Guilty Gear Strive May Receive Another Beta Before Launch

Guilty Gear Strive - Ramlethal

Arc System Works' Guilty Gear Strive was originally set to release in April but faced a delay to June. The reason was to implement improvements in the lobby system and further improve online play following the recent beta. Players may get to experience these improvements before launch though.

During the New Game+ Expo, Arc System Works held a presentation about Guilty Gear Strive and other titles. It revealed that a new beta is being considered which could have improvements. Interestingly, it's also considering adding rollback netcode to its other fighting games, though nothing has been confirmed just yet.

Guilty Gear Strive launches on June 11th for PS4, PS5 and PC with Deluxe and Ultimate Edition owners receiving early access on June 8th. At launch, it will have 15 characters including the recently revealed I-No. Both I-No and Anji Mito received some new gameplay, showcasing their combos and Overdrives – read more about that here.

Genshin Impact – Windblume Festival, Bonding Events and More Coming March 17th

Genshin Impact Update 1.4

Fresh off of update 1.3, miHoYo Games' Genshin Impact is receiving another batch of new content next week. The Windblume Festival goes live in update 1.4 and will see Mondstadt decorated in celebration of Spring. The festival will be available for Adventure Rank 20 players who have finished "Song of the Dragon and Freedom" – check out the first trailer below.

Three mini-games have been revealed, which can be played solo or in co-op. Bullseye Balloons is all about archery; Floral Freefall focuses on gliding; and Ballads of Breeze is about, well, ballads (via an interesting new rhythm mini-game). Festive Tour Tickets can be obtained as rewards for new gadgets and Talent Level-Up Materials. There's also the Peculiar Wonderland, a domain with three random platforming-based challenges.

If that weren't enough, there's also a new boss, new story content and Bonding Events for spending time with Barbara, Noelle, Bennett and Chongyun. Different endings and memories are experienced depending one's choices. There's also a new 4-star character, Rosaria, who uses a pole-arm and the Cryo element. Stay tuned for more details on update 1.4 in the coming days.

Watch Dogs: Legion Multiplayer Delayed on PC

watch dogs legion

Watch Dogs: Legion's online multiplayer mode has faced a big delay on PC. The developer confirmed in a recent tweet that it "identified an issue in the PC version that can cause the game to crash for players with certain GPUs." As a result, it's delayed the PC version's launch until it's fixed and will reveal details on the new release date "as soon as possible."

The console and Stadia versions will release as planned on March 9th but they won't be without issues. Crashing issues in the Tactical Op has caused it to be delayed until March 23rd while the PS4/PS5 versions will have "limited" text chat in-game. A fix for the latter is in the works though and should also go live on March 23rd.

Originally slated to release in December 2020, Watch Dogs: Legion's online mode was delayed in favor of bug fixes for the base game (with a tech test taking place recently). Despite decent critical acclaim, the title has had its fair share of issues with progression loss, crashing, corrupted saves and whatnot. You can check out our review for it here.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Retains Top Spot in Weekly UK Retail Charts

super mario 3d world + bowser's fury

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury topped the UK retail sales charts when it launched a month ago, and it has remained in that position ever since. Once again, for the fourth week running, it claims the top spot in the charts this week- and it's not the only Mario game to do well in the most recent charts (via GamesIndustry).

Super Mario 3D All-Stars is going to be increasingly difficult to find past the end of this month (depending on its remaining stocks), and as that deadline approaches, people are buying the collection in greater numbers. With a 36% increase in sales week-on-week, it climbs up to sixth place. Meanwhile, the evergreen Mario Kart 8 Deluxe comes in at No. 4.

There are a number of other Switch games in the top 10 as well, including Animal Crossing: New Horizons at No. 3 (following a 40% weekly increase in sales), the Switch version of Minecraft, and Ring Fit Adventure. 

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending March 6 below.

  1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
  2. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
  5. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
  6. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
  7. Grand Theft Auto 5
  8. Minecraft (Switch)
  9. Ring Fit Adventure
  10. Assassin's Creed Valhalla

DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part 2 Trailer Will Debut on March 15

doom eternal the ancient gods part 2

id Software have been getting better and better with the DOOM content they put out progressively. DOOM Eternal was excellent, its first expansion – The Ancient Gods – Part 1 – was just as good, if not better, and soon, it's set to receive its second expansion. And soon, we'll be getting a look at what it will bring.

The developer has confirmed via the official DOOM Twitter page that the first teaser trailer for DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part 2 will debut a week from now, on March 15. The practice of teasing a teaser trailer days ahead of that trailer debuts is one that can be frustrating for fans at times, but hey- at least we know when to expect it. Mark your calenders.

DOOM Eternal is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia, and Nintendo Switch. The shooter is also set to receive additional support for Invasions and BattleMode this year, while id Software are also working on native ports for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Xbox Series X/S Getting More Games in 2021 That Are Yet to be Announced, Says Microsoft Exec

xbox series x xbox series s

The first party lineup confirmed for Xbox Series X/S for 2021 so far isn't looking very packed (even though Halo Infinite is probably going to be one of the biggest releases of the year), but as you might expect, there are still some games coming to the consoles this year that Microsoft haven't yet spoken about.

