Spellbreak Hits 5 Million Players

Spellbreak

Magical battle royale title Spellbreak has achieved another milestone since launching on September 3rd. It now has five million players, as revealed by the developer on Twitter, and racked up four million hours watched on Twitch. Furthermore, players have inflicted 25 billion spell damage in matches thus far with the most players being in the United States followed by Japan and Brazil.

It's pretty impressive, not only because the title hit two million players a few days after launch but it's managed to do so in the fairly crowded battle royale genre. Spellbreak distinguishes itself pretty well though, offering players different elemental spells that they can mix and match together. The result is more akin to an action RPG but with other players to fight.

Spellbreak is free to play and currently available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It also supports cross-play, allowing players across different platforms to face each other. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months especially when it comes to future updates.

Bloodborne PS5 / PC Remaster is Real and Includes New Content, New Rumour Claims

bloodborne

Rumours and speculation of Bloodborne coming to PC have been pretty common for a long time now, but have really been heating up over the past few months. First being allegedly leaked back in June, we've since heard about a Bloodborne remaster coming to PS5 and PC, apparently being co-developed by QLOC and Bluepoint Games.

An announcement from Sony hasn't been forthcoming, but a new rumour urges that the remaster is not fake. RedGamingTech recently posted a video, in which they claimed that the Bloodborne remaster for PS5 and PC is very much real. It is allegedly quite far in development, and also contains additional content that was not in the original game.

RedGamingTech has generally had a solid track record with leaks and insider information, though it's worth noting that that's mostly been restricted to hardware-related news. Recently, they also said that a Metal Gear Solid 1 remake is in development for PS5 and PC.

As for Bloodborne, just last month, reports talked about a new round of play-testing, which – if real – may have spilled the beans on plenty of details about the game. Read more on that through here.

As is always the case with any unverified insider leak, it's best to take this with a grain of salt for now. We'll keep you updated should we learn anything new, so stay tuned.

Metal Gear Solid Remake in Development as PS5 Console Exclusive – Rumour

metal gear solid

Metal Gear Solid is a franchise that has been dormant for a while now (unless you count Metal Gear Survive, which, why would you?), but if a new rumour is to be believed, it might be making a surprising comeback very soon.

YouTube channel RedGamingTech recently uploaded a video, in which they said that Konami is currently working on a full ground-up remake of the original Metal Gear Solid. The game is allegedly being developed as a PS5 console exclusive, and will also be releasing for PC. RedGamingTech also states that according to their source – who's had a 100% track record in the past, according to them – Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, and 4 are also being remastered for PC. Whether or not they will release on PS5 as well is a mystery.

RedGamingTech has had a pretty good track record with leaks in the past, though it's worth suggesting that their content has mostly been focused on hardware-related stuff, so it remains to be seen just how credible this information ends up being. A beloved Konami IP releasing for the PS5 is something we've been hearing about for a while now, with rumours also having strongly been suggesting for a while that a Silent Hill reboot is in the works.

Sony has been throwing plenty of cash around in its bid to get third party publishers and developers on board for exclusive PS5 projects– so how likely is it that a Metal Gear Solid remake might also be coming to the PS5? Well, it's hard to say. It's Konami, after all, a company that has had no visible interesting in the premium AAA market for a number of years running at this point.

It's worth noting that this isn't the first time we've heard of Metal Gear today itself. Recently, rumours emerged that Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 would be getting PC re-releases. This was followed shortly afterward by multiple Metal Gear games getting age ratings on PC in Taiwan.

It's always best to take unverified leaks and rumours with a grain of salt, especially where Konami and Metal Gear are involved. Either way, stay tuned to GamingBolt, and we'll keep you updated as this story develops.

Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access Delayed to October 6th

baldur's gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 was originally targeting a launch on September 30th for early access on PC and Google Stadia. Unfortunately, stability issues and some delays to translations have resulted in the release being pushed back. Larian Studios has now announced a release date of October 6th for early access.

The overall principle behind launching on early access is to ensure that it offers a "fun gameplay experience with as few crashes as possible." Localization is also important as the developer wants to ensure that the languages announced for early access are "strong enough for our international fans to have a good time." Currently, the game is being stress-tested by an AI-driven "World Tester" and while the results are looking good, they're not quite perfect.

Regardless, Larian Studios is confident of launching Baldur's Gate 3 a week later. Minimum PC requirements for day 1 of the launch have also been revealed, which you can check out below. These will likely decrease over the course of early access but should provide a good idea of what to expect at launch. The developer also confirmed an update on romances and companionship so check back later for more details.

Minimum:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
  • Processor: Intel i5-4690 / AMD FX 4350
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Nvidia GTX 780 / AMD Radeon R9 280X
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 70 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: Default API is Vulkan 1.1. Directx11 API also provided. The minimum requirements might decrease over the course of Early Access, as performance improves.

