Bandai Namco has released a new action-packed trailer revealing the existence of Forest Land! This new world and characters have been imagined by creator Akira Toriyama specifically for the video game and animated series, expanding the world of Sand Land with new adventures. Beyond the dunes and the scorching desert sun, lies a lush and green nation called Forest Land. Although peaceful at first glance, this place is governed by a ferocious army opposing Sand Land. Leading this force is Muniel, fearsome despite his childlike features, he is determined to save his land by getting his hands on a supply of Aquanium, a powerful but dangerous resource, and he will not back down without a fight.

This is another challenge for Beelzebub, his friends and his new allies, promising a handful of explosive battles against each of the Forest Land's army generals. Supported by Ann, players will be able to count on her courage in battle and her excellent mechanical skills to make their vehicle more efficient and powerful. Sand Land is set to release on 26th April 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and PC. A demo is available now on all platforms to take your first steps in Sand Land.

Have you ever dreamed of having a real conversation with an NPC in a video game? Not just one gated within a dialogue tree of pre-determined answers, but an actual conversation, conducted through spontaneous action and reaction? Lately, a small R&D team at Ubisoft's Paris studio, in collaboration with Nvidia's Audio2Face application and Inworld's Large Language Model (LLM), have been experimenting with generative AI in an attempt to turn this dream into a reality. Their project, NEO NPC, uses GenAI to prod at the limits of how a player can interact with an NPC without breaking the authenticity of the situation they are in, or the character of the NPC itself.

Considering that word—authenticity—the project has had to be a hugely collaborative effort across artistic and scientific disciplines. Generative AI is a hot topic of conversation in the videogame industry, and Senior Vice President of Production Technology Guillemette Picard is keen to stress that the goal behind all genAI projects at Ubisoft is to bring value to the player; and that means continuing to focus on human creativity behind the scenes. "The way we worked on this project, is always with our players and our developers in mind," says Picard. "With the player in mind, we know that developers and their creativity must still drive our projects. Generative AI is only of value if it has value for them."

Today, 2K announced WWE 2K24, the newest installment of the flagship WWE video game franchise developed by Visual Concepts, will be coming soon for PlayStation 5 (PS5), PlayStation 4 (PS4), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. As he burns a path through WWE in an effort to claim world championship gold and fulfill his destiny, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes will be featured on the Standard Edition cover. Multi-time champions and Women's Royal Rumble winners Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley share the Deluxe Edition cover, marking the first time in history two women have graced a dedicated WWE 2K cover, while the Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition cover features original artwork celebrating the most iconic Superstars and Legends in WrestleMania history, including The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and more.

WWE 2K24 features several franchise advancements, including 2K Showcase…of the Immortals celebrating 40 years of WrestleMania, four new match types such as Ambulance and Special Guest Referee, two new MyRISE experiences, and much more. In addition, fans can also look forward to a massive roster of more than 200* WWE Superstars and Legends including Roman Reigns, Andre the Giant, Becky Lynch, Batista, Kurt Angle, Asuka, Bret Hart, Brock Lesnar, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Chyna, and more. Incredibly realistic graphics and improved animations - with over 90% of facial expressions updated - plus improvements to Ramp cameras and Dive cameras, and the ability to move the camera during live gameplay provide the most visually impressive WWE 2K experience to date. WWE 2K24 Deluxe Edition and Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition are scheduled for worldwide release on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, followed by the Standard Edition and Standard Cross-Gen Digital Edition on Friday, March 8, 2024.

As it's getting darker in the northern hemisphere, we're seeing a continuing stream of new game releases and this week's AAA title appears to involve hammers and ruins of some kind. The rest of this week's releases includes tiny civilizations, rhythms, faith, flashbacks and a Japanese game. Take a gander below to see if there's something for you or maybe you're suffering from new game release overload already?

