We’re thrilled to have finally revealed the next game in the Life is Strange series, Life is Strange: Double Exposure!
It’s been deeply rewarding to work on, and we can’t wait for you to dive deeper into the supernatural murder mystery we’ve been working on for over four years. And long-time fans will be thrilled to know that our original star, Max Caulfield, is making a return.
When Max was an eighteen year-old photography student, she manifested the power to rewind time and became entangled in the dark side of Blackwell Academy, a high school in the small town of Arcadia Bay.
In Life is Strange: Double Exposure, we pick up several years later, finding Max trying to build a new life for herself as an artist-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University.Max has spent years on the road photographing desolate spaces, keeping everyone at a distance, as the decisions of her past still hang heavy over her.
Caledon is the first place in years where Max has felt the pull of community. She’s begun to reach out again, to make friends and connections… and then all that is torn away from her in a single night, when she finds her new friend, the poet Safi Llewellyn-Fayyad, dead in the snow.
Murdered.
Max’s shock soon turns to confusion – Safi’s death seems impossible, not just in its suddenness, but in the lack of clues, of suspects; not to mention the fact that Max saw her alive just seconds before.
As the days pass, her shock turns to determination to find the truth. That’s when she starts to hear Safi’s voice. Reaching out, straining every supernatural sinew, Max tears a hole in reality and passes through into a parallel timeline. Here, Safi is still alive. And still in danger! Max is the only one who might be able to save her friend.
She also discovers her power, long-dormant, has changed. She can now Shift back and forth between two parallel timelines, each moving forward in sync. In one timeline, Safi is dead, and her friends and the campus mourn. In the other, Safi is very much alive, and Max is the only one who knows that a deadly threat stalks the college.
For the first time, players will have to solve and prevent the same murder, while uncovering every secret that Caledon holds. As you might be able to tell, the friendship between Max and Safi is core to this new mystery. Let’s touch on a few key shots from the trailer to delve into that a little more…
Max is back! For the first time in nearly a decade, players will take control of Max Caulfield – either again, or for the very first time. Even if you’re completely new to Life is Strange, you’ll get everything you need in this story to understand Max’s past, and her emotional journey.
One of the things that was most important to us when crafting this story was that Safi wasn’t just a plot device, or a body. The fact that she is very much alive in one of the two timelines means she remains a vivid presence throughout the game. Discovering what makes her tick is just as important as finding out who she may have ticked off.
With Safi still alive in one timeline, Max also has access to something no other detective has – the murder victim: able to answer all of her probing questions!
Max is also the only person with the power to Shift between the two timelines. Max can Shift at various Shift Points in the world – soft places in reality, where the wall between the timelines is thin. As she explores both timelines, the mysteries keep adding up – but only Max has the ability to get to the truth.
Max and Safi will need all your help when Life is Strange: Double Exposure launches October 29 this year – and those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition can play both Chapters 1 and 2 from October 15!
And there’s still more to come this very week. We’ll showcase Max Caufield’s new adventure in an in-depth Reveal Livestream this Thursday, June 13, at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST – including a first look at extended gameplay, and an overview of Max’s new power. Follow us on X, Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest from the Life is Strange universe.
We can’t wait to welcome you all into the snowy grounds of Caledon University, and place two timelines at your fingertips.
It’s been 10 years since the groundbreaking Dragon Age: Inquisition launched on Xbox One, and for those of us steeped in the world of Thedas, this past weekend brought us something new to savor – and the promise that our wait for more is nearly at an end. First, Bioware popped up to announce that what was once referred to as “Dragon Age: Dreadwolf” is to be formally known as Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
The game then resurfaced at the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday with a first look at the companions who join you on your quest, ranging from familiar face Harding, a Scout seen barroom brawling with Varrick, to Bellara, the Veil Jumper seen, well, jumping through The Veil. Behind closed doors at Summer Games Fest Play Days, I would soon see much, much more, during a nearly one hour look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
The demo, driven by Creative Director John Epler, kicked off from the very beginning of the game. Before the game, really, with a full run through of perhaps the most thoughtful character creator I’ve ever seen, aligning with Bioware’s key game pillar of “be who you want to be.”
Players will begin by selecting their race from Dragon Age staples like elves, qunari, humans, and dwarves, with the option to customize their appearance extensively or select from detailed presets. From there, one can remix their avatar from expected options like facial features to less common toggles such as heterochromia. The body shape selector is a series first, and I even spied a larynx customizer (an industry first?). Clear effort was put into a diverse selection of detailed hairstyles, emphasizing that commitment to player expression.
In a thoughtful touch, players may preview their character in various lighting scenarios and outfits before finalizing their creation, reducing the likelihood of wanting to re-roll the first time they see how they look in a dimly-lit tavern. With all the effort that’s gone into making sure your character looks exactly how you’d like them to, I was pleased to learn that the game includes a “hide helmet” option for cutscenes; let me see that much-fussed-over mug in every situation, thank you.
From there, we dove into class and specializations, netting out with a Human Rogue member of the Shadow Dragons, a group of rebel mages – and off we went into the world.
The story begins with your quest to confront the Dread Wolf, Solas, in the Tevinter capital, a magical nation often referenced in Dragon Age, but never visited until now. While it’s natural to expect visual improvements in a series last seen a decade ago, I couldn’t help but marvel at just how good it looks. The city’s visual design is captivating, featuring a floating panopticon monitoring the city in an oppressive manner, reminiscent of Sauron’s gaze.
Before long, chaos erupts as Solas attempts to unravel the Veil, the mystical barrier separating the physical world from the more ethereal Fade, and our journey to Guard said Veil begins in earnest. As monsters stampeded through the city, I got several looks at combat mechanics, which blend strategy and real-time action. I challenged demo driver Mr. Epler to parry attacks great and small, which he did with aplomb via the LB button, also making use of melee attacks and a regenerating source of rogue’s arrows.
As our Rogue unlocked his first ability, Static Strikes, I got a first look at the ability wheel, which now pauses the action fully as you plan your next move. While abilities can be triggered immediately without entering the ability wheel, this powerful wave attack highlighted the importance of positioning – well-aimed Static Strikes can tear through multiple enemies at once. You’ll also use this wheel to direct your companions’ powers and target selection.
As the demo progressed, we met and were joined by Neve (“The Detective”), and eventually caught up with Solas, setting off a cataclysmic moment better experienced than described here. And with that, our demo came to a close, leaving me with only a longing to see more Dragon Age: The Veilguard and another gaze towards the “Coming Fall 2024” end slate of the reveal trailer.
Dragon Age™: The Veilguard
Electronic Arts
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
Welcome to Dragon Age™: The Veilguard. Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in savage combat and secret magics. Now, the fate of this world teeters on a knife’s edge. Thedas needs a new leader; one they’ll never see coming. You’ll forge a courageous fellowship to challenge the gathering storm. Friendship, drama, and romance will abound as you bring striking individuals together into an extraordinary team. Become the leader and light the beacon of hope in their darkest moments. Full reveal Summer 2024.
Ein brandneues, kostenloses Update für Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2* erscheint in Kürze und bringt acht neue Anzüge für Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2 – darunter einige neue Designs und wiederkehrende Favoriten aus früheren Spielen. Dieses Update, das am 18. Juni veröffentlicht wird, berücksichtigt auch das Feedback der Community und umfasst Stabilitätsverbesserungen des Spiels.
Zunächst einmal freuen wir uns, vier neue Anzüge, die in Zusammenarbeit mit Colm Dillane, auch bekannt als KidSuper, und einigen besonderen Gast-Kollaborateuren entstanden sind, vollständig zu enthüllen. Diese Neuinterpretationen der Spidey-Anzüge wurden gleichmäßig unter den Spinnenhelden aufgeteilt. Außerdem wurden sie von Grund auf von KidSuper, Vini Jr., Lando Norris und Rina Sawayama entworfen. Ihr könnt sie euch hier ansehen – zusammen mit einigen Anmerkungen von jedem Designer!
Metro-Anzug (Miles Morales)
– entworfen von KidSuper
Modedesigner Colm Dillane, auch bekannt als KidSuper, hat den Metro-Anzug für Miles Morales entworfen, der in zusätzlichen Varianten erhältlich ist: Rot auf Schwarz, klassischer Spidey und Blaugrün auf Lila. KidSuper hat sich nicht nur für diese Anzüge mit uns zusammengetan, sondern auch eng mit unseren besonderen Gästen zusammengearbeitet, um ihre Anzüge zu entwerfen!
“Das Puffer-Design, das man oft in meinen KidSuper-Kollektionen sieht, und die exklusive Farbe des Originals! Wir haben Designs entwickelt, die sich wirklich originell angefühlt haben, wie etwas, das nur von uns sein könnte.“
– KidSuper
Ginga-Anzug (Miles Morales)
– entworfen von Vini Jr. und KidSuper
Der Fußballprofi Vini Jr. zeigt seine Inspirationen offen. Der Ginga-Anzug ist eine Liebeserklärung an Brasilien und den wunderbaren, internationalen Fußballsport. Daran erinnern sowohl das Design als auch seine Farbgebung. Dies ist ein sportlicher Look für Miles Morales in Schwarz, Grün, Gelb mit einem blauen Shader. Natürlich bietet dieser Anzug auch andere Stile: Rot auf Schwarz, klassisch und Gold auf Weiß.
“Ich wollte die brasilianische Kultur und mein Volk feiern. Ich liebe einfach das gesamte Design, weil es die Energie und Action hat, mit der ich Spider-Man assoziiere – aber auch ein bisschen brasilianisches Flair vorhanden ist. Dadurch wird dieser Anzug zu etwas ganz Besonderem, was ihn von anderen abhebt.“
– Vini Jr.
Fluro-Anzug (Peter Parker)
–gemeinsamer Entwurf von Lando Norris und KidSuper
Beim Motorsport-Phänomen Lando Norris dreht sich alles um Geschwindigkeit. Zusammen mit der rasanten Action aus Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2 spiegelt Norris‘ Anzug das Tempo wider. Er wurde komplett vom Rennsport inspiriert, inklusive Helm und Schutzanzug, was alle, die auf Rennstrecken der Welt Gas geben, auch erkennen werden. Der Fluro-Anzug bietet eigene Anzugstile mit einigen Varianten, wie zum Beispiel ein klassisches Farbschema, Weiß auf Schwarz und Rosa auf Blau.
“Die Hauptinspiration für das Design war das Gefühl von Geschwindigkeit. Ich wollte auch Rennsport-Elemente und -Materialien wie Karbon einbauen, zusammen mit meiner bekannten Fluro-Farbe, die ihr auf dem Anzug sehen könnt. Der Karbon-Stil-Effekt des Anzugs gefällt mir am besten.“
– Lando Norris.
Motorchic-Anzug (Peter Parker)
– gemeinsamer Entwurf von Rina Sawayama und KidSuper
Sängerin/Schauspielerin/Model Rina Sawayama verpasst Spideys Spind einen knallharten Motorrad-Look. Der vollständig aus Leder gefertigte Motorchic-Anzug verleiht Peter Parker ein dynamisches Design, das in Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2 seinesgleichen sucht.Der Anzug bietet auch andere Varianten: ein klassisches Farbschema, Schwarz und Gold.
“Bei der Entwicklung dieses Anzugs wollte ich meine Liebe zur Mode ausleben, und das Ergebnis ist meiner Meinung nach genau das: Es macht Spaß, ist praktisch, ausgefallen und schick. Ich persönlich liebe die Metalldetails am Anzug. Er fühlt sich immer noch wie das an, was ich mir als klassischer Spider-Man vorgestellt habe, nur etwas robuster. Er sieht ziemlich widerstandsfähig aus und würde im Kampf sehr gut bestehen!“
– Rina Sawayama
Außerdem freuen wir uns, dass vier beliebte Legacy-Anzüge aus Marvel‘s Spider-Man und Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales zum Spiel hinzugefügt werden! Auf Wunsch der Community werden diese vier Anzüge für Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2 nachgeliefert, darunter zwei für Peter und zwei für Miles. Schaut euch unten an, was euch erwartet!
„Letztes Gefecht“-Anzug (Peter Parker)
Der „Letztes Gefecht“-Anzug mit seiner roten Lederjacke ist ein heiß begehrter Favorit der Fans in Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2! Er wurde mit unseren verschiedenen Anzugstilen aktualisiert und erhält eine klassischere Variante, eine komplett schwarze Variante und einen von Arachno-Man inspirierten Look in Gelb und Grün.
„Ins Spider-Versum“-Anzung (Peter Parker)
Inspiriert vom Design von Peter B. Parker aus Spider-Man: Ins Spider-Versum, verleiht dieser bekannte Look Peter Parkers Garderobe einen ganz besonderen Hauch. Aktiviert den Filmstil-Animationsmodus in den Grafikeinstellungen für einen noch authentischeren Filmlook!
Animierter Anzug (Miles Morales)
Miles gibt es jetzt auch ganz anders. Wir fügen den animierten Anzug von Miles Morales zu Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2 hinzu.Dieser Anzug erinnert an klassische Cartoons und Comics von früher.
„Stolzer Uptowner“-Anzug (Miles Morales)
Der „Stolzer Uptowner“-Anzug mit seinen goldenen Verzierungen ist ein absoluter Favorit aus Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales und er kommt jetzt auch zu Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2!Dieses Mal erhält der „Stolzer Uptowner“-Anzug neue Farbvarianten: silberne Verzierung, Schwarz auf Rot und Blau auf Pink.
