During the Warframe Devstream 176, developer Digital Extremes revealed plans for the next big update, Dante Unbound. Scheduled to release in March 2024, the update will bring the 56th Warframe to the popular action RPG MMO.

56th Warframe: Dante, Master of Reality's Pages

The highlight of the new update is of course the new Warframe, Dante. Described as a classic-MMO caster, Dante is accompanied by his own Exalted Weapon, Noctua. A Dante-bound Grimoire, Noctua obliterates enemies by pelting them with spectral pages and cursed paper cuts. I have to admit, being cut up by cursed pages of a magical spellbook sounds pretty brutal.

The living sandstorm Warframe Inaros is also getting a long overdue rework with the update, with full details on the rework to come soon.

Quality-of-life updates and return of TennoGen

TennoGen, a unique system in Warframe comprised of unique customizations created by fellow Warframe players, is finally making a return in the March update. TennoGen is essentially a collaborative program between community artists and Digital Extremes developers to add purchasable cosmetics to the game while sharing revenue with the artists who created them.

The TennoGen system has been updated, and will now accept submissions under the new Entrati style that was added in the recent Whispers in the Walls update that was released in December. Fans will now be able to create Warframe skins, Weapon skins, Operator accessories, Landing Craft skins, and more as part of Tennogen.

Dante looks like a pretty cool caster Warframe, so I'm excited to hear more. The Dante Unbound update for Warframe will release in March 2024.

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Three years ago, base builder and space simulation game Dyson Sphere Program was released and quite frankly blew my mind. I had already invested over 1,000 hours in Factorio and over 100 hours into Satisfactory, so I knew Dyson Sphere Program would be a game for me. What I didn't expect, however, was the massive scope of the game.

If you haven't played it—you really owe it to yourself to—Dyson Sphere Program basically drops you onto a planet in a bigger solar system, where you have to build up functioning factories to harvest the resources on the planet and tech up. Eventually, you'll leave that planet to find others with different resources, then set up a massive solar system-spanning production line that eventually expands across the galaxy. All of this with one goal in mind: to build a Dyson Sphere, a megastructure that encircles and harnesses the power of a sun. To say the game is big is an understatement.

Recently Dyson Sphere Program received an update titled the Dark Fog that added combat via a new alien threat of self-replicating machines aptly called the Dark Fog.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Zhou Xun, producer at developer YouthCat Games, about the Dark Fog update as well as the future of Dyson Sphere Program.

The Dark Fog Update

Destructoid: The new Dark Fog update is a very unique way to introduce combat to this already unique factory-building genre. What was the overall goal when adding Dark Fog to the game, and how did it get to its current state?

Zhou: The combat system was a key element of our original development plans, with The Dark Fog manifesting itself as a fleshed-out concept relatively early.

It was important that its role in the game made sense to the setting, so we landed on the concept of it being a self-replicating machine hive-mind, competing for energy to support the Centrebrain. Being an enemy that exists before the player begins their own Dyson Sphere Program, it creates an easy to believe and engaging conflict mechanic.

Once we locked down the ‘lore’ of the Dark Fog, next came identifying the visual elements to create something immediately identifiable to players. We wanted a sinister but luminous finish on their units, demonstrating their technological superiority from the outset. Their movement in large groups, seemingly endless in nature, gives them an incorporeal feel.

Our goal was to provide a juxtaposition to the calmer, peaceful building gameplay for players who wanted the extra challenge, and the visual flair the Dark Fog offers really brought this to life. For players looking for added excitement, it provides an entirely new way to play the game, and reinforces smart and considered building. Dyson Sphere Program has a dedicated and expert player base already, so it’s our job to give them an exciting change to the existing formula they know and love.

Destructoid: Is this the final form of Dark Fog, or do you plan to update and evolve the combat system even further?

Zhou: This update is just the beginning of getting to know the threat of The Dark Fog. Currently, most fights occur on ground level, with the scale of space battles starting off small.

We are building on this with the goal of creating large scale fights, with brand new space-based weapons, huge fleets and more so that players can match their aggression and take the war to their enemies.

We’re also exploring adding ‘ultimate’ weapons, which will enable players to remove the threat of the Dark Fog for good. We’re working diligently on enriching the combat experience and expanding on its promise, with the support of our community who have already offered excellent feedback.

Destructoid: I haven't gotten super far into the update but already the Dark Fog Hive is massive in my system, how big can the hive actually get? Also, how does the Dark Fog expand and assimilate other planets?

Zhou: The initial size of a hive resembles the scale of a planet, but this grows as it develops and expands. Eventually, players will be dealing with a monstrous star-sized hive, shaped like a giant, threatening snowflake. When players arrive on planets close to the orbit of a hive, they will soon see it loom over the skyline as it grows in size, which is a fun, if oppressive, visual.

The Dark Fog expands in two ways; between galaxies and within the same galaxy. Later growth stages will develop a seed which will travel to new galaxies and begin building there.

Each hive will also produce relay stations, moving between planets to establish bases. You may have seen these already, large machines that travel across planets, transporting energy and absorbing matter as they go.

So, overall, the Dark Fog is always developing, traveling and making new bases, which can be tracked in the starmap.

Destructoid: For players who may not know exactly how the system works, can you provide some insight to how this unique system adds a new enemy threat while also making sure they scale with players so that the player doesn't always feel rushed or like they are falling behind?

Zhou: In order to avoid either the player or The Dark Fog unfairly developing faster than each other, the Dark Fog system closely monitors the player’s data. Statistics such as power generation, power consumption and potential damage outputs are all tracked.

As this is a factory game power consumption, for example, is a vital performance indicator that demonstrates how a player is performing. A higher power use indicates an increase of output, which the Dark Fog will see as a growing threat. They understand that the more power you are using, the more likely you are to have the resources to attack them. From there, they will increase the amount of pressure they put on the player, resulting in more frequent attacks.

However, we also ensure that the Dark Fog isn’t able to outpace the player. As battles play out, the Dark Fog will gain experience, slowly building their power. So, if a player is passive, they will find the Dark Fog develops slowly, allowing them to stockpile defenses.

A highly aggressive player will find a worthy opponent, with more frequent attacks and higher damage output. This system is designed to ensure that each player faces a threat relative to their own, to keep the challenge balanced and rewarding.

The Dark Fog itself was designed with an almost biological, plant-based development in mind, one that grows slowly and roots itself into a world. We wanted to ensure they weren’t like other enemies in tower defense games, which tend to focus on attacks via a countdown or a gradual challenge increase beyond the player's control. The Dark Fog is a unique threat that has a logic to it, one that is controllable and integrates well with the existing automation factory gameplay. It means that players have to interact with it strategically and learn to work around the Dark Fog’s threat. For example, rushing to build a high-power use factory will lead to more attacks, but a considered, defensive approach will mean the Dark Fog is held at bay. However, the rewards for an offensive approach are highly valuable, which incentivizes players away from hiding behind gun turrets.