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin / This week's AAA title / Friday 17 November
Wage a campaign of brutal conquest in this realm-shattering real-time strategy game set in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe. Explore the nature of war from the perspectives of righteous champions and villainous warlords. Battle for survival and dominance across a campaign featuring four major factions, including Stormcast Eternals, Orruk Kruleboyz, Nighthaunt and the Disciples of Tzeentch! Experience a cinematic plot, penned in conjunction with acclaimed Black Library author, Gavin Thorpe.

As autumn continues, we have another week of big game releases to look forward to, hopefully with something that'll suit most gamers here. This week's AAA title involves a lot of sand, wars and monuments. As for the rest of this week's new games, you can be a tycoon, a driver of very expensive motor vehicles, craft your own stick, pretend to be a starship captain or you could be a monster slayer. Let us know if any of these tickle your fancy in the poll.

Total War: Pharaoh / This week's AAA title / Wednesday 11 October
In Total War: Pharaoh, the newest entry in the award-winning grand strategy series, immerse yourself in ancient Egypt at the zenith of its power and experience the dramatic events that threaten its destruction. With dynamic real-time battles and incredible turn-based empire management, can you rise above your adversaries to become Egypt's last great Pharaoh and stand against the collapse of an iconic civilisation?

Today, 2K announced that NBA 2K24, the latest iteration of the top-rated NBA video game simulation series, is now available worldwide on PlayStation 5 (PS5), PlayStation 4 (PS4), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch family of systems, and PC. Players can experience the past, present, and future of hoops culture with innovative updates in NBA 2K24. A focus on increased realism and competition are at the forefront of the newest entry with the introduction of immersive ProPLAY technology and crossplay functionality for New Gen, alongside so much more.

"We've ushered in a new era of 2K, thanks to the groundbreaking ProPLAY technology delivering the most authentic and realistic NBA 2K gameplay to date. NBA 2K24 also introduces new updates to our beloved modes with incredible details that will delight gamers and basketball fans alike."

Today, SEGA of America, Inc. and PowerA, a leader in officially licensed gaming accessories, announced a new partnership to create, distribute and sell a line of Sonic the Hedgehog-themed third-party gaming accessories. The initial product-line launches today and includes controllers for Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S, a branded Nintendo Switch Protective Case, as well as a TriFold Game Card Holder for Nintendo Switch cartridges.

"As big fans ourselves, the PowerA team is thrilled to partner with the team at SEGA to bring Sonic the Hedgehog and friends to our controllers and accessories," said Akio Strasser, Senior Global Marketing Director for PowerA. "With more than 30 years of Sonic, and multiple generations of gamers experiencing this franchise, we are so excited to bring these characters to life on our accessories for the first time."

Atari, once a leader in video game consoles, has today published... a new game! Called Mr. Run and Jump, the game is a classical 2D platformer, following Mr. Run and Jump with his trusty pal Leap the Dog, who defeats the terrifying Void and collects all the Power Gems from the Realms of Color. The gameplay is self-explanatory, as this 2D platformer aims to bring some of the vibes of older games with modernized stories and elements. Interestingly, the game is available for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Atari 2600, also called Atari Video Computer System (VCS). The last game for Atari VCS was developed in 1990, and this game comes after 33 years to the platform.

Coming in a cartridge for the VCS console, the cartridge design has been updated a bit. It now has beveled edges and gold-plated connectors. Atari prices the cartridge at 60 USD, with availability on July 31. This version of the game is toned down a bit, as the older VCS hardware can not support all the features that modern console/PC versions have. There are 80 levels in the game and as many as five different enemy types, with a unique high-score system.Below are more screenshots of the game.

Publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive are thrilled to reveal John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, coming in 2024 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Epic Games Store. Tag team with up to four players in this intense first-person shooter and battle massive hordes of mutated monstrosities to eradicate a supernatural outbreak before it's too late.

