Altergaze is thrilled to announce that HoverGrease 2 will be part of Steam Next Fest: February 2025, giving players the first chance to experience the adrenaline-fueled action of its single-player campaign and 5v5 multiplayer mode during special weekend playtests. This is the first opportunity to dive into HoverGrease 2 and explore its high-speed combat, deep strategy, and diverse mutant roster ahead of launch.

Whether you prefer mastering a story-driven campaign or testing your skills in competitive multiplayer, the demo offers something for every player.

Clear River Games, a video game publisher specialising in classic and retro games, in conjunction with Japanese publisher and developer City Connection, announced today that celebrated arcade shooter Under Defeat is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

The ultimate version of the classic arcade shooter. Under Defeat has been developed by retro port specialists City Connection, and includes DLC content previously only available in Japan. Alongside an 'Arcade Mode' that faithfully replicates the original arcade experience, a fresh 'New Order Mode' adapts the game for modern displays, while 'New Order Mode+' brings brand new elements to the game, including a 'WARNING GAUGE', which mixes up the classic shooter formula.

As expected, a new trailer for Borderlands 4 officially launched at The Game Awards this week, and, although it has poured cold water on speculation of the return of Gaige, the DLC vault hunter from Borderlands 2, there are some intriguing details in the trailer. For starters, we got a look at what looks to be the next Borderlands villain—or maybe even villains—and it looks like the inter-faction conflicts will play a much larger role in Borderlands 4, with larger-scale conflicts at least being part of the lore, if not the actual gameplay.

The new Game Awards trailer picks up where the previous teaser trailer left off, as teased by Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, but it turns out the robotic arm didn't belong to Gaige, the mechromancer, as previously suspected. Instead, the character picking up the mask at the start of the new trailer appears to be the cruel leader of some sort of robotic bandit militia preparing to do battle against an army of soldiers or drones, who bear some similarities to the Eridian from past Borderlands games and are being led by a single general, who also seems to be a main villain in the game—perhaps some invading force looking to exploit the planet. The resulting conflict between the two rival factions is on a larger scale than we've seen in previous Borderlands games, although there have always been inter-faction conflicts in Borderlands games. Of course, new enemies and factions aren't the only details included in the new Borderlands 4 trailer.

Square Enix just announced the final season of Foamstars, the colorful, unique 4v4 PvP party shooter for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. After the new season, which will run from December 13, 2024, to January 17, 2025, Square Enix will stop providing seasonal updates to Foamstars, effectively marking the end of the game's live service. It won't be the end of Foamstars entirely, though, since the game and its servers will remain live after the final season ends—with all previous seasons' content available, to boot. Still, without additional content coming, the future of Foamstars is uncertain, and many are already asking how long the game will remain interesting to players, especially in a genre that has so many alternatives.

In order to stem the inevitable player exodus and attract new players, despite the effective discontinuation of development, Square Enix is planning a series of in-game events it calls the Foamstars Cup. Along with the new season, Square Enix will also introduce customizable character shots and a handful of other enhancements. Foamstars went free-to-play earlier this year, shortly after its launch, likely as a move to attract new players, but the effective abandonment of the game by Square Enix is something of an indication that even this wasn't enough to justify further development of the game beyond what Square Enix is promising after this final season.

Welcome to the first week of December and the first of advent for those that celebrate it. This week's AAA release is the 2024 release of a FPS shooter that first saw life back in 1998, but under a new developer and publisher. If this isn't your cup of tea, then you can try your luck in beating humans, demolishing things, surviving a bullet hell, finding your lost memories or pretending to be a superhero.