The future

Destructoid: Now that combat exists in Dyson Sphere Program, do you plan to add any more enemies or forces alongside the Dark Fog?

Zhou: Our first step is to optimize the current gameplay, and bring improvements to the combat system. From there, we will work on key goals for the combat update, and bring it to a baseline that allows for exciting gameplay in space and on the surface of planets.

It’s a great framework for further development, and beyond the launch of the 1.0 version, we’ll be creating more content to build it out.

Destructoid: This is truly a monumental update to an already massive game. What's next for Dyson Sphere Program?

Zhou: Optimization is a big part of our future plans, but there will be updates for the base game alongside this. Players were very excited for the combat update, and building on this will continue being a big focus for us. We want to ensure that we’re focusing on polishing the base game, and developing for a really strong experience for launch.

Destructoid: Any plans for additional free or paid big updates like this?

Zhou: The ‘Space Workstation’, a milestone reached during the crowdfunding campaign, is in development. This will be included as a free update for our players.

As for paid content, we haven’t made decisions on this yet as we still have a lot to consider about the game and rollout of future updates.

Our goal is to finish the content promised first, as that's what our audience deserves and expects. Once that's completed, we’ll take time to see if any ideas for future content are good enough and are worthy of our players' investment.

Destructoid: Even though DSP is in Early Access, it's extremely polished compared to most with that moniker. How long do you plan for DSP to be in Early Access and ideally what does the final product look like?

Zhou: We appreciate the compliment, it's great to hear what people are thinking about the game as it helps us to know we’re on the right track.

In all honesty, there are still many parts of the game that we feel are in their early access phase. UI, key settings, more and better localization are all areas we are constantly working on.

We’re conscious of the fact that a 1.0 launch can feel like a signal that developers are changing their focus, or even ending the development of the game. That’s not our approach; we want the game to reach the potential our players expect.

We currently don’t have a date for the 1.0 launch, as we have plenty of updates we want to test with our community. This will help the community generate their own expectations of what they feel a 1.0 version looks like, so that when we do decide to launch the game fully, it will feel deserved.

Dyson Sphere Program and the new Dark Fog update are currently available on Steam.

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According to IGN, Microsoft has fired 1,900 employees from its video game divisions including Xbox and Activision Blizzard. The layoffs affect almost 9% of the 22,000 employees at the company. In a memo to staff, Microsoft Gaming CEO claims the layoffs come after leadership at Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard identified areas of overlap following the recent acquisition of Activision, Blizzard, and King.

Here is the full memo Phil Spencer sent to staff:

It’s been a little over three months since the Activision, Blizzard, and King teams joined Microsoft. As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business. Together, we’ve set priorities, identified areas of overlap, and ensured that we’re all aligned on the best opportunities for growth.

As part of this process, we have made the painful decision to reduce the size of our gaming workforce by approximately 1,900 roles out of the 22,000 people on our team. The Gaming Leadership Team and I are committed to navigating this process as thoughtfully as possible. The people who are directly impacted by these reductions have all played an important part in the success of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and the Xbox teams, and they should be proud of everything they’ve accomplished here. We are grateful for all of the creativity, passion and dedication they have brought to our games, our players and our colleagues. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted during the transition, including severance benefits informed by local employment laws. Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with the respect and compassion that is consistent with our values.

Looking ahead, we'll continue to invest in areas that will grow our business and support our strategy of bringing more games to more players around the world. Although this is a difficult moment for our team, I'm as confident as ever in your ability to create and nurture the games, stories and worlds that bring players together.

- Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO

Blizzard President out as well, survival game canceled

Shortly after the news broke, Blizzard President Mike Ybarra took to Twitter to announce that today would be his last day at Blizzard. According to Ybarra, "with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard behind us, it's time for me to (once again) become Blizzard's biggest fan from the outside."

Ybarra was at Microsoft for over 20 years before joining Blizzard, becoming its President in 2021. As a huge Blizzard fan, this feels like a big loss, as World of Warcraft has certainly started to improve under Ybarra.

According to The Verge, the previously unannounced survival game that Blizzard had been working on has also been canceled. This would have been the first new IP by Blizzard since Overwatch. Head of Xbox Studios Matt Booty confirmed the cancellation.

As part of this focus, Blizzard is ending development on its survival game project and will be shifting some of the people working on it to one of several promising new projects Blizzard has in the early stages of development.

- Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Studios

This all just feels so strange to me. It's only been three months since Microsoft acquire Activision for a record-breaking $69 billion, one of the biggest tech acquisitions ever. And yet, almost 2,000 employees are losing their jobs.

While certainly one of the biggest reductions in the workforce recently, unfortunately, the news feels par for the course in the games industry at the moment. In just the last few days, several other companies have undergone layoffs including League of Legends creator Riot Games and Outriders developer People Can Fly.

In 2023 over 10,000 jobs were lost in the industry. We're not even out of January and 2024 has already seen almost half of that.

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We're not even a month through 2024 and it's looking to be a rough year for the games industry. Massive developer and publisher Riot Games, home to League of Legends and Valorant, announced today it has laid off 530 employees or roughly 11% of its workforce. Legends of Runetterra, Riot's competitor to Hearthstone, is also seeing a reduction in team size and will shift focus to its Path of Champions PvE game mode. Riot Forge, a division of Riot Games that focuses on teaming up with established developers and creating unique single-player experiences in the Runterra universe, will also be sunset.

Riot Forge comes to an end

Announced in 2019, Riot Forge has worked with other developers to release five single-player games over the last four years, with a sixth game, Bandle Tale, set to release in February.

"We’re sunsetting Riot Forge after the upcoming release of Bandle Tale. Forge has been our collaboration with external studios to develop smaller scale games in our IP. While we’re proud of what we’ve created in this space, and we’re grateful for the Forge team and for our external partners who made these games happen, we don’t view this as core to our strategy moving forward. We aren’t closing the door entirely on single-player experiences or working with other developers if the right project comes along, but we would want it to look pretty different in the future. "

- Dylan Jadeja, CEO of Riot Games

A rough time to be in the Game Industry

After losing over 9,000 jobs in 2023, the Game Industry continues to shed jobs. We're not even a month into the new year and a handful of companies have already undergone layoffs, restructures, and even full closures. VR Developer Architact recently underwent layoffs, as did Swedish developer and publisher Thunderful Group.