Zu guter Letzt bringt unser neuestes Update Stabilitätsverbesserungen ins Spiel und geht auf das Feedback der Community ein, wie zum Beispiel mit der Möglichkeit, Parier- und Fortbewegungsfähigkeiten des Symbionten und der Spider-Arme auszutauschen und umgekehrt. Dieses Update, Version 1.003.000*, wird am 18. Juni verfügbar sein, also haltet die Augen danach offen!
Wenn ihr noch keine Gelegenheit hattet, ins Spiel einzusteigen, ist jetzt ein guter Zeitpunkt: Marvel‘s Spider-Man 2 wird derzeit mit der Days of Play von PlayStation gefeiert! Das bedeutet, es gibt satte Rabatte auf physische und digitale Editionen im PlayStation Store und bei teilnehmenden Händlern! Holt euch das Spiel, bevor die Aktion am 12. Juni 2024 endet!
Folgt Insomniac Games in den sozialen Medien unter @InsomniacGames und tretet unserem Discord bei, wo wir die kompletten Patch-Hinweise kurz vor der Veröffentlichung mit euch teilen werden. Wir freuen uns darauf, zu hören, was ihr denkt, wenn das Update nächste Woche erscheint!
* Für das Update v.1.003.000 ist eine Internetverbindung erforderlich
Hi, I’m Simon Dasan, Creative Director at A44. For those of you who don’t know us, we’re an indie studio from New Zealand and released our first game, Ashen, back in 2018. I’m excited to say we’ve announced the release date for our upcoming explosive souls-lite adventure, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Mark your calendars, because your journey begins on July 18, 2024! Flintlock is coming to Xbox Series X|S with pre-orders available now and will also be available at launch for anyone with Game Pass.
Flintlock is a thrilling action-RPG that takes the knowledge and experience we gained from Ashen and elevates it. While it retains elements of the Souls genre, it infuses it with rapid mobility, creating a rhythmic combat dance reminiscent of more action-oriented gameplay styles. You can weave in flintlock weapons, axe combat and magic to chain combos together, while using jumps and dodge abilities to quickly get to safety or rain attacks down on your enemies from above. It’s a style we like to call Souls-lite!
The story of Flintlock is set in the world of Kian, 10 years after the Door to the Great Below was opened, unleashing the gods and their armies of the dead. The lands of Kian are overrun, and the Coalition Army is tied up in an increasingly hopeless siege outside the city of Dawn’s walls. And just as the army sends in its elite sapper troops to try and turn the tide of war by breaching the walls, it seems that they meddled where they shouldn’t have.
By breaching the walls, Nor Vanek, a Flintlock weapons expert, and her comrades have also freed Uru, the Guardian of the Door, and nothing can now prevent the gods and the dead from ravaging the surrounding regions. Only by teaming up with a fox-like creature – now revealed to also be a God called Enki – can Nor hope to find both vengeance and redemption by venturing on a quest to kill all Gods. The enemy of my enemy…
While Flintlock provides enhanced mobility to combat, it will nonetheless demand quite a bit of training before you can master its combat. But if you desire a greater test of skill, the game enables you to challenge yourself on the demanding Possessed difficulty mode, with more aggressive and powerful enemies. Perfect for the true challenge-seekers… Or a second run?
We can’t wait for you to get your hands on Flintlock when it’s released in July. We’re grateful for the support of all the Flintlock fans, and are excited to see all of you take on the cruel Gods to rid Kian of their domination.
For those eager to further customize Nor, a Deluxe Edition is also available to pre-order, which includes three alternative outfits for Nor – the Noble, Vanguard & Champion outfits – as well as a new customization set for your axe & pistol. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn launches on Xbox Series X|S July 18.
Flintlock – Deluxe Edition
Kepler Interactive
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$44.99
The Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn – Deluxe Edition includes the base game and three customization packs for Nor.
· Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn – Noble Outfit
· Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn – Champions Outfit
· Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn – Vanguard Outfit Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
From independent games studio A44, makers of Ashen, comes an explosive Souls-lite, where Gods and guns collide in a battle for the future of humanity. The Door to the Great Below has been opened unleashing the Gods and their armies of the Dead. The lands of Kian are besieged, the city of Dawn is on the brink of destruction. It’s time for the Coalition army to fight back. Embrace vengeance, gunpowder and magic as you embark on an epic journey to defeat the Gods, close the door and retake the world. Your battle begins now.
Kill. All. Gods.
One of the elements I really liked here was that if you should ever lose your way, you can always ask the adorable, armadillo-like Nix. Beyond being cute as heck, Nix’s power allows enemies and objectives to be temporarily highlighted, helping you find your way through a level or sneak past enemies. Despite my best efforts, however, I was always quickly detected which would then kick off a firefight.
Combat feels solid, between throwing a punch and blasting enemies, everything feels fluid and responsive. Kay’s unique blaster features three modes: Plasma (lethal), Ion (droids), and Stun (non-lethal). She also has a focus-like ability that slows down time and lets you mark a handful of enemies, letting her rattle off a series of shots as time returns to normal.
She can also pick up any weapon that falls to the ground from defeated foes to use against them, but won’t retain it in her inventory, dropping it once it has served its purpose. I like the decision here because it grounds the game a bit in Star Wars’ reality – there’s no magic backpack that lets you stockpile a variety of weapons. So, expect to lean in on Kay’s blaster for most of these firefights.
Brand new 5v5 hero FPS FragPunk will keep you on your toes thanks to its unique rule bending gameplay mechanic: Shard Cards!
With 10 heroes, their unique abilities and 15 weapons to choose from, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from to find your fun!
FragPunk releases in 2025 on Xbox and PC. Wishlist and sign up now for more updates!
We are thrilled to have unveiled FragPunk at the Xbox Summer Showcase 2024. FragPunk is a shooter that wants to carve its own space in the competitive FPS genre with its unique blend of fast-paced combat and dynamic rule changes. In FragPunk, every round brings a new challenge, thanks to its unique shard card system.
As part of an action-packed announcement trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase, FragPunk showcased its innovative power-up cards, a feature primed to shake up the Hero Shooter genre with a fresh, everchanging experience for players.
In this free-to-play game, players will be divided into two teams of 5 and will get to select gameplay modifying cards before entering each round. Their goal for each round will either be to plant a converter in the zones defended by the other team or to defend against oncoming attackers. To that end, players will be able to mix and match 10 heroes, 15 weapons, and over 70 cards on 4 different maps, ensuring that no two rounds are ever alike. More cards, heroes, weapons and maps are also on the way to keep the game fresh when it goes live!
A Look at the Powerful Shard Card System
The trailer offers a glimpse into the intense gunfights and counter-attacks enabled by shard cards. Featured cards include “Chain Reaction,” which releases chain lightning upon firing bullets. Meanwhile, “World Flip” turns the world upside down, demonstrating the game’s dynamic and exhilarating gameplay. These cards add an element of surprise and strategy to each match, encouraging players to adapt and evolve their tactics. The announcement trailer showcases the variety and unexpectedness that can be brought to the battlefield, hinting at even more cards to come, promising to further enhance the player experience.
A Uniquely Dynamic 5v5 FPS
With its unique blend of features, FragPunk has a whole lot to offer players alongside the game-changing Shard Card System. Here’s a broader look at some of FragPunk’s core details
Shard Cards themselves are central to the game, but they go beyond their effect alone! Indeed, synergies and counterplay between cards, heroes, weapons and maps add an exciting layer above how matches are played.
A FragPunk match lasts 7 rounds, and each round lasts 2.5 minutes, as you navigate through a fierce battlefield. So no time to waste, hone your reflexes and get that win!
Each of the original 4 maps feature distinct environments with plenty of details, offering you a one of a kind view while the bullets fly.
Arm yourself with an arsenal of weapons ranging from Assault Rifles to Sniper Rifles, each with its own unique attributes and capabilities. Whether you prefer to unleash rapid-fire attacks or take down enemies from afar, FragPunk has something for every playstyle.
“We wanted to create a game that breaks the mold and offers something truly unique to players,” says Xin, FragPunk producer. “With FragPunk, every match offers a new challenge, thanks to our innovative card-based gameplay mechanics. Whether you’re a seasoned FPS veteran or a newcomer to the genre, there’s something here for everyone.”
FragPunk is coming to Xbox in 2025, follow @PlayFragPunk on X (formerly Twitter) to keep up to date on development.
By now you have hopefully seen the trailer for Rebellion’s brand-new game Atomfall, which featured in the Xbox Summer Showcase. If not, then take a look:
Atomfall is a single player survival-action game set in post-war Britain that draws inspiration from real-world events, British science fiction (such as The Day of the Triffids, The Quatermass Experiment, and the classic Doctor Who of the era) and mixes in Cold War paranoia and folk horror weirdness to create an intriguing game world that you just have to explore.
For this blog, we thought that it would be fun to give you a little more insight into what you see in the announcement trailer and some extra information about the game, its setting, and the characters you will meet along the way. Here are five key take aways about Atomfall!
1. Where Are We?
The trailer reveals glorious, seemingly idyllic, British countryside – resplendent with a local pub, classic red phone boxes, and a quaint village sign telling you that you are in Wyndham in the Lake District. This cheery outlook quickly changes as you see abandoned cars, a fallen helicopter, and a rusty childless playground. All is not as “bright and beautiful” as it first appeared to be.
2. What’s Happened?
The news report voiceover tells us about an “emergency at Windscale Atom Plant”. To provide some context, in 1957 there was a fire at a nuclear site in the north of England which was the first major nuclear accident anywhere in the world.
Atomfall is a story told in the speculative fiction style of 1950s/’60s Britain, exploring what has happened in the local area five years after the Atom Plant emergency. A lot has changed and it’s up to you as the player to unravel the mystery – meeting various factions, cults, and characters along the way.
The way you interact with the people and groups you meet will shape the story and ultimately affect the fate of the quarantine zone.
3. What’s With the Soldiers?
In response to the disaster the army has been sent in to create and maintain a quarantine zone. This response force is known as ‘Protocol’. They are the ones tasked with keeping people safe -but after five years, their outlook has soured…
You will learn more about Protocol as you interact with them – and the people they seek to control – over the course of the game. Are they a force for good, keeping people safe? Are they a force of oppression, making life harder for those in the quarantine zone? Or is there more going on? What are they hiding?
4. Why do I need a metal detector?
Supplies are scarce in Atomfall. You will need to hunt and scavenge for resources including food, crafting materials, weapons, and ammunition. Every bullet is important, and it is vital that you don’t waste them!
A metal detector will help you to scavenge as much as you can and unearth other secrets too – but firstly you will have to find one or barter for one. Either way, it’s not going to be easy!
5. Did I See Robots? With Flamethrowers!?
Yes! Protocol are using all the resources at their disposal to maintain the quarantine. This includes scavenging equipment from B.A.R.D. (British Atomic Research Division) science bunkers. The robots are programmed to do everything necessary to maintain the quarantine. You need to make sure you know what you are doing before choosing to take one on. I hope you weren’t expecting a pleasant quiet walk in the country!
There is so much more in the trailer we could touch upon: taking out killer Morris dancers with cricket bats, defending yourself with a selection of ranged weapons (including pistols, SMGs, bows and arrows and more), the strange blue glow on the Windscale plant in the distance, creepy guys in hazmat suits, weird monsters hidden in underground bunkers…
However, that will all have to wait for a later time.
We have a lot more to share and reveal in the leadup to the release of Atomfall in 2025. We are delighted to say that the game will be coming to Game Pass on day one and will be playable across Xbox consoles and PC.
We cannot wait for you to explore the Atomfall mystery. See you in the countryside!
Yesterday, Avowed appeared at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 with a brand new trailer, revealing more of the game’s captivating story and giving us further insight into one of your four companions, Giatta. If you came out of that wanting to see more, we have a treat for you; on a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel joined hosts Malik Prince and Tina Amini to dive deeper into the gameplay players can expect from the upcoming fantasy action RPG.
We got to see a lot more of the game – which arrives later this year for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and cloud (and coming day one to Game Pass) – revealing more of the Emerald Stair region, showing us two possible approaches to the same quest, the game’s Party Camp, upgrade systems, an optional 3rd-person viewpoint, and more. You can watch the full episode below, or read on for all the key new details.
Patel started by introducing the Emerald Stair region – which you’ll arrive into fairly early into the game – and showed off the region at night. Avowed’s dynamic day-night cycle will change the atmosphere of each of the game’s fantastical biomes significantly, and Emerald Stair after sunset is particularly gorgeous – the nearby town of Fior is home to an enclave of Animancers, who study the science of souls including the Dreamscourge plague sweeping the game’s Living Lands setting (find out more about that here), and their arcane equipment lights up the sky with a deep purple glow.
Speaking of Animancers, the gameplay we saw showed the player on a quest to help them – but before we got there, we met one of the game’s soon-to-be companions, Yatzli. Patel describes Yatzli as “a little lightning ball with a lot of personality,” pointing out that she can get “a little risqué,” and we see very quickly that her dialogue immediately takes a flirtatious tone. This also shows off Obsidian’s trademark of engaging dialogue and choices – certain attributes or character backgrounds you choose will unlock new options, which can add more personality, or even change the outcomes of your conversations.
Yatzli sends us off to collect a Godless Vase – an artifact of the people she studies – and the player is plunged into combat. Even using a mixture of spells, ranged attacks, and melee, we saw the player struggling to take down even smaller enemies at this point – and it’s here that we saw the game’s Party Camp feature.
“It’s both your narrative hub and also your upgrade hub,” said Patel. “That’s where you’ll get to know your companions better, you can get to know their backstories and get to know them better as individuals – you can also hear them getting to know one another through their banters at camp, which is always super-fun to eavesdrop on.”
