Watch Dog Legion's New Hero and Missions Delayed to May

Watch Dogs LegionUbisoft has delayed its Watch Dogs Legion title update 4.0 to May 4th. It was originally schedule for release in late April. When the title update does launch, it will introduce playable hero Mina Sidhu, a transhuman with mind control abilities. The update will also add new missions, assignments, and characters, including a first responder and a DJ.

In addition, the update is set to improve (but not completely fix) an bug that causes hostile drones and NPCs to spawn continuously after players enter any online mode. "While working on the different pieces of content, we encountered some issues that we needed to address before deploying the update," Ubisoft said on Twitter. "We want the quality of this update to be in the best shape it can be. " Ubisoft has added that the delay will allow them to "continue our work on fixes for bugs that have been reported by our players via our Watch Dogs: Legion Bug Reporter, as TU 4.0 will also include more game improvements."

This isn't the first time Ubisoft has delayed a title update. They recently announced that Assassin's Creed Valhalla's latest update, Wrath of the Druids, would be delayed from April 27th to May 13th. Ubisoft also announced that title updates for that game would be released every 5 weeks in the future, instead of every 4 weeks.

Miitopia Demo Now Available on Nintendo eShop

miitopiaAnnounced in February and set to be released on May 21st, the Switch game is a customizable RPG adventure that allows players to use their Miis to take down an evil Dark Lord.

The eShop demo includes the game's first area and allows players to customize their Miis with wigs and makeup. Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will be able to share their own Miis and download their friends', as well as popular characters from the game's original release on the 3Ds in 2017.

As in the 3DS version, Mii characters will be able to build relationships with one another, which will influence how they perform in combat. Progress from the demo can be carried over to the full game, which will retail for $49.99. Nintendo is also launching a new, blue version of the Switch Lite on May 21st, the same day as Miitopia.

Respawn Becomes First Game Developer to Win an Oscar

respawn entertainment logoRespawn Entertainment is the first game studio to ever win an Oscar after a short documentary on World War 2 won Best Documentary (Short Subject) at the Academy Awards this weekend. "Colette" was the  documentary, and it was produced by Respawn and Oculus and distributed for free by The Guardian.

The documentary follows one of the last surviving members of the French resistance as she returns to Germany for the first time in 74 years to visit the concentration camp where her brother was killed. It was one of several live-action shorts created for Medal of Honor: Above And Beyond. Vince Zampella, Respawn's CEO, was a co-producer.

It's a huge accomplishment. Many film companies are never nominated for an Oscar, let along win one. That Respawn managed to produce a short that won one just a decade after the studio was founded is incredibly impressive. Naturally, they're pretty excited about it. If you haven't seen the documentary, you can check it out in the link below:

Resident Evil Re:Verse Seemingly Launching This Summer

Resident Evil ReVerse

2021 is a big year for Resident Evil, with Capcom's celebrated survival horror franchise turning 25. That's a special anniversary, and it's being marked in several ways. While the imminent launch of Resident Evil Village is obviously going to be the headlining event, Capcom has other things in the pipeline as well. PvP multiplayer title Resident Evil Re:Verse, for instance, is also in the works, and has been receiving betas over the last few weeks. Now, we might also know when the game will launch in full.

Capcom recent sent out emails to members of its Resident Evil Ambassadors program, in which they mentioned the upcoming Resident Evil Village demo. Following that, they also spoke briefly about Re:Verse, and interestingly enough, mentioned that it is "scheduled to begin in the summer of 2021." Take a look below.

Resident Evil Re:Verse, whenever it launches, will be available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and will also be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility. If you purchase Resident Evil Village, you'll get access to Re:Verse for free.

reverse summer

Monster Hunter Rise – Version 2.0 Update Adds New Decorations, Increased Armor Upgrade Cap and More

Monster Hunter Rise - Version 2.0 Update

Monster Hunter Rise's first major update is out tomorrow and introduces five – yes, five – new monsters into the mix. These are Apex Rathalos, Apex Diablos, Chameleos, Teostra and Kushala Daora. However, there are plenty of other features to look forward as revealed in the Version 2.0 Update patch notes.

