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Many of you play Pokémon Go every day; others are enchanted by Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Later this year, Niantic is inviting you to another augmented reality experience for mobile devices. In Transformers: Heavy Metal, you team up with the Autobots to uncover hidden areas on Earth that contain valuable resources. Standing in your way are those pesky Decepticons.

Niantic and developer Very Very Spaceship aren't sharing many details about Heavy Metal at this time, but did reveal the game will have turn-based battles that you can tackle on your own or with friends. From that comment, there's a chance these battles are designed in a similar way to Pokémon Go's raid system, which allows for low-level battles to be completed by one or two people, but the harder enemies require an entire team.

All players are a part of a group called the Guardian Network, which is working with the Autobots. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are obviously two of the characters you'll interact with in some capacity. Skywarp and Shadow Striker are two the Decepticons, which are likely led by Megatron. Niantic and Very Very Spaceship are partnering with Hasbro and TOMY to bring these beloved robots in disguise to life.

Although players are hunting for resources, I have to wonder if other Transformers are also discoverable. All of the exploring players do is handled through Niantic's Lightship platform, the planet-scale AR system used in Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

Heavy Metal will release later this year, and you can pre-register now to be alerted when it officially launches. Niantic says it will soft launch soon in select markets.

We're still riding high on the E3 2021 Elden Ring reveal. There was so much to unpack with the full gameplayer trailer, and now we're learning even more. First, we learned a little bit about the game's co-op. Then we got some new insight into the open world. Now? Now it's time for the Spirit Body companions to have their time in the spotlight. 

What are Spirit Body companions in Elden Ring? 

In a recent Famitsu interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki, he confirmed that Elden Ring players can summon what is called a Spirit Body. These spectral beings are pretty useful; they can help you when you're in a tight spot mid-combat. If this feels new to fans of Bloodborne and Dark Souls, that's because it is. These companions are completely on your side and, at least according to the translation from Japanese, can be commanded to perform certain roles. 

Miyazaki also confirmed that these spirits are actually the spirits of fallen enemies, so it's like a one-two punch of complete destruction. Not only have you killed them, but you're also making them essentially do your bidding. Nice. 

He also confirmed that these ghosties are interchangeable, meaning you can collect various types of fighting ghosts and swap them depending on your specific need in battle. They can also be upgraded, which is a nice touch when progressing through the Elden Ring storyline. 

During the interview, the director outlined a few different ways that these companions can be useful. Need something with reach? Summon a fallen archer. Need hefty damage? A spirit with a sword should do nicely. They can also be used as distractions, allowing players to strategically place one of these ghostly companions in a spot to detract attention away from themselves. I would imagine this would be great for someone who may be waiting on a cooldown or simply needs to regroup. 

Interested in learning even more? You can read the full interview right here. While you're at it, be sure to check out our E3 2021 events hub here for any news you may have missed, including more about Elden Ring itself. 

Today during Capcom's E3 presentation, Capcom confirmed it was working on DLC for the recently-released Resident Evil Village – but didn't say much else. 

VIllage's producer, Tsuyoshi Kanda, delivered the news. As of right now, aside from knowing it's being made, we know nothing about the upcoming DLC's gameplay, story, characters, setting, or otherwise. 

"By popular demand, development has just started on additional DLC for Resident Evil Village," Capcom said in the video, following Kanda's presentation. 

While we don't know anything about Village's DLC just yet, it's worth keeping in mind Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – Village's direct predecessor, released in 2017 – received numerous content drops expanding on the story and lore of the game's central narrative. It also allowed players to assume the roles of characters other than protagonist Ethan Winters, including series mainstay Chris Redfield and newcomer Joe Baker. Whether Village receives similar treatment, time will tell. 

Resident Evil Village was released back in May to critical acclaim. We here at Game Informer also loved it, giving the game a 9.25 review score. If you're interested in learning more about Village, make sure to check out our exclusive cover story hub full of gameplay details, videos, and interviews. If you've already beat the game, we also have a spoilercast breaking down all the twists and turns Village throws at its players. 

For more Resident Evil, we have our first look at the upcoming cast of the live action Netflix adaptation, an overview of the most important Resident Evil games to date, and news on when you can watch the upcoming new animated movie (also released by Netflix).

Lastly, to catch up on all the E3 news from the week, check out our ever-updating hub page, where you can see new looks at Battlefield 2042, Halo Infinite, Starfield, and Elden Ring. 

Let us engage in the art of deduction, shall we? Capcom's E3 2021 showcase kicked off with an extensive new look at the upcoming Great Ace Attorney Chronicles collection, showing off new features, more about the characters, and the ever-present power of OBJECTION!

The newest adventure arrives on July 27, 2021, and we've got a hearty first look at what is in store. For those that may need a little catching up, Chronicles is a collection of the previous Great Ace Attorney titles that were limited to just a Japan release. This includes The Great Ace Attorney Adventures, which launched in 2015, and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. Between these two games, we've got ten cases to work through and eight escapades to enjoy. 

Ryunosuke Naruhodo is the ancestor to the famous Phoenix Wright and he's the one that players will be getting comfortable with in this collection. Set within the Victorian London era, the upcoming Ace journey will introduce players to new characters and challenge them to confront new cases. The gameplay focuses on the investigation and courtroom antics that we know and love, but the new trailer also gave us a closer look at the newer features that are specific to this entry. First, we've got the Dance of Deduction, a feature that challenges Herlock Sholmes and Ryunosuke to use abductive reasoning to solve the case. Logic is key here, as one might expect, but sometimes? Sometimes the conclusions made are not only wrong but also just hilariously bad. 

Interested in what else Capcom had to share? Check out their full showcase below. Spoiler: it's not much.

The next part that played a big role in Capcom's showcase is the Summation Examination. With Summation, jurors have to explain why they've issued a guilty verdict. The defense attorney, then, needs to try to nudge out some new information in order to bolster their own stance. Can you change the jury's mind and sway them to your side? It takes skill, but something tells me that Ace Attorney fans have this covered. 

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles arrives on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on July 27, 2021. 

To catch up on other E3 2021 goodness, be sure to check out our dedicated event hub here. We've got news, watch alongs, previews, and so much more! 

Capcom is less than a month away from releasing Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, and it had more to show off from the game in today’s E3 showcase.

First, a new trailer was unveiled for the game, different from the one shown at the Summer Game Fest opening ceremony on Thursday. It’s a great watch for a synopsis of what to expect in the story, as well as a look at the gameplay.

The big news came after the trailer, though: a trial for Monster Hunter Stories 2 is coming on June 25, which will carry over your save progress to the full game when it launches a few weeks later. It was not said whether this trial version is coming to PC as well as Switch. Capcom also revealed its first free content update for the game which brings Monster Hunter Rise’s canine companion the Palamute over as a new Monstie to use in battle.