“One thing we really wanted to create with Party Camp,” continued Patel, “was the sense that you’re adventuring and exploring together through this big wilderness, all of these different landscapes, and Party Camp is this quiet space where you can all huddle together, share a moment of respite, and the pace and the tone of everything is a lot slower and quieter.” As you travel through the game, you’ll hear your companions discuss their lives, share perspectives on what you’ve done together, and perhaps even come into conflict about the decisions that need to be made.
But it also serves an all-important mechanical function: “It’s also where we can upgrade our gear. So we’ve got our Party Stash where we can stow a lot of extra equipment, we’ve got our upgrade screens […] we’re taking some of our older gear that we’ve picked up in the previous region, and we’re going to upgrade it so that we’re better equipped to fight the enemies here.”
With new upgrades in place, the player took down enemies far more capably – helped along by Obsidian’s choice to reflect how effective your attacks are visually and audibly: “We want to make sure that players are getting clear feedback as to when their gear is effective and when, maybe, they need to go back to camp. It looks, it feels, it sounds different when you’re playing with appropriately leveled gear.”
We want to make sure that players are getting clear feedback as to when their gear is effective and when, maybe, they need to go back to camp.
Carrie Patel
We also got a good look at the game’s upgrade system for skills and abilities. “You can upgrade your skills and abilities anywhere as you level up throughout the course of the game,” said Patel. “On certain level-up milestones we’ll get to upgrade our attributes […] and on every level-up milestone we’ll get to pick a new ability.”
This quickly bears fruit, as we see the Fan of Flames skill unlocked and used to reduce a previously-blocked path to ashes. But it wasn’t the only option:
“We wanted to try to, as much as possible, give the different abilities that players can pick up solutions in combat, but also solutions in exploration,” explained Patel. “So there’s almost always more than one way through a particular barrier. You’ll have weapons, your own abilities, spells, weapon enchantments, sometimes even your companions who can use their environmental abilities to help you get through barriers.”
That openness to problem-solving is never clearer than in the other quest we saw in the demo. Having recovered the vase for Yatzli – a key part in your journey to unlocking her as a permanent companion – we saw the player set off to recover an Adragan Heart for the Animancers. This mystical object is being held by the Delemgan, a territorial species who don’t take kindly to adventurers passing through their land.
Initially, we saw the player take a heads-on approach, battling through multiple Delemgan and using every combat ability at their disposal to reach their Queen – who immediately attacks the player for killing so many of her followers. This player would have to finish her off in a boss fight to claim the heart. But here’s where we saw some of Obsidian’s trademark of player choice.
The demo was reloaded, and we saw the player utilizing in-game currency to fully respec their character – adding multiple Ranger abilities that allow them to take a stealthy approach. Using the Shadowing Beyond skill – which renders them invisible for as long as their Essence (the game’s mana) intact, and without engaging any enemies – they took multiple passages to reach the Delemgan Queen without any combat. In doing so, they found her in a far better mood, gifting them the Heart and letting them go in peace.
It’s emblematic of how open Avowed will be to interpretation, and how your choices will allow you to take different paths to get what you need. Skills in particular, are totally open to how you choose to use them:
“You can really mix and match freely between them,” said Patel. “If you want to be all-wizard, you can build entirely throughout that skill tree; if you want to mix and match – make a battlemage, or make someone who can be a little stealthy in certain moments and a little more aggressive in others – you have a lot of freedom to do that.”
If you want to be all-wizard, you can build entirely throughout that skill tree; if you want to mix and match… you have a lot of freedom to do that.”
That openness extends to your cosmetic choices too. We got a glimpse at the game’s optional 3rd person mode – players can choose to play in 1st or 3rd person perspectives – and your choices will be displayed prominently on them too. Your character is a godlike – someone who has been touched by one of the gods that reside in the world of Eora – and it shows, quite literally.
Part of creating your character will be in choosing how your godlike status has manifested. The player-character in the demo has a lichen-like growth across their face or head, but this is part of the character creation process. “With Avowed you can choose exactly what that manifestation looks like,” said Patel. “You will have some that are a lot bigger and more dramatic, and you’ll also have some that are a lot subtler. But either way you have a connection to one of the gods.”
Characters in the world will react to your appearance too: “Some people think that’s very cool, some people think it’s very spooky. Different cultures and individuals have different ways of relating to godlikes, so you’ll get a number of reactions.”
But the key mystery is that, unlike most godlikes, you don’t know which god has put their mark on you. That’s a story point that Patel wouldn’t touch on further – we’ll just have to find out together when Avowed arrives this year.
Hi future Expeditioners! We are Sandfall Interactive, a team of around 30 passionate developers based in Montpellier, France and we are thrilled to reveal our project to you today: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, coming to Xbox Series X|S next year and available day one with Xbox Game Pass. We poured our hearts and souls into creating the game of our dreams, so we sincerely hope you will enjoy our reveal trailer just below.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or just Expedition 33, is a brand-new reactive turn-based RPG that will transport you to a beautiful, surrealist new world inspired by France’s La Belle Epoque — a period famous for its stunning and lavish contributions to the country’s world-renowned culture of art.
Expedition 33 opens in the city of Lumière, the last city of humanity, where everyone knows the age when they will die. Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints a number on her Monolith. This number represents an age — the age of everyone who will soon be erased. Year by year, this number ticks down, more people die, and old age is not so old anymore.
Soon the Paintress will wake again and paints 33, condemning everyone of that age to a gentle death. But with only one year left to live, the members of Expedition 33 embark on a quest to destroy the Paintress.
The Expedition’s Hopeless Quest
You’ll play as Gustave and his fellow Expeditioners on their impossible quest to end the Paintress’ cycle of death. Your journey will take you through a vast and beautiful fantasy world, where you’ll battle deadly adversaries, befriend fabled creatures, and discover traces of the Expeditioners who came before you.
Along the way, you’ll grow your bond with your fellow Expeditioners and piece together their personal stories of heart and heartache. Together, you’ll strive to unravel the mystery of the Paintress – a desperate and seemingly hopeless undertaking that has eluded generations of Expeditioners.
Our Reactive Turn-Based Battle System
At Sandfall, we’re huge fans of turn-based RPGs, action games, and Souls-likes. For Expedition 33 we wanted to create something unique that combines the depth of a turn-based game with the thrill of executing a dodge or a perfect parry. And so was born our unique reactive turn-based battle system.
Each member of the Expedition has a distinct playstyle with their own unique mechanic. You will be able to further customize each character’s stat growth, expansive skill tree, and gear alongside a wide range of learnable passive traits, offering endless opportunities to fine-tune your preferred strategies. We can’t wait to see what crazy builds you will come up with.
But strategy alone won’t suffice. To reach the Paintress you will also need to master the defense systems. During the enemy’s turn, you can dodge, parry, or jump above enemy attacks in real time, allowing you to land devastating counterattacks. Mastering enemy patterns will ensure your victory and who knows, maybe you’ll even finish the battle without taking any damage and earn additional experience?
Additionally, the free-aim system allows you to shoot at enemies’ weak points, offering you a substantial advantage against the hardest foes or flying enemies.
We believe that whether you are an action RPG fan or a turn-based fan (or both), you will enjoy the unique combination that Expedition 33 offers. We’ve focused on creating a challenging, rewarding combat system that will make every battle an enthralling encounter.
Expedition 33 has been developed using Unreal Engine 5 to bring incredible fidelity and beautiful graphics on Xbox Series X|S. You’ll explore an enchanting realm and wander through breathtaking landscapes. From the somber, Paris-inspired city of Lumière, to the stunning Island of Visages, and to the haunting Forgotten Battlefield discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way.
We can’t wait to show you more of our debut game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and we hope you’re excited to learn more about its world, characters, and gameplay. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be released on Xbox Series X|S in 2025 and will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass – you can wishlist the game today on the Xbox Store. We’ll be revealing more details and updates over the next few months, so be sure to follow us at @Expedition33 to stay up to date.
Achtung, PlayStation-Spieler und Fans von Call of Duty: Black Ops ist endlich zurück! Nach vier Jahren bringen Treyarch und Raven das nächste Kapitel des Black-Ops-Franchises mit in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, das am Freitag, dem 25. Oktober erscheinen wird. Wir haben ein paar Infos zu Modi und Features bekommen, die ins Spiel kommen werden. Und zu mehr Items wie zum Beispiel den Pre-Order-Benefits, die ihr von jetzt bis zum Launch verdienen könnt.
Ihr findet hier zurück zum Kern von Black Ops: eine cineastische Single-Player-Kamapgne, Multiplayer und die epische Wiederkehr der rundenbasierten Zombies. Macht euch bereit für eine bewusstseinsverändernde Erzählung und den Schritt hinter die Regeln des Kampfs in allen drei Modi. In Black Ops 6 seid ihr nie sicher, wem ihr vertrauen könnt und was real ist – aber dieser Blog ist real, also lasst uns eintauchen!
Die Black Ops 6 Kampagnen-Geschichte
Es sind die frühen 90er – eine Zeit voller Veränderungen und Aufruhe in der globalen Politik, die sich durch das Ende des kalten Kriegs und dem Aufstieg der USA zu einer Supermacht auszeichnet. Während der Golfkrieg im Vordergrund steht, hat sich eine schattenhafte verborgene Macht in den höchsten Leveln der CIA breit gemacht und verurteilt jeden, der sich widersetzt, als Verräter. Frank Woods, Black-Ops-Veteran, und sein Team sehen sich aus der Behörde und dem Land verstoßen, die sie früher noch als Helden gefeiert hatten. Jetzt werden sie von der militärischen Maschine gejagt, die sie selbst geschaffen hat. Sie müssen auf eigene Faust arbeiten und sich mit der kriminellen Unterwelt zusammenschließen, um einen Schritt vor ihrer eigenen korrumpierten Regierung zu bleiben. Sie werden tun, was immer nötig ist, um die wahren Verräter zu besiegen und ihre Namen reinzuwaschen: selbst wenn das bedeutet, dass sie die gleichen Grenzen wie ihre Gegner überschreiten müssen. Es gibt kein Zurück.
Die Kampagne spielt in den Jahren nach dem kalten Krieg und langjährige Fans werden sehen, dass dieser Zeitraum direkt nach den Flashbacks liegt, die in Black Ops 2 über die 1980er enthüllt wurden – das Nachspiel davon hat unsere Helden nun in dramatischen Umständen gestrandet.
In diesem Kapitel sehen wir eine neue Seite von Frank Woods, die sich nach seiner traumatischen Verletzung durch Raul Menendez entwickelt. Sein Schützling ist Troy Marshall, der sich selbst schon einen Namen im Feld gemacht hat. Marshall ist ein widerwilliger Anführer, der von seinem starken moralischen Kompass gelenkt wird.
Marshall und Woods arbeiten zusammen mit einem neuen Gesicht in Black Ops 6: CIA-Handlerin Jane Harrow. Sie ist die geborene Anführerin, furchtlos und genial und hilft ihnen, ihre Beziehung zur CIA zu managen.
Als eine Operation schief geht, fällt der Verdacht auf Woods und Marshall – bis sie schließlich sogar gezwungen sind, wegzubrechen und keine Wahl haben, als einander zu vertrauen, bis sie den Ereignissen auf den Grund gehen können. Sie müssen ihr eigenes Team aus Ausreißern gründen. Sie können Felix Neumann, ein technisches Genie, und Sevati Dumas, einen mysteriösen Assassinen, rekrutieren.
Mit einer Mischung aus neuen und alten Gesichtern, kommt auch ein legendärer Joker zurück in den Kampf: Russel Adler. Seine Loyalität und Motivation bleiben fraglich und so ist aus dem früheren Verbündeten vielleicht ein neuer und angsteinflößender Gegner geworden.
Dynamisches Kampagnenspiel voller Varianz von Moment zu Moment
Die führenden Entwickler der Kampagne in Black Ops 6 sind Raven Software. Ihr Ziel mit dieser Kampagne war, mehr zu liefern: Mehr Varianz in der Struktur der Missionen, zusätzlicher Fokus auf die Entscheidungen der Spieler, mehr Optionen um alle Missionen abzuschließen und durchgehend dynamisches Moment-zu-Moment-Spielen.
Die Vielfalt der Missionen ist eine Schlüsselkomponente dessen, was PlayStation-Spieler erwarten können. Mit Blick auf die Karten kann man sagen, dass einige Orte sich besser für Stealth eignen, einige eher für große Kämpfe – und die Kampagne balanciert beide. Dabei reicht die Palette vom Sturm auf einen Palast bis zur Organisation eines riesigen Betrugs in einem opulenten, südeuropäischen Casino. Innerhalb der Kampagne kann das Gameplay der Missionen sich unterschiedlich entwickeln, sodass der Spieler die Freiheit hat, sich darin so zu bewegen, wie er es für richtig hält. Das schließt Schlachten wie Konversation ein, bei der Agenten sich unterhalten, flachsen und andere manipulieren müssen, um verschiedene Ergebnisse zu erzielen.
Es gibt viel mehr Kampagnendetails zu erzählen, die Fans jetzt schon auf verschiedenen Call-of-Duty-Kanälen finden – mit mehr Details zu Gegnern, Ausrüstung, der Rückkehr der sicheren Unterkunft und mehr.
