The Stream Team: Puzzled to death in SWTOR

With seven combined deaths already on the Death Counter, Massively OP's Larry and MJ have only made it through part of The Shroud's lair in SWTOR. They've got quite a bit left to complete — and that includes puzzles! (Sorry, the traffic jumping puzzle and all its amusement is over though!) Tune in live at […]

Monster Hunter Rise unleashes Apexes and crossover with Monster Hunter Stories 2

Hold on to your butts: Monster Hunter Rise is letting the current Apex monsters out of their rampage cages and into the wild. Capcom's also introducing Apex Diablos and Apex Rathalos for rampages and sticking title monster Magnamalo into the rampage rotation. Capcom's also adding past Elder Dragons Kushala Daora, Teostra, and Chameleos to the […]

Survival MMO Stars End struggles with low engagement, reaches alpha milestone

Last fall, we noted that an intriguing-looking space survival MMO called Stars End had sort of stealth launched on Steam early access and wasn't doing a lot to draw attention to itself. As it turns out, it was pretty much DOA — but it's fighting for a brighter future even still. Steam Charts notes that […]

Voxel MMO Elteria Adventures revamps its visual style, plans open playtesting this week

Back in May of last year we took a peek at Elteria Adventures, a voxel-based MMO that featured floating islands, destructible environments, building features, and monsters like Crystal Llamas and Boarmelons. It also stood out because its voxel style was very Landmark-esque, with voxels being smoothed out into more natural-looking shapes. It turns out that […]

Massively OP Podcast Episode 319: A sadness prison for addicts

Justin and Bree discuss Destiny 2's tmog, Elite Dangerous Odyssey, PSO2's New Genesis, RuneScape and Albion on mobile, and Jeff Kaplan's farewell, with adventures in Guild Wars, City of Heroes, and SWG Legends, plus a mailbag discussion on Blizzard's downfall and future.

Final Fantasy XIV and XI now support more authenticator software for one-time passwords

If you want to enable a one-time password for your Square-Enix account to access Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XI, or both? That's a good and sensible security measure. And now it's easier to do even if you're not interested in making use of the Square-Enix software token app available for your phone or the physical […]

TERA Console opens a new dungeon and makes several dungeon adjustments in latest update

The console version of TERA has gotten a recent update that's almost exclusively about dungeons, which is good news for those who like to get their action combat kicks in the variety of instanced locations in the game. For those who enjoy new delves, the update brings the Immortal Manaya's Core dungeon, an item level […]

Neople opens a teaser site for its new game Dungeon and Fighter: Overkill

In a story from the tail end of last year (and in coverage from a year before that), we cast our eyes on Neople's Project BBQ, which was elaborated as a "parallel universe" MMO from the Dungeon Fighter Online IP featuring 3-D graphics, movement, and combat. Now, we have an official name for the game […]

Fallout 76 launches its Locked & Loaded update

Today, Fallout 76 is ready to lock things and load other things, or possibly load something and then lock it when it's been loaded? That second one makes more sense. Look, the point is that the Locked & Loaded update is live today, bringing a new season of reward progression for players along with double the […]

Multiplayer PvPvE shooter Scavengers enters early access April 28, floats 9000-player-and-bot mode

This past March we got a look at Scavengers, a multiplayer PvPvE survival shooter where up to 20 teams of three players are tasked with surviving the elements, AI attacks, and potential fights with rival teams as they try to gather the most datapoints in the map and exfiltrate to win. If the load of […]

EVE Online releases the second half of its industry update, asks players for footage for an anniversary video

It's one part work and one part celebration in this EVE Online news posting. On the work side of things, the second part of the game's industrial shakeup has gone live today, introducing the promised blueprints, reactions, and components for ship manufacturing, while also adjusting the materials received when reprocessing tier two ships and doubling […]

Guild Wars 2 releases summer roadmap, plans End of Dragons reveal event for July

Guild Wars 2's Icebrood Saga Episode 5 Chapter 5 Judgment is launching today, and of course we've got our Guild Wars 2 columnists bringing you coverage from the press event and impressions of the new content. But ArenaNet also has a big announcement launching at the same time, one you won't be too surprised about, […]

Flameseeker Chronicles: Hands-on with Guild Wars 2's Judgment world boss, Dragonstorm

Judgment is upon us, friends, in this edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles: The fourth and final chapter of Guild Wars 2's The Icebrood Saga: Champions drops today! Eighteen months of living, breathing content culminates in a whirlwind of a world boss encounter – Dragonstorm – and one of the highest stakes showdowns we've seen in […]

Swords of Legends Online drops a brand-new lore trailer and concept art

Swords of Legends Online would really like your attention, and it's apparently going to keep pumping out trailers until it has it. Today, Gameforge, Wangyuan Shengtang, and Aurogon have released a lore trailer that explains just what the heck is going on in the gameworld when players drop in for the first time. Chaos, benevolent […]

Choose My Adventure: RIFT was fun before, wasn't it?