Even relative companies have been affected. Game Engine creator Unity laid off 25% of its workforce to start the year. Popular game services Discord and Twitch underwent hefty layoffs as well.

It's such a weird feeling. 2023 was probably overall one of the best years for gamers, with a plethora of amazing game releases. Yet seemingly every week the game industry is losing jobs at a rapid pace.

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With Diablo 4 Season 3, Season of the Construct right around the corner, Blizzard hosted a Developer Update livestream showcasing the mechanics and new features coming to Diablo 4. The team highlighted the Season of the Construct's new mechanics as well as some quality of life and other long-term features being added to the ARPG.

Season of the Construct details

The seasonal content in Season of the Construct focuses on new Seneschal Companions. Players can acquire these companions which will server as the seasonal borrowed power in Season 3. Each Seneschal construct can hold two governing stones which gives them more skills, and then be further enhanced using Tuning Stones. In total there are 12 Governing Stones and 27 Tuning stones that can be crafted or found as drops, including powerful Stones that drop exclusively from the new boss, Uber Malphas.

Players will also encounter Arcane Tremors on the overworld which act similarly to the current Blood Harvest and Helltide events. By participating in these Arcane Tremors, players will obtain Pearls of Warding which can be used to alter modifiers and loot quality of Vaults, a new form of dungeon in Season of the Construct. The Vaults also have Nightmare versions meaning players won't have to decide between dungeons or the new Vaults.

QOL and Long-term Features

Even though they won't be available at the start, Leaderboards and a new Gauntlet Dungeon are coming to Diablo 4. The Gauntlet Dungeon will be available in World Tier 4 and offer a weekly randomized Gauntlet Dungeon accessible to everyone. They will have their own Leaderboards as well. Leaderboards have been a long-promised feature by Blizzard, who at the release said they would be released around Season 3 which is now where we are.

In the QOL department, Helltide events will now be available for 55 minutes every hour, so players can endlessly farm them if that's the content they prefer. WASD movement is also being added this season, as well as a new Skill Tree respec mode.

World Tier 4 drops are getting a buff as well as higher drop rates for boss summoning materials. Players trading on console are getting an easier and improved UI specifically for trading gold on console.

Honestly, it looks like a solid season overall. Season 2 didn't hold me quite as long as I hoped, but it was a better season than Season 1. If Blizzard can continue improving Diablo 4 with each subsequent season, I think they are heading in the right direction. I just wish we'd do something about all this seasonal borrowed power.

Diablo 4 Season 3, Season of the Construct, will release on all platforms on January 23.

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During the Xbox Developer Direct Livestream 2024, developer Ninja Theory revealed some more details about the upcoming Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 including confirmation of its release date. The action-adventure sequel will release on May 21, 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and as a Day One on Game Pass title.

That will put the sequel release just short of seven years after the release of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Players will once again jump into the role of Senua as she attempts to overcome the barbaric and brutal raids of Vikings in a tyrannical Iceland. Like the original, Hellblade 2 will explore Senua's story in a cinematic way as she struggles to deal with psychosis which actually helps her traverse the brutal Icelandic landscape.

It's looking to be a great year for cinematic and story-driven games. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will add to that when it releases on May 21, 2024.

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Crafting RPG Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story officially has a release date of February 21, 2024. Developed by Lazy Bear Games and published by Riot Forge Games, Bandle Tale lets fans play as their own Yordle in the quirky Bandle City as they craft a plethora of goods for its inhabitants.

A Yordle's life for me

I recently had the opportunity to get a glimpse of the gameplay in Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story and let me start by saying it is certainly a Lazy Bear Games title. Graveyard Keeper is one of my favorite games and I often find myself going back to it when I'm in the mood for in-depth crafting. Based on what I saw, it appears as though Bandle Tale pushes the massive crafting systems Lazy Bear is known for to the next level.

As players seek to help the citizens of Bandle City—which includes beloved League of Legends Yordle's including Teemo, Tristana, and Veigar—they will explore multiple islands gathering a variety of resources to bring back to their own personal home and craft into goodies. The player's home is multipurpose, serving not only as the living space for our character but also where as a mobile storage and crafting device.

Craft your heart out

Each island has designated areas that the player can pack up and deploy their home to, also deploying any crafting tables and decorations installed nearby. As you progress, your fellow Yordles will task you with crafting more intricate goods, requiring you to manage and properly setup optimal crafting areas to do so.

But the Yordle we play as isn't only a crafting guru, but an epic party thrower. Players can throw their own festivals and parties at their house, choosing how to setup and decorate the party as well as who to invite. Each party is its own little puzzle where if you throw a successful party and appease your guests, you gain skill points and other rewards.

In true Lazy Bear Games fashion, I was told the crafting adventure will take between 40-60 hours to navigate as you explore five main islands, craft a ton of items, and throw a bunch of parties. Bandle Tale looks like a cozy yet in-depth crafting RPG with a beautifully handcrafted pixel art world. I can't wait to throw a party and kick it with Teemo and Corki.

Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story releases on PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store and Nintendo Switch on February 21, 2024. The standard edition is priced at $24.99 with a Deluxe Edition including some digital DLC goodies for $29.99. For diehard Yordle fans, a physical Collector's Edition is available on the Riot Store that comes with five Yordle figurines, a Bandle Center diorama kit, and more.

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I don't know what it is about the Final Fantasy 7 battle theme, but it always gets my blood pumping. Square Enix released a new trailer for the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth titled Destined for Rebirth. The trailer focuses on showcasing part 2 of the series which focuses on Cloud and his crew traveling across the planet in search of Sephiroth.

Rebirthed

Around the halfway mark of the one-minute trailer, the classic Final Fantasy 7 battle theme kicks in. Of course, it's the enhanced version from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, not the classic original FF7 version. But it still rocks, and even more so. I don't know if it's part nostalgia or what but I still think it's one of the best battle tracks in all of gaming.

The trailer showcases several fight scenes featuring Cloud, Barrett, Tifa, Aerith, and even Red XIII before culminating in a final showdown with Sephiroth in all his one-winged glory. Overall it's an extremely well-put-together trailer even though it's only a minute long. We see several classic locations including Junon and Costa del Sol, while also showing a glimpse of the new content coming in the sequel such as more Zack. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was already my most anticipated game of 2024, but this trailer dialed the hype meter up to an 11/10.

Also, all of the voice acting in Rebirth is already looking to be top-notch. But I'd like to throw a kudos to Cody Christian who voices Cloud. There's a scene in the trailer where Cloud yells out to Tifa and wow you can you really feel the emotion. Assuming that Rebirth follows most of the story from the original, it we're certainly in for a wild emotional ride. And, with the added element of voice acting that was missing when the original released back in 1997, I'm sure it's going to be even more intense.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on PlayStation 54 on February 29, 2024.