In the recent Iron Lords Podcast episode, when asked about his most highly anticipated games of the year, Xbox's director of program management Jason Ronald said, "Not all games that are releasing this year have been announced."

This falls in line with previous reports that have suggested that at least two games are releasing for Xbox this year that have yet to be announced. Reports have suggested that Playground Games' Forza Horizon 5 is actually going to launch this year, while there has been plenty of speculation around Wolfenstein 3 as well.

That there are games coming up this year that are yet to be revealed isn't much of a surprise, though it should be interesting to see what exactly they will be. Stay tuned for more updates.

Dragon Ball FighterZ – Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta Arrives on March 12th

Dragon Ball FighterZ - Gogeta (SS4)

Bandai Namco and Arc System Works have released a trailer for the last fighter in Dragon Ball FighterZ's current season pass. Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta, who debuted in Dragon Ball GT, will release on March 12th worldwide though FighterZ Pass 3 holders can access him on March 10th. Check out his moves below.

As the fusion between the Super Saiyan 4 forms of Goku and Vegeta, the various combos below don't do Gogeta (SS4) justice. Along with the ability to add a Dragon Ball to one's repertoire on a single move, he can also "level up." The latter can be done on assists as well and at level 7, his Final Kamehameha will insta-kill an opponent (unless they're blocking, it seems).

Given how there are characters like Broly (DBZ) and Goku (Ultra Instinct) in the game, it should be interesting to see how Gogeta (SS4) matches up. Dragon Ball FighterZ is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Stay tuned for more details on subsequent updates especially since this seems to be the final season of content.

SIE London Studio's Next Game "Has Huge Potential," Says Co-Studio Head

blood and truth

SIE London Studio delivered one of PSVR's best games to date in 2019 with their cinematic first person shooter Blood and Truth, and given how good that game was, it's no surprise that there are many who are keenly waiting to hear something about what their next project is going to be. According to co-studio head Tara Saunders, it's apparently going to be a big one.

Speaking in an interview that was recently published on the developer's official website, the newly minted co-studio head talked about the value that SIE London Studio places on healthy work practices, and how that's balanced with game development, before adding that the game they are working on right now has "huge potential."

"I want us to dream big and realise our full potential… but at the same time ensure that there is a real emphasis on ethical and sustainable game development practices," Saunders said. "We have super strong values in place that mean we should be keeping in mind the importance of inclusivity, balance and team spirit on a day to day basis. Our next project has HUGE potential and we want to leverage that to the max by empowering the team to thrive and deliver a top quality game!"

One would assume that whatever their next game is, it's going to be VR-related. The developer has said in the past that it wants to keep investing in virtual reality, while Sony also recently announced that they're working on a next-gen VR headset for the PS5. A killer app releasing alongside the headset right off the bat from the people who made Blood and Truth would be hard to turn down for anyone.

It's probably going to be a while before we hear anything about the game though, so all we can do at this point is wait. Recent job ads posted by the studio have suggested that their next game will have an online component. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you updated on any new info that comes our way.

Micosoft's Bethesda Acquisition is Another Step Closer to Completion

xbox bethesda acquisition

Microsoft's $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media is a major deal in every sense of the word, so it's not surprising that it's taking some time for it to be formally approved. Currently, the deal is in that approval process, and it seems it's now come another step closer to its closure.

As recently spotted by Klobrille on Twitter, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission recently published a "notice of effectiveness" for the acquisition, which means refers to a notice by the seller regarding transfer of exclusive control and administrative rights to the purchaser.

Meanwhile, Providence Equity, the main stakeholder of ZeniMax, also mentions the company's investment status as "realized" on its portfolio page. ZeniMax also is no longer listed as one of Providence's current active companies on its website.

Recent reports have suggested that Microsoft will be holding an event of sorts this month not long after the acquisition's completion to discuss the future of Bethesda and the two companies collectively following the closure of this deal. Read more on that through here.

Gears of War Developer is Recruiting People to Work on "Next-Generation Gears Experiences"

gears 5

The Coalition is singularly and exclusively responsible for Gears of War, and the studio seems to be hard at work on crafting the future of the franchise. The Vancouver-based developer is currently looking to recruit people in multiple positions across various disciplines, with its job ads page claiming that it intends to "create mind-blowing Gears of War games."

Multiple listings – including for Lead Level Artist, Lead Cinematic Animator, and Senior Gameplay Technical Designer – state that The Coalition is "dedicated to pushing the Gears franchise to new heights." Meanwhile, the ad for UI Software Engineer claims that the developer is looking to "forge the future of the IP and push the limits of Microsoft's entertainment platforms and devices."

Interestingly enough, the listing for the position of Services Software Engineer states that the studio intends to "redefine the Gears experience through the application of modern cloud service technologies."

It's probably going to be a while before we hear anything official about what the future looks like for Gears of War, but its developers have suggested that they will continue to incorporate more of some of the biggest changes they introduced in Gears 5, such as open world, player choice, and branching stories. Read more on that through here.

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