Blanka Ballin'

This past weekend saw Street Fighter 6 make arguably its biggest debut on the international platform to date, as players rolled up to the Daytona Beach Ocean Center for prestigious fighting game tournament CEO 2023 — Three straight days of intense, hard-hitting, and uber-hype fighting action.

While there were plenty of excellent scrappers on deck, including Tekken 7, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Guilty Gear Strive, and The King of Fighters XV, most eyes were on Capcom's recent release, as CEO would offer one of the best opportunities yet to see how SF6 was progressing — both popularity wise and meta wise — on the big stage. When the doors opened, we got something of an answer, as just under 1,100 players showed out for the newest fighter on the block. An incredible number, to say the least.

While one would think that this huge number of players would lead to incredibly cramped timings for brackets, especially in pools, CEO 2023 also made it very clear that SF6 is one of the fastest-playing titles in series history.Many sets, including those in the Top 24, flew by at lightning pace, adding further fuel to the recent arguments that SF6 should consider going Best of Five in a tournament capacity, rather than the traditional Best of Three. I'm sure Manon is well up for that change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=981ptSRjrKw

As proceedings drew to an end on Sunday, MenaRD walked away as the 1 vs. 1000, with their Blanka defeating Nephew's Juri to become CEO 2023 Street Fighter 6 champion. The weekend gave pro-pundits and armchair quarterbacks plenty of opportunity to dissect the title in its honeymoon period, with concerns raised over the Drive Rush mechanic, and a realization that the Feet Jokes are not funny anymore and are actually really fuckin' distracting.

But, more importantly than all of that, CEO 2023 was a sign of fine, fine health in the Fighting Game Community, with SF6 laying strong foundations for incoming fighters Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 8 to follow. Stalwart titles such as KoF XV, GG Strive, and DBFZ retain their popularity, while classics such as Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and even Def Jam: Fight for New York carried torches for their own passionate fanbases.

If you missed the action, then be sure to check out the stream recordings on CEOGaming Twitch.

The incredible number of SF6 entrants bodes well for the summer season and the FGC at large, and with a slew of fantastic fighters on the market right now, with promising new titles en route, 2024 is set to be an absolutely stellar year for fans of the digital punch-party.

But the feet thing... It's time we all let it go. And yes, that includes me.

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Of course, you realize this means war...

Publisher Warner Bros Games and developer Player First Games have officially called time on both Wabbit Season and Duck Season — The extended "beta" for platform fighter MultiVersus has been officially taken offline, bringing brings an end to one of the most questionable fighting game debuts in recent history. MultiVersus is currently expected to relaunch in "early 2024".

The free-to-play scrapper's servers are closed, ending a bizarre "test" phase that simultaneously had multiple seasons and additional paid DLC characters, skins, and stages. While MultiVersus players still have access to local Vs. matches and the fighter’s training mode, (known as “The Lab”), the community is now unable to play online in any capacity. Additionally, the studio has already noted that no refunds will be offered for any items purchased during the beta test, or the paid "Founder's Edition" of the title.

https://twitter.com/multiversus/status/1671966638000709645?s=20

Until the game's eventual relaunch, Player First Games is unlocking every character of the MultiVersus roster. While this could be seen as a form of damage control for the bizarre handling of the title, it no doubt leaves players who had invested their money in the title wondering why they even bothered. These players cannot enjoy the fighter online anymore, and now the characters/skins/content they purchased with real money are now readily available to everybody for the foreseeable future.

The MultiVersus story is morbidly curious. Launching its open beta in July 2022, the title saw incredible success out of the gate, and still holds the Steam record for the most concurrent players of a fighting game in history, as well a reported 20 million total downloads. This was mostly deserved, as MultiVersus is a fun and enjoyable fighter with plenty of character and charisma. Dataminers would also discover solid evidence of some big plans, which included some interesting DLC characters, alternate commentators, and placeholders for franchises such as The Goonies and The Wizard of Oz.

But, as the weeks and months passed, the beta's playercount fell off in staggering fashion, as the more dedicated members of the community were left frustrated by a lack of both content and communication, both of which became sparse by the end of 2022. When 2023 rolled around, the success of the previous summer seemed a distant memory. And, come spring, Player First Games announced that it would close the servers ahead of the title's still-undesignated launch. This left the MultiVersus community with myriad questions. Why was DLC even sold? Why were additional skins, stages, and modes developed? Why even launch a beta in seasons, with paid content if it was, in essence, just a testing phase?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvborgKG7fw

But the big questions, hanging over the situation like a fucking vulture, are When is it coming back, Is it coming back, and Who is it coming back for? If MultiVersus ended its testing phase as, essentially, a "dead game", then why would Warner Bros. have any interest in committing time, money, and marketing into a relaunch? We don't live in an era where publishers release games simply because "They owe it to the community" or just because "They said they would". We arguably never have.

The whole scenario reeks, and only time will tell how this MultiVersus scenario plays out. Either the fun fighter returns, in which case it has to essentially reignite the interest of a market that has already left it in the dust, or it gets quietly canned, in which case it disappears like a thief in the night, holding the cash of those players that showed passion and support in the project and its future.

At this point, MultiVersus essentially has no choice but to continue on its road to release. But, when that release comes, the franchise is essentially starting from scratch all over again. The casual audience has long moved on from the excitement of that record-breaking summer, while the brand's dedicated, money-paying audience understandably feels somewhat abandoned at best and ripped off at worst.

That's all, folks?