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With Diablo 4 Season 3 just a week away, Blizzard has revealed quite a few details about the upcoming season. Titled Season of the Construct, the new season will feature mechanical constructs created by Diablo 3 character Zoltun Kulle. Alongside the new seasonal theme and mechanics, leaderboards and a handful of big quality-of-life features are also coming in this season including WASD movement.

Season of the Construct

The most important content with each new season is the seasonal theme and mechanics. In Season of the Construct, players will team up with Zoltun Kulle's former companion, Ayuzhan, and take on the demon Malphas. The chaotic demon has taken control of the Loom, an ancient technology formerly used by Kulle. Players will visit the Gatehall, a new town center under Kehjistan that serves as the base of operations against the demonic-controlled constructs.

Along the way, we will acquire our own Seneschal Companion who will fight by our side. The mechanical companion can be upgraded and customized using Governing and Tuning Stones. Governing Stones choose the attacks your companion uses while Tuning Stones augment the skills and add utility.

The stones can be found in a new type of dungeon called Vaults, including Nightmare Vaults unlocking at World Tier 3. Players will obtain Pearls of Warding by destroying Elite Constructs during Arcane Tremor events in the overworld. Using these Pearls, players can customize Vaults, increasing difficulty while also increasing the reward for completion.

Big Quality of Life changes

Alongside the league mechanics, there's some big QOL changes coming with Season 3 as well. First off, players on PC will be able to switch to WASD movement. I personally like the mouse movement, but WASD movement has been a long-requested feature.

The popular Helltide Events will now be consistently active, with just a five-minute break every hour. This will create a new way for players to easily grind for those who don't want to jump into dungeons and similar content to level.

Also being added in Season 3 are Leaderboards and The Gauntlet. The Gauntlet will launch soon after Season of the Construct starts, adding a weekly rotating fixed dungeon with its own leaderboards.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, everyone is also getting an extra Stash Tab.

Diablo 4 Season 3, Season of the Construct, will be released on all platforms at 1 p.m. ET on January 23.

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It looks like the upcoming open-world FPS Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is getting another delay. Originally scheduled to be released in 2022, the shooter now has a tentative release date of September 5, 2024. According to a video by developer GSC Game World announcing the release date, this is the "final" release date.

Detailing the decision, GSC indicated that thousands of players got the opportunity to play Stalker 2 for the first time during Gamescom 2023. After some playtests, GSC felt the game needed a little more time on the technical side of things. Originally the team was dedicated to releasing Stalker 2 in early 2024, but certain technical issues have popped up triggering the new delay.

It's always a bummer when a game gets delayed, especially a highly anticipated one like Stalker 2. But with so much hype around this sequel, it's certainly important for the team to get things just right. The developers have also had a myriad of challenges impacting the development process, so it's very understandable that the game has taken a bit longer than expected to release.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now set to release on September 5, 2024 on PC and Xbox Series X|S.

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11 bit studios gave a glimpse of the upcoming survival city-builder Frostpunk 2 with a gameplay reveal trailer. The developer and publisher also confirmed that the sequel will be released as a Day One on Game Pass title. Frostpunk 2 will originally launch on PC in the first half of 2024—where it will be available on Game Pass for PC—followed by a later release on Xbox Series X|S—and Xbox Game Pass—as well as PlayStation 5.

Three Decades Later

The gameplay reveal looks similar to what we saw during a preview event a few months ago, highlighting the shift of focusing on a small ramshackle community from the original Frostpunk to building a sprawling post-apocalyptic city. Rather than placing each building individually, players will now district out areas similar to what you'd see in Cities: Skylines focusing more on the bigger picture.

Even though the Earth is still ravaged by a seemingly never-ending blizzard, the harsh environment is no longer the biggest threat. Taking place 30 years after the original, humanity has learned to adapt to its new reality for better or worse. However, players will have to manage a new threat: humanity itself.

No longer desperate just to survive, human nature has once again led people to chase an unsatiated thirst for power. Players will have to manage the demands of various factions, trying to keep everyone happy while doing what's best for the city.

Frostpunk 2 is shaping up to look like a fine successor to the original, keeping its bleak and intense setting while also being its own thing. I'm looking forward to keeping the generator running when it releases in the first half of this year.

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Developer Titan Forge Games and publisher Hi-Rez Studios revealed today that the popular mythological MOBA SMITE will be getting a sequel. SMITE 2 upgrades the third-person MOBA to Unreal Engine 5 while also introducing new content and keeping some features from the original game. Moving forward both versions of SMITEwill continue to function as separate standalone games.

Two Standalone Games

Follow-up tweets confirmed that while Gods from the original will also be in the sequel, some may have some changes. While some Gods will stay true to their existing original SMITE versions, others will receive new animations, FX, and even reimagined abilities. The Goddess Hecate will be the first SMITE 2 exclusive God, featuring ranged magical abilities that allow her to reach through dimensions and even travel in liminal space.

The itemization system and Relics are also getting an overhaul. Relics themselves will be no more, but your entire 6-slot item inventory can now get an activated effect which is triggered by a simple button press.

New Stealth Zones allow players to ambush their enemies from the shadows, while the map itself will get some reworks as well. New game-changing buffs can be acquired by defeating minions such as the Gold Fury with an evolving Jungle.

While the upgrade to UE5 in SMITE 2 certainly looks nice, players have some justified concerns over what happens to the existing content they've purchased from the original SMITE over the years. According to the SMITE 2 Steam Page, a system called Divine Legacy will grant access to cross-gen skins, badges, and legacy gems for players who link their SMITE account to their SMITE 2 account. However, there's no information as of yet exactly what will be transferred, or if there are any sort of limitations to it.

According to IGN, not all content is carried over. In-game Skins released before Year 11 of SMITE won't be carried over as the team feels it isn't feasible to recreate the vast amount of content SMITE built over the last decade.

An Alpha playtest for SMITE 2 is planned for Spring 2024.

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Upcoming action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink will get a demo for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. According to Gematsu, publisher Cygames and developer Cygames Osaka announced that a demo will be coming to both platforms tomorrow, January 12. In areas where it is already January 12, like New Zealand, the demo is available now.

3 Modes and a launch version reward

The demo will feature three different modes: Tutorial, Story, and Quest modes. In tutorial mode, players will be able to practice the basic controls of the game to get comfortable with Granblue Fantasy: Relink's ARPG combat system. Story mode will feature a brief section from the introduction part of Relink, showcasing a bit of the story. Last is Quest Mode, which includes three different quests. The quests are multiplayer-compatible allowing players to team up with 1-3 friends or AI-controlled allies in more challenging battles.

