Persona 5 Royal Out 2020, Here’s What To Expect

Atlus has finally revealed what exactly Persona 5 Royal is, and it’s essentially a Persona 4 Golden type of upgrade for the 2017 JRPG hit. The expanded version of Persona 5 will release for the PS4 in Japan on 31 October 2019 (Halloween!) while the rest of the world (Asia and the West) will receive the localized version of the game sometime in 2020.
According to Gematsu, here are all the new features and additions players can look forward to in Persona 5 Royal:
A Previously-Untold Third Semester

An unknown young man is featured in the trailer, with fans already speculating that he might be the human form of Morgana/Mona (just like how Persona 4‘s Teddie had his human form)
New Character

Here’s the official description of the mysterious new female character named Kasumi Yoshizawa making her debut in Persona 5 Royal:

“A beautiful girl who transfers to Shujin Academy the same year the protagonist moves to Tokyo.
She has made outstanding achievements as a rhythmic gymnast since middle school, and Shujin Academy has great expectations for her future.
She seems to admire the protagonist, but rejects the Phantom Thievesâ€¦?
Whether she is an enemy or ally remains to be seen.”

What’s interesting is that her Phantom Thieves costume looks a lot like Joker’s, though a lot sexier in nature. Her melee weapon of choice seems to be a longsword, while her ranged weapon is a rifle. That’s instant fan favorite material right there.

New Confidant

Persona 5 Royal will also add a new Confidant named Takuto Maruki, along with a new Arcana called â€œLe Consultant.â€ A new Arcana means a bunch of new Personas to look forward to.
Here’s the official description for the new Confidant character:

“A part-time school counselor hired at the concern of the students followed by the case of a certain teacher that occurred in April at Shujin Academy.
With his good listening skills and detailed advice, he is popular among the students.”

Enhanced Gameplay Experience

Outside of combat, players can look forward to all-new city areas like Tokyo’s Kichijouji, a â€œDarts Liveâ€ collaboration, new dating locations, and what looks like the ability to take group selfies as part of “memories in photographs”.
During combat, new strong enemies will be added, as well as additional content in the Velvet Room and mysterious new treasure in Palaces. More elements will also be introduced, including the new Status Assist feature, where players will receive suggestions on how to spend their time outside of school.
New Songs By Shoji Meguro

Persona 5 was a hit partly due to its great music and soundtrack. Players can look forward to new songs in Persona 5 Royal.
PS4 Pro Support

Persona 5 Royal will feature enhanced graphics, with greater detail and higher resolution than ever before.
That’s all the information we have for now. Atlus has promised more details to arrive on 9 May 2019, so we’ll have to wait until then. In the meantime, check out the Japanese trailer for Persona 5 Royal below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJzcSKyCzZs&w=560&h=315]


Dynasty Warriors Developers Want To Make A Star Wars Musou Game

The Omega Force developers want to take a crack at a galaxy far, far away.
According to a recent JPgames interview, Dynasty Warriors series producer Akihiro Suzuki wants to make a Star Wars game in the veins of its 3D action beat-em-up titles. A Star Wars Musou title with all the hack-and-slashing army-smashing, to be specific.
“Within the dev team, a lot of different IP and works have been brought up. This is solely my own opinion, but my own personal wish would be for a Star Wars crossover.”
When asked about the future of Musou titles, he had this to add:
“Iâ€™d like to be able to increase the sense of immersion into the battlefield through more realistic depictions, especially through the visual representation and the individual movement (AI) of every single soldier. Also, if we can have multiple people playing simultaneously online, that would be really fun.”
Honestly, having Yoda, Luke Skywalker, or Darth Vader mowing down Storm Troopers and Rebels on a giant Hoth battlefield with Jedi/Sith powers and lightsaber combos would be a great way to kill off a Saturday. Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have a lot of good fortune with doing Musou spin-offs like the Hyrule Warriors series and Persona 5: Strikers. I actually had more fun with those titles than the actual Dynasty Warriors/Samurai Warriors factory churns.


Magic: The Gathering Pro Shows Support For Hong Kong, Doesn’t Get Banned

Magic: The Gathering pro player and Hall of Famer Lee Shi Tian has pulled off a “blitzchung” in his recent post-match interview at the recent Mythic Championship 5. Unlike Blizzard, Wizards of the Coast has decided not to punish Lee for his actions.

After winning the match that got him into the Top 8, Lee went on stage with a red scarf covering half of his face. It’s a clear of his support for the pro-democracy side in the Hong Kong protests. The pro-democracy protesters wear masks and scarves to hide their identities from Hong Kong law enforcement and also to protect themselves from tear gas.
When asked about what he’s feeling after winning the match, Lee’s answer implied that the Hong Kong protests have definitely been affecting his life negatively. At the same time, he celebrates the freedom that has allowed him to reach this stage in his MTG career.

“Life has been very tough in my hometown in Hong Kong.”
“It feels so good to play as a free man!”
– Lee Tian Shu, Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famer.
Through his own Twitter account, Lee said that he’s thankful that no one stopped him from doing what he did but he’s also confident that WotC will be getting a lot of heat, similar to the NBA. He encourages people to support him by supporting Magic: The Gathering.

About if I worry about getting punished
I am thankful no one stop me wearing mask for hk this weekendI am sure wotc will receive pressure like NBA
If you wanna protect me, reward themBuy their productsPlay mtgarena, esp HS players#BoycottBlizzard#FreeGaming#FreeHongKong
— Lee Shi Tian (@leearson) October 21, 2019

WotC is definitely getting a lot of brownie points for deciding not to go the Blizzard route. In case you didn’t know, a Hong Kong Hearthstone player by the name of Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai was recently suspended for an entire year and had his prize pool taken away after issuing pro-democracy statements in a post-match interview at the Hearthstone Grandmasters.

Some inside baseball re chat: mods actually had instructions to *allow and not touch* any and all of those kinds of mentions of HK.
â€” Ian D (@dixonij) October 20, 2019
Blizzard has since reduced the punishment to just six months of suspension and returned Chung’s prize money but a lot of people have already made up their minds to boycott Blizzard. Lee said to Polygon that Chung’s actions “inspired him a lot”.


Xbox Exclusive Contraband Is Written By Malaysian, But Not Set In Malaysia

We don’t know much about the upcoming triple-A Xbox exclusive game Contraband, except that it’s an open-world co-op game about smuggling stolen goods. And it’s also a collaboration between Avalanche Studios (Just Cause series) and Xbox Studios. But we do know that there’s some Malaysian DNA in the upcoming title.
Malaysian novelist Bernice Chauly, known for her books Lost In KL, The Book of Sins, and Once We Were There, is the writer and advisory circle member for Contraband. Just keep in mind that the game will not be set in Malaysia, but rather in a fictional Southeast Asian city of 1970s Bayan.
https://www.facebook.com/bernice.chauly/posts/10159842959737780?__cft__[0]=AZWzne7snoXEbhyjwgkP78igSiK4ghT_KikNlGKf-rY7FrF-3UylekA4bvqD7RUl8qEh4j0N-WkZcYhR4ZhbgLMXb_J6jRYIhVXZMj9mDKJsXKD5vvcJPvfgyV9O14kohJ6uPKANMc3OikyCJf-ybrGE&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Thanks to our friends at Malay Mail for the heads up. For more E3 2021 Xbox news, head to our game showcase recap here.


We Learn More About Stormgate & Its RTS-Changing Vision From Its Developers

Stormgate is a new real-time strategy game made by Frost Giant Studios, a team made up of ex-Blizzard developers who made WarCraft 3 and StarCraft 2 among others. The team felt that 2023 really needs a new genre-defining RTS to bring back the glory days of strategy games, and so far there’s hope for the new company and its idea.
Here’s a deep dive interview with the Frost Giant Studios team consisting of:

Tim Morten – Executive Producer
Tim Campbell – Game Director
Jessie Brofy – Art Director
Kevin Dong – Lead Game Designer
Trevor Houston – Global Esports Strategy
Ryan Shooter – User Generated Content Lead

What is the vision of Stormgate?

Tim Campbell, Game Director: The vision here is of a future earth that’s been shattered by powerful aliens coming through the Stormgate. The story is about humanity’s struggle for survival. The game takes place in the future after the struggle.
About the game’s inspiration, we went through an exploration period where we tried out different settings from superheroes to Westerns to vikings. We settled on this scifi universe because it really resonated with us and fueld the gameplay we’re after. We wanted a setting that can tell epic stories and make heroes players can root for. The setting can also feed in to different factions with asymmetrical power. This really hit home for us.
The fun part about creating a new universe is building out the world and history, create things for players to find out and explore. Stormgate is going to extend and have ongoing stories and content well after launch. To fuel that, we build our world with layers so that there are horizons for players to explore that are visible right at the start. We push into extreme and colourful territories with this, with bigger stakes and powerful creatures.
Will Stormgate Have Horde Mode Ala There Are Billions?
Tim Campbell: We love that type of real-time gameplay. There are so many different ways to explore
Tim Morten, Executive Producer: I must confess; I’m a There Are Billions addict. But for Stormgate, we are making modes that we are familiar with back in our Warcraft 3/StarCraft 2-making days. The opportunity to make a game that has a long term plan and long term audience (hopefully) means more opportunities to add new modes to the game. A Horde Mode won’t be in the game when it launches, but we can explore that idea post-launch.
Why Use Unreal Engine 5 For The Game’s Engine?

Tim Morten: We looked at a few different options from an engine perspective. The things that stood out for UE5 were the tool pipelines for art team and for the design team. The prototyping phase was great with the Unreal Engine, with UE having a great track record. Epic has been tremendously supportive of what we’re doing too.
In terms of impacting the game, I hesitate to say that it’s enabling us to drive more units on-screen. Yes, we’re exploring gameplay reasons to want to do that, but from an engine perspective, there’s still a cost to push a lot of triangles regardless of which engine you use. We just have to be sensitive in keeping performance optimization in mind. Things that UE will empower will be the art style and direction.
Jessie Brofy, Art Director: Yes, the UE5 helps with the art pipeline; we can make a lot of changes really fast just by setting up our materials in certain ways. We’re getting everything sorted in real-time while we’re working and looking at it. It allows us to get stuff in quickly and get things changed fast. The speed which we can iterate and create with UE5 is a pace I’ve never experienced before.
Will The Game Have A Day/Night Cycle From An Artistic Perspective?
Jessie: We don’t have one planned, but we do have levels with an afternoon to sunset sort of vibe. The big problem with doing that accurately is the movement of the sun. Units don’t read as well if you have a day/night cycle going on, so we decided to just keep the direction of the sun the same. We rather do the colour changes and exposure changes for gameplay reasons; making the units readable on the terrain.
How Will Player Profiles Look Better?
Ryan Shooter, User Generated Content Lead: We’re still pretty early in talking about this. There are some ideas on the table and some self expression for players to truly make Stormgate a social RTS experience, even on the load screens and menus.
Will We Get Stats Like Win Rates And Ladder History Stats?
Ryan: Yes. We love stats because that’s how we’re balancing the game.
Will The Game Have Hero Units Ala WarCraft 3?
Kevin Dong, Lead Game Designer: We went to Reddit and get feedback from our community on what they want out of heroes. There’s a wide spectrum in-between people who don’t want heroes and people who want heroes like in WarCraft 3. The two primary pieces of feedback were concerns of overcentralization and snowballing. The former is the hero is so powerful that other units will surround and protect the hero like a deathball, while the latter is the hero getting more powerful with each kills to the point that it’s hard to catch up if your opponent is behind.
We do not have a plan to have a leveling system for our heroes in Stormgate. The closest comparison is something like Mongul Khan in the Age of Empires franchise.
What Is The Game’s Economy Like?

