Developers Different Tales have announced that their second Werewolf: The Apocalypse game - Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Purgatory - will claw its way to a full release July 23rd across multiple platforms. The single-player narrative experience of course draws inspiration from its predecessor - Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest - though this time around players step into the shoes of Samira, a child of Gaia teetering on the edge of collapse following life-changing tragedy.

The description for Purgatory reads: "Werewolf: The Apocalypse -- Purgatory invites players to explore the dark side of (in)human nature, uncover supernatural conspiracies, and combat the deadly chaos force known as the Wyrm. Set in the legendary World of Darkness story universe, the game follows Samira, an Afghan werewolf and refugee, as she navigates a world where evil takes both human and supernatural forms."

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Purgatory blends the fantasy thriller genre with visual novel and tabletop RPG format, bringing a game that is an accessible introduction to the World of Darkness for newcomers while delivering a thrilling new entry for veterans familiar with what the the exciting world has to offer. Additional features listed for the game per its Steam page include:

• UNLEASH THE BEAST
  

Investigate murder, monsters and madness amidst Poland's border crisis. Play as Samira, a refugee werewolf, as her search unearths dark secrets and forces her to confront her own tragedies.

• SHAPE YOUR DESTINY
  

Dive into two investigative paths in the World of Darkness. Help Samira solve a chilling supernatural murder or uncover the secrets of a formidable werewolf pack. Each decision impacts her story, revealing new secrets and leading to different endings. Caught in a Purgatory of fantasy and reality, will your choices end in light... or darkness?

• TABLETOP RPG MECHANICS
  

Navigate through the game using RPG mechanics, by balancing health, willpower, rage, skills, harano and inventory strategically, making every decision critical to your survival and progression.

• LEGENDARY WORLD OF DARKNESS LORE
  

Werewolf: The Apocalypse -- Purgatory adapts the new Fifth Edition corebook mechanics of the legendary tabletop RPG from the World of Darkness universe. Experience a classic role-playing session combined with the exciting new features of Werewolf: The Apocalypse Fifth Edition.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Purgatory will be available on Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and in the iOS App Store for for $14.99 USD for PC and consoles and $9.99 in the iOS App Store later this month. Pre-orders for the new game begin on July 16th.

Dungeons & Dragons has provided fans with a first look at the new Sorcerer class that will appear in the 2024 Player's Handbook. On Tuesday, Wizards of the Coast released a video showcasing the Sorcerer's new and redesigned class abilities. Sorcerers focus on modifying spells using metamagic and other abilities. While the video didn't focus much on the reworked metamagic options, it did showcase several other new abilities as well as the four subclasses that will appear in the new Player's Handbook.

One notable change to the Sorcerer is that it gains a new ability at 1st level - Innate Sorcery. This ability allows players to spend a bonus action to activate the ability and increase their DC for a spell and gain Advantage on a spell attack roll for one of the Sorcerer's spells. This is a new core ability for the Sorcerer and was described as an equivalent to the Barbarian's Rage ability. At 7th Level, the Sorcerer gains the Sorcery Incarnate that gives the Sorcerer a way to restore Innate Sorcery by spending Sorcery Points and also gives the Sorcerer the ability to use two metamagic options at the same time when Innate Sorcery is active.

The 2024 Player's Handbook will bring the Aberrant Sorcerer and Clockwork Sorcerer from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything with only minor updates, but the Draconic Sorcerer and the Wild Magic Sorcerer have both received significant updates. The Draconic Sorcerer gets an updated list of subclass spells, including the new Dragon Breath spell, which is a reworked version of the Draconic Sorcerer's subclass feature. The Draconic Sorcerer can also use a Summon Dragon spell at higher levels and eventually cast the spell without requiring concentration or a spell slot. Meanwhile, the Wild Magic Sorcerer has seen the Wild Magic table reworked with more "good" options. Additionally, players will generally have more access to the Wild Magic table, including an ability at 18th level that allows players to automatically trigger the Wild Magic table and choose which effect they want.

Because there wasn't an accompanying D&D Beyond article, some new details about the new Sorcerer class weren't immediately made available. However, players will learn more about the reworked metamagic options in the future. More details about Dungeons & Dragons' new 2024 Player's Handbook can be found here.

During last month's Nintendo Direct, a number of surprises were revealed for Nintendo Switch. While most of the spotlight was given to announcements like Mario & Luigi: Brothership and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Nintendo also announced free content for Nintendo Switch Sports. The game already offers a mix of seven different sports, and starting today, players will be able to check out Basketball, as well. The sport features a solo Three-Point Challenge, and players can also locally compete in a Three-Point Contest, or Five-Streak Battle. Last but not least, there are two-on-two matches, which can be enjoyed locally or online.

News of the new addition to Nintendo Switch Sports was surprising to say the least! The game was released more than two years ago, and hadn't gotten any kind of new content since Golf was added in late 2022. It's hard to say why Basketball is coming so long after the fact, or if it means we might see some other sports added to the package down the line. Either way, it's hard to beat something added for free, and it just might convince people to jump back into the game if they haven't played in a while.

Nintendo Switch Sports is meant to be a continuation of the Wii Sports series that started back in 2006. At launch, the game featured a mix of new and returning sports from past games: Tennis, Bowling, Chambara, Soccer, Volleyball, and Badminton. As previously mentioned, that number increased when Golf was added later, and then again today with the arrival of Basketball. If there are plans to continue supporting Nintendo Switch Sports, there are still some notable activities that never made the jump over from Wii Sports, including Boxing and Baseball.

In ComicBook's official review for Nintendo Switch Sports, I awarded the game a score of 3.5 out of 5. At the time, one of my biggest issues was that the package felt a little light for a $50 game. With the additions of Golf later that year and now Basketball, it seems that Nintendo Switch Sports has become a more robust package than it was initially!

Are you planning to check out Basketball in Nintendo Switch Sports? Do you want to see even more sports added to the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Riftweaver have announced their virtual tabletop RPG Tales of Fablecraft will begin its early access period on Steam starting July 23rd. Boasting that Tales of the Fablecraft offers all the fun and excitement of a traditional pen-and-paper tabletop role-playing game, the free-to-play game will eventually allow players to buy additional adventures, dice skins, and player token skins down the road. While Tales of Fablecraft is initially releasing for PC, this is just the beginning...later this year, Riftweaver plans to implement support for Android and iOS tablets with mobile device support to follow in 2025 so even more players can experience the adventure.

The description for the virtual TTRPG per the game's Steam page reads: "Tales of Fablecraft is a cooperative virtual tabletop RPG set in the vibrant, hopeful world of Mythas. Gather your friends and embark on an adventure with integrated video chat, interactive battlemaps, and incredible digital tools perfect for veterans and the RPG-curious alike. "

Tales of Fablecraft Features

• Easy to pick up and play, in-person or remote, no TTRPG experience required
  
• Tailormade digital platform with built-in video, audio, and text chat
  
• Cross-play, (eventual) cross-platform - tablet support will be added later this year, and mobile support lands in 2025
• Ready-to-play adventures are easy for GMs to run, limited-to-no prep required
  
• Full suite of animated artwork, music, interactive battlemaps and combat VFX
  
• Create your own adventures with homebrew tools!
  

Per Tales of Fablecraft's Steam early access Q&A section, PC early access for the game will last approximately three months, though this is of course subject to change should the feedback given to Riftweaver necessitate additional in-depth changes to the game. As for what players can expect to experience in early access, Riftweaver's developers also say that "Early Access will be largely feature complete-players can roll dice, battle monsters, GM epic campaigns, and build unique heroes within the world of Mythas. Fablecraft also boasts various built-in features such as video chat, matchmaking, friends lists, and more! The full version of Fablecraft will be released with a new one-shot adventure written by Felicia Day." Early access for Fablecraft will allow players to experience just one free-to-play adventure that spans five sessions, with the ability to play multiplayer for five players and one GM, tutorials, and assets for homebrew campaigns.

Two years ago the magical minds that created Baldur's Gate 3 at Larian Studios met to discuss how the team of developers would finish the game. Whatever conversations transpired in the room where this summit took place would ultimately spark the fuse that led to the studio releasing what would end up being the undisputed 2023 Game of the Year - a fact that resonated with each nomination and subsequent win at various gaming awards shows last year. As Larian approaches the implementation of Baldur's Gate 3's final major patch and hands the game off to its fans to create with official modding tools, the studio is ready to focus its attention on its next game - and in order to do so they've returned to the summit room again.

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke shared an image of the room where both of these summits have taken place on X (formerly Twitter), noting that this time the lead developers at the studio are meeting this time around to "discuss lift off," further indicating that they're ready to dig into development on their next game. Vincke's social media post also mentions that "Spirits are high, morale is good," which further aligns with previous comments from members of the studio's team reflecting their excitement about the new project. As director of animation Greg Lidstone mentioned last month in an interview, whatever Larian is working on is "something that [he's] really excited about, that [he] can't tell [his] wife about."

What is Larian Studios' next game?

It'll likely be a while before this question can be answered with any significant specific details, but thankfully Larian Studios fans have a few details to begin swirling ideas around their brains as we wait to see what the studio is crafting. Circling back to the team's excitement, its a lack-there-of toward ideas for Baldur's Gate 4 that made Larian pass on making a sequel to their 2023 Game of the Year, and ultimately move away from the Dungeons & Dragons IP as a whole.

Larian Studios has also confirmed that the game will be an RPG, and Vincke has also built the early stages excitement for the game by stating, "I don't know if we're going to pull it off, but looking at our narrative, visual and gameplay plans, I think what we're working on now will be our best work ever. I get excited like a kid watching the key imagery, want to show it to everyone now and grumble in frustration at having to wait until it's actually all working. Yes, it's hype but it's hype because it really looks and feels good."

Microsoft is about to overhaul its Xbox Game Pass subscription service once again and in the process will be raising the costs associated with the platform. At this point in time, Microsoft has four different Game Pass offerings that subscribers can choose from. Two of these are tied solely to consoles and PC and give members a catalog of games to play, while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is an all-in-one subscription that extends across Xbox consoles and PC. The fourth option, Xbox Game Pass Core, is the newest of the bunch and is mainly needed to play games online, much like Xbox Live Gold previously was used for. Now, more changes are on the horizon, surely to the dismay of current subscribers.

Reported by Windows Central, details of this latest shift in how Xbox Game Pass operates were provided. To start, Xbox Game Pass is going to see its cost increase to $19.99 per month, which is a $3 price increase from where it's at now. Xbox Game Pass Core will then jump from $59.99 to $74.99 per year, while the monthly cost of this tier will remain at $9.99. Lastly, Game Pass for PC will then rise to $11.99 per month from its current $9.99 value. All of these tiers won't offer anything new but will continue to exist in their current form after the price hike hits on September 12, 2024.

Outside of this shift, Microsoft is going to make Xbox Game Pass for consoles unavailable to new subscribers starting in September. Instead, it will be replaced by a new tier called "Xbox Game Pass Standard" which will cost $14.99. This Standard tier will give subscribers access to all of the games that are part of Game Pass outside of those that are "Day One" additions to the service. So, for example, a title like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would now be available on Game Pass Standard when it launches in October. Those currently subscribed to Xbox Game Pass for console, however, will be able to continue their membership and retain access to Day One releases.

Lastly, Microsoft has also noted that it will no longer allow Xbox Game Pass subscribers to stack their subscription for multiple years in advance. Previously, when Game Pass has gone on sale, some Xbox users have chosen to purchase many months of the service at once at a lower cost. Instead, Microsoft is set to discontinue this act and will only allow Game Pass to stack to a maximum of 13 months.

When it comes to the reason behind these moves, Microsoft is surely looking to milk more money out of Game Pass, especially in light of subscribers for the service plateauing. As mentioned, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to be the biggest Day One game to ever be released on Xbox Game Pass. With this in mind, Microsoft almost certainly wants to raise prices ahead of the launch of Black Ops 6 to ensure that this move is one that nets the company an even larger sum of money.