Wings of Ruin follows the descendant of a legendary monster rider who is bestowed a special Rathalos egg. The creature inside is known as Razewing Ratha, which legends say can cause the world to burn with just the beat of its wings.

As opposed to the combative nature of the mainline Monster Hunter series, Stories focuses on the friendship and camaraderie between riders and what they adorably call “Monsties.” Also, instead of being action-oriented, this spin-off is more like the Pokémon games. Monstie collection is a huge part of the experience, and combat is handled through turn-based battles with the protagonist fighting alongside a chosen team. Each Monstie has elemental affinities, so prepare to bone up on various strengths and weaknesses.

Newcomers to the series need not worry about having missed out on the original Stories. According to Capcom, this new entry is not narratively related to Monster Hunter Stories, which was a Nintendo 3DS exclusive.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is releasing simultaneously for Nintendo Switch and PC on July 9, 2021. Cross-over costumes are available for owners of both this and Monster Hunter Rise. Speaking of Rise, check out Game Informer’s review of the current Switch-exclusive title which launched back in March. Let us know in the comments whether you’re looking to get your hands on Wings of Ruin next month. If you are, which Monstie would you like to partner with?

Game Informer has you covered throughout E3 and beyond with expansive coverage of the show at our E3 Hub. Take a look there for all of the other news and reveals from Capcom’s showcase!

The E3 2021 announcements continue with today's Capcom Showcase, which we already know will be revealing new looks at Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, Resident Evil 4 for VR, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, and Pragmata. Additionally, Capcom has confirmed we'll see Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Rise in some regard. Of course, it wouldn't be E3 without a few surprises, so join Alex Stadnik, Marcus Stewart, and yours truly for a Capcom Showcase watch along beginning at 4:15 p.m. Central over on the Game Informer Twitch Page.

Resident Evil fans could potentially have a lot to be excited about. According to a Capcom leak back in November, the team is hard at work on several new projects related to the classic horror series. Resident Evil 4 is apparently getting the same makeover treatment as the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes. According to the leaks, a Resident Evil Village multiplayer component is in development that could bring battle royale offerings to the game.

Whether you're looking forward to updates to already-released games like Monster Hunter Rise or eagerly anticipating new announcements, be sure to tune into our livestream later this afternoon and react alongside the Game Informer crew. As always, leave a comment down below, letting us know which games you're looking forward to seeing the most at the Capcom Showcase! 

E3 is still going strong, and the Game Informer team is here around the clock to bring you the latest news, previews, analysis, and interviews from the digital show floor. To keep up on all of our coverage, be sure to bookmark our E3 2021 hub. Looking for more livestreams? Well, you're in luck because tomorrow we'll be streaming our reactions to Nintendo and Bandai Namco, too!

Gary McKay has offiically been named the permanent BioWare studio general manager following the departure of Casey Hudson. He stepped into an interim role following Hudson's departure and after careful deliberation, he's staying in this role going forward. 

McKay joined the BioWare family back in January of last year as the head of development operations. In December, he was brought in to be the acting generation manager until this point where it has become something a little more permanent. “I started my career in the industry with EA back in 1998,” he said in a statement about his new role, “and it was so exciting to see the studio and company grow in the early days. I spent the next seven years with EA before moving on. But now you could say I’ve come full circle.”

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” he added. “When you spend over 20 years in the industry, there are a small handful of studios on your bucket list in terms of teams you’d want to work with — and BioWare is at the top of my list. This studio is unique in that it has an incredible history of building critically successful games and universes that are truly beloved by so many fans. For me, success is all about rebuilding that reputation, and delivering on that promise of quality.” 

BioWare

Though he hasn't been with the studio for as long as many others that are currently there, he's covered a lot of ground since joining the team. He also brings to the role over 20 years of industry experience, including working as a general manager for a variety of different companies. “At the heart of the role, you’re setting a vision for the business, and then enabling the creative developers to do their best work as we come together as a team,” he said. “So it’s a blend of operational decisions and creativity, working together to build the best possible experience for our players. There aren’t many roles out there where you’re constantly balancing those things, but that’s what I enjoy the most.” 

There have been a lot of shakeups at BioWare through the years. Many familiar faces have moved onto other companies, especially during high-pressure periods as seen in the development of Dragon Age 2 and Andromeda, and some have returned to embark on the future of Mass Effect once more. Even on the Dragon Age side of the studio, there have been major shakeups with Mark Darrah's departure. 

But as mentioned, some have also returned and the release of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition has revitalized the love for the space franchise following the announcement that a new game is in the works. Between that, Dragon Age 4, and a number of unannounced titles, it will be interesting to see where the studio goes next. As much as I love BioWare, it's hard to deny that the studio has gone through hell in previous years. From publisher pressure to ship games before they are ready, to conflicting visions when it comes to staple franchises, I hope that the new voices joining the studio add a much-needed level of stability that is deserved. 

His closing statement offers hope, so let's see where things go from here. “We’re laser-focused on releasing the types of games BioWare has built a reputation on,” he ended the announcement with: “high-quality console, PC, and online RPG games with rich stories, unforgettable characters, and vast worlds. We continue to work on the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect — and this is a milestone year being the 10th anniversary with more to come from Star Wars: The Old Republic.”

With the Nintendo E3 2021 showcase set for this Tuesday, June 15, I can't help but to think about what I'd want to see the Big N share. With so many Legend of Zelda fans begging for Breath of the Wild 2 news, I put together a very serious, very hardcore wish list for what I'd like to see in the sequel. And by that, I mean a chance for me to call Nintendo cowards for not letting Zelda be playable and to talk about shark himbos. 

So anyway, here's what I want from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 outside of a working title. 

Make Zelda Playable, You Cowards

Seriously, it's her time to shine.

At the expense of being accused of being a "woke terrorist" ruining the good name of Game Informer, aren't we tired yet of Zelda getting kidnapped? I'm not even saying that as any type of social commentary, I'm just ... tired of that same storyline. With each new Legend of Zelda game, we see more of Zelda and her capabilities. Branching narratives aside, she definitely has the chops to be a badass in her own right. I'd love to see Breath of the Wild 2 move her character into the next stage of her evolution and to see her a playable hero with her own tricks up that proverbial sleeve. 

Or literal sleeve, I don't know what's she's hiding. She's an enigma wrapped up in a mystery rolled around in missed opportunity. Get on that, Nintendo (I say respectfully). 

Co-Op With Link And Zelda

Speaking of a playable Zelda...

While we're on the topic of a playable Zelda, let's throw some co-op action into the mix. In the teaser trailer first shown, we see Zelda and Link tag-team a dangerous location. Side-by-side, they're ready to face whatever is next, so why not let them face it together as playable characters?