Kevin: Our inspiration comes from two main ideas: the first being StarCraft 1. When you build a worker in part 1, you get diminishing returns and encourages players to expand on a high level, since it also diminishes harassing options on their end. If you lose half your workers, you don’t necessarily lose half your economy.
The other is other RTSs like Age of Empires, where there’s a lot of asymmetry in terms of mining resources. This allows for racial advantages and disadvantages, figuring out the shape of building and expansion, as well as how you approach enemy harassment.
Currently, Stormgate has 2 resources, similar to StarCraft. There’s a main resource and rate limited tech resources. An example of the latter is if your opponent has a Colossi, that means he cannot build certain units as his gas resource is fully spent, meaning I can adjust my playstyle and building based on the limit.
What About Population Capacity?
Kevin: Right now, we’re aiming for 200. What we’re aiming for, however, is more diversity in how large your armies can be. We’re aiming for higher army count than what the Zerg had in StarCraft 2.
How About Neutral Units On The Map?
Kevin: The idea of creeps on the map is something we’re experimenting with. Creeps help reinforce territory control, and players who deal with creeps in a location will control that territory.
We’re experimenting with respawnable creeps; this means a consistent objective of keeping key pieces of objectives important. Back then, in WarCraft 3, if you kill creeps on a map, that’s it; there’s nothing left to do and the territory doesn’t seem that important in hindsight.
Is There A Race in Stormgate That Plays Similarly To The Zerg?

Tim Campbell: We’re still early in development with our factions. I can confirm we are experimenting with lots of asymmetry, moreso in WarCraft 3 and StarCraft 2. We are pushing for big ideas that will make each faction fundamentally different from each other.
This is an area where feedback is definitely welcome. One of the big reasons we’re announcing now is because we want interaction in the community. If you have faction ideas you want to see in our game, please be vocal about them.
Will There Be A Faction Like Goo From Grey Goo?
Kevin: Goo from Grey Goo is one of the most interesting factions I’ve seen in any RTS. The Goo is a great example of a faction that is too asymmetrical. As a designer it teaches me that factions need to obey rules in a specific RTS game. The Goo limits map design a lot because the Goo faction can traverse through and ignore all terrain. Our game has focus on territory control and factors terrain in its map design as its core gameplay pillars; the Goo is too asymmetrical a faction to bring into this fold.
What Is The Future Of The RTS Genre? And How Will Stormgate Boost That?
Trevor Houston, Global Esports Strategist: We feel really lucky to build from the learnings from Blizzard and other esports games out there. We are consciously building our program in a way that we continue to iterate as we go along.
We hope not to completely reboot the program year to year, but with feedback, we’re here to make sure to target what’s working and what needs to be improved upon to hit the goals of the community.
Why Focus On 3v3 In Stormgate?

Kevin: We wanted to aim for a team mode that has greater opportunities for socialization. We want players to bring their friends and play Stormgate with them. RTSs can be complicated; you have to keep track of yourself, and also your friend’s army, and your enemy’s army. We found the sweet spot for 3v3 based on this balance for PvP.
What Is The Game’s Matchmaking Approach?
Tim Morten: We’re still working on that. StarCraft 2 is inspired by ELO matchmaking, but I’d be interested to hearing feedback on the StarCraft 2 system and what could be changed for a future game mechanic like ours.
What Are Your Plans For Accessibility? How Complicated Would It Be To Implement This?
Ryan: It’s going to be complicated. We really want to capture that core audience who love this game, which constraints us in approaching accessibility. Our solution is using quick macro panels for building and laying down units for beginners. Over time and practice, they’ll use it less and less.
On-boarding people with friends is a good way; there will be special maps and the 3v3 modes to get together and get newbies together into the RTS mentality.
Will Stormgate Be Out On Consoles As Well?
Tim Morten: Right now, we’re just PC-focused for Stormgate. The game will be out internationally for global and Korea; we may need to find a partner if we plan on distributing Stormgate in China.
Stormgate will be out in beta on 2023 for PC. Check out the sweet cinematic trailer below featuring humans and demons starting a fight.


Geek Fam Rebrands To Geek Slate With Ex-EVOS Esports CEO At The Helm

As a result of a significant partnership with web3 media startup Avium, Malaysian esports organization Geek Fam has undergone a name change to Geek Slate.
Ivan Yeo, the former CEO of EVOS Esports, co-founded web3 media start-up Avium in 2022. The company, which previously launched its own esports vertical called Slate Esports, raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Saison Capital. Slate Esports currently competes in MPL Singapore, the country’s regional Mobile Legends: Bang Bang league.
This announcement comes with the acquisition of Lilgun‘s DPC SEA Division 1 spot, a Mongolian team that qualified through promotion from Division 2. DPC SEA Division 1 is scheduled to occur later this month and will have a prize pool of US$200,000. Geek Fam’s original Dota 2 roster which was signed back in November prior to the merger will remain the same.

As per a statement, the partnership with Avium will initially be concentrated on Geek Fam’s Dota 2 activities and will feature a new team participating in the imminent DPC SEA Division 1. However, the partnership will not be confined to this particular game.

According to Avium, they have identified potential merger opportunities in the PUBG Mobile Pro League Malaysia team, as well as its MPL Indonesia franchise team of Geek Fam. Additionally, Geek Fam owns teams that participate in Mobile Legends in Malaysia and the Philippines.

Ivan Yeo is considered a notable figure in the esports scene of Southeast Asia, mostly attributed to his previous role as Co-Founder and CEO of EVOS Esports, a major esports company in the area. Last year, the company branched out into traditional sports by forming a basketball team known as EVOS Thunder Bogor.

Lim Keat Kuang, the Co-Founder of Geek Fam, commented on the partnership: “I’ve known Ivan since the early days of Asia’s esports scene, and we are both pioneers in this space. When the opportunity was there to work together, I jumped on it. His [track] record speaks for itself and I can’t wait to see the growth of Geek Slate into an international brand.”


Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer Breakdown and Analysis

The Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer dropped in earlier today and boy are we stoked. Littered with tons of teases (as all Star Wars trailers do) and cryptic lines that will send any Star Wars fan on a scavenger hunt leading to the movie’s release (including yours truly), we decided to break it down frame by frame (sort of) to uncover the mystery and potential plot of Episode 8.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY&w=560&h=315]
The trailer starts with Kylo Ren staring at the docks on what is probably the Finalizer, his personal Star Destroyer. If we recall correctly, it should be untouched following what took place in The Force Awakens. We’d be surprised if this is a different ship altogether and this scene could even have taken place right after Starkiller Base was destroyed.

“When I found you I saw raw, untamed power- and beyond that…” – Snoke
It then cuts to AT-M6 – The Last Jedi’s version of AT-ATs – lumbering to what we assume for the third act of the movie. It was then swiftly followed by an overhead shot of Kylo leading Stormtroopers through a cave opening. While it would be cool if the scene turns out to be part of a flashback of Kylo Ren destroying Luke’s Jedi School to ascend to the dark side, it’s more of an ode to Anakin in Episode III, stylistic-wise.

Ah…killing younglings. The staple entry to Sith-ismÂ
We then see Kylo Ren picking up his lightsaber which is in pristine condition. This supports the theory that we will get to revisit Luke’s Jedi school massacre in The Last Jedi. It’s all red around him symbolizing the Sith and this should represent the start of his turn to the dark side.

“…something truly special” – SnokeÂ
Oh hey Rey!

We get a training montage that should start almost right off the end of Episode VII.
“Something … something inside me has always been there” – ReyÂ
Rey returns Luke’s OG lightsaber and trains under him. We are guessing that sometime later in the movie, based on her ‘visions’, Rey traces her footsteps to probably somewhere forbidden on the island she is training on, or even another planet; possibly discovering her own kyber crystal. We are calling it – we will see Rey abandon Luke’s lightsaber here, and craft a new one for Episode IX.
“Then I was awake. That I need help” – ReyÂ

So the continuity of Snoke’s line to Rey’s is the biggest sign that there is a connection between the two. Luke’s perplexed look at Rey when he received the lightsaber is sign that he never thought he’d seen his daughter again; more than his father’s lightsaber. Yes. She’s Luke’s daughter. Now there’s a connection between the three. Snoke shares a past with Luke and if we are to guess, was that he helped Luke set up his Jedi School.

“I’ve seen this raw strength only once before. It didn’t scare me enough then…” – Luke
Stones crack due to Rey’s force powers during training and it showed to Luke’s reaction to it. The scene cuts to Luke’sÂ  Jedi School massacre that led him to his current state and the line spoken above. One would assume this is when Luke decides to stop Rey’s Jedi training.Â  Thing is, this will be a classic mirror of Yoda’s training of Luke in Ep V. In both instances, Luke’s the one who abandoned the training. Rey’s left alone and she’s probably reevaluating her pupilage under Luke.Â The ‘raw strength’ Luke was referring to surely is Kylo Ren. Also ties in to Snoke’s earlier claim.

“What. The. Eff”

“…It does now”
So it is safe to assume Rey’s got a force potential much larger than Kylo Ren. Camera pans back to Kylo Ren getting rid of his iconic helmet. Some may argue he’s just throwing a tantrum but we don’t recall there’s another scene in the trailer which we saw him wearing it. He got rid of his Ben Solo identity. Him removing the helmet is getting rid of the ‘Kylo Ren’ identity as well.
“Let the past die. Kill it. If you have to. That’s the only way to become what you are meant to be”

Space battle yes! OK so we get to see a Kylo Ren-led starfighter assault on the Resistance convoy and he’s hunting down Princess Leia. He spots her position and it’s another throwback to his scene with him and Han Solo on Starkiller base just before he offs him. Going deeper into the dark side require mental anguish and what better way to raise it by killing his own mother. Will he pull the trigger?
Based on everything that the TFA & TFL trailers (and teasers) have dished us in addition to real life events, we think this is the end for Princess Leia. Regardless of her recent passing, we feel this is the way Carrie Fisher would want to see her character go in the Star Wars universe.