A handful of new games that should be coming to the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers have reportedly leaked ahead of an official announcement from Sony. As of this past week, Sony pushed live July 2024's free games for all PS Plus members which included Borderlands 3, NHL 24, and Among Us. Per usual, the new additions to the Game Catalog are expected to drop this coming week and should contain some pretty major titles across PS5 and PS4.

In a new report from Dealabs, a number of games planned to be added to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium for July were divulged. According to this report, July's standout additions to the Game Catalog will be Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion and Remnant 2, both of which have released on PlayStation platforms somewhat recently. Other games that are said to be rolling out this month include Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, No More Heroes 3, and Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. Remnant: From the Ashes was also mentioned as one potential arrival on the PS Plus Game Catalog, but this wasn't said to be definite just yet. As for when all of these games would go live, they would become downloadable next week on July 16th.

If this lineup is indeed true, then we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out. Sony always announces its latest round of PS Plus Game Catalog titles six days before they release, which is always on the third Tuesday of the month. As a result, this reveal should take place tomorrow, July 10th, at which point we'll have a full glimpse of what's bound for PlayStation Plus. When that announcement does take place, we'll be sure to update you here on ComicBook.

Until that time, how do you feel about many of these potential add-ons to PlayStation Plus in July? Is there anything here that you would look to play for yourself if you're a subscriber to PS Plus Extra or Premium? Let me know your own thoughts over on social media at @MooreMan12.

Following a tease in the Season 11 trailer last month, a new Transformers collaboration event is now live in Overwatch 2. The crossover features skins based on four of the most popular characters in the Transformers franchise. Representing the Autobots are Optimus Prime (Reinhardt), Bumblebee (Bastion), and Arcee (Illari). Just one Decepticon will be featured in the event, and that is, of course, Megatron (Ramattra). The designs are mostly inspired by the classic G1 takes on the characters, rather than their appearances in the Paramount+ EarthSpark series, or the upcoming movie Transformers One. However, all of them have been tweaked just enough to make them fit in well with the world of Overwatch.

A trailer featuring the new Transformers skins from Overwatch 2 can be found below.

Hero bundles for each of these Overwatch 2 characters are now available in the in-game shop. In addition to the skin, buyers will also receive victory poses, player icons, and more. Diehard Transformers fans can get all of the game's collaborative content with the Transformers mega bundle. Each of the individual bundles costs 2,500 Overwatch Coins, while the mega bundle can be obtained for 5,900. For those planning to buy more than two of the bundles, the mega bundle is a much better option!

Out of all the skins revealed today, Reinhardt's Optimus Prime design is probably the best. It genuinely looks like Optimus, and does a great job conveying the character. Sometimes these types of collaborative events don't do the best job evoking the franchise, but Blizzard really captured the most iconic aspects of Prime's design. Unfortunately, the same can't quite be said for Megatron; the color scheme is perfect, but the overall design doesn't really match the Decepticon leader. Still, it's a minor complaint when the others look as strong as they do. Illari's Arcee skin in particular is a great take on the character's appearance in 1986's Transformers: The Movie.

As with all of the skins in Overwatch 2, any Transformers content purchased will unlock across all of the game's platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Are you planning to purchase any of these Transformers skins in Overwatch 2? Would you like to have seen any different characters selected? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

A stellar new sale on the Nintendo Switch Lite console can save purchasers around $100 in total. While it might not have all of the capabilities of the standard Nintendo Switch, the Switch Lite is a fantastic handheld in its own right that many have fallen in love with since its arrival back in 2019. Now, if you happen to be in the market for a Switch Lite yourself, a new deal at one retailer is one of the best that has ever been seen for the hardware.

Over at Walmart, the "Timmy & Tommy's Aloha Edition" Nintendo Switch Lite has been marked down to only $159. This version of the Switch Lite is the one that was released in proximity to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and features iconography on the turquoise handheld that calls back to the game. In addition, this bundle happens to also contain a download code for Animal Crossing: New Horizons that unlocks the full game.

Normally, this Switch Lite bundle would retail for $200, which means that Walmart has slashed the price by a little more than $40. Given that this Switch Lite package includes Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which on its own typically costs $60, it means that the savings here account for roughly $100 when considering how much this all would retail for individually. As a result, this is one of the best offers for the Switch Lite that we've ever seen in the console's existence.

Perhaps the only caveat with this sale is that it's known that Nintendo is gearing up to release a new successor to the Switch at some point in the coming year. While the "Switch 2," as it has been dubbed by fans, hasn't been revealed yet, it has been widely reported that Nintendo is targeting a release for its next console in early 2025. With this in mind, buying a Switch Lite in the final year of the console's run might not be the wisest decision. But when a deal this good comes along, it also makes it pretty hard to pass up.

Apple Arcade is getting some new games in the month of August, and subscribers should have a lot to be excited about. On August 1st, Vampire Survivors+ will be added to the subscription service. Vampire Survivors has been available on Apple devices for some time now, but Vampire Survivors+ is a little bit different from the App Store version. Like the Apple Arcade version of Disney Dreamlight Valley, Vampire Survivors+ includes some of the already released DLC, giving players access to both Legacy of the Moonspell and Tides of the Foscari. Most importantly, this version of the game is also completely ad free.

Naturally, the announcement today has prompted Vampire Survivors fans to beg for more information about the game's previously announced PlayStation version. At this point, PlayStation is the biggest platform Vampire Survivors has not been made available on, and many fans are wondering when it's gonna happen. On X/Twitter, creator Luca Galante told fans that "we're still working on it," but a release date has not been announced.

Vampire Survivors+ is not the only game arriving on Apple Arcade on August 1st. That same day will see Temple Run: Legends made available. The endless runner series has been going strong since 2011, but this is a brand-new entry in the series. At this time, Temple Run: Legends has only been announced for Apple Arcade, though this could be a timed exclusive, as we're starting to see with games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate and Fantasian. Temple Run: Legends is being referred to as "the first level-based runner in the hit franchise," and players can expect to race through more than 500 levels spanning a number of unique locations.

The third and final addition to Apple Arcade is technically a game that's already available on Apple Arcade. Castle Crumble is included with a subscription to the service, but starting on August 29th, a spatial version of the game will also be made available. This version is exclusively playable for Apple Vision Pro owners. On Apple's official website, a video has been revealed showing the unique destruction based gameplay, but with the normal background replaced by a real-world setting. For those with Apple Vision Pro, it looks like a really neat take on the game, but those playing on their iPhone or iPad will still be getting an experience that's mostly the same.

Are you an Apple Arcade subscriber? How do you feel about this batch of games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Back in June, Xbox announced a dedicated app for Amazon Fire TV Stick, allowing Xbox Game Pass subscribers to use Cloud Streaming without owning a console. That app is now available to download, and Xbox is celebrating with a brand-new commercial. The commercial plays out as a parody of the Scream franchise, with a woman receiving a mysterious phone call asking her to play Xbox and "what's your favorite video game?" When the woman insists that she doesn't own an Xbox, the caller reveals that she can access hundreds of Xbox games thanks to Amazon Fire TV Stick.

The new commercial for Xbox Game Pass can be found below.

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk from Xbox about efforts to expand the platform's audience, even to gamers that might not own an Xbox console. Making the Game Pass app accessible on other platforms is a way to make it easier for people to discover the company's games, and that's something Xbox has shown a lot of interest in lately. Of course, a subscription to Xbox Game Pass is still required to stream any game on the app other than Fortnite, so It will be interesting to see if this partnership with Amazon leads to a greater influx of users. If it's successful enough, it's possible that it could also lead to Game Pass coming to other platforms. There has been constant speculation about Game Pass coming to platforms like Nintendo Switch, but Xbox claims that it wants to keep the service exclusive to its own consoles.

At the very least, the collaboration between Xbox and Amazon could benefit homes that already have one console, and want to have Game Pass accessible in a second room. Buying a Fire TV Stick is a lot cheaper than purchasing a second console, and there are already a lot of people that own Amazon Fire TV Sticks. The woman in the commercial immediately has an Xbox controller to use with her Fire TV Stick, but it's worth noting that the Game Pass app can be accessed with other existing Bluetooth-enabled controllers, including the PlayStation DualSense and DualShock 4.

How do you feel about this partnership between Microsoft and Amazon? Do you think this strategy will help grow the Xbox brand? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

A huge new sale on Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers comes with what is essentially a "free" copy of Super Mario Party. This past year, Nintendo released a bundle of red and blue Joy-Con that came packaged with a downloadable version of Super Mario Party on Switch. On its own, this package was already a fantastic deal as it was made available at a considerably lower price than the cost of the Joy-Con and Super Mario Party priced individually. Now, a huge new sale has hit this bundle and it makes the savings included even more impressive.

Over at Walmart, the retailer has cut the price of this Super Mario Party Joy-Con bundle to the staggering cost of $69. This is a discount of roughly $31 as the package typically retails for $99.99. Best of all, the item can be ordered through Walmart's website and doesn't have to be only purchased at a store near you that happens to have it in stock.

To put into perspective just how incredible this deal is, the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con on their own typically retail for $69.99. As such, this bundle that includes Super Mario Party is cheaper than just the controllers would be. This means that the download code for Super Mario Party is now being thrown in for free, which is an absurd value proposition. Essentially, if you've been needing to buy a new set of Joy-Con anyway, there's absolutely no reason not to pick up this pack-in bundle as it's one of the best deals that we've ever seen for the controllers.

At the time of this writing, Walmart happens to have a number of other fantastic promotions going for Nintendo Switch products that are worth taking notice of. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has seen its own price cut in half while Super Mario Bros. Wonder has been hit with one of its first major sales. Given that many other retailers are set to begin promotions of their own in the coming days, we could be seeing even more great deals of this nature soon enough.

Amazon Prime Day 2024 officially takes place on July 16th and 17th, but you can enjoy some fantastic Super Mario LEGO set deals right now thanks to a big Amazon sale. In fact, many of the sets in the sale are recent releases including Bowser's Muscle Car.

Below you'll find a breakdown of some of the top sets in Amazon's LEGO Super Mario sale.There are also several Stater Courses up for grabs, and you'll need at least one of them to get the most out of the expansions. Note that the majority of the sets are at least 20% off at the time of writing, but they're selling out fast.

Expansion Sets:

• 71431 Bowser's Muscle Car - See on Amazon: Features include a lever that activates tricks like the ability to make the hood ornament move. The set also includes a brick-built figure of Super Mario character Bowser with an Action Tag.
• 71426 LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant - See on Amazon: The Piranha Plant is a standalone set designed for adults that doesn't include any digital play functions.However, the LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant does have plenty analog features including a poseable head, mouth, stalk and leaves. It also includes coin elements that can be inserted into a slot in the back and ejected at the push of a button.
• 71432 Dorrie's Sunken Shipwreck Adventure - See on Amazon: "Includes 4 LEGO brick-built Super Mario character figures - Dorrie, a Cheep Cheep, Cheep Chomp and Blooper. Spin the platform to uncover the Key Block hidden in the clamshell and open the treasure chest to get the gem. The Question Block offers random rewards, and the Cheep Chomp can chomp an interactive figure in its mouth triggering fun digital reactions."
• 71428 Yoshis' Egg-cellent Forest - See on Amazon: "Features Pink Yoshi and Yellow Yoshi toy LEGO Super Mario figures, plus a brick-built forest with an apple tree and the Yoshi's Egg element. Help the Yoshis collect apples from the tree, put them in a basket and look after the Yoshi's Egg."
• 71424 Donkey Kong's Tree House Expansion Set - See on Amazon: "The tree house is packed with authentic details to delight Donkey Kong fans, including a buildable TV, radio, secret compartment, and 2 collectible Super Mario Figures Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong. Kids can use their LEGO Mario, LEGO Luigi or LEGO Peach figures (not included) to ride on Donkey Kong's back, nap in the hammock, knock a banana off the palm tree and gift it to Donkey Kong, 'play' the conga drums, visit Cranky Kong and more."
• 71421 Dixie Kong's Jungle Jam Expansion Set - See on Amazon: Allows your LEGO starter set figure to hit the stage and perform with Dixie Kong and Squawks, the parrot. Includes a buildable stage (that rotates and plays musical sounds), jungle scenery and musical instruments.
• 71425 Diddy Kong's Mine Cart Ride Expansion Set - See on Amazon: Your LEGO Super Mario figure can ride around the track in the mine cart or fly in the plane. "Flip the Snaggles out of the way, fix the broken section of track, defeat the Mole Miner and 'explode' the rock to reveal a bunch of bananas." Includes Funky Kong, Diddy Kong, a Snaggles, and a Mole Miner.
• 71420 Rambi the Rhino Expansion Set - See on Amazon: Saddle up one of your LEGO Mario, LEGO Luigi or LEGO Peach figures. When Rambi walks or smashes into objects, it will activate digital reactions in the interactive figure. Includes stackable rocks with a hidden banana element.

