Long-time UK games retailer GAME won't be accepting trade-ins when February 16 rolls around, according to Eurogamer. GAME's parent company Frasers Group has officially confirmed its plans to remove the trade-in program to BBC News on Tuesday.

"As part of the integration of GAME, we will be phasing out the trade-in, pre-owned and Game Elite offerings in the UK over the coming months," said a spokesperson of Frasers Group to BBC News. This effectively hands off mainstream game trading to CEX, a popular used media retailer in the British Isles.

The remaining pre-owned stock that GAME has acquired will be available on store shelves while they last. It will be curious to see how long copies of disappointing titles like Anthem and old sports games will remain in GAME before it throws them out. Frasers Group hasn't given an official reason for this decision, but it's likely due to lacking sales in the used game market.

"PlayStation and Xbox were not as big a part of the sales as they were [due to supply constraints]," said GAME CEO Nick Arran to GamesIndustry.biz in 2023. "But our toy business really came into its own, with staggering numbers at Christmas."

GAME could be switching gears to toys and other similar goods like Pokemon cards instead of its video game titles as gamers look towards an all-digital future. Ars Technica reported in 2022 a 30% drop in available physical games from 321 in 2018 to 226 in 2021. It was also leaked that the next Xbox Series X refresh called Brooklin might be digital only.

Perhaps GAME sees the writing on the wall as the gaming industry slowly moves past a used game model, which used to have 100 million titles traded in every year in the US alone.

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The holidays are a wonderful time to spend with family, but when I'm not sipping on that sweet hot cocoa or playing charades like a bumbling buffoon, I'm catching up on my excessive backlog of video games. This year, I decided to finish my trip to Hogwarts.

Note: There are spoilers ahead for Sebastian Sallow's storyline in Hogwarts Legacy.

Going back to Hogwarts

Hogwarts Legacy has been a touchy subject for many, and honestly, it's put me off playing the game throughout 2023. The criticisms of the universe's creator, J.K. Rowling, are well-founded. I'm bisexual and part of the LGBTQ+ community, but to me, the Harry Potter series is more important than her; it was a huge part of my childhood. The holidays are also a time when my parents watch the movies, so it's always something in the back of my mind during that time of year.

After a year of heavy guide writing, I decided to return to the Scottish highlands and finish my fifth year at Hogwarts. The game's visuals and storytelling entranced my family. However, it wasn't what they expected as they witnessed the end of Sebastian's dark storyline. Oh, and it was also fun to flip over a cow.

Did you finish a backlog game during the holidays?

With so many 2023 releases like Starfield or Baldur's Gate 3, games will fall by the wayside, especially if you have Xbox Game Pass. We all have busy schedules, so getting one or two weeks off is a blessing. That's why it's so fascinating there are trophy and achievement hunters out there who finish a game to completion.

The patience and the reluctance to buy new games are something to be admired. However, as a guide writer who has to stay current, I move on from games I love, which can be heartbreaking. It's part of the job, especially as a freelancer.

Have you conquered a backlog game over the holidays? Were you able to defeat the Mongols in Ghost of Tsushima or finally finish every world in Super Mario Odyssey to completion? Let us know in the comments below.

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While PlayStation and Nintendo reaped the awards with their games, Xbox players might have been the true winners in terms of savings. According to TrueAchievements, after calculating the cost of each new game on Xbox Game Pass, the total amounted to nearly $9000.

With big releases like Starfield and Hi-Fi Rush, there was no shortage of new games for subscribers to dig into. Clearly, Xbox Game Pass was committed to being the best gaming service, bringing in huge third-party titles and inventive indies. As for the savings, the exact amounts are listed below:

• $8763/US
• £7695/UK
• CA$11425/Canada
• A$13392/Australia
• €8879/Europe
• R$36898/ Brazil

Xbox Lives To Serve

I’ve been an Xbox Game Pass subscriber for a good while. To be honest, I reaped some of the benefits, especially early in the year with the releases of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden. Without an Xbox Series X though, I did miss out on some grand additions like Dead Space and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. I don’t think my poor Xbox One can even cloud-stream Starfield without becoming a portable grill. 

Regardless, many Xbox players did get to dig into some amazing games with the service compared to rival PlayStation Plus. Indies like Cocoon and Sea of Stars were powerhouses, while hotly-anticipated titles such as Lies of P and Persona 5 Tactica brought the house down.

Next year doesn’t seem to let up, either. Game Pass subscribers can get their hands on Persona 3 Reload (one of my most anticipated RPGs) in February, while exclusives such as Avowed, Towerborne, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 will join the service later in the year. This, of course, doesn’t account for the many that will be announced later on, especially in future events (though not E3 anymore). 

If you're already an Xbox player, you probably know just how big a value Game Pass is if you checked your Spotify Wrapped-esque year-in-review from Xbox. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes both PC and Console access, costs $16.99/month and has a fairly substantial catalog. It's worth keeping in mind, though, that while $9000 worth of games does seem like a good deal, 2023 was also the year some users saw Microsoft raise the price of the service.

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The holidays are here and people -perhaps you- are finally able to buy consoles without jumping through huge hoops. But now the question arises: what games are you going to gift?

After years of waiting for consoles to be easily accessible to purchase, you can get a PS5 on Amazon or an Xbox Series X at Target. Plus, the Nintendo Switch, including its OLED version, has seen some price cuts since its 2017 launch. 

It’s the perfect time to get that gamer in your life a console. Now all that's left to do is to buy some games. I mean, you can't get a console without some games. But what to choose? Well, I'm here to help ease that search and give some of my recommendations for the best games to gift.

PlayStation 5 (PS5)

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

Spider-Man fan or not, Insomniac and Marvel's sequel to the 2018 PS4 epic is not to be missed. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the ultimate superhero simulator, letting players control two Spider-Men as they swing through New York. It’s the closest you can get to being in the movies with stellar performances all around. While Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 summarizes the other two games, you can always snatch a copy of Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales, which comes with a remastered version of Marvel's Spider-Man if they haven't played the previous titles. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a little darker than the others, but it's still a remarkable, fun, and thrilling ride.

Horizon Forbidden West

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

If you're buying a PS5 bundle, chances are you've seen this title plastered on them, and for good reason. Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to 2016's Horizon Zero Dawn, is one of the most gorgeous games on the console. Its rich worldbuilding and fun gameplay make this an essential title for PS5 owners. Guerilla Games outdid themselves with the many things one can do within its vast world. The combat is accessible and rewarding, and the narrative is intriguing as it is grandiose. I mean, you get to ride a robot, for goodness' sake! It was one of my favorite titles last year, so I can attest to the fact that whoever you gift this to, they'll be very happy.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

For something a bit more family-friendly, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a must-buy for gamers. It's an easily accessible entry in the series, as you don't have to play past titles to follow the story. Like Horizon, the game boasts some impressive graphics, utilizing the most of the PS5's specs. Its story brings all the charm of a Saturday morning cartoon and amps the action up. It's light-hearted, colorful, and full of fun gadgets to line your arsenal. Our Chris Carter called Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart as close to playing a Pixar film, which is pretty high praise. It's the perfect game for other family members to watch too, and a great title to showcase PlayStation's newest console.

Xbox Series X

Starfield

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

Want to give someone a video game they can play for days on end? Starfield is the way to go. This open-world RPG from Bethesda is one of its best if our review has anything to say about it. You get to explore tons of planets throughout the game's vast solar system. Actions have consequences, and you get full control of your destiny (and your very own spaceship). It's one of the Xbox Series X's biggest titles and a huge reason many are buying the console, as it’s an Xbox and PC exclusive. If you're gifting a space-lover, Starfield will take them over the moon.

Forza Horizon 5

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

This is for the car enthusiasts. While there is a more recent Forza title, I chose Forza Horizon 5 due to its critical acclaim and overall experience. With over 520 cars to choose from, you get to ride around Playground Games' version of Mexico. The graphics are gorgeous and it'll feel like you're really driving. It's vibrant and fully embraces the Xbox Series X's power. Even people like myself, who don't like racing games, enjoyed Playground Games' superb gameplay and beautiful scenery. Forza Horizon 5 is the perfect playground for new players to roam around in and have a blast.

Halo: Infinite

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

Halo is a staple of Xbox consoles. It's only fair to gift the golden goose of the console to a new console owner. Halo: Infinite takes the flagship FPS (first-person shooter) series into open-world territory, letting players roam around a vast landscape. The gunplay is still top-notch, and it's still your classic Halo experience, just a bit bigger. Plus, the multiplayer is one of the series' best, so the giftee can play with their friends and have a great time. This is the definitive Halo game for the console, so this will make for an ideal gift for an Xbox fan.

Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

You can never go wrong with Mario. It's actually impossible. The latest entry in the series, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, is no exception. It's the 2D formula of yesteryear turned on its head (literally). As Mario and friends, you get to explore the Flower Kingdom to stop Bowser. Through loads of unique and fun stages, you (and your friends, both local and online) can race, collect coins, and find secrets. The addition of Wonder Flowers opens up new mechanics that manifest new powers or stage attributes.  It’s a ton of fun and delivers that classic enjoyment Mario is known for. If there was a title that would cover all bases, Super Mario Bros. Wonder fits the bill. 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

Much like Mario, The Legend of Zelda is another flagship franchise for Nintendo. Tears of the Kingdom, the latest title in the legendary series, is worth the price of admission and then some. The game continues the success of Breath of the Wild's open-world gameplay and adds its own take on building and crafting. You can combine weapons and create your own with Fuse, or create flying bikes or bridges with Link’s Ultrahand. The sky, which you can also explore to your heart’s content, is the limit. Playing Breath of the Wild, the game's predecessor, isn't that necessary, but it's fairly cheap if you want to gift that as well. As one of this year's best titles (and one of my favorites), it's the ideal gift for new Nintendo Switch owners.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

(Amazon|Walmart|Target)

Love great family-time games with a dash of competition? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a surefire way to get the party started. If you’ve owned any Nintendo console before, you’ve definitely played Mario Kart. It has classic racing gameplay with some fun new stages and mechanics. It’s a remastering of the Wii U original but with all the added DLC and gameplay updates. The Switch controls make for a much more smoother and enjoyable experience. It’s the gift that keeps on giving and a perfect family game. 

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With The Game Awards just around the corner, Sega has teased a new game announcement at the event. Sending teaser letters to fighting game content creators, it points towards a Virtua Fighter 6 reveal at Geoff Keighley's show.

On social media, content creators like Curiousjoi and Maximillian Dood have been posting images of said a press mailer they've received, a postcard that reads "New Era New Energy. Make sure to tune in to The Game Awards December 7th."

Maximillian Dood says on his Twitter post, "Curious, have these gone out to others that are NOT huge fighting game creators?"

One of the replies from Brodoof shows a screenshot from one of the Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown trailers. It has the same exact font, but the color is red instead of blue. This has led many to speculate the press mailing is setting the stage for something new in the Virtua Fighter franchise.

Sega could be planning a new Virtua Fighter with rollback netcode

One of the most important aspects of a modern fighting game is having a great rollback netcode. It lets players around the world battle it out and participate in tournaments online.

"I believe that implementing rollback will be absolutely necessary when developing future titles," said Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown producer Seiji Aoki when interviewed by Gamer Braves.

"While it’s important to create content for fighting game fans, I think it’s important to also create content that viewers or newcomers to the fighting genre can enjoy," Aoki said in the same interview when asked about how to keep the game interesting for both new and returning fans and how they're approaching the eSports aspect of the industry. "For example, I can’t play soccer, but I love watching soccer."

It's just a waiting game now for eager fans to learn if Sega will revive the beloved Virtua Fighter franchise at The Game Awards.

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The December 2023 games lineup involves us turning into blue aliens and harnessing the powers of a flour golem. We'll also be helping our favorite Disney characters with farming and other tasks.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Amazon Luna

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Price: $69.99
Release Date: December 7
Trailer

The Division developer Massive Entertainment is behind the open world of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. You'll be exploring the beautiful Western Frontier, a new area inspired by James Cameron's box office breaking movie series. Available on December 7, this FPS has us playing as a Na'vi raised to be a warrior for the RDA but freed after 15 years. We'll be fighting back as we "reconnect with [our] lost heritage," according to the game's official website.

"It’s clear this is an open-world Ubisoft game, but there’s enough different there to make it feel like a fresh experience as well," writes our own Steven Mills in a preview of the new Ubisoft title.

This game seems similar to the Far Cry series as you craft your own gear, gain access to a variety of weapons like shotguns and assault rifles, and take over outposts. Hopefully the game will be more interesting than the first movie's Unobtanium storyline.

Born of Bread - PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC

Publisher: Dear Villagers
Developer: WildArts Studio Inc.
Price: $24.99
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

Getting anxious for the Paper Mario: The Thousand Door remake? You'll want to check out Born of Bread while you wait. It has a vibrant art style, a similar turn-based combat system, and a story that seems just as silly. "Born of Bread puts a twist on turn-based combat tropes with a fun interaction system that will test your reflexes," says the game's Steam page. "This interactive system also features a weaknesss and resistance system that makes battles more strategic."

The RPG seems memorable, as evidenced by our preview from PAX East earlier this year.

The combat system reacts to the timing of your button presses like the Paper Mario games that many enjoy. You'll also be solving puzzles with each character's abilities as you explore this world. It releases on December 5.

Disney Dreamlight Valley (1.0 release) - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC

Publisher: Gameloft
Developer: Gameloft
Price: $39.99 and higher
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

The 1.0 release of Disney Dreamlight Valley and the expansion A Rift In Time is finally arriving on December 5. This game is similar to Animal Crossing, in which you're befriending Disney characters, harvesting crops, and finishing side quests along the way like making dishes for Ratatouille's Remy. You're also upgrading shops and other resources available to you. Somehow, there's an intriguing storyline that meshes all of these Disney icons together and have it make sense.

It's a relaxing adventure, especially for those who love almost every Disney movie like me. You may want to get the Gold Edition, which comes with the DLC A Rift In Time and 5,000 Moonstones, one of the game's currencies. And yes, it won't be free-to-play, unfortunately. I guess it's something else Eeyore can complain about.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - Switch

Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Price: $59.99
Release Date: December 1
Trailer

Heading to the Switch exclusively is Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, the next entry in the long-running JRPG series. Similar to the Pokemon series, you'll be collecting monsters and training them. As the story proceeds, the game's environments will change from Spring to Summer and so on.

Synthesizing two monsters to make more powerful allies returns, too. "Players can experiment and eventually unlock over 500 monsters, including franchise favourites, dark lords, and completely new creatures," says Square Enix in a press release. The game's also online, so you can compete against your friends and foes throughout the world. I'm excited, but man, I'll skip over the Overture theme if it plays after it playing in so many trailers. Nevertheless Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince releases on December 1.

Sonic Dream Team - iOS, Mac, Apple Arcade

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega Hardlight
Price: Free with Apple Arcade subscription
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

Last up is the Blue Blur himself, Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Dream Team. This time, you can play as six different characters, including Sonic, Amy, Tails, Cheese, Knuckles, and Rouge. In this 3D platformer, you're trying to jump and spindash your way through Eggman's nightmare dreamscapes.

From the trailers and screenshots, it looks like a solid 3D entry, despite being exclusive to Apple Arcade. It's far more interesting than Sonic Superstars, that's for sure. It will be available on the subscription service on December 5. Hopefully this game heads to consoles soon after.

Honorable mentions

This month isn't just some RPG goodness and the lightning quick speed of Sonic and his friends. There's far more than that. Who knows? There might be some shadowdrop surprises at The Game Awards. The honorable mentions include:

• Batman: Arkham Trilogy (Switch) - December 1
• SteamWorld Build (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Switch)- December 1
• A Highland Song (Switch, PC) - December 5
• Enclave HD (PS5) - December 5
• Arizona Sunshine II (PC, PSVR2) - December 7
• House Flipper 2 (PC) - December 13
• Bulletstorm VR (PC, PSVR2) - December 14
• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (PS4, PS5, PC) - December 14
• Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Switch) - December 14
• Raccoo Venture (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC) - December 14
• Paranoid (PC) - December 14
• Trinity Fusion (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC) - December 15
• Resident Evil 4 (iOS) - December 20

The post Most anticipated games – December 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Tekken 8 is just around the corner, and Bandai Namco released a glimpse of Leo's glorious combos and eccentric personality in a trailer Wednesday. Their stylish red and white jacket shines as they show off their impressive new counter.

The German fighter Leo Kliesen is back in Tekken 8 with their Baji Quan fighting style. With their hatred of the main antagonist Kazuya Michima, it makes sense if they make an appearance in the story mode. With the codename "Seeker of Truth," they'd likely join the battle to find out more about their murdered mother and missing father.

We didn't get many details in Tekken 7 as they were sidetracked by a love-stricken Yoshimitsu, but in Tekken 6, we learned that their mother worked for the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation.

Leo is looking sharp

Not much seems to have changed with Leo's moveset, except for the previously mentioned counter. They'll still stomp their foes' toes and have an elaborate combo set up with their punches and kicks. It's been a few years since I've stepped into the shoes of Leo but one new move seems to be an impactful swirling kick in the air, which is shown in the trailer.

They also has a new grappling hook that's used for Leo's Rage Art. Perhaps this will be used in combos too, but we haven't seen it implemented yet.