Ein Vorgeschmack auf das, was mit dem Multiplayer und der Rückkehr von RBZ kommt
Treyarch lässt nichts unversucht in der Entwicklung von Multiplayer und Zombies. Viel mehr Details wird es später im Jahr geben, aber hier sind schon ein paar Schlüsselinformationen, die wir jetzt teilen können:
Im Black Ops 6 Multiplayer werden Spieler ihre Fähigkeiten in 16 verschiedenen Karten von Anfang an testen können. Darunter sind 12 Kern-6v6-Karten und 4-Strike-Karten, die 2v2 oder 6v6 gespielt werden können. Viele dieser Karten bringen Innovationen des klassischen dreispurigen Kartendesigns mit, sodass schnelle Zeit bis zur Begegnung dazu gehört. Sie wird es im kleinen bis mittelgroßen Bereich geben, damit es die richtige Menge Komplexität gibt. Das ermöglicht dem Spieler eine bedeutsame Wahl dazu, wie sich die Action weiterbewegen kann und der Takt optimal bleibt. Ein Schlüsselpunkt ist für Treyarch, dass die Karte bewusst Gameplayvielfalt unterstützen kann.
Aber das ist noch nicht alle. Frohlocket, Zombiefans! Rundenbasierte Zombies sind in massiver Weise zurück. Spieler können die Horden der Untoten auf zwei brandneuen Karten von Launch an bei der Rückkehr dieses Fanlieblings besiegen. Spieler werden die Fortsetzung der Dark Aether-Geschichte erleben, die in Black Ops Cold War begonnen hatte. Jede Karte enthält dabei einen ausgewählten Mix neuer und vertrauter Elemente.
Und natürlich können Spieler sich in den Saisons nach dem Launch von Black Ops 6 auf noch mehr aufregende Karten und wegweisende Erfahrungen im Multiplayer- und Zombies-Modus freuen.
Wir präsentieren: Omnibewegung
Im gesamten Spiel werden Spieler ihre Grenzen mit verschiedenen neuen globalen Innovationen herausfordern. Dazu gehört auch Omnibewegung, die wohl flüssigste bodennahe Bewegung, die es in Call of Duty je gab. Bewegung war immer schon ein Punkt, auf den sich Innovationen in Call of Duty konzentrierte – und mit Black Ops 6 definiert Treyarch Bewegung auf große Art neu.
Zum ersten Mal können Spieler in alle Richtungen sprinten (vorwärts, seitwärts und auch rückwärts) und sich wie ein echter Black-Ops-Action-Held bewegen. Diese Innovation ermöglicht Spielern auch sofort, sich wie nie zuvor zu bewegen und nahtlos Kampfmanöver aneinander zu reihen – wie rutschen, springen und die ganz neu verbesserten liegenden Bewegungen – alle mit 360°-Bewegungsradius.
Mit Omnibewegung – und der Kern-Spieler-Bewegung allgemein – geht es nicht nur darum, den Spieler schneller zu machen. Es ist vielmehr Treyarchs holistischer Ansatz daran, neu zu definieren, was Black-Ops-Bewegung wirklich bedeutet. Die kommende Multiplayer-Beta wird eine perfekte Gelegenheit für PlayStation-Spieler, das selbst auszuprobieren.
Es gibt viele weitere aufregende Innovationen und Feature, die mit Black Ops 6 kommen werden – auch die Rückkehr eines traditionelleren Call-of-Duty-Prestige-Systems. Aber jetzt lasst uns erst mal einen Blick darauf werfen, wie ihr in die Action einsteigen könnt.
Vorbestellungen sind jetzt im PlayStation-Store erhältlich
Macht euch bereit, in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 einzutauchen, indem ihr irgendeine der digitalen Editionen heute im PlayStation-Store bestellt: das Cross-Gen-Bundle, in dem PlayStation-5- und PlayStation-4-Versionen des Spiels enthalten sind, oder die Vault Edition, zu der das Cross-Gen-Bundle gehört und zusätzlicher Premium-Inhalt.
Bestellt eine der digitalen Editionen vor und ihr erhaltet Early Access zur Open Beta, deren Datum bald angekündigt wird. Und wenn ihr eine der digitalen Editionen vorbestellt, erhaltet ihr das Woods Operator Pack** – damit schaltet ihr sofort die klassische Woods Operator Skin in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III und Call of Duty: Warzone frei. Und ihr erhaltet Zugriff, um die Zombie-Woods- und Numbers-Woods-Skin freizuschalten, indem ihr Herausforderungen im Spiel besteht.
Black Ops 6: Vault Edition
Spieler, die die Vault Edition aus dem PlayStation-Store vorbestellen, können sich auf folgende Premiuminhalt freuen – zusätzlich zum Spiel selbst:
· Hunter-vs-Hunted-Operator-Pack, zu dem die Operator-Skins für Adler, Park, Brutus und Klaus gehören. · Mastercraft Collection, in der fünf verschiedene Mastercraftwaffen enthalten sind. · Saison 1 Black Cell, zu der Inhalte, Tier-Skips, Call-of-Duty-Punkte und mehr gehören*** · GobbleGum Pack für Zombies, zu dem 12 GobbleGums großer Seltenheit gehören.
Haltet Ausschau nach mehr Informationen über Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Und vergesst nie, die Wahrheit liegt …
*Die Startzeit(en) und Plattform-Verfügbarkeiten der MP-Beta unterliegen Änderungsmöglichkeiten. Die minimale Dauer der Open Beta sind zwei Tage. Nur vorrübergehend verfügbar. Es wird eine Internetverbindung benötigt. Ein PlayStation-Plus-Abo kann für die MP-Beta nötig sein.
**Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III oder Call of Duty: Warzone auf PS4/PS5 werden benötigt, um diesen Vorteil einzusetzen. Sie werden einzeln verkauft. Muss bis zum 25. Oktober 2025 eingelöst werden.
***Battle Pass und BlackCell werden in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 verfügbar sein, sobald der Battle-Pass für Saison 1 im Spiel verfügbar wird. Battle-Pass-/BlackCell-Einlösung ist nur für eine Saison von Black Ops 6 Battle Pass möglich.
The Xbox Games Showcase 2024 showed players everywhere that they have a ton of games to look forward to. Fans of Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, Xbox Game Studios, or the countless partners building for Xbox were treated to a peek at what’s coming for their favorite franchises and new games alike.
Players can look forward to incredible returns to beloved series with Gears of War: E-Dayand Doom: The Dark Ages, fresh looks at the likes of State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,Perfect Dark,andSouth of Midnight, a reveal for Starfield: Shattered Space, and much more. The show even extended to Azeroth, with the release date reveal of The War Within, the next expansion for World of Warcraft.
And from our partners, there was a world-first look at gameplay from Assassin’s Creed Shadows, an introduction to your future party members in the greatly anticipated Dragon Age: The Veilguard, an exciting look at the return of Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, not to mention some incredible debuts with the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Atomfall, and Winter Burrow, among many others.
Plus, we brought you a first reveal of new Xbox hardware with the announcement of three new Xbox Series X|S console options joining our current lineup this holiday, featuring the same speed and performance with more design, storage, and price options to fit your needs.
And on top of all that, we also brought the gameplay reveal of a brand-new Call of Duty game with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6– and we’re following it up with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct, offering you an enormous deep-dive into the game. If you can’t tune in live, make sure to check back for a full rundown of what was announced in the second part of our enormous double feature.
This is far from everything we have to show you – all this week, the Official Xbox Podcast will air podcasts from Monday, June 10th, featuring discussions with developers and even deeper looks at some of the exciting games from the show. It all starts tomorrow with an extended gameplay look atAvowed, on Xbox’s YouTube channel and podcast services, followed by Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater on Tuesday. If reading’s more your speed, every episode will be detailed in an Xbox Wire post breaking down what was revealed.
But that’s all still to come. For the time being, here’s every single announcement and reveal from Xbox Games Showcase 2024:
Age of Mythology: Retold – World’s Edge Presents its First-ever Gameplay Trailer
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and cloud, or play it day one with Game Pass
World’s Edge – the award-winning studio behind the Age of Empires franchise – showcased a trailer of truly mythical proportions: with a first look at gameplay from the upcoming Age of Mythology: Retold.
Age of Mythology: Retold will combine the best elements of the beloved Age of Mythology (2002) with modern real-time strategy design, visuals and gameplay. The newly premiered trailer at Xbox Showcase 2024 revealed the first gameplay footage, showing off exciting action and divine powers, as well as some newly redesigned deity portraits. The World’s Edge team also confirmed the launch date for Age of Mythology: Retold – September 4, 2024 – and that this will be the first title in the Age of Empires franchise to ship on both PC and console at launch.
Age of Mythology: Retold is available to pre-order now.
Avowed Offers a New Look at its Captivating Story
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and cloud, or play it day one with Game Pass
This year, brace yourself for an expedition into the uncharted wilds of the Living Lands in Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed. In a brand-new story trailer, we learned more about the incredible journey we’ll be taking later this year, and met Giatta, one of the game’s four companions. As an envoy of the Aedyran Empire, you’re tasked with stopping the Dreamscourge, a mysterious blight wreaking havoc on the tumultuous frontier. Your soul hangs in the balance as you navigate the chaos of the Living Lands and embrace its wonders. Prepare for an expedition into the perilous, captivating, and utterly bizarre unknown where you will forge your destiny and shape the fate of the frontier.
Avowed will be released in 2024 – and you can learn more about the game’s story on Xbox Wire right now.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct Reveals Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies Details
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Battle.net, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or play it day one with Game Pass
It’s official: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the latest addition to the popular Call of Duty franchise, is set to arrive on October 25. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller where nothing is as what it seems. In this mind-bending narrative set in the early 1990s, a shadowy force has infiltrated the U.S. government and players will be forced to go rogue for the first time.
In addition to a compelling new campaign, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 features new innovations like Omnimovement, giving players the ability to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction and move like a Black Ops action hero across all game modes. Including the return of Classic Prestige, Theater Mode, and of course Round-Based Zombies, there’s something for everyone.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 25. Play it day one on select Xbox Game Pass plans (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, Game Pass Console).
Doom: The Dark Ages Comes to Xbox in 2025
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, or play it day one with Game Pass
Revealed worldwide today, Doom: The Dark Ages heralds the return of the unstoppable Doom Slayer in this upcoming single-player, dark fantasy action FPS from the legendary id Software.
The prequel to Doom (2016), Doom: The Dark Ages puts players behind the visor of the mighty Slayer as they battle demonic hordes in grounded, hard-hitting combat inside an epic, cinematic tale of gods, kings and monsters. Supplementing his superhuman skills and over-the-top arsenal, the Slayer will also call upon his colossal Atlan mech to brawl with titanic beasts and retake the skies aboard his ferocious steed: a jet-fueled, cybernetic war dragon.
Don your Shotgun, Shield Saw and Flail and charge headfirst into battle in 2025 when Doom: The Dark Ages arrives on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Add Doom: The Dark Ages to your wishlist via the Microsoft Store.
Playground Games Asks ‘What Does It Mean to be a Hero?’ in the Next Installment of its Fable Trailer Series
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam, or play it day one with Xbox Game Pass
What does it mean to be a hero? In last year’s trailer, that question was answered by Dave, a gardener-turned-giant with a chip on his shoulder. This year, we get a much darker take from Humphry, played by the British comedy actor Matt King. Humphry was once Albion’s greatest Hero, but those glory days are long gone. In Fable, Humphry will be forced out of retirement when a mysterious figure from his past threatens the very existence of Albion.
Playground Games also confirmed its collaboration with Eidos Montreal, who will be supporting the ongoing development of Fable, which will be coming to players in 2025. For Wishlist and more, visit xbox.com/fable.
Gears of War: E-Day is the next mainline game in the Gears of War universe, set during the pivotal Emergence Day. Fourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself.
In the announce trailer for the series’ next major installment, The Coalition has teamed up with Blur Studio to forge a visually stunning trailer using in-game assets in Unreal Engine 5. It features a new instrumental version of ‘Mad World,’ originally performed by Gary Jules for the iconic 2006 commercial, now brilliantly reimagined by the game’s composer Adam Lastiwka. The trailer made its debut in 4K resolution and 30 FPS with 5.1 stereo sound. These specs, optimized for streaming, do not represent the final game’s performance.
Find out more in our conversation with the developers on Xbox Wire.
New Trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, or play it day one on Game Pass
Become the famous archaeologist and face off against sinister forces as you fight to uncover the truth behind one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Brand new gameplay and a scene from a pivotal moment in the game were debuted during the Xbox Showcase. An intercepted message sends Indy and Gina to the Himalayas where their treacherous trek through the mountains leads them to a startling discovery.
Play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle day one on Game Pass when it launches later this year on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Take to the Skies on November 19 with the All-New Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, or play it day one with Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the next installment in the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise. It is the most ambitious consumer flight simulator ever undertaken. It features the largest, most diverse and detailed fleet of aircraft, the most complete representation of airports and air traffic, and the most visually stunning rendition of Earth ever created.
This brand-new simulator is designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, graphics and gaming. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 goes beyond merely operating the aircraft; it will allow simmers to pursue their dream of an aviation career.
With features like aerial firefighting, search and rescue, commercial flights, remote cargo ops, VIP charter service, air racing, and more, simmers will not only be experiencing the joy of flight, but also dive into the pilot career they always dreamed of. The sky is calling! Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 takes off on PC and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, and will be available with Game Pass on console, PC, and cloud on day one.
Perfect Dark Unveils First Look at Gameplay in New Trailer
Today, we got a first look at gameplay from Perfect Dark, The Initiative’s highly anticipated reboot of the secret agent series featuring the iconic Joanna Dark.
In the near future, Earth is struck by a series of global disasters, bringing ecosystems around the world to the verge of collapse. In the all-new Perfect Dark game, you experience the journey of Joanna Dark, dataDyne’s elite agent, as she hunts down the world’s most wanted criminal, Daniel Carrington, to uncover the mysteries behind the technological breakthroughs that could threaten the lives of millions of people.