“We are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down” – Poe DameronÂ
Blast montage time! We finally get to see the other characters and of course the Millennium Falcon. Chewie and Porg is innit and if we are to guess, it’s them to the rescue of the Resistance force during the second act. Poe Dameron is in it and while we saw his fighter getting blown up in the teaser, he’s still rockin’ his helmet. New X-Wing coming up surely. Captain Phasma is back and she’s down to settle some score with Finn whose chosen weapon is a Riot Stormtrooper baton. It’s a dark background but it may be part of the final (third) rescuing Rey act.

“This is not going to go the way you think” – Luke to Rey. Or us.Â

Short cuts of more merchandising opportunities for Hasbro. Ice fox ayy! Different costume for Leia ayyy. Wet Rey ayyyy. More battle scenes featuring AT-M6s, explosions and what may be the third act of TLJ. Finn’s captured (we assume) and did we mention he’s got a new suit on?
“Fullfill your destiny” – SnokeÂ
We finally get a close-up of Snoke as he uses the force to torture (?) Rey in what appears to be a First Order installation or ship before the screen goes dark.

“I need someone to show me my place in all this”Â
Rejected by Luke, tortured by Snoke. Who else can Rey turn to? Enter Kylo Ren. While we am still very unsure about how they are related, our best guess is that they are cousins. Rey is a Kenobi – Skywalker (we are still sticking with that theory!) which explains her force potential. Kylo Ren tutoring Rey will be a poignant reverse of how his grandfather used to train under her grandfather.

So there you have it. A brief analysis of The Last Jedi trailer. In case you are still confused on how we project the movie to be like, here they are in order:

Movie cuts right after Force Awakens with Kylo recovering and gaining new powers. Scene cuts to him recalling destroying Luke’s Jedi School. Part of Rey’s history teased.
Rey heads to train under Luke who shared some background story on how Kylo Ren came to be. Training montage, she grows very competent. More on Rey’s background.
Kylo Ren is still troubled by his choices and starts to drift away from Snoke who is now obsessed in catching Rey rather than training him. Snoke also blames Kylo for the destruction of Starkiller Base.
Kylo Ren felt he need to do more to level up on the Sith-ness so he goes on a solo mission to off his mother – who is in a convoy to convince other systems to rise against the First Order.
Luke starts to see Rey as being a threat due to past experience – that how Snoke may manipulate her. He abandons her training before she crafts her own lightsaber – cuz that was the point when Kylo turned bad. But she’s learned so much already. She’s been getting visions on obtaining her own kyber crystal. She promptly leaves Luke in search for this.
Rey locates the planet to get her crystal, and Chewie leaves her there in order to help Leia’s convoy. Kylo’s attack was kind of successful but he failed to kill Leia. Poe loses his X-Wing in the attack which saw Chewie save the day. Finn awakens.
Kylo Ren somehow finds out where Rey was based on Falcon’s last log. He heads there. Everyone heads there. Snoke got there first and tried to get Rey on his side.
Battle ensues for The Last Jedi. Finn vs Phasma, loses and got caught by FO. Rey was rescued by Kylo as Snoke bolts during the battle. Kylo offers to teach her and craft her own lightsaber – Rey agrees. Leia dies during the battle.
The movie ends in a cliffhanger with all our heroes in different places. Finn under First Order arrest, Rey with Kylo Ren and Poe leading the Resistance. We would love to see Luke train Poe the ways off the Jedi. Now that would be friggin awesome.

So there you go. Our analysis of the trailer as well as prediction and projection on how The Last Jedi will come to be. What do you think? Comments section is down below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!Â
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits cinemas December 15 2017.


No More Heroes And Deadly Premonition Devs Team Up For Secret Project

When it comes to games that have extremely ridiculous storylines and characters, No More Heroes and Deadly Premonition are definitely two games that many people would name. In a surprising but totally awesome turn of events, No More Heroes designer Suda51 and Swery65, creator of Deadly Premonition, have announced that they’re teaming up for a secret project.
Goichi “Suda51” Suda and Hidetaka “Swery65” Suehiro will talk about the secret project on an IGN Japan livestream happening on 23 October 2019 at 6PM Malaysia time. In the past, the two of them have expressed interest in working together and truth to be told, I always knew they would eventually.
The livestream will be in Japanese so we’re going to have to wait for the English translation before we actually know what the secret project is. You can watch the livestream here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEZAbUC6_YI&w=560&h=315]
Thanks, Destructoid.


JRPG Edge of Eternity Will Be Out Of PC Early Access This June

For those who weren’t paying attention, Edge of Eternity is a JRPG that has been in Early Access for a long while. It’s as Early Access as you can get, jank and all, so hopefully with this piece of news, the game will eventually be spic and span.
Publisher Dear Villagers and developer Midgar Studio announced that Edge of Eternity will be out of Steam Early Access on 8th June for PC. The game will also be out for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series in Q4 2021, as well as on Xbox Game Pass.
To celebrate this recent news, the Early Access version will be on a 33% discount (US$16.74) from now until 13th April. Here’s a quote from Midgar Studio founder Jeremy Zeler to hype you up:
“Weâ€™ve poured our whole heart into makingÂ Edge Of Eternity. Itâ€™s a story of epic existential battles and intimate personal dramas. I canâ€™t wait to show it off to the world.”
Edge of Eternity features a choice matters JRPG adventure, a gorgeous world, a deep and strategic combat system, and soundtrack work from Chrono Trigger/Xenoblade Chronicles Yasunori Mitsuda.


Koch Media Reveals Prime Matters

Game publisher Koch Media announced its new gaming label: Prime Matter.
The new gaming label will publish games from various studios under Koch Media. These include the following titles:

Payday 3 by Starbreeze Studio, which is the third instalment in the Payday co-op shooter franchise.
A new Painkilller shooter title from Saber Interactive.
Crossfire Legion, a real-time strategy spin-off of the South Korean CrossFire franchise. The spin-off is developed by Homeworld developer Blackbird Interactive. Out 2022.
Kings Bounty 2. Out this 22nd August.
The Last Oricru, an action RPG with Dark Souls-like combat set in a sci-fi world.
Encased, an isometric RPG with humour, charisma, and a funky sci-fi dystopian setting. Out September 2021.
Gungrave G.O.R.E, an upcoming shooter for 2022 based on the Gungrave anime. Out 2022.
Final Form, an FPS sci-fi game where you play a valkyrie shooting for her life in a cyberpunk universe.
Dolmen, an action RPG with a Dark Souls motif set in a sci-fi-meets-Cthulu landscape. Out 2022.
The Echoes of the End, a new fantasy action-adventure title featuring dual protagonists.
SCARS Above, a third-person action survival game where it’s “Alice In Wonderland meets Aliens”.
The Chant, a survival horror action game where you infiltrate a spiritual retreat and fight psychedelic horrors. Out Q2 2022.

Here’s a PR quote about the new game label:
“Prime Matter is a new home for premium games, offering both current and future partners the expertise of the Koch Media Group alongside a new and dynamic team dedicated to maximizing their true potential. The core of the video games industry is, of course, entertainment. Prime Matter will constantly look to innovate and inspire players across all its activities while retaining the fundamental values of what makes our industry so special â€” itâ€™s intrinsically fun.”
Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei when we cover these games in the near future.


Genshin Impact Cyno Banners Sold US$4+ Million In A Day

It’s no surprise that any Genshin Impact character banner would sell gangbusters, even ones as unpopular as Sangonomiya Kokomi. So don’t act too shocked when we tell you the Cyno and Venti banners were pretty successful on Day One.
According to GenshinLab, a site that collects revenue data from the Chinese version of the game, Genshin Impact’s Cyno and Venti banners amassed US$4,235,995 within a single day. And within the character banner pool ranking on the site, Cyno and Venti are at fifth place, followed by Ayato and Venti, Yelan and Xiao, Kazuha and Klee, and solo Venti rerun.
As to why, Venti is a popular Anemo character while Cyno is a fun Electro character to use with a cool moveset and 5-star benefits. Candace too is also a top pick for a 4-star character in both banners.
As to who is next on the character banner in Genshin Impact’s 3.2 update? Players can look forward to Nahida and Layla, who will be joined by Yoimiya, Childe, and Yae Miko in future banners.


Pokemon & MINI Are Teaming Up For An Electrifying Car

Pocket monster game-making company The Pokemon Company and car manufacturer MINI are collaborating on a new kind of car that’s powered by gaming and Pokemon.

Revealed at Gamescom 2022, the MINI Concept Aceman Pokemon car has a number of gaming features like connecting your console to the MINI. During the demo on Gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live, MINI showcased the Pikachu-themed interface in the car’s high-tech and stylish interior. Much like the star Pokemon, the MINI Concept Aceman car is electric-powered. The car is meant to be playful and adheres to the motto “Play On”. So if the car is fully charged, the displays will showcase Pikachu and a number of colourful bright lights telling you that you’re ready to go. The car can also project your gaming display onto a wall so you don’t need a TV when you hook up the console to the car.

There’s no release date on when the car is available to purchase. There’s also no price tag announced, but we’re guessing you have to pay about US$47,000 or more for this limited-edition Aceman.