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Battle Beyond the Stars

Bethesda has confirmed that the "Constellation Edition" of its upcoming space opera Starfield will not contain an actual disc of the game itself, and will instead feature a download code for the chosen platform. The publisher noted this controversial development in a tweet from its support team.

"Hello!" said the team, responding directly to a fan's question. "All physical editions include a code for the chosen platform. There are no physical discs". The tweet has since been deleted from Twitter.

The community understandably responded unhappily to the news, with some decrying the return of "non-physical physical editions", while others pointed to the continued slant toward a future where archiving games becomes a much-more-difficult venture without hard copies of the games themselves. The response was overwhelmingly negative, with some, (some as Twitter's Wario64), pointing out that certain adverts for Starfield's physical release had clearly stated that a disc was included.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfYEiTdsyas

The removal of the initial tweet suggested that there were crossed wires somewhere along the chain of communication. And that indeed proved to be the case, as it now seems that while the standard edition of Starfield will feature a physical disc including game code, it is purely the $250 Constellation Edition that will not — a digital download code for the title being issued as part of this version. And so, anybody who wishes to pick up the Collector's Edition and own a physical disc of the sci-fi spectacle will, at this stage, be required to pick up both versions.

Starfield launches September 6 on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

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But the Blessed Mother returned

Blizzard Entertainment was hit with a huge DDOS attack this weekend, which ensured that several titles, including recent release Diablo 4, were offline and unplayable for an extended period of time. The DDOS attack has since passed, and the dungeon-crawling sequel is, as of this writing, fully playable once again.

While players started noticing issues late Saturday, the attack was first noted by the studio itself on the morning of Sunday, when a brief message posted to Twitter said that the team was "currently investigating an issue affecting our authentication servers". Players had noticed that they were unable to log in to titles such as Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft during this time. The studio then confirmed that it was undergoing a DDOS attack, wherein parties intently overrun a server with requests, causing an information lockup or even a full collapse.

https://twitter.com/BlizzardCS/status/1673082677115666440?s=20

Later that day, Blizzard announced that the attack had ended and that normal service had been resumed. The DDOS attack effectively lasted less than a day but, given that it was Sunday, it no doubt cut into some valuable playing time for those who are only able to delve into Blizzard's worlds during the weekend hours. Malicious DDOS attacks remain a problem for online communities, whether targeted at specific websites or full gaming networks and streaming services.

Diablo 4 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

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Big Man in a Little Suit

Morning, friends & lovers, and welcome to Whatcha Been Playing? You find your good pal Moyse with a rumblin' stomach and a distinct lack of Jaffa Cakes, having been committed to a diet for the past few weeks. Weight loss has always been a huge problem for me, naturally large framed, mentally "comforted" by food, and heading into middle age. But I'm back on the wagon, as it were, due to an impending August event and a completely foolish plan to show up in cosplay.

It's very weird, I'm simultaneously committed and non-commital about rolling up to VSFighting XI this August dressed as a fictional character. I have the gear, and it fits me just fine, but my weight is such a concern, and I can only roll up to an arena full of strangers if I'm exuding the confidence of a person who believes they "look good" in character. Wish me luck, and if you're struggling with your own sense of self-esteem, just know that you are free of judgment here. We're all pals, and we've all got you.

On the good ship Destructoid, you are always at your very best.

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

The plan this weekend, (whether it actually happens or not), is for me to travel a little ways out of town for a small Street Fighter 6 tourney, which will be my first offline meet since the new sequel dropped. It's always a bit nerve-wracking entering a tourney a couple of weeks into a new fighter's life, as you essentially get to see how well you're really doing on the competitive scene. It can sometimes boost your confidence, but it can also shatter the pride you've built up in those early weeks.

Should I go — Juri in tow — it will be an eye-opener, and a more literal realization of how quickly my SF6 progress is going Vs. typical online play. Everyone plays differently offline, and you can find your habits coming back to bite you, while your expectations for other characters can be greatly undermined. Oh, it's also a lot of fun, and, if you hadn't noticed, I have a tendency to focus on the Super Seriouz stuff and forget to just, well, enjoy myself. Hopefully, should I get out there today, I will zero in on the latter.

Famous last words.

Don't Go Breaking My Heart

With that, I need to get back to the rewarding world of weight loss and crushed dignity, (Look, I just don't want to go 0-2, y'know?). BUT, before I hit the road and you hit the weekend, I want to hear all about you, your world, and, of course, Whatcha Been Playing? So whether you're still pushing your way through some of 2023's finest offerings, pacing yourself with some backlog chicanery, (not a euphemism), or even if you put vidya gamez to one side to focus on some movies, comics, or chainsaw ice sculpture — Tell us all about it, and let's make this weekend's comments section a real banger!

Oh, and have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

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Rick-rolled

We've had some real treats join the humongous Arcade Archives range this past month. Not only did we get rare puzzler Tetris: The Absolute Grand Master 2 and run 'n' gun classic Rolling Thunder 2, but this week sees Hamster delve back into the Namco catalog and emerge with its controversial horror scrapper, Splatterhouse!

Released to Japanese arcades in 1988, before heading west the following year, this ultra-iconic release has managed to retain its brand power over the ensuing decades, despite ultimately being a series of visually exciting, but fairly average titles. Inspired by an array of hyper-violent horror franchises, Splatterhouse sees hero Rick sally forth into the mansion of Dr. Henry West, on a do-or-die mission to rescue his girlfriend, Jennifer, from the truly unholy creatures that reside within.