Watch the exhilarating reveal trailer, which premiered at the Summer Game Fest live showcase, for a first taste of the title's over-the-top gameplay and John Carpenter-inspired '80s vibes, packed with tons of action, humor and horror. "We're happy to team up once again with our historical partner Saber," said John Bert, Managing Director at Focus Entertainment. "After World War Z, Space Marine 2, Insurgency, SnowRunner, and many others, Toxic Commando is a new entry into the successful long-term relationship between Focus and Saber. We cannot wait to unveil more about this new amazing IP created by the talented teams at Saber and leverage Focus' expertise in turning new franchises into worldwide hits."

Atari - one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers - announced, on April 19, the acquisition of more than 100 PC and console titles from the 1980s and 1990s. The collection includes notable games from the Bubsy, Hardball, Demolition Racer series, as well as the 1942: Pacific Air War, F-117A, and F-14 air combat series. Atari will seek to expand digital and physical distribution of the classic titles, create new games based on the IP, and explore brand and merchandising collaborations.

"This is a deep catalog that includes groundbreaking and award-winning titles from Accolade, Infogrames and Microprose," said Atari CEO Wade Rosen. "Many of these titles are a part of Atari history, and fans can look forward to seeing many of these games re-released in physical and digital formats, and in some cases, even ported to modern consoles." Atari also acquired the trademark to the Accolade and GTI brands. Accolade was a well-respected US-based video game developer and publisher from 1984 until 2000.

Today Japan's Sega Sammy Holdings Incorporated declared its intention to fully acquire Finnish development studio Rovio Entertainment Oyj in a buyout valued at a cool $776 million. The Helsinki-based developer, responsible for creating the Angry Birds video game franchise, has agreed to Sega Sammy's terms - and Rovio share values have climbed as a result of this announcement. The deal is expected to be finalized in the late summer or early autumn of this year, and signals an ambition on Sega's part to gain prominence in the mobile gaming world. Rovio had previously turned down a proposed takeover by Playtika - an Israeli company specializing in digital entertainment - for $735 million, late last month.

Angry Birds was the first mobile game to be downloaded one billion times, according to figures released by Rovio, so Sega has acquired a solid intellectual property that has also expanded into the movie world (two animated features) and endless merchandising avenues (toys, clothing and other accessories). Commenting on the buyout, Haruki Satomi, President and Group CEO, Representative Director of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. said: "Among the rapidly growing global gaming market, the mobile gaming market has especially high potential, and it has been Sega's long-term goal to accelerate its expansion in this field."

Miasma Chronicles, the post-apocalyptic tactical adventure from Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden creators The Bearded Ladies and leading video game publisher 505 Games, is set for launch on 23rd, May, 2023 for Windows PC platforms (Steam and EPIC), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The tactical adventure sees players take on the role of Elvis, a young man abandoned by his mother in the wastelands of America, with only his robot 'brother' Diggs for company. Together they must unravel the mystery of the Miasma, a mysterious entity that threatens the last vestiges of humanity and turns all who come in contact with it into barbaric corruptions of their former selves.

Microids and TMS are pleased to announce that Cobra, the video game, is currently in the pre-production stage. Adapted from the Japanese animation series produced by TMS Entertainment (based on illustrations and comic books created by Buichi Terasawa), the video game provides players the opportunity to step into Cobra's shoes as the famous galactic bounty hunter, in a futuristic and colourful universe on consoles and PC.

Created in 1978, the cult manga Cobra has fascinated many generations of fans with its complex plot known for its many twists and turns. With his legendary Psycho Gun attached to his left arm, and his iconic partnership with Lady, the notorious space pirate Cobra has captivated audiences for decades.

MSI, the world's leading PC gaming hardware brand, is excited to announce a new partnership with one of the world-famous video game companies, SEGA Europe Limited, to press ahead with their upcoming real-time strategy game—Company of Heroes 3.

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Global video game publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment has revealed a new partnership to adapt series creator Mike Mignola's Hellboy franchise, published by Dark Horse Comics. Developed by Upstream Arcade, Hellboy Web of Wyrd is an upcoming roguelite action-adventure game in development for all major gaming consoles and PC. It features an original storyline crafted in collaboration with Mignola, as well as the renowned voice talents of Lance Reddick as Hellboy himself. Mignola has also designed the game's unique key art.