Starter Course Sets:

• Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course Set - See on Amazon
• Super Mario Adventures with Peach Starter Course Set - See on Amazon
• Super Mario Adventures with Luigi Starter Course Set - See on Amazon

The rise of social media has given fans much greater access to the people that develop video games. On one hand, that can be a very good thing, as it gives people a greater depth of knowledge about how games are made. On the other hand, it can lead to a number of headaches. In a recent post on X/Twitter, Tekken game director and chief producer Katsuhiro Harada discussed the frustrations and issues that can arise when fans send concepts to him or Bandai Namco unprompted. When fleshed out ideas are shared with the team, the developers might have to avoid anything close to a submitted concept, for fear of potential legal issues.

"Basically, the more specific and detailed the idea is, the less likely we are to adopt it, and the further away from it we are from being influenced by it," Harada writes. "Why? Because a certain percentage of people will file a lawsuit in the form of 'you used my proposal without permission' or 'you stole my proposal' or 'that was my proposal.'"

Harada went on to note that while Bandai Namco has done fan campaigns through magazines or other promotions, a lot of gaming companies have moved away from this practice. While publishers require the signing of consent forms, that hasn't stopped some people from filing lawsuits after the fact. Harada notes that "it's not a question of whether we can win the lawsuit or not, but the fact that these kinds of troubles arise is a burden for us."

Of course, this problem is not just limited to the video game industry. In 2020, My Hero Academia animation studio Bones, Inc. was similarly forced to ask fans to stop sending them story proposals for the anime series, "to avoid any unfortunate disputes." From story ideas to original creations, it seems a lot of people just don't realize how problematic this can be. Hopefully Harada's post gets through to Tekken fans, and helps them to understand exactly why this can be a problem. In some extreme cases, it can even force developers to move away from an idea they were actively pursuing, which is probably the opposite of what those fans were hoping for in the first place.

Have you ever submitted an idea to a video game developer or publisher? Do you understand why this can be frustrating for creators? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The first sizable discount for Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Wonder has finally come about for a limited time. In October of 2023, Nintendo let loose its latest 2D Super Mario game on Nintendo Switch to widespread acclaim. Naturally, the game ended up selling quite well out of the gate, which meant that Nintendo hadn't found any reason to cut its price in the time since its release. Now, for those who have continued to hold out for a deal, a new offer has become available.

As of this week, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has seen its price cut to $44.99 at Walmart. This promotion is part of the retailer's "July Deals" event which sees numerous discounts on products across all departments at the store. In total, this offer on Super Mario Bros. Wonder is $15 off of its normal price and is a 25% price cut. It's worth noting that this deal only applies to the physical version of the game, however.

In all likelihood, this might be the lowest price that Super Mario Bos. Wonder sees for many more months. Nintendo itself likely isn't going to have a sale on its first-party titles until much later in the year when the holiday season is upon us. As a result, if you have been looking to buy Super Mario Bros. Wonder for quite some time, this is probably the best price you'll be able to snag it at in the foreseeable future.

If you're not familiar with Super Mario Bros. Wonder and would like to get more information on the Switch title, you can check out its launch trailer and accompanying synopsis at the bottom of the page.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

"Mario and friends have been invited to visit the colorful Flower Kingdom, just a short hop away from the Mushroom Kingdom. Unfortunately, King Bowser has transformed into a flying castle and is causing chaos across their peaceful land. Now our heroes must save the day--and the Flower Kingdom--in this wonderous new adventure!

Classic Mario gameplay is turned on its head with Wonder Flowers in the Super Mario Bros. Wonder game! These game-changing items can make some wonderfully weird stuff happen. Witness pipes coming alive, wreak havoc as a giant Spike-Ball, and lots more!"

Apex Legends players often have long wishlists of things they'd like to see changed in the battle royale game, and while those lists may differ from person to person, the upcoming battle pass changes just jumped to the top three spots on many players' lists. That's because Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment are overhauling the battle pass system in Season 22 in an effort to "improve your experience and progression goals." This evolution includes more crafting materials from the battle pass the removal of items players didn't use as often, but it also means paying more for the battle passes per season as well as the removal of the ability to buy the passes with Apex Coins.

Those last two parts are what have really gotten to players ever since EA announced the planned changes this week. Over on the Apex site, EA confirmed that there will be one battle pass per split in Season 22 as opposed to one battle pass for the whole season. Those battle passes will be shorter individually to amount to more levels overall. The current battle pass has 110 levels, for context, while the two splits' battle passes will have 60 levels each for a total of 120 levels next season.

More levels equals more rewards, so that sounds good at first until you realize that you'll have to pay twice to get the full battle pass experience in Season 22. The price you pay for the battle passes is per split, so you'll have to buy the first one and then second one once Split 2 starts in order to get everything from those. To make matters even worse, you can't buy them with Apex Coins anymore. Instead, they'll cost $9.99 in real world money first, so the Apex Coins that you hoard from each battle pass so that you can buy the next one will now have to be spent on other purchases from the store since they'll have no value when it comes to getting the next battle pass.

EA is also replacing its Premium Bundle for the battle pass which previously gave you 25 tier skips to start out the season. Instead, it only gives you 10 skips now. The new version of this offer called "Premium+" does have things like more Apex Packs, Crafting Metals, and two extra legendary skin variants, but it also costs twice as much at $19.99, so basically $40 if you want both Premium+ Battle Passes for a season. It also includes a perk that makes all legends playable for that battle pass which is pretty pointless for anyone who's been playing Apex for any meaningful amount of time since you're probably sitting on thousands of Legends Tokens that go unused.

The reaction to these battle pass changes has been swift and loud with players calling this the worst decision ever, saying that they're going to quit the game, and so on. It's a rare moment of unity when changes to ranked, matchmaking, and so on sometimes divide players on whether or not they think a change is good or not, but this one's been met with a resounding "no" from players. EA has not yet announced anything else about its battle pass changes after revealing them on Monday, however, so we'll see if this plan goes through or if the blow is softened somehow.

Tate Multimedia and Trialforge Studio have announced that their upcoming soulslike game Deathbound will release simultaneously PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S next month. The first party-based soulslike game, Deathbound utilizes a revolutionary four hero party system for players to recruit in order to survive the harsh environment they must explore, allowing them to seamlessly transition between characters during combat to truly and successfully make them work together as a team. Not only is working together vital to successfully complete combat - the developers say dynamics between these characters significantly impacts gameplay, leading to different variables depending on the player's actions.

Deathbound's official overview reads:

"Deathbound is a one-of-a-kind party-based soulslike set in a callous world where Faith and Science clash. The forbidden city of Akratya is an unforgiving land that cannot be conquered alone. The unique 4-hero party system allows players to bind with fallen heroes found throughout the world and dynamically transform between each of the characters seamlessly mid-combat."

Deathbound notes the following five key features for the upcoming game:

• The Essence - Gain the skills, memories and identities of fallen warriors throughout the world. Combine their unique personalities and combat styles and switch between them seamlessly.
• Party System - The essences you absorb form your party. Deathbound features a robust party system that allows you to craft a playstyle through talent trees. Switch between fallen warriors to harness their skills and abilities. Each party member's affiliation in life will affect their synergy in death.
• Dynamic Morphing - Unleash the combined powers of fallen warriors with devastating Morphstrikes. Utilize different attack styles to pull off powerful combinations and finishing blows to defeat all who oppose you.
• Brutal World - Zi?minal is a world that mixes a technological past and a medieval present, home to diverse cultures. The city of Akratya is rich in lore and dangers. Explore a city falling into ruin under the shadow of a grand crusade. With its imposing brutalist architecture and melding of technology, it's a city bound for oblivion.
• Unforgiving Monsters and Bosses - Face challenging enemies crafted to push you to your limits. Their very nature is based on the five stages of grief, with each new encounter commanding the attention of any soul who dares face them.

Deathbound releases on the above mentioned platforms on August 8th with a price tag of $29.99 USD.

The one year anniversary of Pokemon Sleep is just around the corner, but The Pokemon Company already has plenty of reason to celebrate. According to reporting from Pocket Gamer, the app has generated around $100 million since launching on July 17th, 2023. The website compiled data from AppMagic estimates, which shows that the game has mostly found an audience in Japan, where players have spent about $73 million on the game so far. The U.S. managed to take second place, but came in far behind that number with just $15 million, while Taiwan is in third place with a total of $4 million.

As Pocket Gamer notes, $100 million is way less than what Pokemon Go brings in; after eight years on the market, the mobile game is still generating about $1 billion per year. However, it's still a very impressive number, and it's the kind of thing a lot of other mobile developers would be pretty happy about. That's a good sign for the long term health of the game, and it will be interesting to see if The Pokemon Company can build on that success and keep players invested.

Of course, there was some indication that Pokemon Sleep was performing pretty well in Japan. On July 1st, The Grand Hyatt Tokyo opened its Pokemon Sleep Suite. The suite is modeled after Greengrass Isle from the game, and those that can afford the experience get a ton of Pokemon Sleep related merchandise, as well as access to a special themed menu. The suite is a limited time promotion, and will only be open through September. The hotel is also offering 10 other rooms based on Pokemon Sleep, though the accommodations are a little more modest compared to the suite.

Pokemon Sleep was first announced in 2019. A sleep tracking app that rewards players with Pokemon encounters based on the amount of sleep that they get, the concept immediately drew jeers and jokes across social media. However, the game has clearly found an audience, and The Pokemon Company has not been afraid to poke a little fun at the concept. Earlier this year, the company released a hilarious April Fools' Day video with a fake trailer for the "Pokemon Sleep Champion Tournament 2024."

Have you been a regular Pokemon Sleep player? Are you surprised that the game has proven this successful? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been in development for around a decade, but developer Bioware is almost ready to release the next entry in the beloved series. Previously called Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, Veilguard received its big reveal earlier this year and is on track to launch this fall. We don't have a firm release date for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but Bioware has been releasing nuggets of new information since its June reveal. Today, the team dropped new details about how relationships and romance will work, giving players a better idea of how they'll be managing their companions when The Veilguard launches later this year.

The new information from Bioware comes from an interview the developers did with Game Informer. They talked about how choices you make regarding your companions and the world as a whole will influence your relationship with those companions. As you play through the game and make more choices, you'll start to level up your Relationship Level with each companion. After every level-up, you'll get to select a specific skill for that companion to use, giving them even more utility on the battlefield. You'll be able to earn five skills, but only three can be active at once, leading to some agonizing decisions when deciding your party makeup.

Of course, it's only your companion's skill tree that is influenced by how you build relationships. Every companion can also be romanced, though Bioware made it clear that "each romance has a very different flavor." It's also worth noting that Bioware has previously said that companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard can fall in love with each other, which means choices you make while interacting with one character can lead them into a romance with another. From the interview, we still don't know if having two companions falling into a romance with each other locks the player out forming one with them, but that would make sense for most of them considering how much focus Bioware is putting on decision-making.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard doesn't have an official release date yet. Bioware has said several times that it's on track to release this year, so unless something major happens during the late stages of development, it shouldn't slip to 2025. When it does launch, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

It seems that developer Cloud Chamber is beginning to ramp up developing the next entry in the BioShock series, which many fans are simply calling BioShock 4 for the time being. Back in 2019, 2K Games announced that Cloud Chamber had been established and would begin working on a new BioShock entry. Since this announcement, though, news on BioShock 4 hasn't been shared whatsoever, which led fans to wonder about what was happening internally at Cloud Chamber. Now, based on a new post from one member at the studio, it seems that development on the project is beginning to progress quickly.