My time in RIFT this past month has left me confused, frankly. Primarily because I remember genuinely enjoying this game more than I did. That's not necessarily to suggest I had a bad time these past few weeks in the game, to be clear. I've just had a reasonable time. A wholly unmemorable time. A […]

EA insists it's focused on 'engagement,' not monetizing FIFA players into gambleboxes

Yesterday, Canadian outlet CBC published a massive Electronic Arts document leaked by a supposed "gaming insider" that seemingly confirms what you already thought about EA: It really wants you to buy lootboxes. The 54-page memo was originally circulated internally within the Canadian division's FIFA teams and declares, among other things, that lockboxes – are the […]

An infamous WoW Classic griefer sees his 16 accounts all banned during a livestream

If you've got your finger on the pulse of the greater World of Warcraft: Classic community, you perhaps are familiar with the exploits of one TinyViolin69, a player whose entire reason for existing in-game is to camp World Buff sites with 16 different boosted and paid-for accounts in order to dispel buffs that other plays […]

Star Wars: The Old Republic explores dark secrets with today's Update 6.3

Hey you! Drop everything — groceries, babies, financial responsibilities — and make a dash over to the Star Wars: The Old Republic launcher. You see that? Yup, it's a patch in progress, bringing you into the era of Update 6.3: The Dark Descent. The headlining feature of this update is a new flashpoint that takes […]

EverQuest's 'random loot server' Mischief and item comparison are coming in May

There's a portion of the classic EverQuest community that absolutely lives for days when a new time-locked progression server is added to the roster. But this year is bound to whip the MMO faithful into an even greater frenzy thanks to the announcement of Mischief, a time-locked progression server that just so happens to feature […]

The Daily Grind: What's the best way MMOs can improve player retention – other than new content?

Months ago, Gamasutra published a piece about the long-tail of game development – basically, how to keep a video game selling copies and/or attracting players long after it's faded from the front page of every website and dropped out of Steam's top 10. The specific suggestions are simultaneously obvious, depressing, and irrelevant: make a game […]

The Stream Team: Before Blackwood, anything goes in Elder Scrolls Online

After checking out ESO's upcoming Blackwood, Massively OP's MJ can't get all that lava out of her mind.  She just can't focus as she waits to explore the new lands. Luckily, there are a multitude of other things she can do while she waits! Tonight is an anything goes adventure! Join us live at 8:00 […]

Runes of Magic plagued by murder bunnies and psychedelic eggs for spring

All of the surviving bunnies (sorry, "wabbits") from Easter and leftover colorful eggs have migrated to the safe haven of Runes of Magic, which is just now holding its Spring Rain Festival. The event, which kicked off this past Wednesday, promises to bring "a contagious atmosphere of joy and happiness," or as we better know […]

Animal Crossing: New Horizons announces content-light updates until June

Nintendo just announced that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is expected to get some new content for the next several months, starting with a May Day event from April 29th through May 7th, followed by International Museum Day events and the June Wedding Season Events. Sound familiar? That's because as it did with Bunny Day, Nintendo is bringing […]

Survival shooter Vigor adds a new weapon and more loot events in Season 8 update

The multiplayer survival shooter Vigor continues to cross our news desk like a whack-a-mole. This time around there's word of a new season for the game, bringing with it a couple of updates like the PH M82 sniper rifle, a new battle pass, the addition of two loot events to every encounter, and the addition […]

RuneScape player's huge history book goes on sale for charity

The full history of RuneScape, which spans two decades of development and operation, is far more than can fit in any one book. That's why July, the self-proclaimed "RuneScape History Nerd," wrote three such tomes as an exhaustive account of this MMORPG. This History of RuneScape trilogy, which clocks in at over 1,000 pages in […]

Neverwinter will reopen the Hell Pit for PC players to test their mettle on April 29