Soul Hackers 2 Is A Fun JRPG In Need Of A Little More Spirit

Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre: JRPG, Turn-Based, Cyberpunk, Neon
Atlus is almost a household name in gaming at this point, thanks to the success of Persona, but of course, their history of producing great JRPGs stretches longer than some gamers might think (they made their first game in 1987). Their biggest franchise is, of course, Shin Megami Tensei (also simply Megami Tensei or SMT), and Persona is part of that bigger franchise. However, within SMT, they’ve also had a bunch of other spinoff series set in their own universe, one of which is Devil Summoner, and Soul Hackers 2 is just the latest entry in that series.
Devil Summoners Assemble

Firstly, you don’t need to have played the original Soul Hackers or any of the other titles in the Devil Summoner series to be able to play and understand what’s going on in Soul Hackers 2. However, there are name drops and easter eggs that will be familiar to veteran fans of the Devil Summoner franchise, such as the Kuzunoha name and others. I’ve only ever played the Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha games and I could still enjoy Soul Hackers 2 for what it is.
If you’ve played an Atlus JRPG, especially recent titles like Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V, you’ll be right at home with Soul Hackers. Most of the mechanics are the same, right down to the traditional turn-based combat, name of skills and attacks, as well as the Pokemon-style demon ‘collect them all’ and fusion systems. There’s even a relationship sim mechanic that reminds me of Persona, albeit one that’s simplified compared to Persona’s deep Social Link/Confidante mechanics.
The biggest flaw of Soul Hackers 2 is definitely its familiarity and feeling of sameness. It doesn’t really introduce new unique mechanics to stand out, or even do anything new in other aspects. Even the game’s plot and narrative is a generic JRPG story with end-of-the-world stakes and opposing factions butting heads, as well as some anime tropes thrown in for good measure. It’s not something that’s memorable, that’s for sure. It also looks like Atlus cut some corners when making this game, as your equipped demons don’t even pop up during battle like they do in Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V, the ‘endless hallway’ dungeons have bland and generic designs with no unique mechanics like the Palaces in Persona 5 or even the themed dungeons in Persona 4 (the dungeons in Soul Hackers 2 look more like Persona 3’s Tartarus), and there are way too many frequent loading screens every time you travel to an area (which is extremely noticeable considering that I played the PS5 version).
With most of the negative stuff out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff.
The Good Stuff

All that being said, Soul Hackers 2 is actually a fun and enjoyable JRPG if you’re not expecting the next Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V. The game is shorter than most JRPGs, and could even be completed in around 30 to 40 or 50 hours, which is a far cry from the 100-hour length of other Atlus JRPGs. However, you could add a lot more hours to that number if you take your time or if you’re a completionist. Soul Hackers 2 is a JRPG that actually respects your time. It’s fast-paced compared to other JRPGs, and within the first few hours, you’re already introduced to the main group of protagonists (the game’s four playable characters).
I won’t waste time explaining the combat due to how similar it is to other Atlus JRPGs, but there are a few mechanics that do stand out a little bit. The meat of the combat is the usual; try to find the specific weakness of each enemy and hit them with that attack until it dies. Rinse and repeat. However, I find the combat mechanics in Soul Hackers quite refined. There are only seven attack types in this game, and I can mention them all by memory; Fire, Ice, Electric, Force, Physical, Gunfire, and Ruin. That’s a much-simplified system compared to Persona or the mainline SMT games, and it’s a welcome improvement. With only four playable characters and seven attack types, it’s easier to plan out your builds/loadouts and understand the strengths of each of them.

Soul Hackers 2 also has an Affinity mechanic, where certain characters will do more damage or be better at any of the attack types. These Affinity levels can be increased, so each character won’t exactly get stuck to being only the ‘Ice guy’ or the ‘Fire lady’. This translates to a deeper system where every one of the four playable characters is flexible and each of them can use any demon that they want so they’re not tied to a single demon like your companions are in the Persona games.
Soul Hackers doesn’t have any branching paths or multiple endings, but it does still feature dialogue options. These dialogue options are usually to increase Soul Levels, which is your relationship level with each character. The game’s protagonist is an AI in a human body named Ringo, and her human companions are Arrow, Milady and Saizo. Soul Levels are an important mechanic in which they’re tied to a vital part of the game, though one that’s actually sort of optional. These are dungeons called the Soul Matrix (which are metaphysical dungeons to further develop the backstories of your human companions), and it works similar to the Mementos dungeon in Persona 5. In Soul Hackers 2, you need to increase Soul Levels and progress through the story to unlock deeper levels within the Soul Matrix dungeons. You can also increase Soul Levels by participating in “Hangout” sessions with your friends, which is the most reminiscent of the Persona games.
Demon Slayer

Basically, the gameplay loop or cycle of Soul Hackers 2 is that you’ll be spending half your time progressing through the story and the other half grinding for experience in the Soul Matrix dungeons. In between, you can upgrade your COMP devices, which are the character’s main weapons in the game. You can’t change these weapons, and they will look the same for the entire game (another corner cut by Atlus). For instance, Ringo’s weapon will always be a sword, while Arrow’s will always be a gun. However, a huge part of the game is upgrading these COMP devices, which is how you increase the stats and gain other skills/buffs (besides recruiting and fusing new demons, that is). That said, cosmetics-wise, your weapons will look exactly the same, though the COMP upgrades are essential for the game’s combat.
The demon designs and animation actually look great, which is why it’s perplexing that they don’t show up in combat. You’ll randomly meet them around dungeons where they’ll be standing in corners. Talking to them will yield money, items and new demons to recruit. Oh, and that’s another thing. Unlike Shin Megami Tensei V, you don’t negotiate to recruit new demons in Soul Hackers 2. When you randomly talk to your existing demons popping up in dungeons, they’ll introduce you to new demons. These new demons will either ask for items, money or HP/MP for you to recruit them, and that’s all there is to it.
“Negotiations” are as simple as that, which might be disappointing to long-time fans of the franchise.

The game’s combat is great, which is what makes up for the bland dungeon designs and cut corners like demons not showing up during combat. I really don’t understand why that is, because enemy demons are right there in the same battles. So, why aren’t my own awesome demons showing themselves when I unleash attacks like Bufudyne or Mazandyne? This may not sound like such a big deal, but it is when you consider how Personas pop up in the Persona games, and how your demons fight right beside your protagonist in Shin Megami Tensei V.
On the other hand, I loved the quality-of-life improvements such as the ability to save anywhere and at any time (as well as frequent autosaves). That’s a common feature in other games, but JRPGs are still notorious for featuring fixed save points and no autosaves. In terms of difficulty, Soul Hackers 2 is also very forgiving when compared to other Atlus JRPGs. Other smaller details also make the game a lot more accessible and friendlier to casual gamers and newcomers who might not be used to JRPGs. Don’t get me wrong, there are still the occasional difficulty spikes, but they’re nowhere near as common as in other Atlus JRPGs. In addition, as usual, the music is fire and slaps hard in Soul Hackers 2. Atlus never misses when it comes to the epic music in their JRPGs, and Soul Hackers is no exception; some of those boss battles have awesome tracks.
Cyberpunk Summoner

Soul Hackers 2 is a great game for those who are looking for a good Atlus JRPG that’s less complex, more streamlined and has some quality-of-life improvements, as well as one that’s shorter and respects your time (for a JRPG, that is). All the good stuff makes it easier to forgive the game’s faults, like cut corners (bland dungeon designs and lack of demons during battle), an abundance of loading screens, a generic story and a JRPG that’s more of the same and overly familiar. Still, you could do worse than this flashy futuristic devil-summoning acid trip.
PROS

Atlus’ iconic JRPG mechanics but streamlined.
Lots of quality-of-life improvements.
Great visuals and an endearing cast of characters.

CONS

Atlus cut some corners on certain elements.
Lacking innovation or brand new unique mechanics.
Shorter than other Atlus JRPGs (might be a pro too, depending on your preference).

FINAL SCORE: 60/100
Review copy provided by Sega. Played on PC. Soul Hackers 2 will launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 23 August 2022.


PokÃ©mon Sword & Shield Will Feature 4-Player Raid Battles For The First Time

Nintendo’s latest Direct video featured a ton of new PokÃ©mon Sword and Shield information. And if you love co-op and MMO raids, you may like these slew of news.

Here are more tidbits from the video.
A Release Date
The game is coming out for Switch on 15th November. It’s this year, so don’t worry!
Co-Op Raids
While the basic turn-based fights with the Pokemon types and whatnot still remain, the co-op raid battles are new. During the new Max Raid Battles, you and three other buddies will fight against big badass PokÃ©mon for a chance to catch rare ones. How do they become big badasses? Through the magic of Dynamaxing.
And yes, you can even Dynamax your own PokÃ©mon. They can go super-saiyan and perform powerful Z-moves for three turns. The best part? All boss battles allow you and your gym leader adversaries to Dynamax your PokÃ©mons. This should make fights even more epic and Godzilla-sized.

Oh, and if you hated Trials from the last PokÃ©mon game, Sword and Shield will bring back traditional gym leader battles.
New PokÃ©mon!
With new regions come new PokÃ©mon. Galar’s PokÃ©mons have a bit of a British flair to them, seeing as the region is based on UK.
We have Wooloo (normal type)…

…Gossifleur (grass type)…

…Drednaw (water/rock type)…

…Corviknight (flying/steel type)…

…Eldegoss (grass type), who evolves from Gossifleur…

…and Legendary PokÃ©mon Zacian and Zamazenta. Zacian holds a sword while Zamazenta holds a shield. Hence, PokÃ©mon Sword and Shield.

Why am I getting a King Arthur vibe from Zacian? Apart from that, everything from knight crow to the sheep Wooloo screams British aesthetics. You can thank art director James Turner for this slight art shift.

Check out the full video below. Let us know if you’re looking forward to more PokÃ©mon on Facebook.


Clerks 3 Is A Thing; Out This September

It had to happen: popular geek and (in)famous director Kevin Smith is going back to the proverbial View Askew well again to release a third Clerks movie.
Clerks, an indie film that propelled Kevin Smith to stardom and popular culture geekdom, is a film about two store clerks talking shit and debating about Star Wars. Clerks 3 is basically that, except the cast is way older with one of its store guys Randall Graves (Jeff Anderson) getting a heart attack. After an epiphany, he decides to use his borrowed time to make a movie with the help of his best pal Dante (Brian O’Halloran), his  lackey Elias (Trevor Fehrman), Dante’s wife Becky (Rosario Dawson), and the duo known as Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith respectively).
Check out the new trailer below, featuring a cameo from Kevin Smith’s best pal Ben Affleck.

Clerk 3 will be out in US theaters this fall on 13 September. We’ll probably only get to watch it when it’s available on streaming platforms a few months after that release date; the topics and swearing alone in this movie might probably give the LPF several heart attacks.


Dragalia Lost X Fire Emblem = A Grand 2 Weeks For Mobile RPG Fans

If you love Nintendo RPGs and happen to be playing Dragalia Lost, last year’s best surprise game on mobile, you’re in for a treat. The game will feature a special Fire Emblem: Lost Heroes event, as well as reduced prices for hero and dragon gachaing.
Here’s the gist: a portal opens between the worlds of Dragalia Lost and Fire Emblem Heroes, resulting in characters like Alfonse, Marth, Fjorm, and Veronica fighting against Alberia’s finest like [Insert Your Prince’s Name Here] and [Your Favourite 5-Star Gachas]. Mine’s Toffee and Annelie/Lucretia/Laranoa/Maribelle.
The event introduces a new quest type called Defensive Battles. Here, four players team up to defend their gates from Imperial troops. Check out the full instructions below:

The event will run from 26 April 2pm GMT+8 until 14 May 2pm GMT+8. That’s 2 weeks-ish to earn friendship points to permanently recruit the game’s first-ever 5-Star freebie hero Alphonse.

Oh yes, the summoning discounts! Single gachas will now cost 120 Wyrmite/Diamantium instead of the usual 150. Players will also receive 4,500 Wyrmite as a “thank you” gift, meaning you’ll get 37 summons. Lady Luck be kind!
Long story short: now’s a good time as any to jump onto theÂ Dragalia Lost train. Try as you might, you can’t get that damn main menu earwig out of your head. I know I couldn’t.