Reported by Eurogamer Cloud Chamber's Senior Cinematic Designer, Jeff Spoonhower recently took to LinkedIn to share that work on BioShock 4 "is ramping up." Spoonhower pointed to the numerous positions that Cloud Chamber is looking to hire for which includes roles on the studio's writing, design, and art teams. Further information on BioShock 4 itself wasn't provided, but it's clear that the game is still very much in development.

The implication of this post from Spoonhower is that BioShock 4 might be in the process of entering production. Most of the time, video game studios will work on projects in the "pre-production" phase for multiple years as they figure out the scope, story, and mechanics they want to implement in their games. Based on the positions that Cloud Chamber is looking to fill, it seems as though the studio now has a concrete idea of what it wants to do with BioShock 4 and is looking to capitalize on that vision. Still, even if this is true, it implies that BioShock 4 is likely many years away from seeing the light of day.

In the interim, though, some fans are hopeful that a remake of the original BioShock might be on the way. Earlier today, one developer at 2K Games claimed that a remake of one title from the publisher was currently in the works. Although there's no way to determine if this project might be tied to BioShock, it could be a likely candidate to get remade given that the original entry is now over 15 years old. Additionally, this remake of BioShock could also help bridge the gap to the launch of BioShock 4, which remains without a release window for now.

Recently, a rumor started to make the rounds that Fortnite is getting a new Weapon X crossover this month. That rumor turned out to be true when the classic Marvel character dropped into the battle royale on July 2nd. Today, another rumor has kicked off, claiming that Weapon X might not be the only X-Men adjacent content coming to Fortnite over the next few weeks. Unlike the last leak, this isn't based on backend info. Instead, the rumor about content from Deadpool & Wolverine comes from a press tour that actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been on while hyping up the film's July 26th release date.

ShiinaBR on Twitter is the source for this new Fortnite rumor. Over the last several years, Shiina has become one of the community's go-to sources for leaks and rumors. In fact, they were one of the accounts that posted the Weapon X leak a few weeks ago. That said, you'll still want to take this with a huge grain of salt. Remember, this isn't a leak with relatively concrete information backing it up. Instead, it's a rumor based on what Reynolds and Jackman have been up to on the press circuit.

Essentially, the rumor here is that the two Deadpool & Wolverine leads have been meeting with various Fortnite content creators while working the film's press tour. That doesn't necessarily mean Fortnite is getting crossover content featuring the two actors, but it does make it likely that something is brewing here. After all, developer Epic Games has shown a willingness to work with the Marvel brand, so why wouldn't it want to capitalize on the hype around the film? Hopefully, we'll learn if there's anything to this rumor in the next week or so.

Even if the Deadpool & Wolverine rumor turns out to be nothing, there is plenty to do in Fortnite. As mentioned, the team just added a Weapon X skin to the game, and Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean drops on July 19th. Chapter 5, Season 4 launches on August 16th, and the big rumor around the next season is that it will be heavily Marvel-themed, potentially even bringing back Galactus for another appearance in the battle royale. On the movie front, don't forget to check out Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26th. The third film in the Deadpool series brings the fan-favorite mercenary to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to team up with Wolverine.

Dungeons & Dragons has revealed additional details about the new rules for the Monk class, which has been extensively rebuilt and reworked. Today, Wizards of the Coast published a new video and article on the Monk, detailing the upgrades that will appear in the Monk's class abilities in the new 2024 Player's Handbook coming out later this year. While other classes have received quality-of-life changes or more modest boosts, the Monk has received significant upgrades to bring it in line with other martial classes and to improve its intended versatility.

The Monk has received a power boost starting at 1st Level, with the Monk's Martial Arts dice increasing in size from a d4 to a d6. Monk weapon classifications have also been simplified, with all simple weapons and all martial weapons with the light property now qualifying as monk weapons. Other core features like Patient Defense and Step of the Wind have also received upgrades, with players now able to activate both features without using a Focus Point (which were called Ki Points in the 2014 Player's Handbook). However, spending a Focus Point on Patient Defense will now let a player both Disengage and Dodge as a Bonus Action, while Step of the Wind will let a player both Disengage and Dash as a Bonus Action.

Deflect Missiles has also received an upgrade and was renamed Deflect Attacks. At lower levels, players can reduce the amount of damage from any attack with Slashing, Bludgeoning, or Piercing damage instead of only ranged attacks. At 13th level, players can reduce oncoming damage of any type using this feature.

The Monk's Stunning Strike and Empowered Strike (formerly Ki-Empowered Strikes) have also received adjustments. Stunning Strike now lasts until the start of the Monk's next turn, but a target that passes the saving throw still is impacted with a lowered speed and the next attack made against it having advantage. Empowered Strikes now deal Force damage instead of simply being counted as magic attacks.

A new feature, Heightened Focus, improves several core Monk abilities at 10th level, granting Flurry of Blows an additional attack (for a total of three per Bonus Action), adding a pool of Temporary Hit Points when Patient Defense is used, and allowing the Monk to carry a willing creature of Larger or smaller with them when they use Step of the Wind.

The Monk also has several new abilities designed to give players more access to Focus Points throughout an encounter. The second level ability Uncanny Metabolism refreshes a player's pool of Focus Points once per day, while also providing a small dose of hit points. Perfect Focus, at 15th Level, guarantees that a player will have four Focus Points whenever they roll initiative at the start of an encounter.

Two of the Monk's subclasses also got substantial revisions. The Warrior of the Elements grants players a 10-foot reach with their Unarmed Strikes, with players choosing from multiple types of elemental damage. At higher levels, the Warrior of the Elements can also deal area of effect bursts of damage, gain a fly and swim speed, and also gain resistances to different kinds of elemental damage. The Warrior of Shadows has also been upgraded with a way to see in the fields of darkness they create and improving the subclass's Shadow Step ability at higher levels. The Warrior of Mercy and the Warrior of the Open Hand have also received quality-of-life improvements.

You can check out all of the announced changes to Dungeons & Dragons here. The new Player's Handbook comes out on September 17th.

Sony has started to dole out free upgrades of PlayStation Plus Premium to existing subscribers of the service. Since 2022, Sony has offered three tiers of its PS Plus service which include PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Premium. The Essential option is all that's needed at a baseline level to get the standard perks tied to PS Plus, while the Extra and Premium offerings give members an extensive catalog of games they can play. Now, as a way of trying to get more PS Plus members to subscribe to the more expensive versions of the service, Sony seems to be issuing limited-time free trials at random.

Reported on Reddit (via PlayStation Lifestyle), Sony has started the process of sending PlayStation users trials of PS Plus Premium. These free versions of the highest-end PS Plus offering have simply been appearing in the notifications channel of the PS5 console and have been auto-enrolling members in the service. This trial lasts 14 days in total, which isn't very long, but it at least gives members time to check out some of the many titles that are part of the PS Plus Game Catalog.

Generally speaking, these free trials seem pretty random and there's no way to guarantee that you'll get one for yourself. Still, some users on Reddit have reported that these free versions of PS Plus Premium have shown up not long after they let their PS Plus subscription expire. As such, Sony seems to be pushing out these trials to those that it knows have a history of subscribing to PS Plus as a way to once again get them into the fold. Still, even if you get one of these free versions of PS Plus Premium, you should make sure that you're not automatically enrolled to subscribe to the service once the trial comes to a close.

Have you received a free version of PS Plus Premium for yourself recently (or in the past)? Or are you already subscribed to PS Plus Premium to begin with? Be sure to let me know over on social media at @MooreMan12.

During its time on the market, Nintendo's Game Boy Advance played host to a number of truly special games, some of which have made their way to Switch Online. Unfortunately, that list is fairly small, and those games don't get to be experienced by those that use other platforms. Thankfully, one Game Boy Advance classic is coming back, and it's going to be made available on a number of current platforms, including PC. The game in question is Sigma Star Saga, and it's one of the more unique titles on the GBA, as it featured a mix of RPG elements and space-shooter battles.

Sigma Star Saga first released on Game Boy Advance in 2005, and the game's new release is coming in time for its 20th anniversary. This is just the latest GBA game getting a second chance at life thanks to the Carbon Engine from Limited Run Games, following similar releases like Ninja Five-O. At this time, details about this new release are fairly scarce, but we do know that LRG will be offering a reproduction cartridge for the game, allowing it to be played on the original GBA hardware. That should be good news for existing fans of the game, as complete copies go for a pretty penny on the secondary market. Loose copies without their box or instructions are still reasonably priced (between $35-40), but you run the risk of having to replace the internal battery in order to save.

Developed by WayForward and originally published by Bandai Namco, Sigma Star Saga received fairly positive reviews upon its original release, though some critics were a bit harsher than others. Still, it's great that a new audience is going to get a chance to experience the game and see what it has to offer. The combination of space combat with a top-down RPG remains fairly unique after two decades, and should give the game a bit more variety than both of those genres tend to offer.

Unfortunately, there's no set release window for Sigma Star Saga beyond that vague 2025 release window, and we don't know specifically which platforms the game will be on, though PS4 and Switch are probably safe bets. Hopefully the folks at WayForward and Limited Run Games won't keep us waiting long on additional information.

Did you play Sigma Star Saga on Game Boy Advance? Are you happy to see this game getting a new release? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Last week, developer Electronic Arts announced that fans were getting their first real look at gameplay in EA Sports College Football 25 today. The 21-minute trailer went live earlier today, and EA more than delivered with an in-depth look at several aspects of College Football 25 during the head-to-head matchup between Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards and NCAA Football YouTuber Bordeaux. Unsurprisingly if you're a long-time Bordeaux watcher, Edwards won out, using his knowledge of real-life football to give himself an edge. It also helped that the College Football 25 cover athlete was playing as himself, but it was a fun display of what players can expect when the game launches next week.

The new trailer (which you can watch above) wasn't raw gameplay, but we saw a ton of footage interlaced with comments and highlights from the developers on-site. For example, the developers took time to point out new features like revamped passing. Players can now use both timing and left-stick leading to better place balls where only their receivers can catch them. The metered passing is the most intriguing part of the new passing mechanics. Using it well, you can put the ball right on the money, but even if your timing is off, you won't sail a ball completely over your receiver's head. It seems like a small change, but it should make passing feel much better.

Since Edwards was in the building, the team also took time to highlight the running game. In the initial previews, it was mentioned several times that runningbacks feel more fluid. While you'll want to wait until you get hands-on with College Football 25, the footage seen in this trailer definitely makes it look like that's true. During Donovan's first touchdown run (around the 2:20 mark), you can see how subtle stick movement lets the back shift his angle just enough to slice through Bordeaux's defense. Again, it's a small detail, but it sticks out because it will affect nearly every play.

The developers also dug into other mechanics including the changes they've made to pitching, the Wear and Tear system, hiding your defensive with coverage shells, and much more. It's also worth noting this isn't the final drop from EA. On July 9th, we're getting the Ultimate Team reveal. The next day, College Football 25 is revealing its full roster and on July 11th, Road to Glory is finally getting its moment in the sun.

EA Sports College Football 25 launches on July 19th for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Remember, if you preorder the Deluxe Edition or MVP Bundle, you can jump in three days early.

Over the last two years, Disney Dreamlight Valley has featured a wealth of content based on various Disney and Pixar properties. A lot of major characters have been added to the game, but Gameloft has mostly avoided the worlds of Star Wars and the Muppets. That could change in the future, as Disney Dreamlight Valley developer Gameloft has released a new survey about the game, asking about several potential characters and licenses that players would like to see added. Among franchises like Robin Hood, Cars, and Cinderella, it also asks participants about Star Wars and the Muppets, and even lists potential character additions.

