Weavers, we've made it: Eternal Strands is released on all platforms! Play as Brynn, a young but fearless Weaver, determined to recover her people's cultural home in the debut fantasy action-adventure title from Yellow Brick Games, a new independent studio founded by industry veterans.

Armed with powerful magical abilities and an arsenal of magical weapons, face enemies that range from humanoid constructs to towering beasts. Use the environment and temperature to your advantage in battles against a diverse roster of fantastical creatures, like turning a dragon's fiery breath against ice-covered minions. Climb every surface and use arcane skills to create new paths. Explore the world in pursuit of the Enclave's lost mysteries and challenge giant titans on your journey. Here's everything you need to know before you meet your Weaverband.

The incredible response to Tomb Raider I-III Remastered inspired us (at Aspyr) to go a little deeper for Lara's next remastered adventure. Thanks to the overwhelming support and enthusiasm from the Tomb Raider community, we're continuing to enhance the journey for fans with Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered which launches on February 14. This time, we're introducing exclusive tools and fresh new ways to experience these iconic adventures. In this article, we'll dive into some of these exciting new additions—features that redefine how you'll engage with Lara's world and cement this remastered trilogy as a labor of love for both the developers and the fans.

Capture every epic moment
Photo Mode is back, and it's better than ever! Building on the beloved features from the previous trilogy, you'll still have countless poses to strike and weapons to outfit Lara Croft. This collection features all the Photo Mode resources from the first collection, plus a slew of new ones for players to discover!

From the very first time we were introduced to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at last June's Xbox Games Showcase, it was clear we were witnessing something special. And, every time this incredible-looking game's debut developer, Sandfall Interactive, has dropped tantalizing glimpses of its debut game since then, hype levels among RPG enjoyers only continue to rise.

Which brings us to today's Developer_Direct, where we traveled to Montpellier, France to meet the minds behind one of the most exciting new RPGs in years, and learn more than ever before. After establishing that this surprisingly small team of creators works out of a French manor(!), the development team peeled back even more layers of their finely crafted mille feuille of an RPG, revealing delicious details on the game's emotional story, original world, how its gameplay innovates on classics of the genre. They also shared its April 24 release date; you can pre-order here and play it day one with Game Pass!

People Can Fly is thrilled to be working on Gears of War: E-Day, the next mainline game in the renowned Gears of War series, as a co-development partner with The Coalition. We are honored to return to the world of Gears of War, a franchise deeply embedded in our studio's history. As lead developer of the iconic Gears of War: Judgment and co-development partner on Gears of War 1-3, we have always been passionate about the series and its legacy. "Returning to collaborate on the next chapter of this legendary saga is both a privilege and an exciting opportunity to build upon the intense, visceral action and rich storytelling that fans have come to love. We are deeply grateful for our partners' trust and support on this journey" says PCF's CEO, Sebastian Wojciechowski.

"Gears of War: E-Day is not just our next major game; it's a return to what makes Gears of War games special and authentic. We're pleased to be partnering with the talented folks at People Can Fly who have been a part of our franchise's legacy for so long."—Mike Crump, Studio Head, The Coalition. "Our team at People Can Fly, made up of dedicated Gears of War fans, is pouring everything we have into creating an experience that will exceed expectations. While we can't share more just yet, we're eager for the day when we can show all the exciting things we've been working on" - says Guillaume Barry, Development Director at PCF.

Thursday, January 23 was a big day for all of us at Compulsion Games. In addition to being a part of Developer_Direct, where members of our studio team shared more about the gameplay, look, and feel of South of Midnight, our third-person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South, we announced our release date of April 8, 2025, and early access beginning April 3. If that wasn't enough, we also released our brand-new story trailer, which expands on the narrative of South of Midnight, while including all-new gameplay, characters, and mythical creatures from the game. We're so excited to share more about South of Midnight, which is available now for pre-orders.

