Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 1 Launch Pushed Back to December 16

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War_01

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War set digital launch sales records for the series when it came out, and the game will likely continue to see strong commercial success, given the live service model the series tends to adopt. The first of its many seasonal content drops is due out soon, though Activision have announced that it will go live a little later than what was originally planned.

Originally scheduled for December 10, it's been confirmed that Season 1 of Black Ops Cold War will now drop on December 16. Called "the largest free content drop in Black Ops history" season one will bring the integration of Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, along with a new Warzone map and mode, the return of 2v2 Gunfight in Black Ops Cold War, new maps, new Zombies mode, new challenges, and more.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In our review, we said, "while the single player campaign has some interesting ideas, Black Ops Cold War is let down by anemic content offerings, a Zombies mode that is starting to show its age, inconsistent map design, and some odd regressions, all of which makes this an unfortunately easy recommendation to skip, at least at launch." You can read our full review through here.

The Initiative's Game Will be a 3rd Person Stealth Title With "Seasonal" Approach – Rumour

the initiative

Microsoft set up their youngest first party studio, The Initiative, a couple of years ago, and though we know they're working on a major AAA production, what that production is has been the subject of much speculation. Recent reports have pegged it as a game set in the Perfect Dark universe (but not as a Perfect Dark game per se), and now, new details have possibly emerged on the project.

Recently during The Xbox Two podcast, prominent Xbox insider Rand al'Thor and Windows Central's Jez Corden spoke about the game, and provided some rather interesting details. As previous leaks have mentioned, The Initiative's debut game is a game set in the Perfect Dark universe, but isn't necessarily a Perfect Dark game. It's supposedly a third person stealth action title with a cyberpunk setting.

And this is where things get really interesting. It doesn't look like this is going to be the cinematic Naughty Dog-style experience that many have been assuming it will be (contrary to what The Iniative's recruitments may have led you to believe). The Initiative are apparently taking a seasonal approach to content- not episodic, per se, but with chunks of content released on a seasonal basis, with these seasons likened to Black Mirror episodes, in that they will be independent but connected in the grand scheme of things. Curiously enough, The Initiative's work is also being likened to Remedy Entertainment's approach, and being described as "experimental".

It's also claimed that we'll be hearing more about this game soon- perhaps even as early as The Game Awards this Thursday. Recent rumours have indicated that Microsoft will be making an announcement at the show, so it's certainly a possibility.

As with all rumours, take this with a grain of salt for now. We'll keep you updated should we learn more, so stay tuned.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Possibly Being Teased by Rockstar

grand theft auto

Grand Theft Auto 5 is over seven years old at this point, and a new mainline game in the series is long overdue. The fact that there has been no single player DLC for GTA 5, with Rockstar instead focusing completely on GTA Online, has only made the wait that much more unbearable. However, it's possible that Rockstar could be teasing the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6.

Rockstar recently teased the new location they'll be adding to GTA Online on Twitter. Curiously enough, the teaser has coordinates at the bottom of the screen. As discovered over on ResetEra, when you input these coordinates in Google Maps, you'll see an image of a location that shows a road that's shaped very distinctly like the roman numeral VI. Check it out below.

Of course, it's entirely possible that this isn't the tease we seem to think it is, but it seems a bit too specific for that to be the case. We have seen GTA 6 popping up in resumes earlier this year, while reports have also claimed that the game is in development and will launch as a mid-sized released, with more content to be added on in post-launch updates.

Grand Theft Auto 5, meanwhile, is showing no signs of slowing down, and currently stands at 135 million units sold worldwide. Next year, it will also be receiving a PS5 and Xbox Series X/S port, which will also bring exclusive GTA Online content.

The Game Awards 2020 Pre-Show Will Feature 5 World Premieres

the game awards 2020

The Game Awards are always packed with game announcements and new trailers, and this year is going to be new different. Quite a few reveals and updates have already been confirmed, and there are, of course, going to be many more that will be a surprise on the day itself.

The Game Awards producer and creator Geoff Keighley recently took to Twitter to confirm details about the ceremony's pre-show. Hosted by IGN's Sydnee Goodman, the pre-show will feature five world premiere announcements, on top of a musical performance. If past years' ceremonies are any indication, both those things should be worth looking forward to.

