National Kitten Day: Our Favourite Cats In Gaming

This week hearkens the time where everyone pays tribute to the one true pet: cats!
Yes, National Cat Day is coming soon, but since we have National Kitten Day right now, we figured we start the celebrations of felines big and small early. And we’re a video game site that’s on the internet (and recently on TV thanks to Main Game; go watch that if you haven’t), so there is no shortage of pussycats online.
Here are our top picks from new to old.
The Orange Cat From Stray
Let’s start off with an indie darling: the 5-hour adventure game Stray where you play a cat stuck in a robot dystopian city. Without spoilers, you’ll have a blast playing as this orange ball of fur as it plays the role of a true cat: knocking over paint cans and going into boxes, and sleeping in unconventional spaces.

Morgana from Persona 5
Need a thief cat who can transform into a cat van? Morgana’s your guy! In addition to also acting and behaving like a cat, he also fights with the game’s titular Persona and also acts as the operations guy for the Phantom Thieves. After all, he knows about the world of Mementos more than the people he recruits.

Yuumi from League of Legends
The keeper of Norra’s Book is not only a cute kitty, but also one of the easier Champions to use in the MOBA title League of Legends. All you do is just act as a buff and passive booster for your teammate of choice, and also don’t die.

Daffodil from Spiritfarer
The 2D adventure game that can make even the most jaded of gamers cry their hearts out also has a cat, unsurprisingly. In addition to the cat spirits you ferry on your boat before their time is up, your main character Stella has a cat buddy named Daffodil who follows her through thick and thin. All the way until you’re the last person left on the boat.

Rover from Animal Crossing
The first NPC you meet up in the Nintendo home-owning simulation is, surprise surprise, a cat. A blue and white cat by the name of Rover, who sets the time and date for you as you start off your journey to own a house and pay a mortgage to a raccoon.

This Cute Fella From Ghost Trick

If you know, you know. Ghost Trick is available right now on PC and consoles in lovely remastered form; go buy it now to find out when you can pet this cool-looking fella.

Felicia from Darkstalkers/Vampire Series
Felicia is more a monster than cat, but who can deny how she looks and how she acts as she claws her way through the opposition? This feline is more than just looks; she has dreams to be a musical star and creates an orphanage named the Felicity House in one of the game’s story endings. Being raised by a nun means she is one of the good guys in the anti-hero-filled lore of the Darkstalkers series. So play nice unless you want the business end of her nails.

Freddy the Cat from Alley Cat

And what better way to cap off this short feature than with a legendary PC game that’s on every Malaysian kid’s desktop computer in the 80s? Before Mario, there was this simple DOS game where you play as Freddy the Cat as you have to perform certain cat tasks to get to your love, Felicia. You have to avoid a ton of obstacles like angry bulldogs to even flying telephones chucked at you. The game is as basic as it gets for a platformer, but what do you expect from an early 80s game?

Meowth from Pokémon

This mischievous, talkative cat Pokémon has been a fan favourite since the early days of the Pokémon franchise. Known for its ability to learn the iconic move “Pay Day” and its association with the Team Rocket trio, Meowth’s sly personality and playful antics make it a beloved feline companion.

Bubsy from Bubsy series

Bubsy, the energetic bobcat with a passion for adventure, has been a staple of the platforming genre since the 1990s. Despite some mixed reviews for the games, Bubsy’s witty one-liners and determination to save the day have earned him a place in gaming history.

M’aiq the Liar from The Elder Scrolls series

M’aiq the Liar is an iconic character known for his witty and often misleading remarks in The Elder Scrolls games. With his distinct Khajiit appearance and an uncanny ability to break the fourth wall, M’aiq has become a beloved and recurring Easter egg in the series.
Whether he’s commenting on game mechanics, offering hilarious anecdotes, or sharing his unique insights on the world of Tamriel, M’aiq’s unpredictable and humorous nature adds a touch of whimsy to the game. Players always look forward to stumbling upon this elusive and entertaining character during their adventures, wondering what tall tales he’ll spin next.

Blinx from Blinx: The Time Sweeper

Blinx, the time-sweeping cat with a vacuum cleaner, starred in his own platforming game on the original Xbox. Armed with time-manipulating powers, Blinx battled enemies and solved puzzles, showcasing his adorable yet heroic nature throughout his time-bending adventures.

Rengar from League of Legends

Rengar, the Pridestalker, is a ferocious and deadly champion in League of Legends. This fearsome cat-like creature excels in hunting down and eliminating his enemies, pouncing on unsuspecting foes from the shadows with his sharp claws and teeth. A far cry from Yuumi, in other words.

There are a ton of cats in video games we didn’t list here. But we’d like to open the floor to you: who are your favourite felines in video games? Let us know! We might even bring this up in a future Main Game episode!


Overwatch 2 Director Claims Meta Isn’t That Important

Overwatch 2’s game director, Aaron Keller has been on a roll lately, sharing his thoughts on the game in a new series called Director’s Take. His latest blog post is all about win rates and hero popularity, and it’s a fascinating read.
Keller starts off by sharing some interesting observations about Overwatch 2’s ranked meta in the first few weeks of season 3. According to him, “most supports are viable in nearly every skill tier”, which is great news for players who love to play support. He also confirms that Brigitte is having a moment right now, with the highest win rate for nearly all skill tiers except for Top 500, where Zen takes the lead. On the other end of the spectrum are Kiriko and Moira, who have win rates of around 45%.
But here’s where things get really interesting: Keller notes that the heroes with the highest win rates aren’t always the heroes that are played the most. In fact, when it comes to supports, the top picks are Ana, Kiriko, and Mercy for nearly all skill tiers until Silver and Bronze, where Moira becomes more popular. So even though Brigitte has the highest win rate, she’s not necessarily the most popular hero.
This raises a lot of questions about the Overwatch meta and how players choose their heroes. Keller notes that it’s “counterintuitive” that Kiriko is so popular despite winning less often, and that Brigitte wins constantly with a much lower presence. So what does this mean for the game and the community?
One possible takeaway is that players don’t like to feel boxed in by a small pool of “best” hero picks. People want to play their favourite heroes, even if they’re not the most powerful. And if most players don’t care about the meta, how much should Blizzard care?
Keller acknowledges that there could be other factors at play here, like overall team composition or map differences. But he also says that the team “tends to think that highly skilled players are continuing to pick certain heroes for good reasons,” and they’re gathering additional metrics to study this. So we may hear more about this in the future.
In any case, it’s clear that the Overwatch community is passionate about the game and its heroes. People want every hero to be viable so that their favourites never have to fall out of fashion. And based on this data, that may be enough.
So if you’re an Overwatch player, keep playing your favourite heroes and if you’re not, maybe it’s time to give the game a try and see what all the fuss is about. Who knows, you might discover a new favourite hero and help shift the meta in a new direction.


The Tank Engine Terror That Is Choo-Choo Charles Is Set For December

Developed and published by household horror studio Two Star Games, Choo-Choo Charles is slated to release on 9 December via Steam.
There is currently no price for the nightmare fuel that is this game.
Choo-Choo Charles will be a survival horror game where the player must scavenge parts and upgrade their old locomotive into a mobile war-vehicle capable of taking on and taking down the unrepentantly vicious train-beast that is Charles.

You may remember the game from a year ago when it first appeared on the Steam store. Developer Two Star Games announced the release date for Choo-Choo Charles over the weekend, with an accompanying trailer.
The trailer shows off rocket-propelled grenades, heavy cannons, flamethrowers, and machine guns as part of the Charles-fighting arsenal. The trailer also includes spooky people wearing Charles masks, which I can only assume are either a defence mechanism or a Charles-worshipping cult.
Choo-Choo Charles developer, Two Star Games is essentially just a one-man-show in Gavin Eisenbeisz, a young starry-eyed developer that’s been creating the game in Unreal Engine and has been very open about the process, posting update videos to YouTube every few months.


Apex Legends Mobile To End Service This May

EA and Respawn will be pulling the plug on the mobile version of Apex Legends eight months after being active. The game will shut down on 1st May.
The decision was due to the studio’s side of things. Respawn said that while the game had a “strong start” the “content pipeline” has begun to diminish in terms of quality and quantity. Respawn will shut down Apex Legend Mobile’s in-game store and removing it from digital stores; refunds for in-game purchases will not be given.
“Although disappointing, we are proud of the game we launched, are grateful for the support of the Apex Legends community, and are confident that this is the right decision for players.”

We have made the decision to sunset Apex Legends Mobile.
We're sure you have a lot of questions. For more information on where things are at currently, including an FAQ, please read the blog below.https://t.co/Yjr4EOJnTq pic.twitter.com/4k3dGzOL12
— Respawn (@Respawn) January 31, 2023

EA also plans to stop developing Battlefield Mobile as well, citing the same kind of reasons. Moving on…
Will This Spell The End For Apex Legends On PC And Consoles?
Heck no! EA and Respawn said that the regular version of the game is still thriving.
“As a franchise, Apex Legends is strong and we’re looking forward to sharing exciting updates in the future.”
It’s a shame though, especially for the Southeast Asia market, given that all the best and most-played titles in the region are mostly mobile titles. Guess we’ll have to get our 3-team battle royale FPSing on using the master race platforms.


Halo Shuts Down Servers For Xbox 360

I’m sure many veteran gamers remember their halcyon days of a great time online with Halo games on the Xbox 360. However, as the saying goes, all good things must eventually end, and 343 Industries has officially pulled the plug on Halo‘s Xbox 360 server.
The official statement from the website reads:
On January 13, 2022, Xbox 360 game servers for Halo games were turned off (sunsetting the service). This means that while these games can still be played, online services such as challenges and file share are no longer available.
Affected games include:

Halo Reach
Halo 4
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST
Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary
Spartan Assault
Halo Wars

This only affects Xbox 360 versions of the game. Games in Halo The Master Chief Collection will not be impacted. The Halo titles available within MCC have been rebuilt and remastered to leverage different, modernized services.
However, if you are using the backwards compatibility features of the Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S to play Xbox 360 games, you will also be affected. The underlying software for those is still the original Xbox 360 content and relies on legacy online services for some functions.
It really looks like Microsoft is looking to the future. Just last week, they announced that they have stopped production of the Xbox One since the end of 2020. Maybe the next Halo game will be a next-gen exclusive and no longer cross-platform? Fingers crossed.