Arknights & Destiny 2 Are Teaming Up For A Collaboration

Popular mobile tower defense RPG furry waifu-filled game Arknights just wrapped up its 4th-anniversary livestream with quite a tease of its next collaboration.
Yostar is teaming up with Bungie for an Arknights x Destiny 2 collaboration. Little is known apart from this teaser below, except for major speculation on what’s on tap like new Destiny 2 skins/weapons or Arknights gacha/event missions:

NEW: Arknights x #Destiny2 collab pic.twitter.com/r25Vwqrezf
— Destiny Bulletin (@DestinyBulletn) April 22, 2023

This isn’t the first time Yostar has teamed up with a major game publisher/developer for a renowned mainstream console title. Other Arknights collabs include Monster Hunter World, Rainbow Six Siege, and Muse Dash. Guess furries go well with almost anything these days.


Royal Highness: Our Favourite Kings & Queens Of Videogaming

Recently, Malaysia’s Sultan Muhammad has stepped down as the King of the country. The news came as a shock to many, particularly his relatives in Kelantan.
It is rather sudden to see his reign cut short since 2016. So to pay tribute to the former Agong abdicating the throne, we’re going to turn our frowns upside-down and bring up our favourite royalties of videogaming.
Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros. Series)

Ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. Avid sports fan in tennis, basketball, and soccer. A competent main star in her own DS game. Top-tier fighting game character. Bowser’s object of affection and favourite abductee. She gets kidnapped so much, sometimes we wonder if she really has Stockholm Syndrome.
You know here, you’ve seen her, you’ve played as her; no one is as iconic as this royal member of the Mushroom Kingdom. We are still perplexed that she’s not dubbedÂ Queen Peach; take some responsibility, dammit. “Princess” is just a title here.
Bowser (Super Mario Bros.Series)

King of all the koopas and goombas. Also into sports and fighting. Usually the last boss of every major Mario game, whether he wears a tux for the occasion
Princess Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy Series)

Queen of the Lumas and that one princess who aids Mario when he started traipsing around from planet to planet. Unlike the princesses in the Mushroom Kingdom, she takes initiative and flaunts her power instead of being kidnap-bait. She isn’t above using her Star power (in the form of Lumas) and levitation skills to give herself an edge in combat and competitive sports. She also prefers the “Princess” title instead of “Queen” for some reason.
King Dedede (Kirby Series)

Self-proclaimed king of Dream Land back in the ’92 days where the Game Boy ruled over children. The arch-nemesis of Kirby, he carries and wields that mallet like the world is going to end. He must have had top tier engineers working on that weapon; it has a built-in jet engine and a friggin’ laser cannon. Whiskey tango foxtrot much, your lordship?
Prince Arthas/The Lich King (WarCraft)

That one boss from World of Warcraft you have to kill as a raiding party. He’s also that one guy you used under the Alliance in WarCraft III before he turned into a Deathknight.
Emily Caldwell (Dishonored Series)

A child empress in the first Dishonored game, and a badass deposed queen in the second, Emily Caldwell has learned well from her dad Corvo Attano.
To sum it up, Emily is cool as heck, is a ruthless assassin, and does not take s*** from anyone. That’s evident when you start using her Far Reach shadow powers, her Domino effect that lets you off multiple guards at once, her Shadow Walk that amps her sneaking powers, and a few controlling and misdirection magic skills to turn the tide of a mission. Or escape attempt, since she’s on a lam and all.
Noctis (Final Fantasy XV)

The heir to Insomnia, a kingdom of Final Fantasy XV’s Eos. The whole day and night concept is important. Without all of the special Regent powers of the king here, the land is covered in perpetual darkness and will be filled with demon mobs.
To be frank, we remember Noctis not just for his laid-back personality, but for his aids -Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio- all of whom share a familial bond through the trials of the game’s story. If only the majority of the game was as consistent and well-planned-out as the narrative between the four heroes.
King Graham (King’s Quest Series)

He’s been the most prominent character in the majority of Sierra’s King’s Quest games. He had a starring role in the first, second, and fifth game, as he goes on a quest to destroy wicked witches, find his queen, and rescue his kingdom and family in that respective order.
King Frost (Shin Megami Tensei series)

Jack Frost may be the face of Atlus and the Shin Megami Tensei games, but you have to remember that he has a boss who oversees everything. Enter this giant rotund fairy king who is supported by other little Jack Frosts, ruling over his subjects with an iron fist and ruthless disposition.
He’s weak to Fire, but even that is circumvented in later iterations of this giant fairy since he is immune to status effects and can drain Ice attacks.
The King of All Cosmos (Katamari Damacy)

Irresponsible dad who makes his prince of a son clean up his messes. From getting drunk to berating his spawn and his siblings, is it any wonder as to why the Cosmic family still sticks together despite the patriarch being a snarky-if-funny dipstick?
FYI, the HD remaster of Katamari Damacy is out; go check it out!
The Prince (Prince of Persia)

We like the 2003 incarnation of the Prince. He’s suave, charming, and knows how to keep the mood light despite being stuck fending for himself while dealing with time-bending bullcrap.
The less said about the Warrior Within incarnation, the better.
King (Mega Man & Bass/Rock Man & Forte)

Self-declared king of all the robot masters, King wanted to create a new monarchy where Robot Masters aren’t slaves to humans.
King (Tekken series)

Not really royalty, but still the king of the luchadore ring in the Iron Fist story. Speaks in growls, so it’ll be really hard for him to communicate with characters outside of the Tekken-verse.
King (Art of Fighting, The King of Fighters)

Again, not really royalty. Still, she’s a queen in her own right when kicking ass while also bartending in South Town to support her paraplegic brother Jan.
We’re probably missing a few more kings and queens on this list. Let us know who else to add and who is your favourite video game royal figure.Â


Valorant Closed Beta Dates Draw Near; Here’s How To Get In Line

Shooter fans and Riot Games aficionados, the promised day is close at hand. Valorant’s closed beta sessions will be taking place soon….
…in North America and Europe. The date? 7th April. So if you have a US or EU account, then by all means rejoice!
How To Access
Follow these steps if you have NA and EU Riot Games accounts:

Register for a Riot account.
Link your Riot account to a Twitch accountÂ (you can get one here).
When closed beta activates in your region (EU and NA for now),Â watch specific VALORANT closed beta streams highlighted on Twitch.

Keep in mind that server space will be limited. Also, your progress will not carry over because the game is in closed beta; changes will happen in the final product. The closed beta will last for a short bit, since the game’s launch date is Summer 2020.
As for microtransactions, you can still buy items via VALORANT points, but you’ll get them back at full launch along with a 20% return bonus for participating like a champ.
What About Southeast Asia?
Patience; that’s what Riot Games said officially so far. The company said that more regions will feature the closed beta as it deploys server infrastructure, especially during a global pandemic. We already have some PvP games to play that are new right now, like Bleeding Edge, so we can wait a while for Valorant’s SEA debut.


Which Esports Game Will Be Played At Olympics 2020?

Looking at the rapid rise of esports these past few years, it’s hard to avoid fantasizing about a future where those games are played at the Olympics. Well, we’re not exactly there yet but we’re getting closer.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Intel are working together to host the Intel World Open, a tournament that’ll take place just before the 2020 Summer Olympics begin in Tokyo.

The tournament will be featuring two games: Rocket League and Street Fighter V.

Each game’s tournament will have a prize pool of US$250,000, which makes the grand total half a million dollars. The World Open finals will be hosted at Tokyo’s Zepp DiverCity from 22 July to 24 July 2020, ending on the same day as the Olympics 2020 kick-off.
Just like games at the Olympics, participants of the Intel World Open will have a chance to represent their countries. A live qualifying event will be held in Katowice, Poland in June to determine who gets to compete in Tokyo.
This isn’t the first Intel is working together with the IOC for an esports event tied to the Olympics. Last year, the two collaborated to host the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) PyeongChang which happened right before the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
So this could be seen as an improvement in how the IOC perceives esports. Seeing as how only Starcraft II was played at IEM PyeongChang, having more accessible games like Rocket League and SFV shows a clear desire to pull in a bigger crowd.

Rocket League is basically football with cars while SFV is… well, it’s a game about people hitting each other. Even the most clueless spectator would be able to understand these games in mere minutes.

“These two titles are something that the average consumer or audience member can look at and get whatâ€™s going on, and thatâ€™s unfortunately not always the case in esports. So that makes a lot of sense to work with these two partners.â€
– Mark Subotnick, Intel director of business development for games and esports.
There’s no doubt that the Intel World Open will open up esports to a much broader audience. It’ll definitely help in improving public perception of how esports athletes aren’t simply “gamers wasting their time”.

For a game like Rocket League, it’s a gigantic opportunity to grow its player base. Coupled together with players forming national teams, it could be the gateway to more Rocket League tournaments that resemble the consistency and style of traditional sports played by national teams.

â€œItâ€™s something different. We havenâ€™t really done anything like this before, and itâ€™s something our fans have been asking for for a really, really long timeâ€”to have national pride on the line whenever theyâ€™re playing Rocket League.”
– Jeremy Dunham, VP of Publishing at Psyonix.
Needless to say, I’m super excited to see video games and esports get more exposure in the eyes of the world. Most esports pundits have predicted this was inevitable when observing how big esports have become. I’m just happy that I’m alive to witness entire stadiums cheer for people playing Street Fighter V.
For those of you interested in taking part, now would be a good time to start practicing. The sports ministries/departments of governments around the world should also be paying attention and getting their national esports teams ready.
The information and quotes from this article were first reported by The Esports Observer.


First In-Game Screenshots Of Ubisoft’s Avatar Game Has Allegedly Leaked

The first screenshots of Ubisoft’s upcoming Avatar game may have been leaked.
Titled Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the game might be an open-world title ala the Far Cry series Ubisoft is known for. The alleged screenshots have been leaked by Twitter user ScriptLeaksR6, who is known for leaking upcoming Rainbow Six content. These alleged screenshots seem to indicate that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person shooter.

AFOP likely always first person ? pic.twitter.com/TOp7jiacut
— Script (@ScriptLeaksR6) March 27, 2023

Posting AFOP gameplay soon pic.twitter.com/5l0hjUkc2M
— Script (@ScriptLeaksR6) March 27, 2023

ScriptLeaksR6 said they’ll be posting gameplay soon. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will launch during Ubisoft’s fiscal year beginning in April 2023; it was originally supposed to be out closer to Avatar 2’s release in December 2022 before its delay.


Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Out In English This August

If you want to see an era where Nippon Ichi made wholesome(?) JRPGs before the Disgaea franchise took over, you may want to check out this upcoming collection.
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles will be out on 29 August in English according to NIS America. The collection includes Rhapsody II: Ballad of the Little Princess and Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl for PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Key features & trailer below:

A Delightful Debut: Rhapsody II and III take center stage as they make their western debut featuring musical adventures in Marl Kingdom!
A Marvelous Makeover: The charming storybook visuals are looking better than ever, and feature a new 3D camera mode for Rhapsody III!
A Story Told Through Song:A heart-warming story brought to life through alluring songs and vocal performances!


New Asterix & Obelix Beat-Em-Up Will Let You Slap Romans In Style

Publisher Microids and developer Mr. Nutz Studio haveÂ announced a new beat â€™em up game Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All! for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam).
It is slated to launch sometime in fall 2021 with English, French, and German audio support, and English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish text support.
According to the press release,Â Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! is set in 50 B.C. when Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans and only one small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. Players can play as Asterix and Obelix and set sail to the most iconic places in the comic book series while battling Roman legionaries, pirates, brigands and even the dreaded Normans.

Developer Mr. Nutz Studio chose to go with an artistic direction very close to the comic book where the characters, the scenery, and animations are hand-drawn. Players will also be happy to learn that there will be local co-op support.
Asterix & Obelix creator Albert Uderzo passed away in early 2020, and there was another new Asterix and Obelix game in late 2019 from the same publisher, Microids.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Hogwarts Legacy For Switch Delayed Until November

If you’re a big fan of the Wizarding World and were eagerly waiting for Hogwarts Legacy to come to Nintendo Switch, you’ll have to wait a little longer. The game’s release date, which was supposed to be on 25 July, has been pushed back to 14 November.

Hogwarts Legacy launches on Nintendo Switch on 11/14/23. We know fans are looking forward to playing on Switch, therefore creating the best possible experience is our top priority. Thank you for your patience.
Available now on PS5 & PS4, Xbox X|S & Xbox One, and PC. pic.twitter.com/nADIeNbMvw
— Hogwarts Legacy (@HogwartsLegacy) May 12, 2023

According to a tweet from the game’s official account, the developers want to make sure that the Switch version is as awesome as possible.
 “We know fans are looking forward to playing on Switch, therefore creating the best possible experience is our top priority. Thank you for your patience.”
They said they appreciate our patience, but it’s still a bit of a bummer to wait longer.
In case you missed it, Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action RPG set in the magical world that Harry Potter introduced us to. It’s already out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. But if you’re waiting for the Switch version like I am, it looks like we’ll just have to hold out a bit longer.


A 90s Hollywood Murder Mystery Game Is Coming From Hatoful Boyfriend Devs

Developer Mediatonic is best known for localising and remaking the bizarre bird dating sim/visual novel Hatoful Boyfriend for international gamers, which turned out to be an unexpectedly huge hit. Who knew romance with our avian friends would sell so well?
Now Mediatonic is working on a new game that doesn’t involve taking pigeons out on dates. Murder By Numbers is a murder mystery game set in the nostalgic era of 1996 Hollywood (via PCGamer). Players assume the role of TV detective Honor Mizrahi who must investigate the death of her boss just minutes after he fired her from her hit show.
Players will be joined by a robot companion named Scout, who will help uncover clues and solve puzzles in an effort to clear Honor’s name. The big draw of Murder By Numbers is obviously its 90s setting and tropes, which can be seen from the designs of the many supporting characters in the game’s trailer.
Personally, the game ultimately reminds me of of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney franchise (without the courts and legal battles, of course). The developer must already realise this, so that’s why they hired Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney composer Masakazu Sugimori for the music in Murder By Numbers.
Murder By Numbers is slated to release sometime in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam). In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bl8KSritXU&w=560&h=315]


The Return Of The Overwatch League: What You Need To Know About 2022’s Major Esports Tournament

It’s been 222 days since the 2021 Overwatch League Playoffs concluded. But worry not because with the recent release of the Overwatch 2’s PVP beta also marks the start of the fifth instalment of the Overwatch League (OWL).
That’s right: this season’s looking to be the most interesting so far due to the many changes that have been implemented. These include the reworking of heroes such as Doomfist and Orisa, the move over to 5v5 instead of 6v6, the new Push game mode, and the many roster changes that occurred during the offseason.Let’s recap what’s been going on with the current 2022 season, starting with the new 5v5 and Push gameplay mode.

5v5 – CONTROLLED CHAOS
The transition from 6v6 to 5v5 drastically changes the pacing of the game. For the casual player, the gameplay feels slower, but the actual match times seem to be faster.
This is because traditionally in 6v6, you would have two tanks, two DPS, and two supports, but in Overwatch 2 you have one less tank player on either team. Because there’s one less tank to soak up damage, Main Tanks such as Reinhardt and Winston are extremely prolific due to having a shield available. This is compared to the likes of Zarya or Roadhog who are still technically viable but are a lot less impactful as they are Offtanks.

During the opening week of the Kickoff Clash, we saw the congested use of Winston and Doomfist in dive oriented team composition in the majority of games. This is because teams aren’t punished as severely for diving blindly since you can’t charge your ultimate off of tanks as fast as before.
If you are a returning original Overwatch player then you may be thinking to yourself “but Doomfist isn’t that tanky”. It’s debatable whether this is considered good or bad news but DPS Doomfist is no more as he is now a tank.
Having his health increased from 250 to 450, along with a bunch of changes to balance his Seismic Slam and general damage output, the most notable change in his kit is the removal of his Uppercut which has been replaced with Power Block which blocks 90% of frontal damage and supercharges his next Rocket Punch after block 100 damage.
This changes Doomfist’s playstyle as although he is still very much a dive hero, the intention is no longer just to engage and deplete the backline, but to engage and become the main target of all the incoming damage, with the ally DPS assuming Doomfist’s former role.
Over the week we also saw the return of Genji’s prominence in the OWL. Having one less tank means that Genji shines brighter than before and is usually paired with either a Reaper or a Soldier: 76 depending on the map, with one of the latter, being the main DPS and Genji dashing in for the execute.
Unfortunately, we’re still yet to see Sojourn get picked up into team composition. However, I don’t think we have to we will have to wait long as the Kickoff Clash returns later this week, so look forward to then.
WEEK 1 RESULTS
DAY 1
Starting the week we saw New York Excelsior face off against Los Angeles Gladiators, a match which was highly anticipated as it was also the debut of LA Gladiators’ latest signing, the just turned 18 Partiphan “Partiphan” Chaiwong, a Thai phenom who everyone’s been excited to see play since he was 14.
The LA Gladiators eventually came out on top winning the match 3-1.

I wouldn’t say that the next match was highly anticipated as it was San Francisco Shock going up against Paris Eternals. An extremely one-sided match up in the Shock’s favour according to pundits.
But for many maybe left a bad taste in their mouths as it was announced earlier this year that their fan favourite Main Tank, Matthew “super” DeLisi will no longer be competing and will be stepping into content creation and streaming.
Inevitably, the Shock won the series in a clean 3-0 but the round score wasn’t as pretty as Paris put up a fight, losing both King’s Row and Dorado 2-3.

To finish off the day, we saw Florida Mayhem face Atlanta Reign, again in what was expected to be a very one-sided match as it was the general consensus that Mayhem’s roster just looked weaker in comparison to Atlanta on paper.
Although the Mayhem managed to take the first map, the Reign wasn’t going down without a fight and after winning Eichenwalde 5-4, the Reign went on to win the next two maps pretty comfortably.

DAY 2
Day 2 started with London Spitfire versus the San Francisco Shock, another match that the Shock was expected to win as analysts voiced out their concern for London’s synergy although individually there’s a lot of talent on the roster.
But talent can only get you so far and even if there’s one less player, Overwatch 2 is still a team game as we were shown with San Francisco taking London down in a clean 3-0 fashion.

With the return of their star player, Nam-joo “Striker” Kwon with an MVP and two championships under his belt, Boston Uprising prepared to go head to head with the Vancouver Titans.
The two teams that on many of the pre-season power rankings, were ranked around the same position, so this was expected to be a bloodbath. And a bloodbath it was.
A constant back and forth between the two teams starting with Boston winning Map 1 on Ilios and eventually closing out the win on the final map Oasis, winning the series overall 3-2 in Boston’s favour.

The last game of the day was unlike the rest of that week and was played on LAN at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio, Texas between the Dallas Fuel and the Houston Outlaws.
Unfortunately, Dallas Fuel couldn’t overcome Danteh and co. losing 0-3 against the Outlaws.

DAY 3
For the first time this season, we got to see both the all-Korean rosters of Toronto Defiant and the Washington Justice debut. Little did we know how much of a nail-biter this would turn out to be.
Toronto ended up taking the first map in a comfortable 2-0 but we can’t say the rest of the maps were going to be easy.
Washington went on to win the next two maps 2-1 and finished things out on New Queens Street by playing the new Push game mode and winning 2.05 meters.

Next up was ATL Reign against New York Excelsior with New York looking to bounce back from their defeat to the LA Gladiators.
But their hopes were soon crushed as they suffered defeat at the hands of the Reign 0-3.

The final game of the day was two teams looking to make their record 2-0, the Boston Uprising and the LA Gladiators.
LA Gladiators were highly ranked on many of the analysts’ pre-season power rankings and it did show as they won the series 3-1.

DAY 4
The first game of the day was between two 0-1 teams the London Spitfire and Vancouver Titans.
Two teams with a variety of nationalities and a boatload of talent on either side, it could’ve gone either way.
The London Spitfire prevail in what seems to be a clean 3-0 victory but what the scoreline doesn’t show is that they won every map 2-1, with the Vancouver Titans fighting tooth and nail to try and take a map but to no success.

Mayhem verse Paris followed and was a bit controversial as one of Mayhem’s offensive rounds on map 3 on Circuit Royal had to be re-played after they used an illegal manoeuvre.
But regardless of the re-play, Paris was outclassed and lost the series 1-3.

Another all-Korean roster match up ensued with the Washington Justice facing the Dallas Fuel.
The latter of which came out on top in a convincing 3-0 fashion.

Unlike the rest of the days, there were to be four games played on the final day, and for the final match of the week, we were blessed with a five-game series between the Toronto Defiant and the Houston Outlaws.
With Toronto winning Map 1 and Houston taking the next two, it was seeming to be another typical 3-1 victory in Houston’s favour, but the Defiant defied them as they began to claw their way back after winning the Push on New Queen Street and finishing things out on Ilios winning 2-0.
Leaving the series and the week with an exciting 3-2.

