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Much has been made about Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon’s mech-based gameplay, but a new trailer shines a light on its narrative. To the surprise of no one, though, this new look still packs in plenty of cinematic action.  Despite the "VI" in the title, Fire of Rubicon serves as a reboot. The game unfolds on planet Rubicon in which its most sought-after resource, Coral, was the cause of a disaster that engulfed the planet in flames. Decades later, the now-contaminated planet has been condemned, but the rediscovery of Coral has attracted various factions, sparking a new war on the destroyed world. Players control mercenary C4-621 or "Raven" for short, who is thrown into this epic struggle pitting megacorporations, military forces, and other groups against each other. Based on the trailer's somber tone, it won't be pretty.  Armored...

Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a new action-adventure game starring King Kong, and it will hit PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC later this year.  More specifically, Skull Island: Rise of Kong will come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC sometime this fall, according to publisher GameMill Entertainment. The game is being developed by IguanaBee and is a third-person action-adventure game set on Kong’s home turn, Skull Island. As the name implies, you control Kong (presumably before he becomes King) to take out dinosaurs, massive snakes, and other creatures vying for the top spot on the island.  Check out the first look of Skull Island: Rise of Kong for yourself in the reveal trailer below:  Gematsu has more details on the game, including that it will cost $39.99 for the standard edition,...

Despite launching in less than a month, we haven’t seen too much of Atlas Fallen since it was revealed nearly a year ago. A general overview video released last month gave curious players a primer on what to expect from this world of sand, magic, and monsters. Publisher Focus Entertainment has followed that up with a new gameplay-focused video breaking down the game’s combat. The five-minute video shows off the action RPG's sand-shaping action. Players can equip two main weapons to alternate attacks in fast-paced combat. These include arms like a whip, axe, and even giant fists made of sand. Attacks build momentum, which raises your power and can be spent to unleash flashy special attacks. However, the higher your momentum, the more damage you take, promoting a strategic risk/reward system. The video also provides a look at customization, showing off Essence...

Gundam Evolution, the competitive multiplayer title set within the popular Gundam universe, is shutting down. Despite launching less than a year ago in September 2022, executive producer Kazuya Maruyama shared in a blog post that support for the game will be winding down, though he doesn't provide any specifics as to why.   “We wanted to create a title that brought FPS fans and Gundam fans together," Maruyama writes. "We challenged ourselves to create an authentic Gundam FPS game that could be played globally. Unfortunately, we have determined that it is no longer possible for us to provide a service that satisfies our players.” A livestream detailing the sunsetting roadmap will air tomorrow, July 21 at 11 p.m. PT. Gundam Evolution’s services officially end on November 29. Until then, Maruyama states that it will still receive updates. Season 6 arrives on August 23,...

Mortal Kombat 1 will make a big appearance at San Diego Comic Con this year. Mortal Kombat creator and director of MK1, Ed Boon, tweeted yesterday what fans can expect at the SDCC panel, “Resetting Mortal Kombat: A New Beginning With Mortal Kombat 1,” tomorrow, and it’s going to be perhaps the most significant drop of new information we’ve received for the game yet. Boon says MK1 voice actors will be there alongside NetherRealm Studios developers to tell the “making of” story of the game. Plus, there will be three new MK1 trailers during the panel, including gameplay and a “surprise.”  Mortal Kombat fans at San Diego Comic-Con. Wanna see a TON of new #MortalKombat1 stuffs? - MK1 voice actors - MK1 team members & "making of" - 3 trailers! WTF? (game-play + Surprise!) ..then join us Friday at our panel! Hosted by @briantong...

Activision Blizzard has laid off around 50 employees, according to a new report from The Verge.  This news arrives the same day Activision Blizzard released its Fiscal Year 2023 Q2 results, which highlights a murky future for the company’s esports efforts despite an otherwise financially successful quarter for the Overwatch 2 maker. Activision Blizzard’s results show that net bookings grew 50% year-over-year in the second quarter, from $1.64 billion to $2.46 billion, due to a lucrative Diablo IV launch, an increase in revenue from various franchises, mobile growth, and more. But, despite that growth, the company laid off around 50 employees in Blizzard’s esports department, The Verge reports.  One person laid off told the publication that this round of layoffs “seems like a significant gutting of Activision Blizzard esports,” while another told it, “There was no warning. This was a complete...

Overwatch 2 is making a big jump over to Steam on August 10, Blizzard has announced. Furthermore, it will be followed by a selection of Blizzard games migrating to the storefront for the first time.  In a blog post, Blizzard explains it wants to expand its reach to players beyond its proprietary PC launcher. It believes the free-to-play Overwatch 2 is the best game to kick off this major shift in its PC release strategy. There’s currently no word on what other Blizzard games are coming to Steam, but the publisher says it will announce them “when the time is right.”  “Battle.net is the home of all our PC players, and over the years, we’ve evolved our platform to support updated technologies, capabilities, and our communities’ expectations. But as we’ve evolved, the industry has evolved too–gaming is no longer just...

Join Wesley LeBlanc, Marcus Stewart, and Kyle Hilliard as we discuss The Crew Motorfest, Ubisoft's upcoming threequel in its open-world racing series that began back in 2014 with The Crew. Wesley played roughly four hours of the game in a hands-on remote preview to learn more about its open world Oahu, Hawaii, various vehicles, racing playlists, Main Stage mode, and more.  Enjoy more than 15 minutes of new gameplay from The Crew Motorsport in the latest NGT below:  Ubisoft Ivory Tower developed both 2014's The Crew and 2018's The Crew 2, and the Lyon, France-based studio returns to developer The Crew Motorfest. Unlike the first two games in the series, which feature maps spanning the entire United States, The Crew Motorfest takes place in just one state: Hawaii. The island of Oahu, Hawaii, to be specific, and it features Honolulu,...

Diablo IV’s first season, Season of the Malignant, kicks off tomorrow, July 20, and ahead of its start, developer Blizzard has pushed live a new update that features some significant changes for the game.  This new update, 1.1.0a, brings new items and aspects to Diablo IV alongside bug fixes, buffs and nerfs, and more. Let’s start with perhaps the most exciting addition in this update for players preparing their builds for Season of the Malignant: six new Unique items and seven new Legendary aspects.  Unique Items Unique Items are the highest tier of loot you can obtain in Diablo IV – I beat the campaign last night after 28 hours and only just received my first piece of Unique gear. They feature excellent stat boosts and unique bonus effects and are tailor-made for specific builds. There are now six...

Microsoft and Activision Blizzard now have until October to complete their merger.  More specifically, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft have jointly agreed to extend the merger agreement from July 18 to October 18, 2023, giving both companies roughly three months to sort through this purchase. As for why, Microsoft says it is “to allow for additional time to resolve remaining regulatory concerns.”  Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith tweeted, “Together with Activision, we are announcing the extension of our merger agreement to 10/18 to provide ample time to work through final regulatory issues. We will honor all commitments agreed upon with the EC and othe regulators and continue to work with the CMS on the issues raised in the UK. We are confident about our prospects for getting this deal across the finish line.”  Together with @Activision, we are announcing...