S.O.P.H.I.A.

Pricy bundles and expensive DLC are not uncommon among gaming companies. But Riot Games may have taken things to a new level with its latest League of Legends bundles. As a tribute to esports icon and League of Legends player Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok, Riot is offering three bundle tiers, with the highest one set to cost approximately $450.

As announced on Riot's official site, Faker has been inducted into the company's hall of fame, the Hall of Legends, for being the most-successful player in the history of League of Legends, and for his contributions to esports. Faker and Riot also collaborated on the new bundles to celebrate his induction. The first bundle, the Risen Legend Collection, includes a Hall of Legends Pass, a Takedown Counter Taunt, an icon, an emote, a banner, and Ahri with a unique orange-and-white skin for for 430 RP or $40. The second tier, the Immortalized Legend Collection, includes everything from the previous bundle and adds exclusive skin transformations, finishers, the Immortalized Ahri skin, and more. That bundle will also include a significantly higher cost of 32,430 RP or about $250.

The third and final tier is the Signature Immortalized Legend Collection, which is going for an astronomical 59,260 RP or approximately $450. For that, players get everything from the first two bundles as well as a Faker-themed signature move and structure finisher, an exclusive border, banner, 100 pass levels, a Final Boss Faker title, and additional content.

Among League of Legends fans on social media, the reactions to that price tag have been swift and almost universally negative.

Riot addressed the pricing of the bundles on the FAQ section of its official site.

"For those looking to flex their fandom, the Immortalized Legend Collection and Signature Immortalized Legend Collection include spectacular additions, headlined by the evolving Immortalized Legend Ahri skin. While more expensive, these versions are meant to be highly commemorative, with never-before-implemented features that we can’t wait to see hit the Rift."

All three bundles will be available from June 12 to July 8 during the League of Legends Hall of Legends event.

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Season 4 of Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone is live, adding a new battle pass, more maps, weapons, and modes. Data miners are already digging through the new game files to search for upcoming events and secrets, and an image from Call of Duty's rumored Fallout collaboration has been leaked.

Data miners have revealed an image with Soap, Ghost, Captain Price, and Gaz of MW3's Task Force 141 all wearing the iconic blue vault dweller suits from Fallout. The secret crossover with Fallout was originally leaked earlier in the month when the game files appeared to reference collaborations with Fallout, Gundam, and The Crow. So far, only the Gundam collaboration has been officially confirmed, with Season 4 including four Gundam operator bundles and a themed event.

With the recent success of Fallout's Amazon Prime series, it does seem likely that Call of Duty is looking to add popular wastelander skins to the game, but nothing is set in stone until confirmed by Activision. Season 4 of Call of Duty is confirmed to bring back the operator bundles from Amazon Prime's other hit show, The Boys, with Homelander, Starlight, Black Noir, A-Train, and Firecracker all set to return.

The Season 4 patch notes can be found here, which include changes to multiplayer perks, weapon balancing, and bigger matches for Warzone.

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You can finally change your name in Disney Dreamlight Valley. DDV is an ever-growing game filled with plenty of magic and whimsy. As the game gets larger and things change--especially with the addition of multiplayer--you may find yourself growing and changing along with it. You can customize your character in plenty of unique ways, but what if you decide you don't like the name you initially chose for your avatar? Lucky for you, you're able to change it, and we'll tell you precisely how to do so below.

How to change your name in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Changing your name in Disney Dreamlight Valley is a straightforward process, but the setting isn't where you might expect. Rather than finding it in the avatar customization menu, you'll actually need to go to your main game settings to find this option.

Navigate to Settings, then scroll down until you find Help. This is the same place you go to save your game to the cloud or redeem codes. Once you're here, scroll down and click Change Avatar Name. You can now enter any name you'd like to as long as it's two letters or more.

For more on Disney Dreamlight Valley, be sure to check out where to get Glimmer, our full recipe list for every meal in the game, and how to move your characters' houses between the valley and Eternity Isle. Of course, you can always take a look at our comprehensive guides hub for everything else you need to know about life in your valley.

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The post Minecraft Community Members Share How it Shapes Their Worlds appeared first on Xbox Wire.

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Amidst leaks and reports, it looks like Sony may be ready to introduce a mid-gen refresh of the PS5, colloquially referred to as the PlayStation 5 Pro. This isn't unprecedented, as Sony introduced a PS4 Pro in the last console generation aimed at making 4K gaming more commonplace. For now, Sony's lips are sealed on the topic of the PS5 Pro, and it has yet to officially confirm or deny its existence. Still, there are plenty of rumors and reports out in the wild, and we've rounded them up to paint an interesting picture of the potential console. Ahead of May's State of Play showcase, here's a look at the rumored details about the mid-gen refresh.

PS5 Pro rumored release date

Current reports suggest that Sony will launch the PS5 Pro in the second half of the year, specifically toward the end of 2024 and during the potentially lucrative holiday season. The PS5 generation may be nearing the finish line, and while that'll still be a couple years from now, Sony's senior vice president Naomi Matsuoka is aiming to find the right balance between "profitability and sales" as PS5 hardware sales start decreasing. "Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle. As such, we will put more emphasis on the balance between profitability and sales," Matsuoka said in February. More recently, Sony acknowledge that PS5 sales growth is likely over.

If history repeats itself, a PS5 Pro launching toward the golden years of the PS5 isn't unlikely, as the new hardware could help reinvigorate PlayStation sales.

Leaked PS5 Pro specs

According to leaks, the PS5 Pro specs include a "High CPU Frequency Mode" that reportedly increases the PS5 CPU by 10% to 3.85Ghz. There's a new GPU that is said to be capable of up to 45% faster rendering and dramatically improves ray-tracing effects. Digital Foundry has also corroborated these claims and it posted a list of the reported the PS5 Pro specs back in March:

Will PS5 Pro be a big upgrade?

So what kind of performance upgrade can potential PS5 Pro users expect? The big takeaway here is that the experience will be similar to what the PS4 Pro offered its adopters, as the PS5 Pro is said to make existing games look and perform better. As Digital Foundry noted, users can expect games running at 30fps to be more stable--several demanding titles struggle to maintain this pace--and the possibility of other games being upgraded to offer a smooth 60fps mode is also possible--especially when the rumored PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution enters the scene (more on that below).

Sony is also reportedly asking game developers to take advantage of the new hardware boosts and create an exclusive graphics mode for their games when running on the PS5 Pro. Games offering this mode will apparently have the PS5 Pro "Enhanced" label, but the label will still be available for some games that run at 30fps. Reportedly, as long as games with a fixed resolution on PS5 increase their target resolution, the developers behind them will still be allowed to use the label.

Games that only run at a more stable frame rate on PS5 Pro and use a variable resolution without improving their maximum resolution are said to be ineligible to use the label. That said, until an official announcement is made, all of these details are subject to change.

What is PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution?

The last couple of years have seen huge leaps in PC gaming, as Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR have pushed graphics cards to new heights. Essentially, this gives owners of high-end GPUs more visual bang for their buck thanks to graphical upscaling and anti-aliasing technology that stabilizes frame rates without sacrificing fidelity, and Sony is said to be looking to introduce its own take on that idea in the form of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. In documents acquired by Insider Gaming, it's claimed that Sony is internally aiming to deliver 4K 120fps and 8K 60fps gaming experiences using PSSR for future console generations.

On the PS5 Pro, hardware limitations make it currently unrealistic to reach those targets, but the console will reportedly use PSSR to initially reach a 4K resolution with games. According to the apparently leaked documents, Sony managed to reach 60fps with an unnamed game while implementing ray tracing, and in a second experiment, a game ran at 1440p and 60fps in Fidelity Mode. The exact nature of a given game make these targets difficult to evaluate in a vacuum, though.

PS5 Pro games and backward compatiblity

Similar to the PS4 Pro, we're expecting the PS5 Pro to play all of the same games available on the PS5 console, but with enhanced features and better performance overall.

What will the PS5 Pro look like?

It's safe to assume that the PS5 Pro won't deviate from the current aesthetics of the PS5 and its slimmer revision. Sony currently offers a digital-only and disc-drive version of the PS5, and it's likely that Sony would repeat this strategy so that it doesn't alienate fans of physical media.

Will the PS5 Pro's price be higher?

Consoles equipped with more-powerful hardware have typically had a higher price tag, and Sony could easily justify an increased MSRP with the "Pro" tag. For reference, the current PS5 model with a disc drive retails for $500 in the US, while its slimmer all-digital sibling is priced at $450 and can be upgraded to accept discs with an add-on disc drive.

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PlayStation's annual Days of Play sale has begun, and if you've been looking to try out Team Ninja's new game Rise of the Ronin, you can score a pretty big discount on it. Normally $70, Rise of the Ronin has been discounted to $50 until June 12 at all major retailers. This is Rise of the Ronin's first big discount--it launched on March 22--and several other PlayStation games have received a price cut for Days of Play.

In case you missed it, Rise of the Ronin is a fast-paced action game set during a pivotal moment in Japanese history. As an outside agent, you'll run into real-life historical figures, occasionally battle them, and help influence Japan as it enters a new era. Like other Team Ninja games, Rise of the Ronin has Souls-like combat, but it's surprisingly approachable and rewarding when you master the way of the blade and several other weapons.

Rise of the Ronin -- $50 ($70)

• Amazon
• Best Buy
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• Target
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"It's not without some flaws, but I finished Rise of the Ronin with much more left to do, and even after 50 hours, I want to head back in to see what I'd missed and attempt to change history," Phil Hornshaw said in GameSpot's Rise of the Ronin review. "The parts of the game that work more than balance out its weaker elements. And while it took a while to find the rhythm of Rise of the Ronin's combat, its speed, complexity, and intensity make for some phenomenal fights that always feel great to win. Rise of the Ronin is a game that might take a bit to get good, but the commitment is worth it."

For more deals, you can also check out these PlayStation specials. The PS5 Slim is on sale for $50 off at major retailers, while the PlayStation VR 2 is available for $100 off. Other PS5 games on sale include Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, and MLB The Show 24.

More PlayStation Days of Play game deals

• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 -- $50 ($70)
  • Amazon
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• The Last of Us Part II Remastered -- $40 ($50)
  • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Walmart
• MLB The Show 24 -- $50 ($70)
  • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Walmart
• MLB The Show 24: The Negro Leagues Edition -- $80 ($125)
  • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Walmart

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Mortal Kombat 1’s next superpowered guest fighter, The Boys’ Homelander, shows off his dominance in a new gameplay trailer. The less-than-heroic superhero becomes available for Kombat Pack owners on June 4 and for everyone else on June 11.

