final Fantasy 16's producer Naoki Yoshida has said the game is in its final stages of development.

Yoshida confirmed the progress in a pamphlet that accompanied the franchise's official clothing line, translated by Twitter user @aitaikimochi, saying "We're in the final stages of development for the numbered game in the series, Final Fantasy XVI."

Yoshida added that he thinks the game's story, which is obviously a very different experience from Final Fantasy 14 Online (which he also produces), is a fleshed-out experience that will bring older fans back.

Yoshida Naoki says that FF16 is already in the final stages of development, and he says the story is a very well fleshed out one.

His comment was released in the Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Uniqlo magazine. Here’s the full translation! pic.twitter.com/X23AFqOXfJ

— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) April 29, 2022

"Unlike an online game that involves many players at the same time, Final Fantasy 16 offers a different experience where it focuses on the individual player and immerses you in the story," he said per the translation.

The Overwatch 2 beta is live, so of course, we’re going to talk about it. To do just that are Cardy, Matt and Alex who delve into just how new it feels. We also have impressions of Switch Sports and Richard Linklater's latest film, Apollo 10 ½. Then there’s the stuff you care about, such as milk, out of date chocolate, and father and son bonding stories.

Want to get in touch to talk about digging graves? Or maybe about chocolate? Feel free to send us an email at ign_ukfeedback@ign.com.

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Gameplay from Ubisoft's pirate game Skull & Bones has leaked online, giving us a look at several mechanics, including naval combat and on-foot exploration.

It's unclear which version of the game this "technical test build" is from, as Skull & Bones received a major reboot before entering an alpha stage in July 2021. Ubisoft invited some players to test an early version last month, however, meaning this leaked gameplay, shared by Wesam_L on reddit, could well be from this Insider Programme.

In this version of the game, Skull & Bones gameplay revolves around a hub area – similar to The Tower from Destiny 2 – that players will frequent in order to craft items, visit shops, take on missions, and so on. The hub, called Sainte-Anne, is "the centre of pirate activity" and thus where players are encouraged to socialise (through emotes) and organise their teams of up to three players.

A handful of retro games likely coming in PlayStation Plus's upcoming Premium tier have seemingly leaked online.

Tekken 2, Worms Armageddon, Worms World Party, and Mr. Driller for the original PlayStation have all appeared on the PSN backend, alongside Ridge Racers 2 for PSP.

Reddit user the_andshrew spotted the hidden games, as reported by Eurogamer, which will likely be part of the most expensive PS Plus tier when the service is refreshed in June.

The Premium tier, which will cost users $119.99 a year, will include 340 retro games from the PS1, PS2, and PSP, plus the ability to stream PS3 games and access to around 400 PS4 and PS5 games that are included in the previous Extra tier.

PlayStation itself has yet to confirm which games are coming to the service, meaning these leaks aren't official and need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but the games definitely have been added to the PSN backend complete with artwork.

With the refresh due for release as early as May 23 in most of Asia, PlayStation will likely unveil the full list of games soon, especially as they're already being leaked online.

"Actually, we didn't really do any research in particular. I just wanted to depict what I imagined America would look like if it had been invaded by Japanese culture in the early nineties," says X.Y. Luo, creative director of Showa American Story. His words will surely come as a surprise to anyone who's seen the trailer released this January. This game developed by the Chinese studio NEKCOM Games is set in a fictional America decorated with carp streamers and Jizo statues, having become culturally colonized by Japan in the year Showa 66, a parallel 1991 where Japan's Showa era didn't end in 1989. The Statue of Liberty is wearing a kimono, while a massive paper lantern with the Japanese character for "gold" written on it hangs from the Golden Gate Bridge. I doubt I was the only one who saw the game's billboards and flyers oozing with Showa aesthetics and assumed it was made by creators well-versed in Japanese and Showa culture. I've lived in Japan for over eighteen years myself, and I was completely fooled. According to Luo, though, not only are there no Japanese people on the development team, they aren't even trying to create a faithful Showa feel to begin with.

A Chinese take on Showa style

According to Luo, "I used Japanese manga, movies, and the like that were popular in China as my base. I thought it would be more interesting to show people a unique take on Showa style as seen by a Chinese person than it would be if we depicted it faithfully. While I was confident that Chinese users who experienced the same timeframe and creative works as me would understand the charm, I never imagined I'd get this big of a reaction from Japan and the West."

You're probably thinking "not another battle royale" and you'd be justified. However, Rocket League's new Knockout game mode seems to be for people who hate battle royale games.