Imbued with the power of the mysterious "Terror Mask", and armed with an array of improvisational weaponry, Rick presses on through seven surprisingly tough stages, (though this is frequently down to his sluggish movement rather than challenging design). Going beyond your regular ghouls 'n' ghosts, Splatterhouse boasts a disgusting array of enemies, from strange-skinned fetuses to creepy water ghouls, possessed furniture, limbless demons, and grossly vulgar body horror monstrosities.

You get check out all the guts 'n' gory glory in the trailer below, courtesy of Hamster itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRlxd6O1CW8

Splatterhouse is hardly a deep or even competent title, but it is, undeniably, arresting from a design standpoint. Shamelessly horrific and as unashamed of its own violence as much as its plagiarism. It also features a monster wielding a chainsaw and wearing a sack on its head before Leon S. Kennedy had even brushed his first fringe. Splatterhouse walks a line between being repetitively easy and hard-as-nails and, while flawed, is oddly compelling in its own clumsy fashion.

The arcade edition of Splatterhouse would receive heavily censored home ports on the PC Engine and several Japanese computers, before receiving two sequels on the Sega Mega Drive. Perhaps one of its most enjoyable iterations is the very silly Famicom version, known as Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti, which is well worth checking out. In 2010, Splatterhouse returned in a hack 'n' slash remake for PS3 and Xbox 360. This release was critically panned, but fans of the series were able to find fun in its janky nature, which seemed oddly fitting given its predecessors.

Whether we ever see Splatterhouse again remains to be seen, but it would be a shame for the franchise to remain undead and buried for too long.

Splatterhouse is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

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Comical RPG available for all next week

Epic Games Store has revealed the next title that it will be offering up gratis to all of its users next week — So grab your sword and knapsack, as we're delving into the silly fantasy adventure of The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos, which is available to download for free from June 29.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6o7m6XIq-k

Developed by Artefacts Studio and released in the fall of 2020, The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk is a tactical RPG that features all of the castle-running, monster-slaying, loot-gathering action one would expect from the genre, but with far more comical and dopey thematic than the standard grimdark fare. Based on an audio series by French author John Lang, this adaptation has players guide a party of hapless heroes through a series of quests, winning the day because of, rather than in spite of, their clumsy nature.

If you're a fan of tactical role-playing action, or fantasy dungeon crawlers, and want to check out a fun twist on a familiar favorite, then be sure to bag yourself The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos when it becomes free to download between June 29 - July 6. Before then, you still have the opportunity to pick up current freebie, immersive grim sim theHunter: Call of the Wild.

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'80s titles planned for rerelease on Switch and PC

Old-school cool developer Sunsoft has announced that it is planning a crowdfunding campaign in hopes to bring three of its Japan-only Famicom releases to modern platforms. The campaign will officially launch on the Japanese crowdfunding site Campfire between July 14 - August 31.

The three titles up for rerelease are Edo-set platformer Kanshaku Tamanage Kantarou no Toukaidou Gojuusan-tsugi (1986), side-scrolling fantasy adventure The Wing of Madoola (1986), and finally the casually-paced text adventure Ripple Island (1988). None of the titles ventured outside of Japan and thus have since faded into obscurity, a status that Sunsoft is hoping to revitalize.

[caption id="attachment_388355" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image from Shmuplations[/caption]

Should the Campfire campaign prove successful, the three titles will be ported to PC and Nintendo Switch. In addition, the publisher is hoping to release physical gold cartridges of the games for the Famicom platform. Way back when, Sunsoft was one of the few companies allowed to release its titles on specially branded cartridges, (see image above), and while many of the studio's games were awarded this prestige, gold-tinted cartridges were a goal never achieved by the studio. Hopefully, Sunsoft will be able to realize its glittery dream, if 40 years after the fact.

Localizations for the titles were not confirmed, and seem unlikely, but we will let you know should this change.

Sunsoft plans crowdfunding campaign to port three Famicom titles to Switch, PC [Gematsu]

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Sons of the Patriots finally headed to multiplatform

Ahead of the release of classic compilation Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol1, Konami updated its website with a timeline of the featured games — However, dataminers gon' datamine, and folks prodded around the website might have unearthed the contents of a yet to be announced Volume 2.

According to the uncovered data, the Metal Gear Solid timeline pages features placeholder buttons for a selection of latter-day Metal Gear titles, namely 2008's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, 2010 PlayStation Portable release Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and 2015's magnum opus, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which would be the final title in the series to be helmed by creator Hideo Kojima.

https://twitter.com/Nitroid/status/1671647361783721985?s=20

Should these titles prove to be the lineup for Master Collection Vol.2, then this will be the very first time that Metal Gear Solid 4 has been made available on a platform outside of the PS3. Seeing this release, as well as the other titles, on Xbox, PC, and other platforms will certainly be a moment in MGS history, so here's hoping that this datamine proves to be accurate.

Back in the world of Actually Confirmed releases, fans are looking forward to Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1, which comprises Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, along with the original Metal Gear and Snake's Revenge, and a selection of rad additional content. It will launch October 24 on PS5, PC, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

Metal Gear Solid 4 finally freed from PS3 as part of leaked Master Collection Vol. 2 [IGN]

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No Ticket

It has been a very, very long time since we last heard anything from Bethesda's exciting new Indiana Jones title, but we have some new news straight from the horse's mouth — Though it might not be good news for everybody, with the reveal that the epic adventure will indeed be an Xbox/PC exclusive.