The trailer also shows their adorable carefree personality as they're surprised by the Coffee Queen's name. They stagger back like an anime character as shown in the screenshot above.

We'll be able to play as the German blonde Leo when Tekken 8 releases on January 26, just a few months away. They'll be fighting against many combatants, like the first French fighter in Tekken Victor Chevalier and a mysterious Heihachi-like character named Reina, and the rest of the healthy launch roster for the new Tekken.

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Xbox just introduced its cutest console yet. On November 17, Xbox introduced a custom Bluey-themed Xbox Series X console. Alongside the console, a complementary controller features Bluey’s sister, Bingo.

Bluey, a 2018 hit animated Australian television series follows the adventures of a Blue Heeler puppy named Bluey. Bluey’s adventures often include her family— her mother, father and sister. The television series has gained vast audiences beyond children. Many even argue that the show isn’t for kids, but for all ages. And now, Bluey and friends are making their way to the Xbox.

Currently, Xbox is doing a giveaway sweepstakes for the console via Twitter. To enter you must be following the official Xbox Twitter as well as retweeting the sweepstakes. Contestants must be at least 18 years old and living in a country that supports Xbox. Anyone affiliated with Microsoft Corporation is not eligible to participate. The sweepstakes started on November 17 and is set to end on December 13.

Plus, Bluey the Videogame

Next to the custom console and controller that’s being given away, Bluey: The Videogame is coming to Xbox as well. The game hit screens on November 17, marking the very first console based Bluey game in the franchise. Players will be able to explore various locations from the show such as the Heeler House, Playgrounds, Creeks and more. Several games seen in the television series will be available as well. Some of those being the following: Keepy Uppy, Magic and Xylophone. 

There will be both a story mode and a free play mode available to play. Not to mention that all of this will have an online multiplayer mode so players can enjoy the Bluey experience with friends and family. Fans will be pleased to find in show references via items for your sticker book and dress up items throughout the various locations. 

Although the game isn’t included in the prizes for the sweepstakes, fans should still look forward to seeing their favorite blue heeler on their consoles. But the sweepstakes is still in full swing, you just might be one of the lucky winners.

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Xbox has a long history of making novelty consoles, and the latest one you'll get to enjoy is the chocolate bar Xbox Series X inspired by the upcoming Wonka movie.

The Wonka Xbox is designed to look like a delectable chocolate bar straight out of the fictional chocolatier's factory. It comes bundled with a display that looks like the front of Willy Wonka's whimsical store.

Despite how delectable it looks, you can't sink your teeth into the console, though Xbox has come up with ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. There's also an Xbox controller that is 100% edible. It comes in a gold wrapper and is accompanied by 5 chocolate truffles themed around gaming.

Xbox goes bonkers for Wonka

Taking inspiration from Roald Dahl's iconic children's tale, you'll have to enter a competition for the chance to score a Wonka Xbox. To do so, simply follow Xbox on Twitter and retweet the competition announcement with the hashtag #XboxWonkaSweepstakes. It appears that this will be your only shot at a chocolate Xbox, as the prizes are "limited to sweepstakes only – not available for retail."

The chocolate console isn't where the Xbox and Wonka collaboration ends. As the announcement reveals, the Microsoft Experience Centres in Sydney, London, and New York will feature a Willy Wonka-inspired display and puzzle box in the shape of a briefcase. Solve the puzzle, and you'll stand a chance to win some custom Xbox goodies.

The upcoming film hit screens on December 15, and it explores Willy Wonka's rise to stardom as a quirky chocolatier. Timothée Chalamet takes the lead, with Paul King serving as director.

The post The Wonka-inspired Xbox Series X looks good enough to eat appeared first on Destructoid.

Tekken 8 may not be launching until January, but Bandai Namco announced the 32nd and final combatant of the game's roster today. Ladies and gentlemen, enter the acrobatic Taido specialist, Reina.

Tekken 8 Director Kohei Ikeda took to the PlayStation Blog to detail how the character went from conception to reality. Bandai Namco also dropped a new Tekken 8 trailer today showcasing the mysterious fighter's skill set.

The trailer opens with Reina sitting on a throne of sorts before the nickname "Purple Lighting" is emblazoned across the screen. You quickly see why the moniker is fitting.

We see flashy snippets of bouts versus Feng, Hwoarang, Jun, Xiaoyu, Leroy, and Lars. All of whom are easily dispatched with a flurry of flips and kicks. Series lead Jin Kazama then steps in to show the latest entrant some manners.

Heihachi's protégé

As this is a Reina trailer, that doesn't exactly work out for Jin. But it's here that we get a tease as to what Reina's place is in Tekken 8's story. Jin asks "Who are you...?" To which Reina playfully replies "Jin senapai. We finally have our chance to fight!" As the two characters begin to battle, Reina easily disposes of Jin with an impressive set of attacks and combos.

While Reina's heritage is a purposeful mystery at this point, it's worth throwing out there that Purple Lightning may be a telling nickname. The use of lightning is a bit of a calling card for members of the Mishima family of fighters. And when Kazuya enters the trailer after Jin, there's an obvious distaste for one of the overarching villains of the Tekken series. The duo even leads with what appears to be opposing lightning attacks as their bout begins. And there may even be a tease of the new character possessing the Devil Gene that plagues some of the series' most important combatants.

In Kohei Ikeda's blog post, he indicates that Reina "plays a vital role in Tekken 8’s story". Ikeda also teases that the character "exudes a charismatic sense of evil, reflecting her character’s duality in both personality and fighting style." So it will remain unclear until the game launches which side of this family feud the character falls in line with (if any), but the implication definitely leans towards Reina being a potential missing heir of Heihachi Mishima.

With the recent reveal of the French fighter Victor Chevalier, and now Reina, we are at 32 confirmed characters. If you're interested in a breakdown of each, check out our complete list of all the Tekken 8 fighters revealed so far. The latest entry in the historic fighting series launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on January 26.

The post Tekken 8’s final launch character reveal is Reina appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm just as surprised as you, but DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is actually quite entertaining. It even brings its own unique mechanics to the overpopulated scene, iterating on a genre with loaded expectations.

It's no Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing, sure, but that's not what I'm asking for. The Dreamworks racer manages to capture plenty of lovely little details I love about its worlds, and they're worth a highlight.

It's the little things

More often than not, these tie-in games read like a cheap cash grab, leading to a disappointing result: Garfield Kart, anyone?

However, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing really plays like it has some love behind it. Each kart is decorated with references to the movies these characters come from. Race tracks are quite charming and take place in locations you remember from the flicks, like Far Far Away from Shrek 2 or Berk from How To Train Your Dragon.

Funnily enough, the DreamWorks mascot even rescues drivers with his fishing rod when falling off the stage. Developer Bamtang Games clearly took cues from beloved implementations of other kart racers, but less so in the typical ways that feel like cheapened crossover soup.

However, what's most important is how the driving feels, and I'm happy to report it's mostly smooth. Drifting around a corner at the end of the race gave me the boost I needed to win. It's also thrilling to pull off while you're in narrower sections of a track.

Admittedly, it does feel a bit slower than other kart racers in the market, but it still manages to deliver a rush of speed as you zip through a piano-like boost pad and edge out the win.

DreamWorks Kart Racing travels down a magic pathway

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing surprised me. It could have just been a run-in-the-mill kart racer, but it folds in a few interesting quirks to the gameplay. Among my favorites were the magic pathways.

Similar to mechanics in F-Zero 99, you can form a rainbow path above the typical track. Navigating the path perfectly makes it an effective shortcut. However, others can jump on the magic pathway, too, and it comes with hazards as paths fade over time. There's a risk/reward system that's captivating on the track.

The track design is inventive, too. In one track, you're trying to avoid perilous dragon flames while twisting and turning through a castle, and another has you bouncing up and down in a trampoline room. There's good variety in the mix, shaking things up between the typical stretches of road.

You'll see all manner of sights and sounds, shaping up to something surprisingly spectacular as you see familiar dragons from the franchise flying in the sky. There's also a starry Rainbow Road-like track inspired by the intro that plays before every DreamWorks film. It's complete with a glowing moon and bouncy purple clouds, making it my go-to pick.

While the items are a little lackluster, there are references to Dreamworks movies, like Shrek's onions. That was one of my bigger qualms with Disney Speedstorm, as it lacks those touches and uses generic items instead.

All-Stars get a little chatty, too

Prior GameMill Entertainment tie-ins like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 lacked voice acting at launch. However, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing takes advantage of this feature. You'll hear Shrek calling out Tigress on the track. Some even have some witty banter between them, and there are even references to famous lines in the movies. While Shrek's voice actor sounds like he's never visited Scotland in his life, most of the performances are decent.

