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EA Establishes New Studio, Full Circle, To Focus On Development Of Skate 4

skate 3

It can be hard to believe with everything that has happened over the last year, but it was indeed in 2020 when EA announced out of nowhere they would be making a new Skate game, which we'll refer to as Skate 4 for the time being. It was a strange announcement, coming almost in an offhand way with no footage, platforms or even a general idea of what it would be like. Well, it seems even if you forget, EA didn't, and they even have a brand new studio to lead development.

Announced on the official Skate Twitter, EA has formed a new studio in Vancouver they are calling Full Circle to head up development on the game. Alongside it is also lots of listings for positions this new studio. It is unclear if this studio will only be working on the next Skate, or if they will also be on other projects.

It's also unclear as to what stage of development this game is in, but considering the amount of positions that's being looked at here, it seems it is pretty early, if even started in full development yet. With that in mind, I wouldn't expect to hear a lot about either Skate 4 (or whatever it'll be called) or Full Circle for a good while.

Roller Champions Getting Closed Beta In Europe Starting February 17

roller champions

Roller Champions was one of many games that was meant to skate into our lives in 2020, but ultimately got pushed back into sometime here in 2021. There is no real time frame at this point for when Ubisoft's unique multiplayer will come, but for those in Europe, you'll be able to try it out next month.

Ubisoft has announced that for the European region, there will be a closed beta for the game starting February 17th and running into March. While the game is set to come to Switch and mobile platforms, it seems the beta will only be running on home consoles and PC for now. Ubisoft also provided a trailer, which you can see below, with some gameplay you can expect.

Roller Champions is slated to come out sometime this year for all the platforms stated above. The beta will begin February 17th and run until March 1st. You can see a full FAQ for regions as well as registration on the official site through here.

Watch Dogs: Legion – Title Update 3.0 is Live on PC

Watch Dogs Legion

Following the delay of Watch Dogs Online from December 2020 to this year, Ubisoft has some new information on the multiplayer mode. It announced the release of title update 3.0 for Watch Dogs: Legion, which is currently live on PC (console versions coming soon). Along with bug fixes and improvements, it also has files for an upcoming closed technical test of the online mode.

As per the developer, "The focus of the tech test is on service stability and ensuring a smooth Online Mode launch as our dev team gathers data from a larger sample size of players." It also noted that some of the changes from the current title update for consoles may be rolled into an update for the launch of the online mode. When could Watch Dogs Online be expected? Ubisoft said that it "will have more information coming to you soon."

In the meantime, title update 3.0 provides a host of fixes for issues, from some sound effects not playing when starting a new game or resuming from the pause menu to various crash fixes. Check out the full patch notes here for more details. Watch Dogs: Legion is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Stadia.

Watch Dogs: Legion Title Update 3.0 Patch Notes

Global

  • Fixed an issue where certain sound effects would not play after starting a new game, or when resuming a game from the pause menu.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the audio to glitch and stutter in the open world.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause players to become stuck in the cinematic after talking to Hamish in the "Power from the People" mission.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash due to an audio bug.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash when loading into the world.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash when exiting to the Main Menu.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the objective to not update after the cinematic in the Lost and Found mission.
  • Fixed an issue where a recruitment mission would not start when force quitting or crashing the application while the first dialogue sequence is occurring.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the game to freeze when switching between the Phone and Pause menus while interacting with a server via a Spiderbot during a Borough Uprising Mission.
  • Fixed an issue causing the Neutralize VIP marker to not follow the target during the Neutralize/Eliminate VIP objective in the Borough Uprising Mission for Wandsworth/Nine Elms.

Terminator: Resistance – Enhanced Has Been Delayed To April 30

Terminator-Resistance enhanced

Last year saw the release of Terminator: Resistance, an action stealth game set in the apocalyptic future of the Terminator franchise. Overall, we found it to be an uneven experience even if there was a lot of interesting material within. The game is getting something of a second chance at life with an Enhanced version. It was going to come out in March, but now will be a tad later.

Announced on publisher Reef Entertainment's official Twitter, the game has been pushed back to April. No reason was given, only the promise that more updates will come soon. There was also additional story content said to be coming to this version alongside multiple technical upgrades. You can read more details about what was to come in this new edition through here.

Terminator: Resistance – Enhanced is now set to release on PlayStation 5 and PC. The original is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC with those on PS4 said to be getting a free upgrade to Enhanced when it does launch.

The Division 2 – Xbox Series X/S, PS5 Update Out on February 2nd

The Division 2 - Operation Iron Horse

Ubisoft Massive may have be working on a new open world Star Wars game but the studio is still very much committed to Tom Clancy's The Division 2. Along with the Resident Evil Apparel Event, which adds iconic outfits from Capcom's survival horror series, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S update will go live on February 2nd. This adds 4K/60 FPS support for Xbox Series X and PS5 players.

While this isn't necessarily a dedicated version of the game for current-gen platforms, it will provide improved performance at least. The developer also confirmed that a new patch would be going live to rebalance some of the Optimization Station costs. Whether new players or old, it might be a good time to check out the game next week.

The Division 2 is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia. You can check out our review for the base game here and the Warlords of New York expansion here. The last major update for the title added The Summit, a 100 story building with a shifting layout in each playthrough.