As reported by pundit Stephen Tolito, the revelation comes from no less than Bethesda Softworks own vice president, Pete Hines, who made the announcement during the preliminary questioning for the Microsoft vs. FTC lawsuit. According to Hines, Bethesda initially made a deal with IP owners Walt Disney to develop an Indiana Jones game for multiple platforms, but this was changed following Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda, mirroring the circumstances surrounding the recently released (and maligned) Redfall.

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1671939745293688832?s=20

As we have reported on many an occasion, The FTC's lawsuit against Microsoft has been filed in order to argue against the latter's proposed $67 billion purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard. This long-running and increasingly cumbersome deal has had to climb over many hurdles and walls on its way to fruition, with the FTC lawsuit set to prove one of its largest obstacles. While preliminary hearings are underway, the case will go to U.S. courts in August, though both parties will have the right to appeal regardless of the result.

We can very likely expect to hear more behind-the-curtain tidbits before the summer is through.

The as-yet-unnamed Indiana Jones title is currently in development for Xbox and PC at MachineGames.

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Five years of interconnected adventure

Square Enix has announced that it will hold a special anniversary live stream next month to celebrate five years of the narrative adventure franchise Octopath Traveler. The stream will take place on July 13, the same date as the first title graced its presence on Nintendo Switch.

Developed by Square Enix and Acquire, the Octopath Traveler titles allow players to follow the interconnecting tales of a party of distinct protagonists, who cross paths under their own respective circumstances. Octopath Traveler and its recent sequel, Octopath Traveler II, have garnered devoted fanbases due to their traditional RPG nature, interesting characters, and artistically impressive worlds. The second title has sold over one million copies since its February launch on PC and consoles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exUzGmKmr60

Produced in alignment with Weekly Famitsu, the live stream will feature guests such as Square Enix producer Masashi Takahashi, Acquire lead Keisuke Miyauchi, and series composer Yasunori Nishiki. The stream will include interviews, a retrospective, and the results of a recently held Japanese fan survey. As to whether we can expect any reveals... Well, a sequel literally arrived less than six months ago, so any new titles or spin-offs seem unlikely. But perhaps Square Enix will have something interesting to show fans.

The Octopath Traveler Anniversary Stream will take place July 13 at 20:00 JST, which is a red-eyed 04:00 in PT times. If there is any news, we will be sure to keep you abreast of it.

Octopath Traveler II is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Octopath Traveler 5th Anniversary Live Stream set for July 13 [Gematsu]

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As well as a Hummer for all you fabulous gas-guzzlers*

It looks like two vehicles driven by the most famous doll in the world are preparing to hit the garages of dazzling arcade racer Forza Horizon 5 — The Corvette and Hummer driven by Margot Robbie in upcoming movie, Barbie, will be arriving in-game at some point in the near future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_RsVstmcls

The two vehicles were noted by Forza fan IdleSloth, who spotted placeholders in the game's Promo menu. The two cars featured are the "1956 Barbie Movie Corvette EV", (featured in the Chevrolet section), and the "2022 Barbie Movie Hummer EV Pickup", (featured under GMC). Videos of the vehicles in Showcase Mode were later uploaded by another Forza devotee, Aziial.

No dates for the drop have been announced, so it is assumed the two *electric vehicles will arrive as free downloads or in-game rewards to cross-promote the movie itself, which premieres July 21.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN7qCE4uI_s

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie follows the adventures of the titular doll, as she and her long-time pal Ken (Ryan Gosling) leave Barbieland to visit the "real world" and get a taste of reality. A huge ensemble cast includes Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, America Ferrara, Issa Rae, and Helen Mirren. Response to recent trailers has been extremely positive, and all that's left is the waiting game before we find out with the talent both in front of and behind the lens can live up to the hype.

Forza Horizon 5 is available now on PC and Xbox platforms. Barbie premieres in U.S. theaters July 21.

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It Has (Pre)Begun

[Update: While invites to the lucky parties invited to this week's "Stress Test" should have been received yesterday, NetherRealm Studios has konfirmed that the invites are delayed, and are to arrive later than expected.]

Life in the world of Mortal Kombat 1 sure moves fast — It was only a few weeks back that NetherRealm Studios revealed the latest release in the gory fighting franchise, and already we're entering the playable beta stages, with the game launching on PC and console platforms just three months from now.

And if the recent gameplay footage from Summer Game Fest whet your bloodthirsty appetite, you monster, then you could get the opportunity to play Mortal Kombat 1 for yourself next week, with the koming of a new "Online Stress Test", designed to put pressure on the new sequel-prequel's servers ahead of the launch period. The testing period will run from June 23-26 and will offer up one-on-one online action and limited Klassic Tower battles, obviously with something of an abridged roster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV175rgyH0k

If you want to throw your name in Kung Lao's razor hat, then head on over to the official website and register today. Interested parties will need a Warner Bros. gaming account, (you can register at the time if necessary), and the Mortal Kombat 1 Stress Test is only open to PS5 and Xbox Series X users in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Brazil. Lucky Kombatants will then receive access kodes to download the beta client at some point next week, ahead of the head-ripping khaos.

Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 14 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Our own Eric van Allen has already played a build of the exciting-looking scrapper, and you can read his thoughts right here.

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QuakeCon announcement incoming?

Everybody's favorite spoiler, The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea, is at it again, this time apparently lifting the lid on an incoming remaster of one of the most genre-defining shooters of all time, id Software's Quake II.

