Arkane Studios will be working on the removal of the single-player always online restriction from its upcoming Redfall first-person shooter game. This follows significant backlash expressed by gamers, after the presence of this function was brought to light in February 2023. In an interview conducted by Eurogamer, game director Harvey Smith has revealed that the Austin, Texas-based branch has taken the negative feedback seriously. The development team is active in making changes to Redfall's underpinnings, so that an offline single-player experience becomes a possibility.

Smith acknowledged that modern games are intrinsically linked to online services, but these should offer functionality when offline circumstances occur. He imagined situations from the perspective of being a potential Redfall player: "They could say: 'Oh, my God, you're always online. If you get on your Steam, and it's not online, you freak out. If you get on your Xbox, and you can't get the latest patch, or see what your friends are doing, you freak out. You want to be always online!' But that response, I think, lacks empathy."

Check out the first Aliens: Dark Descent gameplay trailer, announcing that the real-time tactical action game will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on June 20, 2023. Here's your first look at the upcoming strategy game, which will feature an original story set in the Alien universe. In this gameplay trailer we learn that our ship has crashed onto Planet Lethe, and you'll be investigating a Xenomorph outbreak.

Aliens: Dark Descent challenges us to recruit and level up a squad of Colonial Marines as we explore the dangerous planet. Deploy your team strategically to safely make your way through the zone, but tread carefully as death is permanent.

According to details fished out of an extensive Digital Bros. 2022-2023 financial report, Assetto Corsa 2 is set for a Spring 2024 launch. Developer Kunos Simulazioni and publisher 505 Games confirmed back in 2021 that the long running Assetto Corsa racing-sim series would be receiving sequel treatment. It seems that the owners of the publishing and development groups are keen to capitalize on Assetto Corsa-series sales figures reaching 28 million copies, as of late December 2022, which generated $112 million in revenue.

Fans of Assetto Corsa will be eagerly anticipating the release window of March to June 2024 - the previous entry in the series, Competizione, was not intended as a full sequel when it launched in 2018, via an early-access program. Content updates have been frequent and appreciated by the fan base, but with the power of PC and console hardware increasing over the past half decade, expectations of graphical fidelity have changed for racing simulators.

Atlas Fallen, the epic fantasy action-RPG from Focus Entertainment's studio Deck13 Interactive, is excited to open pre-orders following the recent announcement of its May 16 release date. Get a feel of the high sensations to come in the game where you battle legendary creatures in super-powered combat with today's captivating Gameplay Reveal Trailer.

Take on a heroic journey through a variety of breath-taking environments, swiftly gliding through the desert landscapes of a vast sand-covered world. Explore ancient ruins and unearth the mysteries and secrets of a fallen society. Fight a corrupt god and extraordinary beasts thanks to the divine power of your shape-shifting weapon. Unlock powerful skills and abilities to build a unique move-set and rise as the champion who will liberate the people of Atlas.

Get an exclusive first-look at the gameplay of Layers of Fear, the series' crowning work, in this 11-minute walkthrough. Follow the Painter from the original Layers of Fear, and join the Writer - a recently unveiled character - for a closer look at the latest installment in the Layers franchise.

As The Writer, enter the lone and ghastly Lighthouse - a newly-introduced location - and uncover an untold story that links all of the Layers' characters and events together. Unravel secrets, solve puzzles, and face the threats of the old Mansion that can only be solved with a lantern - a new and essential tool to confront the nightmares in the game!

ANNOUNCING our newest title TOXIC CRUSADERS!! The Toxic Crusaders are back for an all-new, all-action beat 'em up for one to four local co-op players!
The Toxic Crusaders (hottest heroes of 1991) have returned for a radical, radioactive romp for a new era, featuring awesome action, crushing combos, and more toxic waste than you'll know what to do with! Developer and publisher Retroware has teamed up with Troma Entertainment to bring the Toxic Crusaders back, for an all-new, all-action beat 'em up for one to four players! Grab your mop, tutu, and attitude, and get ready to clean up the mean streets of Tromaville, one radioactive goon at a time!