Take a moment to picture this just beyond simple co-op integration. With the climbing and gliding mechanics, how cool would it be to develop a dual-glide, or some kind of prompt that allows the pair to hoist one another up a cliff's edge to conserve stamina? If you don't think that's the dopest thing ever, we need to chat. 

More Shark Himbos, Please

Or just more engaging characters, the ones we met in the first game were a treasure.

Breath of the Wild introduced players to a wide variety of new characters to meet and to get to know. From the wide-eyed villager looking for some help, to the greatest Himbo to ever Himbo with Prince Sidon, I'd love to see Nintendo lean into this even more.

The first Breath of the Wild game was an expansive adventure and what kept the motivation to keep traveling high was, in part, due to the incredible faces met along the way. The Zelda universe has seen so many different timelines, so many different characters, and Nintendo has a real magic when it comes to creating interesting friends to our very own Link. Even still, Sidon made the internet collectively lose their minds with either bro vibes from the Zora or thirst from those that play too many BioWare games. 

That last part may be a self-dunk, I'm not sure. 

 

Breakable Weapons

Can we not?

The way Breath of the Wild approached weapons was a hit or miss. Some players loved the breakable mechanic and the additional challenge this presented, while actual sane people just got really frustrated with it (kidding). 

Nintendo built the entire weapons system in Breath of the Wild with the intent to allow players to experiment with different gear, different ways to approach combat. That desire to expand the player experience led to the decision to include the breakage system, but the problem was that each weapon seemed to break far too quickly. At first, I thought it was fun. A little gimmicky, but nothing game-changing. And then it just kept happening over and over and over and over again and it got very old, very quickly. 

Personally, I'd love to see this mechanic leave completely, but I recognize that a large portion of the player-base enjoyed that and I don't want to put my desires over anyone else's. So how about a happy medium? Maybe longer break times? Modifications that strengthen prized gear? I'll take anything, just please don't bring the original system into the sequel. 

Puppers

That's it, that's the wishlist: pettable doggos to love and cherish.

Pettable animals in games has been becoming more and more common, as it should be. I want to be all the goodest of good boys out there and the Zelda franchise has had its fair share of adorable creatures to know and love. Give me hundreds of dogs. Hundreds of cats. Bury me in cuteness and then leave me to die. 

That's all I really want, Nintendo, is that so hard? Nintendogs only goes so far...

Build 'Em Up, Break 'Em Down

Let's help rebuild Hyrule.

If you've played the first game, then you know that Hyrule has seen better days. From the small glimpse we've had at Breath of the Wild 2, it looks like things are about to get a whole lot worse before they get better, but what does that mean for the fine citizens of this world? 

With so many games relishing in creationary building, it would be an interesting inclusion to have some form of restorative mechanics in the sequel. We were a part of the destruction in the first game, let's be a part of the solution with number 2. Whether it's actual building like in a survival game or just taking on additional side quests to add NPCs in their own efforts, I'd love to see a more involved element for our hero in helping to correct what's wrong with the world besides just the obvious enemy.

Rent ain't cheap, you know? 

More Dungeons

Please and thank you.

One thing I really enjoyed about the first game as how incredible the challenging elements felt. Enemies felt conquered, dungeons felt imposing, and every victory felt hard-earned. I want more of that, to be honest. Give me different enemies; foes completely unlike anything we've seen in this universe. The Divine Beasts were an awesome inclusion, let's take that a step further by leaning into the more magical elements of Hyrule. 

Plus, with Gandondorf? You can't tell me he doesn't have some massive tricks in the works for Link and company. Let's see them! Reign old gods down on our heads, ancient dormant foes rearing back to life. Give us something that is so completely out of left-field that touches on the lore that we love so much. This is Nintendo's chance to truly do something completely different for the franchise because of the freedom that Breath of the Wild affords.

That, and I just want bragging rights. Yes, my life is sad. 

But mostly? I just want more shark Himbos. Thank you for your time. 

Halo Infinite has a lot riding on it. 2020 was a rough year for the franchise, as the reveal of the hotly-anticipated Xbox exclusive failed to wow the internet at large, and developer 343 Industries decided it needed more time and delayed the title until 2021. But while there's still plenty to prove before we get our hands on the game later this year, Halo Infinite's re-reveal at this year's E3 has us singing a much different tune.

Xbox smartly showed off its newly announced free-to-play multiplayer suite featuring everyone's favorite 1,000 pound Spartans (look it up) in an exciting new trailer as part of its E3 Showcase. As with every trailer, there are plenty of details to pour over, and we've done just that.

Join Alex Van Aken, Liana Ruppert, and Alex Stadnik as they break down the new Halo Infinite multiplayer trailer frame by frame and highlight the details you may have missed from your first viewing! We also fill you in with some of the new updates surrounding the game, including battle pass info, how the returning equipment will work, and more!

The end of the road is in sight, Spartans, as Halo Infinite is set to launch on Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, and PC in Holiday 2021. If you're hungry for more information, be sure to check out what's going on with the game's story, a dive into the multiplayer, and our quick thoughts, on the whole, reveal in this reaction video!

The party doesn't stop today, friends. We're in the midst of the video game industry's biggest week of the year, and we're celebrating in style. We're live streaming all the biggest conferences with you, giving our spicy reactions on the YouTube channel, and filling a huge E3 hub with all the content you could dream of. Thanks for watching! Be sure to let us know what you think of Sonic Colors: Ultimate in the comments below!

Last year’s PC Gaming Show teased the reveal of Icarus, a new survival game by DayZ creator, Dean Hall and his team RocketWerkz. We were treated to the full reveal back in April, and during this year's PC Gaming Show we learned that Icarus is launching this August.

Icarus is a survival game with a twist. Up to eight players drop together from space on an Earth-like planet to mine exotic resources, build settlements, and complete objectives. You’ll also have to contend with local wildlife and the elements themselves. Icarus’ main hook is that it’s session-based. You can only stay on the planet for a limited time (hours, days, or weeks depending on the mission) before you and your crew have to return to orbit, bringing along any valuables you find. Stay too long, and you lose everything for good. 

Once you return, you can craft new tech and upgrade your characters to make them stronger and, thus, able to survive longer and tackle bigger challenges during the next drop. This creates a uniquely looping sense of progression. Check out the latest gameplay trailer from the PC Gaming Show below.

Icarus’ standard edition will retail for $29.95. A Deluxe Edition goes for $99.95 and includes the upcoming DLC chapters New Frontier and Dangerous Horizons, both of which will add new biomes, maps, and enemies. There’s no release window on either expansion, which will also be sold separately. The Deluxe Edition also comes with a limited-edition First Cohort envirosuit and two Outposts maps where players can build settlements of 1km x 1km plots of land to share with friends. Pre-ordering both editions nets a 10% discount. 