The Story of South of Midnight
In our story trailer, protagonist Hazel and her mother are preparing for the impending hurricane. The storm proves massive, causing catastrophic flooding-and causing their own home to be swept down river with her mother in it. Its aftermath shows the fictional town of Prospero, located in the southern United States, eerily calm while irrevocably changed from the hurricane's destruction. Here, Hazel undertakes a journey in search of her mother, while finding out more about herself and her family's lineage in the process. Hazel begins to see fantastical phenomena all over Prospero, including meeting Catfish, an enormous—and talking—creature in his own right, stuck in a tree following the hurricane's destruction. Catfish tells Hazel she is a Weaver, someone who possesses magical powers and can see how our threads connect to form the woven tapestry of our fates.

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches on March 20 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store, and Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Set during the late Sengoku era in Japan, players will play as both the stealthy shinobi Naoe and the formidable samurai Yasuke. No matter who you're playing as, the development team wanted to ensure that as many people as possible are able to enjoy everything that Assassin's Creed Shadows has to offer. To learn more about the team's approach to accessible design, we spoke with UX Director Jonathan Bedard.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an evolution for the franchise, with many elements being rebuilt from the ground up. In what ways did that allow you to change your approach to accessibility?
Jonathan Bedard: Having changed the way we built the game, we had to redo many things, and it allowed us to revisit some elements that weren't working as well as we'd hoped. Certain features benefited from this by being retooled or by simply changing the interface itself - or in some cases, the functionalities - to elevate our offer and our experience to higher standards. One example of that is our input remapping. Not only can you adjust the inputs of any of the buttons, but you can adjust the action of that input, whether you want it to be a hold or a press.

The Last of Us Part I (PC version) was updated to version 1.1.4 last Friday—at the time, patch notes revealed that Iron Galaxy Studios/Nixxes Software had added support for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 3.1 Super Resolution and FSR 3.1 Frame Generation. Several popular first-party PlayStation titles received similar updates mid-way through last year, so industry watchdogs have questioned the timing of this latest upgrade—up until late last week, The Last of Us Part I was ticking along with support for FSR 3.0 (super resolution and frame generation).

Naturally, Team Red is in the process of preparing FSR 4.0 for an upcoming product launch—now delayed, due to the engineering team requiring: "extra time to optimize the software stack for maximum performance and enable more titles." AMD's latest graphics technology was showcased at CES earlier this month, alongside their new (RDNA 4) Radeon RX 9070 XT and 9070 (non-XT) graphics cards. According to Team Red, it is relatively easy to go from version 3.1 up to 4.0. The Last of Us Part I's development team (for PC platforms) could have everything ready to go in a couple of weeks, and be prepared well in advance for the game's sequel (due in April).

Hi everyone, Assassin's Creed Shadows is launching March 20, inviting you to experience the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a powerful African samurai. Today, you can pre-order the game on console and PC, and read up on Shadows' upcoming expansion, Claws of Awaji, which brings 10 hours of additional content free with your pre-order.

For those of you playing on PC, we've got all of Assassin's Creed Shadows' recommended PC specs listed in this article. Assassin's Creed Shadows will support raytraced global illumination and reflections, and will feature an in-game benchmark tool for performance analysis, ultra-wide resolutions, an uncapped framerate, and more. Check out all the specs chart below.

Polish your armor and sharpen your sword: Warhorse Studios and PLAION have released details of the post-launch roadmap for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. The game's upcoming February 4 launch signifies the start of an epic journey through medieval Bohemia, with a range of additional free and paid content set to arrive throughout 2025. From Horse Racing and Hardcore Mode to mastering blacksmithing and exploring compelling new quests, there is plenty for players to look forward to as they continue their adventure with Henry.

Alongside these expansions will be a number of free quality of life updates to further enhance the game experience. Unlock the full experience with the Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Gold Edition, which includes the base game, the Gallant Huntsman Kit and the Expansion Pass, which includes Shields of Season Passing and all three paid story expansions. The Gold Edition is truly the ultimate way to enjoy everything the game has to offer.

Marvelous Games has announced Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. This new entry in the series will launch globally on the Nintendo Switch system and Windows PC via Steam on May 30, 2025. A new gameplay video showcasing Guardians of Azuma's action combat, relationship system, and seasonal village life is also now available to watch below. The latest entry in the popular action-RPG and life-simulation series introduces the Eastern territory of Azuma, a land of Japanese-inspired visuals and unique twists on familiar gameplay elements from the Rune Factory franchise.