Alongside the three modes, the demo will also feature the ability to customize gear load-outs across 11 different playable characters.

Those who complete the Story and Quest modes of the demo will get some small bonuses in the release version at launch. It's always great when a demo adds some sort of bonus for playing it or even a save that carries over. It makes me much more interested in giving it a whirl when I know there's something to gain from doing so or that I won't have to do everything again.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink launches on January 31, 2024 on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

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Sitting down to write this review, I could barely believe Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first new entry in the Prince of Persia franchise in 13 years. After both considering my time with this game and the rich history the series has enjoyed until now, I had to remind myself why that is.

Jordan Mechner's original Prince of Persia pioneered the cinematic platformer genre back in 1989, and Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a critical darling back in 2003. There's so much potential to draw from between those entries, yet regardless, the series floundered. The last entry in the series, The Forgotten Sands, didn't exactly light the world on fire. And while the Sands of Time movie was well received at the time (except by Destructoid), it didn't seem to have any cultural staying power either. After that point, Ubisoft appeared to focus on the Assassin's Creed series and put Prince of Persia on the back burner.

This puts Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown in an interesting spot. It's both a return to the series' 2D roots and, simultaneously, a reimagining of this universe as a Metroidvania. I'll admit, it seems like an odd pivot on the surface. But after finishing the game and putting over 20 hours into exploring Mount Qaf, solving puzzles, and fighting epic bosses, I think this was the right choice. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown feels like it puts the franchise back in a good direction, and can stand on its own as one of the better Prince of Persia titles in the series canon.

See, Mount Qaf is far from ordinary. Time doesn't flow naturally here, and intertwining timelines cause all sorts of strange time-related issues. In exploring Mount Qaf, the player is able to find new powers and enhancements to aid Sargon in combat. Some of these powers directly manipulate the strange flow of time at Mount Qaf.

My life got flipped-turned upside down

Timing a parry can be risky compared to just dodging the attack, but it's also more rewarding due to the counterattack damage. Even as regular enemy encounters and boss fights increase in difficulty as you explore Mount Qaf, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown feels consistently fair. If you take the time to carefully study enemy encounters, you'll be rewarded with the kill.

And I'd like to take a minute

Just sit right there

I'll tell you how I became the Prince of Persia

I really enjoyed exploring Mount Qaf as Sargon in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. I wouldn't call myself a huge Prince of Persia fan or a huge Metroidvania fan. But Ubisoft has managed to take the two and smash them together into a refreshingly new and entertaining interpretation of Prince of Persia. I'm not sure if they plan to continue down this path, but I really hope they do.

The glimpses of tedium definitely hamper the experience, but few games have managed to get me so excited just for reaching the next boss. If you are a fan of Metroidvania-style games or even just a fan of fast-paced combat with a focus on boss fights, you'll love this iteration of the Prince (of Persia).

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Earlier today the Diablo 4 login screen subtly changed to include a new banner stating "Season 3 - Next Season Begins January 23, 2024." While that release date certainly fits with the quarterly seasons Blizzard wants to stick to with Diablo 4 , we've still yet to get many details for a season that's just around the corner.

What we know about Diablo 4 Season 3

A few days ago Diablo Community Developer Director Adam Fletcher indicated on Twitter that a new details on Season 3 will be shared in an upcoming Campfire Chat. Usually by now we at least know the overall theme and title of the season, such as Season of the Malignant or Season of Blood. But for now, all we know are a few new features coming to Season 3.

Since the release of Diablo 4, Season 3 has been the goal for when Leaderboards would be added to the ARPG. At BlizzCon 2023 a couple of months ago, Blizzard confirmed they would still be coming in Season 3. Other features teased at BlizzCon included a weekly challenge dungeon called The Gauntlet and something called the Hall of Ancients.

However, we've got absolutely no new information regarding the theme of Season 3 or its new mechanics, which is often what a new season is all about. Leaderboards will be great but more importantly, the season has to introduce some new features and mechanics that will convince me to go through the time-consuming process of leveling a character for the fourth time. With the new season coming in less than two weeks, surely we can expect more details soon.

Diablo 4 Season 3 starts on January 23.

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After being revealed at the Las Vegas Final Fantasy Fest in July, and then detailed at the London Fan Fest in October, the Final Fantasy XVI crossover event is scheduled to hit the popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV in Early April. We've known the event was in the works for a while now, but this is the first time we're seeing an actual release timeframe. The event will launch with the current expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, ahead of the release of the new one Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail.

Players will team up with Final Fantasy XVI protagonist Clive Rosfield in an exclusive event called The Path Infernal. The questline will task players to enlist the help of Clive to take on various Eikons from FF16. For doing so, players can receive unique rewards including Clive glamours and even a Torgal mount.

It's important to note that producer Naoki Yoshida made it clear that Early April is the current planned release for the collaboration event, and that it may change as things get a little closer.

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Blizzard revealed in blog post that Diablo 3 Season 3, titled The Lords of Hell, will officially release next week on January 12 at 8 p.m. ET. Unfortunately, this season will be somewhat of a repeat, taking its roots from Season 25 which also had the Lords of Hell seasonal theme. Season 29 marked the last season that would receive completely new content.

All about Soul Shards

The big feature in Diablo 3 Season 30: The Lords of Hell is Soul Shards. Players can use these shards to infuse the demonic essences into themselves to embody new Prime and Lesser Evil powers. In total, there are seven unique Soul Shards—based on the seven Lords of Hell—each with a new power. One of the three Prime Evil Soul Shards are able to be equipped into your helmet, and one of the four Lesser Evil Shards can be equipped into your weapon.

You'll also obtain Hellforge Embers which drop primarily off Bosses but can drop from anywhere across Sanctuary. You can then use the Hellforge Embers to upgrade your Soul Shards up to three times.

Of course, Soul Shards and Hellforge Embers—and their powers—are only available on seasonal characters and will not pass onto your character on the Eternal Realm.

A patch as well

Before Season 30 drops on January 12, a new update, patch 2.7.7 will go live on January 9 on all platforms. The patch adds Rites of Sanctuary and Visions of Enmity as permanent features to Diablo 3. The popular features were previously temporary seasonal themes, but moving forward will be permanent systems.

Those interested in checking out Season 30 can earn the cosmetic Chest and Gloves from the Conqueror set as well as the All Hallow's pennant. There's also a set of portrait frames players can earn that are embedded with Blood Shards.

Obviously, this isn't as big of a deal as the most recent season, which actually added a handful of new systems and new content. But it's great to see D3 still getting some love. Diablo 4's gameplay is a bit different than that of Diablo 3, so those who prefer to progress through Greater Rifts can still do so with a new season if they'd like.

