Steam

Xbox president Sarah Bond has indicated Microsoft will launch 2024’s Call of Duty game straight into Game Pass. Earlier this week, The Verge reported that Microsoft was still debating whether to release this year’s Call of Duty, reportedly a ****** Ops game set in the Gulf War, day-one on its subscription service. The same report claimed Microsoft is mulling a Game Pass price hike, too. Microsoft has faced tough questions around the potential cannibalization effect of Game Pass, particularly on games that launch on the service day-one. While Xbox executives have insisted sales can be boosted by a game’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers remain unconvinced. Unlike Microsoft, console rival Sony does not release its new exclusives straight into its subscription service. Call of Duty, of course, is another matter entirely. Having splashed out $69 billion on Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s gaming business is reportedly under increased financial scrutiny. This is one of the factors cited in reports surrounding Microsoft’s shock decision to shutter Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall studio Arkane Austin. Will Microsoft risk negatively impacting Call of Duty sales by releasing the game day-one on Game Pass, or risk upsetting Game Pass subscribers by failing to do so? Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg’s Dina Bass at Bloomberg Tech in San Francisco, Xbox president Sarah Bond strongly suggested Microsoft has decided to ***** the bullet and release Call of Duty 2024 straight into its subscription service. While she ******* to namecheck Call of Duty, Bond said all Xbox games will release day-one on Game Pass. "You're going to see some really amazing things. And keeping that as something that is really special for Xbox players is central for us. “We know our core users love Game Pass,” Bond said. “Game Pass is a gaming subscription. You get a whole portfolio of games, but importantly, you get every single one of our games that we build day-one in Game Pass, and the quality and the breadth of those games has only been going up over time. You're going to see some more really big games going into Game Pass later this year. Bond was then asked if this included Activision games. “Across the whole slate,” Bond replied. “You're going to see some really amazing things. And keeping that as something that is really special for Xbox players is central for us.” That’s a clear sign that Call of Duty 2024 is a day-one Game Pass title, but of course it will also launch across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC as a game that can be bought outright, too. With Game Pass subscriber numbers failing to grow meaningfully Microsoft is under pressure to attract new customers, and adding a mainline Call of Duty game at launch will no doubt help with that. But Microsoft is also under increasing pressure to reverse its gaming fortunes amid collapsing console sales and increased development costs. Selling video games, especially those at full price, will surely help with that. Microsoft is set to hold an Xbox showcase event in June, where it will reveal this year’s Call of Duty and, reports indicate, announce the arrival of the Call of Duty back catalog in Game Pass. Wesley is the *** News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article

Counter-Strike 2‘s metagame is constantly evolving depending on Valve’s updates and pro strategies. In an example of the latter, NA pro EliGE has been using an underrated SMG lately and explained why in a podcast discussion. The Complexity star has been competing in ESL Pro League Season 19 in the past few weeks. On May 9, the team qualified for the semifinals of the event by beating Virtus.pro. During the tournament, EliGE participated in Talking Counter podcast, where he explained why he’s using UMP-45, contrary to the majority of the players. View the full article

Two characters are getting new skins, according to some fresh Honkai: Star Rail leaks. Visual customization options have not been available in HoYoverses hit RPG, in spite of the many fan requests for it. Players have already seen multiple characters from the game in alternative clothing, both in artwork and in-game, though these visuals have not been available skins are featured in HoYoverses other popular game, Genshin Impact, even if limited in some aspects. Now, however, it seems like the wait for this customization option is coming to an end. View the full article

Open world fantasy RPG Runes emits a deeply powerful aura. I can tell it’s deeply powerful because MSI Afterburner’s fan control immediately went mental after I loaded up its free Steam combat demo. What do you mean ‘unoptimised’? That alarming sound is simply my computer shaking with awe at the fearless flippancy required to leave enemies fully untextured so they resemble Metal Gear Solid’s cyborg ninja. The promise of an indie fantasy RPG drew me in, but I must admit, I almost didn’t bother writing about this upon learning the demo is just a pre-Kickstarter combat slice. But something about it entrances me. What it lacks in textures, it makes up for in sheer moxy. You can’t optimise moxy! You can either make MSI shudder in ******* or you can’t. Read more View the full article

Fallout 3, right? What a game. Bethesda's first foray into the Wasteland was also a lot of people's introduction to the series. To this day, it's easy to find people who call FO3 the best game in the series... Read more.View the full article

Pteranodon-fanciers and Stegosaur-whisperers, please throw your velociraptor-skin hats skyward in adulation. Frontier have partnered with Universal to make a third Jurassic World videogame. It's one of three new management games inbound from the Elite Dangereux developer over the next few years, including a game based on one of Frontier's own intellectual properties. Read more View the full article

