Tom Clancy's XDefiant Currently Exclusive to Ubisoft Connect on PC

Ubisoft fully revealed Tom Clancy's XDefiant earlier this week to a rather mixed response (at least if the Like/Dislike ratio on the videos is to be believed). Its first closed test will take place on August 5th and a full launch is a ways off. However, it seems that the free to play competitive FPS will be limited to Ubisoft Connect when it releases for PC.

A representative for the company told PC Gamer that, "As of now, the game will be on Ubisoft Connect once it's fully out. There are discussions on other stores having the game post-launch, but nothing has been determined as of yet." It's interesting especially given how much support Ubisoft has given to the Epic Games Store in recent years. Along with Uplay/Ubisoft Connect, games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2 have only been purchasable through Epic's storefront.

Granted, Ubisoft's launcher is still needed for playing even if the game is purchased through Epic. Perhaps the publisher is restricting Tom Clancy's XDefiant to Ubisoft Connect to gauge its success before expanding to other storefronts (and having to share revenue with others). Time will tell so stay tuned.

Tom Clancy's XDefiant is currently slated to release for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia. It will support cross-platform play at launch.

Guilty Gear Strive – Goldlewis Dickinson is First DLC Character, Out on July 27th

Arc System Works has revealed the first DLC character coming to Guilty Gear Strive and it's the Secretary of Absolute Defense, Goldlewis Dickinson. He'll be available on July 27th for Season Pass 1 holders and available standalone on July 30th. See him in action below.

Debuting as an NPC in Strive's Story mode, Goldlewis is described as a "mainstay" of the United States and a powerhouse comparable to the White House Security Force in its entirety. In-game, his abilities tend to learn more towards slower movement with hard-hitting attacks. Of course, he also brings his signature coffin along for the ride.

At the end of the trailer, a roadmap for future characters was also provided. The next DLC character is out in August while the third is out sometime later this year. The fourth and fifth characters arrive in 2022 along with two new Battle Stages and "Another Story" which continues the game's story. Guilty Gear Strive is available for PS4, PS5 and PC – check out our review for it here.

Overwatch Summer Games 2021 Event is Now Live

This year's Summer Games event is now live in Overwatch, bringing new Legendary skins, weekly challenges and Brawls like Lucioball. A new trailer has been released showcasing all of the cosmetics that players can earn, including some new voicelines and outros. Check it out below.

Legendary skins have been added for Symmetra, Ashe, Orisa, Sigma and Mei which are earned through Summer Games loot boxes or purchased with credits. The weekly challenges include Epic skins, sprays and icons for Winston, Pharah and Hanzo with Ocean King Winston being this week's challenge. You'll need 27 points to unlock everything with losses counting for one point and wins counting for two.

Between Cosmetics from previous iterations of the event are also available at a reduced cost so it's a good time to complete the collection. Summer Games 2021 is available until August 10th on all platforms. Stay tuned for more details on upcoming features and events in the coming months (especially since Overwatch 2 is still a ways off).

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Guide – All Bosses And How To Defeat Them

Multiple boss fights are nothing new to Monster Hunter players but Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is absolutely chock-full of them. These can roughly divided into two sections – the main story and post-game. Let's take a look at all of the different bosses encountered throughout the main story. Spoilers follow so be warned:

  • Kulu-Ya-Ku
  • Yian Kut-Ku
  • Bulldrome and Anjanath
  • Pukei-Pukei
  • Anjanath
  • Paolumu
  • Basarios
  • Basarios (second fight)
  • Yian Garuga
  • Duramboros
  • Nargacuga
  • Alwin & Shaulk
  • Rathian
  • Zamtrios
  • Nerscylla
  • Barroth
  • Tobi-Kadachi
  • Khezu
  • Seltas and Seltas Queen
  • Lagombi
  • Legiana
  • Legiana (second fight)
  • Plesioth
  • Cephadrome
  • Mysterious Rider, Nargacuga and Yian Garuga
  • Mysterious Rider and Tigrex
  • Diablos
  • Mysterious Rider and Ruby Basarios
  • Black Diablos
  • Crimson Qurupeco and Plum Daimyo Hermitaur
  • Mizutsune
  • Lagiacrus
  • Mizutsune (second fight)
  • Uragaan
  • Astalos
  • Brachydios
  • Nergigante
  • Glavenus
  • Gendrome and Bazelgeuse
  • Glacial Agnaktor
  • Mysterious Rider, Monoblos and Zinogre
  • Mysterious Rider, Stygian Zinogre and Brute Trigrex
  • Razewing Ratha
  • Oltura