So far, many reveals and updates have been confirmed for this year's The Game Awards, including Fall Guys' third season, Hood: Outlaws and Legends, and Dragon Age 4, while a recent report suggested Microsoft will also be making an announcement at the show.

Some rumours have suggested that Elden Ring and the long-rumoured Silent Hill reboot might be making appearances- but with recent developments at SIE Japan Studio, the latter seems a little unlikely right now.

The Game Awards will air live next Thursday, December 10, with the pre-show kicking off at 3:30 PM PT / 6:30 PM ET.

Cyberpunk 2077 Main Campaign is Apparently 37 Hours Long

cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt RED mentioned some time back that they had consciously made the decision to shorten Cyberpunk 2077's critical path in the campaign following feedback for The Witcher 3's humongous campaign. Though they did not provide any specific numbers for the game's length, it seems a prematurely uploaded review by YouTuber Dreamcastguy has spilled the beans on those details.

The review has since been taken down, but @RishiAlwani of The Mako Reactor has compiled the key details from the video over on Twitter. The review claims that the game's main campaign is 37 hours long. 21 hours were spent getting from the game's beginning to the final boss fight, while with side quests included, that number went up to 37 hours (though there's no mention of how many of the side quests were tackled). The reviewer did mention, however, that all said, there's easily over a hundred hours of gameplay in the game, which falls in line with what recent reports have suggested as well.

The main campaign is supposed to be "a slice" of what's on offer in the entire game, while the quality of the major side quests is allegedly on par with the main story itself (which isn't too surprising, considering CD Projekt RED's pedigree). The side quests also seem to vary quite a bit in tone and style, "from hunting down a ring of murderers to getting a tattoo while drunk."

Meanwhile, the review also claims that Cyberpunk 2077 runs great on the Xbox Series X, with an option for 30 FPS at higher resolution or 60 FPS with lower visual fidelity (as we reported earlier). Load times and performance mostly seem to be solid, though the review does bring up a couple of freezing issues.

You can get more details through the Twitter thread below.

Cyberpunk 2077 is due out for the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on December 10, and will also be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility. You can check out the game's detailed unlock and pre-load timings through here.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Will Not Launch Until at Least the Second Half of 2021

vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2

Hardsuit Labs and Paradox Interactive have delayed Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 a couple of times by now. Originally due out in Q1 2020, it first got delayed to later in the year, before being delayed once again into 2021. A release window beyond the vague 2021 timeframe hasn't yet been provided for the game- and publisher Paradox Interactive says you shouldn't expect it to launch in the first half of the year.

Speaking to the Swedish media (via PC Gamer), Paradox Interactive CEO Ebba Ljungerud said that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shortage of development kits for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S being provided by Sony and Microsoft respectively, and with Bloodlines 2 due out on the new consoles as well, that's been a stumbling block for developer Hardsuit Labs that's resulted in the game's release being pushed back.

"To be able to develop for the next generation, you have to have development kits from the manufacturers," Ljungerud explained. "And I'm pretty sure that both Sony and Microsoft were affected by the pandemic because they did not have that many development kits."

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 has also been going through some development troubles with upheaval in its staff. Earlier this year, the developer cut ties with writer Chris Avellone following allegations of sexual harassment against him. Not long afterward, the game's creative director and narrative designer were also let go, though a new narrative designer was recruited in October.

Whenever it launches, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Persona 5 Strikers – Official Western Launch to be Announced on December 8

Atlus and Omega Force's musou action-RPG Persona 5 spinoff Persona 5 Strikers (or Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, as it's called in Japan) launch in Japan in February of this year, and though Koei Tecmo have said on a number of occasions that the game will be coming to the West eventually, no official announcement has been made thus far.

Recently, however, an unlisted trailer uploaded to YouTube spilled the beans on that Western launch, with Persona 5 Strikers supposedly due out on February 23, 2021. Even though that unlisted video has since been removed, it seems the official announcement will be coming soon anyway. Atlus recently took to Twitter via their official western account and confirmed that "all will be revealed" on December 8, with a link to the game's webpage provided alongside their message. So, you know- expect the announcement soon.