The patriotic and maniacal leader of The Seven shows no quarter to his new MK adversaries, obliterating them with an offensive style that is very reminiscent of Superman’s playstyle in the Injustice series. The trailer also shows off the new DLC Kameo fighter Ferra, the smaller, more feral half of the Ferra & Torr team from Mortal Kombat X, who also joins the game sometime in June. 

Homelander joins Peacemaker, Invincible’s Omni-Man, Ermac, Quan-Chi, and the upcoming Takeda in the Year 1 DLC roster. Mortal Kombat 1 also has a story expansion on the way, but there’s still no word on what that will entail or when it will arrive. 

For more on Mortal Kombat 1, check out our review of the game here.

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No Man's Sky has been out for almost eight years now, but players have never been able to feel truly alone within its massive star systems. That's set to change with the game's recent update, Expedition 13: Adrift, which radically refocuses the game at a basic level.

As explained in the blog post announcing the update, Adrift is intended to capture the feeling of early, unreleased versions of No Man's Sky, when there were "no NPCs, no shops, [and] no help." To achieve this, the update removes all lifeforms from the game, and renders all buildings broken and rusted. It also increases the number of sandworms and fiend eggs the player encounters. However, it's not all bad, as there is a "ghostly frigate" that players can encounter, as well as a Hauler starship called the Iron Vulture that will help players out.

Adrift also brings a number of other changes to the game, including more ship customization, more multiplayer missions at the Space Anomaly Nexus, and Adrift-specific rewards and collectibles. As the below patch notes reveal, the update fixes bugs and adjusts several aspects of the experience, including optimizing memory usage, improving the audio of planetary titan worms, and a number of other minor changes. The expedition will run for "approximately seven weeks," so definitely get going if you want to see it for yourself. No Man's Sky's last update, Omega, added new planetary missions to the game, as well as a starship called the Starborn Runner.

No Man's Sky 4.70 Patch Notes

• Expedition Thirteen, Adrift, will begin shortly and run for approximately seven weeks.
• During the expedition, every star system has become abandoned, removing all NPCs, all active starships, and destroying system economies.
• A number of other gameplay changes have been made to reflect the strange nature of this universe, including to gameplay events, to player communications, and to the distribution of various hostile entities.
• Rewards include new posters, decals and titles; a set of starship wreckage base building parts; a vile and gnawing companion; a unique cursed frigate; several new starship customisation options; and the exclusive Iron Vulture hauler.

• Introduced a number of significant memory usage optimisations.
• Fixed an issue that caused base parts to pop in after loading.
• Improved the speech audio of the Assembled Construct on the Space Anomaly..
• Improved the audio for planetary titan worms.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent the Space Anomaly from playing its warp-in effects.
• Significantly improved the visual effects around the Space Anomaly’s Prime Terminal.
• Fixed an issue that caused distorted Travellers to pop in when interacting with Unknown Graves.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the crafting page to use incorrect text when attempting to build an object while lacking sufficient resources.
• Fixed an issue that allowed markers belonging to separate resources to be merged together when part of the same clump.
• Fixed a rare issue that could allow damaged technology to appear in the list of refinable items.
• Planets with synthetic or robotic creatures will now report this information in the “Fauna” category of their data readout.
• The purchase UI screen has been tweaked to improve clarity when the current item is unaffordable.
• Fixed a number of rare issues where incorrect rewards were listed in the UI or in the interaction prompt.

• Fixed an issue that prevented the Atlas Path from appearing in the Collected Knowledge section of the catalogue.
• Fixed some misleading mission instructions in the They Who Returned mission while in an uninhabitable star system.
• Fixed a number of rare mission blockers that could occur while reloading a save in the middle of space combat.
• Fixed a number of rare blockers in A Trace Metal related to Tethys’ interactions.
• Added a catalogue guidance mission for Atlantideum.
• Improved mission text clarity in the event that a player travels a significant distance away from their current mission target.
• Fixed a rare issue that could add an “ON PLANET” label to the Atlas Station’s marker.
• Fixed a number of minor text issues.

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Amazon has unveiled its Prime Gaming lineup for June, along with the usual monthly bonuses for Prime members.

This month's collection features seven free titles that Prime members can download and keep forever. The most popular of which is Star Wars Battlefront 2, supported by six indie titles including Genesis Noir and Mythforce.

The full list of free games with Prime in June will include:

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YouTube has announced the introduction of over 75 games to its platform, all of which can be played in-browser or via the YouTube mobile app. Over the past few months, the game library--referred to by YouTube as "Playables"--has been made available to select users in certain markets, but the company announced this week Playables is being expanded.

Playables can be accessed via a user's browser or iOS device (no word yet on Android compatibility), and the current selection consists of simple-yet-engaging games similar to those found on Google Play and the App Store. From classics like chess and billiards to modern titles like Angry Birds Showdown and Tomb Of The Mask, YouTube's Playables collection has games spanning multiple genres.

Unfortunately, even after the official announcement regarding their introduction, not everyone can access the games yet, but YouTube has assured users that the new feature will be accessible for all in the near future.

"Not seeing Playables yet? Don’t worry, we’re widening availability to more users over the coming months, so keep checking back!" reads a portion of the blog post announcing the introduction of the feature.

Playables can be accessed by heading to the YouTube homepage and selecting "Playables'' from the Explore menu. Players can save their game progress to return to later, and even track high scores. YouTube is currently requesting community feedback on the new feature.

"Have ideas for how we can make Playables even better? We want to hear from you! You can give us your thoughts through the 'send feedback' option while playing by tapping the three-dotted 'More' menu," the announcement blog post explains.

Prior to its closure, Google Stadia featured YouTube integration, and Google wanted users to be able to start playing games directly via video ads. Alas, the service is no more, with Google also shutting down its first-party development teams.

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The ID@Xbox team had a hard time picking games this month since there were so many great titles to choose from. We ended up selecting a wildly varied set of unique games. We were blown away by a “love letter to retro survival horror,” while at the same time we were immersed in sims that let you do everything from build an aquarium to rebuilding after a war. We’ve also got a retro action platformer, an intense party game and even a cozy vampire life sim.  Here’s the list (in no particular order):

Crow Country

People say this is a love letter to the classic age of mid-’90s survival horror like Resident Evil and Silent Hill… and that it is – so if that’s your thing, why are you not already playing this? Even if you’re not looking for a jaunt down a haunted memory lane you should still buy a ticket to the macabre, twisted theme park that is Crow Country. It sports vintage, ’90s-style controls but they have been pleasantly updated to remove the, well, most “annoying” aspects of things like tank control. The theme park itself is a wonder to explore, and it’s as delightful as it is terrifying to meet the mutilated inhabitants and guests. The thematically appropriate puzzles are challenging, varied and even occasionally funny, and the soundtrack is amazing. You’ll likely fly through Crow Country in six or so hours, and you’ll love every minute of it.

Crow Country

SFB Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 77

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

The year is 1990. It’s been two years since the mysterious disappearance of Edward Crow and the abrupt closure of his theme park, Crow Country. But your arrival has broken the silence, Mara Forest. If you want answers, you’ll have to venture deep into the darkness of Crow Country to find them… A survival horror game, where you’ll test yourself against puzzles and riddles as you investigate the eerie tranquility of the abandoned theme park. Don’t be deceived by the whimsical surroundings, something is awfully wrong in Crow Country. As you unlock new areas, backtrack and discover more, you gradually piece together why Edward really shut down his park and where he mysteriously disappeared to. You’ve heard some pretty disturbing rumors, but they couldn’t possibly be true…..right?  For visitors to the park who are more interested in spotting crows and taking in the sights, Exploration Mode allows you to journey on without the fear of being attacked by the mysterious monsters roaming Crow Country. Besides, if you knew what those monsters really are….. Just how far would someone go to follow their ambition? Are some sins too wicked for redemption?  A tale of reckless hubris and human greed, and now at the center of it all… you.  Who are you really, Mara Forest? 

Brocula

You’re new in town. Time to get to work. You have to take on part-time jobs, explore the surroundings, meet new people, earn some money, and fix up the old homestead. And by homestead, I mean castle. Did I mention you’re a vampire? You’ve woken up after centuries and it’s time to come into your own as a vampire and secure your legacy. Brocula is a relaxing, cozy game that oozes charm. Building on the life sim experiences of games like Stardew Valley and Moonlighter, the twist of being a vampire while you’re going through life tasks makes Brocula feel fresh and comfortably familiar at the same time.

Brocula

DESTROYER DOGGO

☆☆☆☆☆ 14

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Embark on an epic journey as Brocula, a vampire awoken from a 500-year slumber in a world unrecognizable to him. Stripped of his wealth, he must navigate the daunting maze of capitalism, taking on part-time jobs at the local garage, coffee shop, and restaurant to earn a meager living. But that's not all—his ancestral castle, now in ruins, poses another challenge. Work tirelessly to repair the dilapidated fortress, all while facing the bureaucratic hurdles of reclaiming its ownership from the town's mayor. Engage in a captivating gameplay loop that revolves around money and societal struggles. Tend to your crops, cultivate a flourishing farm right next to the castle, and sell your harvest for profit. Immerse yourself in the art of fishing, honing your skills to reel in a bountiful catch that can be used for cooking delicious meals. Yet, as a vampire, your responsibilities extend beyond mundane chores. Manage your cult, restoring the once-forgotten church and conducting regular sermons to gather the lifeblood you crave. Venture into the treacherous depths of the everchanging forest, an enigmatic dungeon teeming with monstrous creatures and valuable treasures, ripe for the taking. Experience the rich tapestry of Brocula's world through stunning visuals showcased in our screenshots and cinematic trailer. Will you rise against the perils of capitalism, reclaim your heritage, and forge your own destiny? Unleash the immortal within and embark on an unforgettable quest!"

Pummel Party

Remember all of those friends you used to have? Before you played Pummel Party? Yeah, this is one of those games. It’s all about destroying your friends, and possibly your friendships. It’s great, though. You can play online or via local co-op in split screen, and you can play against your friends or, once you lose all of your friends, against bots. What makes Pummel Party stand out is the variety of game modes and wacky items you can use, like the Remote Controlled Eggplant, along with all the crazy characters you can choose from. Lots of the mini games are “jump right in” fights with everybody on a single screen, while Board Game Mode mixes up the experience with expanded environments.