Diablo 3 Season 30: The Lords of Hell starts on all platforms on January 12.

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In an official blog post, Blizzard confirmed the next update for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will drop on January 16. Titled Seeds of Renewal, the update brings a handful of new content to the popular MMORPG as well as concludes the current storyline campaign of the Dragon Isles.

Worldwide Dragonriding and Azerothian Archives and more

One of the most popular mechanics introduced in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is Dragonriding. Currently, the feature is only accessible in the new expansion area, the Dragon Isles. However, with the Seeds of Renewal update, Dragonriding is being expanded to be useable in all old-world continents where flying is available which includes most of Azeroth.

A new system is also being added called the Azerothian Archives. Players will have the chance to deliver into the history and lore of the Dragon Isles and explore an iconic time before the expansion over Weekly Public Events at the Traitor's Rest. Solo and Group activities will be available and reward players with Battle Pets, Mounts, and a Transmog set.

Fans of Worgens and Genn Greymane, the King of Gilneas, will be happy to see the King finally attempt to reclaim the kingdom of Gilneas in the Seeds of Renewal update. Gilneas has long been abandoned after being invaded by the Forsaken and then ripped asunder by the Cataclysm in the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion. Players will have the opportunity to aid King Greymane in retaking Gilneas.

Finally, Follower Dungeons are being added in the Seeds of Renewal update as well. Players can enlist the help of NPC companions to clear through dungeons instead of doing so with other players. All eight Normal Dragonflight Dungeons will now automatically scale and fill between 1-4 AI players, with more dungeons to come in the future.

The World of Warcraft 10.2.5 Seeds of Renewal update is set to launch on January 16.

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Unfortunately, the rough year of 2023 for the games industry continues. Indie Publisher Versus Evil announced on Twitter today that parent company TinyBuild has shut down the company and laid off all the staff. Head of Production Lance James confirmed the closure on Twitter as well.

"Welp. That was a fun 10 year ride. The entire Versus Evil team has just been laid off. Let me be clear - this wasn't a Versus Evil decision or choice."

- Lance James, Versus Evil Head of Production

Legal issues between the two companies recently ended

According to GamesIndustry.biz, earlier this month TinyBuild announced that it had settled a legal dispute with Versus Evil's former owner Stall Proof LLC. General Manager Steve Escalante and Head of Production Lance James were also involved in the legal dispute. In the end, TinyBuild paid $3.5 million and legal costs to settle the dispute, and Escalante left the company shortly after.

Over a decade of publishing

Versus Evil was founded in 2013 by Steve Escalante, who served as Marketing Director at ZeniMax Online Studios prior to doing so. In 2021 TinyBuild acquired the company as well as its QA Studio Red Cerberus. Over the last decade, Versus Evil has published very popular titles including The Banner Saga from developer Stoic and Obsidian Entertainment's Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.

It's been as rough a year as I can remember for the games industry. This one feels extra cruel as we're just a couple of days away from Christmas and a little over a week from the new year.

We reached out to TinyBuild for comment but have not yet received a response.

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It's the time of year, folks. The Steam Winter Sale for 2023 is now live, offering some hefty discounts on thousands of games on the Steam store. For me, it's usually when I pick up titles I didn't have a chance to play throughout the year but definitely wanted to at some point. After all, not often is there a better discount than what we see with the Steam Winter Sale, at least anytime soon.

Some great deals

With so many titles on sale at once, usually, you can find games of every genre heavily discounted. This includes new releases and even those that have been out for some time. Here's a handful of great deals I've found while briefly looking over the sale:

• Civilization VI — $5.99 (90% off)
• Stellaris — $11.99 (70% off)
• Total War: Warhammer III— $29.99 (50% off)
• Starfield — $48.99 (30% off)
• Street Fighter 6 — $39.59 (34% off)
• Mortal Kombat 1 — $34.99 (50% off)
• Remnant 2 — $29.99 (40% off)
• Star Wars: Jedi Survivor — $34.99 (50% off)
• Battle Bit Remastered — $8.99 (40% off)
• Dave the Diver — $15.99 (20% off)
• Persona 5 Royal — $29.99 (50% off)
• Diablo 4 — $41.99 (40% off)
• Anno 1800 — $14.99 (75% off)
• Elden Ring — $35.99 (40% off)
• Risk of Rain Returns — $12.74 (15% off)
• Code Vein — $11.99 (80% off)
• Tactics Ogre Reborn — $24.99 (50% off)
• Baldur's Gate 3 — $53.99 (10% off)
• Monster Hunter: World — $9.89 (67% off)
• Octopath Traveler 2 — $41.99 (30% off)
• Nier: Automata YoRHa Edition — $15.99 (60% off)
• Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade — $34.99 (50% off)
• Against the Storm — $19.49 (35% off)
• Pioneers of Pagonia — $25.49 (15% off)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 — $19.79 (67% off)
• Slay the Princess — $16.19 (10% off)
• Crusader Kings 3 — $24.99 (50% off)

There are so many more I could've included here, there really are some good deals as usual during the Steam Winter Sale. If you login to Steam you'll see some recommendations of titles partaking in the sale that may have more of an interest to you using Steam's super secret algorithm. Let us know if you spot any awesome deals!

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It's official: The Bobby Kotick era at Activision Blizzard will end on December 29. According to The Verge, Instead of appointing a new replacement, the top Activision Blizzard executives will now report to Microsoft's game content and studios president Matt Booty. Several more higher-level Activision Blizzard employees will also leave the company in the new year with departures planned through March 2024.

A lot of changes up top

It looks like the ripple effects of Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will really go into full effect in the new year. In an internal memo, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer highlighted some of the changes including the departure of Lulu Meservey at the end of January and Humam Sakhini at the end of December. In March, Vice Chariman of Activision Blizzard Thomas Tippl will leave the company as well as Chief Administrative Officer Brian Bulatao, Chief People Officer Julie Hodges, Chief Legal Officer Grant Dixton, and CFO Armin Zerza.

End of an era

After 32 years with the company, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick's reign comes to an end. His resignation comes just two months after the acquisition of the company by Microsoft. After joining Activision in 1991, Kotick was responsible for several larger acquisitions in the industry including the Vivendi Games merger in 2008 that created Activision Blizzard and the acquisition of mobile game developer King.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows with Kotick. Just a few weeks ago his company agreed to pay over $54 million in a settlement with the California Civil Rights Department to settle a very messy workplace discrimination lawsuit.

Kotick will receive a farewell payout of at least $15 million when he leaves the company next week.

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Sony Interactive Entertainment announced today that the PlayStation 5 has hit another milestone. Over 50 million units have been sold through consumers just over three years since the console launched back in November 2020. According to Sony, the console experienced strong sales momentum this year due to the release of popular games.