With Neverwinter on the precipice of war and the legions of hell looking for strong souls to join their ranks, now seems as good a time as any for the game to invite players to see if they're worthy with the Hell Pit event, which is coming back on Thursday, April 29th and running until […]

Rise Online is a two-faction MMORPG inspired by Knight Online currently in open alpha

If you were looking for a new MMORPG that's similar to the 2004 title Knight Online but is designed by someone else (and you somehow missed out that game's arrival to Steam in 2016), then Turkish developer Rokosoft would like to introduce you to Rise Online, a new game that's like that old game but […]

Profane previews its sound design by focusing on a tropical beach biome

While the developing PvP MMO Profane will obviously feature the sounds of fighting between players and the sounds of combat in general, a new development preview Twitter thread is taking players on an audio journey to a serene tropical beach while also talking about how head of audio Marlon Kroth crafts the soundscape for the […]

Star Wars: The Old Republic to launch update 6.3, The Dark Descent, on April 27

Earlier today, we made a snarky joke about how the next Star Wars: The Old Republic patch has had plenty of its content teased but not yet gotten a hard release date. It turns out that we should have waited just a little bit longer, because the release date for patch 6.3 has just been revealed […]

Not So Massively: Checking up on multiplayer RTS Iron Harvest 1920

Last fall, this column covered Iron Harvest 1920, an alternate history RTS with a strong multiplayer emphasis and surprisingly poignant story-telling. Once I got into the full game, it only continued to impress, and I've been following it since. I thought now might be a good time to take stock of how Iron Harvest has […]

New Eden is a pixel graphics Souls-like MMORPG that's in open early alpha testing

This one's for the MMORPG fan that likes a more hard-bitten challenge in their game and doesn't mind some old school visuals to go along with it. Introducing New Eden, an in-development 2-D MMORPG that pairs pixel graphics with Soulsborne-esque combat to create a game that the devs at Wanderwolf Studios hope will "push the […]

Stick and Rudder: The frustrating and unsuccessful search for life in Elite Dangerous Odyssey alpha phase 3

I should have been more capable. If I were a better exploration pilot in Elite: Dangerous, I suspect I would have had a better time. Or would have had more fun. As it stands, this past phase of alpha testing for Odyssey left me a bit more frustrated than I would have liked. But then, […]

Old School RuneScape announces plans for story mode and hard mode versions of the Theatre of Blood

While the devs at Jagex are keen to follow player feedback and introduce more endgame content to Old School RuneScape, the team hopes that some plans for the Theatre of Blood encounter will fill the gap before then. Assuming player polls guide the team's steps. The proposed updates seek to introduce a story mode version […]

Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV's patch 5.5 stories have some issues

All right, I'm just going to spoil this column up front. Out of this patch's stories… well, one is kind of a wisp of a thing, one is admirable in attempt but doesn't quite land right, and one is just straight-up bad. And if you've played through all of them, you can probably guess which […]

Final Fantasy XIV confirms that there will be no in-person attendance for the digital fan festival

Here's the good news for Final Fantasy XIV fans: The digital fan festival scheduled for May 14th and 15th is still going to go forward as scheduled, with new information and fun events for players around the world to watch. The bad news, especially for fans in Japan, is that none of the fans will be […]

World of Warcraft's director Ion Hazzikostas has no plans for Legendary refunds but does promise catch-up systems in 9.1

Apparently, you should have an entire collection of Legendary items in World of Warcraft. That's one of the takeaways from an excerpt from a recent interview with Ion Hazzikostas from LingHunFuSu in which he discusses the current approach to Legendaries and dealing with refunds or re-arranging secondary stats. Hazzikostas stresses that while players should probably have […]

Star Wars The Old Republic talks about the upcoming Secrets of the Enclave Flashpoint

It's time once again for another de facto dev blog from Star Wars: The Old Republic! BioWare has once more brought forth world designer Allison Berryman to talk about the new Secrets of the Enclave Flashpoint that's arriving to the game in Update 6.3, offering up a couple of lore and location hints for the new […]

Chronicles of Elyria developer offers a look at Milestone 2 features coming to side game Kingdoms of Elyria

Soulbound Studio CEO Jeromy Walsh is back once more with additional update details for Kingdoms of Elyria, the side piece standalone strategy title that claims to be driving development of the studio's originally planned MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria. In the dev blog, followers get a look at some promised features for the next phase of […]

The Daily Grind: Which non-MMO developer should make an MMORPG?