STANDINGS
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little bit longer until we can see the Eastern Conference teams play. But beggars can’t be choosers and we must be thankful that the Overwatch League is back in action and boy does it look exciting.
So as of Week 1 of the Kickoff Clash, the standings are listed below.
west

PLACEMENT
TEAM
SERIES
MAP COUNT
POINT

1
San Francisco Shock
2-0
6-0
2

2
Atlanta Reign
2-0
6-1
1

3
Los Angeles Gladiators
2-0
6-2
1

4
Houston Outlaws
1-1
5-3
1

5

Dallas Fuel
1-1
3-3
1

Florida Mayhem
1-1
4-4
0

London Spitfire
1-1
3-3
0

8
Washington Justice
1-1
3-4
0

9

Boston Uprising
1-1
4-5
0

Toronto Defiant
1-1
4-5
0

11
Vancouver Titans
0-2
2-6
0

12

New York Excelsior
0-2
1-6
0

Paris Eternal
0-2
1-6
0

EAST

Placement
Team
Series
Maps
Points

1
Chengdu Hunters
0-0
0-0
0

2
Guangzhou Charge
0-0
0-0
0

3
Hangzhou Spark
0-0
0-0
0

4
Los Angeles Valiant
0-0
0-0
0

5
Philadelphia Fusion
0-0
0-0
0

6
Seoul Dynasty
0-0
0-0
0

7
Shanghai Dragons
0-0
0-0
0


All The Sonic The Hedgehog News From Sega’s Sonic Central Livestream

Sega’s Sonic Central livestream is done and over with, and all we have left are these “new” game announcements. Fans looking for new Sonic The Hedgehog games are in for a treat. I think.
Sonic Colors Ultimate

The Wii exclusive is now coming out for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Epic Games) this 7th September. It features 3D Sonic gameplay and some pretty neat levels and powerups.
Sonic Origins
A Sonic compilation featuring all of the Megadrive and Sega CD games. The collection will feature:

Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles, and basically Sonic 3 & Knuckles by default
Sonic CD

The collection is currently in development and will be out for all current platforms.
Sonic Prime Update

There’s a Netflix Sonic animated series coming out soon. Producer Joe Kelly (who also made Ben 10) are making a 24-episode featuring Sonic dealing with the “shadowverse”. More info will be shared at a later date. The show will debut in 2022.
New Sonic Game

Sega just announced a new Sonic The Hedgehog game during its Sonic Central livestream moments ago. There’s no official title, but it’s coming out for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It’s coming out in 2022.


New Uncharted Movie Pic Shows Off Nathan Drake & A Moustache-Less Sully

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Sony Pictures’ Uncharted movie, but now a new image (courtesy of the New York Times) has been published, showing off what Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg’s Sully looks like in the upcoming movie.
What’s interesting is that Wahlberg’s Sully doesn’t have his iconic moustache. Can you imagine Spider-Man‘s J. Jonah Jameson or Invincible‘s Omni-Man without their moustaches? Neither can I, but that’s what the filmmakers on the Uncharted movie have decided to go with; a moustache-less Sully.
Check it out:

The Uncharted movie is now slated to premiere on 11 February 2022 after being delayed several times over the years. We still haven’t seen a single trailer as of yet.


Thailand Game Show 2022: Become A Pirate Hunter In One Piece Odyssey’s Alabasta Reveal

With Thailand Games Show currently underway, yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a conference held by Bandai Namco where the producer of One Piece Odyssey, Katsuaki Tsuzuki revealed a bunch of new features to come with the launch of the game on 12 January.
A key point of the presentation was to showcase that the game has been localised to feature Thai and Indonesian dubs and text to cater towards their respective audiences.
A couple of weeks ago we found out that part of the game will take us back to Alabasta, making One Piece fans—such as myself—absolutely lose our minds. In Tsuzuki’s presentation at Thailand Games Show, a feature that was revealed was bounties. One Piece fans will be extremely familiar with the concept of bounties, but we’re yet to see anything in the source material about the Mugiwara actually catching and claiming bounties to earn a bit of extra dough.
In the presentation, it was unveiled that we can find wanted posters scattered around Alabasta and track down the targets to earn their bounty. That’s right, we can literally be Zoro’s old profession: a pirate hunter.
Back in Alabasta

Although the trailer suggests that the Straw Hats revisit Alabasta through their memories, this will be the first time we see the Straw Hat pirates set foot in the desert kingdom post-time skip.
In the trailer, it was also revealed that we would be reunited with some familiar faces such as Vivi, Karoo, Bon-chan, Smoker and even the Straw Hats’ first ship, the Going Merry. It’s assumed that the return to Alabasta will be thanks to Lim as we see her accompanying Luffy and the crew.
The game is set to launch on 12 January 2023 for the PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S followed by PC via Steam the next day on 13 January.


Jin’s Mother, Jun Kazama, Gets Her Own Tekken 8 Gameplay Trailer

Bandai Namco has unveiled a new Tekken 8 gameplay trailer showcasing none other than Jun Kazama herself. She has only canonically appeared in one game in the franchise before, and that was 1995’s Tekken 2.
This is the seventh trailer after Nina Williams, Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, Paul Phoenix, Lars Alexandersson, and Jack-8.
Tekken 8 is slated to launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. However, there is no release date or release window as of yet.
Check out the trailer below:


Kingdoms of Amalur Remaster Gets Release Date; Expansion Announced…

Good news for action RPG fans out there looking for lost gems from 2012. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is getting a makeover. It’ll be called, get this, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning, and it’ll be out this 8th September.
Check out the trailer below, featuring reworked visuals, gameplay, and other new bits we hopefully will get to experience later this year.

Previously, it was supposed to be out this August, but things change, we guess. Here’s the kicker: the 2012 game is getting a new expansion called Fatesworn. The expansion will be out 2021, and beyond that nothing else is shared. Hopefully, this expansion means more worlds, more locales, more loot, and more action fighting challenging new bosses and enemy types.
You can get the standard edition of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning for US$40 or the Fate Edition for US$55; the latter comes with the expansion. You can order them here.Â


Guilty Gear Strive’s Next DLC Characters Are Bedman? And Asuka

After the Arc World Tour 2022 Finals, Arc System Works has made an announcement concerning new characters for its hit 2D fighting game Guilty Gear Strive.
The next Guilty Gear Strive DLC characters is Bedman?, or more specifically Delilah from the Guilty Gear Strive Another Story mode. She uses her brother’s broken bedframe from the Guilty Gear Xrd series to do all the fighting for her. Check out her gameplay below, complete with an appropriately weird-yet-rock-filled theme.

In addition, the DLC will add in a new battle stage called the Fairy’s Forest Factory. At the end of the trailer, there’s a teaser for the next DLC character: Asuka R. Kreuz a.k.a That Man. Fans of Guilty Gear have been waiting to see how he plays as a fighting game character for more than 20 years.

Bedman?/Delilah will be released on 6th April, while Asuka will be out on May 2023. Arc System Works also announced that it’s working on Season Pass 3 content, so the Guilty Gear Strive train isn’t stopping anytime soon.


Treyarch Releases Minimum PC Specs for Black Ops IIII

Developers Treyarch yesterday revealed, via Reddit, the minimum specs to play their upcoming game – Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII on the PC. Here they are:
Minimum specs:
OS: Windows 7 or higher (64-bit)
CPU: Intel Core i3-4340 / AMD FX-6300
RAM: 8GB
Graphics: GeForce GTX 660 2GB / GeForce GTX 1050 2GB or Radeon HD 7950 2GB
Recommended specs:
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
CPU: Intel i5-2500K / Ryzen R5 1600X
RAM: 12GB
Graphics: GeForce GTX 970 4GB / GTX 1060 is 6GB or Radeon R9 390 / AMD RX 580
High refresh / Competitive specs (This is our recommended setup for competitive players using high refresh rate monitors at 1080p):
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
CPU: Intel i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 1800X
RAM: 16GB
Graphics: GeForce GTX 1080 or Radeon RX Vegaâ¶â´ Graphics
Ultra specs (This is the top-tier setup for players using 4k monitors looking for the smoothest framerates:
OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
CPU: i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 2700X
RAM: 16GB
Graphics: GeForce GTX 1080Ti
Ready for Launch
Remember that pre-load starts on Battle.net at 9pm PT on October 9th. The download size is 55GB.
And here are your PC launch times:
October 11th, 2018
Los Angeles â€“ 9PM PT
October 12th, 2018
New York â€“ 12AM ET
Sao Paulo â€“ 1AM BRT
London â€“ 5AM BST
Stockholm â€“ 6AM CEST
Berlin â€“ 6AM CEST
Moscow â€“ 7AM MSK
Singapore â€“ 12PM SGT
Seoul â€“ 1PM KST
Sydney â€“ 3PM AEST
Source: Reddit

In the meantime, you can check out what we thought of the game’s battle royale mode, Blackout.Â


CD Projekt Plans To Make More Transmedia Projects Thanks To Cyberpunk Edgerunners

It’s safe to say that the Studio Trigger anime Cyberpunk Edgerunners anime is 2022’s best show on Netflix right next to Better Call Saul and Arcane: League of Legends. So much so that publisher CD Projekt wants to experiment more.
The company that made the Cyberpunk 2077 video game adaptation of the Mike Pondsmith tabletop game plans to make further transmedia projects following the anime’s success. The anime came out in mid-September and was a hit for Netflix and CD Projekt, the latter of which received a boost in sales for Cyberpunk 2077. Here’s what CD Projekt SVP of business development Michal Nowakowski said in a recent third-quarter earnings call:
“[W]e have an appetite to do more in the transmedia [space], so in linear visual animation or live action, and those plans have not changed, so when we are ready you may expect to see more announcements in that regard coming from us.”
The show has hit Netflix’s top 10 lists in 19 countries due to its animation pedigree, storytelling, and loveable cast of characters. For more, check out our glowing review of the series.