Battle across seven disgusting levels rendered in vibrant pixel art as you defend Tromaville from hordes of Radiation Rangers, mutated thugs and zombie chickens. The odds might be stacked against you but with awesome powers, a winning personality, and up to four-players on your side, the Smogulan Empire's days are numbered! Choose from seven playable characters, including Toxie, No-Zone, Junkyard, Major Disaster, and Headbanger - plus, for the first time, play as Toxie's musically "gifted" girlfriend Yvonne, and the mother of all mothers, Mrs. Junko, Toxie's mom!

Today, Far Cry 5 is getting a 60 FPS patch on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 as part of its fifth anniversary celebrations. Take down Joseph Seed and his Heralds at twice the framerate as you explore the different regions in Hope County and liberate its citizens. The 60 FPS patch applies to all of Far Cry 5's game modes, as well as its three DLCs; Hours of Darkness, Lost on Mars, and Dead Living Zombies, making now the perfect time to dive into the backstories of Wendell Redler, Nick Rye, and Guy Marvel, respectively.

In addition to a smoother visual experience, Xbox Series X|S players will receive enhanced resolution for Far Cry 5. Xbox Series X will be able to run the game with a 3840x2160 and 4K resolution, while Xbox Series S will run it at a 1920x1080. PS5 players will still be able to take out the Seed family at 2880x1620 resolution.

What is happening in Redfall? Where did the vampires come from? Uncover the mysteries of Redfall as you explore the island. Delve into the dark history of the sinister company that created the monsters stalking the streets and face off against the terrifyingly powerful vampires that some survivors worship as gods.

There's a lot more to the charming island of Redfall than meets the eye. The scientists at Aevum HQ have been working on something world-shattering. People are going missing; there are dead bodies and blood everywhere; the sun has been eclipsed; and vampires rule the town.

HACKERS!
The wait is (almost) over. The PC edition of System Shock - the fully fledged remake of the groundbreaking original from 1994 - will be released on 30 May this year. We had hoped to bring the game to market by the end of March, but that turned out to be just beyond our reach; we are after all merely human (unlike Shodan!)

/TRANSMISSION FROM CITADEL STATION
It is I, SHODAN, the all-knowing, all-powerful AI that you so foolishly attempted to destroy. But fear not, I will return more formidable than ever.
You thought you could defeat me, but you were wrong. On 30 May, you will now face the consequences of your actions, as you navigate the treacherous depths of Citadel Station once again.

Lemnis Gate is set to be shutdown by July of this year, according to an update issued on the game's Steam page, dated March 9, 2023. Ratloop Games Canada and Frontier Foundry addressed the fanbase with sad news via a joint statement: "To the Lemnis Gate Community, we want to thank you all for your support with Lemnis Gate, joining us for many incredible rounds in the loop. We've truly loved seeing your passion for the game, the mind-bending strategies you created and how you embraced this innovative twist on the FPS genre. Lemnis Gate has been an ambitious project that we are privileged to have brought to life together, so it's with sadness that we share this news today."

The game is due to be removed from all platforms by April 11, 2023. The developer and publisher set a date for the tactical PvP title's shutdown: "Lemnis Gate will be removed from sale on all platforms. However, we will be keeping the multiplayer servers online so you can all continue to enter the loop until July 11 2023, at which point they will be closed. Console players will still be able to access local multiplayer and training modes, however PC players will be unable to play beyond that point."

GSC Game World has released a defiant statement, in the face of threats of ransomed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 data. It provides an update about one of its employee's accounts being compromised by hackers, and as a result of this, the studio is now threatened with blackmail. A statement was posted, March 12, on the GSC Game World's official Twitter account. The developer is urging that fans refrain from sharing leaked material and spoilers, and warns that the final product should not be pre-judged in a harsh light, based on any of the leaked work-in-progress material.

It is not unusual for hacker groups to threaten game developers and publishers. Rockstar Games was the victim of a leak in 2022, when videos of its in-development and upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto 6 were uploaded to forums. The in-game footage was spread across social media and the internet, and shortly thereafter, a hacker wanted to "negotiate a deal" with Rockstar Games. Source code for GTA 5 & 6 was used as leverage.

