Sanrio has revealed the new character Willmesh, who is the Wish me mell Fragaria Memories knight. The character was introduced to us today on social media, and his personal bio was updated on the company's website. Fragaria Memories is a new multimedia fantasy project from Sanrio that features new characters being revealed daily.

The Wish me mell Fragaria Memories knight is elusive and mysterious. According to his bio, Willmesh has the ability to capture the essence of things. Because of his perplexing personality, though, it makes it difficult for him to communicate effectively with others. Being a childhood friend of Cielomort’s, they can understand and resonate with each other.

Willmesh is voiced by Shoya Chiba, who is known for his other anime roles, such as Kiyotaka Ayanokoji from Classroom of the Elite and Tahoumaru from Dororo. The Knight's artwork is illustrated by artist Ebila.

Meet Willmesh in the post below:

A major shakeup is coming to Rocket League’s player community. The popular car soccer game will turn off the option to trade items starting in Season 13, destroying the vibrant market around buying and selling cosmetics in the process. Fans appear universally shocked, confused, and frustrated by the move.

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BioWare laid off 50 employees at the end of August. Mary Kirby was one of them. A 17-year veteran of the studio beloved for its story-driven RPGs, Kirby has worked on every Dragon Age game, and her contributions have shown up in some of the series’ most memorable characters and questlines. The franchise is estimated…

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Alienware's AW3423DWF is a fantastic gaming monitor - and the one that I was the most sad to return after my review. This 34-inch QD-OLED ultrawide debuted at $1100 last year, but it's now available for $300 off at Dell's US store in a nicely-timed Anti-Amazon deal. That brings it to $800 - still a lot of money for a monitor, but absolutely worth it for a monitor that has become well-loved for users and critics alike.

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When I started up Paleo Pines on my Nintendo Switch for the first time, I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the first line: "Welcome to Paleo Pines, a peaceful island full of dinosaurs!" I began to wonder if I could suspend my disbelief enough to truly appreciate the world I was thrown into. Though I was hesitant, I remembered that this is an alternate fictional universe in which evolution took a less brutal turn, and pressed on.

After customizing my character, I found myself riding atop a particularly adorable blue dinosaur to my new home. His name was Lucky. The world is bright, colorful, and makes me feel happy to be a part of it. The ranch was in shambles, but I was feeling optimistic about turning the place upside down. A few good renovations tend to do the trick in these games.

[caption id="attachment_989902" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Sony revealed the long-rumored “slim” models for the PlayStation 5, and while they are a lot lighter than the existing consoles, the specs haven’t really changed. What has changed is the price, however. The company announced the new all-digital PS5 will be priced at $450 instead of $400.

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Classic WW2 real-time stealth-tactics series Commandos is being revived for a sixth entry, Commandos: Origins, and it's coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S sometime next year.

Commandos, if you're unfamiliar, first made a splash back in 1998 with launch of developer Pyro Studios' first series entry, Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines - which challenged players to guide a six-strong team of commandos, each with their own distinct abilities, behind enemy lines (the clue was very much in the title), to undertake the likes of sabotage and assassination missions while staying as sneaky as possible.

It's very good, if notoriously tough, and was followed by four more games: 1999's standalone expansion Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty, 2001's Commandos 2: Men of Courage (which introduced a 3D engine), 2003's Commandos 3: Destination Berlin, and 2006's Commandos: Strike Force - which re-imagined the series' formula in first-person.

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Although Square Enix recently released Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion trivia about the SOLDIER recruitment process, the developer has revealed new details about the series' lore. In a follow-up post on social media, the studio shared an interesting aspect of how the Shinra Electric Power Company uses SOLDIERs in their society.

As explained in their previous trivia, the physical fitness exam is the most important factor when deciding who can become a SOLDIER. Anyone can be recruited to the program if they have the physical and mental strength to withstand exposure to Mako. However, even though the written test isn't as important as the physical fitness portion, Shinra still holds the exam to leave room for applicants to have hopes and dreams.