Mentions of Star Wars and the Muppets start 23 questions into the survey, in a question about the top three franchises the participant wants to see added. If the participant chooses Star Wars and Muppets from the list, the next questions will ask specifically how they might want to see these franchises represented: via DLC, new Realms, clothing options, or quest lines. The survey then gets into the nitty gritty, asking about specific characters they'd like to see added as new villagers. Grogu is the only Star Wars character listed (no Din Djarin?), while Kermit and Miss Piggy represent the Muppets side.

Back in 2022, ComicBook spoke with Gameloft's Manea Castet about the possibility of Star Wars and Marvel characters appearing in the game. At the time, Castet said that the team was "closing no doors but there is no plan" for characters outside of the traditional Disney and Pixar umbrellas. This survey would seem to suggest that plans have changed a bit, and Gameloft might be looking to expand the types of characters and franchises seen in Dreamlight Valley.

Surveys have become a common way for Disney Dreamlight Valley to gauge the community's interest in changes and new additions to the game before going through with them. In a survey back in January, the developers asked participants if they'd like to see rewards previously exclusive to Star Paths brought back via the Premium Shop. A few months later, Gameloft went through with that decision, so participants likely voted in favor. Basically, if you're a fan of Disney Dreamlight Valley and you want characters like Grogu and Kermit added, you should go take the survey right here and let Gameloft know how you feel!

Would you like to see Star Wars content in Disney Dreamlight Valley? Do you plan on taking the survey? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is heading to Nintendo Switch, and when it arrives, the game will feature some improvements over the version that launched on Apple Arcade. In a new interview with Nintendo Life, developer Super Evil Megacorp talked about some of the ways it's trying to tailor the experience to Nintendo's console. Obviously the game's UI needed to be overhauled to fit the console format, and players can look forward to improved lighting. Everything can be enjoyed in either single-player or online, with the option to drop in and out of sessions. While discussing the online co-op, director of product management Tom Westhall teased a new feature for the Switch version that has not yet been announced.

"It became very obvious to us when we announced this game for Switch that players wanted one thing above all else - playing together. There is definitely something extraordinary about playing games together, our studio goal is to build the best-shared gaming moments, so our mission was clear to ensure Splintered Fate was an amazing co-op experience. The team worked incredibly hard to deliver an experience we are really proud of (with a surprise still to be announced)! Having tested it with a few of our friends and family, we are really excited to share the co-op experience with the world," said Westhall.

Later in the interview, Westhall states that "we hadn't originally planned on building a certain feature for launch, but once we saw the demand we knew we had to." While Westhall is clearly playing coy, it sounds like the feature could be local co-op. Local co-op has been a staple of the TMNT games going back decades, and has been offered in other recent TMNT games, like Shedder's Revenge. That makes it the kind of thing TMNT fans would definitely demand from a developer, so it would line up with Westhall's comments.

While we can't be sure if local co-op is actually going to be offered for the Switch version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, we should know for sure very soon, as the game is coming on July 17th. The Apple Arcade version was already pretty well-regarded, but hopefully the Switch version will be the definitive way to play.

Do you plan on checking out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate? Would you like to see local co-op supported? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

With the Euros and Copa America winding down this week, the developers at Electronic Arts are taking one last opportunity to celebrate the two tournaments in EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Team. As the developers have been doing throughout the event, the team added a new Evolution to the mix in Ultimate Team, giving players the option to take a low-rated card and boost it into the mid-90s. Below, you'll find a full breakdown of the Allez Les Bleus Evolution and a list of the best players to use it on in EA Sports FC 24.

What is the EAFC 24 Allez Les BleusEvolution?

Fortunately, this Evolution is completely free, meaning you should use it to generate high-rated fodder even if you don't plan to use the player in your lineup. Here are the requirements you'll need to keep in mind:

• Max Overall: 88
• Max Acceleration: 89
• Nation: French
• Max PlayStyles: 7
• Max PlayStyles+: 1

Once you finish all of the Objectives, you'll earn +7 Overall, +5 Pace, +8 Shooting, +7 Passing, +7 Dribbling, +8 Defending, +7 Physical, +1 Weak Foot, the Relentless, Dead Ball, and Finesse Shot PlayStyles, and the Aerial, Technical, and Long Ball Pass PlayStyles+.

The Best Players for the Allez Les Bleus Evolution

Because this Evolution is so powerful, many of the best players are going to be tough to find on the Transfer Market. If you wait a few days, prices might come down, but the players listed below should be relatively cheap. You just have to find one on the Market. Here's the list:

• Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid
• FC Pro Mohamed Simakan - RB Leipzig
• Winter Wildcards Nordi Mukiele - PSG
• Festival of Football Rayan Cherki - Lyon
• Thunderstruck Icon Claude Makelele - France

Griezmann is probably the easiest to find because he's a normal Gold card. Still, his price is inflated right now, so consider waiting if you don't need a new striker right away. Griezmann doesn't have the top-end pace you'd want, but he's deadly in front of the net. Simakan and Mukiele usually aren't too expensive and become defenders with blazing speed after the Evolution.

If you didn't use Cherki's Festival of Football card in a previous Evolution, he's completely free. That makes him an attractive option, but he also has the five-star/five-star weak foot and skill moves combo and maxed-out dribbling. Finally, Makelele will run you over 100,000 Coins, but if you want a stud defensive midfielder, he'll fill that role nicely.

EA Sports FC 24 is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. The Allez Les Bleus Evolution expires on August 5th.

A new leak has seemingly indicated that publisher 2K Games is in the process of working on a remake of one of its titles. Generally speaking, 2K has been no stranger to releasing various remakes and remasters of its titles over the past few years. Releases such as Mafia: Definitive Edition, BioShock: The Collection, and Borderlands: The Handsome Collection have all come about and have done quite well for 2K. Now, it sounds as though the publisher is developing another title of this sort, but it's still not known which franchise it's in relation to.

Spotted by MP1st, a recent LinkedIn profile for a 3D artist at 2K by the name of Brett Shupe points to a remake of some sort being in development at the publisher. Shupe, who has since deleted his LinkedIn profile in light of this discovery, listed the remake along other projects that included a new Mafia entry, a new BioShock game, and another "unannounced title" at 2K. The BioShock and Mafia projects have been known to be in the works, but this remake is a new revelation.

When it comes to what this remake could be tied to, there are a number of possibilities. BioShock is one of the biggest properties that 2K Games owns and it hasn't seen a new installment since 2013 with BioShock Infinite. While a reboot of the series is currently in the works at studio Cloud Chamber, 2K could opt to remake the first game in the BioShock franchise as a way of giving fans something "new" to play until the fourth mainline installment in the series comes about.

Outside of BioShock, 2K also happens to own franchises that include Mafia, Borderlands, XCOM, Civilization, and Spec Ops, just to name a few. Of this slate, Spec Ops: The Line might be the most likely candidate to receive a new remake, especially given how acclaimed the original release is. With Spec Ops: The Line also having been deleted from digital storefronts earlier in 2024, perhaps 2K will look to bring it back in a new manner.

What do you think this new remake from 2K Games could end up becoming? Is it likely a remake of BioShock, or could it be something else completely? Be sure to let me know your own thoughts over on social media at @MooreMan12.

Welcome back to our fearless leader, bard extraordinaire, and a true inspiration @samriegel! ?

Thank you one and all for your patience, kindness, and respect for Sam's privacy as he's been on the mend - join him below for an important message about his journey and recovery. ? pic.twitter.com/sEhkh55vuE

-- Critical Role (@CriticalRole) July 8, 2024

Part of the reason why Riegel posted a video about his diagnosis was to raise awareness of the HPV vaccine, which was developed in the early 2000s and is now regularly given to pre-teens. HPV (Human papillomavirus) can cause several types of cancer, including cervical cancer in women and oropharyngeal carcinoma in men. Because it's a relatively new type of vaccine, many adults have not been given the HPV vaccine despite its effectiveness. Riegel also encouraged viewers to listen to their bodies, as he noticed his health issues because his oatmeal "tasted funny" and that he could no longer taste sweet things.

Riegel hadn't been present for several months of Critical Role programming after the in-world death of his character Fresh Cut Grass, who had sacrificed themselves to kill a longtime foe in the current campaign. Riegel returned in the most recent episode with a new character Braius Doomseed, a paladin/bard devoted to the evil god Asmodeus.

In addition to his role at Critical Role, Riegel is also an accomplished voice actor and director with numerous credits on both sides of the recording booth.

Our best wishes go out to Riegel, his family, and his friends as he continues his recovery.

Publisher Paradox Interactive has announced that its console versions of Cities: Skylines 2 will now be arriving far later than anticipated. Near the end of 2023, the sequel to Cities: Skylines was let loose on PC. Initially, the game ran into quite a few issues on the platform, which led to Paradox prioritizing fixes for this version of Skylines 2. As a result, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S editions of the title have continued to be pushed back in favor of the PC version being focused upon. Unfortunately, this trend is now continuing further with Paradox no delaying the console iterations of Cities: Skylines 2 further.

In a message shared on Paradox's official forums, the publisher informed prospective players that Cities: Skylines 2 has been delayed indefinitely on consoles. The reason for this move is that Paradox says it has yet to hit the stability and performance targets for the game on these platforms. As a result, Cities: Skylines 2 will now remain without even a broad launch window until these problems can be figured out.

"Unfortunately, we have not yet met the stability and performance targets we set for the console release," Paradox wrote in its message. "Without a Release Candidate (RC), we are now unable to meet an October release window. While we are making slow but steady progress, there are still unresolved issues impacting the game in ways that harm the player experience we want to deliver. We expect to receive a new RC, which will undergo a thorough review in August. This evaluation will determine whether we can begin the submission process and provide a solid release date, or if further issues need to be addressed. We understand this is disappointing, and it's not what we had hoped for either. However, we are committed to keeping you informed throughout this development process, even if the updates aren't always what we'd like. Thank you for your understanding and support."

As Paradox mentioned, Cities: Skylines 2 was previously intended to launch on PlayStation and Xbox in October 2024. With this month now no longer being feasible, it seems like Cities: Skylines 2 is in danger of slipping out of 2024 altogether. Whether or not this ends up coming to pass isn't yet known, but hopefully, we'll have more concrete info on the release of Cities: Skylines 2 in the months ahead.

This summer, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players will have a bunch of new events to look forward to, including Mass Outbreaks and Tera Raid Battles. The first of these events will begin on Thursday, July 11th at 5 p.m. PT and will focus on "Pikachu and Friends." Players can expect to see a Pikachu with the Mightiest Mark and Water Tera type appearing in black crystal Tera Raid Battles. Players can also expect to see Mass Outbreaks of Pokemon related to Pikachu in all of the game's regions. Pichu will be found in Paldea, Pikachu and Mimikyu in Kitakami, with Raichu and Alolan Raichu in Blueberry Academy.

On Thursday, July 25th starting at 5 p.m. PT, players can expect to see Dondozo with the Mightiest Mark also appearing in black crystal Tera Raid Battles. Dondozo will have a Water Tera type. Meanwhile, the various forms of Tatsugiri will be found in Mass Outbreaks. In Paldea, players will find the Curly Form, the Droopy Form will be in Kitakami, and Stretchy Form will be at Blueberry Academy.

The third part of this event series features Pokemon that have been used in the branding for Pokemon Worlds 2024. On Thursday, August 8th starting at 5 p.m. PT, Chest Form Gimmighoul will appear in 1 to 5 star Raids. Players can also expect to see Mass Outbreaks; Paldea will feature Wattrel, Kitakami will feature Riolu, and Blueberry will see Comfey.

The last of these events will (mostly) have a Dragon-type theme. Kicking off Thursday, August 22nd at 5 p.m. PT, players can expect to see Dragonite in black crystal Tera Raid Battles. This Dragonite will have a Normal Tera type. Mass Outbreaks will feature Bagon and Larvitar in Paldea, Goomy and Hisuian Sliggoo in Kitakami, and just Beldum in Blueberry Academy.