Overall, I've enjoyed my time with DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing. While it's certainly not as polished or fun as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled, I'd still recommend this to any kid or DreamWorks Animation fan. Now, where's the Rise of the Guardians DLC?

[A review code was provided by the publisher to the writer]

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November 6 is Stranger Things Day. Canonically, this is the date that season one of the Netflix show opens on. It's a big deal for die hard fans of the show, and Behaviour Interactive figures it's as good a reason as any for another Dead by Daylight and Stranger Things crossover.

It was August 2019 that the first collaboration occurred between Dead by Daylight and Stranger Things. Known a the Stranger Things Chapter, it consisted of two new survivors, a new killer, a new map, and a batch of cosmetics. It quickly became a fan favorite amongst the Dead by Daylight audience. And now, like a horror villain that just won't die, it's back.

The new killer added to the survival game was the infamous, and horrific, Demogorgon. Much like in the show, it was terrifying to see it scurry around the map and lunge at the survivors with its gaping maw and vicious claws. It also has the ability to move around Hawkins National Laboratory via portals which added to both its versatility and potential for jump scares.

The two survivors added to the game were Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington. The duo were playable on a new map within the Stranger Things Chapter, the Hawkins National Laboratory: Undergound Complex. As you can see in the above trailer, it has a sinister and ominous feel to its halls. A perfect replication of what fans experience when viewing the show.

In addition to the survivors, killer, and map, all of the prior cosmetics will be making their return to the Dead by Daylight in-game store. The Jonathan Byers outfit is an alternative skin that can be applied. As well as Steve's Scoops Ahoy outfit from season two.

All of the Stranger Things Chapter content is available now in Dead by Daylight. Behaviour Interactive didn't specify how long the DLC would be available. So if you're interested in running through the depths of Hawkins as one of the show's heroes, pick it up while you can.

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It seems like it's well overdue, but Lightning McQueen is finally making his way to Rocket League. The Cars icon will be available for purchase beginning tomorrow, November 7.

Lightning McQueen is a reskinned Dominus body. The character car can be purchased individually or as part of the Lightning McQueen Mega Bundle listed at 2,500 credits. 3,000 credits can be purchased within the in-game store for $24.99.

The Lightning McQueen Mega Bundle is full of items that will make Pixar fans proud. In addition to Lightning McQueen's default 95 Rust-eze decal, there's also the cool blue Dinoco decal and a laid-back Cruisin' decal.

There are three different sets of Lightyear wheels to match each of the available decals. A Lightning McQueen player banner is included in the pack. And, of course, Psyonix implemented a Ka-chow goal explosion and added Rascal Flatts' "Life is a Highway" as a player anthem. The latter two and Lightning's Ruste-eze skin can be purchased individually if you aren't interested in the entire Mega Bundle.

Ka-chow

In watching the trailer, you can see that the character's emotive eyes are incorporated into his Rocket League design. Psyonix notes that the character/car is the first in the game to ever have dynamic expressions, which is a super cool addition.

It's unclear whether we'll get any voice-over lines from Owen Wilson or imitators, but one can hope. However, the aforementioned Ka-chow goal explosion and the inclusion of "Life is a Highway" are nice touches that fans are sure to appreciate.

As with most other licensed cars, there are some limitations in how you can modify Lightning's design. Only the three decals included in the Mega Bundle can be applied to the racecar (Rust-eze, Dinoco, and Cruizin’). Only select toppers, boosts, trails, and goal explosions can be added to Lightning's loadout. And antennas can't placed on top of the vehicle's roof.

The bundle and specific individual items are available for purchase as of tomorrow. Lightning McQueen and the Mega Bundle will remain available for purchase through November 21. You may be more inclined to bolster your garage now that player-to-player trading is set to end next month.

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There's no Batman, Luke Skywalker, or Jack Skellington in Fortnite's new OG Season. However, Fortnite has received its busiest day ever, receiving over 44.7 million players on Saturday, November 4, blowing the development team away.

Players spent a lot of time in Fortnite last weekend

"We're blown away by the response to #FortniteOG," said the game's official Twitter page. "Yesterday was the biggest day in Fortnite’s history with over 44.7 MILLION players jumping in and 102 MILLION hours of play."

The new OG season takes players back to the beginning of the battle royale mode. It brings back beloved locations like Tilted Towers, Greasy Grove, and Snobby Shores into the experience. This has obviously attracted fans to return to the game.

The classic Assault Rifle, Pump Shotgun, and Hunting Rifle are back. In addition, you can use the Damage Trap, Grappler, and Boogie Bomb. The latter is my personal favorite, as it forces your opponents to dance if they get hit by the grenade. You can also ride around in a Shopping Kart or an All Terrain Kart.'

If you're a regular Fortnite player, you can utilize the Reboot Rally. This is an incentive to get returning friends into the action. If you finish certain goals with them, you can get the Skerran Glider and more rewards.

Fans have reacted strongly

Fortnite news social media account HYPEX reposted a funny video with the returning shopping kart that has received 17.4 million views. It says, "NAH FORTNITE IS SO BACK." It has a hilarious laugh that doesn't fail to make you smile as the shopping kart single-handedly takes out two party members. Popular streamer Ninja has retweeted the post as well, likely bringing in more players to the battle royale.

Meanwhile, streamer Nick Eh 30 shared an impressive feat in-game. The clip has received over one million views. "I have missed the OG season, let me tell you," Nick said with a laugh, decimating two enemies simultaneously. "I love it."

On social media and around the world, there is a buzz around Epic Games' battle royale now more than ever.

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Xbox has had a busy year which involved the release of Starfield and the finalization of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

In a recent interview with Famitsu, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer spoke a little about the future of Microsoft's gaming platform. He also divulged some information about his personal gaming habits, which might be surprising to some. Though you may expect Specer to be glued to his Xbox, he loves his ASUS ROG Ally.

He claims that the handheld gaming device is useful for him, as he travels a lot. Interestingly, he refers to it as a kind of Xbox, as it allows him to use Game Pass, and he plays Starfield and Lies of P on it. He also feels the same way about the Steam Deck, which he also jokingly refers to as an Xbox.

Spencer's viewpoint does reflect a strategy that the company has laid out. As he has previously stated, he wants Game Pass to "come to every device," allowing millions of players around the world to build an Xbox gaming library without investing in a console.

Expanding the Xbox family

During the interview, Spencer gave some insight into the future of the gaming industry and how his company intends to respond to the constant changes. He highlights how there is a growing PC and mobile gaming market in Japan, and how Xbox has been benefitting from this. He claims the brand has been embraced by the Japanese market across multiple platforms.

Through Game Pass and cloud gaming, the Xbox family has expanded and enabled players on a variety of platforms to enjoy the ecosystem. Because of this, Spencer highlights how it is necessary to consider Nintendo and PlayStation players to be part of the Xbox community as well.

There are interesting times ahead for Microsoft's gaming division. According to leaks, we may be getting a diskless Xbox Series X redesign, and the next generation could be coming our way in 2028.

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The Tekken series is getting its first French fighter, as Victor Chevalier is joining the Tekken 8 roster alongside a new Paris-themed stage.

Announced on Thursday, game director and chief producer Katsuhiro Harada added context for the character on social media.

"Victor is actually the first French fighter for the TEKKEN franchise," said Harada. "I have had the idea of a French character in my mind for a long time and it finally came to fruition. Thanks to Vincent Cassel for inspiring me and for voicing him. And the stage is Paris itself, where I took my first Seine River cruise over 20 years ago."

Oui, oui, oui!

As Harada noted, Chevalier is voiced by French actor Vincent Cassel (Black Swan, La Haine). Victor Chevalier uses a blade, knife, and pistol as his weaponry. He also teleports across the screen as he slashes his opponents. Bandai Namco knows how to make older men look badass (remember Leroy Smith?).

The trailer also points out that Victor has a history with Raven, saying to him, "You've gotten pretty good, Raven."

A new stage set in Paris for the Tekken 8 Victor character

In this new Tekken 8 trailer, we see the action taking place on a boat moving across the river Seine. Harada said he took his first Seine River cruise over 20 years ago, inspiring this stage to come to life in game.

As you fight with Victor and other Tekken 8 fighters on the Paris stage, you'll see the sights like the Eifel Tower in the background. Hopefully, there's a nighttime section for the final round, in which it sparkles in gold lights—though there wasn't a hint towards that in the trailer.

It's interesting that Tekken 8 has a Paris-themed level because Street Fighter 6 has one too, set closer to the Eiffel Tower during a festival. It must be a good time for virtual brawling in France. Nevertheless, Tekken 8 releases on January 26 for the PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

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Mortal Kombat 1 has a hell of a DLC lineup on the way. Today's Omni-Man gameplay trailer showcases why he may just be the most badass of the bunch when he arrives this month.