**** of War Ragnarök will reportedly be announced for PC soon. That’s according to ever reliable dataminer billbil-kun, who anticipates a PC release for the game to be confirmed this month. Sony is reportedly planning to hold a PlayStation product showcase in May, which could feature Silent Hill 2, among other titles. Read More... View the full article

Xbox president Sarah Bond has responded to questions about Microsoft’s decision to shut a number of much-loved studios this week, insisting it was about ensuring the Xbox business ******** healthy for the long-term during what she called “this moment of transition.” Microsoft shocked the gaming world when it announced the closure of Redfall and Prey developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, and more in devastating cuts targeted at Bethesda owner ZeniMax. Microsoft bought ZeniMax Media, the parent company of developers like Bethesda, Arkane, id Software, and more, in 2021 for $7.5 billion. Since then, it has bought Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. In an email to staff sent by Matt ******, head of Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft blamed the cuts on a “reprioritization of titles and resources.” In the email, first reported by IGN, ****** said: “we are making these tough decisions to create capacity to increase investment in other parts of our portfolio and focus on our priority games.” Microsoft has faced widespread criticism from the development community and Xbox fans following the move, with many pointing out that Hi-Fi Rush was a critically acclaimed and, according to one Xbox executive, hugely successful release. Not enough?#HiFiRush #TangoGameworks [Hidden Content] — KazuakiEgashira (@ega1002) May 9, 2024 Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg’s Dina Bass at Bloomberg Tech in San Francisco, Xbox president Sarah Bond was first asked about the video game industry’s current lack of growth — a troubling factor Xbox boss Phil Spencer pointed to recently when asked for an explanation for Microsoft’s decision to cut 1,900 staff from its gaming business. “You know, the last year or so in video games, largely the industry's been flat,” Bond replied. “And even in 2023, we saw just some tremendous releases, tremendously groundbreaking games. But still, the growth didn't follow all of that. A lot of that's related to our need to bring new players in and make gaming more accessible. But all of that has been happening at the same time that the cost associated with making these beautiful triple-A blockbuster games is going up, and the time it takes to make them is going up. “And so, so much of our focus as Xbox is about how we do things to help the industry all up, while also ensuring that our brand, everything that we do, is there through this moment of transition.” "It's always extraordinarily hard when you have to make decisions like that. Bond was then asked directly about this week’s decision to close ZeniMax studios. Responding, she pointed to the industry’s current ******** to meaningfully grow its audience, and a ******* to ensure Xbox survives this “transition.” “You know, it's always extraordinarily hard when you have to make decisions like that,” Bond said. “I'll go back to what I was saying about the industry. And when we looked at those fundamental trends, we feel a deep responsibility to ensure that the games we make, the devices we build, the services that we offer are there through moments, even when the industry isn't growing and when you're through a time of transition. And the news we announced earlier this week is an outcome of that, and our commitment to make sure that the business is healthy for the long term. “But that said, our commitment to having our own studios and working with partners to have games large and small, we're a platform where you can play GTA, but you can also play Palworld, where you can play Call of Duty and you can also play Pentiment, that doesn't change. And frankly, our commitment to Bethesda and the role that it plays is part of Xbox and everything we do. “It's actually been pretty fantastic. I don't know if you've gotten a chance to check it out. The Fallout TV show was on Amazon and it's been great to see people fall in love with that universe, but also what it's done for the games themselves and people going back and exploring everything that's inside of that. There's some other great things that are coming from our studios later this year. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I was a big Indy fan growing up. It looks like you were two, so you should check that out. “But really right now for us and our teams, our focus is on the people impacted and doing everything that we can do to help them through this hard transition.” Bond was then asked specifically about the closure of Tango Gameworks in the context of Hi-Fi Rush’s success, and how it can be possible that a studio behind an award-winning, apparently commercially successful title can be closed just over a year from release. Here’s Bond’s response: “You know, one of the things I really love about the games industry is it's a creative art form. And it means that the situation and what successes for each game in the studio is also really unique. There's no one size fits all to it for us. And so we look at each studio, each game team, and we look at a whole variety of factors when we're faced with making decisions and tradeoffs like that. But it all comes back to our long term commitment to the games we create, the devices we build, the services, and ensuring that we're setting ourselves up to be able to deliver on those promises.” "We look at each studio, each game team, and we look at a whole variety of factors when we're faced with making decisions and tradeoffs like that. Bond’s answer here is already going viral for failing to properly address the issue at hand. As IGN has reported, Xbox leadership held a town hall meeting with ZeniMax staff on Wednesday, May 8, and during it attempted to answer key questions around the decision to close Bethesda studios. IGN understands ****** told staff the closure of Arkane Austin was not about the ******** of last year’s disastrous Redfall, rather about the future prospects of the studio. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has reported that ZeniMax was under pressure to make significant cuts, and chose Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin because they were in the process of pitching projects that would have required increased investment, rather than studios already working on greenlit games. One person in attendance at the meeting told IGN that the suggestion was that because these studios were currently pitching new games, they had the weakest legs to stand on when it came to picking who to cut. In the town hall meeting, ****** reiterated that Hi-Fi Rush was a success, but, according to a person in attendance, staff were told the factors for that success had changed in the year since, and so the studio’s prospects had lowered. As has been reported, Tango Gameworks had pitched Hi-Fi Rush 2 as a follow-up project. IGN understands the Hi-Fi Rush 2 pitch was rejected in part because it was deemed too expensive. Underpinning all of this is concern about the overall health of the Xbox business and the wider gaming industry. Microsoft, currently worth more than $3 trillion, faces declining revenue year-over-year for its gaming business when Activision is taken out of the equation, as well as stagnant Game Pass subscriber growth. Sales of Xbox consoles have collapsed at a time when development costs are rising. Add this to reported increased internal scrutiny on Microsoft’s gaming business following the Activision Blizzard acquisition, and you have a recipe for disaster. Image credit: Bloomberg Live / YouTube. Wesley is the *** News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article