"Adapting the Hellboy comics to a game is a dream project for all of us. The opportunity to create something authentic—that's something we take very seriously," said Amanda Kruse, Publishing Director at Good Shepherd Entertainment. "Our partnership with Mike Mignola and the creative team at Dark Horse has been inspiring. The support and trust they've given us has allowed Upstream Arcade to bring their vision to life. Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a bold new work we are excited to share with fans of the comics and action-adventure games alike."

Evil Licorice has today released their debut title Retro Gadgets via Steam Early Access. Available for £16.99, $19.99, EUR €19.99, the gadget-creation title lets players make, code, and customise their own gadgets and share them with the world. The first playable demo saw thousands of inventors make all sorts of devices, from fully playable portable consoles to functional MP3 players, and even 3D painting tools.

In Retro Gadgets, players make and customise their own gadgets, which they can code to bring to life before sharing with the community. Working in a tactile interface, tinkerers will press buttons, flick switches, twist dials, and move joysticks to build and interact with any gadget they can think of. The game features full Steam Workshop integration, letting players download, inspect and reverse engineer each other's projects to create their own versions.

Samsung Electronics announced exciting new ways for gamers to experience game streaming with the addition of new partners and the introduction of game streaming to select 2021 Samsung TV models and 4K games, further delivering on its promise of bringing the future of gaming to consumers across the globe.

Antstream Arcade is the world's largest cloud gaming service that provides players access to over 1,500 iconic games and weekly new multiplayer challenges and tournaments. Select Samsung TV owners will soon be able to battle their friends and the global community at the best games from the 80s, 90s and 00s, from Pac-Man to Mortal Kombat and Metal Slug.

Remedy Entertainment ("Remedy") has signed an agreement with 505 Games, an international video game publisher and a subsidiary of Digital Bros Group, under which Remedy and 505 Games will co-develop and co-publish Control 2 (formerly known as Codename Heron), a sequel to Remedy's award-winning game Control.

Control 2's initial development budget amounts to EUR 50 million, and Remedy will retain the ownership of the game's intellectual property. The development, marketing, and post-launch investments as well as the future net revenues generated by the game will be equally split between 505 Games and Remedy. The game will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, and it will be built on Remedy's proprietary Northlight engine and tools. Remedy will publish the game on the PC platform and 505 Games will publish it on the console platforms. The project is currently in concept stage.

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced it is collaborating with Marvel on a long-term deal to develop at least three new action adventure games that will be available for consoles and PC. Each of these games will be their own original story set in the Marvel universe with the first title in-development being a single player, third person, action-adventure Iron Man game coming out of Motive Studios.

"We have been long-time fans of Marvel and their impressive leadership, so this is a remarkable moment for our developers as well as our players and fans," said Laura Miele, COO at EA. "We look forward to welcoming Marvel into the EA family of creators and know this collaboration will produce exceptional experiences for our players. We can't wait to see players' reactions when they suit up as Iron Man and do the extraordinary things this Super Hero is known for."

Today, 2K announced PGA TOUR 2K23, the latest entry in the golf simulation video game franchise from HB Studios, is now available worldwide on PlayStation 5 (PS5), PlayStation 4 (PS4), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via Steam. Featuring PGA TOUR icon and all-time sports great Tiger Woods as cover athlete, PGA TOUR 2K23 celebrates Woods' legacy by introducing him as both a playable in-game pro and an Executive Director advising the game's development team.

"As we launch this next evolution of the franchise, there's been no better partner to work with for PGA TOUR 2K23 than our legendary cover athlete Tiger Woods," said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy at 2K. "Throughout his career, Tiger has changed the culture of golf in terms of representation, fashion, prestige and attitude. Those are all qualities espoused by PGA TOUR 2K23, and the franchise as a whole."