Delta Force / This week's AAA title / Thursday 5 December
Delta Force is back! The iconic series returns as the definitive free-to-play modern team-based tactical shooter and featuring three distinct gameplay modes: large-scale PvP warfare, intense extraction shooter action, and a remake of the legendary Black Hawk Down campaign. Steam link

After a couple of slow week's we have a packed week of new releases for you this week, kicking off with some nuclear stalking action in this week's AAA title. This is followed by a tactical turn-based strategy game set in WW2, a fantasy open world survival crafter, a game for wanna be pilots, a MOBA battle royal hero shooter mixup, a murder on a train with a comedy twist and finally a tactical shooter set in an anime universe. Star Wars Outlaws is also out on Steam this week among many other new releases.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl / This week's AAA release / Wednesday 20 November
Discover the vast Chornobyl Exclusion Zone full of dangerous enemies, deadly anomalies and powerful artifacts. Unveil your own epic story as you make your way to the Heart of Chornobyl. Make your choices wisely, as they will determine your fate in the end. Take over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Steam link

Team17 Digital and Crowbar Collective are working together on a new tactical shooter called Rogue Point. The CEO, the richest man in the world, is dead. Cutthroat conglomerates seek to carve up his kingdom. Using the MERX app, rival businessmen can order private mercenary armies as easily as ordering takeout! Only Rogue Point, an elite, independent vigilante squad, dares to fight back.

Your objective is clear. Eliminate the MERX, and put an end to the corporate war. Gather up to 4 friends and build an elite team, engaging in challenging missions with a dynamic rogue-lite twist offering hundreds of ways to play.

Gaijin Entertainment and Matter Team are happy to announce Active Matter, a new mind-bending tactical hardcore shooter set in a fractured multiverse. The game will be available for purchase on PC (at Steam and Gaijin.Net stores), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2025. The exact price and release date will be announced later. The Closed Beta Test of Active Matter is planned for 2024 at Gaijin.Net, and players are welcome to sign up at the game's official website to make sure they do not miss this opportunity.

Active Matter players control operators stuck in a time loop, returning, time and again, to the same point after each death. They choose a loadout and enter quantum-unstable zones, rich in active matter - a substance capable of warping and ripping the very fabric of space and time. Rivals from other timelines, physics-breaking anomalies that change gravitational force and ethereal beings stand in the way. Players harvest active matter, collect the loot and extract to a safe area before the whole zone ceases to exist with everything inside it.

Valve's next-gen hero shooter, Deadlock, has been making waves lately, with a recent update addressing cheating in a rather comical way. Now, it looks like the developers are putting in more work to both expand the game's hero roster and bring it up to feature-parity with other modern MMOs and PvP shooters. According to the changelog for the October 24 Deadlock update, Valve has added six new heroes to the game alongside some much-needed bug fixes, visual tweaks, and new social features.

The biggest news is obviously the new heroes, which, despite being added to the game, aren't quite ready for prime time just yet. As such, Valve has created a new experimental mode called Hero Labs, where players will be able to test new, potentially incomplete, heroes and provide feedback to the developers. The preliminary names for the six new heroes are Holliday, Calico, Wrecker, Fathom, Viper, and Magician, and Valve developer, Yoshi, is clear that these new heroes are still works-in-progress, with Magician in particular lacking his own ultimate ability. New heroes aren't the only changes coming to Deadlock, though, and Valve's update notes include a new character shader and better sky and environment illumination, a commend feature to show appreciation to other players, and a slew of balance changes to just about every character in the game.

Arc Raiders, the upcoming third-person PvPvE survival shooter from the developer of The Finals has received a date for its first tech test on Steam. This will apparently be the game's largest external play test to date, and, given the far-away release date, the developer will likely be evaluating things like server performance and game stability first and foremost—although players will likely be asked for feedback regarding game performance and features, as well. The tech test will run for four days, starting on October 24 and ending on October 27.

Players interested in trying out the upcoming extraction shooter can apply via the game's Steam Store page, although they will also need to agree to a non-disclosure agreement, and they will not be allowed to stream any gameplay, share any footage or images from the new game, or even talk about the playtest. In the announcement for the playtest, Embark Studios is clear that this is not meant to be a marketing push for Arc Raiders, despite the press wave that came with the tech test announcement, and the studio hopes to save the excitement for when the game fully releases in 2025.

Today, Remedy Entertainment has unveiled FBC: Firebreak (formerly known as Project Condor), with players joining the enigmatic Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) in a three-player cooperative first-person shooter. As the Bureau's headquarters faces a deadly and prolonged siege by otherworldly forces, only Firebreak—its most adaptable response unit—has the skills and courage to restore order.