We Rate The Popular Landing Spots in Black Ops IIII’s Blackout

Regardless of how you approach battle royale games, picking the perfect landing spot is essential in ensuring a successful round and it is no different in Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII’s Blackout. No one wants to be at the receiving end of a hot drop or spending the first five minutes of their rounds armed with a pair of fists and a shitty pistol.
While loot locations in battle royale games are totally random, there are several spots in the map which carry a higher chance of you securing reasonable loot and weapons while at the same time, increases your chance of survival towards mid-round.
Today, we are going to rate all the popular landing spots in Blackout and in no particular order, here they are.

Turbine
Situated in the middle of nowhere, Turbine is a high-risk-high-reward option because while you may come across tons of loot, you may also find yourself forced to traverse across a huge area once the initial circle is established. Occasionally you’ll find a quad bike or, if you are lucky enough, a helicopter in the compound which negates travel time. But be warned, you are easy pickings once you’re out of the two huge warehouses.
Pros:

Low to medium chance of hot drops – you’ll probably finish above top-50 if you get decent gear
Decent looting area
Easier to guard against flanking enemies

Cons:

It’s in Bumf***, Nowhere
Totally reliant on vehicle spawns to move out of the area – otherwise, you’re a sitting duck

Our tip:

Drop in, drop hard, loot and get out of it a.s.a.p. If you notice someone’s in the area at the same time, go for the higher grounds and sweep off the area as they leave.
Quad bikes often spawn on either the south or northern gates.

Hydro Dam
Hydro Dam is another similar case to Turbine as you find yourself near the edge of the map. We realise that players tend to avoid this location and only move towards it if the circle happens to close down to areas within its vicinity. There’s almost zero chance of being flanked from the north so you can loot with a peace of mind.
Note that quad bikes do spawn here occasionally to get out of a tight spot. The two office blocks north to the Hydro Dam are also good spots for loot.
Pros:

Low to medium chance of hot drops
Decent loot area
Low chance of being flanked from the north

Cons:

May encounter spillover from Train Station or Asylum
Circle collapse may be your biggest issue

Our tip:

Keep a lookout for the raft which may spawn nearby to get you out of trouble. About 100 games in, we can count on our hands the number of times we saw someone piloting a boat to get around. Use this to your advantage.
There are several buildings up north of the dam which are rarely looted.

Asylum
Asylum is one of the most popular spots for drops thanks to the high potential of securing high-level loot. It’s one of the riskiest drop spots one can take but rest assured the rewards are befitting the trouble.
Prepare for close encounters with zombies and other players so keep a shotgun on standby.
Pros:

Great looting area for powerful weapons
High chance of landing high-level gear

Cons:

Everyone’s aunt, uncle and grandfather’s sister are gonna be there too
High chance of getting eliminated early

Our Tip:Â

If (and it will) shit hits the fan, the dumpster crates on the compound make great cover and use the maze to wade off your pursuers.
Sweeping the area from the north side of the map is recommended

Cargo Docks / ShipÂ
Also another spot located at the far reaches of the map, the Cargo Docks is less punishing compared to the three spots above allowing players several quick getaways or Plans Bs, Cs or even Ws in case things go tits up.
It’s got good elevated areas, nooks and crannies for sneaky sniper shots and the occasional blind-sided shotgun picks but the open space between the docks and the open road is a deathtrap for anyone foolish enough to dash out in the open.
Pros:

Great spot for those who prefer sneaking up and playing the stealth game
Decent access to other spots such as Lighthouse and Fracking Tower

Cons:

Surrounded by several hot zones, Cargo Docks should only be approached by those with a strategic mind, and are willing to switch their strategies on the fly
Mistimed drops may see one landing in the water – not where you wanna be early on.

Our Tip:

Choosing to land on the cargo ship has added advantage of not having anyone flanking you from the side facing the water. Sweep the ship area before moving to the docks.
Keep a lookout for the helicopter spawns on the south side of the locale.

NEXT PAGE


All Hail Wooloo, Currently The Internet’s Most Favourite PokÃ©mon

When that recent PokÃ©mon Sword and Shield showed off its new “British”-influenced PokÃ©mon, the rest of the world was dancing for joy. It’s not because of the Dynamax mode and the four-player Raid battles, oh no.
It’s because of how fluffy and cute new PokÃ©mon Wooloo is. Here’s a selection of tweets that expresses the sentiment of the online PokÃ©mon community.

extremely in love with this Pokémon design which is just "sheep" pic.twitter.com/IHFXkoGdCF
— Kate Gray (@hownottodraw) June 5, 2019

WOOL BABY! WOOL BABY!#PokemonDirect #wooloo #pokemon pic.twitter.com/EpvbWLpPrC
— ? ??? / Kitkaloid ? (@strucktrue) June 5, 2019

https://twitter.com/dreamiedeco/status/1136268824897032194

????????????? pic.twitter.com/xhPnvZgOnh
— ???? (@96_kasa) June 5, 2019

I'm in love.
They have such fabulous hair!
Wooloo & Gossifleur are stylin' friends, no one can convince me otherwise.#Pokemon #PokemonSwordShield #SwordandShield #PokemonDirect pic.twitter.com/9ju4AcVLvy
— Ishmi (@itsmeishmi) June 5, 2019

pic.twitter.com/gNwmtu045h
— cleric hypebeast (@appleciderwitch) June 5, 2019

https://whalesharks.tumblr.com/post/185383776479
https://vxlnicura.tumblr.com/post/185383677573
https://kiera–b.tumblr.com/post/185384113470/baby

https://redricewater.tumblr.com/post/185384433039/counting-wooloos-very-poffy-10010-would

https://pechelesbian.tumblr.com/post/185383901459

hello if you're not dynamaxing your pokemon for this sole purpose idk what you're doing in life pic.twitter.com/73hS8Q5R76
— ? Pokey ? @ Otakon Artist Alley CC11!! (@PokeyPokums) June 5, 2019

Honourable Mentions
Corviknight as Pokemon Grab.

corviknight: a terrifying creature that intimidates its fellow pokemonalso corviknight: hey its ur uber driver… Am outside pic.twitter.com/K1cEdswMms
— a centaurs rectum is 30cm deep (@blutgangs) June 5, 2019

Scorbunny going Dynamax

it's fucking over pic.twitter.com/bw3gGM5hUe
— shofu (@shofu) June 5, 2019


QuakeCon 2020 And Combo Breaker 2020 Cancelled

Sad news for shooter fans and fighting game aficionados. This year’s celebration of id Software gaming and 2D fighter tournament competitions in the US of A are cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While QuakeCon 2020 isn’t scheduled until August, Bethesda said that the outbreak means too many “uncertainties”. Official statement from Bethesda & id Software below.

“With all of the logistical challenges and uncertainties we currently face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s QuakeCon. The health and safety of our employees, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and players will always be our top priority, and in these times it felt wrong to be talking about a gathering when gathering in the last thing any of us should be doing right now.
While we don’t know what the state of the pandemic will be this August, we do know it will not be possible to complete the work and planning with partners, vendors, volunteers, and others that is required to make QuakeCon a success.”

An update on QuakeCon 2020: pic.twitter.com/1FYUauI7PY
— QuakeCon (@QuakeCon) March 31, 2020

Don’t let the 1st April date fool you; the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t leaving room for fake news on the date.

On the fighting game side, the annual Combo Breaker 2020 will take place on 22 to 24th May, which is a few months from now. The cancellation isn’t surprising, unfortunately, as the uncertainty of whether the outbreak will be contained by then is still looming in the air, so to speak.
The organizers are offering full refunds for registration fees and hotel deposits. Not only that, but Combo Breaker will also be partnering with videographer Esteban Martinez of Hold Back to Block, streaming outfit Team Spooky, and commentator Stephen “Sajam” Lyon to create a special fighting game retrospective on the Combo Breaker tournament’s history.
Official statement from Combo Breaker below (via Kotaku):

“Combo Breaker made its cancellation decision after reviewing current government recommendations and consulting with our venue representatives. It became apparent that a convention of our expected size, with its historically strong international attendance, could not meet attendee expectations safely in the coming months.
While some of our planning decisions could be impacted by how well our team recovers from this yearâ€™s cancellation, we are currently committed to realizing the event next year in full. Our team is hopeful that the limited apparel run dropped today assists us with the 2020 development recoup necessary to feed that ambition.”


Razer Teams Up With Pokemon For Pikachu-themed PC Gaming Peripherals

Less than a month ahead of the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Razer has unveiled a new lineup of Pokemon-themed PC gaming peripherals based on everyone’s favourite lightning rodent Pikachu. The lineup consists of a keyboard, a mouse, and a mousepad.
Unfortunately, it seems that the Pikachu peripherals are only available in China. It’s only being sold on Razer’s Taobao Tmall official store. Let’s take a look at each of the items in the lineup.

First, we got the keyboard which seems to be Razer’s infamous mecha-membrane keyboard the Razer Ornata. Known for its poor build quality and unsatisfying typing experience, this version of the keyboard now comes in a black-and-yellow colour scheme. The magnetic wrist rest that comes with the keyboard now sports images of Pikachu in its texture. That Pokeball escape key is pretty cool too. The keyboard is priced at CNÂ¥699 (~RM414).

If you’re used to seeing or using Razer peripherals, then you’ll be able to identify at a glance that the Pikachu-themed mouse is a reskin of the Razer Deathadder Essential. On top of the yellow paint job, the scroll wheel and side buttons are now red instead of black. The green-RGB-lit Razer logo is replaced with a symbol of Pikachu’s tail.
The mousepad shown in the store page seems to be a small-sized Razer Goliathus, though I can’t identify whether it’s the Speed or Control model. There’s not much to say aside from the fact that it’s really cute. Well, this whole set is cute. The mouse and mousepad combo is priced at CNÂ¥399 (~RM237).
As I mentioned earlier, this lineup is only officially available in China for now. There’s no word on whether we’ll be getting these products in Southeast Asia.
Thanks, 4gamers.