Pre-orders for the Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Limited Edition are now available at participating retailers here for an RRP of €99.99. This stunning collection comes in a custom outer box and includes a physical copy of the game, an original soundtrack CD, an art book, an Azuma-inspired folding fan, the "Seasons of Love" DLC bundle, additional DLC costumes for your protagonists and their divine sidekick Woolby, and a plush Woolby keychain. The standard edition of the game is also available to pre-order for an RRP of €59.99. Details on digital editions will be announced later.

Unknown Worlds has finally announced the next sequel to its popular indie survival game franchise, Subnautica, and released a teaser trailer alongside the reveal. While details are still scant, the first trailer divulges some key information about the upcoming game. For starters, and likely the biggest divergence from Subnautica and the Subnautica: Below Zero expansion, is the addition of multiplayer gameplay, supporting teams of up to four players. For now, it looks like gameplay will either be single-player or online co-op, although it's unclear whether teams will be able to mix the two, popping into four-player sessions alone or with one or two players sitting it out.

Just judging from the trailer and Steam Store page, it looks like Subnautica 2 will take many of the same game mechanics—crafting, resource management, and an open-world sandbox—as the other games in the franchise, and build on them, instead of trying to rewrite the story. Likewise, it looks to be leaning into the Lovecraftian horror themes earlier on in the game. There also seems to be a new upgrade mechanic that will allow players to augment the biology of their characters, which should add an extra layer of depth to the game. Unknown Worlds has not yet published the full retail price for Subnautica 2 or pinned an exact release date, but it will release as an Early Access game sometime in 2025. Fans of the genre and franchise can wishlist and follow the game on Steam, Epic Games, or Xbox or join the Discord community.

Humble Bundle has just announced its monthly Humble Choice game bundle, a monthly selection of games that Humble Bundle members can download and keep forever for free. While the intention is obviously to tempt gamers to sign up for a recurring Humble Bundle membership, there's nothing stopping you from signing up for a month for $11.99 to claim the Humble Choice bundle and then cancelling the membership.

For October, there are eight new games joining the Humble Choice bundle, ranging from colorful, action-packed, third-person RPGs to indie simulation games, and meditative puzzle exploration games. The main attractions of the October Humble Choice bundle, though, have to be Remnant II, Persona 5 Strikers, Jusant, and Dome Keeper, which have each earned positive reviews both from critics and gamers alike.

Earlier this month, the world lost a one-of-a-kind creative talent with the news of Akira Toriyama's passing. While Dragon Ball will always be Toriyama-sensei's best-known work, he leaves behind a legacy full of many other imaginative worlds across games, anime, and manga. Before leaving us, he worked with Bandai Namco to flesh out one of his short manga creations further: Sand Land. Alongside a new anime series, Toriyama-sensei gave input on a videogame adaptation of Sand Land that would allow players to explore this unique world for themselves.

The classic manga Sand Land lives on in Bandai Namco's new game, which ventures beyond where the original story concludes. Read on to find out what new adventures await our mech-powered demon hero in the wetlands, caves, and Forest Land. Speaking of Forest Land, we also have a reveal of new gameplay from the woodland biome.

Calling out to all necromancers! Necrosmith 2 is now available on Windows and macOS ☠️Return to the world of the necromancy! This time, raise your undead against dreadful monsters, utilizing the newest features to create titans and control them to lead your army to victory. They await your command to begin the battle!

Like a dead man reanimated by dark sorcery, the necromancer simulator is back. Assemble your undead from different body parts, combining the abilities of various fantasy races. Upgrade your tower and give it a unique look. Fight your way through hordes of enemies in a procedurally generated world and take titans under control. Give the undead the ability to fly over mountains and swim across rivers, explore a fully generated world at night and fend off enemy hordes during the day. Start a new, uhm, life.

First was mobile, then came consoles—and now Sky prepares to take flight on PC! On April 10th, the Sky: Children of the Light experience arrives to PC players on Steam for Early Access, and there's going to be something that all players can celebrate. Sky: Children of the Light is a peaceful, award-winning MMO designed to help players meaningfully connect with one another. You are a Child of the Light with a magical cape, set out into a wide world to find others like yourself. All are welcome in this cozy, open-world adventure above the clouds!