While Activision is yet to officially announce said remaster, we have been here once before, as game ratings board previously leaked the remaster of the original Quake, ahead of its official reveal at the annual gathering of all things id, QuakeCon. Given that QuakeCon 2023 is set to take place in a little over a month from now, it seems pretty snug that Quake II Remastered is scheduled to make its appearance.

Originally released in 1997, at the height of the second major FPS boom, Quake II is a violent, sci-fi shooter that sees top-tier marine Bitterman fend off an entire alien invasion with an arsenal of bombastic weaponry. With its smart, interconnected stages, multiple player characters, and commitment to chaotic destruction, Quake II was highly praised by critics and fans, becoming a mainstay on the early online multiplayer circuit and boosting the Activision coffers long before Call of Duty was even in consideration.

We will be sure to give you a heads-up when an official announcement is forthcoming. QuakeCon 2023 takes place at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas from August 10-13.

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Team will focus on in-game features and fixes

Bad news for Halo lore fans, as developer 343 Industries has confirmed that it will no longer be producing narrative cutscenes for Halo Infinite — The cinematics, which generally drop with each and every new season, will no longer be a part of the updates from Season 4 onwards.

Speaking on Twitter, 343 community director Brian Jarrard explains the decision.

"As we've refined our top priorities and shifted resources internally this year, we had to make the decision to forego seasonal narrative cutscenes to make room for the team to continue focusing on highly requested features, content, and improvements for Halo Infinite," writes Jarrard.

https://twitter.com/ske7ch/status/1670926893078691841?s=20

"These trade-offs are never easy to make, and we truly appreciate your support as the team works to make Halo Infinite the best experience possible. While the job is far from over, Season 4 marks another big step forward and we remain committed to this journey with the Halo community."

Of course, 343 Industries was one of the Microsoft subsidiaries that was hit by layoffs at the start of the year, which forces the dedicated Halo team to prioritize its manpower and talent on the core elements of the sci-fi shooter. The studio has recently spoken of its aim to improve many areas of Halo Infinite's gameplay, with incoming additions such as a new career ranking system and the return of Infection Mode, both of which launched this week as part of Season 4's content.

Halo Infinite is available now on Xbox and PC platforms.

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Parental Advisory Explicit Content

Twitch is adopting a new range of labels and tags with which it hopes creators can better classify mature content on their respective channels — The new tags, which are live on the platform right now, are the latest step in the company's efforts to improve community safety on the popular streaming service.

Initially, the site had a catch-all "Mature Content" label, but the new tags hope to be a little more specific as to what audience members can expect when visiting one of the site's millions of channels.

The new labels are:

• Mature-Rated Games
• Sexual Themes
• Drugs, Intoxication, or Excessive Tobacco Use
• Violent and Graphic Depictions
• Significant Profanity or Vulgarity
• Gambling

While the Mature labels warn Twitch viewers of a channel's content, they are not a replacement nor a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" for anyone breaking the site's Community Guidelines, which remain unaltered at the time of writing. Streamers may receive warnings for failing to accurately label their content, with potential blocks for repeat offenders. That said, Twitch also notes that a streamer will not be auto-suspended for mislabelling their channel. You can check out the full details on the new labeling system on Twitch.

Twitch continues to implement and experiment with rules, guidelines, and features in order to combat explicit content on the website. Of course, given the mammoth nature of the streaming platform, moderation has been a momentous issue for the Twitch team, which has led to false positives, user confusion, and the controversial application, (and sometimes retraction) of security and marketing measures.

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Coming October 20

To cap off its Nintendo Direct presentation, the legendary publisher lifted the lid on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a brand new 2D platform adventure starring the iconic plumber and his friends. The new title will launch on Nintendo Switch on October 20, 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JStAYvbeSHc

The trailer featured what, at first, appeared to be some classic 2D Super Mario action, but soon gave way to an elastic and playable world, featuring growing pipes, talking flowers, lanky Goombas, a night-time mode, and various other strange phenomena. The trailer also showcased the "Wonder Flowers" — powerups that can change our hero in all manner of ways, from making him taller, to increasing his jump height, and even turning him into an elephant!

Other characters are playable, including Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, and Toad, and while the gameplay seems authentic to the 2D Super Mario style, Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks to play with the world and its characters in ways never before experienced, all daubed in a vibrant, "cartoon" visual style. More information will be revealed by Nintendo in the lead-up to the game's launch on October 20.

The post Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a new 2D adventure for Nintendo Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Bleh!

Rougelike smash hit Vampire Survivors is headed to Nintendo Switch this summer — The 2022 viral hit was revealed during this morning's Nintendo Direct presentation, and will launch on the hybrid platform on August 17.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZArNBLrsA

Developed by Luca Galante, the award-winning title sees players taking on seemingly insurmountable hordes of the undead as one of a number of characters, attempting to survive as long as possible in heart-pounding, auto-firing action. The compelling nature of the constant combat, as well as the cool aesthetic, saw Vampire Survivors win over a coffin-full of fans throughout 2022.

Vampire Survivors launches on Nintendo Switch August 17.

The post Vampire Survivors is coming to Nintendo Switch in August appeared first on Destructoid.

Space-Ships

[Update: And it's been confirmed thanks to a Nintendo Direct! It'll be out on November 2, 2023]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JaYQDytelE&list=PL2JiZAV5BmDXxkBJQgitX9FtwE7tEd3GT&index=23

A mysterious new logo is being shared online this morning, purportedly an as-yet-unannounced new project in the popular fantasy franchise, Star Ocean. As reported by RPGSite, a banner for a "Star Ocean The Second Story R" was first discovered on the support site of IP owner Square Enix.