Miss Suikoden? Then This Upcoming JRPG Might Fill That Void [Update]

Update #1: The Kickstarter is live now. It’s already reached half of its goal at this time of typing.
Update #2: The game’s Kickstarteris now at US$2.2 million with 21,402 backers behind the project.
If you’re a fan of Konami’s Suikoden RPG series before Konami, well, became Konami, you’re in luck.
The key members behind the series will be launching a Kickstarter for a spiritual successor called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes next Monday on 27th July and will last until 28th August (PST time).
Eiyuden Chronicle will be a JRPG with a 2.5D visual style, as well as giving you the opportunity to recruit up to 100 unique heroes to recruit in your party. Also, you’ll be managing a fort as a base of operations. Battles will be turn-based and feature up to six party members, while boss battles will change perspectives ala duels in Suikoden. Basically it’s emulating the winning formula that Konami was lucky to have before, well, you know (via IGN)…

Who is behind the project? The game’s original writer Yoshitaka Murayama, who will be overseeing the project. The game’s character design, system design, and direction will be handled by other ex-Suikoden team members. These developers will be under a studio banner called Rabbit & Bear.
As far as we know, the Kickstarter goal will be US$500,000. The page isn’t up yet, but I’m pretty confident it’ll blow past that. There are way too many Suikoden fans out there in Asia who need their 2.5D hero-recruiting and duelling fix.
Update: And we were right! It’s been barely a day and the Kickstarter is at US$2.2 million.

The game will be out Fall 2022 for PC. Console versions will be added as part of the Kickstarter’s stretch goals. In the meantime, check out the artwork of the cast and a preview of the 100 heroes you’ll be recruiting below.


Netflix Renews Space Force For Season 2

Netflix’s Space Force debuted earlier this year in May 2020, which seems like a lifetime ago by now. Several months later, the streaming giant has finally renewed the comedy series about the establishment of a new branch of the U.S. military called Space Force for a second season.
According to Netflix, a whopping 40 million members watched at least the first two minutes of Space Force in the first month of its premiere. That’s pretty impressive viewership numbers.
Space Force Season 2 is expected to start production sometime in 2021 (via The Hollywood Reporter), with Brooklyn Nine-Nine producer Norm Hiscock joining as a co-showrunner with Greg Daniels.
Returning cast members include Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Diana Silvers, and Jimmy O. Yang. All ten episodes of the first season are currently streaming on Netflix.


Dragon Quest The Adventure Of Dai Action RPG Gameplay Unveiled

During a special Dragon Quest The Adventure Of Dai Game Project live stream today, Square Enix unveiled our first look at gameplay footage from the upcoming Dragon Quest The Adventure Of Dai Infinity Strash game.
This action JRPG title will be different from other mainline Dragon Quest titles, as it will feature real-time action RPG combat instead of the traditional turn-based combat. In this new gameplay footage, we see what seems to be a world map where players can select battles and missions to play.
The gameplay footage shows the player as Dai fighting a boss battle against an enemy monster named Crocodine, in a scene that looks to be recreated from the anime (which is still ongoing). It looks like players can use items in battle and use a variety of special attacks, including Dai’s iconic attack, Avan Strash.
Developed by Game Studio, Dragon Quest The Adventure Of Dai Infinity Strash was originally announced during another live stream in May 2020. The release date and specific platforms remain unknown. It’s unconfirmed when or even if the game will receive a worldwide English release.
Check out the gameplay footage below:
[videopress zcMKU30D]


Blizzard’s Next Overwatch 2 Event Is Next Month

While we enjoyed the Overwatch 2 beta, we did feel that it was more a PvP update than a full-fledged sequel. I’m sure Blizzard knows this and are attempting to fix this confusion among its fanbase, so they’re hosting a new event for the game next month.
The company said earlier today that it is “humbled and inspired by the amount of interest and enthusiasm” for part 2. The game’s next public presentation is 16th June and will be on Blizzard’s livestream platforms; YouTube, Twitch, and so forth. The stream will talk about the dev team’s plans for the months ahead, including the next PvP beta.
Here’s the statement from Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller about the whole thing.
“Overwatch as a world, as a universe, is deeply personal to the team; something that we pour our time, creative energies and passion into. It can be scary putting something that means so much to you out there for other people to look at. Especially when you know that it’s not finished and you’re asking for people’s real and valid criticisms of what you’ve made.
But the reason we do it is important–to make a better game, and it’s our players and our community that make it possible. Tests like this are a vital part of the process of improving Overwatch. We can’t wait to take everything we’ve learned from the beta and apply it to the game, and we’re so excited to get it back in front of you.”

Coming through.
Save the date for an #Overwatch2 Event on June 16, where we will share our plan for the months ahead, including the next PVP Beta! pic.twitter.com/8k1NSnum11
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 17, 2022

Overwatch 2 will be out sometime in 2023, but I’m guessing we’ll see either one of the game’s portions -PvP or PvE- in an earlier launch.


Total War Pharaoh Spotlights Ramesses In New Gameplay Showcase

SEGA and Creative Assembly have released an extensive gameplay showcase for Ramesses, one of eight faction leaders playable in Total War Pharaoh.
In Total War Pharaoh, the newest entry in the award-winning grand strategy series, immerse yourself in ancient Egypt at the zenith of its power and experience the dramatic events that threaten its destruction.
The setting is this:
With the end looming for the great Pharaoh Merneptah, the people of Egypt cry out for a new leader. Many desire the power of the throne, but the path to becoming Pharaoh is a perilous one. Unearth a breathtakingly vibrant recreation of the Bronze Age Collapse as you battle societal disarray, face natural disasters and fight to protect your people against waves of invaders.

Prove your legitimacy to become Pharaoh, or Great King of the Hittites, and expand your growing empire on a campaign map that spans the rich cultural hubs of Egypt, Canaan and Anatolia. With a choice of eight Faction Leaders, step into their unique playstyles and take charge of diverse unit rosters. Whether you’re charming the courts as a peerless diplomat, charging into battle as an unwavering commander or causing chaos as a fearless warlord, become a leader that history will remember.
The base game contains eight playable faction leaders from three diverse cultures:

Egyptian: Ramesses, Seti, Tausret, Amenmesse
Canaanite: Bay and Irsu
Hittite: Kurunta and Suppiluliuma

With a brand-new Campaign Customisation feature, no two campaigns will ever feel the same. Determine how you play with an extended range of campaign customisation options, such as random starting positions for all factions, detailed resource settings, the ability to toy with natural disasters and much more.
Total War Pharaoh will launch on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store sometime in October 2023.
In the meantime, check out our review of A Total War Saga Troy MYTHOS here. In addition, check out my review of Total War Warhammer 3 and Immortal Empires here.
Check out the gameplay showcase below:


Atelia Ryza 2 Sales Top 360,000 Copies

Koei Tecmo has a lot to celebrate right now. Its major JRPG title, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy has surpassed its predicted sales numbers worldwide.
The JRPG has shipped and sold 360,000 units all across the world. That’s quite a bit given how niche the Atelier series is, and how much a copy costs in Southeast Asia. Last we heard, the game shipped 150,000 units starting 9th December of last year. The game came out in Japan on that date.
On a related note, Koei Tecmo’s work on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a Musou game from the devs farmed out by Nintendo, shipped sold beyond 3.7 million units worldwide. This IS a Zelda game we’re talking about.


The Last Of Us’ Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann On Why The Whole First Season Will Cover The First Game