As per the aforementioned unlisted trailer, when Persona 5 Strikers launches, it will be available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

Microsoft Will Make an Announcement at The Game Awards – Rumour

xbox series x xbox series s

Microsoft had a massive presence at The Game Awards last year, which was where they first announced not only Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, but also formally unveiled the Xbox Series X. And it seems they may have something in store for this year's awards ceremony as well.

Speaking recently during the GamesBeat Decides podcast, journalist Jeff Grubb said that Microsoft will be making an announcemnt at The Game Awards next week. He did not, however, elaborate on that, so we don't know what the nature of their announcement – if they do indeed make one – will be.

As always, we can make some guesses as to what this announcement might be. Recently, Grubb stated that Forza Horizon 5 was in development at Playground Games and might actually release in 2021, before the next Forza Motorsport, so that could be one possible announcement. Meanwhile, it's also possible that Microsoft ends up making a Game Pass-related announcement- they definitely seem to have a lot up their sleeves where their service is concerned.

We can, however, be sure that Halo Infinite won't be at the show, with 343 Industries already having confirmed as much.

As always, stay tuned, and we'll keep you updated as you learn more.

Neil Druckmann Will Continue to Write and Direct Even as Naughty Dog Co-President

Naughty Dog recently made the announcement that Neil Druckmann, who's been vice president at the studio for nearly three years, has been promoted to the position of co-president, a position he holds alongside Evan Wells. With Druckmann moving into a role that will entail more administrative and management work, many have wondered what that will mean for his duties as a writer and director.

Druckmann recently took to Twitter to speak about his promotion, and addressed that very question. He explained that even as co-president of Naughty Dog, he will continue to write and direct games, while at the same time, he will also "mentor the next wave of creators" at the studio.

In 2013, Neil Druckmann made his directorial debut, serving as creative director and writer on The Last of Us, which he co-created with Bruce Straley. Following that, he has gone on to write and direct Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and most recently, The Last of Us Part 2. Given his excellent track record, that he will continue to write and direct for the foreseeable future is happy news indeed.

As for what lies next for Naughty Dog, Druckmann has previously said that the studio could move on to The Last of Us Part 3, or perhaps an entirely new IP.

PS4 vs Xbox One vs Nintendo Switch – Who Won 2020?

In spite of how terrible the current situation has been all around in general across the world, the one area where this year has gone above and beyond is with video games. Video games as a medium are thriving, with more and more people flocking to them as an escape from the grim and dark reality that the calamitous events of the year have posed thus far – and thankfully, games, in turn, have put their best foot forward, with so many amazing, incredible titles coming out, from all sectors of the industry, and on all platforms, that this has been one of the best years for games in recent memory – definitely among the best ones this last generation.

The true star of the year has been the PlayStation 4; with the console in its final year before it makes way for the next generation PS5, one would expect things to be slowing down now, ceding the limelight to its successor. It wouldn't even have been an unreasonable expectation – last year wasn't the best for the PS4, after all, and it wasn't that much of a stretch to think that beyond the handful of releases Sony had lined up for the console this year in order to ensure that its next generation system would hit the ground running.

The PS5 did in fact hit the ground running. But it as the PS4 where Sony's true prowess as a platform holder was on display, with an inspired slew of releases, from AAA to indie, third party to first party, Japanese to western, multiplatform to exclusive, and any other categorization you might care to come up with. In this, the final year of the console's life as Sony's flagship, it got Nioh 2, Resident Evil 3 Remake, Fall Guys, Yakuza 7: Like A Dragon, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion, Sakura Wars, Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 HD, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Spelunky 2, Cuphead, Streets of Rage 4, Trails of Cold Steel 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War… this isn't counting some great first party releases, from Dreams to Ghost of Tsushima, Spider–Man: Miles Morales to Sackboy's Big Adventure.

nintendo switch

And through all of this, I haven't even mentioned the knockout titles the PS4 got, with the console receiving an unprecedented three 10/10 titles this year – Final Fantasy VII Remake, the first part of Square Enix's ambitious reimagining of their 1997 seminal hit; Persona 5 Royal, the culmination of P-Studio and Atlus' craft, delivering arguably the best RPG of all time, and one of the best games in generation; and The Last of Us Part 2, Naughty Dog's bold and ambitious follow-up to their 2013 classic, which subverted expectations and delivered one of the most daring stories the medium has seen, and one of Naughty Dog's best playing games ever.