Originally released for PlayStation in 1998, Star Ocean: The Second Story is, as the name suggests, the second entry in the action-RPG series, which won over fans with its sci-fi/fantasy storytelling, myriad paths and conclusions, and very heavy emphasis on dating mechanics between multiple characters, allowing players to essentially dictate both narrative and gameplay through the pairing (or not) of relationships.

The "R" in the new banner suggests that this popular release may be in line for the remake/remaster treatment, though obviously, Square Enix is yet to speak on the discovery. Back in 2019, the publisher released the similarly titled Star Ocean First Departure R on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, which was itself a remaster of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) port of the first game in the series. Thus, a continuation along these lines is very likely, and very good news for Star Ocean fans.

Of course, we will be sure to keep you updated should Square Enix be forthcoming with any news.

Square Enix support website features a logo for a Star Ocean 2 remake [RPGSite]

The post Star Ocean 2 remake seemingly leaked on Square Enix site (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

Dinna-dinna-dinna-dinna...

During today's Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo and Rocksteady Games announced that the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Trilogy is headed to Nintendo Switch in Fall 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVMNvvaXJ2s&ab_channel=NintendoofAmerica

The trilogy, which consists of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight, represents three of the greatest video games starring Gotham's protector, The Dark Knight. Featuring gothic overworlds, brilliant character designs, and hugely dramatic storylines, the Batman: Arkham Trilogy is more than deserving of its overwhelming praise, and is as playable and engaging today at it was on release.

Batman: Arkham Trilogy launches on Nintendo Switch this fall.

The post Batman: Arkham Trilogy is coming to Nintendo Switch this fall appeared first on Destructoid.

Tutti Fruity, what a cutie

During this morning's Nintendo Direct presentation, the studio revealed the details of the next Splatoon 3 splatfest, which will be taking place in the popular and super messy team shooter in mid-July.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98TZHMaP6yA

The new splatfest, which is perfect for the summer season, focuses on delicious ice cream, and asks players which is their favorite flavor chosen from the trinity of Vanilla, Strawberry, and Mint Choc Chip. There's no sign of Neopolitan, so you can't cheat, and Rum 'n' Raisin isn't on deck, so I guess I'm out. In this case, I'll go with MCC, but that will also side me with Big Man, and that dude bothers me.

Anyway, the ice-cream splatfest will take place on the weekend of July 14, so be sure to jump into the arena and win the side for your favorite ice-cold treat... Well, at least from these three particular choices.

The post The next Splatoon 3 splatfest has us all scream for ice cream appeared first on Destructoid.

Bring your rainbow wig and Silksong expectations

Nintendo is, once again, preparing to take to the airwaves with another exciting Nintendo Direct live stream presentation. The Big N's summer showcase will be kicking off at the top of the next hour, offering updates, news, and perhaps a reveal or two for the publisher's 2023 catalog. And beyond?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7t5jnpkCkI

We can expect 40 minutes of news, with the Nintendo Direct modus operandi generally consisting of a few in-depth looks peppered by string after string of stressful-to-cover headlines. While the itinerary remains a mystery, we can definitely expect some time to be dedicated to pint-sized adventure Pikmin 4, which will launch on Nintendo Switch exactly one month from today. As for what else will be featured in the stream, well, we'll just have to wait an hour and find out.

Of course, Team Destructoid will be on hand to cover all of the big stories, but we'd also love to hear your running commentary in the comments below. The Nintendo Direct kicks off at 07:00 PT / 10:00 ET / 15:00 BST, and here's to hoping that it brings you at least one particularly exciting piece of news. Enjoy!

The post Join us for the Nintendo Direct Summer 2023 stream appeared first on Destructoid.

Ascending up the Calendar

Electronic Arts has announced that its mythic first-person adventure Immortals of Aveum has been delayed by a month and will not meet its July 20 release date — The battlemages will now wage their wars on PC and console platforms on August 22.

"The recent feedback to the game proves to us what we already felt: that Immortals of Aveum is something special," notes Bret Robbins of developer Ascendant Studios. "In order to realize our full vision, we are going to take a few extra weeks, making our new launch date Tuesday, August 22. This will give us time to further polish the game, finish optimizing all platforms, and deliver a strong launch. We owe it to ourselves and to you to get this right."

"Stay tuned for more info about the game in the coming weeks, and thank you for taking part in this journey with us!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5E-pGxZ2VQ

Announced at The Game Awards last winter, Immortals of Aveum sees a realm of powerful battlemages fighting to prevent the extinction of their planet and people. The title uses deep magic structure to forge a visually impressive combat system, with a wide variety of defensive and offensive abilities, all of which can be bolstered via the player's skill tree. As the first release by Ascendant Studios, (which is comprised of several AAA veterans), Immortals of Aveum is an ambitious debutante title.

Immortals of Aveum launches August 22 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

The post Immortals of Aveum now delayed to late August appeared first on Destructoid.

No longer Radioactive Ugly

Easily one of the most bizarre news hits of 2023 was the reveal that Studio Retroware was adapting forgotten '90s cartoon Toxic Crusaders for a brand new scrolling brawler, which is currently in development for PC and console platforms. And if you had already grabbed your mop 'n' bucket in anticipation of this release, then this weekend brought with it a ton of good news for you.