Maneater is Receiving a Next-Gen Enhanced Version, Confirmed as PS5 and Xbox Series X / S Launch Title

maneater

Blindside Interactive and Tripwire Interactive released their open world action RPG (or ShaRkPG, as they like to call it) Maneater earlier this year, being generally met with solid reception from critics and audiences alike. Now they've announced that the game will be receiving an upgraded next-gen release, and that it will be available for Xbox Series X / S and PS5 at their respective launches on November 10 and November 12 respectively.

On PS5 and Xbox Series X / S, Maneater will feature 4K support (presumably that won't be available on the Series S), ray-tracing support, new lighting effects, and improved performance at 60 frames per second. You can also expect all of these improvements to come to the game's PC version some time in 2021 via a free update.

Additionally, it's also been confirmed that if you have Maneater on PS4 or Xbox One, you will be able to upgrade to the game's PS5 or Xbox Series X / S version (respectively) for free.

"The Tripwire team has been overwhelmed by the great reception Maneater received since it launched earlier this year, and we can't wait for players to experience the thrill of playing as a deadly shark in all of her powerful glory on next-gen consoles," said Tripwire Interactive CEO John Gibson. "With next-gen Maneater has never looked better with amazing ray traced water and smooth 4k 60 frames per second gameplay, but the adventures won't stop there, as fans can expect even more exciting news about the future of Maneater soon."

Maneater is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A Nintendo Switch version is also in the works, but has no set release date. You can read our review of the game through here.

The Game Awards 2020 Date Set for December 10

the game awards 2020

The Game Awards creator, producer, and host Geoff Keighley had previously said that this year's awards show would not be cancelled, and that would be moving ahead with a new plan in place to work around the turmoil brought about by COVID-19. Now, concrete details have been officially shared about what that plan is.

It's been confirmed that The Game Awards will be happening on Thursday, December 10, later this year. Interestingly enough, the show will be streamed live worldwide from three difference locations- Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo. It will be held inside studios without audiences, while The Game Festival will also return, featuring a week of demos, live-streams, content drops in games and more.

The Game Awards 2020 will also be introducing a new awards category for new innovation in accessibility, recognizing developers who're pushing the envelope in a bid to make gaming accessible to larger and wider audiences through features and innovations in both software and hardware.

You can also expect new game reveals, big announcements, musical performances, and more- all on top of the awards themselves, of course.

"The thing that I'm worried about more than anything is that — there's so much anticipation for the show — is that we don't have big games to announce to the fans, then that becomes a disappointment too," Geoff Keighley said in an interview with Variety. "So I talked to all the game companies and they're like 'no, we've got great content to kind of show fans around games,' and they're really excited to show that," he says. "So yeah, it's gonna be a super interesting at the end of the year to see what comes out at the top."

2020 has seen the launch of some excellent games, from Persona 5 Royal, Ghost of Tsushima, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake to Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Half-Life: Alyx, and The Last of Us Part 2– and so, so many more. Quite a few are still to come, with Cyberpunk 2077 perhaps being the most notable- though with the game launching on November 19, it is unclear if it will be eligible for this year's awards, with the show's cutoff date currently undecided. "We're still figuring out how that's going to work out," Keighley says on that matter.

Either way, we'll be learning more about the nominees, new announcements, and more from The Game Awards in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to GamingBolt for all of those updates.

No Man's Sky – Origins Revealed in New Trailer, Sand Worms Finally Added

No Man's Sky Origins

It's been more than four years since Hello Games launched No Man's Sky but the development team has shown no signs of stopping. It teased its next big update "Origins" for launch this week and the first trailer has finally been revealed. Spoiler: Sand worms are now in the game. Check it out below.

Origins is a fairly massive update in a number of ways. It features new planets, binary and ternary stars in a system, new landscapes with mountains and vistas to explore and new flora and fauna. The user interface has seen an overhaul, cloud rendering has been improved and weather is also a thing. New content also includes large archive buildings which serve as "repositories of data, treasure, and directions to long-forgotten ruins."

You'll also find new histories for the different alien cultures in these archives, expanding upon their lore significantly. Other features include Infestations, Anomalous Buildings, new items to craft and much, much more. Check out all the new features here – Origins is currently live for No Man's Sky players on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Bethesda Founder Sees Microsoft Acquisition As Potentially Positive Thing For Both Companies

xbox bethesda acquisition

While one would think this week would be defined by pre-orders for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S going live, it actually began with the bombshell that Microsoft has bought Bethesda, lock, stock and barrel. It's a move that will have huge implications for the industry in the long term. It's unclear as of now how Microsoft will operate Bethesda, whether they will keep their upcoming titles strictly within their ecosystem or still allow them to be multiplatform. All we know is Bethesda will still publish titles under their label, but that's the extent of it as of now. Either way, it seems the company's original Co-founder seems positive on the idea.

Speaking with Inverse, Christopher Weaver, Co-founder of Zenimax/Bethesda and Creator of The Elder Scrolls series, was asked about the buyout. He expressed that he actually felt it was a pretty good situation and that it helps Microsoft's need for more content with an experienced partner and that Bethesda can now focus more on their creative juices as they work on Microsoft's pipeline.