The Last Of Us based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies include PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heart-breaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
The cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.
Courtesy of HBO Asia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in an interview with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the showrunners (writers/executive producers) for HBO’s The Last Of Us. Craig Mazin is best known for being the showrunner for HBO’s Chernobyl series, while Neil Druckmann is the director of 2013’s The Last Of Us and 2020’s The Last Of Us Part 2. This article has been edited for clarity.
HBO / HBO GO / Jorge Bispo
What is the common ground between the game and the series adaptation? How did you expand the narrative, as well as replace or adapted the heavy gameplay parts?
Craig Mazin: So, basically, how did we do everything was the question. I’ll give you my short and simple, because ultimately, adaptation is all about choices, and we can talk until our faces turn blue about how we made those choices and there’s a lot of math to it. For me, what it always came back to was what do I love. What, as a fan, would hurt if I didn’t see it in the show, and what we think would absolutely have to change to adapt to a medium that is passive, that isn’t interactive, that doesn’t require gameplay.
And what are the things that we can be inspired by and adjust and just let ourselves be creative always within the bounds of what we love. This was made a lot easier by the fact that the narrative material. We’re putting the gameplay aside, just the straight bedrock drama of the game that Neill created is wonderful. There are incredibly rich characters and most importantly, rich relationships and the way the plot moved was always in service of forcing those main characters and their relationships to change and grow.
So, everything we did, all that adaptation process, picking and choosing, for me, came down to loving the game and understanding the game and then understanding this other thing that we wanted to make that had to be both the same and different at the same time.
Neil Druckmann: To add to that, I think in the past, the mistake that some adaptations make when they come from video games to a passive medium is to hang on to the action and the superficial things and the things that the player is doing. And those work magnificently as a game and they kind of fall flat on this other medium.
To give a specific example, when you look at Bill’s storyline, a lesser adaptation would have looked at the setpiece when Joel stepped onto a snare trap and was hanging upside down and you have to get out of the situation and Bill runs in and saves you. And that’s how you connect with him, by him saving you because you’re playing as Joel. What I love is that we never even had that conversation about that setpiece ever because what Craig always prioritised and HBO by extension, were the character drama moments. Instead, Craig said, what if we told this whole other story, this thing that was hinted at in the game, this Bill and Frank relationship. What if we fleshed that out and build a beautiful story of like the love these two felt for each other and like, we can jump around throughout the years in a way we couldn’t in the game because in the game, we’re always on Joel and Ellie’s perspective.
I think that was the secret sauce, if I were to pick one thing amongst all these things Craig was talking about in terms of choices, that is the main difference in how we approached these two very different mediums.
In 2021, you said that the series will cover the events of the first game. Why did you choose to cover the entirety of the first game in Season 1, and not stretch it across multiple seasons?
Neil Druckmann: The answer is in the question. (laughs)
Craig Mazin: Yeah, you said the magic word, Alleef, which is “stretch”. I’m sure you guys watch everything, right, so you know in this world where television series are entirely flexible, they can have as many episodes as apparently they need and certain platforms, you can have as much time per episode as you need.
Things sometimes get stretched and I am a very demanding TV watcher. When somebody says to me, you should watch this, but you got to get to season 3 episode 9, that’s when it really takes off. I’m like, nope, I’m not going to do it. I want to be on season 1 episode 1 and I want every episode to justify its existence. I want to feel compelled all the way through. I never want to feel like they’re just filling time to create more show. We’re all too smart, we know it when we see it.
For me, also, I have no interest in creating a television series that is designed to go on forever. This is going to end, I love endings and I don’t know what the point of anything is if it isn’t all wrapped together in a perfect circle, a beginning to end. So, to me, the narrative of the first game was gorgeous, it was complete, it deserved a season, we know how to do it within a season and that was kind of a no-brainer and I promise, if we’re lucky enough to get more seasons and keep telling the story, we will continue to make sure every episode is worth its wait.
How do you deal with pressure from fans of the game?
Neil Druckmann: For myself, making these things is very hard and takes a long time and you know, you’re working with hundreds of people and trying to make sure everyone’s coming together to tell this strong vision of a character-driven story. There are things you can have complete control over and things that are completely out of your control. We focus our energy and time on things that we have control over, which is like how we tell the story and how we execute it.
We can’t worry about what will be the eventual reaction and work towards that because that is completely out of our hands. You know, the game was extremely successful and it’s made with an audience in mind. You’re making sure everything is clear, nothing is confusing, you’re hitting the right beats, but not to please a particular kind of like mindset or anything like that because again, we don’t know where the winds will take the story. All we know is that, are we proud of it, do we feel like this is a story worth telling to a big audience, just like the game was, although this goes even broader than the game.
And if we do that, then hopefully everything else works out and becomes successful. But that is out of our control and again, now we’ve raised our kid and it’s time for him to go into the world and see how they do.
How did you go from Chernobyl to The Last Of Us?
Craig Mazin: Here’s what happened. After Chernobyl, I had an overall deal with HBO, so they were paying me to figure out something to do next. I’m, you know, a working-class upbringing, I’m still a working-class kid and so I came to them and said, what do you want? What are you looking for? Let me satisfy some need here.
And Casey Bloys, who run HBO, said, here’s what I want, I want you to do something that lets you levitate. I thought that was wonderful, that’s why HBO is what it is. They understand, if their creators are in love with what they’re making, then we will work ourselves to the bone. Nobody needs to tell us to obsess, to never quit on anything, to put every ounce of ourselves into it.
So then the only question was, but what makes me levitate? And around that time is when I heard that the rights to The Last Of Us had returned back to Naughty Dog and I met with Neil. We had this great conversation and at the end of it, I remember he, in his very Neil way, he went, okay, let’s do it. Just like that, and so I just said to Casey, I’m levitating and I said to Dad, please, Dad, get me The Last Of Us, please.
And so, what’s nice is that it’s a co-production too, Sony Television and HBO kind of married each other to bring this show to life and they followed through and they told me they wanted me to make something I was in love with. I came to them with something I was in love with. Neill and I made something I think we’re both in love with. And HBO, as it turns out, is pretty in love with it too, so all that’s left now is the audience. I hope they’re just like us.
HBO / HBO GO / Jorge Bispo
About the origins of the infection, how worried should we be that this could happen in real life?
Craig Mazin: The thinking in part was to give the audience a full picture, a full understanding because I think it’s fascinating. I’m a big believer that you should do the things only your show can do and only this show can talk about this very real thing. Anybody can Google it or watch it on YouTube. I talked to mycologists, we became fungus experts and I also want to acknowledge that fungus is a funny word. It makes us all giggle, we probably shouldn’t be giggling. But they’re actually quite beautiful and incredible and therefore dangerous.
But I also wanted to make sure people felt dramatically that what happens in our show is not, suddenly there’s an outbreak of something and we don’t know what it is but we eventually learn what it is, but rather, finally, there was an outbreak of something that was always there, that was always going to happen. There’s a sense of inevitability to that, which I think was more interesting and I think it’s more true. We may find ourselves soon in between pandemics, but there will be another one and in terms of the science, of fungus jumping into humans, I cannot say that Cordeceps would behave in humans the way we portray it but I can say that the World Health Organization is currently very concerned about the rise of Aspergillus infection in humans, that the changes in temperature is absolutely causing an incursion. Fungi are starting to make incursions into humans and they are very dangerous. Very hard to treat and we need to take this very seriously, actually.
How did you deviate from the game’s story?
Neil Druckmann: We did deviate but not to surprise the audience. That was never our goal, how do we surprise them. We knew that would happen organically as we adapt from one medium to another and surprises will emerge in that way. Yeah, that was never the focus of ours. For my take, and I think Craig feels the same way, it’s hard to spoil a good story. I can watch Shawshank Redemption like every other week and still enjoy it because it’s just so beautifully told.
I guess there’s two different ways to enjoy a story. There’s one where you know nothing about it, and every part of it is surprising and you’re not sure where it’s going to go. And then there’s the one where you know where it’s going and appreciate the execution of it, and maybe most importantly for us, the characters in it.
And get to observe the performance. The performance that Pedro and Bella are giving throughout this entire season, you’ll rewatch this multiple times and get more information, more nuances. Because again, the story is all laid out in front of us, especially where it might go past the season. There are like seeds we can plant early on and get paid off much later and I think multiple viewings will get you to appreciate that more and more. There was a lot of thought put into every episode to make it as strong as possible but also how does it fit in the greater whole of the entire story and arc.
Craig Mazin: I’ll just add that I love all sorts of movies, and all sorts of television shows. When they are based on source material I usually know, if someone makes a story about a Bible story, I’ll know how that ends. If somebody makes a movie about the Titanic, pretty sure I’ll know what’s going to happen there. Any romantic comedy, spoiler, they end up together and they’re in love.
The journey is everything to me, we stress endings because we live in a spoiler culture and there are movies with crazy twist endings that really are awesome, I wouldn’t have wanted to know how Fight Club ended if I hadn’t seen it yet. But this isn’t that.
The Last Of Us isn’t about lots of twists and turns, The Last Of Us is about the journey, and about these characters. And one thing that we get to do is create beginnings and endings every week. When you’re playing the game, you decide when you’re putting down the controller for the night, you decide how far you’ll go, you can play through it all in one crazy long session, you can do it 10 minutes at a time.
We are designing beginnings and endings every week, those things all allow us to create fresh and new things. As a fan, there were so many things we got to do in the show that I was so excited about because they were either things Neil wanted to put in the game but they didn’t have time or they were new things that they thought of after. And then there were things that just came out of our conversations that we wanted to do. If you are a fan of the game and think you know everything that’s going to happen, all I can tell you is that you will feel a lot, you’re going to be surprised repeatedly and you will also going to be comforted repeatedly by a re-representation of things that you love and are meaningful to you.
How did you create narrative or storytelling out of the gameplay from the game?
Neil Druckmann: That’s kind of a broad question because we do a lot of storytelling things within gameplay. For example, how you behave as Joel, Ellie who’s walking alongside with you will have react to it dynamically. It feels like there’s an intelligent person next to me and that’s one of the tools we have in a game that we obviously don’t have in the show.
As for the Infected, it’s what we call environmental storytelling in gaming. We make it a point to do enough research. Everything you’re seeing in the environment feels real. We talked a lot and researched a lot, how things break down, how water floods a street. Once you introduce water, man-made things just collapse really quickly. It’s important to get all those things right, and with the Infected, we are a genre story that has these monsters, how do we ground them as much as possible and we talked about what would the evolution be.
Would someone who’s recently infected, how would they behave, how does the thing growing inside you, how is it keeping you alive. As I’ve mentioned, it’s like penicillin, it’s eating you out, making you hollow, but also still keeping you functioning because it has a use for you.
For all those different stages, we try to keep them as medically and realistically as possible to make them more than just monsters. To make them as a warning to whoever’s in this world, you could turn into this thing. You could just be part of this horde and your consciousness might still be trapped in there but you’re no longer in control of your body.
So that stuff, we started with the game, and then moving into the show, again, we don’t need to support as much action because there isn’t mastery of mechanics that we need. We could just distil it down to these moments and we could just hint at it. Like a good horror movie, sometimes it’s the things you don’t see are way scarier than what you’re shown repeatedly on screen.


For Honor Adds New Arab Warrior Women, The Afeera, Next Week

Ubisoft has announced that For Honor will add its newest Hero, the Afeera, on 2 February 2023. Armed with a Mace and Shield, the Afeera bring precise and elegant combat to For Honor’s roster from the kingdom of Arabia. In addition to the Hero reveal and Title Update 2, For Honor announced a Year 7 during the Warrior’s Den live stream.
At the beginning of Year 6 Season 4, Commander Ravier destroyed the Celestial Sphere, hoping to use its knowledge to attempt to conquer Heathmoor. However, all is not lost – Hiba, an Afeera, is able to repair the relic and sees a partial vision of the prophecy: Heathmoor’s descent into darkness. Determined to stop the Black Priors and this bleak future, Hiba leads the Afeera to Heathmoor. Equipped with a Mace and Shield, these steadfast weapons give the Afeera an edge in every combat scenario if players can leverage their precise strikes. As the third Outlander Hero, they follow in the notable footsteps of the Pirate and the Medjay.