British Esports Association Announces Partnership With The The College Of Esports

The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit organisation and national body set up to support grassroots esports in the UK, has announced an exclusive Higher Education (HE) university-level accredited partnership with the College of Esports.
The College of Esports is the world’s first university-level institution dedicated to university degrees in the global business of esports.
The university degree portfolio will include Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels and will be delivered at the College of Esports campus at the iconic Velodrome, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London,Â with students starting in September/October 2022 for the start of the academic year 2022/2023.
The student experience will centre on traditional academic subjects taught through the lens of esports, supported by their unique TRI-Curriculum. This consists of the main degree courses plus two additional curricula to make students World-Ready,Â providing higher contact hours and a holistic 360 teaching approach.
All university-level provision has been designed in partnership with the British Esports Association to ensure that each programme isÂ industry-ready, with input from the wider esports sector.Â A College Advisory Board populated by leading figures will provide guidance to the college and will be announced in due course.
Each course will provide best-in-class academic teaching combined with leading knowledge and input from the esports sector, to provide students with long-term value, career flexibility and a holistic understanding of international business at both macro and micro levels.
It will cover the business of international esports, IP rights, management of players and talent, event management, sponsorship, logistics, marketing, business and more. As well as training people to go into the industry, the College of Esports will also offer a business incubation unit to help students grow their ideas into their own businesses.
The British Esports Association will provide unique industry expertise, as well as enrich the learning materials of the degree content, in order to ensure relevance to the student and sector as a whole.
The British Esports Association also has a separate exclusive Further Education partnership with Pearson to offer Esports BTEC qualifications of which students can then progress smoothly from these BTEC courses onto the BEA accredited courses at the College of Esports.
The College of Esports facilities based within the Velodrome, home to many international sporting triumphs, will include new purpose-built classrooms, eateries, a library, social areas as well as state-of-the-art gaming spaces for students.
Professor Philip Wilson, founder and Chair of the College of Esports, stated:
â€œWe are delighted to have entered into this long-term exclusive higher education partnership. The knowledge, experience and expertise of the British Esports Association is a central pillar of our approach to ensure that the College of Esports is at the cutting edge of the industry for our students.
Our partnership will create the UK hub of esports business and provide additional legacy to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as job creation and community support in the boroughs that we engage.â€
British Esports Association chair Andy Payne OBE commented:
â€œWeâ€™re delighted to have signed this exclusive university-level partnership with the College of Esports to help deliver esports business degrees and ensure a bright future for our exciting industry.
Esports not only offers many exciting career opportunities, it also gives people essential transferable skills that can be applied to many other roles and industries.â€
The College of Esports was founded by Professor Philip Wilson and David Thomson, both of whom have a lifetime of experience in higher education and the global sports industry.
Students can register their interest for 2022 intake atÂ www.collegeofesports.ac.uk.


HBO’s The Last Of Us Unveils First Look At Joel & Ellie

Since being officially announced back in March 2020, Naughty Dog has finally given us our first look at the live-action versions of Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie from HBO’s The Last Of Us.
The picture doesn’t reveal much, as it only shows us their backs. However, this picture does confirm that the costumes and looks for Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie will at least be faithful and accurate to the game version in 2013’s The Last Of Us.
Feast your eyes below (via the Naughty Dog official Twitter account):

Look for the light @HBO #TLOUDay pic.twitter.com/fl5ZCP7MG7
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) September 27, 2021

So far, the cast includes:

Pedro Pascal – Joel Miller
Bella Ramsey – Ellie
Gabriel Luna – Tommy Miller
Merle Dandridge – Marlene
Nico Parker – Sarah Miller
Jeffrey Pierce – Perry
Murray Bartlett – Frank
Con Oâ€™Neill – Bill

HBOâ€™sÂ The Last Of UsÂ will be written and executive produced byÂ ChernobylÂ creator Craig Mazin and the original game director Neil Druckmann. It will be co-produced by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and Naughty Dog. No release date or window has been announced as of yet.
Druckmann has previously said that there will be changes and deviations from how it originally happened in the game. You can find the full details of his quote byÂ heading over here.
The Last Of Us Part 2Â is out now for the PS4. In the meantime,Â check out my full spoiler-free review of the game here, orÂ head on over here for a guide and tips for the game. If youâ€™ve already played the game, then I suggestÂ checking out my 4000-word spoilerific articleÂ on why the hate for the game isnâ€™t justified.


Doom Eternal Tips & Tricks To Get Ahead

Doom Eternal is arguably a great sequel: it improves the core combat, gives your character the Doomslayer more moves and weapons to fight with, and ups the challenge. And oh boy, it can be a challenge!
Whether you’re a casual or an expert at FPS games, Doom Eternal needs a beginner’s guide. Between balancing your resources and playing ping pong with enemy heads & carcasses, this FPS is a wild ride that escalates quick.
Fortunately, we’re here to sort you out. Let’s start off with…
Some Basic Tips To Stay Alive
Use The Entire Arena
Rule number 1 in Doom: keep on’ moving. Doom Eternal lays out monkey bars, teleporters, and jump pads in an arena for a reason: so that you’re on the move. Use your dash and double jump to stay airborne and relatively safe.
A nice vantage of the arena also gives you a sense of what you’re up against, and with sneaky, thin demons like the Whiplash with a liquid profile, knowing what you’re up against is incredibly important information if you want to make it out alive.
Make It A Habit To Flame Belch Every Single Time
If you’d notice after an hour or two of play, armour collectables are few and far between. That’s where the Flame Belch comes into play.
This new Doom Eternal equipment sets enemies on fire and makes them spit up tiny green armour shards over time. When things are popping off, it’s easy to forget the flame belch is there, but do your best to make a strong habit of using it as much as possible early on, and don’t always use it with the intention of scooping up that armour right away.
Set it (on fire) and forget it. Find a group of enemies, give a big fire burp, and let them generate that good-good while you bounce around and shoot things. Chances are you’ll run over the armour again, on accident or on purpose. But if you need armour now, follow up a belch on some smaller demons with a nice grenade. If you have to, map it to a mouse button you use just as much as Mouse Button 1 and 2. Our choice? Mouse Button 4 or 5, next to your melee button if you have a mice with two extra buttons on the left side.Â
Invest In Ammo Upgrades

Those Sentinel Crystals you’ve been getting during the campaign? You should use them for ammo upgrades. While getting health via Glory Kills is easy, getting chainsaw fuel for ammo kills can be taxing since they’re limited across all arena maps.
As an aside, put your crystals into slots that affect your Belcher and armour-for-health trade-ins. Short cooldown, longer effects on enemies; as long as they have an ammo upgrade node, go for it.
Focus On Barrel Regen & Invincibility For Suit Upgrades

See the light purple nodes on the pic above? Focus on those when you’re upgrading your suit via the Praetor tokens. Having a red barrel on standby for ammo and max AoE damage while being impervious to it is always handy during arena fights. Especially when they regenerate a few seconds after.
Fight The Marauders Using The Super Shotgun, Ballista, & Circle Strafing

Marauders, like Dark Souls bosses, are designed to mess with your ebb and flow when it comes to this particular arena shooters. They can nullify whatever you throw at them, and can only be hurt when they’re flashing green, ready to swing at you with their axe.
First up: stick to the mid-range when dealing with this guy. He can blast you with a shotgun if you’re up-close and fire a fast red plasma axe shot when you’re far away. Also, he summons a yellow dog midway that hounds you (heh) until you’re dead. Deal with that first if the Marauder summons it.
Weapons-wise, the super shotgun and ballista are ideal here; just aim and fire when they’re flashing green. You may need to be a tad precise with the ballista but it’s essential if you’re out of shotgun ammo. When the dog appears, change to a different weapon like a plasma gun or heavy cannon to deal with it.
When you hit the Marauder, you can even get a quick meat hook via your super shotgun for an extra hit. Speaking of ammo, Marauder fights are usually filled with an enemy fodder or two; chainsaw them when you get a chance.
Just be patient, circle-strafe them, grab health from nearby fodder, and outlast this guy before he outmanoeuvres you. Remember: “green” means “go”!
NEXT: Cheats


Starfield Release Date Leaks Ahead Of Xbox Bethesda Stream

Ahead of tonight’s Xbox Bethesda E3 2021 live stream, the release date for the highly-anticipated Starfield has been leaked.
Starfield will apparently launch exclusively for Xbox Series X/S and PC on 11 November 2022.
Stay tuned for more details and information later today on Kakuchopurei.
You can check out the trailer here, courtesy of the Washington Post.


Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising Will Be Out On 10 May

The upcoming spin-off game for 2023’s Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be out next month.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, an action RPG featuring 2D platforming and character-switching combat, will be out for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on 10th May. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass Day One.

ARPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising will be available on PC, PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, Nintendo Switch, & Xbox Game Pass on May 10!
Prequel to the RPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes scheduled for release in 2023!
Strengthen Your Bonds?#???? #100heroesstrong pic.twitter.com/RrMa5yRrgp
— ????Eiyuden Chronicle (????? (@eiyuden) April 12, 2022

For more on the upcoming 2D action RPG, check out our gameplay footage below.


Here’s A Checklist You Need Before Entering Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Monster Hunter World is Capcom’s feather in the cap, so it’s no surprise how its massive expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is picking up steam as the hype train speeds up with no signs of stopping.
With that, there will be new hunters trying out the ropes as well as passionate veterans warming up for new challenges.

The community is more than happy to share a few tips to kick start your frosty journey. Here’s what you need to do before you head into the unforgiving freezing shores of Hoarfrost Reach.
Beginner Tips
We start with some tips for hunters who recently started the base game. Don’t worry, it’s not a race to Iceborne. Take your time and pace and enjoy the beautiful world of Monster Hunter World.
Get To HR16
Before you head any further down the list, make sure you hit Hunter Rank 16 first by completing the main story. This will allow you to start the Iceborne campaign on day one.
It takes an approximate 30 hours before you reach the final boss, depending on how long you decide to farm the monsters.
Credits! You’re cleared for Iceborne!
Once the credits roll, you’re good for Iceborne. However, Master Rank is the true test of skill and gear, so you should prepare as much as you can.
Find Your Best Weapon…
There are 14 types of weapon in the game, and each caters a different playstyle. For example, the Sword and Shield offers mobility and decent damage output with a shield in case of emergencies, while heavier weapons such as the Greatsword deals heavy damage at the cost of mobility. Some weapons are technical, such as the Charge Blade and the Switch Axe, hard to master but rewarding.
Learn the combos of the weapons to maximise damage output. There are some good video guides out there to help you out, such as Gaijin Hunter’s YouTube page. He’s one of the most helpful hunters out there.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCYAp19LNCI]
Arekkz is another veteran hunter who creates lovely guides for weapons.
You can try out each weapon in the Training Area, and you aren’t restricted to one type of weapon as you can switch weapons in the tent during missions.
… And Master It
Practice makes perfect, especially in a game like Monster Hunter World where skills are just as important as the equipment.
A perfect example of a Long Sword master:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRtWNF-Fa7o]
Mastering your weapon means not only knowing the combos but to know its playstyle, positioning, timing, animations and such. This would help you immensely as you play through the base game.
Don’t Be Afraid To Call For Help
If you’re stuck on a monster, this is a good time to call in some reinforcements. The SOS feature finds you players from all over the world offering for help. More than often, higher HR players will join in your quest to help you out.
Yep, you’re screwed now, monster.
This doesn’t mean you can slack off during the quest though. This is the perfect opportunity to observe how to handle this once insurmountable threat.
Complete Deliveries
This will provide you with new camps and new ingredients for use at the Canteen providing you with better bonuses and useful skills such as Felyne Moxie and Felyne Insurance.
Deliveries like this help you progress even faster.
Although you can skip certain deliveries that reward you with cosmetics, such as the Layered Armor, since those are purely cosmetics.
Another way of looking good is pulling off that Foresight Slash perfectly.
NEXT PAGE: INTERMEDIATE TIPS