Just Cause Creator Has Formed Liquid Swords, a New Game Studio

Liquid Swords, Just Cause

In a report from Gamesindustry.biz, Avalanche Studios co-founder and Just Cause creator Christofer Sundberg has formed Liquid Swords, a new game studio in Stockholm.

"We have no intention of reshaping the world of storytelling as we know it," said Sundberg. "Our road to leaving our mark and making a difference in the industry is built first and foremost on games that are immediately accessible and consistently rewarding.

Liquid Swords will work on open-world action games for next-gen consoles, PC, and streaming platforms. While the studio is headquartered in Stockholm, there will be several other locations around the world. Sundberg goes onto say that this new studio aims to make a creative and fun workplace that has a "no-nonsense, game development-focused approach."

"I have loved player freedom and creativity ever since I first started making games and with Liquid Swords, I am confident we'll provide the go-to games for fun entertainment for decades to come," continues Sundberg.

Avalanche Studios is most well-known for making the Just Cause series. The most recent entry in the series is Just Cause 4 which released in December 2018. From there, they helped develop id Software's Rage 2 in 2019. Additionally, they made 2015's Mad Max, a game that released the same year as WB's Mad Max: Fury Road. They aren't to be mixed up with Avalanche Software, which is currently working on Hogwarts Legacy, the latest Harry Potter game.

As we get more details on Liquid Swords' new project, we'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, Just Cause 4 is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It's currently the December PlayStation Plus game alongside Worms Rumble and Rocket Arena.

The post Just Cause Creator Has Formed Liquid Swords, a New Game Studio by David Gill appeared first on DualShockers.

Dragon Quest V Novelist Saori Kumi Sues Square Enix Following Dragon Quest Your Story's Uncredited Use Of Her Characters

Dragon Quest Your Story lawsuit story feature screenshot

According to Asahi Shimbun, Dragon Quest V novel author Saori Kumi filled a lawsuit against Square Enix and Toho on November 24. The lawsuit is in relation to the movie Dragon Quest Your Story, released in Japan on August 2, 2019. The CG anime movie, created by the staff who also handled the Stand By Me Doreamon movie, is an adaptation of the JRPG Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride released in 1992 on SNES However, while Dragon Quest protagonists are usually always called "Yuusha", Hero in Japanese, the protagonist of DQ Your Story is named Ryuka. Ryuka is the same name used for the protagonist by Saori Kumi in her version of Dragon quest V, a novel published in 1993. The two characters and their story are very similar overall.

However, Saori Kumi wasn't credited for the use of her novel, even though the movie was partly advertised as an adaptation of her novel, and multiple fans thought of the movie as such.

Saori Kumi filled a first lawsuit against the movie's Production Committee when the movie was released in August 2, 2019, seeking an apology and credit.

This new lawsuit against Square Enix and Toho asks 2 million Yen as damages and a public apology. Saori Kumi also explained the situation on her Twitter and in a Note article.

Moreover, fans raised funds through a crowdfunding these past weeks. In order to help Saori Kumi gather the funds for the lawsuit. She thanked the Dragon Quest fans supporting her on Twitter. The crowdfunding ended on September 17 and raised around one million Yen, thanks to whom she could fill this new lawsuit. It's quite revolting to see authors uncredited like this. As a fan. But also as a game writer who regularly sees sites stealing content or reusing translations without sourcing, non-English sites in particular. I personally hope Square Enix, Toho, and all parties involved will take the right decision.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is the latest main game in the DQ series, available now on Nintendo Switch. It's launching on December 4 on PC via Windows 10 and Steam, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass. Yuji Horii also teased several announcements for 2021. The Dai no Daibouken anime remake is also ongoing, and a console game is in the works.

The post Dragon Quest V Novelist Saori Kumi Sues Square Enix Following Dragon Quest Your Story's Uncredited Use Of Her Characters by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.

CD Projekt Red Doesn't Want You to Stream Cyberpunk 2077 Early

Cyberpunk 2077

While the wait has felt especially long, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally set to arrive in one week across consoles and PC, and the anticipation couldn't be higher. Of course, the game has long been in development by the makers of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with CD Projekt Red aiming to minimize the risk of spoilers before its big debut.

Over on the game's official Twitter, CD Projekt Red shared some guidelines regarding streaming for Cyberpunk 2077, especially in the days leading up to its release. As outlined by the statement, CD Projekt Red is (naturally) urging those that may have obtained the game ahead of its launch next week from streaming any early Cyberpunk gameplay prior to December 9, 2020 when the game will begin to launch in regions around the world.