Check out the video below by goodgamez to see how to defeat all of the bosses from the main story. Upon completing the story, there are several options available in the post-game. You can tackle different Elder Dragons in co-op dungeons or travel to the Elder's Lair for new Trials. Check out all of the post-game bosses below:

  • Velkhana (co-op dungeon)
  • Kirin (co-op dungeon)
  • Teostra (co-op dungeon)
  • Kushala Daora (co-op dungeon)
  • Velkhana (Elder Lair Trial)
  • Teostra (Elder Lair Trial)
  • Nergigante (Elder Lair Trial)
  • Kushala Daora (Elder Lair Trial)
  • Kirin (Elder Lair Trial)
  • Fatalis (Final Elder Lair Trial)

Again, check out the video below by Rubhen925 (from 1:13:51 onwards) on tips for beating each of these bosses. Other content opens up in the post-game including High Rank Monster Dens, HR armor and weapons, new Variants, and new sub-quests. You'll need Vital Essence and Ancient Potions to stand a chance against some of the tougher challenges – head here to learn more about crafting them.

Ubisoft CEO: 80% Of Current Investments Still In Premium Content

It seems to be quite a time of change for one of the biggest and most prolific game publishers, Ubisoft. Earlier in the year came reports that the company would be focusing more on free-to-play titles with some scaling back on the amount of AAA 'premium' paid titles. We're starting to see some of that strategy already, such as the announcement of the recent F2P shooter, Tom Clancy's XDefiant. But the company wants you to know that the majority of their investments are still with the big premium titles.

As reported and detailed by VGC, in the most recent earning calls from Ubisoft, CEO Yves Guillemot reassured that the majority of the focus remains on paid premium titles. He said that the split was roughly 80% in favor of said titles, with only 20% focusing on these new free-to-play ventures. Guillemot compared these ventures into similar business decisions made in the past to get into new market that has lead the company to the major success it has had.

"Our new investment phase, initiated two years ago, is the natural evolution of our commitment to build quality and depth in our portfolio to the benefits of our players. This will ultimately lead to bigger audiences and more recurring revenues.

"First, around 80% of our current investments are targeted at significantly expanding our premium offering by growing our biggest existing franchises, by building new IPs with a focus on player engagement and social interaction, and by adding blockbuster license entertainment brands to our portfolio.

"Second, around 20% of our current investments are targeted at free-to-play, to expand our brands' universes and bring them to a wider audience across all platforms including mobile, across all geographies including emerging markets, and with multiplayer titles designed to be evergreen."

Tom Clancy's XDefiant, the most recently announced title in Ubisoft's free-to-play initiative, will have a closed beta on August 5th. The next paid game the company will release is Far Cry 6, which will launch October 7th.

Netflix Confirms Expansion Into Gaming With Initial Focus On Mobile

The gaming world has been abuzz with rumors and reports that Netflix, the pioneer in movie and television streaming, will soon be getting into the gaming space. Joining the ranks of other tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple, it seems the media giant will try and carve out their own niche in the gaming world. Today, we found out a little more about what those plans are, but only a little.

Netflix recently released their latest financial reports, and within confirmed the long rumored game expansion, as detailed by VGC. The initial focus will be on mobile games, though it's unclear at this time if they will start with only mobile titles or possibly console titles with just more focus on iOS and Android. Within the report, they said they view the expansion into gaming similar to their expansions into original television and movie content, something the company has invested in heavily into over the last few years as other major companies such as Disney have created their own rival streaming services.

There are no details about what games will be included and what the overall plan is, whether these are games that will be based on Netflix IP (such as the previous Stranger Things games) or original properties or a mixture of both. It is said that games will be included with subscriptions at no additional charge. We'll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Deathloop Trailer Showcases Pre-Order Bonuses and Deluxe Edition Content

Bethesda Softworks and Arkane Studios have released a new trailer for Deathloop which shows off the snazzy pre-order bonuses and content available in the Deluxe Edition. Pre-ordering either the Standard or Deluxe Edition nets the Royal Protector Machete (exclusive to the PS5), the "Storm Rider" Colt skin and a trinket that provides a buff. Things take a James Bond-style turn with the Deluxe Edition.

Both Colt and Julianna receive 007-inspired spy suits dubbed "Party Crasher" and "Sharp Shooter" respectively. Unique weapons include the Eat the Rich Tribunal and .44 Karat Fourpounder weapons with aesthetics that call "The Man with the Golden Gun" to mind. Of course, there's another PS5 exclusive weapon here with the Transtar Trencher which is inspired by Prey (2017).