The new trailer showed us Joanna’s descent into the game’s Cairo setting, offered us a glimpse at the mysteries behind this near-future ecological sci-fi story, and introduced us to a game that blends fluid traversal, gadgets, close-quarters combat, gunplay, stealth, and more to create the ultimate secret agent experience.
Want to know more? Read our exclusive explainer article on Xbox Wire now.
South of Midnight Shows Off First Gameplay – and the Monstrous Two-Toed Tom
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, or play it on day one with Xbox Game Pass
South of Midnight – the beautiful third-person action-adventure game from We Happy Few creators Compulsion Games – showed off its first gameplay trailer during the show, ahead of its launch in 2025. We meet Hazel and her newly-revealed companion, Catfish, as they travel through a flooded area inspired by the Mississippi Delta – and quickly find themselves facing down one of the game’s monster Kings. Meet Two-Toed Tom, a gigantic albino alligator with a powerful hunger, and even his own theme song.
The trailer offers a look at combat and traversal, showing off Hazel’s magical weaving powers, and gives us a taste of the game’s darkly gorgeous Deep South setting. We were lucky enough to sit down with South of Midnight’s developers and dive even deeper on the game – check out our exclusive interview on Xbox Wire.
Open World Zombie Survival Game State of Decay 3 Unveils New Trailer
Today at Xbox Games Showcase, Undead Labs revealed a new trailer for State of Decay 3, giving us a closer look at the ambitious open world zombie survival game. This follow-up to fan-favorite State of Decay 2 represents a huge leap forward for the series and the studio.
In State of Decay 3, the game’s world is now years into the apocalypse, with an evolving zombie threat taking over the landscape. You must fight back and reclaim lost ground, carving out a life for your community of survivalist homesteaders. Fans of the series might pick up on nods to some franchise staples in the new trailer: brutal combat; cooperatively battling back threats to the survivor group; permadeath; opening a car door on a zombie while speeding down the road. But the more you watch it, the more you can see hints at how State of Decay 3 will be the most ambitious game Undead Labs has ever envisioned. To learn more, check out Xbox Wire’s exclusive interview feature.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ First Gameplay Glimpse Revealed
Xbox Series X|S (see developer website for other platforms)
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on November 15 for Xbox Series X|S, giving players a chance to explore 16th Century Japan as Naoe, an adept shinobi from the province of Iga; and Yasuke, a powerful samurai and Assassin’s Creed’s first fully playable historical figure. Today’s gameplay trailer gave fans their first glimpse at what’s new in Assassin’s Creed Shadows – we saw how the two protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe will differ (and complement one another) in equipment and abilities, as well as the game’s wider world, and Shadows’ changing seasons. Stay tuned for a full gameplay walkthrough reveal tomorrow during Ubisoft Forward (starting at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK).
Survive, Explore and Uncover the Truth in Atomfall
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)
Set in the rolling British countryside with idyllic pubs, quaint villages, and red phone boxes, it soon becomes clear that things are far from normal. Created by Rebellion, the makers of the much-loved Sniper Elite and Zombie Army franchises, Atomfall is inspired by a real-world nuclear disaster that occurred in northern England in 1957. The game follows a fictional storyline where you find yourself in the quarantine zone five years after the event.
Explore the countryside, villages, and settlements and meet odd people, wicked cults, rogue government agencies and others along the way. Explore this open world adventure and seek out the truth at your own pace. A single player, survival-action game, Atomfall blends post-war Britain with Cold War paranoia, folk horror, and elements of classic British sci-fi to create an immersive and thrilling gameplay experience.
Atomfall will launch in 2025, coming to Game Pass on day one. It will also be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. The studio will be revealing more about Atomfall soon.
Prepare to Fight for Your Life in Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Xbox Series X|S, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an upcoming reactive turn-based RPG that will transport you to a beautiful, surrealist new world inspired by France’s La Belle Epoque – a period famous for its stunning and lavish contributions to the country’s world-renowned culture of art.
As a member of the Expeditioners, who are embarking on an impossible quest to end the Paintress’ cycle of death, you’ll journey through a vast and beautiful fantasy world where you’ll battle deadly adversaries, befriend fabled creatures, and discover traces of those who came before. You can wish list the game today on the Xbox Store and follow @Expedition33 on X (formally Twitter) to stay up to date.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Meet the Veilguard for the First Time in a New Trailer
Xbox Series X|S (see developer website for other platforms)
BioWare and Electronic Arts revealed a new trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, where we meet your team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape. Together, you will become The Veilguard.
Expanding upon the Dragon Age stories, worlds and characters from previous games, players will enter a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Together with your companions, you will challenge a pair of corrupt ancient gods, who have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world. Thedas needs someone they can count on, and that person is you. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. Find out more on Xbox Wire.
Souls-lite Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Arrives With a Bang on July 18
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)
The long-awaited return from Ashen developer A44 is almost here – during the show, we announced that Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn will arrive on July 18. Set in the beleaguered world of Kian, you’ll guide Nor Vanek, a Flintlock weapons expert, on a quest to kill the rampaging gods that have invaded her world.
Blending classic Souls mechanics with a brutal, fast-paced combat system, Nor can use a combination of axe combat, flintlock weaponry, and magic, creating devastating combos – but you’ll need skill to survive. Pre-orders are open now, and a deluxe edition offers alternative outfits and weapon customization options.
FragPunk Explodes Into the Show
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC(see developer website for other platforms)
Looking for a new competitive FPS? FragPunk is a frantic, squad-based, 5v5 hero shooter where you set the rules of engagement for every new round by activating power-up cards. With its debut at Xbox Games Showcase 2024, FragPunk rocks the hero shooter genre with fast-paced combat and a plethora of synergies and counterplays between over 70 shard cards, 10 heroes, 14 weapons and 4 maps!
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Brings Back Our Original Star
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (see developer website for other platforms)
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure isn’t just a return for the beloved narrative adventure series, but a return for its original star, Max Caulfield. Several years after we guided her through Arcadia Bay, Double Exposure sees Max return later in her life, now an artist-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University.
Unfortunately, calamity is never far away – Max’s friend Safi is killed, and we’ll be plunged into a full-on murder-mystery, with a supernatural twist. Max’s original power to rewind time has morphed into the ability to entirely Shift timelines, and we’ll be exploring two parallel realities – one where Safi is safe and well, and the other in the wake of her death – in order to discover the identity of her killer. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure arrives on October 29, and those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition will be able to play the first two chapters from October 15.
Mecha Break Revealed: Create Your Mech and Take It to War Together
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC(see developer website for other platforms)
Mecha Break is a multiplayer mech-based shooter that allows players to choose from a variety of mechs, customize their appearances, and battle colossal war machines on treacherous terrain.
Prepare for adrenaline-pumping battles, lightning-fast maneuvers, and explosive firepower. Mecha Break’s Xbox Closed Beta will be coming to Xbox Series X in August 2024, and will be available to all players in 2025. Mecha Break features customizable mechs, player-created mech pilots, a wide array of mech and weapon types, and three distinct game modes — a 6v6 Battlefield mode, 3v3 Arena mode, and up to 60-player PvEvP mode — to put players in the pilot seat and create the ultimate mech showdown experience. Discover an array of attacker, brawler, defender, sniper, and support mechs, each with unique playstyles and toolsets. Players can personalize each mech with custom full-body paint jobs and upgrade attachments, enhancing their stats to suit their chosen playstyle.
For the upcoming August Closed Beta Test on Xbox Series X, the highlight game mode will be the 6v6 Battlefield mode. Work together with your team and engage in intense aerial and ground combat as you fight for the objective.
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater Shows Its New Take on a Classic
Xbox Series X|S (see developer website for other platforms)
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater creates a deeply immersive world with enhanced visuals and sounds, using the full potential of Unreal Engine 5 while keeping legacy controls and voice lines from the original title intact. A new third-person camera and control layout offers players an intuitive introduction to the beginning of the Metal Gear Solid saga as they step into the boots of Snake in a high-stakes, espionage thriller.
Mixtape: Nothing But the Hits – Coming 2025
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, cloud, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)
From Beethoven & Dinosaur, award-winning developers of The Artful Escape, comes Mixtape. On their last night of high school, three friends embark on one more adventure together. En route to their final party together, a perfectly-curated playlist draws them into dreamlike reenactments of their formative memories together.
Immerse yourself in the teenage wasteland, playing through a variety of narrative vignettes exploring the pivotal moments that shaped them. The story is delivered through a mixtape of comedic, joyful gameplay, from skateboarding and flying to taking photos after hours at an abandoned theme park, and much more. It’s the greatest hits of teenage friendship, from the first kiss to the last dance. Similar to games like What Remains of Edith Finch, Mixtape ties its narrative to a unique, vignette-driven structure that emphasizes variety, surprise, and comedy in its gameplay.
Featuring music from DEVO, Roxy Music, Lush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and more. Mixtape effectively blends gameplay, narrative, and music. Join the crew on their last night together as they experience a mixtape of memories, set to the soundtrack of a generation.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Reveals the Time of Opportunities Trailer
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)
The new trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is here. Packed with brand-new reveals, this trailer showcases the array of experiences awaiting players, from locations to encounters with mutants and archanomalies. And hubs! Places to have some well-deserved rest and prepare your body and gear for the next intense mission.
In-game footage is mixed with narrative snippets, highlighting the prominence of the non-linear storyline in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The Time of Opportunities trailer is aptly named, reflecting the boundless potential that awaits within this unforgiving landscape. How will you see the Zone? And how will She remember you?
This time, you’ll hear much more of the Ukrainian voiceover. Being a Ukrainian company, GSC Game World knows that many fans are eager to experience the game in Ukrainian with subtitles of their choice. The trailer is aimed to provide a better understanding of what this experience will feel like. The Time of Opportunities trailer kicks off a series of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 showcases throughout this summer. Please stay tuned for additional announcements.
Winter Burrow Is a Cozy Survival Experience Inspired By a Love of Nature
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)
Build your dream burrow and explore a charming, snow-coated open world in Winter Burrow, a cozy woodland survival game. As a tiny mouse, spend your days adventuring through brisk environments as you search for your lost aunty, and collect up resources to restore your childhood burrow.
Winter Burrow merges comfy, cozy game elements with challenging yet approachable survival merchanics. Spend time in your burrow, crafting cute decorations to make your surroundings feel homely, knit cozy clothing to stay warm in the cold weather, and make sure you’re prepared for those big days of foraging in the forests. To stay up to date on all things Winter Burrow, wishlist the game on the Xbox Store and follow Winter Burrow on Twitter.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Revealed – A Journey Into the Darkness of the Late Ming Dynasty
Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)
Step into the dark and tumultuous land of Shu in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. This soulslike action-RPG launches day one on Xbox Series X|S and immerses players in the dark late Ming Dynasty, a period rife with warring factions and a mysterious illness turning humans into monstrous creatures. You are Wuchang, a pirate warrior struck by amnesia and afflicted by Ornithropy, a horrific disease but the source of immense power. As you explore the depths of Shu, you’ll enhance your arsenal, master new skills harvested from fallen foes, and evolve your fighting style by sacrificing Red Mercury.
Battle against grotesque abominations, drawing on ancient lore to challenge the creeping darkness that threatens the humanity that remains. As you piece together Wuchang’s lost memories, your choices will lead you to one of several endings—each determined by the choices made, secrets unearthed and the allies you choose to trust. Will you reveal the truths of Wuchang’s curse and bring peace to Shu, or will you succumb to the encroaching horrors? The fate of the land rests in your hands. Nothing is Forever.
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Releases October 8 – Pre-purchase Now and Get In-game Rewards Today
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PC via Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Prepare yourself for the next chapter of Diablo IV from Blizzard Entertainment: Vessel of Hatred, the game’s first expansion, emerges on October 8.
Unleash the power of the Spiritborn, a new class that harnesses the mystical spirits of the jungle for swift and devastating attacks. The hunt for Neyrelle begins anew as she strives to thwart Mephisto’s sinister plot. Dive into the jungle region of Nahantu, where new Dungeons, Strongholds, and enemies await, along with a new PvE co-op activity where you can team up to take down challenges for promising rewards. Plus, recruit new Mercenaries to aid you in your quest, grow in power as they progress, and help you in combat with their unique abilities.
Embrace the shadows on October 8! Vessel of Hatred is set to redefine your journey through Sanctuary. Pre-purchase now and unlock immediate in-game rewards. The darkness does not rest – neither should you.
The Elder Scrolls Online Invites You to Discover Tamriel in a New Trailer
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Epic Games Store, cloud, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Celebrating a decade of adventures within Tamriel’s Second Era, The Elder Scrolls Online invites you to begin your epic story with a new trailer. Whether you’re an Elder Scrolls veteran or a newcomer to the series, you can explore an ever-growing world, party up with your fellow adventures, and discover why over 24 million players have now experienced the award-winning online RPG.
June also features the launch of ESO’s latest Chapter, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, now available on PC/Mac and coming June 18 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. Unravel the mystery of the return of the Forgotten Prince, unlock the Scribing System to create your own abilities, and delve into the region of West Weld, a part of Tamriel not seen since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Visit elderscrollsonline.com for more on the Gold Road Chapter and the ongoing 10-Year Anniversary Celebration.
Fallout 76 Skyline Valley Release Date Announced With New Trailer
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or play it day one with Game Pass
In Skyline Valley’s major expansion of the world map, you’ll cross the Savage Divide and travel to the southern reaches of Appalachia. This picturesque new region, Skyline Valley, introduces fresh locations to explore among the woodlands once known as Shenandoah National Park.