"Achieving this PS5 sales milestone is a testament to the unwavering support of the global PlayStation community and their passion for the incredible experiences created by the talented developers from PlayStation Studios and our partners. We’re grateful for all of our players who have joined the PS5 journey so far, and we’re thrilled that this is the first holiday season since launch that we have a full supply of PS5 consoles – so anyone who wants to get one can get one."

-Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment

The milestone puts the PlayStation 5 console at the 15th best-selling gaming console of all time if you go purely by units sold. This puts it just above the SNES which sold a little over 49 million and behind the Xbox One which has sold about 58 million units since its release in 2013. For comparison, the best-selling console of all time is the PlayStation 2 which sold over 155 million units in its lifetime.

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Next year is shaping up to be a huge year for World of Warcraft fans. In a blog post, Blizzard released the 2024 roadmap for both retail World of Warcraft leading into The War Within expansion as well as the release plans for all things World of Warcraft Classic including Season of Discovery updates and Cataclysm Classic.

Seeds of Renewal update, Dark Heart, and The War Within

Early in the new year, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will advance to update 10.2.5, Seeds of Renewal. The update will conclude the Dragon Isles storyline, task players with reclaiming Gilneas, unlock Dragonriding Worldwide and introduce Follower Dungeons. The Azerothian Archives will also be introduced as well as the Outland Cup.

From here it gets interesting. The next update, 10.2.6, has not been revealed. However, according to the roadmap, it will come shortly after 10.2.5. All we have to theory craft the update is a banner flag with a black background and white skull and crossbones. Could it be pirate-themed of some sort?

Around this time The War Within Alpha will also begin, leading up to its pre-patch and release which is scheduled for the Summer of 2024.

Season of Discovery progresses and the release of Cataclysm Classic

Pretty soon the Season of Discovery level cap will increase to Level 40 bringing with it new runes, a new PvP event, and the Gnomeregan raid. Not long after World of Warcraft Classic: Hardcore will get its Self-Found mode update which allows players to create a Hardcore character with the added ruleset of not being able to trade with other players.

Sometime in the Spring Season of Discovery will progress forward again, increasing the level cap to Level 50 and unlocking even more runes and another new raid. Not long after World of Warcraft Classic will get the Cataclysm Classic pre-patch followed by its full release in late Spring or early Summer.

The year for WoW Classic will end with Season of Discovery reaching its max level cap of 60 and new end-game activities being added. Cataclysm Classic will also see both the Rise of the Zandalari and Rage of the Firelands updates to round out the year.

It seems like 2024 will always have something new going on in World of Warcraft, or at least re-new in the case of World of Warcraft Classic.

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Developer Creepy Jar, best known for their open-world survival sim Green Hell, officially revealed their next title as a sci-fi base builder titled StarRupture. Earlier this year Creepy Jar briefly teased the game during the PC Gaming Show though it was codenamed Chimera. In StarRupture, players will build up their base on an alien planet stuck in a catastrophic cycle of destruction by a nearby star.

Base-building meets tower defense

Players take on the role of a convict exiled from Earth with a sentence of mining and expanding industrial production while researching new technology on a hospitable but hostile new planet. As players build up their base with complex machinery, they will also need to fight waves of hostile enemy monsters. StarRupture can be played solo or cooperatively with up to four players.

"We wanted to come up with a new title that more accurately described the dangerous sci-fi world we’re creating. We had to break away from the mythology-based roots of Chimera and we landed on StarRupture. Originating from the base word ‘rupture’—as in a break or a disturbance—the new name also closely ties to the name of the planet’s star which is aptly named, Ruptura.

-Krzysztof Kwiatek, Founder and CEO of Creepy Jar

There's no release timeframe for StarRupture yet, but developer Creepy Jarp plans to continue releasing devlogs in the coming months as development progresses.

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Games Workshop, owner of the Warhammer IP, and Amazon Studios have officially signed an agreement to begin production on bringing Warhammer 40,000 to the world of movies and television. Last year Games Workshop and Amazon Studios announced they were working on an agreement, and a year later it is now a done deal. Warhammer fan and actor Henry Cavill had been linked to the project after it was revealed he would no longer be playing Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. It now looks like he will in fact be part of the process as an Executive Producer.

According to the community post, everything is still in the early stages but is now officially underway. Creative details are the focus now as the first script is being written and pushed into production. The post goes on to claim that an elite band of screenwriters with their own passions for Warhammer have been assembled to bring the various stories of Warhammer 40,000 to TV and movies. All led by Henry Cavill as Executive Producer who will be "bringing his pen, sword and/or spear to the project."

While it's clear anything tangible is still a way out, this is awesome news. Warhammer 40,000 is an insanely lore-rich IP and I'm honestly surprised it has taken this long. I assume one of the first things we'll see is the Eisenhorn series as it would make for a perfect television saga. What Warhammer 40,000 series do you want to see made into film?

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After a decade in Early Access, Planet Management God Simulator The Universim is finally set for its full 1.0 release. Developer Crytivo revealed today that the God Sim will leave Early Access on January 22, 2024. Alongside a ton of improvements, the full release also introduces the space age which gives players access to advanced technology including the all-new planet cracker.

A decade of features

The God Simulator has been in development for ten years now, including a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2014 that got almost $400k in backing. With the full release of The Universim, players will be able to explore an unlimited amount of space and colonize as many planets as they wish, each with their own conditions and challenges. Some planets will be abundantly resource-rich providing a great opportunity to expand and prosper with your civilization. Over 600 new voice-over lines have been added to enhance the now-completed storyline.

The Universim has become quite popular among the simulation community, with over half a million Steam wishlists and over 6,000 reviews giving it a Very Positive rating.

I played The Universim years ago and loved it, and with all the content they've added in recent years, this is the perfect time for me to give it another go. If you're looking for a multi-planet faring God Simulator, you should definitely check it out.

The Universim fully releases on PC via Steam on January 22, 2024.

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According to 3D Realms founder Scott Miller, the Danish development company is the latest to be hit with layoffs from parent company Embracer Group. Miller confirmed that several sources from the company told him that at least half of the company had been laid off. 3D Realms has had quite a few recent releases including Ion Fury: Aftershock, RIPOUT, The Kindeman Remedy, and Kingpin: Reloaded. Embracer Group acquired 3D Realms in 2021.

When will it end?

This continues the almost weekly trend of Embracer Group enacting layoffs, with over 900 employees losing their jobs just this year at the hands of Embracer. According to an interim report by Embracer, the layoffs are due to a reduced number of projects across the board. All while posting a 13% increase in net sales this year.