The Deluxe Edition also offers selections from the game's soundtrack along with two trinkets to equip. Deathloop is slated to release on September 14th for PS5 and PC. It will remain a PS5 exclusive for one year. Head here to check out its latest gameplay walkthrough.

Skull and Bones Has Cost Over $120 Million, "Too Big to Fail" – Rumor

It's no secret that Ubisoft's Skull and Bones has been in development hell. Announced way back in 2017, it's suffered multiple delays, reboots and even the removal of Ubisoft Singapore managing director Hugues Ricour due to sexual harassment and bullying accusations. Though Ubisoft proclaimed in May that the team "has been advancing well over the past 12 months," a new report by Kotaku paints a much more dire picture.

In development for almost eight years and already costing the publisher over $120 million (and counting), Skull and Bones first started out as a multiplayer expansion to Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. It would become an MMO-style spin-off called Black Flag Infinite but according to various anonymous sources that spoke to Kotaku, the project underwent a number of different iterations during pre-production. It was initially set in the Caribbean, then the Indian Ocean and even a fantastical world called Hyperborea with weeks-long branching multiplayer campaigns.

After a lot of time spent on concepts that didn't go past the prototyping stage, the studio settled on ship combat as its main focus. The changes would continue in earnest with PvE elements being implemented, aa shift towards a more survival-oriented title like Rust, and yet another reboot in 2020 (with the current build being even more different). The project's circumstances were reportedly so dire that it had to receive an internal financial write-off.

One developer said that, "No one wants to admit they f***ed up. It's too big to fail, just like the banks in the U.S." A former developer said that, "If Skull and Bones were at a competitor it would have been killed 10 times already." The reasons behind the troubled development include lack of a clear vision, toxic management (and "too many managers vying for power"), constant reboots and so on.

A developer currently on the project said, "The game is still evolving. Everyone knows what an Ubisoft game is supposed to be and the design simply isn't there yet." Ubisoft Singapore not being used to shipping triple A blockbusters, Ubisoft's Editorial division, clashes between different team members based on work culture – to say that blame was assigned all-around would be an understatement. Numerous experienced developers have left over the years when they discovered that the project was going nowhere.

Ubisoft did provide a statement in response to questions from Kotaku: "The Skull and Bones team are proud of the work they've accomplished on the project since their last update with production just passing Alpha, and are excited to share more details when the time is right. That being said, any unfounded speculation about the game or decisions being made only works to demoralize the team who are working very hard to develop an ambitious new franchise that lives up to the expectations of our players.

"Over the past year, we've made significant changes to our policies and processes to create a safe and more inclusive workplace and empower our teams to create games that reflect the diversity of the world we live in."

As it stands, Skull and Bones is still slated for Xbox One, PS4 and PC with a projected release window of fiscal year 2023. Whether it reaches that point or suffers another drastic change to its technology, design, and development remains to be seen.

Nintendo Wii U and 3DS Japan eShops Dropping Credit Card Support Next Year

Nintendo has now confirmed that customers in the Japan region won't be able to top-up their Wii U or 3DS eShop balance using credit cards as of January 18th, 2022. Nintendo announced it via a Twitter post and an accompanying blog post.

Credit card support for both of these eShops had already been dropped in many regions – including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand last year. However, customers will still be able to shop games digitally using other payment methods, so at least the stores aren't shutting down entirely.

Given that the 3DS and Wii U are almost 10 and 9 years old respectively, it isn't so big of a surprise that Nintendo would stop continuing support for these devices. Particularly more so, since Nintendo Switch being a hybrid console combines the best of both worlds. Following the incredible success of the Nintendo Switch, the Kyoto-based giant also announced an OLED model of the console dropping later this year.

Tencent-Owned TiMi Studio Group Opens A New Studio In Montreal

TiMi Studio Group has recently opened a new studio in Montreal. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the Montreal studio is the third location of the Studio Group in North America. TiMi Studio Group is owned by the Shenzen-based giant, Tencent.

TiMi Studio is behind many popular mobile games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, Honor of Kings, and Pokemon Unite. The Montreal studio is reportedly working on a new AAA title, which will include live-service and open-world elements. The new studio will be working in tandem with TiMi Seattle, which is also a very recently opened studio

Given the amount of popularity games like Call of Duty: Mobile have garnered in regions such as Asia, it's no surprise that the studio would require more manpower than ever to support these games and work on new projects. TiMi Studio' Pokemon Unite is available to pre-load on the Nintendo Switch, and will be releasing on both Android and iOS platforms later this year as well.