Seek out Vault 63 and uncover its mysteries. Learn the truth about the Lost, the electric Ghouls that inhabit the Vault, and their enigmatic overseer, Hugo Stolz. You’ll chase storms in Skyline Valley’s new Public Event, Dangerous Pastimes, and fight new region bosses, a monumental trifecta of Robo-brains. Skyline Valley comes to Fallout 76 on June 12.
Sea of Thieves Season 13 Update: Being Bad Can Sometimes Feel Good
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, PlayStation 5, Game Pass
Rare showed off their dark side with a fiery new Sea of Thieves trailer, heralding the return of Captain Flameheart and inviting players to become the boss fight. An all-new world event will pit pirates against Flameheart’s mighty flagship in order to seize it, raining fire on their foes with a skeleton crew at their command and reaping the rewards of their dastardly deeds. This thrilling new encounter is part of Sea of Thieves: Season 13, which arrives on July 25 as a free update for all players on Xbox, PC and PS5.
Starfield Shattered Space Reveal Trailer, Plus Highlights from the June Update
Deep in the dark reaches of space, the followers of the Great Serpent live shrouded in mystery. Begin an epic new story and explore House Va’ruun territory in Shattered Space, Starfield’s first major expansion. Watch the reveal trailer now and experience the story of House Va’ruun when Shattered Space launches later this year.
In addition to the first look at Shattered Space, highlights from Starfield‘s latest major update were shared immediately following the Xbox Showcase. Official mod support with the launch of Creations, the first new quest DLC with the introduction of Trackers Alliance, new bounty hunting features, and improvements to melee weapons are the highlights of Starfield’s June Update. The June Update is now available on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
The Darkness Calls on August 26 with World of Warcraft: The War Within
Blizzard Entertainment’s 10th World of Warcraft expansion and the opening chapter of the most ambitious story arc in the game’s near 20-year history, The War Within is set to launch on August 26.
This upcoming expansion – the first of three in The Worldsoul Saga – will draw you deep into the mythology of World of Warcraft, weaving narrative threads from the past two decades together in a way that will captivate players both old and new. For a limited time, Blizzard is offering the Welcome to Azeroth Bundle, which includes everything players need to begin their adventure in Azeroth. The bundle includes the current expansion – the critically acclaimed Dragonflight – a level 60 character boost, and 60 days of game time, for $24.99 USD.
Don’t miss out on this legendary adventure! Join the community today, explore the wonders of Dragon Isles, and prepare yourself for The War Within – pre-purchases are available now through Battle.net.
Three New Xbox Series X|S Console Options Revealed
Three new Xbox Series X|S console options are joining our current lineup, and we’re excited to give players more ways to join gaming with Xbox – it’s the best way to enjoy the diverse experiences crafted by game creators. This holiday, our 1TB Series S in Robot White, an all-digital Xbox Series X, and a 2TB Xbox Series X Special Edition in Galaxy Black will be available in select markets (console assortment will vary by market). Stay tuned for updates in the coming months where we’ll provide information about market availability and regional Estimated Retail Pricing (ERP) when we share pre-order details. To learn more about these new consoles, head on over to the Wire post here.
With the incredible lineup of games shown at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 and Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 Direct, this is one of the best years ever to upgrade your console or jump into Xbox for the first time.
Experience the fastest, most powerful Xbox, now with a 2TB SSD. This new special edition Xbox Series X delivers the same speed, performance and features of Xbox Series X, but with twice the storage and a unique design. Drawing inspiration from constellations and the spirit of exploration and adventure that outer space evokes, the special edition console in Galaxy Black features a silver, grey, and green celestial effect representing thousands of games and millions of gamers playing on Xbox.
Hold on to the action with a matching Xbox Wireless Controller, featuring a Galaxy Black D-pad and Velocity Green back case, only available with this special edition console. With more storage, players can store even more of their favorite games like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft, and Starfield (games sold separately). Xbox Series X – 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition will be available in limited quantities in select markets for $599.99/€649.99 ERP.
Better Together
Elevate your gaming experience with Xbox accessories, designed to pair seamlessly with Xbox Series X|S. Discover a wide range of options, including customized controllers with Xbox Design Lab to complete your setup and achieve the ultimate Xbox Series X|S experience. Stay tuned for even more accessory options coming soon, including controller designs for your favorite new titles and console wraps compatible with all Xbox Series X consoles.
Players can also join Game Pass (membership sold separately) to play new games launching this year like Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6, Avowed, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™ on day one. With Game Pass, there is always something new to play with hundreds of high-quality games like Starfield, Forza Motorsport,Diablo IV, and more.
Pre-orders Coming Soon
Check back in the coming months to learn more about market availability and regional Estimated Retail Pricing (ERP) when we share pre-order details.
The introduction of our new Xbox Series X|S consoles alongside the many other devices in our Xbox gaming family offers even more ways to play with Xbox. On behalf of Team Xbox, thank you for making Xbox the best place to play.
Fans of those mainline Gears of War games can expect to feel at home with how Gears of War: E-Day feels. The Coalition is working to recreate and improve the series’ trademark third-person action, charging between cover in life-or death situations, all set within an explosive campaign that combines satisfying gameplay and emotive, character-led storytelling. However, all this is told through a modern lens, and rooted in groundbreaking technology, giving The Coalition room to really build out those elements. It’s a careful balance – a classic Gears of War game that feels authentic next to the original, but with truly next-gen tech behind it.
“It’s going to feel like a new Gears game, because that’s what it is,” Searcy says. “It’s us revisiting the tone and the feeling of what makes Gears great, but we’re tapping into new techniques, new processes, and new technology that’s going to make the gameplay feel better than ever. It’s going to be awesome, a game that feels both truly new, and authentically Gears.”
Bringing the Monsters Back
Gears of War: E-Day is set 14 years before the events of the original Gears of War and tells the story of the first Locust emergence on Sera. As the game unfolds, we’ll get to see how an ill-prepared world responds to a threat like the Locust. The Coalition are being very intentional to recast the Locusts not simply as foes but as living nightmares. These aren’t your typical alien or zombie videogame antagonists; they’re mysterious, formidable creatures that dwell beneath the earth, tapping into our deepest fears. “The design brief was pretty simple,” explains Searcy. “Locust are the ‘monsters under the bed.’ What would happen to the people of Sera in seeing this overwhelming army of monsters and trying to figure out…what are you going to do?”
Studio Art Director Aryan Hanbeck explains further, “When players experience E-Day, they see the monsters through the eyes of those encountering them for the first time.” The design team prioritized redefining the Locust Drone, which had slowly become mere cannon fodder as the series progressed. “We transformed the drone into something fearsome, physically intimidating, and utterly brutal,” Hanbeck notes, highlighting its enhanced status just behind Marcus and Dom in the announce trailer. “Getting the drone right was crucial; everything else with the Locust we’re scaling up from there.”
The Xbox Games Showcase provided a fresh look at Avowed with its first story trailer.
Meet Giatta, one of the four companions you’ll encounter during your adventures.
Discover the Dreamscourge and its devastating impact on the region.
Take a peek at the factions at play and the choices you’ll face as you forge your destiny.
The last few months at Obsidian Entertainment have been fast-paced and exciting. Since we saw you at the Xbox Developer_Direct this past January, we’ve been busy with Avowed, getting it ready for release in 2024. Today, we’re thrilled to have revealed our first-ever story trailer at Xbox Games Showcase 2024, and to talk with you more about what we’ve shared.
In Avowed, as the envoy sent directly by the Aedyran emperor, your adventure kicks off in Paradis, the bustling port city at the heart of the Living Lands. This vibrant hub has been shaped and reshaped by generations of pioneers, each leaving their mark, often in blood, on the Living Lands. It’s also the epicenter of tension between Aedyran forces and the locals, who are suspicious of Aedyr’s growing presence.
Rumors and hysteria have also begun to bubble up in Paradis surrounding the Dreamscourge – a mysterious plague of the soul – as it afflicts people, animals, and even the land itself. No one knows how it spreads, but many have come to recognize and dread the symptoms: first, victims experience confusion, disorientation, and hallucinations. As it worsens, they become unpredictable and erratic in their behavior, as if trapped in a waking nightmare. In the final stage, they turn into violent “Dreamthralls,” their bodies twisted with fungal growths and their minds and souls overtaken by the plague.
Watching our newest trailer, you’ll hear three distinct voices speaking to you. First is your emperor, who believes the Dreamscourge could develop, if unchecked, into a dire threat to Aedyr. He sends you into this wild frontier to uncover the source of the plague and put an end to it. Inquisitor Lödwyn, the leader of the Steel Garrote – an extremist paladin order from Aedyr – believes there’s something more sinister at play and calls on you not only to eradicate the Dreamscourge, but also to bring the island’s unruly factions to heel. Meanwhile, your companion Giatta perceives a larger and more mysterious force at work in the land and urges you to embrace it in all of its awe and chaos. As a stranger to these shores, you’ll need to navigate your relationship with all three of these factions, work to uncover the source of the Dreamscourge and prevent it from plunging the Living Lands into madness.
Supporting you on your journey are four companions, including Giatta. A brilliant and outspoken animancer who studies soul energy, she has endured suspicion and ire for her work. But like you, she desperately seeks a solution to the Dreamscourge. She’s a vital ally who will help you understand the unique metaphysical ecosystem of the Living Lands.
But remember, the Dreamscourge is not the only thing you are up against. Tensions simmer between the locals and Aedyr, and the island itself seems to be rebelling against itself.
Every choice you make could tip the balance of fate toward one faction or the other. Who will you align with? Who will you destroy? And who will ultimately control the Living Lands?
Avowed will be released in 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and cloud, or play it day one with Xbox Game Pass.
Hello, Xbox community! It’s so nice to be here – very green! Everyone at Blizzard Entertainment is so excited to be a part of Xbox Showcase 2024, and we are thrilled to announce that Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred will be bringing us all to the lush jungles of Nahantu on October 8, with pre-purchase is available now!
You can choose from our Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate editions, with each version rewarding you with Alkor the Snow Leopard – a pet who will accompany you as you slay your way through Sanctuary! For more information about what’s available in each edition, as well as what’s new for Diablo IV in Vessel of Hatred, check out our blog on the official Diablo website.
During the Showcase, we premiered our cinematic trailer for Vessel of Hatred. Our cinematics both in-game and out are a particular point of pride for us at Blizzard, created by our Story and Franchise Development (SFD) team. Think of this department as an in-house linear-media studio: SFD looks after our animations, shorts, in-game capture, books, and more, bringing writers, artists, directors, and animators together to help bring our universes to life in partnership with our game development teams.
Neyrelle and her mother Vhenard. Here we see the progression from storyboard, to previsualization, to the final shot in our cinematic.
The cinematic we premiered at Showcase picks up where Diablo IV’s campaign left off, and has no shortage of Diablo’s dark, brutal themes. But as the cinematic director Doug Gregory explains, brutality needs context.
“The brutality is there, but if you don’t believe in the relationship between Neyrelle and her mother, the other stuff is fluff,” he says. “The real pain is the torment of believing your mother is alive for a second, having that ripped away from you, and knowing the person riding shotgun with you – Mephisto – can easily play with your state of mind.”
A previsualization shot, where Neyrelle lets her guard down and Vhenard takes advantage.
When the physical is framed by the emotional, this is where we hope we are making real connections with our audiences. “This demon is playing with the fact you feel guilty about your mother’s death – Neyrelle is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders,” says Doug. “She’s young, she’s watched a lot of her friends die – she blames herself for it – then her mother dies. She carries that weight, and now she’s carrying this Soulstone. The two people in her life she was looking up to for leadership couldn’t handle it, so this young lady is carrying the weight of the world by carrying Mephisto.”
A rough, in-progress look at our surfacing treatment on Vhenard.
So, when it comes to conveying these complexities in a cinematic that is used to open the campaign of a brand-new expansion, where does our SFD team begin? “As storytellers, we look for contrasts we can give the audience, and the goal remains that we really want to affect people emotionally,” Doug explains. “So, we need to catch up with Neyrelle – what has she been going through since the last time we saw her? What is the Soulstone doing?” Doug says the team thought about the stone and its effect on everything and everyone around it as something like plutonium. “She’s carrying something destroying everything around her, while it’s slowly eating away at her inside. You are literally watching everything you love be taken away as you. Still, you carry it. And that’s where we start – she’s in a fever, sweating, desperately trying to say this prayer to keep the demon locked away.”
A piece of concept art showing where our look for Vhenard covered in ichor started from.
As Neyrelle tries to hold on, she slips. “She falls asleep at the wheel a little bit and catches herself. At that moment, the boatman is trying to help, but he’s distracting her from doing her job, and that frustration builds up: that’s an opening for Mephisto. He sees a crack in the door and takes advantage of the fact that you don’t have control over your emotions. That’s useful to him, he feeds on that. So, you start on a high – she is with her mother again. Let her settle, and she lets down her guard. When he rips that out from underneath her, that is a big emotional swing – hopefully for the audience as well!”
Some work-in-progress concept work showing the start of our Mephisto chamber environment.
Doug explains that one of the most striking images in the cinematic is the final shot of Mephisto’s colossal form with Neyrelle acting as his heart. The despair she feels becomes the black blood that fills his veins, reawakening his lungs. He says that this image was the inspiration for the whole cinematic, and that he and his team worked hard to make it meaningful and impactful.