Pummel Party

Rebuilt Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 33

★★★★★

$14.99

Get it now

Pummel Party is a 4-8 player online and local-multiplayer party game. Pummel friends or AI using a wide array of absurd items in the board mode and compete to destroy friendships in the entertaining collection of minigames. ONLINE AND LOCAL MULTIPLAYER Play how you want. Pummel Party allows 1 to 8 players to compete online or 4 players locally on the same screen. Whether it's online, or in person, it's all the same friendship ruining fun. BOARD MODE There can only be one winner here, and you know it has to be you! Battle through hazardous terrain to acquire an arsenal of weapons and items and employ them however you can to make sure that you reign victorious over your friends. ITEMS It's all out war! Use an array of absurd weapons and objects to claw your way to victory. From the simple 'Punching Glove' to the ridiculous 'Remote Controlled Eggplant' the items in Pummel Party will lead to many funny and rage inducing moments. It's never been easier or more satisfying to crush your friends aspirations of winning! MINIGAMES From simple nostalgic fun to unique and evolutionary Pummel Party contains a wide array of exciting minigames. Knock your friends in to the abyss in 'Snowy Spin', dig three dimensionally in 'Sandy Search' to be the first to find the treasure and make sure you're not holding the bomb when it goes off in 'Explosive Exchange'. MINIGAME MODE Just want to jump in to the action? Pummel Party includes a minigame mode so that you can get straight to the games! BOTS Already destroyed all your friendships or just need to fill out your roster? Pummel Party includes full bot integration meaning you can still play or practice Pummel Party with any number of real players.

WW2 Rebuilder: Cites From The Ashes

World War 2 has ended and your job is to re-build. That’s the simple, yet monumental premise of WW2 Rebuilder. Ostensibly a building and architecture sim with “clean up” mechanics, WW2 Rebuilder also lets you delve in to the history and stories of the civilians who lived through the tragic events of the war. While the building game loop is well done, and new building challenges and mechanics are added with each new city you encounter, it’s not designed to be a meticulous and difficult builder. Instead, the gameplay is relatively relaxing, which gives you the space and freedom to really immerse yourself in the world, people and stories.

WW2 Rebuilder

PlayWay S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆ 32

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Build the new future of Europe! Flip, renovate, repair and rebuild places destroyed during World War 2. Get to know the history and stories of civilians. Play an immersive building simulator with grappling storytelling. Here is a game about war, in which we do not grab a rifle, but a hammer, and instead of destroying – we create. It’s 1945. It’s the end of World War II, the war that left a mark. Now people like you have to leave their hometowns to rebuild their countries. Motivated by different reasons, they get set on the same quest – to repair and renovate places completely destroyed during the war. BUILDER SIMULATOR THAT TAKES YOU ON A JOURNEY AROUND EUROPE Visit monuments and buildings, stumble upon their history and take part in the biggest rebuilding missions. Meet civilians from England, Germany and France and guide them through the process. Through the journey you will collect resources and craft materials to flip houses, repair industrial buildings, roads and squares. Pick up a hummer or a trowel, drive in a bulldozer, become a mechanic and operator of various machines like a crane, drive jeep cars and bicycles. Clean up the area, defuse and get rid of the bombs and design the new look of a place by decorating.

Candle Knight

You’re a knight and, well, you have a candle on top of your head. Never let the light go out! Candle Knight is a 2.5D action platformer that excels at the basics of the genre with really crisp, tight gameplay. But what we loved were the unexpected touches like being able to jump into paintings and explore the surreal worlds within. Beyond the gameplay, Candle Knight is visually stunning right from the start, with fantastic art, music and design that really invites the player to pause and take it all in.

Candle Knight

JanduSoft

☆☆☆☆☆ 9

★★★★★

$12.49

Get it now

Wield your flame to overcome menacing creatures lurking in the shadows of a ruined castle, use the dynamic difficulty system to your advantage, traverse challenging platforming sections and solve cryptic puzzles inside surreal paintings in this 2.5D action adventure platformer. Play as an enchanted candle holder trying to restore the light to its home, Do you have what it takes to journey deep into the heart of an abandoned castle? Does your flame represent hope, or will it bring nothing but destruction?

Aquarium Designer

This game is exactly what the title says. Create and design an aquarium. The “contracts” can be completed quickly and there’s no story to distract you. Instead, it’s a simple, cozy, Zen experience with realistic feeling aquariums, and a wide variety of fish and fixtures. While we loved making and enjoying our aquariums, the real reason we’re recommending this game is that we found it to be as entertaining for our cats as it was for us.  

Aquarium Designer

RockGame S.A., Games Operators

☆☆☆☆☆ 4

★★★★★

$12.99

Get it now

Aquarium Designer gives you an opportunity to create the aquarium of your dreams! Become a professional whose job is to design it, build it, and fill it with the various underwater wildlife! All types, all sizes – your creativity is your only limit! Have you ever dreamed about your own aquarium? Do you already have one, but it’s not enough? Or maybe you want to test yourself before having the real fish tank? Aquarium Designer is a game for you! In Aquarium Designer you can design and create realistic fish tanks of various scales – from small fish tanks to large aquariums. Fill them with all the kinds of different aquatic species – angelfish, bettas, goldfish, and many, many more! Aquarium Designer creates an opportunity to make an ideal aquarium and behold your creation! In Aquarium Designer you design the aquariums for the customers and earn money to buy new elements to use in the future! Restaurants, hotels, offices, or even a rich businessman’s residence – every place can benefit from a colorful fish tank teeming of life! Read the client’s design brief, choose the shape and size of the fish tank, then add all the necessary equipment – filters, water conditioners, and air pumps. Throw in some gravel, decorations, and fish and there it is – ready for use! The better you do the more money you earn! Every professional needs some time off! In Aquarium Designer you can enjoy creating your very own fish tank in two creative modes – Casual and Realistic. You can try different configurations and elements, but always remember about the future residents of your fish tank – that means the fish of course! Different species have different needs and require specific conditions. And if anything goes wrong, you can always try again – no animals will be harmed!

The post Indie Selects for May: Games We’ve Played and Think You’ll Love appeared first on Xbox Wire.

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Sony has announced its next State of Play showcase.

After being rumoured and speculated about for some time, the Playstation maker has finally confirmed that yes, we will be getting a showcase event in May.

It all kicks off tomorrow, 30th May, at 11pm UK time. That's 6pm Eastern or 9pm Pacific for those across the pond.

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Season 4 of Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone arrives today, and the latest patch notes detail all the big changes for this new season of Call of Duty. Season 4 includes perks changes, a higher player count in standard battle royale, and plenty of weapon balancing.

The new season launches with two new weapons in the battle pass, more operators, two multiplayer maps, new game modes, as well as more perks and killstreaks. More details on Season 4 content can be found here.

The patch notes include weapon balancing for Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer, including a huge nerf for the popular BP50 assault rifle. The gun now has a 4% decrease to movement speed and sprint speed, as well as a 13% reduction to the maximum damage range, 11% less near-medium damage, and 8% decrease to the medium damage.

Several submachine guns are buffed to have increased damage ranges, with the list including Season 3's FJX Horus, the RAM-9, AMR9, Rival-9, HRM-9, Striker-9, Striker, and WSP-9.

A few perks are corrected in the big update. It fixed an issue with the Gunslinger Vest, which previously caused Throwing Star kills not to refresh stamina, and it corrected the issue that caused Throwing Star kills not to trigger health regeneration with the Compression Carrier Vest equipped.

Season 4 also makes several adjustments to killstreaks, which should hopefully make them feel more effective. The Precision Airstrike now has a 17% increase to the explosive damage radius, the Cruise Missile received a 50% increase, and the SAE has a 7% increase to the explosive damage radius as well. For the Carpet Bomb, the streak is decreased in price from 10 kills or 1,250 score down to eight kills or 1,000 score, the explosive damage radius is increased by 25%, and the flight speed of the bomber is now 40% faster.

On the Zombies side, the update includes several fixes for bugs and stability issues. This includes a correction for a bug that previously prevented players from activating the third punching bag in the Tattered MMA Gloves attunement challenge, and fixes a problem that previously caused a loss of weapons when dying while the Juggernaut suit was active.

The big highlight for Warzone's Season 4 update is the raised player count in standard battle royale mode, with the increase from 100 to 120 players per match. The developer addresses these changes by saying, "Player feedback continues to indicate a desire for more action. So with that in mind, we have made the necessary changes to accommodate a higher player count without disrupting the delicate balance" of the matches.

Changes also arrived to the Urzikstan map. Exit hatches were added to the open bunkers to provide an additional escape route, and the Gulag now has a silo setting with four different map layouts to provide more variation to the 1v1 arena. A circle change is also made to delay the time before the initial circle begins to shrink on the map, which is increased from one to two minutes, and the developer says this change was made to give players more time to find bunkers and also adjusts the match pacing to fit 120 players.

A stealing feature is added to the Champion's Quest nuke challenges across all maps and modes. When a team with the Champion's Quest contract is fully eliminated, the quest tablet will drop and the first team that interacts with the tablet can now steal the contract and continue the quest.

The full patch notes for Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone can be found below, as shared by Activision.

WELCOME TO SEASON 4

Welcome to Season 4 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III!

Before you jump into all of the new content this Season offers, read the Patch Notes below for the latest balance adjustments, gameplay improvements, bug fixes, and other changes.

Pre-download the Season 4 update now on all platforms and get started at 9 AM PT.

NEW MAPS

The fog of war goes global. Take to the streets of Tokyo and Paris at the launch of Season 4, then look for desolate and disgusting arenas later in-season.

• Tokyo
• Paris
• Incline (In-Season)
• Das Gross (In-Season, Variant)

NEW MODES

Several new and fan-favorite Modes debut in MWIII in Season 4. Look out for weekly Playlist Updates to know when your favorite Modes arrive.

• Demolition
• Hyper Cranked
• Cache
• Mutation
• Headshots Only
• Havoc

NEW WEAPONS

Alongside returning icons, fresh new weaponry is on the horizon in Season 4.

Kar98k (Battle Pass, Marksman Rifle)

This modernized version of a WWII bolt-action rifle is powerful and accurate. High damage output with a slow rate of fire.

Superi 46 (Battle Pass, Submachine Gun)

This pistol-caliber carbine chambered in 4.6x30mm is designed to give impressive stopping power with a skeletonized, lightweight frame. Exceptionally adaptable, this weapon can be modified to excel in most combat scenarios.

Reclaimer 18 (Battle Pass, Shotgun, In-Season)

A tactical shotgun that can be fired in both pump-action and semi-auto modes. Pump-action provides superior range while semi-auto increases fire rate.

Sledgehammer (Weekly Challenge, Melee, In-Season)

Smack some heads with this hammer claw bar Melee weapon with unique attack modes.

NEW AFTERMARKET PARTS

Eight all-new Aftermarket Parts arrive throughout the weeks ahead in Season 4. Every one of which is a fully-fledged conversion kit for fan favorite weaponry.