According to Square Enix, SOLDIERs are the people's idols in the world of Final Fantasy VII, so if they believe in the idea that "if you work hard, you can become one of them someday," then they will be inspired to try and become a SOLDIER. Another way people can be recruited into SOLDIER is through Turks scouting people out. This method is less about people's aspirations, though, as citizens of Midgar are often forced to be scouted by the Turks.

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VR game developer Fast Travel Games has raised $4 million in a new investment round.

The studio said that the funding will go towards expanding its business operations, which include publishing and developing new IPs for VR platforms.

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Square Enix announced on social media that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be playable for the public at MCM Comic Con London, taking place on October 27-29, 2023. The event will be held at the ExCeL London, an international exhibition and convention center in the Custom House area of Newham, East London.

You can read the full announcement from Square Enix below:

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was previously playable at Tokyo Game Show 2023. At the event, Square Enix set up 100 play-test stations for fans to demo the remake sequel.

If you've been gunning for a CRPG in the classic Baldur's Gate or Fallout vein, and you don't have many leisure hours to spare, you might get a kick out of Space Wreck. Created by Latvia-based Pahris Entertainment, it launches out of Early Access today with a brace of Very Positive reviews, tantalising perma-hungover Disco Elysium players like me with flirtatious mention of "an intentionally short", very non-linear campaign in which combat is totally optional and there are "three to eight ways" to complete any quest. "It's okay to fail," you say? Every NPC can be killed, even those apparently central to the story? Be still my beating heart.

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The just-introduced RuneScape battle pass has nowhere near the longevity of the 22-year-old game to which it belongs: after debuting the pass on September 4, developer Jagex plans to terminate it on December 3, it wrote in an October 6 update post.

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First 4 Figures has opened pre-orders for its upcoming statue of Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series. It also launched a sweepstake where people can have a chance to win an Exclusive Edition of the statue for free.

The Solid Snake figure will be available in two versions. The default Regular Edition has two exchangeable head sculpts and an authentication card. The Exclusive Edition will add a Night Vision Goggles head sculpt and a rotating ammo box with a cardboard-styled box for the packaging.

Sony is rolling out a redesigned PlayStation 5 system for the holidays.

The company today announced the new smaller PS5 will arrive at US retailers in November, followed by a global rollout in the months to come.

Like the original PS5, the new system will be available in disc and digital-only models. Unlike the original, Sony is going to offer an upgrade path for those who buy the digital version and want to add disc functionality later on.

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Are you a Mac player who's been hungrily looking forward to the eventual Mac port of Counter-Strike 2, released last month, after sinking many hours and much pocket money into the preceding Counter-Strike: Global Offensive? Fantastic news, it's been binned off! In the course of making what they're calling "the largest technical leap in CS history", Valve have decided to discontinue support for MacOS. They're also doing away with support for older PCs, including DirectX 9 and 32-bit operating systems - in future, the game will be exclusive to 64-bit Windows and Linux systems.

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SNK has published a new character teaser trailer for The King of Fighters XV. In the short clip, it's revealed that Hinako Shijo will make her appearance as a new playable character in KOF XV this Winter via a DLC update.

You can watch the full official teaser trailer below:

Hinako Shijo is not a brand-new character, as she made her playable debut in The King of Fighters 2000. She also appeared in KOF 2001 and 2003. Although Hinako was absent in the original release of KOF 2002, SNK added her in the Unlimited Match remake.

Ayako Kawasumi of Fate/stay night's Saber fame used to voice Hinako for her appearances in the 2000s-era games. KOF XV will instead have Akane Tamura as her new Japanese voice actress.

Hidemaro Fujibayashi, director of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, finally shed some light on what happened to all the Sheikah technology that was practically ubiquitous in Breath of the Wild but strangely absent in its sequel.

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Sony has unveiled new "smaller" versions of its PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital consoles, which will launch this November in the US alongside an optional disc drive attachment for purchasers that wish to upgrade their digital-only machine at a later date.