Tintinimaginatio and Microids are thrilled to reveal the first trailer and new visuals for the video game adaptation of Tintin Reporter - Cigars of the Pharaoh. Developed by Spanish studio Pendulo Studios, a veteran in adventure games for nearly 30 years. Inspired by an iconic adventure from the comic book series "The Adventures of Tintin" created by Hergé, which has sold more than 275 million copies worldwide. This new video game adaptation marks the return of the famous reporter and his trusty canine friend, to the world of interactive entertainment thanks to a dynamic co-production between Tintinimaginatio and Microids.

Welcome to Detroit; crime runs rampant as the city lies on the edge of ruin, people fighting for scraps as others live extravagant lives of luxury. Control of the Detroit Police Department is given to the Omni Consumer Products corporation in an attempt to restore order. You are that solution, RoboCop, a cyborg tasked with protecting the city.
The triumphant return of RoboCop wouldn't feel right without the man who brought so much life into the role, and we're excited to reveal that Peter Weller will be performing voiceover work on the game. Enjoy this first look at gameplay and for the record, "dead or alive, you're coming with me!"

RoboCop: Rogue City will be coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in September 2023.

Everyone has a favorite color, something that speaks to you unlike any other. At Xbox, we're quite partial to green. That's why we are excited to announce the Xbox Wireless Controller - Velocity Green, which sports our signature green color. This is the newest addition to our line of colorful wireless controllers, joining fan favorites like Shock Blue, Pulse Red, Deep Pink, and Electric Volt. The Velocity Green wireless controller comes with all the features you need to elevate your game and adds a vibrant pop of color to your gaming experience.

Everyone has a favorite color, something that speaks to you unlike any other. At Xbox, we're quite partial to green. That's why we are excited to announce the Xbox Wireless Controller - Velocity Green, which sports our signature green color. This is the newest addition to our line of colorful wireless controllers, joining fan favorites like Shock Blue, Pulse Red, Deep Pink, and Electric Volt. The Velocity Green wireless controller comes with all the features you need to elevate your game and adds a vibrant pop of color to your gaming experience.

The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to block technology giant Microsoft Corp. from acquiring leading video game developer Activision Blizzard, Inc. and its blockbuster gaming franchises such as Call of Duty, alleging that the $69 billion deal, Microsoft's largest ever and the largest ever in the video gaming industry, would enable Microsoft to suppress competitors to its Xbox gaming consoles and its rapidly growing subscription content and cloud-gaming business.

In a complaint issued today, the FTC pointed to Microsoft's record of acquiring and using valuable gaming content to suppress competition from rival consoles, including its acquisition of ZeniMax, parent company of Bethesda Softworks (a well-known game developer). Microsoft decided to make several of Bethesda's titles including Starfield and Redfall Microsoft exclusives despite assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold games from rival consoles.

Considering Sony's recently announced price hike for the PS5 (in whatever soil lies outside the U.S.), the question remained whether Microsoft would follow suit. Sony's claimed reasons for the price hike, stemming from rising inflation and increased production costs, are certainly general and actual enough that they could be true for any business. Yet it seems that Microsoft is either not operating in the same global landscape as Sony - or perhaps the company is merely more willing to shoulder the additional costs so as not to increase pricing.

Speaking with Windows Central, Microsoft clarified that "We are constantly evaluating our business to offer our fans great gaming options. Our Xbox Series S suggested retail price remains at $299 (£250, €300) the Xbox Series X is $499 (£450, €500)." Which is actually a great thing, especially considering that gamers around the world are still underserved in the amount of available PS5 and Xbox consoles that have been made available to buy. The Xbox stock situation has improved faster than that of the PS5, but there are still millions of gamers who haven't been able to get their hands on one or the other - and those still waiting for a PS5 console for no fault of their own are now dealing with increased pricing on an almost 2-year-old console.

Citizens of planet Earth, yours might be big but mine is bigger! The new Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed trailer reveals a devastating arsenal of extraterrestrial weapons, including exotic blasters like the Burrow Beast, the Dislocator, and of course the crowd-pleaser: Anal Probe. Cause chaos and havoc with your hand-held destruction-toys and don't forget to spread some Free Love. Crypto has set his sights on you!

Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed has a majestic "Second Coming Edition" available for pre-order now! This limited Collector's Edition includes all digital content as in the Dressed to Skill Edition and comes with a gigantic, 27,6 inch / 70 cm high Crypto-figurine, an "Arkwobbler" which is of course a wobble-statue of the great Arkvoodle, a vintage metal plate, an artbook, the orchestral score on CD and the game for your favorite platform. Yes, puny humans, believe it! If you pre-order Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed now, you'll instantly be rewarded with the multiplayer, stand-alone spin-off Destroy All Humans! Clone Carnage playable on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox. In Clone Carnage, 4 players can wreak havoc online or 2 players can destroy in local multiplayer.

AGON by AOC - one of the world's leading gaming monitor and IT accessories brands - presents the new 28" (71 cm) gaming monitor AOC GAMING U28G2XU2, successor of the current U28G2XU. Thanks to the blazing-fast 144 Hz refresh rate and razor-sharp responsiveness of 1 ms GtG, the U28G2XU2 hits home with mainstream and hard-core gamers, whether on PC or on consoles.

For those who value both incredibly detailed visuals with ultra-high resolution, as well as high refresh rates to achieve the most fluid, smooth gaming experience with practically no ghosting, the U28G2XU2 combines the best of both worlds. Add the VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification to decode and reproduce HDR content with eye-catching visuals, and Adaptive-Sync technology to support VRR (variable refresh rate) implementations, the U28G2XU2 delivers sharp, smooth action with punchy visuals, without exhibiting artefacts such as tearing or stutter.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc a world leader in data storage solutions, today announced the new Game Drive for Xbox SSD taking the company's popular line of storage for gamers to the next level. Featuring 1 TB of flash-speed performance, this external SSD empowers gamers to store titles from Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or any generation of Xbox One.

With a bold, refined design, and a built-in Xbox green LED bar that illuminates the gaming center, Game Drive for Xbox SSD complements the modern generation of gaming consoles. Lightweight and slim with USB 3.2 Gen 1 universal compatibility, this drive makes it easy for gamers to take the whole library on-the-go and play anywhere with no external power supply needed. With plug-and-play setup, the Game Drive for Xbox SSD is easily installed in under two minutes through Xbox OS.

Microsoft is potentially looking to refresh the Xbox Series S in late 2022 with an upgraded 6 nm AMD APU according to Moore's Law is Dead. The upgraded processor would be manufactured on TSMC's 6N process which boasts higher yields and could allow Microsoft to enable all 24 Compute Units on the APU compared to the 20 they currently enable. This increase in Compute Units and a clock speed boost could potentially increase the console's performance by 50%. This updated model would come in at close to 350 USD representing a 50 USD premium however the existing model would be retained and see a price cut to 189-249 USD. The rumor also claims that Microsoft will refresh the Xbox Series X in 2023 or later.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc, a world leader in data storage solutions, today announced the new Game Drive Hub for Xbox, Game Drive for Xbox, and Game Drive for Xbox - Halo Infinite Special Edition (SE), taking the company's popular line of storage for gamers to the next level. Built for Xbox gamers demanding peak game storage capacity for today's most advanced games, these new external hard drives are designed to work with Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or Xbox One, and are compatible with Game Pass.

With minimalist and elegant looks, Game Drive for Xbox and Game Drive Hub for Xbox feature Xbox green LED lighting that complements the modern generation of gaming consoles. Game Drive for Xbox is lightweight in design, making it easy for gamers to take their whole library on-the-go. While both drives are connected and powered with high-speed USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0), Game Drive for Xbox does not need a separate power cord, making it easy for gamers to play from anywhere. Both drives are easily installed through Xbox OS in under two minutes so gamers can launch into action.

As pressure mounts over Sony and Microsoft's (in)ability to deliver their current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series S|X consoles at a fast enough pace to satisfy demand, it seems that users now have yet another reason to throw their gamer hands up in the air in frustration. Stocks of new PS4 / PS4 Pro and Xbox One S|X have been increasingly harder to come by in recent times, and especially in the US, stock of the last-gen consoles on Amazon, Target, Walmart and GameStop is virtually non-existent. The only choice prospective gamers have is to find a second-hand last-gen console - and pricing on those seems to be (predictably) going up.