During these events, players will have a boosted chance of finding certain Shiny Pokemon, so the event could end up being a very worthwhile one, even for those that have already finished the Pokedex and completed the base and DLC campaigns. Since Pokemon Legends: Z-A isn't coming out until sometime in 2025, it's nice to see Scarlet and Violet still getting some love in the meantime!

Do you plan on checking out any of these events in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Have you still been spending time with the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Serebii]

If you somehow haven't purchased Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch to this point, a new sale on the game has brought it to one of its lowest prices ever. Released in the first year of the Switch's life cycle, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has essentially never not been the highest-selling title on the platform. To this point, MK8D has sold 61.97 million copies, which over 15 million units above the next best-selling game on Switch. Now, if you've been holding off for one reason or another to add the latest Mario Kart entry to your own Switch library, a new offer is worth pouncing on.

Over at Walmart, the retail giant has slashed the price of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe by a whopping 50% and is now selling it for $29.99. This matches the lowest price that Walmart has ever sold MK8D for, which means that a deal this good likely won't end up ever coming about. It's worth stressing that this promotion might not be available for very long and it also applies only to the physical edition of the kart racing title rather than the digital version.

As mentioned, there's a good chance that this sale won't matter for many Nintendo Switch owners given that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has already been sold to nearly half of all Switch users. Beyond this, MK8D has made even greater history for Nintendo and is the best-selling game that the publisher has ever released. Still, those who may be late to the party now have a perfect opportunity to grab the Switch's version of Mario Kart at a price that likely won't be seen again soon.

If you're looking to learn more about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and what it entails, you can get a look at a trailer and accompanying description for the game attached below.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

"Burn rubber across Mushroom Kingdom raceways--underwater, in the sky, upside-down in zero-g, and past the finish--for the win! Get revved up for local multiplayer*, online in-game tournaments, a revamped battle mode, and more! Stay fresh in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game by playing as guest characters Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy! You can use their Splatoon inspired karts on their battle mode stage, Urchin Underpass. There are also returning items, like Boo, the item-stealing ghost, and the Feather, used exclusively in battle mode. Veterans rejoice--you can hold two items at once! Prove you're the world's best racer and battler in online tournaments, or simply race and battle friends online. With many control options and handheld mode, there's always a way to play on the Nintendo Switch system!

Later this year, the worlds of Disney are going to combine in a new turn-based roleplaying experience. Titled Disney Pixel RPG, the game features pixelated versions of iconic Disney characters. The concept is that these various Disney characters all come from different video game worlds, which have been "invaded by strange programs." This has caused these worlds to become interconnected, and the various playable characters have unique hooks, like a Mickey that's from a Mario Party style board game, Maleficent coming from an RPG, and Ariel originating in a rhythm game. We don't know exactly how many playable characters will be featured, but 10 have been announced thus far:

• Mickey Mouse
• Donald Duck
• Goofy
• Ariel
• Maleficent
• Aurora
• Winnie the Pooh
• Baymax
• Stitch
• Aladdin

Disney Pixel RPG is being referred to as "a beginner-friendly RPG," so those less familiar with the genre should have an easier time learning the mechanics. In fact, while the developers have noted that controls are simple and the battles will be fast-paced, the combat system will have an auto-play option to skip the strategic elements. There will also be a way for players to send their characters out on expeditions to obtain in-game materials while they aren't playing. Finally, there will be some customization options, as players will have their own unique avatar, which can be dressed up using Disney-themed clothing. Examples shown include outfits inspired by Mickey and Donald.

As of this writing, Disney Pixel RPG has only been confirmed for mobile platforms. Releasing on September 9th, the game will be free-to-play, and will be available on iOS 17.0 or later as well as Android 9.0 or later. It will feature some form of in-game transactions, though we don't know exactly how those will play out, or what content will be paid.

That exclusivity is bound to disappoint those who were hoping the game might come to PC or consoles, but it's possible that Disney Pixel RPG could make the jump to more platforms if it proves popular enough. The game is being developed by GungHo Online Entertainment, the company responsible for the Puzzle & Dragons series. Since that series eventually made its way to platforms like 3DS and Nintendo Switch, hopefully the same will eventually happen with Disney Pixel RPG.

Do you plan on checking out Disney Pixel RPG? Does this seem like the kind of RPG that would appeal to you? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls is a fun, family-friendly cooperative board game with modular set-ups that pits the forces of Disney good versus the shadowy forces of Disney darkness. Published by Ravensburger and designed by Pam Walls, Chronicles of Light is a new franchise set in the Realm of Light, which has been invaded by mysterious Shadows. Players work together to take Actions, complete Quests, and eventually push back the Vortex for good. While the modular design of the game and multiple quests allows for increased replayability, it also greatly increases the number of components for the game which makes the game seem a bit more intimidating than it actually is. There's also a bit of ambiguity in the instruction manual, although an accompanying video clears up a few unclear bits in the rules quite easily.

In Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls, players control one of four Disney heroines summoned to the Realm of Light as crystalline essences. Each hero has two unique Actions plus a third that unlocks once they complete their Quest. At the outset of the game, players randomly choose their Quest (which usually involves some kind of retrieval of tokens and taking them to another location) and set it up on the game board, which is also created using map tiles specific to each player.

Over the course of the game, players will work together to complete their respective Quests, defeat the Shadows on the board, and then finally defeat the Vortex that continues to spawn the Shadows each turn. During each "day" of the game, players jointly play a total of six Actions to move around the board, trying to complete their Quests and clear Shadows along the way. While players have to spend an Action token to move or heal, battling Shadows (which players do by rolling two six-sided dice) is NOT an action, while picking up and dropping off quest tokens are considered part of the move action.

Once all players complete their respective Quests, they can focus on permanently defeating the Vortex for good. While the Vortex can't be permanently defeated until all Shadows are off the board, players can "weaken" the Vortex by entering its location and rolling at least six successes (this IS a battle, but not an action). A weakened Vortex stays at one set location for the remainder of the game and produces less Shadows on the start of a new round. This should make clearing the remaining Shadows much easier and sets up an easier final battle as the Vortex only needs four successes to be defeated once weakened.

Players win the game if they complete all Quests, defeat all Shadows, and defeat the Vortex. They lose the game if they run out of days in the Darkness Falls desk or if their collective Team Health board reaches zero.

Chronicles of Light is a surprisingly polished and balanced game, one that should challenge players of all ages. In both playthroughs, my family playgroup didn't defeat the Vortex until the final round of the game, making for some tense final moments. The game also encourages teamwork and cooperation throughout, both with the rotating Leader token (who has the final call on what actions the party should take) and the battling system which promotes teaming up to battle instead of going it alone. The heroes also have different feels to them - Maid Marian is a ranged attacker with the ability to move heroes long distances around the board, Violet negates damage, and Belle is a tech specialist that can weaken foes and deal extra damage. The heroes picked by the players also impact the quests and even the map, which helps to make each game feel unique.

Unfortunately, the instruction manual for Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls is a bit lacking and leaves plenty of room for confusion and ambiguity. For instance, the instruction manual doesn't explicitly say how players pick up Quest tokens - do players have to complete it as part of an Action or can they simply pick up the pieces for free? Likewise, the instruction manual doesn't state explicitly that the Vortex can only be defeated by clearing all Shadows from board first. For someone that's used to playing crunchier games than this, Chronicles of Light's instruction manual could have benefitted from an extra page or two of more explicit instruction. Luckily, a video that can be accessed via a QR code at the front of the instructions provides much clearer guidance than the actual rulebook, and I highly encourage that anyone playing this game watch it.

My other (much more minor) frustration is the heavy use of components in the game. Each character has a minimum of 33 cards, tokens, and components used for the game, which makes for a ton of little pieces and parts for a family-friendly game. Many of these pieces (such as quest tokens) don't get used in an individual game and other components (the dice, health tokens) are only unique because they're color-coded. Because of all the pieces and a more complicated set-up than other games made for the 8+ age group, this isn't a "quick" game to play and set up. My family is used to complicated games, but I fear that the more complex set-up might turn off more casual players.

Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls is a fun gateway game that introduces some of the concepts of cooperative play and managing multiple objectives at once to younger players. Although the instruction manual itself could have used some polishing, the game itself is both challenging (in a good way!) and keeps all players engaged in ways that some other cooperative games struggle with. If you're a fan of Disney, a fan of cooperative games, or just enjoy the idea of a crystalline Maid Marian sniping Syndrome from afar using a shuttlecock, this is a game worth picking up.

Ravensburger provided a copy of Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls for review purposes.

There are a lot of different perks to being a Nintendo Switch Online member, including the ability to claim unique profile icons and play classic games released on various old systems. Those are the most common perks, but the service also periodically offers free game trials, which give subscribers a chance to play a select game completely free for a limited time. The latest of these free trials starts July 8th at 10 a.m. PT, and features Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. The free trial will come to an end on July 14th at 11:59 p.m. PT, so NSO users will have about a week to see what the game has to offer.

Readers interested in trying the free game trial for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope can download it directly to their Nintendo Switch at the link right here.

For those that have never played a free trial through Nintendo Switch Online, the whole game is made available to the player throughout the duration; if you grind hard enough, you could even beat it before the trial comes to an end! However, once the trial is over, the game will no longer be playable on that Switch console unless a purchase is made. If the player does decide to buy the game, all save data will automatically transfer to the full version, and that's true for both the physical and digital versions. However, those that don't mind buying digital will be happy to know that the base game for Sparks of Hope and its gold version are both currently on sale at a 67% discount, so if you like the trial, it's pretty cheap to upgrade.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope was originally released in 2022. A sequel to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the game made a number of welcome improvements over the previous title. Sparks of Hope received heavy praise from critics, and currently holds a score of 85 on Metacritic. In ComicBook's official review of the game, I awarded the game a score of 4.5 out of 5 for offering "an experience that builds on its predecessor while also surpassing it." For those that have never experienced the spin-off series, this free trial really is the perfect opportunity!

Do you plan on checking out the free trial for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope? Have you played either game in the series before? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

After several setbacks, Ubisoft finally launched its FPS XDefiant earlier this year. The game was originally supposed to launch last fall, but various issues pushed it back until this May. Even after taking that extra time to get the shooter up to developer expectations, XDefiant did have issues with its servers in the early days of release. While many of those problems have been ironed out with post-launch updates, some players still feel like the game was "rushed." It seems strange considering the circumstances of XDefiant's development, but the game's executive producer still stepped in to let fans know that the project was not "rushed out."

XDefiant executive producer Mark Rubin was asked on Twitter if the team tried to get the shooter out before games like Grand Theft Auto 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 were released. Rubin made it clear that the game was not rushed, which isn't a surprise for anyone who has been paying attention to the game's development process. That said, Rubin did delve into a few details about why the developer has been running into issues with XDefiant.

Rubin said, "What we have is an engine that has only ever been an MMO. And so all of the infrastructure for an FPS has had to be built from the ground floor. Even [Call of Duty] started on ID tech which was a shooter engine. Apex [Legends] started on a shooter engine. But for us, we are working on developing all new tech in an engine that was designed for something else. That being said, the engine is really great but it does require a lot of work, and with that work comes a lot of bugs that other engines have already worked out."

The engine Rubin is referring to is Ubisoft's Snowdrop engine. It was created for Tom Clancy's The Division, a third-person shooter RPG. It has since been used for Mario+Rabbids, South Park: The Fractured but Whole, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. That proves the engine is versatile, but it is fair to say that making a dedicated FPS is going to come with a few kinks that the developers need to work out. Fortunately, Rubin and his team seem committed to giving XDefiant the time it needs to add features and iron out bugs. Hopefully, that results in a more stable game, especially considering how popular XDefiant has been since its launch.

XDefiant is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Ahead of its release later this year, Atlus has revealed a new trailer for its RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio that better highlights its narrative. In recent months, Atlus has been detailing much more of Metaphor to familiarize prospective players with its various mechanics, systems, and world. Now, that trend has continued with another new video that has come about in proximity to Anime Expo 2024.