We're very excited about what it's going to bring to Sky. This year Sky turns five, and it's at times hard to believe just how much the game has grown—and how the community has helped it thrive! There are so many more adventures and celebrations ahead, and we're working to bring those to life in 2024 and the years to come. Those won't all fit in one blog post, but we thought we'd share a glimpse of the many things on the horizon—we'll have yet more to share in the months to come.

March 26 2024 is not only the three-year anniversary for It Takes Two…the game has now sold over 16 MILLION units!!! 🤯 Mind-blowing that over 30 million fans have now played it, love you all so much. ❤️ What a way to start off a very exciting year…

Something out of the Ordinary
Bring your favorite co-op partner and together step into the shoes of May and Cody. As the couple is going through a divorce, through unknown means their minds are transported into two dolls which their daughter, Rose, made to represent them. Now they must reluctantly find a way to get back into their bodies, a quest which takes them through the most wild, unexpected and fantastical journey imaginable. Released in 2021 to critical and fan acclaim, It Takes Two further builds on Hazelight's proven track record of making rich and engaging co-op experiences. While developing It Takes Two it has been the team's number one priority to truly merge story and gameplay. Allowing both to influence each other guarantees a game that is as engaging to play as it is compelling to experience.

Greetings, Flameborn! Our first update for Enshrouded is finally here! Just a few weeks ago we were releasing our first roadmap, and now we're already ticking a bunch of these boxes… As a team, it feels good! Our goal for each update is to include new content, new features, improvements to existing features, as well as the usual fixes and polish.

The biggest part of the update is undoubtedly the Hollow Halls. You can read more on them below, but a word of advice before you proceed: the encounters will test your mettle and we strongly recommend preparing well and bringing your best food items, as well as campfires to rest during your exploration. It is possible to run these as a solo player, but it might be a very challenging experience, and we recommend bringing some friends along. If you team up with strangers, remember that you can create a backup of your save files. Of course since we're in Early Access, we are very eager to hear your thoughts on the Hollow Halls. Do let us know what you think once you've given them a try! And without further ado…

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.

Obsidian Entertainment's Alpha Protocol was removed from Valve's Steam store back in 2019, due to an expiration of music rights. The Irvine, California-headquartered developer has worked quietly on a re-release of their third-person sci-fi espionage ARPG (originally launched back in 2010) alongside Sega and GOG. A DRM-free version is now available to purchase on CD Projekt's digital distribution platform—in upgraded form; involved parties have sought to improve performance on modern PCs. An achievements system has been added, along with support for all sorts of present day controller inputs (PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox). A cloud save feature has been implemented as well, but more goodies could be on the way—as teased in Raycevick's featurette (viewable below).

The team at GOG has admitted (to PC Gamer) that it took longer than expected to get Alpha Protocol relaunched—the "very long release" is the product of half a year of work. Zuzanna Rybacka—Communication Specialist at GOG/Projekt—stated that the game's relaunch is part of their initiative of: "going back to our core, to bringing back classics…basically, our point (is) to not let all those games that would go to perish, and make them accessible for younger generations." The store's main message/vibe of "Good Old Games" has been diluted in recent years, due to a platforming of very modern titles—GOG started to pivot back to that core philosophy two years ago, with a "return to its roots." The reappearance of Alpha Protocol is only one example of their fortified campaign to bring back classic games.

Our favorite thing about Zau might surprise you. Or, it might be the first thing you noticed. In a recent Discord Q+A (viewable below), ZAU Creative Director Abubakar Salim throws the deceptively simple question to Lead Artist Ackeem Durrant and Lead Designer Zi Peters: what's your favorite thing about our main character? Since our reveal in December, we've been completely floored by how many of you took the leap to pre-order ZAU. We worked hard to give the game a fair price—and a 10% discount to everyone who buys before launch day - plus carefully crafted in-game content that feels special while not detracting from our central vision for the game. We're incredibly grateful for your support. Thank you.

Wield the dance of the shaman. Reclaim your father's spirit
A grieving boy begins to read a Bantu tale written by his late father. Adventure into the beautiful and treacherous lands of Kenzera as Zau, a young shaman who bargains with the God of death to bring his Baba back from darkness. With your cosmic powers and untried courage, you advance into unknown mythological lands. Once bursting with life, Kenzera is now rife with lost ancestral spirits. As Zau advances toward his goal, 3 mighty beings lie in wait, fearsome in their strength yet somehow strangely familiar. Will you embrace the dance of the shaman?