The newly revealed PS5 slim console is said to mark a 30 percent decrease in volume compared to the previous PS5 model (and a weight reduction of 18 percent and 24 percent for the standard and digital edition respectively), and sports a design featuring two glossy panels on the top and two bottom panels that'll retain the matte look of the original machine.

The bottom left quadrant is where you'll find the new Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive attachment if you opt for the standard version of the machine. The digital-only version includes a removable panel that'll enable purchasers to add the drive - which costs an extra £100/€120/$80 - should they want a version capable of playing digital media at a later time.

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Sony announced that the PS5 Slim release date is coming this holiday season. The new design will be a compact version of the original PS5 release and will have the same properties as previous console editions. The new PS5 Slim model costs $499.99/549.99€/£479.99 (or $449.99/449.99€/£389.99 for the Digital Edition) and will be available in November 2023 in the US. A global release is scheduled to happen in the coming months.

Like the launch version of the console, the new PS5 Slim model will be available in Regular and Digital Editions. The new model will have a 1TB SSD internal storage unit with a volume reduction of over 30% and weight reduction of about 18% and 24%. The PS5 Slim's Blu-ray Disc Drive unit can be detached and attached anytime.

The new Disc Drive feature means that users who buy the Digital Edition can convert their PS5 Slim console into the Regular model by purchasing an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive as a separate add-on for $79.99/119.99€/£99.99. Likewise, users who purchase the Regular Edition can detach the disc drive easily and use different cover panels to convert their console to the Digital version. A vertical stand will also be sold separately for $29.99/29.99€/£24.99.

Check out images of the new PS5 Slim model in the gallery below:

HoYoVerse has shared more details on Aetherium Wars, which will be one of the new events in the Honkai: Star Rail Version 1.4 update. It looks to be very similar to the Boulder Town Fight Club event that was featured in the Version 1.0 patch of the game. After the event period, Aetherium Wars will move to Conventional Memoir. This means Trailblazers can play through the Aetherium levels even after it ends.

Aetherium Wars will be available as soon as Version 1.4 of Honkai: Star Rail launches on October 11, 2023. It will run until November 13, 2023. In lore, Aetherium Wars is a trading card game (TCG) that transforms an organism’s data into “Aether Spirits” for players to train, upgrade, and fight with. To participate in Aetherium Wars, you’ll need to first complete the “Jarilo-VI — Future Market (II)” Trailblaze Continuance.

Event rewards include Stellar Jades, Credits, Tracks of Destiny, and Self-Modeling Resin. You will also be able to obtain either Serval, Pela, Hook, or Luka for free. The event will even have a Challenge Mode called “Hyperlink Match,” where you can challenge other playable characters.

Nearly three years after the initial launch of the PlayStation 5, Sony has revealed a slimmer redesign. Both the disc drive model and the digital model will be updated, but these two models aren't as different as they used to be: you will now be able to purchase a disc drive separately, allowing you to upgrade a digital model to a disc-compatible version. Both versions will be available this November, and will eventually replace the current model of PS5 altogether.

"The new PS5 has been reduced in volume by more than 30%, and weight by 18% and 24% compared to the previous models," the PlayStation blog post reads. It also mentions that the new covers have different textures, which isn't immediately clear from the pictures. "There are four separate cover panels," it says, "with the top portion in a glossy look, while the bottom remains in matte." This does raise questions about the compatibility of console shells Sony currently sells that allow you to change the look of your console, but this question is not addressed in the announcement.

After some previous leaks, Sony has officially announced a new, sleeker version of the PlayStation 5. The smaller console comes out in November and will have the same specs as the current PS5 consoles already out on store shelves.

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A year after unveiling the co-development studio Calypte, Virtuos Studios has shut it down.

As reported by Game Developer, the news was spotted as staffers shared on LinkedIn that the location was closed.

Regarding the decision to close Calypte, a representative said, "Navigating the dynamic business environment requires different approaches while making corresponding adjustments, and this difficult decision was made on the basis of the business performance of Calypte," they said.