"I think this is an extremely interesting acquisition on the part of both groups," said Weaver. "Microsoft deepens their bench instantly with one of the most experienced companies in entertainment software (during a time when video game sales are at an all-time high), and Bethesda gets the benefit of concentrating their creative firepower on software that feeds the Microsoft pipelines. A good prospective marriage of interests with a large domestic public partner."

It is probably worth mentioning that while Weaver seems to have nothing to do with Bethesda now, he was the last known largest shareholder in the company (it's unclear if this is still true, however), so that may or may not be coloring his view here, but his reasoning is on the money. With Bethesda games now hitting Game Pass on day 1, it does create an incredible amount of software pipeline for Microsoft, no doubt one of the key reasons behind the acquisition in question. Microsoft has also signaled they will looking at buying other game companies in the future as well, so this conversation is very likely one that can be had again soon.

Former Blizzard CEO and "A Host" of Industry Vets Have Set up a New Game Company Called Dreamhaven

dreamhaven logo

Blizzard Entertainment co-founder and former CEO Mike Morhaime has set up a new game company called Dreamhaven, and as the company's announcement post puts it, "a host" of industry veterans have come along with him for the journey- many of whom are also fellow Blizzard alumni.

"I'm excited to team up with such talented people who care deeply about games and their communities," Morhaime says. "I've always believed in the power of games to bring people together regardless of backgrounds or boundaries. With Dreamhaven, we look forward to creating and sharing new experiences with players everywhere."

The company, which will be developing and publishing its own original games, is starting out the gate with two internal studios. The first is Moonshot Games, led jointly by Jason Chayes (who has previously worked at Walt Disney's games division, been a Senior Director at EA, and was an Executive Producer at Blizzard, where he led the Hearthstone team); Dustin Browder (a twenty-five-year industry vet who's worked in creative lead positions on games and IP such as StarCraft 2, Heroes of the Storm, Command and Conquer, and The Lord of the Rings); and Ben Thompson (who was creative director on Hearthstone and has always worked on the World of Warcraft card game, Dungeons and Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering). The studio boasts other "seasoned developers who've collectively worked on some of gaming's most popular franchises."

"Dreamhaven has assembled some amazing people, folks who truly share our values, and we're really excited to begin this next adventure together," says Chayes. "Though it's very early days, when we think about Moonshot, we imagine a studio that celebrates curiosity and courage. We aspire to be bold in our approach, and we think the best way to do that is to create a culture centered around trust. That's at the heart of how we'd like to work together and also how we'd like to connect with players once we're a bit further down the road."

The second of Dreamhaven's two internal studios is Secret Door, led by Chris Sigaty (Executive Producer on Hearthstone, StarCraft 2, and Heroes of the Storm, and Lead Producer on Warcraft 3); Alan Dabiri (who's worked on Warcraft 3, StarCraft 2, and Heroes of the Storm); and Eric Dodds (game director of Hearthstone, having also worked on World of Warcraft and StarCraft). The team at Secret Door also consists of "highly talented developers with extensive industry experience" who are "beginning to explore new game experiences together."

"The amount of game development and publishing experience at Dreamhaven combined with  the camaraderie between our studios is already providing an unparalleled environment for creative collaboration," says Sigaty. "At Secret Door, we are passionate about bringing players together in positive ways while building a sustainable home for creators. Dreamhaven is providing everything we need to head into uncharted territory. We cannot wait for others to join us on our journey!"

It's early days for Dreamhaven and its two studios still, so it's going to be a while yet before we get to see what their first projects will be. But given the talent at the company, it's hard not to be excited about their potential. 

Xbox Series X and PS5 Power Difference Will "Only Really Matter to High-End AAA Games" – 3D Realms

ps5 xbox series x

The PS5 and the Xbox Series X are both impressive pieces of machinery, and in many ways both are evenly matched. But while both have advantages over the other in unique ways, in terms of pure raw power, there's little doubt that the Xbox Series X is the console that comes out on top. But how much difference is that gap going to make?

According to 3D Realms, developers of the upcoming first person action title Graven, it won't make an awful amount of difference. Speaking to Graven's lead designer David Queener and 3D Realms VP and Graven's director Frederik Schreiber in a recent interview, we asked if they felt the gap between the two consoles – however small (or not) it may be – will make much of a difference, and their answer was that that will probably only be the case with "very high-end AAA games."

"The power advantage of the Series X will only really matter in very high-end AAA games," the developers said. "But again, it remains to be seen. The power difference between the two platforms is not that important. How competently developers (especially AAA developers), put their games together, will dictate how much power they can get out of the new systems."

It makes sense that the premium first party studios at both Sony and Microsoft will likely be looking to get the most out of their respective console's hardware, but with multiplatform developers who will be looking to achieve parity in their games across all consoles, it's doubtful that we'll see a lot of differences between the two consoles. Of course, the Xbox Series S is also a crucial factor that might have something to say in this situation.

3D Realm's Graven launches next year for PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Our full interview with its developers will go live soon, so stay tuned.