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is beckoning players back to Mount Qaf starting on March 20, when a free content update will bring new modes and other content to the critically acclaimed, Metroidvania-inspired action-adventure. More updates will follow in spring, summer, and beyond, introducing more modes, challenges, and paid story-driven DLC.

The March 20 update, titled Warrior's Path, will add speedrun and permadeath modes, as well as four new outfits for Sargon. Later this spring, it'll be followed by the Boss Attack update, which adds a boss rush challenge in addition to more outfits. The Divine Trials update will follow this summer, adding new combat, platform, and puzzle challenges, along with new Amulets, outfits, and more. The new storyline will debut later this year as paid DLC, and will introduce new environments and enemies for Sargon to confront.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is inviting potential CRADLECOFFIN Drifters to participate in the upcoming SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada closed beta test, with registrations now open. The extraction shooter, set in a dystopian futuristic world where humans and AI must cooperate to survive, will have limited slots available for players to be among the first to venture into the ruins of Amasia to fight both environmental threats and human enemies, reap rewards, and escape with all the AO Crystals they can carry.

As a CRADLECOFFIN mech pilot, players will be able to bring their choice of Magus into battle—an AI companion that provides useful combat information including radar locations, resource tracking, combat assistance, and more. They can also select from a wide variety of chassis, arms, and legs, with two weapons as well to optimize their loadout for each sortie. The CBT for SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada will run March 28 through April 1 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

The original Monster Hunter Stories game is back and coming to Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4! Become a Monster Rider and hatch, raise, and battle with your favorite monsties in this epic RPG adventure. Become a Monster Rider who raises monsters and forges lifelong bonds with them in this epic adventure set in a vast, vibrant world. Befriend monsters to transform them into your Monsties! Transfer genes between monsters to raise Monsties with their own unique attributes and skills! Utilize your Monstie's Riding Actions out in the field to discover everything the locales have to offer!

Guess your opponent's attack patterns and experience the excitement of mainline Monster Hunter titles while engaging in thrilling, turn-based battles with monsters.
In addition to featuring Japanese and English voice overs, this remastered version also includes a "Museum" mode where you can view concept art and listen to the game's music! Monster Hunter Stories launches on Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS4 on June 14 with refined graphics, a new Museum mode, and content previously released only in Japan. Ride on!

Creatures of Ava was announced during Xbox Partner Preview, and we're excited to confirm that it is arriving on Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2024. That's why we at Inverge Studios wanted to use this opportunity to tell you more about the beautiful world of Ava. Creatures of Ava is a Creature Saver game in which you will have to help creatures escape from an infection that is rapidly growing on the planet Ava, threatening to wipe out all living beings. Your goal is not to collect the creatures for your amusement nor hurt them—your goal is to save them.

One of our overarching goals when developing the game was to make it non-violent while remaining really fun to play. From the outset, we've been captivated by the notion of saving creatures from a distant planet, not for any utilitarian purpose, but simply because they're sentient beings deserving of compassion. With that vision in our mind creating a non-violent game was essential. However, this initially proved to be one of our biggest challenges, until we settled on the flute as one of the key mechanics in the game—that really helped us realize our goal. Let me explain….

Aye, Banishers!✨We are pleased to announce that Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden launched with critical acclaim on February 13! Discover how the intimate narrative Action-RPG conquered the hearts of players, with a current 89% user score on Steam, and garnered worldwide praise from the press in today's Accolades trailer! Immersing players in an "atmospheric, lore-rich world," Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden strikes a chord thanks to its "engaging and well-written story, dynamic combat system" and "excellent character performances."

Focus Entertainment and DON'T NOD are thrilled by such a positive reception, and can't wait to hear what players will share in the future, as they take on an emotionally moving journey between life, death, love and sacrifices. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam and Epic Games Store. Buy the game, grab its Collector's Edition or the Red Echoes Edition, and sign up as a Focus member or subscribe to the newsletter to get the latest exclusive information and upcoming special offers for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and the entire Focus catalog.