The mid-priced FBC: Firebreak will be the first self-published game from Remedy Entertainment and is scheduled to release in 2025 for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. FBC: Firebreak will launch day one on PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate. It also launches day one onto the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, available for all Extra and Premium members.

Starfield's Shattered Space DLC launched on September 30, and it was meant to address many of the base game's major issues, with a more hand-crafted feel, more intimate encounters, and a more narrative-driven gameplay experience. Instead, Steam gamers and critics alike have lambasted the expansion online for boring and underwhelming, repetitive gameplay, calling it "more Starfield," essentially repeating the story of Starfield's initial launch. At the time of writing, the Shattered Space DLC has 1,601 reviews on Steam, with only just over 34% of those reviews rating the expansion positively—placing it squarely in the "Mostly Negative" category on Steam.

Likely the biggest disappointment when it comes to Shattered Space's poor reception is that the Starfield player base actually seemed quite optimistic about the expansion, thanks to previous gameplay and interviews about the intention behind the expansion. Critically, however, Starfield developer, Bethesda, deliberately didn't send out game keys to the press for review prior to the launch of the game, so there was no real way for players to know whether they would enjoy the $29.99 expansion before buying it.

Metal: Hellsinger is a first-person rhythm shooter featuring roguelike and boomer shooter elements and set to a heavy metal soundtrack with some of the metal world's biggest names. The game follows a mysterious protagonist, known simply as The Unknown, as she battles her way through the various levels of hell on a quest to regain her voice. Today, the rhythm shooter launches an additional VR version, with some interesting new VR-specific rhythm mechanics to spice things up.

Being a rhythm game, Metal: Hellsinger gives players bonuses for performing actions on-beat with the background music—which often gets quite challenging due to the fast pace and swarming enemies—but the VR version steps things up a notch, allowing you to aim the game's dual pistols individually, physically draw and release the crossbow, and actively reload the shotgun to the beat.

Digital Extremes's free-to-play third-person looter-shooter, Warframe, has changed radically over the years, serving as something of a golden example of how to do live-service games. The developer also shows no sign of slowing that progress, with the game's upcoming Warframe 1999 and Koumei & the Five Fates updates looking to introduce a slew of new content and gameplay updates. While both updates were previously announced, Digital Extremes revealed additional details about the rollout of the updates and their content at the Tokyo Game Show.

For starters, Digital Extremes announced that Warframe 1999—the 90s- and cyberpunk-themed story update—will be getting a playable demo on October 16, with an in-game cosmetic reward for players that try out the demo, to boot. The Koumei & the Five Fates update is slated to land on October 2 and deliver a new playable Warframe, Koumei, and a new Shrine Defense game mode with enemies inspired by Japanese folklore. There are also quality-of-life changes, new weapons, and weapon and Warframe mods coming in the same update, and an old Warframe will get a drastic rework and be available as a free login reward between October 3 and 16.

Valve's latest third-person MOBA-like hero shooter, Deadlock, has had a pretty serious cheater problem, despite still being an invite-only public test. While the game has thus far operated on a player reporting system to identify and punish cheaters, a recent game patch has introduced a rather comical—and seemingly effective—anti-cheat system that can either ban cheating players or turn them into frogs until the end of the match.

Valve says that the new anti-cheat system is set up to be fairly conservative at the moment to avoid any false positives. Aside from the new anti-cheat, Deadlock's September 26 update introduced a new hero, Mirage, whose design and gameplay seem rooted in the jinn from Arabic myths (aka djinn or genie) and added a pretty vast collection of gameplay updates, balances, and quality-of-life improvements throughout the game.

Over the years, Destiny 2's popularity has waxed and waned, once peaking at over 300,000 players per month and subsequently settling at around 35,000 players, with annual updates often resulting in an influx of returning and new players. Now, according to a blog post from Bungie, the developer claims that Destiny 2 will adopt a new content delivery strategy and look to a combination of non-linear narratives and new game formats, like "rogue-likes or survival shooters" for future content updates.