I've been playing a bit of Cozy Grove lately, and I have to say, I'm incredibly glad that the company behind it, Spry Fox, is working on an MMO too. I haven't always loved the company's business models, but it makes superb games with adorable graphics. I'm really curious to see how well its varied […]

MMO Week in Review: Like butter that has been scraped over too much bread

The good news is that Lord of the Rings Online got its Bilbo adventures update out this week, not all that long after its last update. The bad news is that even MOP's Justin found it a bit of a drag: "If I may spoil it for you, these 10 missions can be summed up […]

Genshin Impact talks up its upcoming PlayStation 5 release in dev video

As we noted last week, there's an update coming to the multiplayer RPG Genshin Impact on April 28th that is adding a variety of things including the launch of the game to the PlayStation 5. It's that portion that has been focused on by a recent developer video that talks up the benefits of playing […]

The MOP Up: Why did Fortnite go dark for a day?

Earlier this month, the ever-popular Fortnite went dark for the better part of April 6th. So what happened? We finally have the full scoop thanks to a blog post by Epic Games. "On April 6th, 2021, an issue with an expired certificate caused an outage across a large portion of internal back-end service-to-service calls and […]

SMITE introduces Gilgamesh to the roster, elects to shut down Southeast Asia and Latin America North servers

This past Tuesday saw a new update arrive to the MOBA SMITE, featuring a new Babylonian god, Gilgamesh the King of Uruk. Gilgamesh is a melee warrior character with a variety of abilities that dish out AoE damage, while his ultimate ability creates a whirlwind that can trap enemies in place. The latest update also […]

Elyon's bonus AMA talks about shifting metas, endgame gearing, and a Russian client

What's better than getting a big fat AMA about an upcoming MMO that you're interested in playing? Two AMAs, of course! Krafton said that last week's Elyon question-and-answer session generated so many questions that a lot of them got overlooked, hence a follow-up AMA for this week. It's not the biggest AMA, but there are […]

Heroes of the Storm players lament Blizzard's neglect and slow development

While Blizzard's all-star character-filled MOBA Heroes of the Storm isn't shuttered or being completely ignored yet — in fact, there have been a couple of balance adjustments in January and March — the ongoing lack of Blizzard presence on the game has initiated more worry than usual since the collapse of the game's dev cadence […]

One Shots: Playing chicken

If your MMORPG ever expects you to take it super-seriously, then you need to follow Minimalistway's example and rebel by wearing a ridiculous costume to undercut the tension in cutscenes. This, I approve. "Now I didn't mean to do this," Minimalistway said. "While doing silly Hildy quests in FFXIV with the chicken suit, the duty […]

The Daily Grind: How important is an MMO's combat to you?

Today, we don't want to talk about whether you prefer tab-targeting gameplay or action combat. It's not important if you prefer harder fights or easier ones, and it's really a tangent if you want to talk about the ideal kinds of content you should be fighting through. No, today we're just asking you how important […]

Make My MMO: Crowfall's GvG tourney is dishing out $50K in cash and prizes

This week in crowdfunded MMOs, you could win a slice of $25,000! Or you could if you're a badass in crowdfunded beta MMO Crowfall, which is in the midst of its Eternal Champions Series event. There's still a few days left for teams to apply for the 3rd through 6th qualifiers, with cash and prizes […]

The Stream Team: Fireworks and friends for LOTRO's 14th birthday

Who parties better than Hobbits? And there is reason to party today: LOTRO turned 14! Massively OP's MJ is ready to celebrate in her favorite Middle-earth with her friends. There'll be fireworks, horse races, and even a new Bilbo quest (although it is apparently a very small one). Join us live at 6:00 p.m. for […]

Humble Bundle's charity donation caps cause an uproar among donors and subbers

The folks at Humble Bundle decided to light a tinderbox yesterday with an announcement that outlines a shift in how sales of its game charity bundles will work: It's removing the slider that determines how much of a bundle's purchase is donated to charity and replacing it with an "extra to charity" toggle, which places […]

For the Love of God, Outriders, Just Give Us More Legendaries

Hey, People Can Fly! Stop being so tight with your loot!

The post For the Love of God, Outriders, Just Give Us More Legendaries appeared first on GameSpew.



Battle Axe Review

With beautiful pixel art graphics and old-school hack-and-slash gameplay, Battle Axe feels like its been ripped straight out of the 90s. But is it any good?

The post Battle Axe Review appeared first on GameSpew.



Microsoft Unveils May's Xbox Games With Gold

Wondering what May's Xbox Games With Gold has to offer? Microsoft has revealed the games that'll be arriving next month.