Of course, Embracer Group is just a piece of the story. According to VideoGameLayoffs.com which tracks layoffs across the industry, over 9000 jobs have been lost this year. From small indie companies to massive industry giants, it's been a rough year for the industry all around.

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I recently had the opportunity to dive into a roughly three-and-a-half-hour hands-on preview of the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and I had no idea what to expect.

I've actually not played Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, so my most recent experience with the series goes back all the way to 2008's Prince of Persia. The switch to a 2.5D format intrigued me as it felt like one of those situations where it could be a big payoff, or potentially the wrong move. After playing The Lost Crown for a few hours, it certainly feels like the right choice.

A return to form

The Lost Crown is a Metroidvania-style 2.5D platformer. You'll traverse a massive map with rooms that interconnect as you fight a variety of enemy types, complete puzzles, and obtain some loot. As you progress, you'll unlock shortcuts and teleport points that allow you to quickly navigate the massive map so you can return to previously-visited locations after later unlocking skills that allow you to access previously unreachable areas.

In my session, protagonist Sargon, a member of the Persian warrior clan The Immortals, sets out to the cursed city of Mount Qaf in an effort to rescue the recently kidnapped Prince Ghassan. In classic Prince of Persia fashion, time works a little differently at Mount Qaf, which in turn paves the way for some pretty interesting possibilities both in terms of story and gameplay. For example, later in the session, I unlocked the ability to perform my evade action while in the air, allowing me to jump over attacks and quickly evade to dash behind my enemy and keep up the pressure.

Oh, by the way, the soundtrack in The Lost Crown is top-notch. The Persian-themed music feels whimsical and mysterious when traversing Mount Qaf. But during challenging encounters, the music is intense and gets your blood pumping. Music is always an important part of a game, but in The Lost Crown, it elevates the whole experience. I can't wait to hear more.

Risk vs reward

The combat system in The Lost Crown is extremely fluid and fast-paced. Sargon has a quick light attack, a heavy attack that takes longer to perform but deals more damage, a block, and a dash-style evade. You can combo your light and heavy attacks, and even obtain loot that can be equipped to alter your potential combos. Blocking will mitigate damage, but must be timed correctly. However, some attacks are unblockable as indicated by a flash of red light when the enemy performs it. When that happens, blocking is not an option, and you must instead evade the attack.

Evading provides you with a brief invulnerability window, which means in theory you could play it safe by just trying to evade every attack as opposed to block. But enemies can also perform special attacks that give you the opportunity to perform a block that leads to a special counter-attack. It doesn't happen often, but every now and then your enemy may flash a yellow light instead of a red one. When this happens, if you perfectly time a block, you will not only mitigate the damage from the special attack but follow up with a high-damage counterattack that often also leaves your opponent vulnerable for a brief period of time. Successfully timing this block leading into a counterattack feels very rewarding, and can often turn the tide of a battle in a boss fight.

Challenging yet fair

Where Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown truly shines is its boss encounters. Across my hands-on session, I encountered around half a dozen bosses. Each one of course with its own unique skillset and attack patterns, allowing me to learn with each attempt. One of the more challenging boss fights took me a handful of attempts but with each subsequent attempt, I found myself learning more about the fight. This could be an extra attack window or a way to better position myself ahead of an attack. Despite how challenging some of the encounters were, each one felt fair and killable.

I know this term gets thrown around too much lately, but in a way, The Lost Crown has elements of gradual satisfaction commonly found in the Soulslike genre. The way you can learn the attack patterns of the boss encounters feels good. There were several times when I'd get my butt kicked fighting a boss, but by the time I got a good grasp of the attack patterns of the boss, I'd end up performing a flawless attempt when I got the kill.

I'll admit, my expectations going into Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown were somewhat reserved. I was hopeful the return to 2.5D would do it justice. It certainly does, and honestly, the boss fights alone have me excited to continue Sargon's adventure. The narrative is intriguing and I'm excited to see how the skills and equipment you unlock later in the game will change the combat.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown releases on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on January 18, 2024 at a price point of $49.99.

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The first limited-time event for Diablo 4, Midwinter Blight, has officially begun. The Midwinter Blight brings with it a period of perpetual darkness and bitter cold that will consume all of Fractured Peaks. As part of the event, players can take on new event quests, upgrade the new event hub, challenge a new event-specific boss, and earn event-specific rewards including a bunch of new cosmetic items.

A new character, Gileon the bard, seeks to reignite the holiday spirit of Kyovashad by enlisting the players help. The event-specific area, Midwinter Square, will allow players to build it up and upgrade it as they slay new Blightfiend enemies around the Fractured Peaks. Several new items can be used to progress the status of the Midwinter Square to unlock new rewards including a mount trophy, class-specific back trophies, weapon cosmetics, the Shard of the Dawn Offensive Legendary Aspect, Gileon's Brew, and more.

Players can eventually also take on an event-specific boss, the Red-Cloaked Horror.

It looks like the event is only available on Seasonal realms, so those who are playing on the Eternal Realm won't be able to partake without creating a Seasonal character. It seems like an odd choice to not allow characters on the Eternal Realm to join the festive event, but there's probably a reason for it.

The Midwinter Blight event in Diablo 4 is live now and lasts through January 2.

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Activision revealed via their Call of Duty blog that several multiplayer modes, including Zombies, will be free for Call of Duty MW3 this weekend. The free access event kicks off on December 14 and will last through December 18. Players will be able to jump in and have free access to six maps, four multiplayer modes, Modern Warfare Zombies, and three of the Ground War maps.

Those interested in checking out the multiplayer will have plenty to try out. Here are the maps and modes that are part of the free event:

• 6v6 Core Multiplayer Maps: Terminal, Rust, Highrise, Shipment, Afghan, Meat
• Ground War Maps: Popov Power, Orlov Military Base, Levin Resort
• Core Modes: Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Domination, Kill Confirmed, Ground War, War
• Playlists: Rustment 24/7 (Shipment and Rust), War Mode, 6v6 Moshpit (featuring Highrise, Meat, Afghan, Terminal), Ground War, Modern Warfare Zombies

Overall it's a nice mix of maps. Terminal, Rust, and Shipment are fan favorites, whereas the map Meat is a brand new map. Players will be able to level up very quickly via Rustment 24/7 which will allow them to check out some of the later-level unlocks to see if they like what is there.

It appears the full Modern Warfare Zombies mode will be included in the free access as well, which is worth checking out. Instead of traditional Zombies maps, MW3 features a DMZ/Warzone style open-world Zombies map.

The Call of Duty MW3 Free Access event begins on December 14 at 1 p.m. ET and will run through December 18 at 10 a.m. ET.

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