Deal Hall says he and RocketWerkz hoped Icarus could be free-to-play, but has ultimately decided on going the paid route. In a press release, Hall explains the reasoning behind the change, stating:

“We didn’t want the business model to get in the way of the game experience. We also heard loud and clear from our community that they wanted to avoid the pitfalls of free-to-play. We want Icarus to continually evolve as a living game, always adding new session challenges and game modes. We think regular chapters and content updates are a great way to deliver that.”

Icarus launches on PC via Steam August 11. 

Be sure to visit our E3 coverage hub to read other big announcements to emerge during the days-long festivities. You can keep track of what digital showcases are still to come in our E3 schedule. 

We’re delighted to announce that Gary McKay, formerly the Interim General Manager of BioWare,  has been confirmed as our permanent GM!

Gary joined BioWare in January of 2020 as the Head of Development Operations before being tapped to be the Interim GM in December. He brings with him more than 20 years of industry experience. “I started my career in the industry with EA back in 1998,” he says, “and it was so exciting to see the studio and company grow in the early days. I spent the next seven years with EA before moving on. But now you could say I’ve come full circle.”

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” he continues. “When you spend over 20 years in the industry, there are a small handful of studios on your bucket list in terms of teams you’d want to work with — and BioWare is at the top of my list. This studio is unique in that it has an incredible history of building critically successful games and universes that are truly beloved by so many fans. For me, success is all about rebuilding that reputation, and delivering on that promise of quality.” 

In the time between his first round at EA and now, Gary served as General Manager of a number of other studios. And while each studio is different, he tells us the core role of the GM doesn’t change much from place to place. “At the heart of the role, you’re setting a vision for the business, and then enabling the creative developers to do their best work as we come together as a team,” he says. “So it’s a blend of operational decisions and creativity, working together to build the best possible experience for our players. There aren’t many roles out there where you’re constantly balancing those things, but that’s what I enjoy the most.” 

Gary moves into this position at a particularly exciting time for BioWare, and not only because we’ve just released the definitive version of the original Mass Effect trilogy in the form of the Legendary Edition — though that’s certainly part of it!  “The last year was a challenging year for everyone,” he says, “but the team never lost focus on delivering a game that lived up to expectations. I’m so proud of what they accomplished.” And even more exciting things are coming; when discussing the future of the studio, Gary is unabashedly enthusiastic:

“We’re laser-focused on releasing the types of games BioWare has built a reputation on,” he says: “high-quality console, PC, and online RPG games with rich stories, unforgettable characters, and vast worlds. We continue to work on the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect — and this is a milestone year being the 10th anniversary with more to come from Star Wars: The Old Republic.”

We’re excited to have Gary in this GM position. “I could not be more excited about the future of BioWare,” he says. We couldn’t agree more.

-The BioWare Team

Bethesda is known for hiding things in plain sight. It's because of that little insight that Elder Scrolls 6 hopefuls are pouring over every detail in the recent Starfield trailer shown during the Xbox-Bethesda E3 2021 showcase. There have been many rumors and fan theories about where The Elder Scrolls 6 will take us and, according to the most recent fan theory, the previous Hammerfall predictions could be more spot-on than originally anticipated. 

Before we continue, it's important to remember that this is 'just' fan speculation. E3 is about celebrating games and new announcements, and sometimes that excitement sparks the theorizing part of the community's collective. It's all in good fun, nothing official, but worth exploring for those itching to talk about what they are most hopeful for with the next iteration of The Elder Scrolls franchise. 

via GIPHY

With that out of the way, let's dive into the latest fan theory. In the Starfield trailer, the release date of November 11, 2022, can be seen as part of the events in the video. But, like most Bethesda videos, fans are convinced there is more than what meets the eye, namely when looking at a part of a map that the character in the scene points towards. It didn't take long for Reddit to be all over any sort of similarity, and it looks like the notion that part of the map is actually pointing towards Hammerfall is gaining a lot of traction in the Elder Scrolls fandom. 

via Reddit A comparison from an in-trailer shot of Starfield and a map of Tamriel

The original post asks the Elder Scrolls community at large if this could be a possible Easter egg, and it seems like the common consensus is High Rock. More specifically, Iliac Bay, which is sandwiched in between High Rock and Hammerfell. The kicker? In The Elder Scrolls, this area is also referenced as Starfall Bay. The plot thickens. 

One of the biggest theories that have been prevalent since the first teaser back in 2018 is that the next game will be set is High Rock, just by going off the small teaser in that first teaser video with the title. That being said, Morrowind had many undiscovered areas to the north, also known for its rockier environment, which would make sense for a focus. Pair that with how much success the Morrowind expansion had in The Elder Scrolls Online, it wouldn't be a stretch to see this be at least part of the focus in Elder Scrolls 6. 

We're going to ignore the Black Marsh, I still can't take that rumor seriously, but maybe that's just me. 

Though the above image is slightly blurred, here is a more refined version that we upped the contrast for below. If you squint one eye and close the other, it looks pretty identical! That being said, it's not the exact replica that many of the comments seem to think it is. Does that necessarily discount the theory? Well, no, but it's also important to realize that it's not a hard confirmation, either. 

The fact of the matter is this: we don't have anything concrete at this time. Bethesda has been very transparent that Starfield has been the studio's main focus and that Elder Scrolls 6 is still years away. It doesn't hurt to celebrate what we love about the series and have some good nature theorization to indulge in. 

To catch up on E3 2021 goodness, be sure to check out our dedicated event hub here to learn more about what has been revealed! 

So, what do you think? Do you think this is an Easter egg, or are we just thirsty for news? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin undoubtedly made a big splash during the Square Enix E3 showcase. The company chose to close the show by featuring several more Final Fantasy experiences following the reveal of what's new in Marvel. Whether people liked the action-focused combat or dunked on the trailer’s script, it has been a big topic on social media since the showcase ended. Square Enix wanted to get the game in the hands of fans at home, but the themes of chaos from Final Fantasy Origin have plagued these plans.

Announced in the trailer, a demo was set to hit PlayStation 5 soon after the new title was revealed. A short time later, folks were able to download the demo which clocks in at 11.39 GB. Unfortunately when going to launch the trial version, an error popped up with the following message: “can’t continue using this game or app. The data is corrupted. Delete it from your PS5, and then download it again from your library.” After uninstalling and reinstalling close to ten times over the past 18 hours, I have personally found this isn’t the fix we’re looking for.

The official Final Fantasy Origin Twitter account sent out a tweet last night giving a quick update to players, letting them know the developers are aware there is a problem with the demo and is working to resolve the issue. 

We're aware of issues being experienced while trying to download and play #StrangerOfParadise #FinalFantasy Origin Trial Version.