Just as in the Invincible animated Amazon series, Omni-Man is voiced by the ridiculously awesome J.K. Simmons. Throughout the trailer, NetherRealm Studios shows off the actor's skills as he relentlessly mocks Liu Kang and his allies prior to beating the hell out of them.

We've seen what Omni-Man is capable of in a previous Mortal Kombat 1 trailer. But today's video puts the Viltrumite's full abilities on display. He's brutal, nimble, and of course, deadly. You don't need a subway train to showcase that.

A new kameo fighter is also on the way alongside Omni-Man's debut next week. Tremor, who originally debuted in 2000's Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, is a ninja like Sub-Zero and Scorpion but with earth powers. He pairs nicely as a kameo higher alongside Omni-Man. While the Invincible villain is pulling meteors from the atmosphere and smashing opponents with them, Tremor is doing the same with giant boulders right here from Earth.

Both combatants will join the fray on November 9 for those with the Kombat Pack. They are available a week later for everyone else as standalone DLC.

Following that, there's plenty more DLC in the pipeline. Quan-Chi and DC's Peacemaker are slated for sometime in the winter. Ermac and The Boys' Homelander are planned for spring. The apprentice of Scorpion himself, Takeda Takahashi, should be out as a playable fighter next summer. And Ferra, Janet Cage, Khameleon, and Mavado are all in the works as additional kameo fighters.

If you haven't given Mortal Kombat 1 a try, perhaps you should. In Destructoid's review, we thought it was great.

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While PC and PlayStation 5 owners are off adventuring, there's a large faction of players still awaiting the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox Series X|S release. Larian Studios previously stated that it should be rolling out this year, but we've yet to hear anything definitive.

Today, Larian's CEO Swen Vincke emerged to squelch any fears that may be growing from the Xbox fanbase. Via Twitter/X, he confirmed that the title is being "actively playtested" and remains on schedule for 2023.

It was back in August that Vincke confirmed the game was still slated to make a 2023 release. However, the game would not make the same release window as the PlayStation 5 version as compromises (the cutting of split-screen coop) had to be made on the Xbox Series S version of the hit RPG.

To that point, it appeared as though keeping parity across Xbox Series S and X was creating issues, as some have reported in the past. But when Baldur's Gate 3 became a smashing success on PC, Gaming CEO Phil Spencer decided that perhaps complete similarities across the Series X and Series S versions of titles weren't entirely necessary.

With that, the Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox release is slated for late 2023. And since Larian's CEO confirming things are going well, Xbox players should be able to get their hands on the highly reviewed RPG at some point in the next couple of months.

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As food prices rise around the world, it's more important than ever to save money on games. There are a few things you may not consider, which we'll dive into right now.

Check your local library

This might be a shock to you, but there are libraries that let you rent out video games for free. While I was living in Edmonton, I used the library so much because of this. While it took a long time to get new releases (around a month typically), I was able to catch up on franchises like Resident Evil and Fire Emblem because of the library near me.

Look at the deal-searching websites and Reddit groups

If you want to find the best video game deals, you should check out the information available on websites like Cheap Ass Gamer and Game Deals Canada. They can compile great gaming deals for you, especially during Black Friday. There are some Reddit groups, including r/Game Deals and r/NintendoSwitchDeals that provide up-to-date sales info as well.

Facebook Marketplace is fantastic for saving money

You can find some awesome deals on Facebook Marketplace if you're fast enough. New releases can be cheaper used from regular people rather than GameStop. For example, I found Final Fantasy XVI and Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon for $60 Canadian ($45 US) each from one seller a few months after release.

Game bundles can be fantastic

PC gamers might be familiar with Humble Bundle, a retailer that packs a bunch of games together and allows you to save money on awesome games, often while supporting a good cause. During October 2023, there was the Laugh Till You Die: Multiplayer Mayhem charity bundle, including popular games like PlateUp! and Ultimate Chicken Horse in a pack of seven. It also costs around $10; PlateUp! alone costs $19.99 USD usually.

Fanatical is another great option. It offers cheap bundles, and for some, you can actually select what you want. For example, the Build Your Own Play As You Go bundle in October had Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Doom, The Walking Dead: The TellTale Series The Final Season, and The Ascent, among other high quality games. If you bought three, it would be around $10, but if you get 7, it would total about $20, saving you cash.

Ask a friend to lend you a game

The best way to save money on games is to ask a friend to lend their titles. If you want to check out Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and see a friend who has it playing Diablo 4 instead, perhaps ask if you could borrow their copy of the latest COD. They might say yes. Just make sure you schedule a time to return the game with your pal.

Check out the thrift stores and pawn shops

Pawn shops are a fantastic way to get modern titles. For example, I saw the often expensive Mario Tennis Aces for $35 CAD ($25 USD) at a pawn shop the other week. If you're lucky, you can also find some retro gems in thrift stores. I found a few rare PS2 games available, including the valuable PS2 port of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Read the flyers and check the deals pages

Try to read the weekly flyers when you can. They offer some surprising deals at times. In Canada, they're still around often, but I found them difficult to find with some American brands, at least online.

Thankfully, you can check the deals sections of these retailers. For example, on Walmart, I found that Yoshi's Crafted World was $10 off, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was $20 off on a random October night.

Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra are the best ways to save money on games

Both subscription services Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra offer a wealth of titles to check out for less than $20 a month. Xbox Game Pass is arguably the better of the two with new games like Starfield and Lies of P launching on the platform day one. You can also play the entirety of the Halo and Gears of War series on the service. There are some other standouts like Disney Dreamlight Valley and indies such as Celeste and Inside on Xbox Game Pass.

However, PlayStation Plus Extra has an impressive suite of titles too, such as Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, Demon's Souls (PS5), and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. You can catch up on the games you've missed as well. For example, I never caught up with NieR Replicant, and now it's available on PlayStation Plus Extra.

Use Bing to get gift cards on Xbox

This might sound like a joke to you, but I use Bing for the majority of my searches rather than Google. Why? Because I can get points towards gift cards on Xbox and other rewards. After a month of searches, this number can increase dramatically, letting you redeem them for a $5 gift card code. You can also answer fun quizzes to get some points. If you're an Overwatch or League of Legends fan, you can get in-game currency with your points too. It's been very helpful for me, and I've probably saved $50 or more with this method.

PlayStation Stars offers up money too

PlayStation Stars can also get you some cash on the PlayStation Store. You'll get points back from your purchases and finishing tasks on the PlayStation App. You can then redeem them for digital gift cards or actual games like Cuphead. Some of these tasks include playing games from the PlayStation Plus lineup that month or checking out new titles in the Store.

The Nintendo eShop also gives you back some cash on your purchases too in the form of gold coins. You'll typically get $4 back on every $80 game you buy, according to My Nintendo. However, there are no additional tasks you complete for more currency.

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Today's Xbox showcase debuted new footage and releases for games headed to Game Pass and Series X|S devices, including Ark, Like A Dragon, Alan Wake 2, and more.

New reveals for other games, like Robocop: Rogue City, The Final, and Ikaro: Will Not Die, were also featured at the show. While they aren't all brand-new titles, we did see gameplay reveals and demonstrations for games planning a 2024 launch, and even a few coming up soon. For a full list, keep scrolling; we've included the TLDR plus the Xbox Showcase trailer.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth adds Animal Crossing

Release Date: January 26, 2024
Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Windows), PS4, PS5
Yakuza can, and will, get all of us into the series someway, somehow. During today's Xbox Partner showcase, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku debuted footage from Like a Dragon: Infinite Welath's DonDoko Island getaway mode. It's like Animal Crossing, just not for the small children in your life. Anyway, the island looks to maintain the endearing series humor, and I dig it.

First look at Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater

Release Date: TBD
Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC
The 2004 PlayStation 2 MGS3 is back, almost 20 years later, as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. The Xbox showcase delivered Konami's first in-engine look at the remake in Unreal Engine 5. It's drastically different from the game I played as a child, but if you asked me to describe it back then, it'd probably be something this dramatic and intense.

Ark: Survival Ascended gameplay footage

Available Now
Xbox Series X|S, PS5
Ark, one of the earlier go-to survival games, is getting a top-to-bottom remake. This Unreal Engine 5 version adds cross-platform modding and major overhauls to the dino adventure you're familiar with. New creature intelligence, physics, lighting, and rendering systems aim to deliver Ark, plus all of its DLC, in a modern, upgraded experience.

Alan Wake 2 launch trailer featuring Saga

Release Date: October 27, 2023
Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC (Epic Games Stores)
We're close to Alan Wake 2's big day with just two days left. Today's Xbox Preview showcase delivered one more tease to hold fans over until it's time to revisit the writer's horror story. In the latest footage, we get a glimpse of Saga Anderson's side of the tale and a few monsters that I really nail the whole demonic-ex-smoker vibe.