You can check out the full statement from CD Projekt Red below:

Of course, it will be nearly impossible to completely prevent spoilers from getting out before the game's launch, as already it appears that copies of the game have made their way into some players' hands early. However, CD Projekt Red acknowledged that "our ambition is for gamers all across the world to have the same – spoiler free – experience at the time the game releases." Granted, it also sounds like the studio will be on the lookout for videos that pops up on YouTube and Twitch prior to launch, joking that "MAX-TAC" will go after anyone that shares early gameplay footage.

Prior to its launch next week, CD Projekt Red has been sharing plenty of additional details on what to expect from their highly-anticipated RPG. Recently the studio outlined the photo mode feature that will let players capture and share their experiences in Night City, and also detailed that players will be able to turn off copyrighted music while streaming to avoid the chance of a video takedown.

Cyberpunk 2077 will release for PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC on December 10, 2020, with enhancements for PS5 and Xbox Series X/Series S to come in 2021.

The post CD Projekt Red Doesn't Want You to Stream Cyberpunk 2077 Early by Ryan Meitzler appeared first on DualShockers.

Kratos is Likely Coming to Fortnite and I Can't Wait to See Him Floss

Fortnite Season 5 is kicking into full gear today and that means developer Epic Games is beginning to announce some of the new character skins that will start to roll out in the near future. While the protagonist from The Mandalorian is likely the most notable addition so far, it looks as though one of the main faces tied to PlayStation will soon be joining the fray as well.

Yes, Kratos, the iconic character from the God of War series, looks like he's coming to Fortnite. PlayStation teased the announcement today on their official Twitter channel in a new audio log that describes a character that has killed gods being one of the notable new additions in Season 5.

While this was obviously supposed to just be a brief tease, it seems PlayStation may have also spilled the beans a bit too soon. Some PS4 and PS5 users have already started to notice an ad on the console's dashboard promoting Kratos' forthcoming arrival in Fortnite. So yeah, this is basically 100% confirmed at this point in time.

Even though Kratos will be coming to the game, you'd have to imagine he'll be a skin that is exclusive to the PlayStation iterations of Fortnite. The possibility of seeing Kratos appearing on Xbox, Switch, or any other version of the title seems unlikely. Then again, who the heck knows? Fortnite has already broken so many cultural norms that the chance of him being available as a skin for all platforms isn't even that wild.

A release date for Kratos in Fortnite still hasn't been announced, but we'll likely hear more very soon. Personally, I can't wait to see him dab, floss, and sing and dance to tunes by Rick Astley in-game.

The post Kratos is Likely Coming to Fortnite and I Can't Wait to See Him Floss by Logan Moore appeared first on DualShockers.

Bandai Namco has Announced a Partnership with Aardman Animations on a New IP

Bandai Namco

In a report from Gamesindustry.biz, publisher Bandai Namco has announced a partnership with Aardman Animations on a brand new IP.

"With new emerging technology blurring the lines of watching and playing, we are keen to develop strategic partnerships with partners such as Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe that share our vision of creating new IP that embraces this new world and cement our studio's reputation as a multi-disciplinary creative hub," said Sean Clarke, Aardman's managing director.

While there aren't a ton of details on their partnership, work on the new IP will kick off in early 2021. As it's mentioned in the Gamesindustry.biz article, this new IP will span multiple entertainment mediums. Prior to working on this new IP, both companies worked on 11-11: Memories Retold, a narrative adventure game set during World War I. It launched on PS4, Xbox One, and PC and is Aardman's most recent game.

For those that don't know, Aardman Animations was founded in 1972 and has produced several movies, books, and video games. One of their most well-known franchises is 1989's Wallace & Gromit and its spin-off Shaun the Sheep. The companies' first game was 2000's Chicken Run followed by several Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep games over the years.

In more recent Bandai Namco news, it's been rumored that FromSoftware's Elden Ring was supposed to release earlier this year but it got delayed due to COVID-19. The game was first announced at E3 2019 and we haven't heard much about it since. With Geoff Keighley's Game Awards coming up on December 10, hopefully we can get an update on the game then.

While we wait to see what Bandai Namco and Aardman's new game is, you can play 11-11 Memories Retold on PS4, Xbox One, and PC now. Stay tuned to DualShockers for more news on this new IP and all things gaming.