First and foremost, a demo for the still-in-development scrap is currently available on PC as part of the Steam Next Fest event, giving fans a limited window with which to see how the new scrapper is shaping up. All you need do is go and download the trial from the Steam platform, and you're good to check out the street-cleaning action from Toxie, Yvonne, Junkyard and co. Righteous!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-tOCfDFxhw

Additionally, Retroware announced that it is in the process of upscaling the original 1991 animated series, restoring all 13 terrible episodes in 4K for streaming purposes (with a Blu-ray planned for release at some point down the line). The episodes will also feature as part of a 24-hour live stream set to run the entirety of Steam Next Fest. The stream will feature interviews with the team, all-new gameplay footage, and an appearance from Troma's own Lloyd Kaufmann. you can check out the action right here.

This swillful of news was rounded out by the revelation that Arizonian comic-metal band Psychostick have been commissioned to compose and perform the game's score, which will feature original compositions as well as tributes to the soundtrack of the animated series. While an official release date was not revealed, Retroware has pushed the title back a little, and Toxic Crusaders is now aiming for an early 2024 release on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

Go check out the demo and see how you think this bizarre-but-welcome return will fit into the pantheon of modern brawling marvels.

The post Toxic Crusaders demo now on Steam, original TV series remastered appeared first on Destructoid.

Some people do have phones

Blizzard Entertainment's maligned mobile battler Diablo Immortal is now one year old, and despite launching under a hail of negative press and fan derision, the microtransaction-filled dungeon crawler has still successfully raked in over half a billion dollars in its launch year.

The free-to-play mobile title was first announced at BlizzCon 2018, in an infamous segment that led to boos and jeers from those in attendance, with one fan famously asking the developers if the announcement was an "out-of-season April Fool's joke". Principal designer Wyatt Cheng's remark of "Do you guys not have phones?" only served to further sour the mood. Upon release, critics lambasted the title for its heavy monetization mechanics, with the game also receiving a low user rating on Metacritic. An early controversy involving an "Immortal" gem saw one law firm consider filing suit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfm0VHQJZxE

Still, as the old axiom proves time and again, The Online World is not The Real World, and the past 12 months have seen Diablo Immortal pull in just over $525 million USD in revenue from around 22 million total downloads, (as noted by the number crunchers at data.ai). Diablo Immortal is the 15th fastest title to hit this milestone, behind other mobile juggernauts such as Genshin Impact and Pokemon GO, and is currently the third most successful mobile MMORPG on the market.

Given the incredible launch success of recent mainline release Diablo IV, Blizzard Entertainment is clearly going to treat the unholy franchise with golden gloves going forward. The lucrative financial model that presently surrounds the franchise also makes Diablo a key item in Microsoft's ongoing efforts to purchase Activision Blizzard and its subsidiary properties.

Diablo Immortal is available now on iOS and Android platforms.

The post The maligned Diablo Immortal still made over $500 million in one year appeared first on Destructoid.

Collaboration coming in September

Publisher NEOWIZ has announced that it is collaborating with Koei Tecmo in a partnership that will see the former's incoming adventure Lies of P cross swords with the latter's semi-recent release Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The two Soulslike titles will crossover in curious fashion this September.

Outside of noting the collaboration, neither publisher offered any information whatsoever as to what the hook-up will entail, with details expected at a later date. While both games feature challenging action-RPG combat, they could perhaps not be more diametrically opposed in regards to characters, settings, and style — Though both games host a typically heavy and somewhat downbeat mood.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, which launched in March of this year, sees a lone protagonist battle a bevy of demons and monsters from ancient Chinese folklore, set against the background of the Han Dynasty. Developed by Team Ninja, the adventure received critical praise across the board, earning a mighty 9/10 score from our own Chris Carter and selling over a million copies in its launch month.

https://twitter.com/Liesofp/status/1670644270901116928?s=20

Lies of P, a retelling of the Pinocchio fable, is currently turning heads thanks to a demo released on PC and console platforms last week. Developed by Round8 Studios, this Gothic tale has players guide young android, P, through a dismal, Belle-Epoque city, in search of answers to their own existence and on the run from a battalion of mechanized enemies. While feedback at this early stage has been a little divisive, Lies of P has great promise, and could prove to be one of the year's sleeper hits.

Lies of P launches this September on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

The post Lies of P and Wo Long are forming a curious partnership appeared first on Destructoid.

The Heat is On

Goooood morning friends and lovers, and welcome to a particularly sorchio Whatcha Been Playing? Summer has finally hit Blighty, bringing with it a face-melting heatwave and those Sticky, Sticky Nights that Kiss never sang about. I'm here for it, frankly, as it saves on heating bills and helps my body shed the excesses of meat. Of course, it makes sitting in the office writing about games a little uncomfortable, but as long as I have an excuse to eat ice-cream, I'll take it.

And speaking of Summer, we have reached the end of Summer Game Fest, just in time to start gearing up for Gamescom. Because now E3 is no longer around, these things roll out for weeks, and weeks, and weeks. SGF 2023 was pretty good, all things considered, and I thought we got to see a lot of pretty exciting titles, all of which are either launching in September or in mid-2024 with absolutely no in-between. Hope you saw some interesting-looking games that piqued your curiosity.

If so, tell us about it below! I wanna hear what you're gonna buy so I can be a trendsetter.

The Beat is On

This here section where I tell you what I personally have been playing is about to hit something of a standstill. As I essentially intend to play Street Fighter 6 and Diablo 4 for the next three years. Of course, by nature of the job and my interest in gaming, there will be other titles featured. And given the absolutely Jack Stacked fall season, there are a lot of cool-looking releases to get through.