We're working to resolve this issue and will tweet an update as soon as we can, we appreciate your patience.

— STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN (@fforigin) June 13, 2021

We’ve reached out to Square Enix for an update on the Stanger Of Paradise Demo. We have not heard back at the time of publication but look for updates here if we do.

This dark and chaotic action title is a result of a collaboration between Square Enix and Nioh developer Team Ninja. There are hints of familiar names and settings from the original Final Fantasy, including the abundantly mentioned “chaos” and legendary villain Garland. The game is due out in 2022 on all current Xbox and PlayStation consoles, as well as the personal computer.

E3 is still rolling, and you can find the hot new and reveals in our robust E3 hub right here! If you want even more Final Fantasy goodness, Jason Guisao has his initial thoughts on Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade in his review in progress.

2018’s Far: Lone Sails is getting a sequel, and it’s arriving in just a few months. Far: Changing Tides debuted during the PC Gaming Show and, as the name suggests, this time players will be sailing the seas instead of the sands. 

As Toe, you’ll pilot an abandoned ship across a flooded landscape searching for answers as to what happened to your home. Like the first game, your slapped together, Jules Verne-esque vessel doubles as your home and can be upgraded to better withstand violent storms and other threats. You can also dive into the depths in search of salvage, fuel, relics, and solutions to new types of obstacles. 

Changing Tides maintains the lonely, meditative vibe of its predecessor. That extends to the soundtrack, composed once again by Joel Schoch. Of course, fans of the first game can expect to grow attached to their ship all over again. 

We enjoyed Far: Lone Sails which is why news of a sequel is a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t perfect, but it offered a memorable and novel experience that built a great foundation for a follow-up to improve upon. As former GI editor Kyle Hilliard said in his review: 

“Far: Lone Sails is the kind of game that sticks with you after seeing credits. It delivers a fascinating mystery in a strange land with engaging puzzles, and couples that with a relationship between the player and their oversized mode of transportation. A few areas lack polish and some of the physics felt off here and there, but none of that stopped the story from engaging me in a big way.”

Far: Changing Tides doesn’t have an exact release date, but Okomotive says it’s launching sometime in “late 2021” for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

To catch up on the E3 announcements so far, be sure to visit our E3 coverage hub. Keep an eye on the E3 schedule to stay on top of the press conferences yet to come. 

Excited to play Far: Changing Tides? Let us know in the comments!

Two Point Hospital charmed us when it launched in 2018, but there was certainly room for improvement. However, three years and 20 free updates later, the hospital-management sim is in much better shape than it was at launch. Still, Two Point Studios wanted to improve upon that formula with its next entry in the Two Point County series, Two Point Campus.

As leaked last month, Two Point Campus puts you in charge as you build your university the way you want. Improving upon the toolset present in Two Point Hospital, the studio wants to give players more control over how they create the college of their dreams. For the first time, players can craft exterior buildings, no longer restricted to the game's layouts. You can even place trees, custom pathways, change ground types, and more with just a few clicks. You can even build dorms to give everyone their own room, or cram as many beds into a single room as possible to save money at the expense of student happiness (more on that later). 

"We want to give more of that control over to the players," senior U.I. designer Lauren Woodroffe says. "We have so many different kinds of players. We have players who maybe don't necessarily want to engage with a really, really deep simulation but really enjoy the creative side. Or we can also have our players who really want to get in depth and change the price of a cheesy gubbins and hire the best staff. We want to make sure that everyone can have a great time."

As you delve into the game, you're given control over how you approach the creation of your campus. Though objectives appear in the corner of the screen, you can tackle them at your own pace, and in an order of your choosing. This curated sandbox approach is meant more to guide players towards the fun, but you don't necessarily have to make them your top priority if you don't want to.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Two Point game without the studio's pun-heavy humor. The team promises even more humorous elements playing into the experience of attending college. On top of that, the courses offered are hardly conventional, as judging from the trailer and gameplay footage I viewed, the students will be able to take on coursework involving cooking giant pizzas, learning how to be a lance-wielding knight, and obtaining wizard-like magic powers.

Speaking of the students, Two Point Campus uses the (hopefully) four-year format of college to allow you to get to know your students (AKA your customers) better. Each student has unique personality traits, wants, and needs, and it's up to you to keep them satisfied not only with the courses on offer, but through an engaging campus life. By introducing new clubs, societies, and gigs, you can allow your students to surround themselves with friends, develop relationships, and other things that make them more likely to enjoy their time at your school, and thus, become more likely to stay all four years.

"[Character interaction] was in Hospital to some degree, but you never really got to see it because, generally speaking, the only people that spend longer together would be the staff, and that's only if they were in the staff room together usually because they all have their own clinics," studio director Gary Carr says. "What we want to do is expose that more so we have a situation where people are in dorms together, people are in group activities together, so you start to see those that don't get on very well, those that are actually probably romantically inclined with each other, those that actually have some shared interest and join a society together and become buddies on a sports team. What you're doing is slightly shepherding these activities in a positive way."

As mentioned before, Two Point Campus is the continuation of the Two Point County series. But what does that mean? First, it means that Two Point Campus exists in the same geographic vicinity as Two Point Hospital. This is done to build familiarity with the setting in the player base through things like recurring locations. Additionally, players of Two Point Hospital may notice nods to that game in the series through things like characters who appeared in that game appearing in Two Point Campus.

However, despite this lore and location interconnectivity, there is no actual integration between the games ... at least not yet. "Our goal is to eventually connect these in a much more powerful way," Carr says. "It's a journey; it's not going to happen today. Everyone can imagine what we'd like to do: We'd like to have something happen in Two Point Campus and that means we have to be rushed off to Two Point Hospital or you have doctors that you want to train in Two Point Campus and import. We know what you want you want [...] There's a bunch of things we're talking about, but we're not there yet today, but it's definitely part of our journey. We want these games to feel integrated into County. The County's our long-term plan."

Two Point Campus looks like a ton of silly fun layered on top of a competent and engaging college-management simulation. The studio appears to have learned several lessons from its debut outing, and I'm excited to see what other surprises Two Point Studios has in store. Those who played Two Point Hospital on console and were underwhelmed by the offerings have reason for optimism with Two Point Campus, as everything has been designed from the ground up with both controller and mouse/keyboard in mind. Two Point Campus comes to consoles and PC in 2022.

Elden Ring game director Hidetaka Mizayaki revealed some of the elements that are going into making Elden Ring From Software’s most ambitious dark fantasy action RPG to date. The realm that players explore in Elden Ring is known as The Lands Between, and was created in collaboration with George R.R. Martin of A Song of Ice and Fire fame. While Martin’s work may be best known today for the popular Game of Thrones series, he also was instrumental in crafting the history of the world of Elden Ring.