The post Bandai Namco has Announced a Partnership with Aardman Animations on a New IP by David Gill appeared first on DualShockers.

Super 64 Giveaway — Enter for a Chance to Easily Play Your Nintendo 64 Games in HD

EON Gaming's Super 64 device is one of the cooler products we have reviewed in the last year or so that involves retro gaming. With only a few easy steps, it allows you to get a new lease on life with the Nintendo 64 that you might still have sitting around your home collecting dust. It's not only a cool device for retro enthusiasts, but it's an item that we have said is one of the best potential gifts in 2020.

Now, just in time for the holiday season, EON has partnered with us to help hook one of you up with the Super 64. Details on how you could potentially win one of these devices for yourself can be found below.

How to Enter

Entering this giveaway very easy! Following @DualShockers on Twitter is mandatory for entry, as we will be contacting the winners via Twitter Direct Message. Please make sure that you don't unfollow us before the end of the competition, as that will invalidate your win.

Other than that, the ways to enter can be found down in the giveaway box below. Most of these qualifications to enter require you to follow us on various social media platforms or check out what EON has going on. The more ways you enter, the more likely you'll then be chosen as the winner for this Super 64.

Win a Super 64 Adapter from EON Gaming

Giveaway Process/Requirements

To make this clear, only one Super 64 will be given away. Occasionally when we do giveaways like this we're giving away multiple codes of items, but this time around there is only a single grand prize. Submissions for entry will also close next week on December 8 at 11:59 pm EST.

As a final mentionable, DualShockers does not have the ensuing Super 64 that will be given out on-hand. If you are the winner of this giveaway, we will reach out to you to receive your corresponding contact information. From here, we'll pass this information off to EON for the product to then be mailed to your address of choice.

Best of luck if you enter! We'll officially reach out to the winner next week on December 9, 2020.

The post Super 64 Giveaway — Enter for a Chance to Easily Play Your Nintendo 64 Games in HD by Logan Moore appeared first on DualShockers.

Microsoft Has Acquired Esports Community Platform Smash.gg

With its establishment in 2015, Smash.gg has turned into one of the go-to destinations for organizing esports tournaments and events. Though it has only been around for a few years, the site has grown to help host and organize thousands of esports and FGC events around the world, and is now potentially to grow even more under the wing of Microsoft.

According to the homepage of Smash.gg, the esports community platform is being formally acquired by Microsoft, though no specific details have surfaced just yet on the acquisition's cost or terms. A banner on the site's homepage offers a statement on the acquisition, and that the collaboration with Microsoft will allow Smash.gg to "help strengthen our existing relationships and explore new opportunities." Additionally, the statement also clarifies that Smash.gg "will continue as a self-service esports platform available to tournament organizers from all game communities."

The acquisition certainly is a surprising one from the outside looking in, but it seems likely that this could be in place for Microsoft to move more aggressively into the space of esports and FGC-related events. At the moment Microsoft has not provided any official word on the acquisition just yet, but based on Smash.gg's statement, it seems that the site will continue to operate as it has in past across different esports communities without tying itself exclusively to Microsoft's games or franchises.

As its name implies, initially Smash.gg was utilized for creating tournament brackets and events for games such as Super Smash Bros. and more. However, in the years since its establishment, the site has expanded out into various other esports communities and games, including Rocket League, Tekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and numerous other titles. Currently, the site has supported over 6,000 event organizers from around the world across live and online esports events.

At the moment we're still waiting for official word from Microsoft on the acquisition, but stay tuned for additional details regarding Smash.gg as news develops.

The post Microsoft Has Acquired Esports Community Platform Smash.gg by Ryan Meitzler appeared first on DualShockers.

Genshin Impact Japanese Players Find Out Bug With Zhongli To Move NPCs

Genshin Impact how to move NPCs with Zhongli Bug

The best husbando so far Zhongli is finally available in Genshin Impact (PC, PS4, PS5, Mobile, Switch soon), and you can try out a pretty fun bug with him. Using Zhongli's Elemental Skill Dominus Lapidis, by summoning the pillar right on them, you can push out certain NPCs in the game.

In particular, you can bring out NPCs from behind counters, like Katheryne at the Adventurer's Guild.

If you don't aim the pillar properly it's also possible to only end up moving a certain part of an NPCs' body, creating graphical bugs.