Still Wakes the Deep

Release Date: 2024
Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, PS5, PC (Steam)
I can't believe it's taken us this long to get a game about a hellish oil rig — it seems so obvious now. The studio behind Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, The Chinese Room, is working on a horrifying, first-person action game delivering just that. The latest trailer is an eerie tour through the collapsing oil rig full of distant screams and nerve-wracking dives.

Dungeons of Hinterberg

Release Date: 2024
Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass
Dungeons of Hinterberg appeals to the cottagecore, Zelda lover in me. Another look at this action-adventure RPG showed off combat, cozy hangouts, and how you'll grow relationships as Luisa. Developer Curve Games cheekily calls it a "slaycation," as you'll balance dungeon challenges with socializing in the Austrian Alps. It's a striking one, with its vibrant, almost coloring-book-style art and charming designs. My list of cozy games grows longer.

Spirit of the North 2

Release Date: TBD
Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store)
I'll never grow tired of a sad-looking animal game. Once again, Spirit of the North follows a lonely fox (this one's different) and adds a Raven companion to the journey. The original adventure from Infuse Studio was all about atmosphere and nature in a journey to find your way home. The sequel looks like a lovely return to the same spirit but given the added benefit of time and new consoles.

Manor Lords

Release Date: April 26, 2024 (Game Preview)
PC Game Pass, Steam
This city builder goes back to Ye Olde Days. Instead of highrises and bus routes, you'll build the village well and marketplace. The latest trailer shows off Manor Lords' regional divides, wars, and day-to-day life. It may not offer any modern marvels, but it certainly looks like there's a lot to do for folks itching to try another city-building sim.

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The best Disney games honor the source material and are exciting to play for all ages. From kart racing, to farming, to platforming, there's a surprising amount of variety. Here are the best Disney games you can play in 2023.

[Note: I'm including games you can easily access on modern platforms. Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to get a copy of Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure in 2023. Otherwise, I'd put it on the list!]

Cars 3: Driven to Win

Cars 3: Driven to Win takes the Mario Kart approach and makes for a surprisingly good Disney racing game. You're driving through locations from the film, and trying to triumph in the race, items included. There's a wide variety of characters to drive as, including Lightning, Cruz Ramirez, and even the unconventional Mater.

There's also a decent drifting and boosting system in place in the game, making it feel high-speed.

Disney’s Aladdin

Disney's Aladdin took "one jump ahead" to the platforming genre with fun platforming levels, groundbreaking 2D roto-scoping animation, and a great recreation of the desert city Agrabah in game form. This game's tough, however, so I'd recommend getting the Disney Classic Games Collection.

It has the function to rewind and even does a perfect playthrough for you. For the latter feature, you can also jump into the game whenever you'd like. The collection can switch between the Genesis and Super Nintendo versions of the game too.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Disney Dreamlight Valley is an absolute joy for any fan of the House of Mouse. In this relaxing Animal Crossing-like experience, you're rebuilding a town, as well as bringing back old and new Disney characters to the settlement. It's quite satisfying when the town gets busier and busier.

You'll also be cooking a bunch of recipes from the ingredients you grow and collect from around the world. You'll need to have some patience too in this game with the farming elements!

Disney Infinity on Steam

What once was a toys-to-life game (remember those?), Disney Infinity has become a comprehensive package on Steam. You can get all the characters and campaigns through the Gold Collection on Valve's client. You won't need a figure. Within the game are some charming levels, simple Lego-like beat-em-up sections you can play with your family, and great production values all around. For example, in Disney Infinity 1.0, you can explore the Caribbean on a pirate ship.

You can't share your creations online, but there's a pretty awesome toolset for making your own levels as well.

Disney Speedstorm

Disney Princesses don't have to wait for their "prince to come." Instead, they can race around all manner of landmarks throughout the animation studio's history. From Mulan's Great Walls of China to Aladdin's Agrabah, there are exciting places to explore on your kart.

The action's intense, the driving's surprisingly smooth for a tie-in game like this, and the graphics are top-notch. I personally love that each item you use has a second ability from holding down the corresponding button.

The problem is that it's free-to-play and has a lot of barriers in place to unlock your favorite characters. Still, the game itself is thrilling to play; it's worth the headaches. Read my review for more information.

DuckTales

Available through The Disney Afternoon Collection, you can play this platforming classic in 2023. You're using Scrooge's cane as a pogo stick, bumping enemies. The level design is immaculate.

The music is also phenomenal, especially the Moon level's theme, which cover artists still love to highlight to this day. Like Aladdin's port to modern systems, you can rewind the game as well, making this game more accessible to modern players. It might be an NES game, but you might go quackers over it.

"Borrowing a page from Mega Man with its freeing world selection system, the maps themselves are full of twists, turns, alternate paths, and secret areas," Chris Carter says in his Destructoid review for The Disney Afternoon Collection. "Like most of the Afternoon Collection, it stands on its own two feet, free of the shackles of nostalgia."

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX

If you know me, this selection isn't a surprise at all. Kingdom Hearts is near and dear to my heart. The characters are relatable, the storyline is surprisingly deep, and the action RPG combat system keeps me coming back over and over. I've always found it wonderful how the magical worlds of Disney blend with the Final Fantasy-esque storyline and combat.

Mickey flips around like Star Wars' Yoda and uses a golden keyblade, while Final Fantasy X's tough Auron takes on Hercules' Cerberus in the Underworld alongside our heroes Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Kingdom Hearts is bonkers, and I'm here for it. The combat's also top of the line with some stunning abilities at Sora's disposal like Sonic Blade and Ragnarok. The bosses, for the most part, are also well-designed and will challenge you.

It's been said many times, but the fusion of Disney and Square Enix properties shouldn't work. And yet, it's a perfect match. Please get on the gummi ship and take a journey into the wacky chaos, which is the Kingdom Hearts series.

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On paper, The Thaumaturge sounds like a delight. The unique setting of 20th Century Warsaw? Check. A turn-based RPG combat system that changes based on the spirit you use? Check. In practice, everything comes together in a confusing fashion. Let's dig into it.

A slow start to The Thaumaturge's story

The beginning of the demo for The Thaumaturge is as flat as it gets. You're not given an aspiring introduction, telling you why you should care. The background of the world just flies past your ears into a solace wall behind you. You're left with a protagonist that isn't relatable, and voice acting that's uninteresting across the board. The game's dialogue isn't particularly personality-filled and the performances come off as wooden more often than not. To add insult to injury, the story didn't click with me until perhaps near the end of the demo. While I wasn't interested in the protagonist's narrative, it may be fascinating to find out the backstory of these spirits called Saluters and how you acquire their powers. It's kinda similar to Persona as you can gain their powers in combat after defeating them.

The Thaumaturge combat system is surprisingly cinematic

Speaking of the combat system in The Thaumaturge, I was surprised by how cinematic the game is. You get unique angles on some attacks that look deadly. The main character only punches his way so far in this early point of the game. Eventually, we'll be able to "use the unique set of their skills to gain an advantage while exploring the world and when bringing your adversaries to their knees," said publisher 11 bit studios on the game's Steam page. I'm anxious to see it play out.

The boss was tough but...

When I faced the boss in the demo, I started to turn against the combat system. I thought the only way to heal normally was through the ability Eerie Intoxication, which restores half of what you've lost in a round during the attack. Through multiple attempts, the amount of damage incurred on your character makes his healing ineffective at a certain point of the battle. I fell to it three times.

However, I discovered a big mechanic that the developer Fool's Theory needs to make way more obvious. You can upgrade your attacks with added quirks if you drag and drop certain arrows into place, but the UI is so odd it's hard to spot. For example, you can get a 60% chance of doubling the strength of one of your attacks. This is massive and changes the complexity of the battle. These essential upgrades are hidden within menus, and the UI should show how important they are.

Additionally, the protagonist has an additional ability called Not of this World, which causes a chunk of damage AND heals your character by half of their health. It unlocks later down the line of battle after you've staggered a foe into its breakdown state. You'll need to eliminate all of their focus to do this. It's interesting, but poorly setup.

Investigating the area

You won't just be battling foes in The Thaumaturge. You'll be exploring locations, picking up items, and trying to figure out what exactly happened before you arrived. There's a Perception mechanic, that lets you scan the area around you. It's not as intuitive as I'd like, and at one point in the game, I was running around not knowing where to go next. Sometimes, you may need to head to the other sub-quest to actually complete the one you're on; keep that in mind.

An aspect of the game that seems to have promise is the dialogue choices. It seems like what you decide will actually make an impact on the narrative. For example, the game teases whether or not you should trust Rasputin on this adventure. The Steam page says the game "allows you to alternate your choices and make you deal with the aftermath." Hopefully, the developer will pull off that promise.