Control Ultimate Edition Receives Short New Trailer for Xbox Series X, PS5

control

Remedy Entertainment's Control Ultimate Edition is out next week for Xbox Series X/S and PS5, having initially been delayed. Based on 2019's incredible action adventure title, it also includes The Foundation and AWE expansions along with support for 60 FPS and ray-tracing. Check out the latest short gameplay trailer below to see both in action.

Over on Twitter, communications director Thomas Puha said that the two modes – Performance with 60 FPS and Graphics with 30 FPS and ray-tracing – would be on Xbox Series X and PS5. The Xbox Series S would only have access to Performance Mode. When asked if a middle ground with 60 FPS and ray-tracing akin to Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was possible, Puha replied, "No. Not something our small team can do. We ensured the two modes we do offer are as good as they can be."

Control Ultimate Edition is out on February 2nd for current-gen consoles but also playable on Xbox One, PS4 and PC (with previous-gen console versions supporting free upgrades and cross-gen save transfer). It will be free with PlayStation Plus in February 2021 for both PS4 and PS5 along with Destruction AllStars and Concrete Genie. For more details on the base game, check out our review here.

Destruction AllStars, Control Ultimate Edition on PS5 Free With PlayStation Plus in February 2021

PlayStation Plus_February 2021

Following its State of Play presentation for Destruction AllStars, Sony has announced the free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers in February. Destruction AllStars is included along with Control Ultimate Edition on PS5. PS4 players will also receive the latter along with the underrated Concrete Genie.

Destruction AllStars received tons of new details recently, from its vehicle types and Hero abilities to Destruction Points and Challenge Series. It will be free for two months on PlayStation Plus and then retail for $70. Control Ultimate Edition includes the base game and two expansions, The Foundation and AWE, with support for ray-tracing and 60 FPS modes.

Those who play Control Ultimate Edition on PS4 can transfer their save data over to the PS5 version. However, those who own the base game cannot and even if the expansions were purchased separately, there's no free upgrade option. All three of the above titles will be available free on PlayStation Plus from February 2nd to March 1st.

Destruction AllStars – Destruction Points and Challenge Series Revealed

destruction allstars

Along with gameplay details, Lucid Games also offered a look at Destruction AllStars' monetization and Challenge Series in the latest State of Play. The vehicular combat title has two currencies – AllStar Coins and Destruction Points. Players earn the former by playing online and earning XP while Destruction Points are purchased with real money from the PlayStation Store.

Interestingly, it seems that earning Destruction Points in-game won't be possible until later this year when daily and weekly challenges launch. Though many of the cosmetics showcased in the video can be purchased with AllStar Coins, some require Destruction Points. The highest tier of emotes showcased can only be unlocked with Destruction Points.

The single player-esque Challenge Series also receives some new details. These are essentially a collection of challenges for each character which culminates in a showdown with a rival. Each Challenge Series is redeemed with Destruction Points and of the five showcased, it's not clear if some, if any, will be unlocked from the start. It does shed some light on how Lucid Games would monetize future Challenge Series if they're added to the game.

Destruction AllStars is out on February 2nd for PS5 and included free with PlayStation Plus for two months. Stay tuned for more details and hopefully some more clarification on Destruction Points in the meantime.

Destruction AllStars State of Play Details Vehicle Types, Hero Abilities and More

Destruction All Stars Characters

A new State of Play presentation was released for Lucid Games' Destruction AllStars, which is out on February 2nd for PS5. The video details the core mechanics of the gameplay and how players will be commandeering vehicles, wrecking opponents and traveling on foot. Check it out below.

There are three vehicle types to choose from when a match begins – speedy vehicles that can drift; agile vehicles that turn and bump into opponents; and heavy vehicles that can take tons of damage. Each of the 16 AllStars has their own unique Hero Vehicles and abilities on top of this. Lupita, for instance, can create a trail of flames while in a car or on foot while Shyft can go invisible.

While on-foot, AllStars are capable of extensive movement options. We've seen the sprinting and dodging but they can also double-jump, vault, wall-run, vault boost and much more. If you manage to land on the roof of an opponent's vehicle, then you can either initiate a Takeover and hijack it or a Wreckover to destroy it. You'll need to be faster in the button inputs than your opponent though.

Destruction AllStars will launch as a free title on PlayStation Plus for two months. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Persona 5 Strikers Trailer Features the Phantom Thieves Striking Back

Atlus's Persona 5 Strikers has received a new trailer, placing the spotlight on each member of the Phantom Thieves. This is especially helpful for those who haven't played Persona 5 since it serves as a venerable who's who of the cast. For fans of the series, it's like a reunion of sorts. Check out the trailer below.

Developed by P-Studio and Omega Force, Persona 5 Strikers is more a hack and slash title akin to the Dynasty Warriors series. However, it still features the ability to pause and use Persona abilities, All-Out Attacks with other Phantom Thieves members and fusing Personas. The story takes place months after Persona 5 with the team going on a vacation before having to explore a strange alternate version of Tokyo teeming with Shadows.

All of the Phantom Thieves are playable and have their own unique moves and abilities, many of which are showcased in the trailer below. Persona 5 Strikers releases on February 23rd for PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. For more details on what to expect, check out our feature here.