However, ever since we learned that Elden Ring would be a sort of Soulsian open world endeavor, the question remained - how on earth would that work, when the Souls games, Bloodborne, and even Sekiro have such carefully curated level design that funnels the player into carefully placed foes, traps, bosses, and breathtaking sights?

Apparently, many speculative predictions for The Lands Between including my own are correct. In a recent interview with IGN, Mizayaki revealed that the Lands Between features a vast open world for players to explore, but also contains six clearly defined areas each with its own demigod boss figurehead. Within these areas, a clear dungeon experience that players familiar with From’s other ARPGs is contained. In addition, the recent interview reveals that there will (expectedly) be an area similar to the Firelink Shrine, Majula, or the Hunter’s Dream that players can hang out in between dungeon crawls and exploration.

Okay, so the map will have six major dungeon areas with big bosses at the end. We’re all very familiar with this kind of design from previous games, right? While there is a “standard” order to tackle the zones, apparently you can mess around and go to any one of these areas right from the start, so my “Mega Man” theories look like they have a little bit of truth to them as well. As for the open world itself, the connective tissue that players can roam when they’re not trying to make critical progress in taking out the demigods for their sweet Great Runes, it’s going to contain a wide variety of experiences. 

The overworld contains oodles of optional encounters and locations to explore from castles to catacombs. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t some sort of roaming encounters to find, big and small, and of course some wild optional bosses to hunt down that are shrouded in secrecy, like the Nameless King in Dark Souls III or the Hydra in Ash Lake, things like that. While we still don’t know exactly how and what the rewards will be for doing all this searching in the open world areas, there will almost certainly be significant treasures to find that help to handle the giant dungeons and their respective lords.

Are you looking forward to Elden Ring? Hint: The answer is yes. Let us know in the comments!

Sure, the internet was going nuts about the Big Tall Vampire with Lady Dimitrescu, but let's not also forget about poor Ethan Winters' hands. Both in Resident Evil 7 and Village, Capcom just loves putting Ethan's digits through the ringer, but modders are bringing the character (and his hands) the love that devs won't. That's right, there's a Resident Evil Village mod that gives Ethan back his hands. Lord knows he's been through enough...

In Resident Evil Village, Ethan loses his fingers, his hand, and his sanity. Maybe not so much that last part, but the former point is absolutely true. I don't know what Capcom hates about Ethan particularly, but the poor boy has gone through enough. That's where this Resident Evil Village mod comes in. 

The mod itself is simple (and just for PC, as console mods are still largely limited to just Bethesda titles). It gives back Ethan's chewed-up fingers that he loses pretty early on in the game. Is this a mind-blowing mod? Nah. Did I enjoy writing it because Ethan gets too much hate? Yah. 

For those interested, you can download this restorative experience right here through Nexus Mods. 

Want more Mod Corner goodness? Of course you do, don't be silly. I've got you covered: 

• This Skryim Mod Gives You Grandma Shirley As A Fully Voiced Follower
• The Weirdest Resident Evil Village Mods
• This Portal 2 Mod Adds A Third Time-Traveling Portal Option

Interested in even more Resident Evil Village? You can check out our own Ben Reeves' review here to learn more about Ethan Winters and A Series Of Unfortunate Hand Events. 

Looking for any specific game mod recommendations? Hit me up in the comment section below, more than happy to help you find the perfect mod experience for you! 

Xbox went into its E3 2021 swinging by kicking off its live stream event alongside Bethesda with our first real look at Starfield. The new IP from Bethesda is a fresh start for the company that gave us Fallout and Elder Scrolls, especially when looking at its use of a different engine. While the trailer shown gives us a glimpse at the exploratory scope of this new game, Bethesda had a pretty interesting comparison when describing what Starfield's experience is all about. Any Indiana Jones or Star Wars fans reading this? Yes? Good. 

In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Bethesda's Ashley Cheng mentioned that this is basically one giant Star Wars-like experience. "For me, Starfield is the Han Solo simulator. Get in a ship, explore the galaxy, do fun stuff." Bethesda's Todd Howard chimed in when chatting with The Telegraph with his own comparison, saying that it's "NASA meets Indiana Jones meets the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." 

Nice. 

Much like other franchises in Bethesda's wheelhouse, Howard also confirmed that Starfield would offer Factions. He even added that there is one called Constellation that is the "main one" players will experience. He likens certain aspects of the game to Skyrim, essentially confirming the long-running joke that this will be Skyrim in Space. That being said, the ability to choose your own morality root doesn't mean it will be a carbon copy of Skyrim with shinier outfits; there is an entirely new universe to explore and new experiences to be had. 

In the same interview, Howard explains that there will be tons to do and one main storyline. It sounds like more branching quests, which Bethesda fans will be used to by now, but the main drive is to have players feel invested in this universe and to want to be a part of it. 

Fallout and The Elder Scrolls are two franchises that come to mind when thinking about Bethesda RPGs and if the studio can capture what fans love about those two series while offering something new at the same time? Starfield could just be the hit everyone wants it to be. 

To learn more about Starfield, check out our previous coverage here. 

Starfield arrives on Xbox and PC on November 11, 2022. To catch up on other E3 2021 news, you can mosey on over to our dedicated hub here to see what you may have missed. 

What were your thoughts when you saw the Bethesda trailer yesterday? Are you hopeful now that Bethesda has more resources going into the future of gaming? Sound off in the comment section below! 

[H/T Eurogamer]

Friendships? They come and go, but you know what's forever? Memes. Memes last forever. Sound dorky? You're probably right, but the fact is that companies have been incorporating "meme culture" into marketing strategies more and more in recent years, and the effect is hard to deny. The team over at Xbox is a perfect example, handing over social media control to gamers that are passionate about the community and memes? There's no denying that's a universal language. The company of Xbox itself isn't afraid to get a little weird for a new promo. Case and point? The Xbox Series X fridge Microsoft debuted last year. We thought that was the end of that, but no, Team Green is back with another kitchenware item: the Xbox mini-fridge not too long after and now? Now you can buy one yourself. 

 During the Xbox-Bethesda E3 2021 showcase, Team Green showed off the Xbox mini-fridge as a buyable option, no longer something just for a select few. Following a Starfield reveal, a surprise Redfall announcement, and many new Game Pass additions, the gaming company slid in one more announcement: the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge. 

Spoofing the console slogan, the mission of this collector's fridge (a phrase I never thought I'd say) is "the world's most powerful mini-fridge." The company even took the joke one step further, saying that it has Xbox Velocity Cooling Architecture, which honestly? You've got to give credit where credit is due; that's hilarious. 

The Xboxified fridge will be available to purchase this holiday season, so it could be the perfect Christmas gift. We don't have a price yet, but we're sure Xbox will have more to share the closer we are to that particular time of the year. 