JAK Harbinger Kit (M4 Assault Rifle)

This .50 Cal conversion kit for the M4 is an extremely deadly, quick-kill weapon. The slow fire rate, drop in bullet velocity, and a significant increase in recoil will require a careful hand.

JAK Gunslinger (Basilisk Handgun)

A frame and cylinder conversion that allows the revolver to hold eight rounds of .357 ammunition with an exceptional increase to rate of fire and a near instantaneous trigger action.

JAK Volkh (KV Inhibitor Sniper Rifle)

A meticulously crafted stock and receiver modification that updates the weapon to fire a two-round burst at minimal MOA dispersion, making every trigger pull count.

JAK Scimitar Kit (FJX Horus Submachine Gun)

Improved range and recoil are standard with this aftermarket kit which also unlocks the use of a high-capacity drum mag for the FJX Horus.

JAK Thumper-656 (RGL-80 Launcher)

An improved long barrel for an infantry-carried grenade launcher. Fires projectiles at higher velocities and distances. Compatible with a wider variety of launcher projectiles.

JAK Requiem (Kastov 762 Assault Rifle)

A counter-balanced rifle system designed to completely eliminate vertical recoil.

JAK Decimator (Lachmann Shroud Submachine Gun)

This modification allows the Lachmann Shroud to fire in full auto.

JAK Intimidator (Renetti Handgun)

Slow down your fire rate and take more deliberate shots with this modification that changes the Renetti to a single-shot weapon.

NEW KILLSTREAKS

Powerful new armaments join the Killstreaks arsenal in Season 4.

Loitering Munition - 8 Kills (1,000 Score)

An unmanned rocket equipped drone loiters over the targeted areas. On each activation the drone selects the targeted location with the largest number of viable targets to bombard with rockets. Can be activated up to three times.

I.M.S. - 7 Kills (875 Score)

The Intelligent Munitions System is loaded with 4 smart explosives that eliminate enemy personnel and vehicles within range. When triggered, it will eject an explosive upwards, which then locks onto its target and propels towards them.

Missile Drone - 11 Kills (1,375 Score)

Piloted drone that fires guided missiles.

DNA Bomb - 25 Kills

Call in a DNA altering bomb that eliminates the entire enemy team without ending the match.

NEW PERKS

Tailor Loadouts to your playstyle with new Vest and Gear Perks.

Mission Control Vest

• Reduces kills required by 1 and score required by 125 for streaks.
• Earn 1 kill or 125 score for every 2 Kill Assists or Cross Fire Assists.

Duplicate effects do not stack. If equipped with Mission Control Comlink, gain the effects of High Gain Antenna.

Compression Plate (Gear)

Immediately regen health after a Primary, Secondary, or Throwing Knife/Star kill. Objective captures also trigger health regen.

NEW OPERATORS

Mysterious new figures join Kortac and Specgru in Season 4. Which side are you on?

Void

A Jane Doe, nicknamed Void, has a mysterious mutation that alters her memory. Further study is needed. She remains under close surveillance.

Hammer

Manoel was the youngest of three siblings by a large margin. Growing up, he was often called the “accident,” though his father would assure him that yes, he may have been an accident, but he was a happy one.

When Manoel was twelve-years-old, and his siblings long gone from the home, his father gifted him a puppy – a Brazilian Mastiff, to name and care for.

Manoel named the puppy Hammer, and they did everything together. Wanting to be with Hammer for as long as possible, Manoel trained him as a working dog, and enrolled in the military with Hammer by his side. First, he was part of the Guard Battalion utilizing Hammer as a guard dog, and later, moved his way into the Brazil Special Operations where Hammer’s hunting and tracking skills became invaluable in chasing down targets.

One day, on a tracking mission, Hammer was killed in action by the SpecGru organization. Manoel took Hammer's name as his own callsign, and vowed revenge. He joined KorTac to do it and promised to never work with another K-9 unit, and to avenge his dog.

Dupe & Copy

REDACTED

NEW EVENTS

Kick off the first 4 weeks of Season 4 with the Critical Countdown Event before heading into several other Events scheduled throughout the Season, including some surprises along the way.

Critical Countdown

Collect DNA samples from fallen foes to earn rewards and uncover the truth behind the superweapon.

Mobile Suit Gundam Legends

Embrace the awesome power of Mobile Suits! Earn XP to unlock Gundam themed rewards. Equip the RX-78-2 Gundam, MS-06S Zaku II, or XVX-016 Gundam Aerial skins for a boost.

Altered Strain

The strain has mutated! Collect altered DNA samples from fallen foes across to earn rewards and unlock effects for Mutation in MWIII.

Vortex: Death's Lair

Death's grasp has taken over the Vortex. Complete challenges to unlock ghastly rewards.

Vacation Squad

The beach is calling and the Task Force is on vacation. Complete event challenges to earn tropical rewards. Don't forget the sunscreen!

GLOBAL

STABILITY & PERFORMANCE

• Addressed various issues causing improper first-person animations.

CUSTOMIZATION

• Camos can now be equipped on the B.E.A.S.T. Glove Blueprint for the Gladiator.
• Know No Fear Weapon Decal no longer has a white border while equipped.
• Equipping the Karaage skin on the MCW Assault Rifle will no longer result in an error.
• Fixed an input device exploit allowing unowned Blueprints to be equipped.
• JAK Glassless Optic is now unlocked as expected upon purchasing a relevant Blueprint.

MULTIPLAYER

UIX

• Weapon Mastery and Unlock Challenges can now be added to Tracked Challenges.
• XP Bonus potential from compatible Operator Skins is now displayed while in the lobby but not in a party.
• Bug Fixes
  • Corrected a spelling mistake in the Red Camo challenge for the WSP Swarm.
  • Player icons on the minimap will no longer appear to follow the Wheelson-HS.
  • Vests that disallow primaries will no longer prompt to Quick Equip invalid Weapons.
  • Adjusted Pros and Cons displayed for specific Attachments to better reflect their actual statistics.
  • Fixed improper tile placement in the Gunsmith while the Compression Carrier Vest is equipped.
  • Activate prompt is now longer displayed on completed Armory Unlocks.

GAMEPLAY

• Spawn protection is now disabled when the player inflicts damage or locks onto a Killstreak.
• Fixed a bug causing spawns to not match the intended directionality of a map.
• Increased detection distance for nearby enemies in small map spawn selection.
• Decreased volume of footstep sounds from enemy players.

Last season, we made several adjustments to Perks to distribute usage in the Boots category more evenly. Despite these changes, the pick rate of Covert Sneakers remains far ahead of other Boots.

In today’s update, our Design and Audio teams have decreased the volume of all footstep types (walk, sprint, and tac-sprint) to encourage more diverse usage in the Boots category of Perks.

PROGRESSION

• Collateral kills now progress Battle Rage kills Challenges as expected.
• Kills with Battle Rage Challenges now track progress correctly.
• Fixed an issue causing the ISO 9mm to not unlock upon Challenge completion.

MAPS

• 6 Star
  • Reworked Hardpoint capture point locations, sizes, and associated spawns.
    • P1: Club (Revert)
    • P2: Lounge (Revert)
    • P3: Rooftop Bar (Revert)
    • P4: Skybridge (New)
• Das Haus
  • Corrected orientation of the vertically hanging American Flag.
• Growhouse
  • Added the ability to mount at various locations where functionality is expected.
• Highrise
  • Environmental explosives are no longer present in CDL and Ranked Play modes.
• Underpass
  • Improved spawn safety assessment near the Train Yard.

MODES

• Arcade
  • Unlimited Ammo and Grenades powerup timer now disappears upon death.
• Cutthroat
  • Allies needing a revive are now indicated as such on the scoreboard.
• One in the Chamber
  • Lifestreaks are now correctly tracked on the scoreboard.

WEAPONS & ATTACHMENTS

Assault Rifles

• BP50
  • Decreased movement speed from 5m/s to 4.8m/s (-4%).
  • Decreased sprint speed from 5.7m/s to 5.5m/s (-4%).
  • Decreased tactical sprint speed from 7m/s to 6.8m/s (-3%).
  • JAK Revenger Kit
    • Decreased movement speed from 5.5m/s to 5.1m/s (-7%).
    • Decreased crouch movement speed from 2.6m/s to 2.4m/s (-8%).
    • Decreased sprint speed from 6.2m/s to 5.8m/s (-6%).
    • Decreased tactical sprint speed from 7.7m/s to 7.1m/s (-8%).
    • Decreased ADS movement speed from 3.3m/s to 3.1m/s (-6%).
    • Decreased maximum damage from 32 to 28 (-13%).
    • Decreased near-medium damage from 28 to 25 (-11%).
    • Decreased medium damage from 25 to 23 (-8%).
• MCW
  • Increased head damage multiplier from 1.1x to 1.25x.

Submachine Guns

• FJX Horus
  • Decreased recoil gun kick from 42.5deg/s to 35.4deg/s (-17%).
  • Increased maximum damage range from 10.2m to 17.8m (+75%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 25.4m (+25%).
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.1x.
  • No Stock Mod
    • Increased ADS movement speed benefit from 9% to 12%.
  • Lopper LX-D Stock
    • Added 3% ADS movement speed penalty.
• RAM-9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 11.2m to 12.4m (+11%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 21.6m (+6%).
• AMR9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 14m to 15.2m (+9%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 21.6m (+6%).
• Rival-9
  • Fixed an issue causing the Trebuchet Brake Attachment to be unavailable.
  • Increased maximum damage range from 10.2m to 11.4m (+13%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 21.6m to 22.9m (+6%).
  • JAK Headhunter Carbine Conversion
    • Increased rate of fire from 682rpm to 882rpm (+29%).
    • Increased maximum damage from 26 to 33 (+27%).
    • Increased near-medium damage from 24 to 30 (+25%).
    • Increased minimum damage from 22 to 28 (+27%).
    • Decreased neck and upper torso damage multipliers from 1.5x to 1.1x.
    • Decreased lower arm and hand damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1x.
• HRM-9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 16.5m to 17.8m (+8%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 24.1m to 25.4m (+5%).
• Striker 9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 14m to 15.2m (+9%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 21.6m (+6%).
• Striker
  • Increased maximum damage range from 9.7m to 10.9m (+13%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 21.6m to 22.9m (+6%).
• WSP-9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 18.5m to 24.1m (+30%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 25.1m to 31.8m (+26%).

Marksman Rifles

• MCW 6.8
  • MCW 6.8 Full-Auto Conversion Kit
    • Resolved an issue causing recoil overcorrection after firing.

Launchers

• RGL-80
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 310ms to 260ms (-16%).
  • Decreased explosive damage by 80% in Hardcore game modes.