Starting from 2 February 2023, players will be able to purchase the new Afeera Hero from first-party stores as part of a package that includes the new Hero, one Exclusive Ornament, one Elite Outfit, seven days of Champion Status, and three scavenger crates. Players can also unlock the Hero on 16 February 2023 for 15,000 Steel in-game. In addition, a free Event Pass with a Battle Outfit, an Effect, and an Ornament will be available at the launch of the Hero.
Coinciding with the launch of the Hero, For Honor will have a free week on PlayStation, Xbox, and Ubisoft Connect from February 2-9. Free Week players will have full access to the Standard Edition of For Honor, and those who want to keep battling after the free period will be able to carry on their progression and heroes to the full game once purchased.
To celebrate For Honor’s sixth anniversary on February 14, an execution will return in-game and all players who log in between 9 February and 16 February 16 will be rewarded an Elite Outfit.
Year 7 will bring four action-packed seasons with two new Heroes, four new Hero skins, four Battle Passes, events, and more. More details about Year 7 will be revealed soon. With over 30 million players, For Honor is available to play now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC with Xbox Game Pass, as well as on PS4. For Honor is also playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S through backward compatibility.


Do Malaysian YouTube Gamers & Streamers Need FINAS Licenses?

Well, that escalated quickly.
We recap the recent Malaysia FINAS license kerfuffle and whether it affects the future of video game streaming and content creation. You may want to check this video out.


Overwatch Unveils Two More Legendary, ‘Heavyweight’ Summer Games Exclusive Skins

Following the reveal of D.Va’s sweet new ‘Korean swimsuit’-themed Summer Games event-exclusive hero skin a few days back, Blizzard unveiled to more which would make Winston and Reinhardt mains salivate while others wish they’ve had a grip on our two heavyweight heroes.
Possibly aiming to appeal to North American players more, both skins represent highly popular American sports – American Football in Gridironhardt and Catcher Winston.Â  Based on this and since we already have an ice hockey skin for Lucio, we can’t wait to see possibly a basketball-themed Pharah to complete the quartet of NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL.Â  But for now, check out Rein and Winston’s awesome new skins.

Break enemy lines with Gridironhardt Reinhardt (Legendary)! ðŸˆ
Join us in Busan for Summer Games, kicking off August 9. pic.twitter.com/DIHj9XmaBv
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) August 4, 2018

Strike opponents out with CATCHER WINSTON (Legendary)! âš¾
Join us in Busan for Summer Games, kicking off August 9. pic.twitter.com/QrlWm6pdzs
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) August 5, 2018
Tagged as legendary means that these skins would cost you 3000 coins a pop, or you could just wish for it to drop as part of your lootbox. The Overwatch 2018 Summer Games event drops this 10th of August bringing back the highly popular Lucioball along with its competitive mode.


Days Gone To Feature New Difficulty & Challenges This June

Sony Interactive Bend Studio announced that its action-adventure post-apocalyptic title Days Gone will receive free post-launch content starting this June. Specifically, Survival Mode and Weekly Challenges.
According to the PlayStation Blog, Survival Mode can be accessed after you finish the game. This mode will test players with an increased difficulty setting, no fast travel options, no Survival Vision (the game’s method of tracking and seeking stuff), and a new HUD that removes maps and indicators from the gameplay screen.
The Weekly Challenges will provide a new Bike, Horde, or Combat challenge to test players. Finishing them will reward players with additional items and other bonuses like unique bike skins not included in the game.
New PlayStation Trophies related to completing Survival Mode and Weekly Challenges will be added. Kakuchopurei’s Days Gone review & guides will be up later this week, so stay tuned for that.


Team Ninja’s Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Trailer Showcases Epic Action

Koei Tecmo and Team NINJA have released the first gameplay trailer for their next game, Wo Long Fallen Dynasty. They also announced that Wo Long Fallen Dynasty will be playable debut at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show 2022, which runs from 15 to 18 September 2022 in Japan.
The game’s producers Fumihiko Yasuda and Masaaki Yamagiwa will also appear on the Koei Tecmo official Tokyo Game Show live stream for a stage event.
It’s a new dark fantasy Three Kingdoms maso-core game from Team NINJA, the developers of Nioh and Nioh 2 and the Ninja Gaiden games. It’s set in 184 AD, Later Han Dynasty China. The land is overcome by chaos and destruction. The imperial dynasty that prospered for many years is now about to collapse.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty is a dramatic, action-packed story of a nameless militia soldier fighting for survival in a dark fantasy version of the Later Han Dynasty where demons plague the Three Kingdoms. Players fight off deadly creatures and enemy soldiers using swordplay based on the Chinese martial arts, attempting to overcome the odds by awakening the true power from within.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty is slated to release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in early 2023.


Ex-Valve Employee Reveals Steam & Valve’s Dirty Secrets

In the recent issue of Epic snagging games from Steam, we’re often quick to shift our view to one side of the fence, but never the other. Today, that fence has been lowered.
A former Steam employee has let some secrets on how bad Valve’s game market monopoly has affected developers. Richard Geldrich just recently dropped his job at Valve. His decision was backed by numerous current and ex-Valve developers.
Tim Sweeney, Epic CEO, supports the idea of speaking up against tech industry stuff.
Rather than me typing a long wall of text that’s surely gonna get glossed over, let us break it down for you;

Epic Games Store is the common target when talking about spyware, but when Valve gathers huge amounts of data through the Steam client, no one bats an eye.

https://twitter.com/richgel999/status/1113982019849998336

Valve takes away 30% of the profit from the developers.

https://twitter.com/richgel999/status/1113982823617052672

Epic has actually given developers a better chance to come out with a better deal.

https://twitter.com/richgel999/status/1113985348961353728

Gamers donâ€™t see how incredibly difficult and stressful it is to make these games. Epic has given these creators a chance to strike a better deal. If you donâ€™t support them you are basically hurting the developers who will get stuck under Steamâ€™s thumb.
â€” Richard Geldreich (@richgel999) April 5, 2019
Again, it’s not surprising to see us gamers jumping the gun when it comes to controversies like this. Little do gamers know that developing games are very hard. So, when Epic Games Store starts offering games, it’s practically a good move to break Steam’s harsh revenue sharing percentage, giving developers more space to create more games.
Yes, there are pros and cons of having multiple clients on your PC, and the slew of great features Steam offers is irresistible to pass along. Then again, we have to look at the bigger picture.
I’d love to be on the fence on this one. However, since it basically determines the future of the games industry, it’s imperative that we push aside sentiments to make it better for all.


New Swamp Thing Trailer Digs Into Its Horror Roots

DC Universe has unleashed the first full trailer for its upcoming new series, Swamp Thing, which is slated to make its debut on 31 May 2019. It is set to be the third original programming on the streaming service after Titans and Doom Patrol, both of which have ended their first seasons.
Unlike other DC properties, Swamp Thing began life in the comics as a horror-based character when he was created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson in 1971. Ever since then, he’s grown into a more traditional DC character or magical superhero in the vein of John Constantine and Zatanna.
However, DC Universe’s Swamp Thing series will delve deep into the character’s horror and supernatural roots for something unique and fresh in the comic book TV adaptation genre.
The official description for Swamp Thing reads:

â€œSwamp Thing follows Abby Arcane as she investigates what seems to be a deadly swamp-born virus in a small town in Louisiana but soon discovers that the swamp holds mystical and terrifying secrets.
When unexplainable and chilling horrors emerge from the murky marsh, no one is safe.â€

Andy Bean (Power) stars as Alec Holland, the scientist who transforms into the titular Swamp Thing (Derek Mears), DC alum Crystal Reed (Gotham) as Abby Arcane, Jennifer Beals (The L Word) as Sheriff Lucilia Cable, Maria Sten (Channel Zero) as reporter Liz Treymane, Will Patton (Falling Skies) as the scheming Avery Sunderland, and Kevin Durand (The Strain) as Jason Woodrue AKA antagonist/villain Floronic Man.
The series will also introduce the live-action incarnations of other magical characters from the rich tapestry of DC Comics, including the likes of Blue Devil (Ian Ziering of Beverly Hills 90210) and Madame Xanadu (Jeryl Prescott of The Walking Dead).
Master of horror and Aquaman director James Wan will be one of the executive producers for Swamp Thing. While waiting for the series to premiere on 31 May 2019, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVnHZ5SF1Jg&w=560&h=315]


That Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Strategy Spin-Off Will Be Out This November

If you’re one of those fans who miss strategy RPG in your Final Fantasy brands, the upcoming Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius spin-off, titled War of The Visions, may sate your thirst. Assuming you don’t mind playing on mobile and doing a bit of gachaing.
And if you speak or can read Japanese, you don’t have to wait that long: the game will be out 14th November. According to the recent Brave Exvius livestream (via Twitter), you can pre-register for the game to get a ton of free in-game bonuses and loot.

iOS (JP) pre-reg is up! #FFBEWV #WOTV #FFBE #FFBE???? pic.twitter.com/qJX4U4yHvv
— WOTV Discord Community (@WOTV_EN) October 14, 2019

The game is co-developed by gumi Inc., the folks who also created the pretty cool strategy RPG Alchemist Code. It’s pretty much confirmed that the War of the Visions spin-off (which came from a mobile game spin-off; don’t think about it too much) is using the same engine, but with a ton of Final Fantasy tropes and whatnot. Which also means the English version will also be handled by gumi Asia.
Check out the latest trailers below and see if it’s your mobile cup of tea. At the very least, we’re digging the art style.


It’s Canon; Star Wars The High Republic Comics & Novels Are Coming

It’s every Star Wars fans’ dream for Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic (KotOR) to enter franchise canon. That has finally happened, sort of, with a brand new name.
Disney and Lucasfilm have announced Star Wars: The High Republic; an epic new Star Wars era that will be explored in adult and young adult novels, childrenâ€™s books, and comics from multiple publishers including Disney Lucasfilm Press, Del Rey, IDW Publishing, and Marvel.
Star Wars: The High Republic is set in a time when the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order are at their zenith, about 200 years before the events of Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace. In comparison, the timeline set in the non-canon Star Wars KotOR was set thousands of years before the events of the movies.