Until those days, however, my spare time is dedicated to those two titans — Especially given that tournament season is just heating up. Oh, but you should check out my early thoughts on Neowiz' Lies of P right here. A massively intriguing title that already seems to be finding a divisive role within circles.

The Feet (Juri's) is on (Me)

BUT ANYWAY. It is time to get your weekend underway. Hope that you have a lovely one planned at that you'll be getting your summers off to a wicked start. Of course, before you hit the beach, the mall, the Galleria, or the ice cream social, I'd love it if you could take a few moments to jump into the comments and tell us all Whatcha Been Playing? As I said last week, there are a metric ton of great games on the market right now, and our backlogs have never been fuller. So I and your fellow Dtoid community members are allllllll looking forward to hearing from you. Have at it! Oh, and don't forget your SGF recommendations!

Have a wonderful weekend, from all of us at Destructoid.

The post Whatcha been playing this week, Destructoid? appeared first on Destructoid.

Mars Needs Cheerleaders

Following a fortnight of run 'n' gun action and top-tier puzzling, we're going back to the stars with Hamster's favorite genre, the shmup — Available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, it's the Arcade Archives' newest entry, Taito's Megablast!

Released to the coin-op market in 1989, Megablast is one of a tidal wave of (admittedly forgotten) shmups that filled out smoky arcade centers up and down the country. While the action is fairly typical of the era, the storyline is one for the ages. Essentially, World Peace has been achieved on Earth, but the planet has been ravaged by an en masse disappearance of women. As it turns out, a dying intergalactic populace known as the Zancs cannot interbreed, and is instead abducting Earth's women in order to help it repopulate its own race. Big ol' yikes on that one, Taito.

And there's no sign of Roddy Piper anywhere.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber World of Longplays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlaXGd-SUbY&ab_channel=WorldofLongplays

And thus, fighter pilots Dawnson and Bogey are dispatched to confront the Zancs, speed up the extinction process, and bring back the planet's ladies, one of whom is Dawnson's own gal pal. What follows is standard horizontally-scrolling shmup action, depicted in Taito's typically oversized and kinda vulgar fashion. Power-ups can be gathered in order to boost the players' weaponry. Not explained is how our heroes plan to bring all of the women back to Earth in their two tiny, one-man vessels. But if ask too many questions, then the minute of this carefully crafted narrative begins to come undone. So don't.

Megablast is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at $8.

The post Rescue Earth’s women in Arcade Archives’ oddly-plotted Megablast appeared first on Destructoid.

So quit the nail-bitin'

Following on from yesterday's confirmation that Persona 3 Reload is also headed to PlayStation and Steam platforms alongside its Xbox and Windows brethren, publisher Atlus has now let fans know that the intriguing — and pretty rad looking — Metaphor: ReFantazio is coming to the same platforms.

The port announcement was spotted by the eagle eyes of Gematsu over on the Korean Twitter of publisher Sega, though it seems both the tweet and the accompanying trailer including the port reveal have seemingly vanished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btHGCpUPjPk

Announced during the weekend's Xbox Games Showcase and developed by Studio Zero, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brand-new fantasy franchise based around the concept of mirroring realities. While not all that much is known regarding the narrative and gameplay mechanics, the title coming from the producers of Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 suggests that we'll get a wild, highly stylized adventure starring a cast of easily shippable and cosplay friend characters, and mucho dungeon crawling.

It's definitely one of the most surprising and exciting reveals of Summer Game Fest, and while its development probably means Persona 6 is on the back burner for the time being, Metaphor: ReFantazio is already turning heads with its dynamic, action-packed, and legitimately breathless trailer. I'm looking forward to Atlus lifting the curtain on this cool-looking universe.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is scheduled to launch in 2024 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox Series X.

Metaphor: ReFantazio also coming to PS5, PS4, and Steam [Gematsu]

The post Metaphor: ReFantazio confirmed for PlayStation and Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Damned if you Don't

As part of yesterday's Grasshopper Manufacture 2023 live stream, the studio announced that its recently-revealed Shadows of the Damned: Remastered is "probably" going to be released on "all current platforms."

A typically tongue-in-cheek promo re-introduces us to Mexican demon hunter Garcia Hotspur, who is not only "More terrifying than any demon", but is also "the most determined, devoted man in the world". So form a queue, ladies. The preview then describes Shadows of the Damned as "A nonstop-action love story taking you straight through the deepest depths of Hell". Sweet.

"Coming to all current platforms," concludes the preview, before adding "Probably."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THS60cC3768&t=270s&ab_channel=GrasshopperArchives

Elsewhere in the Grasshopper Direct, community manager James Mountain seemingly returns from the dead, while fellow CM Maddie Copp turns up cosplaying as No More Heroes' notorious Bad Girl. It also looks really hot under those studio lights. Of course, "Suda51" himself puts in an appearance, dazzlingly dressed in a lucha mask and green suit, reminiscent of Saints Row villain Killbane. Suda seemed a lot bigger and much more American than you may recall, but that's just your brain playing tricks on you, as it was definitely him. Even though he had a different face.

The show closed with a fleeting glimpse of the studio's next game, with viewers treated to what appears to be the in-game menu for the mystery project. While little can be divulged from the sneak peek, I did notice an "Emerald Flowsion" gauge, at least confirming that Goichi's love for pro-wrestling will continue to make its mark on all of the studio's output.

Shadows of the Damned: Remastered is currently in development for all platforms. Probably.

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