An early showing of Unreal Engine 5

The Thaumaturge, like Immortals of Aveum, runs on Unreal Engine 5. The environments look pretty with some great Lumen and Volumetric lighting all around. The quality of the monsters' renders is super detailed as well. Unfortunately, I'm taking an all-expenses paid trip to the Uncanny Valley with the characters. The expressions of the likes of Rasputin and other personalities in the game creeped me out a little. The eyes kinda look dead inside as well. Something just rubbed me the wrong way.

Despite the character models, however, The Thamaturge looks fantastic on my monitor on Epic settings. I can't wait to see the game's interpretation of Warsaw in the full title. It will be released on December 5 for PC systems. A PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release is also scheduled sometime in early 2024.

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The kart racing genre is known for many mediocre franchise tie-in titles. NASCAR, DreamWorks, and even Garfield have entered the party with varying results. Sonic and Crash are arguably the only two that can somewhat rival Mario and his friends. Disney Speedstorm is on the cusp of that.

Disney Speedstorm hits and adds some new mechanics and twists to the genre. While the overall game is impressive, it will be hard for many to ignore the microtransactions that poison the sweet apple that's this game (expect many Disney references, you have been warned).

Disney Speedstorm (PC, PS5 [Reviewed], PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch [Reviewed], iOS, Android)
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: September 28, 2023
MSRP: Free to play

"One Jump Ahead" of Mario Kart, in some ways

Disney Speedstorm is a refreshing addition to the kart racing genre. It brings all of these beloved Disney characters together, like Aladdin and Jack Sparrow, but also adds some awesome gameplay mechanics to the format. The Disney characters aren't the only attraction, unlike other tie-in games that live off the property's name and do the bare minimum.

One of the thrilling mechanics is the charged skill system. When you pick up an item, there are two variations of moves you can pull off. For example, with a mine, you can throw it in front of you or hold the item button to create an explosion in your near vicinity. This adds more of an element of strategy to the game. I hope Nintendo takes notes as I find the items in the Mario Kart series, like the banana and bombs, a bit repetitive and old.

There's also a slight tang of the Burnout series in Disney Speedstorm, as you can ram other players into the walls. I'm surprised such a violent move can be found in a game inspired by the House of Mouse. Additionally, you can use a nitro boost to speed yourself up, like in Team Sonic Racing and Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled.

These mechanics truly add to the kart racing experience. "For the First Time in Forever," we're actually seeing some innovation within a tired genre.

A great start to the action but...

With Gameloft's experience with the Asphalt series, it's no surprise that Disney Speedstorm feels great to control. While the kart does move a little slower than I'd like, drifting around is a dream. Boosting also feels powerful as you work your way through the hills of the Steamboat Willie-inspired The Silver Screen track and around the halls of Monster's Inc.'s Factory.

I personally love that each character has their own unique item as well. Donald lays out fists around him as he gets angry, while Aladdin rides his magic carpet across the stage. Jafar also bursts fire from his scepter. It makes each character unique and makes me want to try out everyone on the roster.

I'm happy to report that the game runs smoothly on both the PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The tracks look gorgeous on Sony's latest system, and while the Nintendo Switch does have a few rare hiccups here and there, Disney Speedstorm does run well on the hybrid system. It's also cross-play and cross-save compatible, so you can take the game anywhere you'd like to go and play it with anyone you'd like.

Leveling up your character...

My main issue is that your characters need to be leveled up for better stats. For offline play, thankfully, this isn't a big issue. However, your success in the single-player Season Tour mode depends on your character's top speed, acceleration, handling, boost, and combat. You won't be on an equal playing field at points. Mulan might be too slow to finish a race in the first place.

You'll need to get upgrade parts to level up your characters. Most of the time, I've been able to get them easily through unlocking them in the Season Tour mode and Starter Circuit. However, there have been points where I've had to grind for upgrade parts to proceed. It can be frustrating, and this is where the microtransactions rear their ugly head.

The good thing is that everyone is on a level playing field when you play the multiplayer mode. Your characters are automatically at Level 30, which is the regulated level of Regulated Multiplayer. The Ranked mode, however, does depend on your character's stats, so keep that in mind. It does feel pay-to-win in this instance.

There are so many microtransactions!

Like The Goofy Movie with Goofy and Max, you'll need to be "I2I" with the micro-transactions in this game. There are so many to keep count of that it can be overwhelming. Here's an explanation of each of them:

• Tokens - This is the main currency used towards character tokens, vehicle parts, crew members, etc.
• Multiplayer Coins - These are gained through finishing leaderboard events and doing well in ranked multiplayer. This is used for costumes and multiplayer boxes (loot boxes that give you random rewards).
• Season Coins - This is the most common currency you'll earn through finishing races in the Season Tour and Starter Circuit modes.
• Box Credits - These are credits that can be used for opening specifically marked boxes in the Shop.

Gameloft should have streamlined the microtransaction process to make the process clearer. There's also the Golden Pass and Collections level system to keep track of, which gives you character tokens, crew shards, and even mottos. It's a lot to take in and initially turned me off the game at first. With a family title like this, I bet kids are even more confused. Families would wish they'd have a "Friend Like Me" explaining this while playing Disney Speedstorm, I'm certain.

It can be irritating to miss out on your favorite characters like Stitch and Woody as well due to missing each season. You can get them from the Universal Box, but it's ridiculously difficult to get them. For example, to get Angel from Lilo & Stitch at the time of writing, there's a 0.98% chance of getting 1-3 racer shards from the Universal Box. You'll need ten racer shards to get her.

Disney Speedstorm has so much potential though

It's so irritating that there's a bad micro-transaction system in Disney Speedstorm because I genuinely love this game. If it was released at $39.99 and had all of the characters, tracks, and content, it would be marked as one of the best kart racing games out there.

There's a deep love of Disney behind each track design. You're maneuvering around plumes of fire in the Cave of Wonders before the lion opens its mouth, letting you out. Disney Speedstorm has a track based on Mulan that has you racing on the Great Walls of China Wipeout style, with the rockets from the avalanche scene becoming an obstacle later on.

In the Hercules stage, you're drifting around a gorgeous depiction of Mount Olympus as you're listening to a banging electronic remix of the film's opening song, "The Gospel Truth."

The tracks are also laid with fun obstacles and beautiful scenery inspired by the films we know and love. I especially like seeing the colorful and summer vibes of the Hawaii stage from Lilo & Stitch. It's just a shame that the game gets a little repetitive with a small selection of tracks currently.

If you're a Disney fan, you're going to see a lot of references. The music is a bit of a mixed bag with some fantastic remixes of tracks we've grown up with and then others that go overboard with the dubstep and techno beats.

Disney Speedstorm "Goes the Distance" and makes a rough landing

Disney Speedstorm is certainly "on a roll" with its electrifying stages and game design, but it's certainly not "undefeated." The confusing microtransactions pull it down and become an annoying distraction to what's great in this kart racer. While a love for the Disney product is certainly present in Disney Speedstorm, there are a few annoying aspects of the game to be mindful of.

Thankfully, you can play the game offline with all the characters unlocked. You can participate in the multiplayer modes, too, with a rotating selection of guest racers. As the game proceeds, we'll be getting new tracks and characters every two months, so there will be a regular stream of content incoming for Disney Speedstorm.

[This review is based on the Ultimate Founder’s Pack of the game provided by the publisher.]

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While Redfall fell short of the mark earlier this year, Arkane has continued to tune and update its vampiric shooter with updates. And a new one today adds a few very welcome additions, including a Performance Mode for Redfall players on Xbox Series consoles.

Game Update 2 adds a Performance Mode for Redfall on Xbox Series X|S. While the notes don't list it, Arkane had previously stated this would be a 60 FPS mode. A welcome bump in frames, that also coincides with some PC performance and stability improvements.

On the gameplay side, Redfall adds a big improvement to its stealth gameplay. Players should now be able to sneak up on and take down both Cultists and Bellwether mercenaries if they're holding a staked weapon. Previously, the stealth in Redfall could be generously described as a sneaky hockey check. Now, the survivors of Redfall seem to have figured that if it's good enough to stab a vampire, it's probably effective on people, too.

Raising the stakes

Elsewhere, Arkane is tackling improved enemy AI, various quality-of-life fixes for characters (especially for pet hero Remi), and ammo distribution. Several improvements have been made to the default Aim Assist and Dead Zone tuning, which Arkane recommends players dig back into if they're using a controller.

All of these updates seem like welcome additions, though it's hard not to wonder if it's a little late. Redfall had one of the most notably rough launches of the year. Its player counts have dipped significantly, and as I wrote in my review at the time, you have to wonder how much here is salvageable. Seeing some improvements focused around its more compelling, typically-Arkane areas like stealth and the non-conventional stake weapons, as well as a Performance Mode, is encouraging.