Unfortunately, this new era will not overlap any of the filmed features or series currently planned for production. This is said to be for the purpose of “giving creators and partners a vast amount of room to tell Star Wars stories with new adventures and original characters”.
However, fans will still be disappointed to know that these new stories won’t receive live-action or animated adaptations anytime soon (if the source material does turn out to be good, that is).
Lucasfilm publishing creative director Michael Siglain said:

â€œStar Wars: The High Republic features the Jedi as weâ€™ve always wanted to see them â€” as true guardians of peace and justice.
This is a hopeful, optimistic time when the Jedi and the Galactic Republic are at their height.
But of course, into this glorious new era something wicked this way comes.
This initiative will give readers young and old a new corner of the galaxy to explore through rich, meaningful stories.
Plus, readers will learn what scares the Jedi.â€

Star Wars: The High Republic will employ top-tier authors like Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel JosÃ© Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule.
The first lineup of books and comics are set to debut at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in August 2020 with Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, a massive crossover story thatâ€™s told across various formats by various publishers.
The first wave of Star Wars: The High Republic titles includes the following:
Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray (Young Adult novel, Disney Lucasfilm Press)
Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland (Middle Grade novel, Disney Lucasfilm Press)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures by Daniel JosÃ© Older (IDW Publishing comic book series)
Star Wars: The High Republic by Cavan Scott (Marvel comic book series)
Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (Adult novel, Del Rey)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCat5fXRyyU&w=560&h=315]


Horizon Call Of The Mountain VR Spinoff Reveals New Protagonist, Ryas

Sony Interactive Entertainment, Guerrilla Games and Firesprite have shared new information on the new protagonist in the upcoming PlayStation VR2 exclusive Horizon Call Of The Mountain and his name is Ryas.
In Horizon Call Of The Mountain, the Carja Sundom is still reeling from the bloody Red Raids, a brutal campaign of attacks and ritual sacrifice inflicted by the Carja on their neighbouring tribes. These raids, which devastated countless lives, were ended when the Mad Sun-King Jiran was overthrown by his son Avad. The aftershocks of Jiran’s rule splintered the Carja tribe, with those grateful for an end to his rule remaining in the Sundom, and soldiers loyal to the slain leader forcing their way into the citadel at Sunfall, reforming as the Carja in Shadow.
The protagonist of Horizon Call Of The Mountain, Ryas, was one such soldier. Having played a key role in the abduction of young Prince Itamen from his home in Meridian, Ryas seeks to atone and regain his honour. After allowing himself to be captured and imprisoned by the Carja, Ryas was spared execution. Now, he has been recruited by Sun-King Avad and Blameless Marad. A master climber, archer, and hunter, Ryas must earn his freedom in exchange for investigating a new threat.
Guerrilla’s Studio Narrative Director, Ben McCaw, offered us further insight:
“Ryas ended up on the wrong side for the right reasons. His family was torn apart, and ultimately, he was incarcerated. This is the story of how he tries to come back from that. Ryas has a dangerous adventure ahead of him, and while he may be the only one who can do the job, he won’t do it alone.
Along the way, players will meet new characters and be reunited with familiar ones, though his past has affected these relationships, explains Ben. “Having fought for the Shadow Carja, Ryas’ relationship with these characters is at best adversarial. He needs to make inroads and amends if he hopes to be accepted.
We took the Horizon experience and built it from the ground up for VR. And for this, we felt we needed a new protagonist. As a master climber, hunter, and explorer, Ryas offers the perfect viewpoint of the sweeping vistas and dangerous wilds of Horizon.”
Horizon Call Of The Mountain launches on PS5 via PS VR2 on 22 February 2023.


Scarlet Nexus Sequel To Be More Mature, Says Devs

Scarlet Nexus game director Kenji Anabuki would love to make a sequel to the JRPG, if given the opportunity.
While the game’s endings have tied up a number of plot threads, there are parts of the game that could be expanded more in a follow-up. Anabuki said that his idea of a Scarlet Nexus sequel could approach the concept of superpowers from an “even more mature” perspective (via an Inverse interview). If you ask me, I’m all for the team taking it a step further. Kasane’s route does head to some dark territory albeit with some anime bits spliced along the way.
On a related note, Scarlet Nexus’ appearance on Xbox Game Pass gave the series a much-needed boost in publicity and popularity according to Anabuki. He also mentioned the positive feedback the game has been getting:
“We have received a lot of positive reviews regarding the battle system, story, and characters. One reason might be due to the development experience I gained from working on the Tales Of series.
If there is a sequel, I would personally want to utilize the “superpower” theme in areas other than battles. The world and settings of the story could potentially be created to suit an even more mature audience; by exploring themes like the dangers of having or using superpowers.
We have done as much as we can and added several features after launch into the game based on user feedback. However, I have decided that paying more attention to industry trends and the newest user preferences will definitely benefit the gaming experience.”
Scarlet Nexus is one of KKP’s best games of 2021; read our review on the title here.


DC FanDome 2021 Garners Triple The Viewership Of Last Year’s

DC FanDome, the ultimate global fan experience, shattered last yearâ€™s viewership with 66 million views worldwide to date from the streaming event on October 16. TheÂ virtual event drew fans from around the world to immerse themselves in the DC Multiverse with exclusive first-looks and behind-the-scenes previews from highly anticipated feature films, live-action and animated television series, games, comics, home entertainment releases and more.
DC FanDome was a truly global experience, available to fans in 12 languages and in over 220 countries. Fans shared their excitement on social media, with DC FanDome trending #1 on Twitter for eight hours in the US. DC FanDome also trended in the Top 50 in 53 countries around the world.
Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks, said:
â€œWith triple the fan traffic of last year, DC FanDome 2021 exceeded all of our expectations. We continue to innovate across the company in service of our fans, and I cannot overstate the creativity and hard work that went into this highly curated, global digital event.
We gave fans what they wanted â€“ the very best of all things DC â€“ and their engagement and response have been fantastic. Weâ€™re as excited as they are to deliver on all the great content DC FanDome highlighted.â€
DC FanDome was streamed live on October 16 on DCFanDome.com and over 50 livestreams across multiple social platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and Twitter, around the world, with hundreds of other outlets re-broadcasting.
You can check outÂ our coverage of everything related to DC FanDome here.


E3 2019: Malaysia’s Todak Making Mark At Los Angeles

It’s good to know that Malaysian game companies are doing their darndest in making their presence known outside of the country. That’s what gaming lifestyle and peripheral company Todak is doing during this week’s E3 2019.
The company will be showcasing its brand of streetwear like its many, MANY caps (snapback and stretchfit), as well as their Todak Alpha Premium gaming chairs, their branded headsets, keyboards, and gaming mice. These include the Mahawangsa Keyboard, the Dang Anum Mouse, and Mahsuri Mouse.

So far, the booth has been getting great reception over in the US, and it’s only the first day. Syabas, Todak!

Isn’t that one of our ex-peeps Tashbunny?
If you do happen to be in the US of A at the LA Convention Center, you should pay a visit to these guys and show your support.
We’ll be sure to update this news piece regarding the really new products they have on tap at the show floor. Or you could just check out the chair and decide on whether to buy it on their official store.
Image credit: Todak Facebook


Battlefield 2042 Arkangel Directive Event Kicks Off Next Week

With Season 5: New Dawn well underway, EA and DICE have revealed the newest in-game Seasonal Event for Battlefield 2042, the Arkangel Directive. The event will run for two weeks, starting on Tuesday, 11 July 2023 at 5 am PT through Tuesday, 25 July 2023 at 5 am PT.
A combined arms battle never seen before, The Arkangel Directive features two factions dedicated to the most advanced robotics and AI technologies on Earth engaged in heavy conflict, fighting to win control in a brand-new game mode. Control is a new 24v24 game mode played across Reclaimed, Orbital and Valparaiso, where players will claim satellites around the map, collect telemetry data to upload to the Arkangel Satellite and earn points to call in mid-game bonuses to turn the tide of battle.
Players can expect unique gameplay rewards during the Arkangel Directive event, including rare backgrounds and epic weapon skins, headgear and charms. The store will have new bundles and item rotations to check out as well.
Battlefield 2042 is a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise. Utilize a cutting-edge arsenal in immersive multiplayer battles on maps set in both open battlegrounds and close-quarters maps. Choose your class, rally your squad, and fight through the world of 2042 as well as Battlefield’s past.
Check out the trailer below:


Diablo II: Resurrected PC’s Alpha Test Starts This Weekend

Blizzard and Vicarious Visions just announced the dates and time for the Diablo II: Resurrected alpha test run. It’ll be from 9th April 10pm GMT+8 to 13th April 1am GMT+8.
Only a few select players will be chosen randomly for the alpha test and access. The media and content creators from all over the world will check it out on 8th April, one day before the official alpha test.
The technical alpha test will contain the following:

Three of the seven classes playable: Barbarian, Amazon, Sorceress.
The first two acts of the game, fully playable.
No level cap.

Here are the minimum and recommended specs to run the remaster.
Minimum

Operating System: WindowsÂ® 10
Processor: IntelÂ® Core i3-3250/AMD FX-4350
Video: Nvidia GTX 660/AMD Radeon HD 7850
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Storage: 30 GB
Internet: Broadband Internet connection
Resolution: 1280 x 720

Recommended

Operating System: WindowsÂ® 10
Processor: IntelÂ® Core i5-9600k/AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Video: Nvidia GTX 1060/AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Storage: 30 GB
Internet: Broadband Internet connection
Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Diablo II: Resurrected will be out for major platforms and consoles in 2021.