Clocking in at a little more than three minutes, the latest trailer for Metaphor: ReFantazio explains more about the story and characters that it features. As a result, various cutscenes from the game are shown off throughout this trailer while gameplay footage is used more sparingly. Much like the Persona series, Atlus is using two visual styles in the cutscenes of Metaphor with some featuring the same look as the game's graphics while others are animated.

In addition to this lengthy story trailer, Atlus also happened to let loose an accompanying video for Metaphor: ReFantazio that stems from the game's opening. This sequence is meant to show the events that set the game's story into motion. It also happens to reveal a character who is likely to be one of the main villains that players will encounter in Metaphor when they play for themselves.

As for the story trailer, you can watch it for yourself right here:

"From the creative minds behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 comes Metaphor: ReFantazio, a unique fantasy world, where your protagonist will journey alongside his fairy companion, Gallica, to lift the curse from the kingdom's lost prince," says the game's official description. "Control your destiny, face your fears and awaken magical 'Archetype' powers that lie dormant in your heart. By awakening to an 'Archetype,' you will unlock the power to channel and combine the abilities of unique job classes. Strengthen your bonds and build your party to take down powerful foes and discover the kingdom's true nature."

When it comes to its release, Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to launch this fall on October 11, 2024. The game will be available across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Until that time,

Since launching last year, Lethal Company has quickly become one of the most popular games, especially among horror fans. Not only has the game sold incredibly well on Steam, but it's inspired imitators like Content Warning, which has similarly blown up the Steam charts. However, it's worth noting that Lethal Company is still in its early access period and developer Zeekerss has continued to release new updates relatively often. The latest update is Version 55, which adds a new vehicle and several creatures to Lethal Company.

The Company Cruiser is the first and so far only vehicle in Lethal Company, making it an important milestone for the game. Players can use it to quickly move around the environment while carrying a large load. Lethal Company has also added two more entities, the Kidnapper Fox and Barber, giving players even more enemies they'll need to learn to deal with. Version 55 also adds several map changes and bug fixes.

Below, you'll find the full patch notes for Version 55. Lethal Company is available now on PC.

Lethal Company Version 55 Update Patch Notes

Added Content

• Added the new Company Cruiser vehicle.
• Added the Vain Shroud as a new map hazards.
• Added the Kidnapper Fox as a new entity.
• Added the Barber as a new entity.
• Added two new causes of death; "Inertia" and "Snipped".

Gameplay Changes

• The Jetpack's price was increased from 700c to 900c.
• TZP-Inhalant drunkenness speed and visual effect curves were adjusted.
• The Tulip Snake's spawn chance and spawn falloff curves has been adjusted.
• The Knife can now hit multiple entities.

Map Changes

• Dine map changes.
  • Its indoor spawn table has been adjusted.
• Artifice map changes.
  • Its max daytime power has been decreased from 20 to 15.
  • Its indoor spawn chance curve has been adjusted. Indoor entities now tend to spawn later.
• Assurance changes.
  • Its daytime spawn deviation was decreased from 10 to 8.
  • Its indoor spawn curve has been adjusted.
    
    
• Embrion map changes.
  • Its minimum scrap amount was increased from 11 to 14.
  • Its maximum scrap amount was increased from 15 to 16.
  • Its daytime spawn curve has been adjusted.
  • Can no longer spawn Manticoils.
• Rend map changes.
  • Can no longer spawn Earth Leviathan.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug where Trees were no longer granting cover from Forest Giants.
• Fixed a bug where items did not collide with players, entities, and map hazards.
• Fixed some de-sync issues with the position of the Nutcracker and the Butler.
• Fixed inconsistent damage numbers when attacking entities with weapons.
• Fixed inconsistent damage numbers when attacking employees with weapons.
• Fixed breaker box and vent spawn positions.
• Fixed the speed glitch bug that was related to negative weight.
• Fixed a bug where multiple employees were able to use the terminal at the same time.
• Fixed a bug where multiple entities were assigned to the same vent, resulting in "ghost entities".

• Fixed a bug where the Shotgun could hit the same entity multiple times.
• The Forest Giant no longer instantly kills employees that are standing above its spawn position.
• Fixed a bug where Baboon Hawks were able to deal damage while stunned or dead.
• Fixed a bug where the Employee was able to use the Zap-Gun while in an animation with an entity.

A new sale on the PlayStation Store has discounted a hugely popular horror game from the PlayStation 4 era for almost nothing. At this point in time, Valve's Steam marketplace is having some of the best video game discounts as its annual Summer Sale is in full swing. For those on PlayStation platforms that might be looking for deals on par with what Steam is currently offering up, though, one notable discount on the PS Store should be pounced on before it comes to an end.

As of this moment, the first-person horror title Outlast can be purchased on the PlayStation Store for only $1.99. This represents a 90% discount as the game typically retails for $19.99. First released in 2013, Outlast was one of the most popular horror games in the early days of the PS4. It went on to spawn multiple sequels and spin-offs of its own which have continued to come about into 2024.

If you're looking to snatch up nearly the entire Outlast series, you can do so for relatively cheap on the PlayStation Store until July 18th. Outlast 2 has also seen a huge discount to bring it down to $2.99. Conversely, you can buy Outlast Trinity which contains both Outlast and Outlast 2 along with the Outlast: Whistleblower DLC, which takes place before the events of the first game, for only $5.89.

To learn more about Outlast and what it entails, you can get a look at the horror classic's description and trailer attached at the bottom of the page.

Outlast

"In the remote mountains of Colorado, horrors wait inside Mount Massive Asylum. A long-abandoned home for the mentally ill, recently re-opened by the "research and charity" branch of the transnational Murkoff Corporation, the asylum has been operating in strict secrecy... until now.

Acting on a tip from an anonymous source, independent journalist Miles Upshur breaks into the facility, and what he discovers walks a terrifying line between science and religion, nature and something else entirely. Once inside, his only hope of escape lies with the terrible truth at the heart of Mount Massive.

Outlast is a true survival horror experience which aims to show that the most terrifying monsters of all come from the human mind."

Earlier this year, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku released Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to rave reviews. The latest in the long-running Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series continued the story of both Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga, leaving the door open for further adventures. However, RGG recently took to the stage at Anime Expo and teased that fans would "be surprised" by what the studio is working on next. You might assume that means the team is working on a new franchise, but fans at the event later clarified that RGG was talking about the Like a Dragon series.

Video Games Chronicle was the first to report the story, though the information comes from Twitter user TheYakuzaGuy who was at the event. They reported that RGG said, "We can't tell you what kind of game it is but I will tell you...you will be surprised." As mentioned, most fans' first thoughts were that RGG might be taking on a project similar to First of the North Star: Lost Paradise, its 2018 adaptation of the fan-favorite manga. However, knowing that this tease is referencing the Like a Dragon series makes things a little more complicated.

There are several possibilities for what this surprise might be. We know that RGG does have plans to release Yakuza Kiwami 3 eventually, but that doesn't seem to fit the bill for a surprise. One remake that would be a shock would be if RGG revisits Yakuza: Dead Souls. The developer has gone back to side projects in the Yakuza series, but Dead Souls is probably the strangest side project the team has taken on. It's also possible that RGG is going to change up the core gameplay in the next Like a Dragon game. It wouldn't be the first time RGG switched genres completely, though changing from the turn-based RPG combat in Infinite Wealth after only two games would be a strange choice for the team.

While all of those options would undoubtedly be a fun direction for RGG to take, it's impossible to say what's coming next. It's also worth noting that we'll likely be waiting until at least next year before the developers reveal this new project. Remember, we waited four years between the last two mainline entries, so unless this is a side game, it's probably not launching until 2028. That said, RGG did say this would be a surprise, so maybe they're speeding up the cadence of mainline Like a Dragon releases.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.

Inside Out 2 arrived in theaters last month, and Disney Dreamlight Valley is celebrating the occasion in a couple of different ways. While we haven't seen any characters from the movie added to the valley, players can now snag some free items in the game inspired by the film. By claiming the code IO22024, players will automatically receive four free mood bracelets that can be worn by their character in the game. Readers should note that the first two parts of the code are letters and not numbers. At this time, we do not know of an expiration date for the code.

How to Redeem a Code in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Disney Dreamlight Valley will occasionally offer codes for free items, but it happens infrequently, so players can't be blamed for not knowing how to redeem them. To claim this free offer, players must go into the main menu and head to the Settings section. There, under Help, players will find a section where players can enter a code for redemption. Once the code has been correctly claimed, the player will receive a notification to check their in-game mailbox, where the rewards can be found in a letter marked "Memory Mania Event." The bracelets are based on Anxiety, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy.

While players are redeeming that code, they can also do so for codes for several pride related items, which went live late last month. Those codes have no expiration date, and include eight different themed color bundles. Those codes are PRIDEGLEAM24, PRIDEILLUMINATE24, PRIDESHINE24, PRIDESHIMMER24, PRIDEGLOW24, PRIDERADIATE24, PRIDEBRIGHT24, and PRIDEBRIGHT24.

Inside Out 2 Memory Mania Event

In addition to the code for free bracelets, Disney Dreamlight Valley is also hosting an in-game event inspired by Inside Out 2. The Memory Mania Event went live alongside the game's most recent update, and allows players to unlock new animal companions inspired by the film's various emotions. Inside Out 2 puts a major focus on Riley's passion for hockey, and the event similarly centers around this. To participate in the event, players must search the valley and Realms to collect Riley's hockey gear, birthday cakes, and trophies.

The Memory Mania Event will only last through July 17th, so fans hoping to participate have a limited time left to do so.

Do you plan on grabbing these free Inside Out 2 bracelets? Have you been participating in the Memory Mania Event? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Two of the best games that developer Valve has ever released are on sale on Steam for less than $1 apiece. At the time of this writing, Steam's "Summer Sale" promotion is still ongoing for just a few more days. And while there are numerous titles as part of the Summer Sale that are worth picking up, these two games in question from Valve should absolutely be added to your own digital library if they're not already there.

As of this moment, both Portal and Portal 2 are available on Steam for the baffling price of $0.99. Outside of the Half-Life series, Portal is likely the most famous franchise that Valve has ever created. Not to mention, both Portal and its sequel are two of the most acclaimed games in the puzzle genre as the original entry sits at a 90/100 aggregate score on Metacritic while Portal 2 has an even better 95/100 score.

If this $0.99 price for Portal and Portal 2 somehow isn't good enough for you already, you can get both games for an even lower price on Steam as well. Valve has packaged both Portal titles into a single bundle on Steam that it is then selling for merely $1.48. This makes each Portal game only $0.74 apiece, which is one of the lowest prices that either title has ever been sold for. Considering that you can't even purchase a cup of coffee for this value, this deal is arguably the best on all of Steam at the moment.

If you're somehow not familiar with the Portal series whatsoever, you can get a look at trailers and descriptions for both games attached below.

Portal

"Set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, Portal has been called one of the most innovative new games on the horizon and will offer gamers hours of unique gameplay. The game is designed to change the way players approach, manipulate, and surmise the possibilities in a given environment; similar to how Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun innovated new ways to leverage an object in any given situation. Players must solve physical puzzles and challenges by opening portals to maneuvering objects, and themselves, through space."

Portal 2

"Portal 2 draws from the award-winning formula of innovative gameplay, story, and music that earned the original Portal over 70 industry accolades and created a cult following.

The single-player portion of Portal 2 introduces a cast of dynamic new characters, a host of fresh puzzle elements, and a much larger set of devious test chambers. Players will explore never-before-seen areas of the Aperture Science Labs and be reunited with GLaDOS, the occasionally murderous computer companion who guided them through the original game.

The game's two-player cooperative mode features its own entirely separate campaign with a unique story, test chambers, and two new player characters. This new mode forces players to reconsider everything they thought they knew about portals. Success will require them to not just act cooperatively, but to think cooperatively."