Leading video game publisher and developer Bandai Namco Europe S.A.S. today announced SYNDUALITY, a new game that is part of a recently announced transmedia Sci-fi franchise developed by Game Studio. SYNDUALITY is a Sci-fi Shooter set in a dystopian futuristic world where humans and AI must co-exist and cooperate to survive. The game will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

SYNDUALITY takes place in 2222, years after a mysterious poisonous rain called "The Tears of the New Moon" wiped out most of humanity and birthed deformed creatures that now hunt the population. Amidst the calamity, humans are forced to build an underground haven named Amasia, where they discover and begin to collaborate with forms of artificial intelligence called Magus.

Today, Logitech G and Tencent Games announced a partnership to bring a cloud gaming handheld to market later this year that will combine Logitech G's expertise in hardware with Tencent Games' expertise in software services. The new device will support multiple cloud gaming services, and both companies are working with the Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW teams, so gamers can play AAA games when they are away from their console or PC.

Logitech G and Tencent Games share a mutual vision of the future of gaming and are committed to ensuring the quality of experience comes together seamlessly to deliver on the exciting promise of gaming from the cloud. Cloud gaming utilizes data center servers to stream video games to consumers. There's no need to download or install PC or console games. Instead, games are rendered and played on remote servers, and users interact with them locally on their devices.

Independent developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games today revealed The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, the only survival crafting video game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the iconic fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Unveiled in the Epic Games Summer Showcase during Summer Game Fest, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria follows the Dwarves of Middle-earth as they embark on an original adventure to reclaim and restore their Dwarven homeland of Moria. The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will be available exclusively on PC via the Epic Games Store when it launches in Spring 2023. Players interested in securing their role in the adventure can add the game to their wishlist starting today. "We're beyond excited for the Dwarves to return to Khazad-dûm! Thanks to our friends at North Beach Games and Free Range Games, we'll delve deep into the Misty Mountains together, by this time next year. We do hope you'll join us!" Middle-earth's Fredrica Drotos enthusiastically exclaimed.

The story of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria takes players beyond the books and into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantastical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer, players take control of a company of Dwarves tasked to reclaim the lost spoils from the Dwarven homeland of Moria—known as Khazad-dûm or Dwarrowdelf—in the depths below their very feet. Their quest will require fortitude, delving deep into the Mines of Moria to recover its treasures. Players will join forces to survive, craft, build, and explore the iconic, sprawling mines. Courageous expeditioners will need to be vigilant as mysterious dangers await.

CD PROJEKT RED today revealed that the next installment in The Witcher series of video games is currently in development with Unreal Engine 5, kicking off a new saga for the franchise and a new technology partnership with Epic Games.

Today's announcement marks the first official confirmation of a new game in The Witcher series since the release of CD PROJEKT RED's previous single-player, AAA RPG in the franchise—The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—which won a total of 250 Game of the Year awards and was later expanded upon with the Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine add-ons.

Santa Monica Studio, a video game developer, seated in Los Angeles and owned by PlayStation Studios, is the creator of the highly successful game God of War. Today, the company announced that they would be releasing a God of War port for PC owners, entering a whole new market. The PC port of the game will allow thousands of players to enjoy the story of Kratos and his adventures with a considerable boost to graphics. According to a company announcement, the PC port will allow fine-tuning of graphics settings, including a range of new technologies to back it.

Some essential upgrades over the console port include native 4K rendering and an unlimited frame rate. The company stated that the ambient occlusion pipeline had been upgraded with GTAO and SSDO tech, creating unique visuals. In addition to that, the game will feature support for NVIDIA's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and Reflex low-latency technology. For controllers, the game will feature support for Sony's DualSense and DualShock4 controllers. And last but not least, ultrawide gamers are in luck as well, as the game will support a 21:9 aspect ratio. The game is going to be available on January 14, 2022, on the Steam storefront.

For some PC visuals, check out the images and the video below.