Marvel Netflix Is Now Officially Dead

Marvel Netflix is now officially dead, as the streaming giant has effectively killed off the remnants of its once-thriving multi-series deal with Marvel. The Punisher and Jessica Jones are the last casualties of the Marvel Netflix universe, though the third season of Jessica Jones will still be released on a later unrevealed date.
In a statement to Deadline, here’s what Netflix had to say:
“Marvelâ€™s The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix. Showrunner Steve Lightfoot, the terrific crew, and exceptional cast including star Jon Bernthal delivered an acclaimed and compelling series for fans, and we are proud to showcase their work on Netflix for years to come.
In addition, in reviewing our Marvel programming, we have decided that the upcoming third season will also be the final season for Marvelâ€™s Jessica Jones. We are grateful to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, star Krysten Ritter, and the entire cast and crew, for three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series, which was recognized by the Peabody Awards among many others.
We are grateful to Marvel for five years of our fruitful partnership and thank the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning.”
Meanwhile, Marvel also issued an official statement earlier today, which you can check out below:
“It had never been done before. Four separate television series, each with different super-talented showrunners, writers, directors, cast and crew, coming out months apart and then â€¦they would meet in a single event series all set in the heart of New York City. We called them The Defenders.
And together we were thrilled by stories of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and even the Punisher joined in! They said it couldnâ€™t be done. But Marvel assembled amazing teams to write, produce, direct, edit, and score 13 seasons and 161 one-hour episodes. Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.
We loved each and every minute of it.
And we did it all for you â€” the fans â€” who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.”
On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldnâ€™t be more proud or more grateful to our audience. Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great charactersâ€¦ but you know Marvel better than that,â€ the company added.
As Matthew Murdockâ€™s Dad once said, â€˜The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, itâ€™s how he gets back up. To be continuedâ€¦!”
Marvel is probably planning to move most of its TV series to Disney’s upcoming streaming service, Disney+, which is slated to launch sometime in late 2019. Unfortunately, due to the terms of the contract between Netflix and Marvel, we might not be seeing Daredevil and the rest of the Defenders for quite a while.
In the meantime, check out our article here on what to expect from the House of Mouse’s exclusive streaming service when it debuts later this year.


Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Set Photos Reveal The Addition Of Iconic Character

Paramount Pictures announced the official title and release date for Sonic The Hedgehog 2 earlier this year. It is slated to release on 8 April 2022, which is now actually less than a year away. However, little else has been revealed about the sequel to 2020’s Sonic The Hedgehog, but new set photos might have confirmed several new iconic characters.
Of course, these count as spoilers so here’s your cue to stop reading if you want to avoid them:

You’re still here? Good. We already know that Tails will be appearing in Sonic The Hedgehog 2, due to a post-credits scene at the end of Sonic The Hedgehog. However, leaked set photos (via Tails Channels) have revealed that props for Knuckles The Echidna can be seen on location for the filming of the movie.

That all but confirms that Knuckles will appear in the upcoming movie. However, we still don’t know who will be voicing the character, but rumours are saying that Jason Momoa might be the best candidate.
We’ll have to wait for the eventual official trailer to confirm the existence of Knuckles. In the meantime,Â check out my review ofÂ Sonic The HedgehogÂ here.


MultiVersus Hits 10 Million Player Milestone In 3 Weeks; Still Not Out Yet In Southeast Asia

It’s a good day for Warner Bros. and casual fighting game fans as the fighting title MultiVersus has gangbuster numbers. Well, not so much the other parts of the world like Southeast Asia but them’s the breaks.
According to stats website tracker.gg, the Warner Bros. Smash Bros. clone has surpassed 10 million players, with the exact number being 10,473,023 at this time of writing. That’s a huge number of players since the game went closed beta on 19th July; that’s less than a month to get those numbers. And who knows? Those numbers might actually be higher if the game were accessible in the whole of Southeast Asia, where the region literally gobbles up free-to-play games fast like it’s going out of style.
The game also had quite a showing at last weekend’s EVO 2022 fighting game tournament with a US$10,000 prize pot. The game will also have a Season 1 battle pass and content, though that’s delayed to god-knows-when.
So why isn’t MultiVersus available in Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines, and other countries? That’s because the developers have only enough bandwidth (workforce, network servers) to work on US and European regions at this point in time. Things may change when the game exits open beta, though that timeline and date is still up in the air.


Kakuchopurei’s Best Stories & Videos Of 2019

Kakuchopurei is nothing without engaging stories, videos, and features. Thankfully, we have plenty on this here humble site and a lot of people reading them.
Because of that, our numbers have tripled since last year, amounting to a million-plus viewers total, and is still rising up to this day. For that, we truly appreciate it.
Here are the 15 best stories and videos from our neck of the woods, ranked top to bottom.
Stories & News
The 50 Best PokÃ©mon of All Time
It’s what the title said. Voice out your concerns and grievances on this piece.
Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Films Ranked
Mmmm….Marvel films and rankings. We did this leading up to Avengers: Endgame. We even had a chart and stuff to get this all up and running.
The Top 2D Fighters List
Made by freelancer Jeanne Swee, one of the many folks involved with Infinite Carnage.

What To Do After You’re Done With Final Fantasy XIV’s Latest Expansion
More questing and stuff.
How To Play Google Play Content On Your PS4
A little guide to play your Google Play stuff on your console is a nice lifehack, right?
The 50 Worst PokÃ©mon In Existence
We had to create the complete opposite of the best Pokemon list to balance things out.
The Best PS1 Games Of All Time
All hail the PS1.
The Top 20 PokÃ©mon In Sword and Shield
Aesthetics and cute factor will bring you far in this list.

Weathering With You Ending Discussion
Comicslord isn’t a fan of this film; he voices out why. A ton of people took umbrage with that.
The Best PS4 Exclusives Everyone Should Try
A little something that coincides with the PlayStation’s 25th anniversary, and PS5 rumours and launch announcement.
Videos
Our interview with Syed Saddiq post-esports blueprintÂ

We hope our talk with Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports helps create a better esports future for Malaysia. From esports centre ideas to learning lessons from the Overwatch Malaysia kerfuffle, he sheds a lot of light on everything esports and Malaysian.
Devil May Cry 5’s Dante doing a Michael Jackson
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2470517092992331
The Best Moments Of EVO Japan 2019
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/2000861476885000/
Core values. Heh.
Resident Evil 2 Comparison Video
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/227535781515137/
My, how times have changed.
Hideo Kojima’s Comments On Death Stranding During Launch
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/822643288172492/
Segata Sanshiro Is Haohmaru
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/426851281431133/
Fairy Tail JRPG Preview
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/539012106948548/
How To Play Apex Legends
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/2120954494689096/
Why Ryu’s V-Skill 2 Looks A Bit Familiar
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/594270374736420/
The Best of Michiru Yamane – SoundScape
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/676692092777619/
Seems like you folks like comedy & bite-sized vids more than this long-form stuff.
Sakura Wars Theme Breakdown

Not only can we interview ministers about esports, we can also channel our inner otaku and talk in-depth about the Sakura Wars theme.
Spider-Man @ Comicfiesta 2019
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/529787011082514/
The Best PlayStation 1 OSTs
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/2156558321315182/
Talking To Tokido, Fuudo, & Nemo Pre-EVO Japan

Our Malaysian Game Dev & Talent Interviews

Malaysia Boleh! We treat our interviews & features equally, regardless of where they’re from: with polish & respect to their craft(s).
We’ll be doing more of this in 2020 and beyond, so stick around & watch this space.


A Disco Elysium Prequel Might Be In The Works

A new Disco Elysium project is in the works, and it might turn out to be a prequel. At the time of writing, theÂ Disco Elysium websiteÂ has disappeared, as it now leads to a single-page teaser with a mysterious image.

Fans of the game will recognise the star and antlers symbol to be the Disco Elysium’s version of communism in the game’s world, as well as one of the key events in the history of Elysium referred to as the Antecentennial Revolution.
However, this all remains speculation for now, as we still don’t know what exactly the teaser is for.
WhileÂ a Disco Elysium TV series is in the works, this teaser on the official website probably doesn’t relate to that. Disco Elysium is also slated to launch for consoles sometime in 2021, so this teaser could turn out to be just that.
Still, anything new that’s related to Disco Elysium would be a welcome one. Based on the universe introduced in Robert Kurvitzâ€™s 2013 novelÂ Sacred And Terrible Air,Â Disco ElysiumÂ follows a veteran detective with a mysterious past who must solve a crime that threatens to set powerful political factions into civil war.
It won multiple awards atÂ The Game Awards 2019, and we even named itÂ one of our best games of 2019
Oh, andÂ Disco ElysiumÂ is also currently 25 percent off in theÂ The Game Awards 2020 Sale.


We May Be Getting Persona 5 For PC, Xbox, & Nintendo Switch In The Far Future…

Thanks to Sega’s global success with RPG title Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the company may consider releasing Atlus and Persona RPGs to other platforms and consoles in the near future.
According to a Famitsu interview with Sega’s Chief Strategy Officer and general manager of Asia and Japan Studios Shuji Utsumi, he said that a simultaneous release of an Atlus game on multiple platforms will be favourable for our titles.
“Of course, we have to make adjustments on a per title basis, but we want to be conscious of global expansion not only for Sega, but also for Atlus titles as well. Due to the large amount of text, the staff has a lot of work to do, but I believe that if the customers are happy by overcoming these difficulties, then it should be worth the effort.”
That is understandable, considering that the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games are full of rich dialogue and character-speaking moments. Even with a large company like Sega and Atlus at the helm, quality localization is going to take a lot of time.
Other highlights in the interview include:

Yakuza: Like a Dragon being the first full-fledged multiplatform release in the series, out worldwide without any delay.
The reason Segaâ€™s Toshihiro Nagoshi decided to go from Chief Creative Officer to creative director at Sega is because not many can create hit global titles. It can be difficult to make a profit unless a title is a success globally, so he wants to concentrate on developing big titles.
Sega to announce a new Sonic game soon.

On a related note, Shin Megami Tensei V will be out worldwide in 2021 for Nintendo Switch. We’re not sure if that date will change given the state of the world right now.


A Mysterious The Matrix Awakens Game Leaks On PSN

According to a new leak, The Matrix Awakens An Unreal Engine 5 Experience is apparently a playable experience of some sort that will tie into the upcoming The Matrix Resurrections movie.
Originally posted on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, the leaked image shows the backdrop of a city featuring the iconic green Matrix theme with lines of code scrolling by. No details were provided, but the image was discovered on the PlayStation Network backend and that it will be a PS5 title.

The Matrix Resurrections is slated to release on 22 December 2021, so it’s like that The Matrix Awakens An Unreal Engine 5 Experience is a demo or interactive experience to promote that movie. Maybe we’ll even see an official announcement or something at the upcoming The Game Awards 2021, which will take place on 9 December 2021.
It will be interesting to see The Matrix on a video game platform again. It’s been years since the likes of The Matrix Online, Enter The Matrix and The Matrix Path Of Neo.