RGL-80 explosive damage is now scaled to align with the Hardcore player health scalar.

PERKS

• Gunslinger Vest
  • Fixed an issue causing Throwing Star kills not to refresh stamina.
• Gunner Vest
  • Updated description to remove mention of Handgun ammo benefit, aligning with existing functionality.
• Compression Carrier (Vest)
  • Fixed an issue causing Throwing Star kills not to trigger health regeneration.
• Assault Gloves
  • Updated description to mention recently-added reticle spread benefit.

KILLSTREAKS

• Precision Airstrike
  • Decreased delay before damage occurs by 2s.
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 7.6m to 8.9m (+17%).
• Cruise Missile
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 15.2m to 22.9m (+50%)
• SAE
  • Decreased delay before explosive damage occurs by 2s.
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 19m to 20.3m (+7%).
  • Removed stun effect on victims before death.
• Remote Turret
  • Increased cost from 7 Kills (875 Score) to 8 Kills (1,000 Score).
  • Decreased hits required for turret destruction for specific damage types.
    • Melee: from 12 hits to 3 hits
    • Launchers: from 3 hits to 2 hits
  • Improved detection of EMP hits from the Stormender Launcher.
• Wheelson-HS
  • Increased cost from 8 Kills (1,000 Score) to 9 Kills (1,125 Score).
• Overwatch Helo
  • Increased cost from 8 Kills (1,000) Score to 9 Kills (1,125 Score)
  • Decreased incoming damage dealt by bullets by 50%.
• Emergency Airdrop
  • Decreased cost from 10 Kills (1,250 Score) to 9 Kills (1,125 Score).
• Carpet Bomb
  • Decreased cost from 10 Kills (1,250 Score) to 8 Kills (1,000 Score).
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 10.2m to 12.7m (+25%).
  • Increased bomber flight speed by 40%.
• VTOL Jet
  • Increased cost from 10 Kills (1,250 Score) to 11 Kills (1,375 Score).
  • Decreased incoming damage dealt by bullets by 50%.
  • Decreased machine gun explosive damage from 27 to 20 (-26%).
• Gunship
  • Increased cost from 12 Kills (1,500 Score) to 13 Kills (1,625 Score).
• Chopper Gunner
  • Increased cost from 12 Kills (1,500 Score) to 13 Kills (1,625 Score).
  • Decreased incoming damage dealt by bullets by 50%.
  • Decreased turret explosive damage from 45 to 35 (-22%).
  • Decreased turret explosive damage radius from 1.7m to 1.3m (-23%).
• EMP
  • Decreased cost from 13 Kills (1,625 Score) to 12 Kills (1,500 Score).
  • Visual effects will no longer play twice if the player dies during detonation.
• Swarm
  • Fixed an issue causing drones to divebomb immediately after the player who summoned it dies.
  • Fixed an issue causing drones to spawn away from the playspace on Das Haus and Mercado Las Almas.

ZOMBIES

STABILITY & PERFORMANCE

• Fixed a client crash issue when players attacked All For One's fort and attempted to engage AFO in his room.

CUSTOMIZATION

• Fixed a bug preventing the Mimic Operators from being equipped.
• The 'Longbow' sniper rifle's 'Extinction' blueprint is no longer missing all the attachments.

UIX

• Fixed an issue where players would see the default loading screen instead of the selected loading screen while infilling.
• Unlocked items should no longer appear to be locked in the Gear menu.
• The HUD overlay from the golden Sergeants Beret no longer flickers on and off when near a Merc Camp UAV Scrambler.
• Fixed an issue where player gamertags in the 'Squad Missions' tab of the Tac Map were difficult to read due to the font being compacted.

GAMEPLAY

• Addressed an issue that prevented the MORS Photonic Charge Barrel from applying the correct damage values when fully charged.
• Deploying the 'Juggernaut' Killstreak no longer incorrectly deploys the 'Juggernaut Recon' killstreak from Multiplayer.
• Dying while using Juggernaut Killstreak no longer causes loss of all weapons.
• Fixed an issue where shooting a WunderWaffe Wonder Weapon near the Sergeants Beret Friendly Merc would cause the Merc to be affected by the weapon's AOE shocking feature.
• Fixed an object collision issue that would occur when being grabbed by Mimic.
• Loot in the bookstore location named Feroze and Sons is now accessible.
• Dark Aether Rift
  • Aether Storm will no longer spawn on top of the tornado at the Rift Gate.
  • Fixed several instances of Zombies not pathing as intended on Rift Run.
  • Fixed several out-of-map exploits and glitches that resulted in players falling through the map.
• Dark Aether
  • In the newest Act 4 story mission, players are now able to reach the Pack-A-Punch location by foot.
  • Fixed an issue where the vote prompt would block users from starting the Dark Aether Rift after a teammate left the squad.
  • Eliminated several environmental exploits.

PROGRESSION

• Fixed an issue where the third punching bag could not be activated, blocking progress in the 'Tattered MMA Gloves' attunement challenge.

WARZONE

HIGHLIGHTS

» URZIKSTAN | BATTLE ROYALE «

• Player Count
  • Increased the player count in Battle Royale modes to 120, up from 100.

In an effort to enhance the Battle Royale experience on Urzikstan, we've decided to increase the number of players in each match from 100 to 120.

Our initial design intent at the launch of Modern Warfare 3 was to focus on mid-game pacing, ensuring a steady and consistent build-up throughout the match. To strike a balance between matchmaking times, client performance, and match pacing, we initially centered our game balance around 100 players. This required extensive revisions and balancing across various aspects of the game, including early game looting, engagement times, weapon damage, armor values, movement mechanics, redeploy mechanics, economy, and strategic and defensive tools. We’re proud to say that overall we’ve been quite pleased with the results over the past few seasons.

That said, player feedback continues to indicate a desire for more action. So with that in mind, we have made the necessary changes to accommodate a higher player count without disrupting the delicate balance we have worked hard to achieve. This time around, these adjustments have been primarily focused around redeploy mechanics and our match economy.

Gulag tokens now have a low chance to appear in general loot, with specific spawn rates from different chest types and guaranteed availability from Most Wanted and buy stations. Redeploy tokens are now part of a new tier of legendary items and have specific spawn conditions to maintain balance. Additionally, redeploy flares have a controlled spawn rate in legendary chests and other support item locations.

Our goal with the economy is to make cash more meaningful and create clearer paths for acquiring key items. We've slightly reduced the amount of cash found in loot, increased the number of supply boxes, updated the cost of buy station items, and adjusted the rarity of certain items to promote a more engaging and strategic looting experience.

With all these changes live in Season 4, we aim to deliver a more strategic experience that emphasizes risk-reward while maintaining consistent, action-packed pacing throughout the match. As always, our team will be carefully monitoring internal data as well as external player feedback - and adjustments will be made where necessary as we move forward.

MAPS

MAP UPDATES

» URZIKSTAN «

• Bunkers
  • Unlocked bunkers now have an escape hatch as an alternative exit.
  • New rewards have been added to various locations.

• Gulag
  • 4 new Gulag layouts have been added:
    • S: Stacked equipment and L-shaped plywood walls with an S-shaped central wall over the circular floor grate.
    • 2: A three-panel curved wall, stacked equipment against two walled sections, and two curved inner walls above the circular floor grate.
    • 3: Stacked equipment against two walled sections, with concrete L-shaped walls around the central circular floor grate.
    • 8: A rectangular concrete barrier wall outside long central section around the central circular floor grate with one plywood wall sprayed with a blue “8”.

MODES

RETURNING

» URZIKSTAN | BATTLE ROYALE «

• Buy Back Royale
  • Cash is everything in this returning game mode. With the Gulag is disabled, players will need to make sure they have at least $4,500 when eliminated to afford a Cash Deployment. Cash Deployments close near the end of the match, at which point players are limited to one life regardless of the size of their wallet.
  • Squad Size:
    • Solos
  • Map:
    • Urzikstan
  • Players:
    • 120

PLAYLIST

For information about upcoming Playlists, please check out the dedicated Warzone Trello Board.

GENERAL

NEW

• Warzone Rewards
  • Along with Daily and Weekly Challenges, players will find a brand new way to earn camos and other exclusive cosmetics unique to Warzone. These are broken down into several categories:
    • Economics: These offer rewards in return for looting and spending Cash at Buy Stations.
    • Contracts: Unlock items for completing different types (and numbers) of Contracts.
    • Social: Interact with enemy players or aid your team to secure more item rewards.
    • Mode: Complete tasks in different game modes, from Battle Royale to Plunder to Resurgence.
    • Champion’s Quest: Is a Champion’s Quest active in your game? Then check these Challenges out!
  • Unlock requirements and progress can be viewed and tracked via a new menu that can be accessed from the Challenges menu or any Warzone playlist lobby.
  • All rewards can be previewed so players can get a look at these exclusive rewards before unlocking them.

GAMEPLAY

NEW

» ALL MAPS | ALL MODES «

• Champion’s Quest Contract Stealing
  • When a team on the Champion’s Quest contract is fully eliminated, the Champion’s Quest tablet will drop and the first team that interacts with the tablet can now steal the contract and continue the quest.

» URZIKSTAN | ALL MODES «

• Tac-Sprint Boots
  • Infiltrating any of the accessible bunkers to obtain the Tactical Sprint Boots Perk, which will give you an increase to your base speed and an infinite Tactical Sprint improvement.
  • Do not drop on death
  • Can be found in Bunkers (x1)
  • Correction: Do not reduce fall damage

• Specialist Perk Pack
  • This Perk Pack grants you the advantages of the following 29 additional Perks:
    • Perk Slots 1 and 2 (all Perks active): Battle Hardened, Double Time, E.O.D., Focus, Irradiated, Mechanic, Mountaineer, Scavenger, Shrapnel, Sleight of Hand, Spotter, Strong Arm.
    • Perk Slot 3 (all Perks active): Cold-Blooded, Escapist, Payout, Primed, Quick Fix, Resupply, Stalker, Survivor, Tempered, Tracker.
    • Perk Slot 4 (all Perks active): Birdseye, Combat Scout, Flex, Ghost, High Alert, Resolute, Shrouded.
  • Available via Buy Station for $30,000

• Bunker Buster
  • This is a special type of missile that can vertically decimate a building through multiple floors.
  • After impact it also creates a vertical column of gas that can additionally force people out of cover.

• Utility Box
  • The Utility Box combines Ammo and Armor Boxes together allowing players to resupply everything ranging from bullets to lethal equipment.

• Loot Hot Zones
  • Designated points of interest on the map may now be identified as “Loot Hot Zones.”
  • These do not appear on the Tac-Map - rather they must be discovered.