After unlocking the Hunter Rank cap, the newer monsters will not only appear in Village and Hub quests but also intrude when you're in the middle of other quests. New monsters will also appear in the Rampage, which is getting some new skills associated with the activity. With new weapon trees, armor and Petalaces being added, there will also be new skills added with them. Players will also have new decorations for the Smithy to forge.

Along with being able to craft Layered Armor for players, the Smithy can also forge Palico and Palamute Layered Armor. The level cap for Palico and Palamute armor is also being raised to level 50. For more details, check out the full patch notes here. The Version 2.0 Update goes live at 12 AM UTC tomorrow and is roughly 0.9 GB in size.

Patch: Ver.2.0.0

Main Additions / Changes

Added story elements

  • Your hunter rank cap will be raised when certain conditions are met.
  • New monsters will start intruding on some quests.

Added elements after raising hunter rank cap

  • New monsters will appear in Village and Hub quests.
  • New monsters will appear in the Rampage.
  • New quests, Arena quests, and requests will be available.
  • New weapon trees, armor, items, and Petalaces will be available.
  • New skills and Rampage Skills will be available.
  • Armor upgrade level cap will be raised.
  • New decorations will be available to forge at the Smithy.
  • Layered armor will be available to forge at the Smithy.
  • Palico and Palamute layered armor will be available to forge at the Buddy Smithy.
  • Palico and Palamute level cap will be raised to level 50.
  • Default level for Palico and Palamute hired from the Buddy Scout will be raised.

Added system elements

  • New Guild Card awards will be available.
  • You will be able to change your hunter's appearance from the Character Select menu using a Character Edit Voucher.
  • Note: Character Edit Vouchers can be purchased from Nintendo eShop.
  • New DLC can be purchased from Nintendo eShop.

Yoshinori Ono Appointed President and COO of Delightworks

Today, Delightworks announced on its website that it has appointed Yoshinori Ono, longtime former Capcom developer and Street Fighter producer, as its new president and COO as of May 1st (via Gematsu). Akihito Shouji, Delightworks' founder and current president, will become the company's chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) on the same day. The move marks the end of Ono's 30 year career at Capcom, where he served as the producer of Street Fighter for over a decade. In Ono's time on the franchise, he oversaw Street Fighter 4 and Street Fighter 5.

Ono's departure from Capcom isn't surprising. He announced that he would be leaving the company last year. The announcement came shortly after rumors surfaced that Street Fighter 6, which had been planned for a 2021 release date, had been pushed back after internal testing and that Ono, supposedly the game's director, had been removed from the project.

"On May 1st, I will be moving from Capcom to another company. I'm going to be working at a studio that is a little different from the one I'm used to. I'm also going to be looking at development from a different perspective than in the past," Ono said on Twitter. Ono also said that while there "may be some distance" between him and the fighting game community for "a while," he's eager to get involved again when he can.

Upon hearing the announcement, Japan-based analyst Dr. Serkan Toto noted that Delightworks, the developer behind smartphone smash hit Fate/Grand Order, is one of Japan's last privately-owned large-scale mobile studios. Toto believes that Delightworks might have lured Ono there with the promise of an IPO.

Street Fighter 4 revitalized both the series itself and the fighting game genre. Ono's Capcom legacy would have been impressive if he'd just worked on Street Fighter, but he also worked on Devil May Cry, Marvel vs. Capcom, Resident Evil, Dead Rising, and Breath of Fire, among others. It's odd to see him at a mobile studio, but it will be interesting to see what he cooks up while he's there.

New PS5 System Update Improves Performance

PlayStation logoThe patch notes for Sony's latest firmware update, Version: 21.01-03.10.00,  consists of a single sentence: This system software update improves system performance. That's it. The update is 1 GB in size.

One would assume that the update does exactly what it says it does, though details beyond that are unclear. In the past, however, Sony has released updates that have made changes that have not been mentioned in patch notes. This actually happened in the PS5's first major software update, which was released on April 14 and secretly addressed a loud disc spinning issue.

The April 14th update also addressed several other issues, finally allowing users to move PS5 games to extended storage, adding Share Play compatibility with PS4 (so PS4 players can watch a play games with PS5 users), new accessibility options, and a lot more. For the full details on those patch notes, head over to the PlayStation website. As for this update, all we can do is assume it does what it says it does…until someone confirms otherwise.