Demon Slayer Game Showcases New Versus Mode Gameplay Footage

Publisher Aniplex and developer CyberConnect2 have unveiled the first gameplay footage from the upcoming Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba Hinokami Kepputanâ€˜s Versus Mode during the â€œKimetsu Matsuri Online: Anime Second Year Anniversaryâ€ live stream.
The seven-minute video also confirms five playable characters who will be featured in the game, including protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibara, and Giyu Tomioka.
The Demon Slayer game is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC sometime in 2021 in Japan. Unfortunately, there’s no official word yet on an international or localized version of the game.
In other recent news, weâ€™re still waiting for theÂ Demon SlayerÂ movieÂ to debut in MalaysiaÂ while Demon Slayer Season 2 is already slated to arrive sometime later in 2021.
Check out the gameplay footage below:


Mobile Legends MSC 2021: The Full Schedule

The best Mobile Legends teams in Southeast Asia will be duking it out this June in the biggest Mobile Legends tournament in the region. The prize pool for this major tournament is worth US$150,000, with 12 teams set to win the lion’s share.

The teams competing will be the following:

Blacklist International (The Phillippines)
Resurgence MY (Malaysia)
Resurgence SG (Singapore)
EVOS Legends (Indonesia)
EVOS SG (Singapore)
IDNS (Indonesia)
Bigetron Alpha/BTR (Indonesia)
Impunity KH (Cambodia)
Nightmare (Laos)
Cyber EXE (Vietnam)
Todak (Malaysia)
Execration (Philippines)

Team Drafts & Groupings
Group A

Resurgence SG
Resurgence MY
IDNS

Group B

EVOS Legends (ID)
Todak
Cyber EXE

Group C

Blacklist International
Bigetron Alpha
Impunity KH

Group D

EVOS SG
Execration
Nightmare Esports

Schedule
Group 1 – 7 June
10am – Resurgence MY vs Resurgence SG (2-0)
12pm – EVOS Legends vs Todak (2-0)
2pm – Blacklist International vs Bigetron Alpha (2-0)
4pm – EVOS SG vs Execration (0-2)
6pm – Resurgence SG vs IDNS (2-0)
8pm – Todak vs Cyber EXE (2-0)
Group 2 – 8 June
10am – Bigetron Alpha vs Impunity KH (1-2)
12pm – Execration vs Nightmare Esports (2-0)
2pm – IDNS vs Resurgence MY (0-2)
4pm – Cyber EXE vs EVOS Legends (0-2)
6pm – Impunity KH vs Blacklist International (0-2)
8pm – Nightmare Esports vs EVOS SG (0-2)
Group 3 – 9 June
1pm – RSG SG vs Bigetron Alpha (0-2)
3pm – IDNS vs Impunity (1-2)
5pm – Todak vs Nightmare Esports (2-0)
7pm – Cyber EXE vs EVOS SG (0-2)
Playoffs Day 1 – 11 June
1pm – Bigetron Alpha vs Todak (2-0)
3pm – Impunity vs EVOS SG (2-0)
5pm – Resurgence MY vs Blacklist International (0-2)
7pm – EVOS Legends vs Execration (2-1)
Playoffs Day 2 – 12 June
1pm – Resurgence MY vs Bigetron Alpha (2-1)
3pm – Execration vs Impunity (2-1)
5pm – Blacklist International vs EVOS Legends (3-0)
8pm – Resurgence MY vs Execration (0-2)
Finals – 13 June
1pm – EVOS vs Execration(Finals)
6pm – Blacklist International vs Execration

Top 8 (as of 13 June)

Blacklist International (4-0)
EVOS Legends (3-1)
Execration (3-2)
Impunity (3-2)
Resurgence Malaysia (3-2)
Bigetron Alpha (2-3)
EVOS SG (2-2)
Todak (2-2)

Most-Picked Heroes In MSC 2021

Harith (33)
Lunox (28)
Benedetta (25)
Granger (24)
Paquito (24)

Most-Banned Heroes In MSC 2021

Jawhead (42)
Mathilda (36)
Selena (32)
Ling (29)
Benedetta (29)

Heroes With Best Win Rate In MSC 2021

Bruno
Faramis
Hylos
Belerick
Vale

How To Watch
Finals

The biggest Mobile Legend Southeast Asian tournament will be hosted on YouTube and Facebook.
Playoffs Day 1

Playoffs Day 2


World Of Dragon Nest Is Now Open For Pre-Registration

Eyedentity Games, the developers behind the original Dragon Nest Online for PC, and publisher Nexon Thailand are excited to announce that pre-registration for World of Dragon Nest is now open for Android and iOS users in Southeast Asia.
World Of Dragon Nest is an open-world MMORPG mobile game slated for release on 8 January 2020. Players who register ahead of time will also receive a special in-game mount upon launch, as well as various prizes worth up to 210 RM.
Players interested in securing their place in the World of Dragon Nest early can do so via two different ways:

Pre-register through the App Store or Google Play Store, and be notified of special offers and/or when the game is open for download.
iOS: http://bit.ly/WOD-iOS
Android: Coming soon
Pre-register through the official website to participate in various activities with exciting prizes! https://wod.nexon.com

You can also take part in the Reward Hunter Event by Liking the official World of Dragon
Nest Facebook Page. Reaching the various milestones will unlock amazing prizes for
every player of the game.

Players can look forward to new features in World of Dragon Nest, including:

60FPS support
New Dark Nest, Sea Dragon Nest, and fancy Weapon Costume effects
Reset Skill, Seal Skill system, and Debuff Skills are more effective in PvP mode
Sudden Quest system
Three new Nests, monsters with blocking skill and World Map episode 3

In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UULKc0vMNAg&w=560&h=315]


Panzer Dragoon VR Omnibus Game Cancelled

Developer Wildman has cancelled the development of its upcoming Panzer Dragon: Voyage Record omnibus VR game for consoles and PC (with standalone VR platforms). This is because the CEO of the company, Haruto Watanabe, passed away, as well as having its contract cancelled by Sega (via Gematsu).

Update: Both the English and Japanese versions of the tweet announcing the game's cancellation / Watanabe's death have been deleted.
Awaiting further tweets.
(Screenshot via @Renka_schedule.) pic.twitter.com/P1Pk59ueXO
— Gematsu (@gematsu) October 5, 2021

The cause of Watanabe’s death is not made known at this point in time. Wildman was previously given permission by Sega to use the Panzer Dragoon license before this news cropped up.


Here’s Everything You Should Know About The Overwatch World Cup 2019

The Overwatch World Cup returns this year at Anaheim, California in November 2019. If that sounds very familiar, it is, because the Overwatch World Cup will happen concurrently at this year’s BlizzCon.
Bringing Something New
A new tournament structure has been introduced to create the chance of seeing more nations represented at the World Cup. This change will offer opportunities for all eligible countries to form teams to play for the Group Stage. This year, the entire tournament will take place in Anaheim, all within one week of competitive celebration, which will be broadcast live to platforms around the world.

Format
The Preliminary Round will start before BlizzCon doors are even open. Fans will be able to watch the games online. Once BlizzCon kicks off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, 1 November, the Group Stage will commence, with multiple matches being played simultaneously. Finally, the top six teams from the Group Stage will advance to the single-elimination playoff bracket to award the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in the BlizzCon Arena on Saturday, 2 November.
Spectators Rejoice
All matches are covered and will be broadcasted live. This year also features international coverage teams to produce live broadcasts onsite in multiple languages. These teams will have direct access for player interviews, and there will be opportunities for you to submit questions as well, bringing you to the sidelines of the action.
National Rankings
This year, before matches start, countries will be seeded by a weighted point-ranking system based on final placements in the three previous Overwatch World Cups.
Points are awarded along a spectrum ranging from 1 point for a Round of 32 appearances to 10 points for a Gold Medal. Â The points accrued over those previous years are weighted to favour recency: 100% for 2018, 50% from 2017, and 25% from 2016.
Ties between the two countries will be settled by the most recent yearâ€™s results; then, if required, by the most recent head-to-head results.
Competition Committees and players for the 10 highest-ranked teams confirmed to compete at BlizzCon will receive full support for round-trip airfares, ground transportation, and double-occupancy hotel accommodations. All other eligible countries that confirm their attendance will be fully responsible for their travel and will receive some support for hotels.
The Competition Committee
The committee voting process returns with some small changes. This year, players and fans will be to determine the General Manager position.
How To Get Involved?

Committees will be built via the following processes across Phase 1 (15 to 24 May) and Phase 2 (30 May to 9 June).
Player Tryouts and Country Promotion will take place during Phase 3 (13 to 14 June).
To be a final Committee candidate or a competing player, you must be over the age of 18 by the time travel is required.

Phase 1 â€“ Committee Application and Nomination: Self-identified candidates will be provided with a custom URL to share, which will allow all players from the candidatesâ€™ country of residence to endorse them. During this phase, individuals may endorse as many candidates as they wish.
Phase 2 â€“ Committee Voting:Â After endorsements, the top candidates will be revealed prior to a runoff vote for each country. All players from the candidatesâ€™ country of residence may cast one final vote.
Phase 3 â€“ Player Tryouts: Committees may hold player tryouts from13 to 14 June at their individual discretion. Guidelines will be provided to the teams directly during this stage in order to allow them to build their rosters with full awareness of the Competition Rules and monetary support details. Committees will then submit their potential player list, which may contain up to 12 players, for Blizzard to verify and approve. Of the approved players, the committee will then select the final 7 players to travel to the live event at BlizzCon.

How To Stay In The Loop?
To keep yourself updated of the event, be sure to follow the Overwatch Path to Pro Twitter account, as well as the official Overwatch World Cup website for information on the phases and announcements in regards to theÂ final national competition committees and player rosters through these channels.
If you have lingering queries about the format, committees or what not, feel free to drop by the FAQ listed down below the World Cup page here.