• Runaway Train Public Event
  • Each Battle Royale match will have a 10% chance of ending in a Runaway Train Public Event. During this end-game event, the safewzone will be the train. The drivable controls are disabled making players strategically work to gain control of the train.

• Polaris RZR Vehicle
  • The Polaris RZR Pro R, a real-world side-by-side UTV offering immediate acceleration, nimble handling, and rugged durability is now available as a Land Vehicle within Urzikstan. Appearing as “Polaris RZR” on your Tac-Map, this side-by-side differs from the current in-game UTV as it offers a tighter turning circle and handling, better acceleration, three seats and improved fuel economy.

ADJUSTED

» ALL MAPS | ALL MODES «

• Ground Loot Weapons
  • No weapon went unturned in this season's ground loot weapon update. Players will find updated ground loot builds across every weapon class.

• Gas Mask Quality of Life
  • The Gas Mask now has a manual, automatic, and semi-automatic setting.
  • A new keybind has been added to allow for manual behavior.

• Buy Station Improvement Quality of Life
  • Purchased weapons will now drop behind the player to make them easier to distinguish from nearby loot​.

» URZIKSTAN | BATTLE ROYALE «

• Initial Circle
  • The delay time before the initial circle begins to shrink has been increased to 2 minutes, up from 1.

This change will give a bit more time for players to find bunkers and also adjusts match pacing to fit 120 players.

• Redeployment Weapons
  • Players will now respawn from Gulag with updated primary and secondary weapons.

• Gulag Loadouts
  • Updated some primary and secondary Gulag loadout weapons.
  • Adjusted weapon loadouts in the ‘Locked and Loaded’ and ‘Climb and Punishment’ Gulag events.
  • C4 has been removed from Gulag loadouts.

• Loot Updates
  • Loot has received a general balance pass. Many items have had their rarity adjusted, making some items more common in ground loot, while other items are exclusively rare in chests.
  • The overall acquisition rate of cash via ground loot and Supply Boxes has been reduced by 50%.
  • The density of ground loot has been reduced by 15%.
  • Supply Boxes
    • Overall frequency increased by 20%.
    • Frequency of basic rarity has been reduced by 9%.
    • Frequency of legendary rarity has been increased by 5%
    • Frequency of reusable rarity has increased by 4%.
  • Gulag Tokens ​
    • Very low chance in general loot​
    • Guaranteed from Most Wanted ​
    • Limited inventory at Buy Station​
  • Redeploy Pack​
    • Doesn't spawn in general loot​
    • Low chance as reward for Most Wanted​
  • Redeploy Flares ​
    • Low chance in legendary chests ​
    • Lower chance where support items can spawn such as medical cabinets
  • The following legendary items are now exclusive to certain locations:
    • Durable Gas Mask:
      • Bunker Chests
      • Intel Contracts
    • Redeploy Pack:
      • Blacksite
      • Most Wanted
    • Foresight:
      • Bunker Chests
    • Specialist Perk Pack:
      • Buy Stations

• Buy Station Inventory Update
  • Team Revive
    • $3,000
    • Unlimited
  • Armor Plate
    • $300
    • Unlimited
  • Gas Mask
    • $3,000
    • Unlimited
  • Ammo Box
    • $2,000
    • Unlimited
  • UAV
    • $6,000
    • Unlimited
  • Supply UAV
    • $2,000
    • Unlimited
  • Loadout
    • Variable
    • Unlimited
  • Cluster Strike
    • $4,000
    • 2
  • Precision Airstrike
    • $6,000
    • 2
  • Utility Box
    • $3,000
    • 2
  • Self Revive
    • $4,000
    • 2
  • Portable Radar
    • $2,000
    • 2
  • Mosquito Drone
    • $4,000
    • 2
  • Bunker Buster
    • $4,000
    • 2
  • Gulag Token
    • $4,000
    • 2
  • Specialist
    • $30,000
    • 1

» REBIRTH ISLAND | RESURGENCE «

• Late-Game Circles
  • Circles may now end on a wider variety of locations than before.

WEAPONS

NEW WEAPONS

• Superi 46 Submachine Gun
  • This pistol-caliber carbine chambered in 4.6x30mm is designed to give impressive stopping power with a skeletonized, lightweight frame. Exceptionally adaptable, this weapon can be modified to excel in most combat scenarios.
  • Available via Battle Pass Sector 6

• Kar98k Marksman Rifle
  • This modernized version of a WWII bolt-action rifle is powerful and accurate. High damage output with a slow rate of fire.
  • Available via Battle Pass Sector 5

NEW AFTERMARKET PARTS

• JAK Harbinger Kit
  • Compatibility: M4 Assault Rifle (MWII)
  • This .50 Cal conversion kit for the M4 is an extremely deadly, quick-kill weapon. The slow fire rate, drop in bullet velocity, and a significant increase in recoil will require a careful hand.

• JAK Gunslinger
  • Compatibility: Basilisk Handgun (MWII)
  • A frame and cylinder conversion that allows the revolver to hold eight rounds of .357 ammunition with an exceptional increase to rate of fire and a near instantaneous trigger action.

• JAK Volkh
  • Compatibility: KV Inhibitor Sniper Rifle (MWIII)
  • A meticulously crafted stock and receiver modification that updates the weapon to fire a two-round burst at minimal MOA dispersion, making every trigger pull count.

• JAK Scimitar Kit
  • Compatibility: FJX Horus Submachine Gun (MWIII)
  • Improved range and recoil are standard with this aftermarket kit which also unlocks the use of a high-capacity drum mag for the FJX Horus.

• JAK Thumper-656
  • Compatibility: RGL-80 Launcher (MWIII)
  • An improved long barrel for an infantry-carried grenade launcher. Fires projectiles at higher velocities and distances. Compatible with a wider variety of launcher projectiles.

• JAK Requiem
  • Compatibility: Kastov 762 Assault Rifle (MWII)
  • A counter-balanced rifle system designed to completely eliminate vertical recoil.

• JAK Decimator
  • Compatibility: Lachmann Shroud Submachine Gun (MWII)
  • This modification allows the Lachmann Shroud to fire in full auto.

• JAK Intimidator
  • Compatibility: Renetti Handgun (MWIII)
  • Slow down your fire rate and take more deliberate shots with this modification that changes the Renetti to a single-shot weapon.

WEAPON ADJUSTMENTS

ASSAULT RIFLES

WEAPONADJUSTMENTS

BP50

• Decreased movement speed to 4.8m/s, down from 5m/s.
• Decreased sprint speed to 5.5m/s, down from 5.7m/s.
• Decreased tactical sprint speed to 6.8m/s, down from 7m/s.
• JAK Revenger Kit
  • Decreased movement speed to 5.1m/s, down from 5.5m/s.
  • Decreased crouch movement speed to 2.4m/s, down from 2.6m/s.
  • Decreased sprint speed to 5.8m/s, down from 6.2m/s.
  • Decreased tactical sprint speed to 7.1m/s, down from 7.7m/s.
  • Decreased ADS movement speed to 3.1m/s, down from 3.3m/s.

BAL-27

• Near-Mid Damage Range increased to 49.53 meters, up from 39.37.
• Mid Damage Range increased to 60.96 meters, up from 50.8.
• Lower Arm and Hand Modifiers increased to 1.1x, up from 1x.

HOLGER 556

• Near-Mid Damage Range increased to 50.8 meters, up from 45.72.
• Leg Modifier increased to 0.95x, up from 0.85x.

SVA 545

• Mid Damage decreased to 22, down from 24.
• Headshot Modifier decreased to 1.3x, down from 1.4x.

MCW

• Min Damage increased to 22, up from 20.

MTZ-556

• Max Damage Range increased to 40.64 meters, up from 35.56.
• Near-Mid Damage Range increased to 50.8 meters, up from 48.26.
• Headshot Modifier increased to 1.25x, up from 1.2x.

KASTOV 762 (MWII)

• Mid Damage Range increased to 57.15 meters, up from 51.81.
• Arms and Hand Modifiers increased to 1.15x, up from 0.96x.
• Lower Torso Modifier increased to 1.15x, up from 1x.
• Leg Modifier increased to 1x, up from 0.96x.

CHIMERA (MWII)

• Near-Mid Damage increased to 26, up from 24.
• Arm Modifier increased to 1.15x, up from 1x.
• Lower Torso Modifier increased to 1.15x, up from 1.1x.

ISO HEMLOCK (MWII)

• Mid Damage increased to 25, up from 24.
• Min Damage increased to 21, up from 20.
• Arm Modifier increased to 1.16x, up from 0.95x.

SUBMACHINE GUNS

WEAPONADJUSTMENTS

AMR9

• Max Damage increased to 29, up from 27.
• Max Damage Range decreased to 10.66 meters, down from 17.78.
• Near-Mid Damage increased to 27, up from 25.
• New Damage Range Added
  • Mid Damage set to 25
  • Mid Damage Range set to 34.29 meters.

FJX HORUS

• Max Damage increased to 28, up from 27.
• Near-Mid Damage increased to 24, up from 23.
• Mid Damage increased to 21, up from 19.
• Min Damage increased to 19, up from 16.
• Max Damage Range increased to 10.16 meters, up from 7.62.
• Headshot Modifier decreased to 1.2x, down from 1.4x.
• Arm and Hand Modifiers increased to 1x, up from 0.95x.
• Lower Torso Modifier increased to 1x, up from 0.95x.
• Leg Modifier increased to 1x, up from 0.95x.
• Decreased recoil gun kick to 35.4deg/s, down from 42.5deg/s.
• No Stock Mod
  • Increased ADS movement speed benefit to 12%, up from 9%.
• Lopper LX-D Stock
  • Added 3% ADS movement speed penalty.

RIVAL-9

• Increased bullet velocity to 500m/s, up from 450m/s.
• JAK Headhunter Carbine Conversion
  • Increased rate of fire to 882rpm, up from 682rpm.

STRIKER-9

• Min Damage decreased to 21, down from 23.
• Max Damage Range decreased to 11.17 meters, down from 12.19.
• Headshot Modifier decreased to 1.25x, down from 1.3x.

WSP-9

• Max Damage Range decreased to 15.49 meters, down from 18.03.
• Near-Mid Damage Range decreased to 23.36 meters, down from 26.67.
• Mid Damage Range decreased to 33.02 meters, down from 38.1.
• Lower Arm and Hand Modifiers decreased to 1x, down from 1.1x.

LIGHT MACHINE GUNS

WEAPONADJUSTMENTS

DG-58 LSW

• Headshot Modifier decreased to 1.2x, down from 1.4x.
• Decreased bullet velocity to 780m/s, down from 880m/s.