Good news DayZ fans, there's a new map inbound that'll make survival even tougher than it already is! That's right, the upcoming Frostline DLC adds the Sakhal archipelago, home to a rugged environment where you'll battle against the cold and attempt to ****** ****** players at the same time. Oh, there are also volcanoes that prove an extra threat, too. And new *********. Wonderful. Read more View the full article

Former Microsoft senior PR lead Brad Hilderbrand has blogged about the recent closure of Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, making a familiar case that Microsoft’s gaming division are now expected “to cut expenses to the bone” in the wake of the wildly expensive acquisition of Activision Blizzard and amid slowing growth of the Game Pass subscription business. In Hilderbrand’s view, Game Pass will likely never be sustainable or profitable. Microsoft’s only chance on this front, he says, is “to put all the world's biggest games on the service” – namely, Call of Duty, which still earns hundreds of millions annually in direct sales, or GTA 6, which, hahahaha. Read more View the full article

FlyQuest disappointed North ********* fans at the Mid-Season Invitational 2024, losing twice in the play-in stage and getting eliminated. After the second defeat, top laner Bwipo shed some light on what went wrong for the squad. The North ********* side began the League of Legends tournament on a good note, defeating PCS representatives, PSG Talon, with a 2-1 score. However, afterward they got decimated by T1 in a 2-0 series, and according to the Belgian, it was a match that “shattered” FlyQuest’s confidence. View the full article

“I like the look of Prey but I haven’t picked it up yet,” sounds the lament of the perma-wastrel, content to watch life’s most precious resource tick away then dissolve into the ether, never to return. “Looks good but it’s still 25 quid on Steam” sounds the cry of the fool unaware that all their possessions are but substanceless adornments to a life hollow for not having played, arguably, the only good video game ever made. “I didn’t like Prey anyway,” blowfish-ly puffs the deeply incorrect naysayer, unaware that they will never be invited to any of my birthday parties. Well, no excuses now*. Fanatical are doing a thing where you can buy FPS imsim Prey and two others from a respectable selection for a fiver. Read more View the full article

A global release for Persona 5: The Phantom X is being considered, according to IP owner *****. Perfect World Games released the Persona spin-off for iOS, Android and PC in April, in selected ****** countries including China and South Korea. In a quarterly earnings presentation published on Friday, ***** said the game has started off “as expected” and that “future expansion in Japan and global is under consideration.” Read More... View the full article

Role-playing musical Stray Gods is getting DLC in which you'll play as sorrowful ghostly rocker Orpheus, the developers have announced. You briefly meet Orpheus in the base game while playing as leatherclad muse Grace, finding him moping in the underworld, eyes dripping with glam rock mascara. In the DLC he makes a musical comeback on earth, alongside messenger **** Hermes. I've not stumbled on Orpheus in the other mythical game of this season, Hades 2 (he showed up in the first Hades but there's no sign he's reappearing in the sequel). So it looks like fans of the ancient Greek sadboi will have to flock to Summerfall's expansion when it comes out this summer. Read more View the full article