The post Microsoft Unveils May's Xbox Games With Gold appeared first on GameSpew.



Strategy-RPG Star Renegades is Getting a Limited Physical Release

Star Renegades, released digitally last year, is receiving a limited physical release on Nintendo Switch and PS4.

The post Strategy-RPG Star Renegades is Getting a Limited Physical Release appeared first on GameSpew.



Sci-Fi RPG Dark Envoy Has a New Story Trailer

Dark Envoy has a new trailer which contains a lot of misery and absolutely no fluffy bunnies.

The post Sci-Fi RPG Dark Envoy Has a New Story Trailer appeared first on GameSpew.



Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's Latest Trailer is Here

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has a new trailer which also reveals the name of the female Lombax featured in the game.

The post Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's Latest Trailer is Here appeared first on GameSpew.



Gloomy Roguelike Nadir Comes to Kickstarter This Week

Nadir, a roguelike based on Dante's The Divine Comedy is coming to Kickstarter this Thursday.

The post Gloomy Roguelike Nadir Comes to Kickstarter This Week appeared first on GameSpew.



The Best Picross Games on Switch

Like picture-based logic puzzles? These are for you.

The post The Best Picross Games on Switch appeared first on GameSpew.



Don't Forget Me Invites You to Mess With Memories

Don't Forget Me has a bumpy start but becomes a buffet of memory-meddling and questionable moral decisions.

The post Don't Forget Me Invites You to Mess With Memories appeared first on GameSpew.



Ghostrunner is Transformed on Console Thanks to 60fps

Ghostrunner is no longer a lesser experience on consoles thanks to a PS4 Pro performance mode and the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

The post Ghostrunner is Transformed on Console Thanks to 60fps appeared first on GameSpew.



From Tuesday You Can Play as Neymar Jr in Fortnite

From April 27th you can play as Neymar Jr in Fortnite and participate in a manner of Neymar-related events.

The post From Tuesday You Can Play as Neymar Jr in Fortnite appeared first on GameSpew.



Alien Isolation is Free on the Epic Games Store

Alien Isolation is free on the Epic Games Store, but this time there's a bonus in the shape of the Last Survivor DLC.

The post Alien Isolation is Free on the Epic Games Store appeared first on GameSpew.



Get Wrapped Up in Resident Evil Village With This Lady Dimitrescu Towel

Capcom have created a three meter towel featuring a life-size image of Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village.

The post Get Wrapped Up in Resident Evil Village With This Lady Dimitrescu Towel appeared first on GameSpew.



Kowloon High School Chronicle Opens its Doors This May

Kowloon High School Chronicle, a 2004 Playstation 2 Japan-only dungeon crawler will be arriving on Nintendo Switch this May.

The post Kowloon High School Chronicle Opens its Doors This May appeared first on GameSpew.



Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Arrives on PC and Switch This July

Action RPG YS IX: Monstrum Nox is slashing its way onto the Nintendo Switch and PC this July.

The post Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Arrives on PC and Switch This July appeared first on GameSpew.



Out Now on Xbox, Bad Dream: Coma is the Stuff of Nightmares

Bad Dream: Coma plunges you into a near-monochrome nightmare that you'll have to work to wake up from.

The post Out Now on Xbox, Bad Dream: Coma is the Stuff of Nightmares appeared first on GameSpew.



The Best Games Like Fallout 4

These games emanate action and adventure and encourage lots of dilly dally and exploration.

The post The Best Games Like Fallout 4 appeared first on GameSpew.



Winning Friends and Influencing People in Judgment

For Yakuza fans, Kamurocho has always felt like a second home. Judgment gives it an extra depth by making you care about the ordinary lives of its locals.

The post Winning Friends and Influencing People in Judgment appeared first on GameSpew.



Now on PS4 and PS Vita, ScourgeBringer is a Must-Have For Roguelike Fans

Love roguelikes such as The Binding of Isaac and Neon Abyss? You should check out ScourgeBringer, now available on PS4 and PS Vita.

The post Now on PS4 and PS Vita, ScourgeBringer is a Must-Have For Roguelike Fans appeared first on GameSpew.



Three Years Later, Frostpunk Has Sold Three Million Copies

Three years after its release, icy misery simulator Frostpunk has sold over three million copies.

The post Three Years Later, Frostpunk Has Sold Three Million Copies appeared first on GameSpew.



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:Versewhenever 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."