HOLGER-26

• Headshot Modifier increased to 1.3x, up from 1.2x.

SNIPER RIFLES

WEAPONADJUSTMENTS

XRK STALKER

• Neck Modifier decreased to 1.2x, down from 2x.

WARZONE RANKED PLAY

GENERAL

» BATTLE ROYALE «

While our teams are targeting to release Ranked Play Battle Royale before the end of the year, we are not ready to commit to specific timing just yet. We are using the months ahead to fine tune the design of our Ranked Play system to reflect and compliment changes since made to the core Battle Royale experience.

In the interim, we are committed to maintaining a robust competitive scene on our larger map through the ongoing World Series of Warzone program. This program ensures that players continue to have access to high-stakes opportunities as we prepare for the return of Ranked Play Battle Royale later this year. Additionally, given the success of Ranked Play Resurgence, we will continue to dedicate efforts to this mode for upcoming seasons. Our goal is to continue to provide a diverse and fulfilling competitive experience across different modes, all while honing in on the future of Warzone’s competitive landscape.

We understand that the timeline for the return of Ranked Play Battle Royale may be longer than many had hoped. However, we are incredibly excited for the months ahead while we work on bringing this beloved competitive experience back into players hands.

NEW

» RESURGENCE «

• New Season 4 Rewards
  • Throughout Season 4, players can earn the following rewards:
    • Kill & Assist Challenges
      • Get 25 Kills or Assists: WZ Season 4 Competitor Weapon Sticker
      • Get 250 Kills or Assists: WZ Season 4 Loading Screen
      • Get 1,000 Kills or Assists: WZ Season 4 Ranked Veteran Weapon Camo
    • Placement Challenges
      • Place in the Top 7, 25 times: EGO Chall Weapon Decal
      • Place in the Top 5, 25 times: Pro Issue SVA 545 Weapon Blueprint
      • Place 1st: Death Fee Collection Weapon Charm

• New End of Season Rewards
  • At the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season or an active placement in the Top 250 Division.
  • Season 4 Division Rewards:
    • Bronze: “WZ Season 4 Bronze” Emblem
    • Silver: “WZ Season 4 Silver” Emblem
    • Gold: “WZ Season 4 Gold” Animated Emblem
    • Platinum: “WZ Season 4 Platinum” Animated Emblem
    • Diamond: “WZ Season 4 Diamond” Animated Emblem
    • Crimson: “WZ Season 4 Crimson” Animated Emblem
    • Iridescent: “WZ Season 4 Iridescent” Animated Emblem
    • Iridescent: “WZ Season 4 Iridescent” Animated Calling Card
    • Top 250: “WZ Season 4 Top 250” Animated Calling Card
    • Top 250: “WZ Season 4 Top 250” Animated Emblem
    • Top 250: “WZ Season 4 Top 250” Animated Weapon Camo
    • #1 Overall: “MWIII Season #1 Overall” Animated Calling Card

• Seasonal Division Operators
  • Seasonal Division Operators: You also earn the Skill Division Operator Skin sets for use with both the CDL Male and Female Operators (for both factions) to represent your highest Skill Division above gold. These Skins are the same as the ones you can unlock in Modern Warfare III Multiplayer Ranked Play.

ADJUSTMENTS

» RESURGENCE «

• Teams that place first in a match will now receive 125 SR, up from 100.

• Iridescent deployment fees have been reduced by 5 SR.
  • This does not apply to the initial cost bracket when promoted to Iridescent.

We've implemented balance adjustments to our SR point system to now place greater emphasis on the match victory. We hope that these adjustments incentivize strategic play and teamwork, over strictly trying to stack eliminations. Our aim is to foster a fair environment for everyone participating in Ranked Play, aligning with our commitment to uphold competitive integrity.

UI/UX

• Match Stats Quality of Life
  • The new statistics panel from Multiplayer has been adapted to Warzone allowing players to consult their match and weapons statistics during a match.
  • Match stats are also viewable in the After Action Report (AAR).

• 3rd Person Parachute Quality of Life
  • Added a new setting that allows players to see their Operator parachuting from a third person perspective.

• Squad Widget Info Quality of Life
  • Icons for armor plates, a gas mask, and killstreaks will now appear under squad member health bars to indicate what they currently have in their inventory.

• Contract Timer Quality of Life
  • The contract widget will now display a visual timer (bar) indicating the remaining time on the contract.

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue causing the Resupply perk to have an incorrect secondary description.

• Fixed an issue causing some players to experience stuttering when moving the cursor on the Tac-Map.

• Fixed an issue that caused player names to overlap with reward text while completing a Bounty contract.

• Fixed an issue preventing players from pinging the Gulag Entry token in the Buy Station.

• Fixed an issue causing the Tac-Map to display the incorrect reward amount for a contract during a Contractor Event.

• Fixed an issue causing the player to get kicked to the Front End after selecting the 'View division rewards' in the 'Rank & skill division' tab of the Ranked Play.

• Fixed an issue that would rarely cause the “pickup” popup on objects to disappear.

• Fixed an issue that caused the player to be kicked to the front end after selecting “Reset Filter” while editing weapons.

• Fixed an issue causing inconsistencies with the “Squad Fill” option when the player queues with the Play Again.

• Fixed an issue with the Ranked Resurgence SR Overview menu incorrectly displaying iridescent SR milestone breakpoints.

• Fixed several occlusion issues allowing players to exploit the map.

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The post Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue  appeared first on Xbox Wire.

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Hive Jump 2: Survivors arrives in Steam Early Access today. To celebrate, publisher Midwest Games and developer Graphite Lab have shared an exclusive trailer for the Survivors-like sequel. The first Hive Jump caught our eye way back in 2015 when we named it one of the most promising indie titles on display at PAX West that year before its launch in 2017. The original Hive Jump served as a four-player co-op homage to Super Metroid, but Hive Jump 2: Survivors takes inspiration from a different title: Vampire Survivors.

The genre, called "bullet heaven," puts players in the shoes of a single character who eventually builds up to become extremely powerful as the waves of enemies grow more intense. Hive Jump 2: Survivors carries forward the look of its Metroidvania predecessor but from the genre-standard top-down perspective. You take control of a lone survivor of an alien attack who must now face seemingly insurmountable odds to survive. You can customize your loadout and upgrade your jetpack to destroy enemies and escape tough situations.

The jetpack also allows you to traverse the levels in ways not available in Vampire Survivors. The Jumpers have specific builds that allow you to cater to your play style, which combines with the upgrades you select before each run. You can play with auto-assist aiming or switch to manual controls. If you can survive 14 rounds, you can challenge big boss battles. As you collect goo from fallen enemies, you can earn better weapons, upgrades, and relics to improve your odds. Meanwhile, amber you find in the field can be traded for permanent upgrades to stats, magnets for auto-scavenging, or even screen-wiping nukes.

You can see an exclusive look at the Early Access launch trailer below.

Hive Jump 2: Survivors launches into Steam Early Access today. For more on the work produced by Graphite Lab, check out our review of their 2023 2D platformer, Mr. Run and Jump, here.

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Sony has confirmed a new PlayStation State of Play Showcase is coming this week on May 30, and will reveal more details on 14 PS5 and PSVR 2 games. Scheduled for 3 PM PT, 6 PM ET, it'll be livestreamed across Sony's YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok channels. The PlayStation company added that the event will run for over 30 minutes.

This is the first Sony State of Play since January, and that event was primarily focused on games arriving in the first half of 2024, like Rise of the Ronin and Stellar Blade. Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding 2 was also prominently featured, alongside the developer's new mystery game Physint. Described as an action-espionage game, Kojima said Physint will see him return to his Metal Gear Solid roots with the use of advanced technology to help him create a hybrid game and movie experience.

State of Play arrives during a very busy time on the gaming calendar. While there aren't too many high-profile games coming out in June, the month is crammed with numerous showcase events, like Summer Game Fest 2024, the Xbox Games Showcase, and a new Nintendo Direct amongst many other gaming livestreams.

Interestingly, Sony is also a confirmed Summer Game Fest partner, but it hasn't revealed yet how involved it'll be with the annual show hosted by Geoff Keighley.

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Sony has announced its intentions to hold a State of Play broadcast this week that will last for a little over 30 minutes and feature updates on 14 PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2 games with a specific focus on PlayStation Studios titles arriving later this year.

State of Play returns with a 30+ minute broadcast this Thursday at 3pm PT / 11pm BST: https://t.co/eJWbP09sv3

Tune in live for updates on 14 PS5 and PS VR2 titles, including a look at PlayStation Studios titles arriving later this year. pic.twitter.com/B6Uc6aLWKF

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) May 29, 2024

Sony has no additional details, but Some PlayStation Studios developers we have not heard from in awhile include Asobi (Astro's Playroom), Bend Studio (Days Gone), Bluepoint (Demon's Souls remake) , Guerrilla (Horizon Zero Dawn), Housemarque (Returnal), Insomniac Games (Spider-Man), Naughty Dog (The Last of Us), Santa Monica Studio (God of War), and Sucker Punch (Ghost of Tsushima). There are more, but those are arguably the developers gamers would be most excited to receive updates from.

At the very, very least, I am hoping for an Astro Bot: Rescue Mission PlayStation VR2 port.

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Recently, an interview with Naughty Dog's co-president (and The Last Of Us co-creator) Neil Druckmann made waves on social media, with some of Druckmann's apparent comments about AI (and other topics) drawing polarized reactions. Now, Sony has removed the interview entirely, stating that the company found "several significant errors and inaccuracies that don't represent his perspective and values."

The interview contained several statements that were circulated widely on social media, including one about AI "expanding creative possibilities" and another where Druckmann reportedly said that Naughty Dog's next project could "redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming." However, Druckmann later went to social media to clarify that the interview did not accurately report the actual words he said, even providing his own direct transcript to show that it did not match up.

Sony pulled the interview less than a week later, offering a statement which reads in part: "In re-reviewing our recent interview with Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, we have found several significant errors and inaccuracies that don't represent his perspective and values (including topics such as animation, writing, technology, AI, and future projects)." Sony further apologized to Druckmann for "misrepresenting his words."

It's unclear how exactly this sort of thing can happen in an internal company interview, or why it took Sony so long to remove the interview entirely. In recent Naughty Dog news, Jeffrey Wright (who played Isaac in The Last Of Us: Part II) was recently cast to play the same role in the upcoming second season of the TV show, which is based on the sequel.

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Amazon Prime members can look forward to several new games in June, as old-school Star Wars action, weird cowboy capers, and a cosmic adventure with noir undertones are headlining the month. As usual, these seven titles will be released in waves, with each week bringing new games to add to your collection.