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After the time skip between Boruto and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Boruto is finally back in action! While the first half of the original series focused on a younger group of shinobi and Boruto coming up, part two has given the readers a not-insignificant time skip, and now they all appear to be young adults. The Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 3 release date is coming soon, so now is the best time to catch up!

With Chapter 1 giving us a look at how things have turned out in the world of Naruto, it seems like Boruto is still in a precarious position. On the run from almost all of his previous friends and allies, the protagonist has returned just as Code has attacked with his group of monsters. This time around, though, Boruto has a completely new vibe and feels a lot more powerful than the boy we remember in the final chapters of Boruto.

Ubisoft announced on October 9 it was indefinitely delaying Call of Duty-like XDefiant’s preseason, adding to the ever-growing list of issues standing between the free-to-play arena shooter and a release date.

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Here’s a little stocking stuffer of an Amazon Prime Big Deal Days deal: Jsaux’s Steam Deck thumbstick covers, tried-and-testing members of the best Steam Deck accessories club, are one sale for even less money than usual.

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Fortnite’s annual Halloween-themed “Fortnitemares” event is here, bringing all sorts of spooky characters and cosmetics to the popular online battle royale shooter, including slasher Michael Myers and Disney character Jack Skellington.

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John Riccitiello, who was the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Unity, will retire from the company effective immediately. James M. Whitehurst is the Interim Chief Executive Officer, President, and part of the Board of Directors. Roelof Botha, who was the Lead Independent Director of the Unity Board, is now the Chairman. [Thanks, Business Wire!]

The announcement only mentions the changes to Unity’s leadership. It also includes some statements from Whitehurst about his new position, as well as his time at Unity under Riccitiello’s leadership. He has not made any specific statements on Unity’s future plans or business strategies. The PR release does not state why Riccitiello chose to retire. While there is the possibility that the timing is just a coincidence, the President retired very soon after Unity’s recent controversial Runtime Fee plan.

In September 2023, Unity announced a Runtime Fee plan. This would charge developers a fee every time someone installs a game that was made using the engine. Unity planned on rolling out this plan in January 2024. However, game developers strongly opposed this change. 

Good morning, American friends, and welcome to an Amazon Prime Big Deal Days highlight just for you. See, I was rifling through the available deals on gaming laptops, and nothing caught my eye quite like this high-spec, current-gen Asus ROG Strix G16 – with a chunky $320 sliced off the MSRP.

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A new trailer for Jingliu has been released on the official Honkai: Star Rail YouTube channel. The fierce swordsman is a new 5-star Ice Destruction character that will debut as a playable unit in Version 1.4, which will go live on October 11, 2023. You can watch the trailer in all four languages (English, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese) that the game is playable in.

Check out the full trailer for Jingliu titled “Swordward” here:

Regular readers may be familiar with our This Week in Business column, a collection of stats and quotes from recent stories presented with a bit of opinion.

Last week's column had more than a bit of opinion, as it was pushing 5,000 words and still didn't cover everything we wanted.

To remedy the situation, we're running an addendum today discussing a subject we couldn't squeeze into last week's column: a lawsuit filed against Electronic Arts by seven former BioWare Edmonton employees who said the severance they were offered fell far short of what they should have received.

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Metacore, the developer of Merge Mansion, has unveiled a new studio in Germany.

As reported by MobileGamer.biz, Metacore Berlin will work on developing content for Meger Mansion and possibly new titles in the future.

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Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle is getting an updated look as it makes its way from Google's now dead cloud gaming service Stadia to PC and consoles.

Earlier today, Bandai Namco announced Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs for PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam).

This revamped edition of the game will offer the same chaotic, chomp-tastic, 64-player shenanigans as its former Stadia exclusive days, but with the addition of new gameplay modes, music, customisation options and "enhanced visuals".

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Overwatch 2’s seventh season is upon us, and while a new battle pass, new map, and the questionable Sombra rework headline the season, we’ve also got a lot more to unpack in the latest patch notes.

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Video Games Europe, formerly ISFE, says that minors, on average, spend €39 a month on games.

This is according to a new report in by Ipsos, which surveyed 2,808 caretakers from the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and Germany.

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