2024-05

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II hits Xbox Series X/S and PC this month, and while we know this sequel will be locked to 30 FPS on consoles, PC players will be able to tap into higher frame rates. Ahead of the game's May 21 launch, developer Ninja Theory has revealed the PC specs and system requirements for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II and to play the game at its best, you'll need quite a powerful system.  If you're familiar with Ninja Theory's work, you likely already know it pushes the envelope with technology so it might not come as a surprise your PC will need to do the same. But if you're new to this team, or just want to check if you're ready for the game later this month, we've got you covered.  Senua's Saga: Hellblade II PC Specs And...

Developer Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment have announced that Helldivers 2 on Steam will soon require a PlayStation Network account to play. All new players from May 30 will have to link their Steam account to a PSN account, and all current players will have to do so by June 4.  Up until this point, a PSN account was not required to play Helldivers 2 on PC via Steam, and with the sudden switch-up, players have taken to the game's Steam reviews to express their frustration. Admittedly, the game's rating is still "Very Positive," with roughly 80% of user reviews falling into this category, but that 80% is lower than it has been in the weeks prior. And now, if you look at the game's recent reviews, you'll find plenty of negative ratings over the required PSN account...

XDefiant, the free-to-play first person shooter starring factions across Ubisoft's catalogue of franchises, finally has a release date and it's out very soon. Ubisoft announced today that XDefiant drops onto PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Ubisoft Connect) on May 21.  This is the day the XDefiant preseason will take begin, giving players a chance to enjoy the shooter before its official first season begins. This release date reveal follows various betas and tests for the game, which at one point, resulted in the game getting indefinitely delayed last year.  "Thank you to everyone who participated in the Server Test Session," an XDefiant blog post reads. "It was exciting to see all the love for the game and the great feedback that was shared. Coming out of the test, we are excited to say that we will launch...

Keoken Interactive, developer of Deliver Us The Moon and Deliver Us Mars, has laid off nearly its entire staff. The studio’s two founders are the only remaining employees. Founders Keon Deetman (CEO) and Paul Deetman (managing director) announced on social media that after the studio failed to secure funding during the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) in March, it had “exhausted all our possible options for publishing, work for hire, and co-development.” As a result, the remainder of its staff has been let go. GameIndustry.biz confirmed that 13 employees were affected, 11 of which were full-time and 2 freelance contractors.  The Deetmans have made a call for any studios with open positions to hire its affected staff. The founders plan to stay in business and have vowed to rebuild, which includes launching a Kickstarter to crowdfund Deliver Us Home,  a sequel...

Universal Orlando Resort has released a new video detailing what to expect at its Florida-based Super Nintendo World when it opens as a land in its Epic Universe theme park next year. In it, the company confirms the land will have three rides, including the Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness coaster that's expected to open later this year in Osaka, Japan's Super Nintendo World.  The video includes digital fly-overs of the park, showing viewers what it will look like when it opens next year. If you've seen Super Nintendo World in Japan, this park looks nearly identical, with both the Donkey Kong Country (and mine cart coaster) section and the Mushroom Kingdom with Peach's Castle, Mt. Beanpole, the Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge augmented-reality ride and Yoshi's Adventure dark ride.  Check it out for yourself in the new Super Nintendo World...

Update, 2:47 p.m., May 2, 2024: Earlier today, we learned that Take-Two Interactive, the company-publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto series, had closed Rollerdrome studio Roll7 and Kerbal Space Program 2 studio Intercept Games. Both of those games, and many others including the recently released No Rest for the Wicked, were published by Private Division, an indie-publishing arm under Take-Two. Now, in a new update from GamesIndustry.biz, the publication reports that Take-Two has shuttered the "vast majority" of Private Division's teams in Seattle, New York, Las Vegas, and Munich, according to one of its sources. When GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Take-Two for confirmation, the company issued the same statement that can be read in Game Informer's original story below.  The original story continues below... Original story, 9:48 a.m., May 2, 2024: Take-Two Interactive, the company behind games like Grand Theft Auto V that also acquired...

Take-Two Interactive, the company behind games like Grand Theft Auto V that also acquired mobile giant Zynga in 2022 in the second-biggest deal in games history, has closed Roll7 and Intercept Games, the studios behind Rollerdrome and Kerbal Space Program 2, respectively. After a report from GameDeveloper.com indicated Take-Two was laying off 70 people at Intercept Games, Bloomberg released a report confirming that Take-Two was shuttering both Intercept Games and Roll7.  The publication reports that Take-Two is closing the London-based Roll7 and offering severance to staff. A notice filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department indicates that Take-Two is planning to close a Seattle-based studio with 70 employees, which aligns with Intercept Games' employee count and location.  While Take-Two hasn't yet addressed the closures, it gave the following statement to IGN regarding the layoffs and the status of Kerbal Space Program 2,...

The late legend Kobe Bryant has served as the cover star for NBA 2K24 and, for many, a strong incentive to reach the top Collector Level in the game's MyTeam mode. As the NBA playoffs' first round wraps up, many fans are more disappointed than excited with the most recent NBA 2K title, as developer Visual Concepts has pulled back on a promise made prior to launch.  In the lead-up to the game's release date, the NBA 2K24 developer Visual Concepts released a blog post running down the features of its card-collection mode, MyTeam. In that blog post, the developer laid out several features and rewards for the then-upcoming title. It took special care to devote a section to an upcoming Collector Level reward, Kobe Bryant.  In that post, the developer highlights just how crucial Collector Level rewards are to...

The Batman: Arkham series redefined the superhero genre and changed the course of action games in the decade following Arkham Asylum's release. While four mainline entries – Asylum, City, Origins, and Knight – delivered similar gameplay, a smaller spin-off game, 2016's Batman: Arkham VR, let players step into the shoes of the Caped Crusader using their PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, or HTC Vive headset. Batman: Arkham VR felt more like a tech demo than a fully fleshed-out game, but its relatively high sales showed that the appetite was there. Today, Oculus Studios announced another VR title set in the Batman: Arkham universe titled Batman: Arkham Shadow. Though Rocksteady Studios, the developer of Asylum, City, and Knight, was behind Batman: Arkham VR, the developer that most recently released Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League does not appear to be involved with Batman:...

Star Wars returns to Fortnite on May 3, one day before the annual May 4 Star Wars celebrations. Here's what to expect....