Kicking off the month is Star Wars: Battlefront 2, the multiplayer game set in the iconic galaxy. This is the classic edition of the 2005 game, which came with playable Jedi characters and 16 new locations at the time, including Star Wars: Episode 3 environments such as Utapau, Mustafar, and the dangerous airspace above Coruscant.

If you'd prefer high-noon action instead, Weird West is a pretty great game to grab in June. A dark fantasy-RPG, Weird West has lawmen and gunslingers taking on deadly supernatural creatures across harsh terrain. The definitive edition is a more visually impressive version of the game, as it upgrades Weird West to run at a native 4K resolution and 60fps.

Next on the list is Genesis Noir, a game where you play as watch salesman No Man in a stylized world of puzzles and gods. Caught in a love triangle with cosmic beings, No Man has to search for a way to prevent or destroy all of creation and save his one true love. While the concept of exploring trillions of years of human history might sound daunting, Genesis Noir is a surprisingly approachable game and it's enhanced by a terrific jazz soundtrack.

The other games available this month include the farming adventure Everdream Valley, roguelike action game MythForce, and the fast-paced metroidvania Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread. Projection: First Light rounds out the list of June games with puzzle-platforming fun set inside of a mythological shadow-puppet world.

Amazon Prime Gaming members can also get a few extra games to play through the Amazon Luna channel this month, as Metro Exodus, Bee Simulator, Fallout New Vegas: Ultimate Edition, Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, Lego Fortnite, Fortnite Battle Royale, Fortnite Festival, Rocket Racing, and Trackmania are being added to the library of that service. The Luna cloud streaming freebies are only available to stream in June.

Amazon Prime Gaming lineup for June 2024

June 6

• Star Wars Battlefront 2 Classic
• Weird West Definitive Edition
• Genesis Noir

June 13

• Everdream Valley
• Mythforce
• Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread
• Projection: First Light

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Sony has scrubbed an interview with Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann from its website after finding "several significant errors and inaccuracies".

Last week Druckmann took part in an interview with Sony as part of the company's corporate strategy meeting, and at the time, Druckmann was reported to have said that Naughty Dog's next title could "redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming", and that "AI is really going to revolutionise how content is being created".

Soon after it was published, however, Druckmann took to social media to state that his words had been lost in translation, and as such his "words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost".

Read more

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Sony ended 2023 on a blockbuster note with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and if you've been waiting to get a decent discount on the sequel, you're in luck. As part of PlayStation's annual Days of Play sale, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is available for $50 at major retailers, down from its usual price of $70. This special will run until June 12 and is one of several AAA PS5 games being discounted.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 -- $50 ($70)

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Walmart
• Target
• GameStop

Like the 2018 game, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a blast to play. Web-swinging is faster than ever, the story puts a new twist on infamous Spidey villain Venom, and several other antagonists pop up to menace New York's resident webheads, including the deadliest incarnation of Kraven the Hunter, to date. The game also allows you to instantly swap between Spider-Men when you're out on patrol, as you can play as either the original arachnid-themed hero Peter Parker or his protege, Miles Morales.

"Marvel's Spider-Man 2 may largely give us more of what we've played in Insomniac's previous Spider-Man games, but that winning formula is still so damn fun that it really doesn't matter," Jordan Ramee wrote in GameSpot's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review. "The story's exploration of loneliness is fantastic, creating gripping new narratives for the two heroes, Peter and Miles, as well as the two main villains, Kraven and Venom. Spider-Man 2 unites all four characters in a riveting narrative throughline you'll want to see all the way through and has the gameplay hooks to keep you engaged the whole ride."

There have also been a few updates since Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launched, as recent patches have added new costumes to the web warriors wardrobe. For more Days of Play specials, PS5 consoles have been discounted by $50 and you can save $100 on a PlayStation VR 2 kit. You can also check out the list below of PS5 games discounted by $20.

More PlayStation Days of Play game deals

• The Last of Us Part II Remastered -- $40 ($40)
• • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Walmart
• MLB The Show 24 -- $50 ($70)
  • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Walmart
• MLB The Show 24: The Negro Leagues Edition -- $80 ($125)
  • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Walmart
• Rise of the Ronin -- $50 ($70)
  • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Walmart

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Sony has certified a PlayStation VR2 PC adapter in South Korea, as the company readies its plans to make its latest VR headset compatible with computers.

The gadget was approved by South Korea at the end of March for use in the country. As yet, however, Sony is yet to announce it publicly.

A report on the device by UploadVR speculates that the gizmo will allow the headset to simply plug into your PC via the adapter device.

Read more

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Wine snobs will snort a glass of the stuff and go on a tangent about its taste, but what people really want to know is if a particular selection contains the rich flavor of Nier: Automata. Finally, for people of quality, you can down a bottle of wine enhanced with the audio power of Nier composer Keiichi Okabe's soundtrack. Sounds grape to us.

Onkyo Direct (via Rock Paper Shotgun) is selling two bottles of Nier: Automata wine, each loaded with fermented grapes and matured in barrels gently caressed by the sonic hugs of the game's score. The winemaker attached speakers to the barrels and injected them with curated playlists from the soundtrack, to make batches named after two of the protagonists, 2B and 9S.

Will this affect the wine and make it taste better? That's up for debate, but at $80 a bottle, you'll want to find a unique angle to justify dropping that much cash on some adults-only grape juice. It's probably better than what the Merino Brothers make, if that counts for anything. Each bottle also comes with a glass featuring a Lunar Tear design, for when you want to celebrate Nier: Automata in style.

In related news, former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi has suggested that he's working on a new project with Yoko Taro and Keiichi Okabe. "It might be Nier, it might not be Nier. That's about all I can say for now," Kobayashi teased.

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For the first time since 2014, EA is releasing a college football game--and people are pretty excited about. EA Sports College Football releases in July behind a mountain of hype and some notable changes.

First up, EA is no longer working with the NCAA, which is why the series has changed names. In another big step, the game features real player names and likenesses thanks to the Name, Image, Likeness, (NIL) program in college sports. Players are being paid for their appearance in the game.

While the NCAA is not involved in EA Sports College Football, EA has separately struck deals with the relevant rights-owners to secure 134 FBS schools, including their stadiums, fight songs, mascots, and thousands of players.

In this post we're rounding up everything we know about EA Sports College Football 25, including the game's release date, platforms, new gameplay features, and more.

Who's on the cover of EA Sports College Football 25?

The cover of EA Sports College Football 25 has three athletes on it: Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, Texas QB Quinn Ewers, and Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter. These athletes are on the standard and deluxe covers. The MVP bundle, which includes copies of EA Sports College Football and Madden NFL 25, doesn't have any specific cover stars.

EA Sports College Football 25 release date

EA Sports College Football 25 releases on July 19. People who buy the Deluxe Edition can start playing on July 16. Additionally, there is a free 10-hour trial that begins on July 16 via EA Play.

EA Sports College Football 25 platforms

EA Sports College Football 25 will be released across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is no version of the game for PS4/Xbox One or PC.

EA Sports College Football 25 price

The new college football game is priced at $70 for the standard edition, $100 for the Deluxe edition, and $150 for the MVP bundle. Head to GameSpot's EA Sports College Football 25 pre-order guide to learn more.

What's new in EA Sports College Football 25?

The first thing fans may notice is that EA Sports College Football 25 simply looks a lot better than the last entry in the series. After all, it's been 10 years--which is an eternity in the video game space.

EA says player ratings are constantly changing throughout the game, so players will need to leverage their strategy skills and execution on the sticks to win. The game also has a "wear and tear" system, so when "the hits add up, players wear down." You will have to to manage your players' health, fatigue, and injuries to lead your team to victory.

A "pre-snap recognition" feature is now in the game, too, which means every snap matters more, EA said. What's more, EA Sports College Football 25 has a homefield advantage system that makes it harder for away teams to win at the toughest arenas.

Gallery

In terms of game modes, EA Sports College Football 25 has a Dynasty mode that has players creating a coach and controlling a team through a season. This includes fine details like creating a coaching staff and even using the transfer portal. Then there is Road to Glory, which is a mode where players create a player and take them through all facets of the game, from getting a solid GPA in the classroom to excelling on the field and potentially winning a Heisman.

Of course, EA Sports College Football 25 has an Ultimate Team component. Similar to how it works in EA's other roster of sports games, players can build a "dream team" and put their teams to the test in single-player challenges or against the community online. This being Ultimate Team, it can be safely assumed this mode will feature a wide array of microtransactions and loot boxes.

There is also a Road to the CFP mode that gives players a "new way to play competitively" as they try to take their favorite team to the College Football Playoffs and ultimately the National Championship.

Why is NCAA not involved?

EA Sports worked with the NCAA on numerous college football games over the years, but the partnership ended with 2013's NCAA Football 14 due to a variety of issues, including player lawsuits. A decade later, EA opted to break off its relationship with the NCAA and instead sign licensing deals with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and others to get the rights to the 134 FBS schools in the game, along with team-specific elements like stadiums, fight songs, mascots, and more. Fans of college football know that the "gameday experience" includes much more than just school names, after all.

EA Sports College Football 25 pre-orders

EA Sports College Football 25 is available now to pre-order, and there are a number of different editions to choose from. For more, be sure to consult GameSpot's EA Sports College Football 25 pre-order guide.

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CD Projekt Red first announced that it was adapting Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk in 2012, and the game had a lengthy development cycle that culminated in Cyberpunk 2077 getting delayed to 2020. Because the game launched with numerous bugs, Sony delisted Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store for over six months while CD Projekt Red addressed the issues. But now, for the first time in a decade, no one at CD Projekt Red is working on Cyberpunk 2077.

The announcement came as part of CD Projekt's latest earnings briefing, as CFO Piotr Nielubowicz released the company's updated financial results for the first quarter of 2024. Cyberpunk 2077's expansion, Phantom Liberty, was released last fall. Since then, one last major update for the game was released in December 2023.

On X, CD Projekt Red released a breakdown of its development team and its current projects. While Cyberpunk 2077 still had 17 developers at the end of February, it currently has none.

There are now four different gaming projects in the works at CD Projekt Red, each of them in various stages of development. The Witcher 4, which the company has codenamed Polaris, has 407 developers currently working on the title. That game is expected to begin full production some time later this year. There are an additional 39 developers working on a Witcher spin-off, which is known internally as Sirius.

Additionally, there is a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel in development internally called Orion, which has 56 developers as of the end of April 2024. The fourth game CD Projekt Red is working on is Hadar, a standalone IP that only has 20 developers so far.

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