For actual gaming news out of E3 2021, be sure to check out our dedicated event hub here. We've got the latest news, interviews, watch-alongs, and so much more! 

So, we've gotta ask ... are you planning on scooping up an Xbox mini-fridge? What other out-of-the-box gaming gear would you like to see next? Sound off with your spicy takes in the comment section below! 

Hi everyone! It's Hama and Miyamiya from the Promotional team!

Y'know Hama, we may be new to the investigation scene, but we already interviewed five members of the FFXIV Development and Operations teams! ♪

That's right! We heard a lot of new stories, and I'm always surprised by what we learn.

Let's look back at each of our investigation logs so far!

★(No. 1): Main Scenario Writer Banri Oda

We interviewed Mr. Oda right after the Heroes' Gauntlet dungeon was added in Patch 5.3, so his story about how Giott's "dwarven decking" ended up in the dungeon was really memorable!

▲ A Japanese screenshot showing Giott's "dwarven decking" attack, and dialogue which only appears when the player has completed the healer role quest series. The English version is: "A good old-fashioned dwarven decking, made mightier in exile!"

It was made possible through the Scenario team's attentiveness to world building. I wonder if we'll ever see that "Granson Kick!" (laughs)

★(No. 2): Lead Level Designer Arata Takahashi

It's been a while since Mr. Takahashi and team enabled flying in A Realm Reborn areas. It's been so convenient and there's been so much more to explore! I hope new adventurers will join us in the skies once they unlock flying mounts! ♪

Their team designs everything that occurs inside a dungeon from the ground up. They also come up with new ideas for seasonal events and Gold Saucer activities for everyone to enjoy.

★(No. 3): Web Director Hiroyuki Takachi

Mr. Takachi is the one who established the current Lodestone website. He shared his experiences of repeated trial and error to add various features such as the Eorzea Database, Job Guides, and Community Finder.

Hey! This blog is part of the Lodestone, right? So if Mr. Takachi wasn't around, wouldn't that mean this blog series wouldn't exist?

Now, now. Let's not have our imagination run wild. (Perhaps she's getting too smart for her own good...)

★(No. 4): Lead UI Artist Yoichi Seki

I was looking forward to interviewing Mr. Seki for a long time, so I made sure to ask him everything! To sum it up, it turns out that Medica II's icon actually depicts four muscular silhouettes! What a shocker!

Your summary is... something else. *ahem* In addition to hearing about the UI team's range of work, we were astounded to learn that they had to completely overhaul action icons when they made the new high-resolution versions. We got an exclusive look at some before and after comparisons, so be sure to check it out!

★(No. 5): Character Concept Artist Hiroyuki Nagamine

Our fifth interview was with Mr. Nagamine, the artist responsible for many impressive boss designs. His stories were obviously fascinating, but the concept art we got to see were almost worth the interview by themselves!

He even gave us special permission to showcase the concept art of Ryne and Gaia from the Eden series for the first time! It's always a struggle to get a good look at them during battle, so seeing the detailed illustrations was a dream come true! ♪

＊＊＊＊＊＊

Having gone through each interview again, each one was packed with rich backstories, and you can really see the collective effort from the many team members that work on FFXIV.

We'll be sharing more about the FFXIV Development and Operations teams, so let us know what you think or what you'd like to see next♪ See you in the next investigation!

Hama, Miyamiya
- Promotional team

We interrupt your normally scheduled podcast to talk about anything and everything that happened during day two of E3 2021, which includes Starfield, Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, Back 4 Blood, Battlefield 2042, The Outer Worlds 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins, and much much more. 

Join Alex Stadnik, Blake Hester, Marcus Stewart, Liana Ruppert, and Ben Reeves for another wet and wild episode. Sure, we talked in detail about Battlefield 2024, but there is so much more to talk about. And now that we know what else Gearbox has been working on with Tiny Tina back into the spotlight? This week's podcast is one you're not going to want to miss. 

Thanks for listening! Please make sure to leave feedback below and share the episode if you enjoyed it. You can watch the video above, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes or Google Play, listen on SoundCloud, stream it on Spotify, or download the MP3 at the bottom of the page. Also, be sure to send your questions to podcast@gameinformer.com for a chance to have them answered on the show!

Our thanks to The Rapture Twins for The Game Informer Show's intro song. You can hear more of their music on their website.

To jump to a particular point in the discussion, check out the time stamps below.

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:37 - Starfield
00:07:30 - Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl
00:10:19 - Back 4 Blood
00:10:38 - Contraband
00:10:47 - Sea of Thieves
00:14:43 - Yakuza: Like A Dragon
00:15:13 - Battlefield 2042
00:18:45 - Psychonauts 2
00:19:14 - Party Animals
00:20:25 - Hades
00:20:46 - Somerville
00:22:57 - Halo Infinite
00:31:54 - A Plague Tale: Requiem
00:35:03 - Far Cry 6
00:36:25 - Slime Rancher 2
00:36:41 - Shredders
00:36:54 - Atomic Heart
00:38:20 - Replaced
00:43:39 - Grounded
00:44:00 - Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
00:45:20 - The Ascent
00:45:40 - Age of Empires IV
00:46:00 - The Outer Worlds 2
00:49:37 - Flight Simulator
00:51:41 - Forza Horizon 5
00:53:47 - Redfall
00:58:56 - Square Enix Presentation
00:59:06 - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
01:02:49 - Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
01:03:20 - Marvel's Avengers Updates
01:05:30 - Babylon's Fall
01:10:16 - Life Is Strange: True Colors
01:14:34 - Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

While we can't (Paladin) Danse if we want to because we left that friend behind, we can at least enjoy the fact that the Brotherhood of Steel has made the world of Fallout 76 much more interesting and it looks like that story is heading towards an epic conclusion. Bethesda shared an extensive new look at Steel Reign, which allows players to decide the fate of the Brotherhood, during the Xbox E3 2021 showcase and as far as narrative conclusions go, this looks pretty interesting. 

Knight Shin and Paladin Rahmani have some issues to deal with, to put it lightly, and that's what we will see with the upcoming update called Steel Reign. Players can basically decide the fate of the Brotherhood with the upcoming questline while uncovering the mystery of where all of the Super Mutants have suddenly disappeared to. 

As with any major update, Steel Reign will include new gear for players to earn, new locations for survivors to conquer, and new enemies to face. For those paying attention to the scoreboard for season 5, there will be even more loot drops there, as well. 

Fallout 76 had it rough at launch, but like Rare with Sea of Thieves and Hello Games with No Man's Sky, Bethesda was able to turn it around. While it's not anything like what Fallout 5 would be, it does offer the single-player storyline that players were begging for at launch. I played at launch, got a little bored because it wasn't solo-friendly, but dipping my toes back in over a year later, I was pleasantly surprised by all of the changes that went into it. With the inclusion of the Brotherhood, a faction I have a very love/hate relationship with, I'm very intrigued by what Steel Reign will have to offer. Even if we don't get Danse in his tighty whiteys again.