“The idea is Neyrelle is the heart of him, the fuel station of his body. That’s a neat idea, like a billboard. So the writer and I had to figure out, okay, that’s one image – how do you earn that image and make it emotionally resonant for the viewer?” explains Doug. “If you can make the journey to that image be about a relationship she has with someone she loved, and how this giant thing she is fueling is using her love and her insecurities to rebuild itself–now we’re tying emotion to the image, maybe we earn that image. We love going on an emotional adventure, not just a visual adventure. If this piece resonates with people, we are excited by it!”
Some early concept work showcasing what would become of Neyrelle.
For Doug, his greatest joy in releasing this cinematic is seeing the culmination of working alongside talented teammates in amplifying each other’s creativity. “Honestly, I’ve been at it for 14 years here at Blizzard. I started as an illustrator, working in comics and card games, and I did that all on my own, in my own little room by myself. At Blizzard, the journey is about understanding how to bring people along with you on that journey,” says Doug. “With directing, it’s all about taking a boy who used to work by himself in a corner and letting people into that space. Taking the journey, and taking it with people that I love, respect, and enjoy getting the chance to work with–that is the real reward. We all got here together, and I couldn’t have done it alone in a room without them. That’s what’s most important to me, and what I see directing as. The fun part is you don’t have to go it alone – you build with people, and you build something bigger than you could’ve ever built by yourself.”
As Doug says, “we are a massive society of creators,” and the story of Diablo IV is only the beginning of what’s on offer in Vessel of Hatred. Play as the new Spiritborn class, recruit Mercenaries to fight by your side, explore the jungle region of Nahantu, and join forces with your friends in a new cooperative PvE feature. Today we also announced and released pets into the game for free, so log in and meet your new friend!
Today, at Xbox Games Showcase, we got our first look at gameplay from Perfect Dark, a reboot of the classic secret agent series. The fascinating new trailer gave us hints to secret agent Joanna Dark’s mission, showed us her descent into the game’s near-future Cairo setting, and then gave us a tantalising glimpse of the all-new secret agent-inspired gameplay.
Of course, when you’re given a look at such a highly anticipated game, you’re always going to want to ask more questions – and thankfully I was able to go straight to the source to get more details from members of the development team. The Initiative is co-developing Perfect Dark with Crystal Dynamics and other partners that make up Team Perfect Dark. Let’s take a deeper look and answer some of those burning questions.
Perfect Dark is a first-person secret agent thriller in a near-future world. With the blessing of the original Perfect Dark studio, Rare (not to mention some of the leads from the original titles), Team Perfect Dark has pulled inspiration from elements of the first two games, but crafted an entirely new story and universe around them for this reboot.
For previous fans and new players alike, the new game offers a fresh take on the secret agent experience, and is a great opportunity to jump into the world and character. Though fans will have moments that resonate with the history and memories of the original games, no prior knowledge is needed in this new experience.
At the widest level, Perfect Dark will be a single-player experience, with a set of missions – but with choices offered in how you complete those missions. Looking at the trailer, it’s clear that traversal and gadgets are a huge part of this – we see new parkour abilities used throughout, both for movement and combat. The developers tell me that the focus was on creating an intuitive movement system, which will let players find interesting ways to tackle their objectives. Add to that a combat system that allows for both melee and gunplay, stealth mechanics, and liberal use of gadgets, and Perfect Dark is a game that will present players with an objective, but let them figure out how they want to achieve it.
Team Perfect Dark doesn’t want this to feel like any one genre – it takes in elements of first-person shooters, immersive sims, and stealth-action, but blends them into a seamless whole. The goal is to offer a true secret agent fantasy – and letting players use their various tools and abilities in the way they want is key to this.
Who is Joanna Dark?
In this reboot, Joanna (voiced by Alix Regan with Elissa Bibaud lending visual likeness) is an agent for dataDyne, with a deep personal connection to what’s happening to her world. In this case, the title Perfect Dark is more aspirational – this Joanna won’t be perfect, but she’s striving to be. She’ll make mistakes in this journey, and learn from those experiences. Learning who this Joanna is proves to be just as compelling as the story itself.
Where Is the Game Set?
Perfect Dark’s near-future world has been impacted by what’s known as “The Cascade,” in which the planet has suffered from a series of environmental disasters, rendering entire regions inhospitable to human life. In the wake of the disaster, a hypercorporation known as Core Mantis steps in to create a solution known as The GEN Network, and deploys it in Cairo – restoring ecological balance and creating a freshly walled city, insulated from the hostile environment outside to become a center for technological innovation.
In its wake, other hypercorporations step in to continue that regeneration – but, as you might expect, not all is as it seems, and their motives may be less altruistic than they appear. It is key that the setting communicates a hopeful future, seeing a world with both destruction and restoration, the bleakness of the past countered with a sense of promise.
It’s into Cairo that Joanna enters. The setting was chosen to offer a counterpoint to other secret agent stories, and media at large – ancient Egypt and modern Egypt have been seen by many, but a near-future take on the country is truly something new. Cairo itself allows for a balance of deeply old and startlingly new that suits the speculative fiction at the heart of Perfect Dark.
What’s Joanna’s Mission in the Trailer?
Joanna is being sent into Cairo to find and apprehend Daniel Carrington, and we see her enter a district called Garden City (and an area of Cairo in real life, too). In Perfect Dark, this is a more affluent and cosmopolitan area of the city, and Core Mantis has selected it to be revitalized by its new eco-technological processes.
We see Joanna find a hideout used by Carrington, who infiltrates Joanna’s AR system and begins to expose more information, and even more questions around the bigger mysteries in Cairo. Joanna will need to learn who can be trusted, and who might be working against her own goals, and Carrington’s role will be a major part of that.
What Can We Use Gadgets For?
Gadgets are a pillar of the secret agent genre. In the trailer, we get a tease of Joanna using a gadget to analyse NPC voices and create vocal “deepfakes” to trick security systems or impersonate other characters, as well as create distractions.
Gadgets can be used for misdirection and manipulation, but we also see that Joanna can use a tool to scan an NPC and learn details about them – it wouldn’t be a secret agent story without some fieldwork, and the developers tell me that parsing the world, around you will be a key part of understanding how to tackle your objectives.
How Does Combat Work?
With this first look at combat, it’s clear this is another aspect of player choice. In the trailer we see lethal and non-lethal weaponry, close-quarters combat, abilities that allow you to take down multiple enemies at once, and more. We can also go loud or go quiet, offering a risk-reward for both methods. Team Perfect Dark wants to create a “symphony” of mechanics, merging traversal, close-quarters-combat, gunplay, unlockable abilities, environmental elements, and gadgets into a unified experience for players.
Each new region will come with its own biome, a reflection of the South’s wildly varied landscapes. All of those biomes are inspired by real-world locations – Sears won’t go into detail about the later game yet, but tells me that the section we see here is set as you’re about to exit the flood and enter Mississippi Delta-like countryside. However, the magical realist approach allows Compulsion to play with expectation as you travel through its world.
Locations will feel deeply rooted in what we know of the real world – in fact, to help create this section of the game, the developers took a trip to a real Mississippi ghost town, itself infested with alligators (only one of them braved the trek across amphibian territory to get into an abandoned church and take reference shots). But as we travel, we’ll see how these areas have become overtaken by the game’s mythical creatures, bringing twisted change with them.
‘The world Hazel comes from is inspired by the contemporary Deep South” says Clayton, “but as you dive deeper into the world, things become more mystical and surreal. We wanted the feeling that you’re being pulled into a folktale, rather than, say, crossing a barrier like in Alice in Wonderland.”
The Song of Tom
Of course, most folktales need antagonists and in the trailer we meet one of them. Two-Toed Tom is based on real-life campfire tales of ancient, giant, seemingly unkillable alligators, and he will – as Clayton puts it – “haunt” this chapter in Hazel’s tale. What we’ve seen are the very edges of his hunting grounds, but Tom will repeatedly reappear as you explore his region, eventually leading us to a showdown. It allows not just for a “boss fight” that effectively spans a whole section of the game, but also allows the team to turn each creature into a full-blown character, rather than a simple mechanism for conflict.
“Tom is the only mythical creature in the game who was not a human being before transforming,” explains Sears. “People transformed Tom – he was an alligator born with the will to live, and the will to eat, and those things seemed to work really well. Because, like a lot of reptiles, he will continue growing as long as he can eat. And because he has a traumatic backstory and has become a creature of folklore and urban legend, he’s going to persist and continue getting bigger and bigger.”
The idea, like everything else here, doesn’t seem to be that Hazel will kill the creatures standing in her way, more that she’ll be curing them, removing the hurt that turned them into monsters in the first place. And in perhaps the most starkly unexpected part of the trailer, we even hear the game’s music reflecting the story that made Tom what he is.
Wow what an exciting day! Today, BioWare and Electronic Arts revealed a brand new trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard at the Xbox Games Showcase. In this trailer we get a glimpse of Thedas, and we meet your team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape – and together you will become The Veilguard.
You’ll unite and lead this team of unforgettable heroes as you take on a terrifying new threat unleashed on the world of Thedas.
Naturally, the Dread Wolf still has an important part in this tale –we haven’t forgotten him by any means – but you and your companions are the true heart and soul of this new game. We are so excited for you to experience just how strongly we feel about our new heroes and their stories, and how you’ll need to bring them together to save all of Thedas – that we changed the game name to Dragon Age: The Veilguard to better reflect the exciting path that is ahead of you.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard expands upon the Dragon Age stories, worlds and characters from previous games, where players will enter a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. As a new hero – a character you create – along with your companions, you will challenge and take a stand against a pair of corrupt ancient gods who have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.
Meet the Companions! As you play, you will be rallying a team of seven companions, each with their own rich lives and deep backstories – and each bringing their own expertise and unique abilities to the fight. Your companions are characters to befriend, lead, grow and even fall in love with. You are never alone. You get to choose who to take into battle with you – and together you will face down demons, dragons and those corrupt gods on the battlefield.
Amongst these new companions that join the fray, we will recruit allies such as the Veil Jumper Bellara, the intriguing necromancer Emmrich, and the private detective Neve – all coming from iconic factions in Dragon Age lore, and each possessing individual skill trees and specialized gear for advanced team progression. Dragon Age fans will spot some familiar faces, too, such as the archer Lace Harding who returns to the series as a full time companion.
In our brand new trailer you will meet the crew – Your team is full of individuals with grim and wondrous histories, their own personal struggles and motivations, and rare skills that’ll help you survive. You’ll take in combat and fight alongside:
Harding: The Scout
Neve: The Detective
Emmrich: The Necromancer
Taash: The Dragon Hunter
Davrin: The Warden
Bellara: The Veil Jumper
Lucanis: The Mage Killer
We are looking forward to revealing more and more about the Companions in the coming months. Stay tuned!
But there’s more – get ready to see the game in action very soon – by tuning in on June 11 for the exciting Official Gameplay Reveal!
“We are putting tons of work into making sure what we put on the screen looks like it’s ours (ownable) and belongs in our world. Everything tells a story from the scratches and bite marks on the wooden stock of a gun to the way your beloved vehicle has been assembled,” explains Laybourn. “We think carefully about the mood and tone of any given time of day right down to the tape used to hold your shoe together. The quality of games (in general) is so high, it’s really about what you’re saying and how. State Of Decay has always struck a tone that people love. It’s got heart and soul, a great blend of horror and beauty, levity, and depth… these ingredients need to come through regardless of the fidelity of the assets.”“
Speaking of ingredients, you can also expect to see survivors that have become quite adept at… well… not getting eaten, by surviving several years into the apocalypse. This, in turn, has evolved into a resourceful era where clothing, supplies, and weapons have been modified to accommodate their needs — expect weapons to have mismatched barrels with heavily modified magazines, or clothing reinforced with armor plates. They’ve “leveled up” in this maker culture to be more eclectic because the world of State of Decay 3 has been “picked over” by now, and finding components to modify their existing weapons will be much more likely than looting a wholly formed one that’s ready to go.
This also means that players will be able to customize their play experience to a greater depth than they have in the past. Undead Labs believes that investing time to craft “your” crossbow vs finding a few generic crossbow types is going to be a lot more fun and will help reinforce State of Decay 3’s unique setting.
This type of feature feeds back into the principles of the studio: ingenuity, adaptability, and collectivism that were all on display in the newest trailer. “We chose to present something that felt very cinematic in its presentation to tell a bit of a story, to be a tone and a mood and signal an intention about where we’re taking the franchise. And I think the trailer succeeds on that,” says Holt.
For now, the team is hard at work on the game, and will have more to share at a later date around co-op, customization, and other fun features that they can’t quite get into detail just yet (but they sound very cool). As it stands, State of Decay 3is primed to be the tip of Undead Labs’ creative spear, serving as the vehicle for their continued evolution — and we can’t wait to see more.
The release date for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess has been set for July 19, 2024, and pre-orders are available today.
In addition to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC, the game will also be available on Xbox One.
The newly released trailer further explains the game’s unique fusion of action and strategy.
Kunitsu-gami: Path of the Goddess is a single player game that combines action and strategy in a unique Japanese-inspired setting. The latest trailer for the game was revealed today during Summer Game Fest, and the release date has been set for Friday, July 19, 2024!
In addition to the previously announced support for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, additional support for Xbox One has also been announced. Pre-orders for all platforms are available today, and Xbox Game Pass members will be able to play the game on day one on July 19, 2024.
A Dramatic Action Strategy with Dancing Swords and Strategic Commands
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a completely new title that combines the exhilarating action of “sword dance” with strategy. Set on a mountain that has been covered by defilement, the game repeats the cycle of preparing for battle during the day and protecting the Maiden Yoshiro from the evil spirits called the Seethe during the night. We hope players look forward to the action-strategy gameplay that allows each player to enjoy the freedom of strategizing in a unique Japanese aesthetic.