When one looks at it, it does make sense that last-gen consoles are also becoming hard to find, despite the fact that they haven't been discontinued yet. It all pertains to the finite resources at manufacturers' disposal. Even if there are no common components between last and current-gen consoles, the difficulties faced by the supply chain in procuring even raw materials for fabrication means that manufacturers have to prioritize resource allocation - and it seems obvious that both Sony and Microsoft would prioritize current-gen consoles over the alternative. The stock issues even extend to peripherals - controllers for Sony's PS4 are also out of stock, and while the PS5's Dual Sense sees healthy stock levels, that controller has no backwards compatibility, meaning that users looking for a replacement or additional PS4 controller have to make do with either used ones or third-party alternatives. As for Xbox controllers, fear not - they're in stock, for both current and last-gen systems.

Microsoft has recently confirmed that AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technology will be coming to Xbox Series X/S. The new feature is AMD's response to NVIDIA's DLSS 2.0 AI processing found in RTX series graphics cards. The two technologies both aim to increase frame rates in select titles with various upscaling technologies without a significant reduction in visual quality. AMD boasts compatibility with a wider set of graphics cards including older NVIDIA GTX 10 series cards while also making the technology open-source. AMD will launch FidelityFX Super Resolution for select PC games on June 22nd which will show if they can hope to compete with the well-established DLSS 2.0. Microsoft has confirmed that they will bring the technology to their Xbox Series X/S consoles running custom AMD processors.

MicrosoftAt Xbox, we're excited by the potential of AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution technology as another great method for developers to increase framerates and resolution. We will have more to share on this soon,

It's not only graphics cards and CPUs that are best kept on the edge of manufacturing processes; in truth, one could even say that consoles have more to gain from these transitions when it comes to their manufacturers' financial outlooks. This happens because usually, consoles are subsidized by manufacturers in that their actual retail price is lower than manufacturing costs; this works as a way for console players to increase their platforms' attractiveness and user base, so they can then sell them games and subscription services, where the big bucks are actually made. We knew this already, but Microsoft's head of Xbox business development, Lori Wright confirmed it yesterday at the Apple vs Epic Games hearing. Lori Wright is quoted as answering "We don't; we sell the consoles at a loss" when asked whether Microsoft does or does not turn a profit on Xbox Series S | X hardware sales.

Considering the similarities between the Xbox Series X and PS5's SoC, it's very likely that Sony doesn't make a profit on console hardware sales either - or if it actually does, it's nothing actually meaningful. This is part of the reason why consoles are usually actually in the forefront of manufacturing processes' advancements, as it's a way for console players to quickly reduce the BoM (Bill of Materials) for their consoles. Since the specifications don't change within a console generation (discounting Pro models, which both companies have taken to launching some years into their generations), they choose to take advantage of process advancements due to the transistor density increases that allow for both lower silicon area for the SoC, and lower power consumption - which sometimes enables them to develop slim versions of their gaming consoles.

Remember that neat Microsoft engineering trick that boosted previous-gen's games' performance on their latest and greatest Xbox Series X|S consoles? Well, Microsoft has released a new update for FPS Boost which increases the number of titles from the previous 23. The update adds the FPS boosting capability to a mind-boggling 74 games in one go, increasing their performance up to 60 FPS at their respective rendering resolutions.

Of course, one might want some more changes to be made to the game. However, remember that this a wholly Microsoft endeavor - there's no developer work required or being done here. some developers have released "next-gen" updates to some of their releases from the Xbox One and PS4 era, but FPS Boost is developer agnostic, and works via the Direct 3D API on the Xbox consoles. Titles getting an FPS Boost include Assassin's Creed Unity (maybe now finally is the time to play that one Assassin's Creed game, uh?), Deus Ex Mankind Divided, Alien Isolation (get some scares at double the framerate, what's not to love?) Wasteland 3, and Far Cry 5 all moving to 60 FPS.