In the blog post celebrating the Destiny franchise's 10th anniversary, Bungie details how the company will be moving away from large, yearly explanations containing one-shot stories. Instead, with the new content delivery strategy, which Bungie calls Codename: Frontiers, the free-to-play RPG will get two expansions per year and four major free content updates every year.

As we enter the second to last week of August, we finally have a massive new AAA release that involves a magical Chinese monkey. As for the rest of this week's upcoming new games, we have a cyberpunk co-op looter shooter, a dusty story-driven action-adventure, a wholesome narrative game, wizards with guns and a game named after a very fast airplane, even though it doesn't even seem to involve any airplanes.

Black Myth: Wukong / This week's AAA release / Tuesday 20 August
Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology. The story is based on Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. You shall set out as the Destined One to venture into the challenges and marvels ahead, to uncover the obscured truth beneath the veil of a glorious legend from the past. Steam Link

Today marks a significant milestone for one of the most iconic and influential first-person shooter franchises of all time—Counter-Strike is celebrating its 25th anniversary. What began as a humble Half-Life mod in 1999 has evolved into a global phenomenon, captivating millions with its intense, team-based tactical gameplay. The original Counter-Strike was instantly hit upon its public beta release on June 19, 1999, quickly building a fervent cult following among PC gamers. Valve soon recognized its potential, acquiring the rights and releasing an official standalone version in November 2000. This launched Counter-Strike into the mainstream, kicking off over two decades of continuous development, innovation, and fierce competitive play. Over the years, the series has seen multiple major releases like Condition Zero, Source, and the juggernaut Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2012. Each introduced new maps, weapons, graphics enhancements, and gameplay twists like CS: GO's Danger Zone battle royale mode.

But the core hook remained—tightly coordinated attack/defense scenarios demanding skill, strategy, and pinpoint shooting accuracy. Many of us grew up playing Counter Strike. The latest evolution arrived last September with Counter-Strike 2, ushering in a new engine, revamped graphics, and additional gameplay refinements. While initially met with some skepticism from hardcore fans, CS2 has been widely embraced, smashing records with over 1.5 million peak concurrent players. The key to Counter-Strike's enduring success has been its best-in-class core gameplay loop combined with Valve's commitment to evolve with the times. But just as crucial is the passionate global community that has embraced the series' high-skill cap and opportunities for creative strategies. Many have remained devoted for decades, fueling a robust professional esports scene. As it enters its 26th year, Counter-Strike's tactical multiplayer mayhem shows no signs of slowing down. Its unique blend of shooting fundamentals and cerebral team play has firmly cemented its place as one of the most influential games ever made.

The month of April continues with more low-key releases and this week's major release is a somewhat new take on the MMO genre which focuses on players being nice to each other. As for the rest of this week we have a VR Western, a gigantic game, some roads in need of repair, a zone free of infection and turn-based tactics game involving mutant animals.

Sky: Children of the Light / This week's major release / Wednesday 10 April
Sky: Children of the Light is a peaceful, award-winning MMO from the creators of Journey. Explore a beautifully-animated kingdom across seven realms and create enriching memories with other players in this delightful puzzle-adventure game. Steam Link

A Survival Shooter Like No Other. Innovation often comes from blending distinct genres to create a new, engaging experience for players. Geometry Survivor is a testament to this creative process, merging the fast-paced shooting action of Geometry Wars with the addictive progression and survival elements of Vampire Survivors.

The Origin of the World of Geometry Survivor
The idea for the game originated from a desire to combine the high-adrenaline gameplay of classic arcade shooters with the strategic depth and character progression found in modern survival games. Geometry Wars provided the perfect template for the game's intense shooting mechanics, renowned for its vibrant visuals and dynamic enemy patterns. Meanwhile, Vampire Survivors offered a blueprint for incremental progression and survival against overwhelming odds, where players enhance their character's abilities over time to withstand hordes of enemies.

One of the key features of Helldivers 2 is The Galactic War. Super Earth's territories are under siege on all fronts by monstrous enemies hell-bent on destroying humanity's way of life. From the war table aboard your ship, your team can watch as the conflict unfolds and take part in battles across the universe. You will do your part to advance the frontlines in the name of Freedom and Managed Democracy.