You can learn more about Steel Reign for Fallout 76 right here. To catch up on the rest of the Xbox E3 2021 showcase, you can mosey on over to our dedicated E3 hub here to scope out our watch-alongs, news, and deep dives into all of the latest and greatest in gaming news.  

Good news space cadets, Obsidian Entertainment is working on a new The Outer Worlds. The original Outer Worlds released in 2019, and it was a special mix of Mass Effect and Fallout. We loved it, and have been hoping that Obsidian was working on a sequel. We got our wish. During Microsoft’s E3 2021 presentation the publisher announced that a new The Outer Worlds is headed to Xbox consoles and PC … sometime in the future. Look, there isn’t a date yet, and it doesn’t look like there is a lot of game yet either. This was just an announcement.

The original Outer Worlds was set in an alternate future in a solar system called Halcyon. You were a colonist who traveled to the system in cryofreeze on a ship called the Hope. You were looking to build a better life for yourself, but discovered that corporations were exploiting the local workforce. Obsidian packed that original title full of humorous moments and absurd world-building. The 2019 release was also fairly short for a modern RPG. We don’t know if the sequel will be more expansive, but if the revel trailer is any indication - then we can expect the new game to look better, as the reveal was very eye-catching.

 I’ll be honest with you, there really isn’t a lot of news here. We’d love to tell you more about the trailer, but it’s really best if you experience that for yourself. Do you like humor and things that poke fun at big reveals? Great! Go watch The Outer Worlds 2 reveal trailer for yourself.

You’re not leaving? Okay fine, the trailer features a narrator who pokes fun of other big reveal trailers, and he admits that the game is still in development so the developers don’t have much to show. Kind of like how this story could use more development.

The Outer Worlds 2 is headed to Xbox Series X/S and PC, but we don’t know when. No one told us.

Coming out of the Xbox E3 showcase featured a look at the console versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator as well as a big new cross-over with the upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick.

Having released on PC last August, it can be easy to forget Flight Simulator hasn’t made its way to Xbox Series X and S yet, but the wait will be over on July 27, 2021. A new trailer was captured using a Series X hardware in 4K resolution according to Microsoft. Planes of all kinds are shown flying over oceans, plains, forests, and under bridges. The footage runs smoothly and gives an idea of what players can expect from the conversion from PC to console.

Just after announcing the Xbox release date, we see a shot of the ocean and an aircraft carrier floating stoically in the water. Triumphant music begins to swell as a fighter jet launches from the ship’s runway, emblazoned beneath the cockpit window is “CAPT PETE MITCHELL ‘MAVERICK.’” Top Gun is officially coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator later this year with a collaboration with Paramount Studios promoting the sequel to the popular Tom Cruise movie. The expansion is set to hit sometime in the fall of 2021.

Microsoft has been adding plenty of content to Flight Simulator since release. Most notably, VR support was added for PC as well as a visual expansion to the United States region. After not having a full new entry in the series since 2006, It was quite the hit at launch. In the first month alone the game had garnered over 1 million players who had flown more than 1.2 billion in-game miles.

Like all recent products coming out of various Microsoft Game Studios, Flight Simulator will be hitting Xbox Game Pass the day it releases. Once again, that release date is July 27, and will be coming to both Xbox Series X and Series S consoles.

Miss out on any of the huge announcements coming out of E3? You’ve been granted permission to give our expansive E3 hub a fly-by!

Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor of Left 4 Dead, the beloved four-player FPS where players were tasked with surviving the zombie apocalypse while sprinting to safety across an infested America. Back 4 Blood continues that group-based tradition but with bonus modes for you and your friends to dive into. One such mode premiered at the Warner Bros. E3 Conference: a PVP-focused mode, called Swarm Mode, where cleaners (humans) and the ridden (infected) go head-to-head.

Swarm Mode is played in rounds and showcases all of the gory, ax-swinging, gun-toting, and grenade-lobbing combat that you watched the Game Informer crew experience months ago. To survive as a cleaner, you’ll likely need to stick together with your allies, conserve resources, get kills for upgrades, and keep an unbreakable line of communication as infected players start to pile in from every direction. On the other hand, the infected must overwhelm the cleaners using sheer numbers and a bevy of gory abilities. These rounds are timed and seem to be based on how quickly you can kill your opponents. Once a round ends, the sides switch, and the counter clock starts again.

Let’s be honest, playing as humans is pretty cool, but that’s been a mainstay in Turtlerock Studios’ gameography for decades. So, what makes the ridden so cool in Swarm Mode? A myriad of classes were shown during the conference: reeker, retch, exploder, stinger, hocker, stalker, tallboy, crusher, and bruiser. From flinging phlegm at cleaners or self-destructing on impact, there are many routes to bringing down the human race. You can see the action in all its gritty detail in the trailer above. 

Back 4 Blood releases for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12. It’ll be accessible from the Game Pass catalog on launch day, and an open beta starts on August 5.

Are you more excited to play as a ridden or cleaner? Let us know in the comments below!

When I first got my hands on Back 4 Blood back in 2020, it became instantly clear from the closed-alpha that the developers behind the original Left 4 Dead hadn't lost their touch. The new co-op zombie shooter hit many of the highs of the Valve-published title while adding a new layer of strategy through its intriguing card system and intuitive enemy AI Director. But while the L4D like experience seemed to be coming together, it wasn't clear what the full package was going to be ahead of its October 12 release date.

The picture has become much clearer after developer Turtle Rock Studios' showcase of its new zombie-slayer, giving fans a look at the new Swarm PvEvP mode. Teams of four will square off against one another with one team compiled of the human cleaners versus the player-controlled undead ridden. 

To found out more, we went right to the source. Join Liana and Stadnik as they sit down with Matt O'Driscoll, the lead producer at Turtle Rock Studios! We discuss some of the big talking points surrounding the game, including the team's approach to the newly-announced versus mode, whether or not players will have to pay for cards and characters, and how fans will be able to participate in Back 4 Blood's beta, dropping on August 5, 2021.

After Turtle Rock's test in the fall, fans won't have long to wait for Back 4 Blood as Turtle Rock's latest game releases October 12 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC!

The party doesn't stop today, friends. We're in the midst of the video game industry's biggest week of the year, and we're celebrating in style. We're live streaming all the biggest conferences with you, giving our spicy reactions on the YouTube channel, and filling a huge E3 hub with all the content you could dream of. Thanks for watching! Be sure to let us know what you think of Sonic Colors: Ultimate in the comments below!