Knockout is part of Rocket League's spring in-game event called Knockout Bash, which goes from April 27 to May 10. This new game mode involves using the driving/soccer skills you'd use in the normal game in an eight player destruction derby-type battle royale.

In addition to the existing movesets, there are three new skills to master: Attack, Block, and Grab. Attack is basically dodging into an opponent to send them flying if placed right. Block is essentially a parry which reflects Attacks back onto the opposing player with proper timing. Grab allows you to, well, grab other players and throw them.

Knockout also adds secondary mechanics which are basically enhanced versions of existing moves such as boosting, jumping, and lock on. For example, you're able to do a triple jump instead of the normal double jump.

Knockout features three new Arenas specifically for the mode called Calavera, Carbon, and Quadron. The walls of each Arena have been worn away and are perfect for knocking players out of the arenas.

Unlike other battle royale games, Knockout is solo queue only and gives each player three lives. A shrinking, translucent dome called the Safezone surrounds each area, similar to shrinking circles in other battle royale games. If a player goes outside of the Safezone for 10 seconds, they're automatically KO'd.

Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.

After teasing an announcement late last week, Infinity Ward has revealed the first official logo for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Modern Warfare 2 is a sequel to 2019's Modern Warfare reboot, rather than a remake of 2009's original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Besides the logo, no new details about the game were revealed.

You can check out the logo for yourself below.

#ModernWarfare2 pic.twitter.com/5wgtkph59W

Veteran developer Yuji Naka hit out at his former publisher, Square Enix, after a court case over his removal as director of Balan Wonderworld concluded.

Naka is best known for his work on Sonic The Hedgehog, Phantasy Star, and Nights into Dreams. In a series of tweets, Naka said that “Square Enix is no good” and that neither they nor co-developer Arzest are “companies that care about games or fans.”

Naka had served as the director of Balan for much of its development but was removed from the post about six months before the game was released. He resigned from Square Enix shortly after Balan was released and filed a lawsuit against the company. He also floated the idea of retiring from the games industry for good.

In his thread, Naka cited two reasons for his last-minute dismissal. First was he voiced concern about promotional work with a Youtuber, who was to perform and release sheet music for a piano arrangement of the game’s music. “I thought it strange that we would only release an arrangement of the game’s music, and furthermore use a ghostwriter to produce that arrangement,” wrote Naka. “I got in trouble for arguing that we release the original score.”

Naka also cited tensions between himself and Arzest surrounding his comments that the game was submitted in an unfinished state, with known issues left unfixed. “I believe that games should be made by working hard until the very end, until it's a good game that the team thinks their fans enjoy when they buy it,” he wrote.

Activision Blizzard shareholders voted today to approve the company's pending acquisition by Microsoft, but that doesn't mean it's a done deal, with several other hurdles remaining.

Announced via press release today, over 98% of shares voted in favor of the acquisition, which is expected to close sometime in the upcoming Microsoft fiscal year, which is between July 2022 and June 2023.

The voters approved the acquisition at $95 per share - considerably higher than the share price of late, which has been slowly dropping over the last month from the low-$80 range and has been hovering between $76 and $77 per share for the last few days.

The lowering share price ahead of the deal could indicate a lack of shareholder confidence that the deal will ultimately pass. Though the vote was overwhelming, a number of other possible challenges lie between now and the ultimate conclusion of the deal.

One key hurdle is the likelihood of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Lina Khan, its recently-appointed head, has already shown a willingness to tackle big tech antitrust issues, including blocking an Nvidia acquisition and reopening the case against Meta. The deal will also require regulatory approvals abroad, including in China.

Between publishing labels 2K, Rockstar, and Private Divison, Take-Two is one of the largest and most renowned game publishers in the business; the company’s stable of acclaimed franchises includes Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Borderlands, BioShock, NBA 2K, XCOM, and Civilization, among many others.

Between now and March 2024, the company plans to release over 40 games for console/PC, including 23 “immersive core” titles, which covers staples like GTA, BioShock, and 2K sports games; six Private Division games; four “mid-core” games (think WWE Battlegrounds); and nine ports or remasters.

Given Take-Two’s pedigree, the prospect of 40 new games over the next two years is an exciting one. To give you a better idea of what to expect, we’ve compiled a list of every Take-Two game in development. This list includes games we know (or can safely assume) are in development for console and/or PC— neither rumored projects, like 2K’s LEGO sports games, nor mobile games, including those from soon-to-be Take-Two-owned Zynga, are included.