Either way, Bethesda's asserted that Redfall won't be left out to dry. The video game industry does love a redemption arc; Cyberpunk 2077 is more than enough proof, alongside the likes of No Man's Sky or Final Fantasy XIV. Those are usually accompanied by massive investments, in time and production, the type of thing most companies wouldn't go for. Will Redfall get that chance? Can it do the same? We'll have to see as its post-launch cycle continues to play out.

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Gameloft has teased that Frozen and The Little Mermaid are a part of the Disney Speedstorm roadmap over the next four months. Frozen's Arendelle and five new characters from the popular animated franchise will appear this November.

Later on, four racers from The Little Mermaid will emerge to the surface in January. Additionally, four mystery bonus characters will join mid-season.

Disney Speedstorm just boosted out of the Early Access period and released its 1.0 version. This means that anyone can play the game under its free-to-play model. It's available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. There's also crossplay and cross-play functionality.

To help celebrate the launch, Gameloft announced its upcoming roadmap. We know that the environments from the undersea Atlantica and frozen tundra around Arendelle will emerge as two locations players will race around in.

The Disney Speedstorm roadmap also teases that new content will be released every two months.

As part of Season 4 of the game, Disney fans can now race as Aladdin, Genie, Jasmine, and even Jafar. Four bonus characters, including Hades and Gaston, will be joining the game mid-season as well. The other two are a mystery right now.

So far, these are the Disney properties included in the game so far:

• Mickey and friends
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Hercules
• Beauty and the Beast
• Mulan
• Lilo & Stitch
• The Jungle Book
• Monster's Inc
• Toy Story
• Aladdin

Perhaps one day, Gameloft will include Cars' Radiator Springs and 101 Dalmatians' London as race tracks in the future.

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Cyberpunk 2077 is getting another patch just a couple of weeks after the 2.0 update dropped. Despite receiving a slew of gameplay overhauls and bug fixes, it can still be a glitchy game.

CD Projekt Red announced the patch on its website with fixes both platform-specific and across all releases. Most of these aren't large improvements, ranging from adjusting radio songs' volume to properly initiating a glitched gig. One now-fixed bug I experienced is the distorted screen effect not disappearing after the Automatic Love quest.

Two notes are particularly notable as fairly big fixes, though.

The first is a nasty bug that corrupts PS5 saves for exceeding file limits, and the studio's solution is increasing the maximum size for files. Corrupted saves are unfortunately not recoverable, and CDPR recommends you keep a manual save before the corrupted point.

More so on the side of general improvements, performance should see a bump across all platforms, with upgrades to Dogtown, notably. It's technically an improvement throughout Cyberpunk's world, but Dogtown was highlighted as a notable area where issues occurred.

The post implies several smaller fixes are also on the way as CD Projekt Red mentions those noted are just the highlights. Another thing missing from the post is a specific release date for the patch other than it's coming soon.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a far more stable release than in 2020, but it's great that CD Projekt Red is still regularly rolling out more fixes. It's not a surprise a content drop as big as Phantom Liberty introduced a few more problems the team is working on fixing. Hopefully, Cyberpunk 2077 will stand as a finely polished RPG by the time it's last fixes release.

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Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2's official release date is November 3, as announced by the game's Twitter page on Tuesday. You can now wishlist the platform fighter on Steam, and digital pre-orders will go live in October.

This out-of-the-blue announcement for the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 release date does not mention any special editions. However, we know the game's content-packed already. The sequel adds a new roguelike single-player campaign: you'll be fighting Danny Phantom villain Vlad Plasmius as you explore the Nickelodeon universe. Furthermore, the Steam page shows bosses like SpongeBob Squarepants' King Jellyfish, and the presentation overall looks inspired by the World of Light mode from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

On the same Steam page, publisher GameMill Entertainment claims "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2’s roster is better than ever, with even more variety in how each unique character plays," Some characters like Helga seem to be cut while newer entrants like Squidward and Jimmy Neutron take center stage. Fo those that made it, every character is getting a revamped moveset in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. The visuals and audio have also been improved with "new animations, modes, stages, mechanics, [and] taunts." Similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, this follow-up introduces new supers for each character as well.

These new features may improve the review score for the game. The original currently has a middling 63-71 Metacritic rating, based on the platform.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 heads for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on November 3.

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The free-to-play My Hero Academia Ultra Rumble is launching on September 28, as announced by publisher Bandai Namco on Thursday. The anime-based battle royale will be available on all major platforms, including the Nintendo Switch.

18 characters, both heroes and villains, will be available at launch. This includes the recent additions of Eijiro Kirishima, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Ibara Shiozaki. You'll unlock these through in-game currency and pulls. Todoroki, fresh from his appearance in Fortnite, is also in this battle royale.

A Twitter (X) follower campaign for My Hero Ultra Rumble

Bandai Namco has also announced a Twitter (X, ugh) follower campaign. If the account gets 10,000 new followers from now until September 27, everyone will get the following as in-game rewards:

• +1,000 followers = 1,000 Agency Points
• +3,000 followers = Three Roll Tickets pulls
• +5,000 followers = 2,500 Hero Crystals
• +7,000 followers = Five Roll Tickets pulls
• +10,000 followers = One character ticket (which is an instant unlock)

My Hero Academia: Ultra Rumble is a 24-player battle royale that has you compete in teams of three. Each character has their own unique moves to bring to the table. For example, Bakugo has his explosive fists, while Yaoyorozu can summon ranged cannon fire.

You can mix and match heroes and villains to create the best team. Like many other battle royale games, there are costumes to unlock too.

For example, the first Mission Event will give Uraraka a red and orange look while Tsuyu has a stealthy black and purple design. There will be three events per season that have you "[completing] objectives to earn limited-time rewards," according to the game's official Twitter account.

Additional outfits can also be retrieved by using Roll Tickets and Hero Crystals. My Hero Academia Ultra Rumble hopes to leave a mark during this busy gaming season.

Animes and RPGs are such a great power couple, however, so hopefully one day My Hero Academia will receive a roleplaying game inspired by the Persona series in the future. That's simply a wish though.

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The Jackbox Party Pack 10 will be released on October 19, as announced by Jackbox Games on Thursday. It will feature five new games, including a sequel to the beloved Tee K.O. There's also a music-making game called Dodo Re Mi. You can now wishlist the game on Steam.

The selection of games available within the 10th Party Pack include:

• Tee K.O. 2
• FixyText
• Hynotorious
• Timejinx
• Dodo Re Mi

We only know vague details about each game, however. FixyText is based on text editing. In a frantic group, you're "typing all at once to make the most memorable statement," according to the Steam page. Something that will likely make the game entertaining is that you can't delete anything you write.

Hypnotorious is a hidden identity game. It's apparently a "game with secret roles, tentative alliances, and of course silly answers to ridiculous questions." It may be similar to Monster Seeking Monster and Push the Button.

Meanwhile, Timejinx is a trivia title that revolves around a time traveller from the future. You'll be trying to "save your current timeline by answering questions about the past." It doesn't sound as deadly as Trivia Murder Party but seems like fun, for sure.

Lastly, Dodo Re Mi has your phone as an instrument. You'll be working together to "escape the hungry jungle plant."

Thankfully, The Jackbox Party Pack 10 will be coming to all major gaming platforms, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. We also know you can play the game with English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish language options from day one.

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Ubisoft has confirmed that Tom Clancy's The Division 3 is in the works, with Massive Entertainment leading development. The French publisher also announced it tapped Julian Gerighty as the new executive producer for The Division brand. He will dive into the new role once his work as creative director on Star Wars Outlaws is wrapped up.

In a Twitter post, Massive announced Gerighty's move to the brand. According to the announcement, he "will oversee all games and products, including Tom Clancy’s The Division 3, led by Massive Entertainment who is actively building a team for the game."

Development on The Division 3 kicks off after Outlaws

Massive is currently underway developing both Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws. The Swedish company, acquired by Ubisoft in 2008, is also behind the first two games in The Division franchise. Once Star Wars Outlaws is shipped, Gerighty will fully move into his executive producer role and help "build a team" for the third game. Until then, he remains "fully committed to making Star Wars Outlaws a success both for the development team and fans."

Ubisoft confirming The Division 3 certainly isn't a surprise, with Gerighty casually mentioning that the franchise has earned around 40 million players.

"We may have over 40 million players, but The Division is still in its early years as a franchise," Gerighty said in a news release. "There are so many incredible stories to tell, places to explore and people to protect."

There is some strong sentiment that The Division is here to stay and grow. With today's announcement, The Division 3 becomes the third game in the series currently in development under Ubisoft. The Division Heartland, a free-to-play shooter coming to consoles and PC, is headed by Red Storm Entertainment. And in case you forgot, like we did, Ubisoft is also making The Division Resurgence for mobile.

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