The full range of games the PS4 got was truly mind-boggling. It doesn't matter what kind of game you like, the PS4 probably had you covered this year regardless. A year such as this for a single console at any point in time is remarkable, of course – but to deliver such an outing in the console's last year on the market is an unprecedented feat. Going all the way back to the NES, I can't think of a single console or handheld that ever went out on such a high note. Not even the much vaunted PS2 managed this. Truly, this final year firmly cements the PS4's legacy and elevates it to an all time great console.

While the other consoles didn't quite hit these same highs, they had reasonably strong showings in and of themselves. The Xbox One, for example, got some of the strongest games Microsoft's first party has put out in a while, including Ori and the Will of the Wisps (another GamingBolt 10/10), Wasteland 3 (inXile's surprisingly excellent and compelling sequel to the disappointing revival of the classic cRPG), Tell Me Why (Dontnod's excellent and empathetic graphic adventure game that showed them moving from strength to strength), as well as the more disappointing Bleeding Edge and Minecraft Dungeons.

Yakuza Like a Dragon_07

All of this was in addition to a bunch of great multiplatform games that it shared with the PS4 – Yakuza 7, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed, Immortals, Tony Hawk, Crash Bandicoot and Resident Evil. This, of course, isn't even counting some belated releases the system saw this year, such as Yakuza 0, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2. The console certainly had a bit of a blow with Halo Infinite's delay (which also hurt the Xbox Series X, of course), and in general, Microsoft's weakness with first party titles and exclusive third party games (the latter of which, at least, Microsoft is looking to address with the Series X), did mean it wasn't quite as incredible as its rival, but even so, the Xbox One ended on a very strong note this year.

Nintendo had a very quite year in 2020, and while that sort of thing can color perception, they really didn't need to do a lot of talking, because the Switch was firing on all cylinders this year as well. Now, to be fair, it was nowhere near as good a year for it as 2017 or 2019 had been. In fact, this was easily among the worse ones the system has had. But even accounting for that, the Switch actually managed to deliver a surprising number of great games. The star of the year was without a doubt Animal Crossing New Horizons, Nintendo's radical rethinking of their life sim franchise that hit at exactly the right time, giving everyone around the world the escape they needed from COVID-19 and the lockdowns that ensued. New Horizons became a phenomenon, basically becoming the kind of runaway success that we saw with Pokemon GO back in 2016, and probably is responsible for single-handedly propelling the Switch to its meteoric success this year.

Animal Crossing aside, the Switch also saw some other first party titles, including Paper Mario: The Origami King (which was surprisingly great), Mario Kart Live (the augmented reality Mario Kart spin off that gave us the kind of left field swerve we expect from Nintendo at this point), and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Clubhouse Games (a pretty easygoing board game collection for the Switch which was perfect for this long summer), C the Dynasty Warriors style prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo also re-released a bunch of their older games on the Switch, from Xenoblade Chronicles Definitve Edition, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Super Mario 3D All Stars.

Hades

All of this was in addition to a surprisingly strong showing of third party support for the system as well, with games such as Trials of Mana, Kingdom Hearts: Memory of Melody, Catherine: Full Body, XCOM 2, Borderlands; The Handsome Collection, Burnout Paradise Remastered, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered, Metro Exodus, A Short Hike, Raji, Rune Factory 4, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, CrossCode, No More Heroes, No More Heroes 2, Streets of Rage 4, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and of course, Game of the Year contender Hades (which Switch was actually the only console beneficiary of).

Again, this wasn't the Switch's best year, and Animal Crossing and Hades aside, there weren't any big heavy hitters – but it was a well rounded lineup, and helped bolster the Switch's library further (albeit, of course, it was thoroughly outshone by the PS4, which shone with the brilliance of a thousand suns).

Everyone was a winner this year as far as games go, because each of the three current generation consoles did extraordinarily well, even though the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch were quieter than than the competition (and in the Switch's case, quieter than even its past few years). But once you put aside the console warring that inevitably comes with the territory when discussing games, you will see that what we got this year was one of the strongest outings that this medium as a whole has had – and in the end, what more could you really ask for?