Scarlet Nexus Trailer Briefly Tours Various Locations

Scarlet Nexus_01

Bandai Namco's Scarlet Nexus has received a new trailer, showcasing the game's various environments. It's short but provides a good enough look at the locations that players can explore and wage combat in. Check it out below.

Along with an abandoned highway and boardwalk, there's a snowy region, industrial levels and what seems to be the museum level from a previous combat video. This likely isn't the extent of all the stages so expect from surprises in the full game. The main hub is New Himuka, a futuristic city that's constantly under threat by The Others. Cue the Other Suppression Force aka Scarlet Guardians to save the day with their psychic abilities.

Yuito and Kasane are the main characters with the story alternating between their respective teams. Each uses telekinesis in their own way and can combo with their allies' abilities for extra damage. Scarlet Nexus is out on June 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and PC. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay footage in the coming weeks.

Resident Evil Village – The Mercenaries Receives New Gameplay Footage and Details

Resident Evil Village

It's not long now before Resident Evil Village releases. PS4 and PS5 players have been getting their hands on the latest demo while all platforms can access the 60 minute version when it goes live on May 1st. The Mercenaries, Resident Evil's beloved extra mode, won't be playable until you complete the full game but there's some new gameplay footage and details to tide one over courtesy of IGN First.

As noted in the initial reveal, The Mercenaries sees the player deposited into an area and fighting off hordes of enemies. The goal is to kill enough enemies and then proceed to the next area, buying time with each kill and racking up more points. Orange orbs are also present in stages which provide an additional 30 seconds on the clock upon breaking them.

The village stage was previewed and while initial areas were straightforward enough, later areas saw enemies on walls and rooftops, thus forcing the player to adapt. Some players might be keen to rush to the goal when enough kills have been secured while others may want to kill each enemy to maximize their score, even if it means losing precious time.

The player will also encounter The Duke's shop, which can be used to purchase weapons, upgrades, ammo and consumables (though some ammo is given for free). Throughout your run, different abilities will also crop up and the video showcases some new ones like moving faster with the knife and dealing five times more damage with it. Though it's a good idea to choose abilities that reinforce your favored play-style, selling items to upgrade a single weapon may be the right play.

Resident Evil Village is out on May 7th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Stadia.

"We Do Not Push People to Spend in Our Games" – EA

EA Logo

EA's focus on monetizing its games has been well-known across the industry for a long time now, and the company has often been accused (for very good reason, most of the time) of making that monetization more central to most of its operations than they should be, often at the cost of quality. Of course, the biggest revenue generator for EA is the loot boxes it sells in FIFA's Ultimate Team mode year in year out, and a recent report arising from a leaked internal EA document alleged that the company is pushing players to spend more in the mode in several ways.

EA has now issued a statement in response to the reports, with the basic gist of it being that spending in FIFA is optional, and that the interpretations of the aforementioned leaked document are lacking in context, and that the contents of the document have been misrepresented.

"We seek every day to provide players with content choices that fuel their excitement and connection to the sport and their friends," the company says. "Which is why we're so disappointed in a recent media report about FUT which ignored important information and context, the result being a sensationalized story with a misrepresentation of the facts."

"We do not 'push' people to spend in our games," EA adds. "Where we provide that choice, we are very careful not to promote spending over earning in the game, and the majority of FIFA players never spend money on in-game items."

In the statement, the company also writes that since Summer is often the most active time for FIFA Ultimate Team every year, EA often takes measures to increase player engagement, but not player spending, and that "nothing in the leaked document contradicts this in any way."

Finally, EA has also stated that it doesn't believe any aspect of FIFA Ultimate Team, including its loot boxes, amount to gambling, stating that many regulatory bodies in many countries agree with that assessment (although some, of course, disagree).

"We also firmly disagree that FIFA or any of our games involve gambling," EA's statement reads. "Regulators in multiple countries around the world have stated publicly that where there is no cashout method, loot boxes do not constitute gambling. We take great care to ensure that our games are played as designed, including by  taking action against those who violate our rules against trading outside the game. We do not believe there is merit in any of the recent litigation filed in the U.S. or Canada and are confident the courts will agree. Recently, a U.S. Federal Court judge dismissed a related case noting that "the lack of any real-world transferable value to items takes them outside" of the gambling laws. So again, supported by all of these perspectives from authorities, we do not believe any aspect of EA's games constitutes gambling."