This screenshot shows an action scene featuring the protagonist Soh, a guardian who wields a sword and commands the villagers. In this game, players can enjoy exhilarating “sword dance” action, which combines sword slashes with dancing techniques based on real-life traditional Kagura ceremonies to purge the Seethe.
Before we get into the new information about what occurs during the night, let’s take a moment to review what happens during the day:
During the day, players will explore the mountain, prepare for battle, and lead the Maiden to the sealed Torii Gates. The mountain is covered in defilement, so you will have to purify the Torii Gates as you progress through, but there will also be villagers who can be rescued. The rescued villagers will be able to aid you during the battle at night by assigning them roles.
One thing that cannot be forgotten during the day is to position the villagers for the battle at nightfall. Players must carefully consider the characteristics of each role and position them accordingly.
During the night, you will have to fight against the horde of Seethe that emerge from the Torii Gates, coming for Yoshiro, the Maiden. The positioned villagers will be able to fight alongside Soh, and their roles and position can be changed during the battle in real-time, so make sure to keep an eye out on the battleground and strategize wisely to protect Yoshiro until sunrise.
Your key goal each night is to protect the Maiden Yoshiro – and it’s game over if you don’t – but even if Soh runs out of health, you can return to the frontline after being held in a “spirit state” for a set period of time. This is a tense moment in which the player must keep an eye on the ever-changing battlefield and make the most effective calls to survive the difficult situations you’re placed in.
In the trailer, you can also catch a glimpse of a battle against the more powerful Festering Seethe. The Festering Seethe alone are formidable, but they also call forth a swarm of other Seethe to aid them. How will you lead the villagers to protect the Maiden and purge the Festering Seethe? Players will be able to experience a unique combination of action and strategy to take them down
The Seethe and the Festering Seethe Strike
When the sun sets, the Seethe appear from the gate to another world. The creators’ detailed designs have been incorporated into each Seethe, who hunt down Soh and Yoshiro with a wide variety of attacks. Let us introduce some of the Seethe and Festering Seethe that symbolize the unique Japanese setting of this title.
Seethe: Rosokuro
The Rosokuro is an old man who was spirited away in the other world. His cursed flame can empower the surrounding Seethe.
Seethe: Gotaimen
The Gotaimen have the appearance of upturned human faces. They drag themselves across the ground as they vomit defilement from a gaping maw.
Seethe: Shokera
The Shokera assaults humans from higher ground. Their sharp claws can easily slice through even the strongest armor.
Seethe: Gakinyudo
The ravenous Gakinyudo are born from the corpses of lecherous monks who fell to defilement from their debauchery while alive. They prefer to dig up their meals from graveyards.
Seethe: Tsurube-otoshi
The Tsurube-otoshi aims to relentlessly crush humans from above. Some say it looks like a tadpole, while others say it is a human mouth.
Festering Seethe: Batsu
This Festering Seethe holds the power of a curse powerful enough to dry up a mountain. They appear in front of Soh and Yoshiro and hinder the purification ritual.
In addition to the Seethe introduced here, there are many other unique Seethe and Festering Seethe awaiting you in the game, so please look forward to its release!
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Arrives on July 19 – Pre-orders Begin Today
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will be available only in digital format, and those who pre-order will receive the Mazo Talisman “Walking Basket” and “Astral Projection,” equipment for Soh. You’ll also receive a digital art book “Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess – Artbook of Kunitsu-Gami” which contains concept art for the title.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will be available on July 19 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be able to play the game from day one. In addition, this title is compatible with Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing cross-play and transfer of saved data between Xbox and Windows 10/11.
The release date for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is finally set and is just around the corner. We will continue to release more information about this title, so please be sure to check our official X account (@Kunitsu_Gami).
During Summer Games Fest Riot Games revealed Valorant is coming to Xbox Series X|S.
Get a run-down of Valorant’s gameplay, offerings, and more.
Xbox Game Pass members will automatically unlock all of Valorant’s Agents.
Valorant Console Limited Beta starts June 14, sign up today at beta.playvalorant.com
Riot Games attended Summer Game Fest today, and announced that Valorant is coming to Xbox Series X|S this year, and our Limited Beta will be starting June 14!
Valorant is a 5v5 character-based tactical FPS where precise gunplay meets unique Agent abilities, creating the perfect sandbox for you to blend skill and creativity and create your own clutch moments. Whenever you play Valorant, there’s this special moment where everything will just click. Your teammate will throw out a Skye flash for you, you’ll dash into site as Jett, get crisp one taps, reset your dash and look for more. Or maybe you’re left in a 1v5 situation, but you’ve got your utility and your aim is feeling clean on the day, and you clutch up for your team, everyone getting hyped in comms for you.
We like to call that the Valorant moment, where creativity meets clutch. And it was our dev team’s main goal when we were bringing Valorant to console. We wanted to bring it over only if you could feel that same rush with a controller in your hand.
Our global community has grown over the past four years, more than we ever could have imagined. We love seeing their clips, cosplays, fan art, montages, and more. And that’s honestly what excited us most about our Limited Beta launch for console. We can’t wait to get Valorant in more players’ hands, and can’t wait to see what content you’ll create. You will be a fresh set of eyes on our game, and we know you’ll come up with new creative ways to play, think of new ways to combine abilities, and clutch rounds.
Valorant is a live service game. We have updates every two weeks, where we balance the game, and launch new content. You’ll be getting the same patches at the same time on console as PC. So with the next update, you’ll get to enjoy the new bundle balance updates, and more with everyone else!
If you are someone who likes to swap between playing on PC and console, or you’ve been a Valorant player on PC but prefer to play on console, no worries – we’ve got your back. Your Friends List, Collection (Skins, Player Cards, Gun Buddies, etc), Battle Pass progress, and Agent unlocks, will all carry over. While Valorant will not be crossplay between console and PC, if you have friends who play on other consoles, you both can queue up and hit the ranked grind together.
Our Limited Beta begins on June 14 in the following regions: USA, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Throughout our Limited and Open Beta more regions will be made available and we’ll continue to update availability throughout our roll out. If you want to hop into game, you can sign up to join the Limited Beta now at beta.playvalorant.com. If your region isn’t listed, and you’re interested in the Limited Beta coming to your region, we encourage you to still sign up. This will ensure you’re registered if your region opens up during the Limited Beta, and will help us gather interests from all countries.
If the Limited Beta is your first time playing Valorant or making a Valorant account, when you load in you’ll have five Agents unlocked for you, which is our standard for all new accounts. You’ll be able to unlock more as you play games, but if you have Xbox Game Pass, all Agents will be unlocked for you. If you have Game Pass it will also automatically unlock new Agents for you on day one as well, so whenever we launch our next Agent you’ll be able to play them the minute they go live.
Every Episode, we update our Map pool so that players can play on new Maps, and we can make adjustments to the ones we swap out, if they’re needed. We want to get you all caught up to speed and have the same Map pool our current players have, but we know that that much content could be too overwhelming. So, over the course of the Limited Beta, we’ll be rolling out our Map pool so that we can introduce you to them, and give you time to learn how to play them out:
Unrated, Swiftplay, Deathmatch:
June 14: Ascent, Bind, Haven, Abyss
June 25: Sunset
July 9: Lotus
July 23: Icebox
TDM
All TDM Maps
Customs
All Maps available on PC
That’s all we have to share for now, but we’ll be releasing more content about console, and celebrating players as they hit milestones throughout our Limited Beta. So please follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. If you also want to talk more about Valorant or look for some friends to squad up with join our Discord. If you have any other questions about Valorant Console or the Limited Beta, please check out our FAQ. We can’t wait to see you in-game and your clutch clips on June 14!
Wir freuen uns sehr, euch mitteilen zu können, dass das elektrisierende, kreative und actiongeladene Gameplay von Valorant nun auch für PS5 verfügbar ist. Wir können es kaum erwarten, dass ihr alle an unserer Limited Beta teilnehmt, die am 14. Juni beginnt!
Valorant ist ein 5v5-Charakter-basierter taktischer FPS, in dem präzises Gunplay auf einzigartige Agentenfähigkeiten trifft. Valorant ist mehr als nur Waffen und Kugeln … Versteht uns nicht falsch, ihr könnt definitiv einige verrückte Outplays mit euren Waffen machen (fünf Kugeln, fünf Gegner, fünf One-Taps… kein Problem), aber Valorant ist so viel mehr als das. In jedem Spiel von Valorant wählt ihr einen Agenten aus unserer ständig wachsenden, unverschämt globalen Liste, und jeder Agent ist mit einzigartigen Fähigkeiten ausgestattet.
Kreativität trifft Griff
Jeder Agent verfügt über eine andere Ausrüstung, mit der ihr euer Waffenspiel zur Geltung bringen könnt. Keine zwei Agenten werden sich gleich spielen, so wie auch keine zwei Montagen in Valorant gleich aussehen werden. Als wir anfänglich darüber nachdachten, Valorant auf die PS5 zu bringen, ging es nie um die technischen Aspekte der Entwicklung eines neuen Spiels für eine neue Plattform, sondern darum, das Spielgefühl von Valorant zu bewahren. Sobald ihr Valorant spielt und euch mit dem Gameplay vertraut gemacht habt, gibt es einen besonderen Moment, in dem es einfach Klick macht. Momente, in denen ihr allein und in der Unterzahl seid, aber einen Weg findet, die Chancen zu überwinden und die Runde zu gewinnen, während deine Teamkollegen schweigend zusehen – bevor sie in Jubel ausbrechen. Das sind die Momente, die Valorant zu etwas Besonderem machen, wo Kreativität auf Grip trifft. Und wir sind so froh, dass wir diese Erfahrung auf die PS5 bringen und mehr Spieler in unserer Community willkommen heißen können.
Die Schauplätze
Zusätzlich zu den einzigartigen Agenten, Fähigkeiten und Waffen bietet Valorant auch eine Reihe von Karten. Jede von ihnen ist ein Spielplatz für euch, auf dem ihr euer kreatives Denken unter Beweis stellen könnt. Es gibt auch verschiedene Modi, die ihr ausprobieren könnt, egal ob ihr ein schnelles Match spielen oder in der Rangliste aufsteigen wollt, es ist für jeden etwas dabei. Derzeit haben wir für die kompetitive Warteschlange einen Kartenpool, der alle paar Monate wechselt. Aber alle unsere bestehenden Karten sind auch in den nicht kompetitiven Modi verfügbar. Alle Inhalte, die derzeit für Valorant auf dem PC verfügbar sind, werden auch auf der PS5 verfügbar sein, und wann immer wir einen Patch veröffentlichen, werden wir ihn für alle zur gleichen Zeit bereitstellen. Wenn also eine neue Karte oder ein neuer Agent auf den Markt kommt, wird jeder, der Valorant spielt, sie zur gleichen Zeit erhalten.
Für die Beta
Wir möchten zwar, dass alle Spieler das gleiche Valorant spielen, aber wir wissen auch, dass es bei all den verschiedenen Modi, Karten, Agenten und Waffen viel zu lernen gibt. Daher werden wir die folgenden Modi und Karten während unserer begrenzten Beta veröffentlichen, um alle auf den neuesten Stand zu bringen.
Bei Valorant dreht sich alles darum, wie ihr spielen wollt. Von den Agenten, die ihr auswählt, über die Waffe, die ihr bevorzugt (wir bevorzugen die Vandal), bis hin zu der Art und Weise, wie ihr eure Sammlung anpasst. Wir freuen uns, euch in unserer Community willkommen zu heißen, und können es kaum erwarten, all eure kreativen Clips zu sehen und sind bereit, Valorant in eure Hände zu geben.
Unsere begrenzte Beta wird am 14. Juni in den folgenden Regionen beginnen: USA, Kanada, Teile von Europa und Japan. Im Laufe der Limited und Open Beta werden weitere Regionen hinzukommen und wir werden die Verfügbarkeit in jeder Phase aktualisieren. Ihr könnt euch jetzt unter beta.playvalorant.com für die begrenzte Beta anmelden. Wenn eure Region nicht aufgeführt ist, solltet ihr euch trotzdem anmelden, um euer Interesse zu bekunden, da wir im Laufe der Beta neue Regionen hinzufügen werden.
Das war’s von uns für den Moment. Wir können es kaum erwarten, euch am 14. Juni im Spiel zu sehen!
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Funktional
Immer aktiv
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugang ist unbedingt erforderlich für den rechtmäßigen Zweck, die Nutzung eines bestimmten Dienstes zu ermöglichen, der vom Teilnehmer oder Nutzer ausdrücklich gewünscht wird, oder für den alleinigen Zweck, die Übertragung einer Nachricht über ein elektronisches Kommunikationsnetz durchzuführen.
Vorlieben
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist für den rechtmäßigen Zweck der Speicherung von Präferenzen erforderlich, die nicht vom Abonnenten oder Benutzer angefordert wurden.
Statistiken
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff, der ausschließlich zu statistischen Zwecken erfolgt.Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff, der ausschließlich zu anonymen statistischen Zwecken verwendet wird. Ohne eine Vorladung, die freiwillige Zustimmung deines Internetdienstanbieters oder zusätzliche Aufzeichnungen von Dritten können die zu diesem Zweck gespeicherten oder abgerufenen Informationen allein in der Regel nicht dazu verwendet werden, dich zu identifizieren.
Marketing
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist erforderlich, um Nutzerprofile zu erstellen, um Werbung zu versenden oder um den Nutzer auf einer Website oder über mehrere Websites hinweg zu ähnlichen Marketingzwecken zu verfolgen.