Many players who were lucky to draw him also noted Zhongli is pretty useful to mine ore. He can destroy any type on ore, even Crystal Ore and Magic Crystal Ore, with one hit of his Elemental Skill:

It's likely miHoYo will be correcting this bug with Zhongli in Genshin soon. miHoYo is very transparent with patch notes in each update and their gameplay corrections. However, these type of bugs so far in Genshin Impact tend to be silently corrected, so perhaps we won't get an ingame notice about it.

The Zhongli banner, Gentry of Hermitage, also adds new character Xinyan. Be sure to check our guide about her. Zhongli is incredibly popular in Japan so far, and has been trending on Twitter.

From December 4 to 6, miHoYo will also distribute 800 free Primogems to each Genshin Impact player, to celebrate the game earning multiple awards these past weeks.

The next Genshin Impact major update, version 1.2, is scheduled for December 23. It'll add the Dragonspine area, new events and characters. For each major update so far, miHoYo held a private Closed Beta Test with a few selected players. Recent leaks from some of these players divulged work in progress content from Ver 1.2, which triggered a bunch of rumors and a lawsuit from miHoYo. Ver 1.3 is scheduled for February 2021. Future updates will add the Inazuma region.

The post Genshin Impact Japanese Players Find Out Bug With Zhongli To Move NPCs by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.

Days Gone Writer and Director Have Departed Bend Studio

Days Gone, Sony Bend Studio

In a series of tweets, the writer and director of Days Gone have announced that they've both left developer Bend Studio.

"This is my last week at PlayStation and Bend Studio," said Jeff Ross, director of Days Gone. I'm incredibly proud of all the games I got to make, but also looking forward to new challenges ahead. I'll post about my plans later, but I'll be moving to Chicago once COVID calms down."

Located in Bend, Oregon, Bend Studio was founded in 1993 and is one of the many talented first-party studios owned by PlayStation. Their first game was Syphon Filer: The Omega Strain, which lead to three more games in the series. From there, they developed Resistance: Retribution for the PSP and Uncharted: Golden Abyss for the PlayStation Vita.

John Garvin, writer and director of Days Gone, announced in a Twitter thread that he left Bend Studio following the game's launch last year. Since his departure from the studio, he says he's taken a break from the games industry and focused on personal projects.

Garvin goes onto say that "over the past two decades, I helped the studio grow into a major developer, now part of the Sony family. Along the way, I wrote and directed every game from Syphon Filter through Days Gone, including two of my favorites, Resistance: Retribution, and Uncharted Golden Abyss."

Days Gone released in April 2019 and it was the most digitally purchased game that month, beating out games like Mortal Kombat 11. This past September, PlayStation announced that the game would be added to the PlayStation Plus Collection for PS5 users. Before the PS5 released, Bend Studio announced that the game runs at 60FPS with dynamic 4K. Additionally, your PS4 save file can be transferred to the PS5.

Days Gone is available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 through the PS Plus Collection. You can read our review here. Stay tuned to DualShockers for more next-gen coverage.

The post Days Gone Writer and Director Have Departed Bend Studio by David Gill appeared first on DualShockers.

Artist Rachel Weiss Draws Up Rock Band in Hades Fan Art

Hades has been a smash hit for gamers ever since it went live on early access in 2018 and then officially launched earlier this year. Cosplayers and fan artists, however, have had a field day with the game because of it's well designed and, frankly, super hot characters. Adding to the pantheon of Hades fan art, Rachel Weiss put her own spin on the game's first boss/bosses, the Furies.

In an image posted to her Twitter account, Weiss shows off her interpretation of "Dusa and the Furies," a rock band consisting of, well, Dusa and the Furies with Dusa helming the mic and the Fury sisters being her backing band. It's really cool, take a look:

The fan art captures the individual personalities of each character extremely well. Weiss jokingly clarifies in an additional tweet that, "Meg plays her guitar upside down because Hendrix did it, and definitely not because I forgot how guitars work."

Hades fan art and cosplay have been saturating our Twitter feeds here at DualShockers, so if you're looking for more, make sure to take a look at this incredible Zagreus cosplay as well as this stunning digital painting.

Along with games such as The Last of Us Part II and Final Fantasy VII Remake, Hades has been nominated for multiple awards at this year's Game Awards including "Game of the Year." It's one of the DualShockers' "Definitive Switch Titles" and is set to be on many of our writers' Game of the Year lists.

For more of Rachel Weiss's work, you can find her comics and designs on her website here or you can check out her other comic art at POME Magazine right here. For more Hades, take a look at this article on this behind the scenes video featuring the voice cast of the game.

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