Fans are just over a week away from developer Electronic Arts bringing back its college football series. While the team has dropped the NCAA name, College Football 25 looks like a return to form for the developer after 11 years without a new game due to various license issues. Over the last few weeks, the developers have revealed the toughest places to play, the Top 25 ratings to start the year, and one of the more in-depth deep dives into Dynasty Mode players have ever seen. However, EA Sports College Football 25 isn't quite done driving the hype train before its release. On July 8th, the developers are dropping a lengthy new gameplay trailer that'll be our best look yet at College Football 25.

As mentioned, the new gameplay trailer goes live tomorrow morning from the time of this writing. Unlike the previous gameplay reveals, this is meant to be our first in-depth look at how College Football 25 will play. It's not simply the developer posting a video showing off a few new wrinkles. Instead, the team is posting a video of Michigan Wolverines running back and College Football 25 cover star Donovan Edwards playing against NCAA 14 YouTuber Bordeaux in a one-on-one matchup. Of course, the developers at EA will likely also take the time to show off a few wrinkles, but the team is giving every indication that this will essentially be raw footage from the matchup.

Once this goes live, we'll hopefully learn more about College Football 25's approach to Ultimate Team and what changes the team has made to Road to Glory mode. While Dynasty Mode is the most popular mode in College Football 25, those two (especially Ultimate Team) will be important to the longevity of the game. Thus far, Electronic Arts hasn't given us a deep dive into either mode, so we'll likely hear much more about both of them over the next few days as EA races toward the release date.

EA Sports College Football 25 releases on July 19th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Remember, if you preorder the Deluxe Edition or pick up the MVP Bundle which includes the Deluxe versions of College Football 25 and Madden NFL 25, you'll get access to the game three days early. You'll also grab several in-game rewards, including a few Ultimate Team boosts.

As technological leaps become greater, it's taking studios more and more time to finish highly-anticipated sequels. This has been particularly noticeable in the Nintendo Switch generation; six years passed between the releases of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and it will have been eight years or more between the original announcement of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and the game's actual release in 2025. In a recent shareholder Q&A, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that these wait times are "unavoidable" but also revealed that steps are being taken to deal with the issue.

"Game development today is more prolonged, more complex, and more advanced. That is unavoidable. To deal with this, we are continually expanding our development resources and making the necessary investments," said Furukawa.

While Furukawa did not go into further detail, those development resources and investments seem to include spin-off games and other related projects. The wait between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom still saw several Zelda games released on Switch, including Skyward Sword HD, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and Cadence of Hyrule. All of those games were developed in collaboration with outside studios, including Tantalus Media, Omega Force, and Brace Yourself Games. Meanwhile, Metroid Dread was developed as part of a collaboration between Nintendo EPD and MercurySteam, and Iron Galaxy was involved with Metroid Prime Remastered. These games might not be exactly what fans were waiting for, but they did keep fans of Zelda and Metroid engaged with the system.

These types of investments have helped Nintendo maintain a steady stream of first-party releases on Switch, while maintaining the level of quality players have come to expect from the company's biggest releases. It remains to be seen whether Metroid Prime 4 will prove worth the wait, but Tears of the Kingdom seemed to live up to expectations.

With a new Nintendo System set to be revealed within the next year, it will be interesting to see if this strategy continues. We have no idea what to expect in terms of the system's first year of games, but it's a safe bet that a new 3D Mario will be available close to launch, given the fact that nearly eight years will have passed since the release of Super Mario Odyssey. Thankfully, Mario fans have had a lot to keep them busy since, and they'll have even more this year with games like Super Mario Party Jamboree and Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

Do you think the wait time between Nintendo sequels is too long? Has Nintendo's current strategy made it easier to wait? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

If you've been waiting to pick up Persona 3 Reload since its launch earlier in 2024, now is your best opportunity to do so. Not long after releasing in February, Atlus and publisher Sega slowly began discounting the latest Persona game by small amounts. Now, a little more than halfway into the year, Persona 3 Reload has seen its price cut to a new low that sees it retailing for nearly 60% off of its typical price.

As of today, Persona 3 Reload has been put on sale for only $29.99. This represents a 57% discount as the game normally costs $69.99. As mentioned, this is the lowest price that Persona 3 Reload has been made available for up until this point. When it comes to the retailers that are offering this deal, GameStop has both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game up for purchase for $29.99. Amazon then also has this sale going, but only for the PS5 iteration.

In case you're wondering why Persona 3 Reload is on sale by so much, there's really not a good reason as to why. The game is one of the best-reviewed titles of the entirety of 2024 and boasts an impressive 87/100 aggregate score on Metacritic. Beyond this, Atlus has also previously confirmed that P3R is the fastest-selling game in the history of the Persona series. As such, it's not really clear why the remake of Persona 3 is on sale by such a drastic amount, but those looking to buy it shouldn't care either way.

"Persona 3 Reload definitely still feels dated in some areas, which isn't always expected from a modern remake," says our official review of the game at ComicBook. "Despite this, some of these older aspects of Reload are what I came to appreciate the more that I played. Atlus isn't trying to create the best all-around modern Persona game with P3R, it's instead simply trying to create the best version of Persona 3 by combining everything from the original with some enjoyable new mechanics and aesthetic tweaks. To that end, I have a hard time believing that newcomers or veterans of Persona 3 will be anything other than delighted with Reload."

Famed video game director Hideo Kojima may have just teased when the next reveal for his upcoming game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will take place. At the start of this year, a lengthy new trailer for the Death Stranding sequel was shown as part of a PlayStation State of Play broadcast. Since that time, DS2 hasn't been highlighted whatsoever, which has left fans wondering when more news on the project might drop. Now, it seems as though we could have our answer if a new post from Kojima is any indication.

Recently on X (formerly Twitter), Kojima shared a promotional image of the upcoming Tokyo Game Show convention. Kojima did this without adding context about why he was posting the picture, but Kojima Productions itself soon after confirmed that it would be attending the event which is set to last from September 26th through September 29th. Because of this, some have assumed that this could end up being the next venue in which Kojima Productions chooses to promote Death Stranding 2 with either a new trailer or gameplay footage.

It's worth noting that PlayStation itself also confirmed recently that it would be partaking in Tokyo Game Show this September, which is a first for the company in five years. As a result, PlayStation clearly has something to show off at TGS or else it wouldn't choose to return to the show. Given that PlayStation is publishing Death Stranding 2, it seems quite likely that this could be one of the major titles that PlayStation opts to highlight. Other upcoming games from the publisher that could also be shown off in some capacity include the remake of Until Dawn, LEGO Horizon Adventures, and Marvel's Wolverine, to name a few.

For now, all that's known with certainty about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is that it will be released at some point in 2025, exclusively for PlayStation 5. The game is set to once again feature a star-studded cast that includes the likes of Norman Reedus, Elle Fanning, Troy Baker, Lea Seydoux, and Jonathan Roumie.

[H/T Gaming Bolt]

Over the last three decades, the Mortal Kombat franchise has established a roster of beloved characters. Favorites like Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Johnny Cage have become household names, but it can be argued that Scorpion and Sub-Zero might be the two most important in the series. The rivalry between the two ninjas has been a key part of the Mortal Kombat narrative since 1992, and if series creator Ed Boon has his way, the two characters will take the spotlight in their own spin-off game. In a recent social media post, Boon addressed the possibility of a Shaolin Monks style spin-off, and which characters would star.

"Without a doubt, if (when?) we do one, it will be Scorpion and Sub-zero," Boon wrote on X/Twitter.

Unfortunately, that doesn't make it sound like a spin-off is in the immediate plans for the future, but hopefully it's something that does end up getting made. The rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero played a pivotal role in the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot movie, and that story will continue in the upcoming sequel. Boon did not go into detail about whether a potential spin-off game would explore the past between these characters, or if it would take place in the present day of the MK continuity.

The original Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks was released in 2005 on PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox. Unlike the main series games, Shaolin Monks was a beat 'em up that featured Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Over the years, the game has built a passionate following, and fans have long been hoping to see a sequel or remaster. Boon has been tossing fuel on those flames for several years now, so fans shouldn't take this latest post about Scorpion and Sub-Zero as direct evidence that a new game is in the works.

Unsurprisingly, Boon's comment received a lot of approval from Mortal Kombat fans! Putting Mortal Kombat's most marketable characters front and center would be a smart way of reviving the spin-off, and could generate interest even among those that never played the first game. For now, MK fans are just going to have to wait patiently and hope that Shaolin Monks finally gets its overdue revival!

Would you like a Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks sequel? Do Scorpion and Sub-Zero deserve their own game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

At Anime Expo 2024, attendees got their first look at Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings, a new animated prelude to the upcoming game. Sega only offered a short trailer for the animated special, but it had a lot for fans to be excited about. The trailer begins with Shadow the Hedgehog lamenting his inability to cure Maria Robotnik of her terminal illness. Suddenly, an explosion rocks Space Colony Ark, heralding the arrival of a long-missing character from Sonic the Hedgehog lore: Emerl! Emerl appears to be after Gerald Robotnik, and Shadow quickly takes off after the robot to protect Maria's grandfather.

For those unfamiliar with Emerl, the character debuted in Sonic Battle, a title originally released on Game Boy Advance back in 2003. In that game, Emerl is revealed to be an ancient robot created more than 4,000 years ago. The robot started out as a horrible instrument of destruction, but Gerald Robotnik gave it a soul based on that of Maria. Decades later, it was rediscovered by Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, and it ended up befriending Sonic.

At this time, we don't know why Emerl is back, but his presence in the Dark Beginnings anime is pretty surprising! The character has been referenced only a few times over the last two decades, but has been largely forgotten since Sonic Battle. However, one theory starting to circulate on social media is that Emerl could be the fourth playable character Sega has been teasing for Sonic x Shadow Generations. We know that the Shadow storyline will explore the character's past, and since Emerl is a part of that past (and has a connection to Maria) he would make a lot of sense to bring back as a secondary character.

At this time, readers should keep in mind that this is just speculation, but it's great to see Sega reviving a long forgotten Sonic character. The Dark Beginnings anime does not currently have a release schedule, but Sonic x Shadow Generations is coming out on October 25th. That means we should learn a lot more about Sega's plans for Emerl soon, including whether the character will have any kind of role to play in the game, or if he'll just be appearing in the anime.

Did you ever play Sonic Battle on the Game Boy Advance? Do you think Emerl is the fourth playable character in Sonic x Shadow Generations? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

This weekend marks the eighth anniversary of Pokemon Go. Over the years, it's become a tradition for Niantic to tease its plans for the game's future with a piece of anniversary art, and this year is no exception. The developer has released a new piece featuring a plethora of Pokemon that have been added to the game recently, including the Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings versions of Necrozma. However, the art also features a big emphasis on Pokemon that originally appeared in the Galar region from Pokemon Sword and Shield, including a mix of those that are already in the game, and a few that aren't!

A small handful of Pokemon from Sword and Shield were added to Pokemon Go several years ago, and some of them can be seen in the eighth anniversary image, including Skwovet, Greedent, Falinks, and Dubwool. However, the Galar region has largely been ignored in the game, with Paldea getting more of a focus. That appears to be changing soon, as the anniversary image also shows Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, and Morpeko. The anniversary art can be found below.

While the addition of these new Galar Pokemon would already be big news, the biggest (literally and figuratively) is that Dynamax is apparently coming to the game! In the background, we can see a Dynamax Wartortle looming in the background, looking absolutely enormous. Wartortle was probably selected for the art for two reasons: it shows that all Pokemon might be able to use Dynamax (not just those with Gigantamax forms), and it also happens to be the eighth Pokemon in the Pokedex, so it fits with the anniversary theme. Pokemon Sword and Shield also represents the eighth Pokemon generation, so it all clicks together pretty nicely.

Unfortunately, we have no idea yet how Dynamax and Gigantmax are going to play out in Pokemon Go. In Sword and Shield, the ability could only be used in select locations called Power Spots. It's possible the same could be true in Pokemon Go, or we could see the ability slightly tweaked, as we have with things like Mega Evolutions. Whatever the case might be, it seems like fans of Pokemon Go will have a lot to look forward to in the coming months!

Are you excited to see Sword and Shield content added to Pokemon Go? How do you think Dynamax will work? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!