As the conflict between Helldivers and Sony came to an end, Helldivers 2 players proved they have the strength and the courage to truly be free and ****** for what’s right. In an interview with Inverse on May 9, former lead writer for Helldivers 2, Russ Nickel, talked about the game’s narrative and discussed how it reflected in the most recent controversy. After the company announced that connecting a PSN account would be required to play Helldivers 2 going forward, players revolted and, with encouragement from the Arrowhead’s community manager, managed to turn things around by review-******** the game and requesting refunds. View the full article

Ralph Ineson has been cast in a major role in the upcoming Fantastic Four film. The British Actor, known for his serious roles in a variety of movies as well as video games in recent years will be putting on the purple crown as Galactus - marking his second appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fantastic Four is lined up for a 2025 release date, and so far features a cast of interesting actors, Ineson included. Vanessa Kirby, Pedro Pascal, Jeseph Quinn and Julia Garner are filling the shoes of a variety of key characters. But Ineson stands out as a particularly gravelling addition to the roster. Video game fans may be more familar with Ralph Ineson due to his recent ventures in away from the silver screen. Not only did he garner much praise as Lorath from Diablo 4, but he also blew away fans of Final Fantasy 16 as the ever-dependable Cid. It looks to be a real upswing in his career as of late - something those who have heard his recent work knows he well deserves. Read more View the full article

A new Honkai: Star Rail ***** has revealed the complete kit for the upcoming five-star character *****. HoYoverse keeps expanding the game's playable roster with each new update, introducing at least two new characters. The ongoing Version 2.2 has already introduced a new five-star character named Robin, who is part of the first banner phase. View the full article

A new movie centered around Gollum is coming to The Middle-Earth franchise. Despite a terrific team working on it, we’re afraid it will be similar to 2023’s Lord of the Rings: Gollum game. According to Hollywood Reporter, the Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is the working title. Peter Jackson, the legendary director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is set to produce it, with screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens also involved. Gollum, thankfully, will be played by none other than Andy Serkis. The actor will also be directing the movie. View the full article

Certain ****** formations in a player's party have access to exclusive combination attacks that consume the Magatsuhi gauge in the expanded re-release of this mainline SMT installment. View the full article

Superstar T1 top laner Zeus has come out swinging at the LEC ahead of his team’s blockbuster clash with G2 Esports in Chengdu, with his barb sure to get ********* League of Legends loyalists all riled up. Zeus and his star-studded world championship team, T1⁠—which, of course, also boasts League GOAT Faker in its ranks⁠—are on the brink of wading into the MSI 2024 bracket stage with a meeting that always commands top billing at nearly every international League tournament: The Korean powerhouses are taking on G2, the long-reigning kings of Europe, in the opening round. View the full article

Sometimes in VALORANT, you have to be creative or lucky to get yourself out of sticky situations, and one mindblowing clip has today shown how a Cypher player casually blinded the ****** without any flash. One tricky thing about VALORANT is many abilities can backfire if you make a mistake, miscalculate, or aren’t familiar with the agent’s kit. A common mistake, for example, is blinding yourself or your teammate with your own flash on agents like Skye, Phoenix, and KAY/O. It takes practice to nail the timing and technique, but eventually, you should be able to flash comfortably to give your team the advantage. View the full article

Roblox and Netflix have announced that the two companies are collaborating on a new digital amusement park experience called Netflix Nextworld. Roblox and Netflix have teamed up multiple times in the past, with the streaming platform having created its own group and world to promote various shows. Some of the shows Netflix has promoted include the likes of Sonic Prime, Stranger Things, and more through special events. View the full article

Guide Orpheus as Hermes brings him back to the world of living; who he'll date and which instrument he'll play is up for players to decide. View the full article

Bungie is permanently unlocking the Stasis subclass and the Shadowkeep and Beyond Light campaigns for all players. The Destiny 2 devs are also giving away the Lightfall DLC for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers. The Shadowkeep and Beyond Light expansions (including the Stasis subclass) will remain permanently unlocked for all players, while The Witch Queen expansion will only be available until June 3, though players will keep all the rewards earned during this trial *******. So, there’s no better time to try Destiny 2, as these three expansions feature unique storylines, some of the best campaigns from any expansion, and intense combat. View the full article

Naraka: Bladepoint is an incredibly fast-paced melee battle royale that launched in 2021. Despite its stunning graphics and few technical issues, it’s only now, three years later, it’s seeing a steady surge of close to 400,000 daily players. According to Steam Charts, the Steam player stat website, Naraka: Bladepoint only had 39,403 average players and 133,315 players during its peak in June 2023. But in July 2023, things drastically changed. The title quickly saw a significant increase in average players from under 40,000 to 78,770, and 264,406 players during its 24-hour peak. And now, in March and April 2024, the battle royale has surged again. View the full article