The Helldivers
Helldivers are the true heroes of Super Earth. As an elite soldier, you have the full might of Super Earth's arsenal at your disposal. Use your lethal array of stratagems and weaponry to defend its colonizers and liberate planets from enemy forces. Rise through the ranks and take on increasingly difficult missions to solidify your place in Helldiver history - and if one Helldiver should perish, that's just an opportunity for another Citizen to realize their dream. Prosperity and liberty are your core values and it's your privilege to spread them.

Today, Ubisoft announced that BattleCore Arena, a free-to-play competitive platform shooter, is under development at Ubisoft Bordeaux and coming to PC via Ubisoft Connect and Steam. Playing as a spherical core, players will enter multi-tiered maps and contend with gravitational forces as they roll, dash, jump, and double-jump to outmaneuver their opponents with physics-based movement. Players will also be able to eject (or be ejected by) their opponents as they wield a multi-faceted arsenal, featuring ranged weapons for close-range impact or mid-distance power, as well as perks to help them evade danger, knock out enemies, or aid their allies.

BattleCore Arena is a PvP game with competitive modes including Backup, a 3v3 team deathmatch; Golden Core, in which possession of the eponymous Core is the path to victory; and Free-for-all, a fast-paced way to test your solo skills or warm up before climbing the ladder in ranked matches. Players can customize their core with cosmetic options for armor, lights, banners, elimination explosions, and more so they can show off their style while zipping around the arenas. If you live in Europe, you can register to participate in the BattleCore Arena tech test running from February 1 through February 5. Stay tuned to Ubisoft News for more on BattleCore Arena.

As we enter the month of August, July still has a couple of new gaming titles to offer of which both obviously are launching on the same day. That said, August starts with a bang and brings a highly anticipated AAA title. The rest of this week's releases is as always a mix of games that will hopefully appeal to at least one of you, since the past polls suggest that the TPU readership is a picky crowd to please when it comes to games.

Baldur's Gate 3 / This week's AAA title / Thursday 3 August
Gather your party and return to the Forgotten Realms in a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Mysterious abilities are awakening inside you, drawn from a mind flayer parasite planted in your brain. Resist, and turn darkness against itself. Or embrace corruption, and become ultimate evil. From the creators of Divinity: Original Sin 2 comes a next-generation RPG, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.

Today we showed Bungie fans worldwide a glimpse of our future at the PlayStation Showcase, in the forms of two major game announcements. First up, we officially announced Marathon to the world! This is the first completely new project from Bungie in more than a decade. Marathon is a sci-fi PvP extraction shooter where players will embody cybernetic mercenaries known as Runners. Exploring a lost colony on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, Runners - working solo or as part of three-person crews - will fight for survival, for riches, and for fame.

We're incredibly excited to announce the game and to share our vision for the future. We know that you are curious to know more, and we will have much to say in the future. For now, know that Marathon is currently in development on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, featuring cross save and cross play. Check out the Marathon site to learn more about the game and follow Marathon on social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) to stay up to date. Below, don't miss a Q&A with Marathon General Manager Scott Taylor and Game Director Christopher Barrett, where they discuss debuting Marathon to the world.

Exoprimal is an online, team-based action game that pits humanity's cutting-edge exosuit technology against history's most ferocious beasts - dinosaurs. Exosuits are grouped into different roles, and players will pilot these exosuits to hold firm against overwhelming dinosaur swarms in online-only, team-based action game modes. The year is 2040...Sudden dinosaur outbreaks have engulfed the globe in a crisis that threatens humanity's very existence. Dino Survival, the main game mode, sees two teams of five players competein a variety of PvE and PvP missions. Players will be transported to the scene of the latest dinosaur outbreak and follow the new generation AI known as Leviathan's guidance to complete objectives. The team that completes the mission first will emerge victorious.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Exoprimal open beta test. Our team gained a great deal of data from exofighter survey responses and social media. We'll put this feedback to good use and make Exoprimal the best game it can be! While the open beta allowed players to experience some of the missions available in the Dino Survival mode, Exoprimal's full release will feature the following content for players to enjoy.