It's been three-and-a-half years since Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco Europe unveiled Unknown 9: Awakening with a teaser trailer at Gamescom 2020. Well, we're back and ready to share the fruits of our labor with the world! We are thrilled to unveil Unknown 9: Awakening's Announcement Trailer, which reveals our tough-as-nails protagonist Haroona, a first look at the gameplay, and a Summer 2024 release. We'd love to get you up to speed on the game, share what we've been up to behind the scenes, and explain why you should join the quest to uncover humanity's best-kept secrets, so let's dive in!

Your Unknown 9: Awakening Refresher
The third-person action-adventure title centers on Haroona, a truth seeker with a troubled past whose connection to a shadowy dimension known as the Fold has blessed her with powerful abilities. The last time the world caught a glimpse of the game's heroine, she was just a child left to fend for herself on the streets of Chamiri, India, unsure of what to make of her unearthly gifts. Fast-forward to today, and Haroona is all grown up. She's embraced her unique talents and continues to learn the ways of the Fold.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a highly unique, Japanese-inspired single-player game that blends multiple genres to create an action-packed adventure unlike any other! First revealed in June last year during Xbox Games Showcase 2023, this new title from Capcom will release day one with Game Pass, as well as on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Windows in 2024.

A New Tale of the Kami Awaits
The story begins when the legendary Mt. Kafuku is covered by an evil defilement and the 12 masks, including their special powers, are stolen. Our protagonist, Soh, must work together with Yoshiro, the Maiden with divine powers, to purge and cleanse the villages of the defilement. The masks worn by Soh and the villagers each feature a different divine power, and these powers are the key to protecting Yoshiro. As you cleanse additional villages from their evil defilement, you'll recover more masks and work together with the various villagers that each mask unlocks to bring Mt. Kafuku back to its original beauty.

Founded in 2022, Mighty Koi Studio aims to prove that "The Witcher" is not the only Polish fantasy story that can conquer the world. The studio holds the rights to two electrifying titles, offering creators vast creative possibilities. "Thorgal" and "The Night Wanderer" will launch on PS5, Xbox Series and PC. The release date is yet TBA. The team bases its productions on the Unreal Engine 5 with proprietary extensions and utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as photogrammetry and AI.

The approach to plans comes with great ambition, announcing two AA+ / AAA projects and engaging experienced experts from the world of gaming and animation - currently, the team consists of over 100 people, and the number is expected to double by the end of the year, with external studios also being involved. Mighty Koi hopes that the upcoming productions will conquer not only the Polish but also the foreign gaming market and, like "The Witcher," make Polish fantasy literature a world-class product.

2:21, a French development team is well versed in Unreal Engine 5-based games development—as of last year they were in the process of utilizing Epic's tech to remake Adeline Software's classic duo of Little Big Adventure (1994) and Little Big Adventure 2 (1997), as well as a now cancelled series reboot. Following on from recent-ish good news—regarding a new publication deal—CEO Ben Limare has announced that his team is moving away from UE5: "In June 2023, you experienced an initial prototype on Proxima Island, developed in a short time by a small team. Despite its imperfections, this prototype was a crucial springboard for engaging with you and understanding your expectations. This prototype was built using Unreal Engine 5, with an almost manual reconstruction of the island. Faced with the challenge of replicating this method for a larger world in a limited time, we opted for a complete overhaul of the game, based on new foundations."

Limare revealed to long-term fans that development of "Twinsen's Little Big Adventure" has already quietly transferred over to the Unity Engine—a strange choice given last year's fallout over "Runtime Fees." Unity Technologies is not winning any popularity contests in modern times—CEO John Riccitiello resigned last October, during payment plan upheavals. 2.21 developers did their very best to carry on with UE5, but legacy code demanded a pivot to a compatible foundation. Limare has roped in another Adeline Software veteran: "The answer lies in the work of Sébastien Viannay, a developer on the original games, as well as the mobile port. It was during the work on the latter that Seb developed a small tool to setup the pathfinding—that is, the ability to tap a point on the screen and have Twinsen follow that direction. This tool interprets the original game's data to reconstruct the level and identify obstacles."

As we enter the second week of March, we have a packed week of new releases for you and the big release this coming week is an open world third-person action adventure shooter. This is followed by a game in Vegas, a classic style run-'n'-gun side scroller, a trippy llama related game, a classic collection Sci-Fi game and the 25th release of a sports title. Sorry, no strategy game this week either.

Outcast - A New Beginning / This week's major release / Friday 15 March
20 years after the award-winning action adventure hit, Outcast, pioneered the genre of non-linear open-world games, the long-awaited sequel sees Cutter Slade return to the spectacular alien world of Adelpha. Resurrected by the almighty Yods, he has returned to find the Talans enslaved, the world stripped of its natural resources, and his own past intertwining with the invading robot forces. It's up to him to go on a mission and save the planet again. Steam Link

Embark on a thrilling scientific adventure today with Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, the latest creation from Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive, the renowned studio behind MudRunner and SnowRunner. The game is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC! In a fierce and beautiful wilderness, become the essential hero for scientific breakthroughs. Utilize your tools and high-tech gadgets to navigate muddy terrain, plan your itinerary, or uncover valuable equipment caches hidden in rocky cliffs or wooded mountains. Confront the steepest slopes and treacherous terrain with the help of specialist abilities, making each adventure an epic expedition.

Prepare for a year-long journey with 4 seasons of diverse content, featuring new missions, vehicles, never-before-seen gadgets, and surprises, including a free-for-all multiplayer update coming later this year. Year 1 Pass is included in Year 1 Edition and Supreme Edition. Prepare for a year-long journey with 4 seasons of diverse content, featuring new missions, vehicles, never-before-seen gadgets, and surprises, including a free-for-all multiplayer update coming later this year. Year 1 Pass is included in Year 1 Edition and Supreme Edition. Discovery awaits!

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is coming to PC! We at Nixxes are thrilled to collaborate with the talented team at Sucker Punch Productions who created this critically acclaimed open-world action adventure. We are excited to bring Jin's story to a new audience and to bring a Sucker Punch title to PC for the first time. The PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut includes the full game, the Iki Island expansion, and the cooperative online multiplayer Legends mode. For the past year, the team at Nixxes has been working hard to bring the Sucker Punch in-house engine technology to PC and implement PC features such as unlocked frame rates, a variety of graphics settings and presets, and customizable mouse and keyboard controls.

With ultrawide monitor support, you can take in the expansive terrain and ancient landmarks with a cinematic field of view. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut on PC is fully optimized for 21:9 and 32:9 resolutions and even supports 48:9 resolutions for triple monitor setups. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut on PC features the latest performance-enhancing technologies. NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3 are available with both upscaling and frame generation options. Intel XeSS upscaling is also supported and if your hardware has headroom to spare, you can use NVIDIA DLAA or FSR 3 Native AA to further boost image quality.

Welcome to the month of March, which we kick off with some American play fighting and although this is the biggest release this week, it's not what we'd call a AAA release. We obviously have a range of other games for you as well, ranging from a morally ambiguous RPG to a muddy driving game followed by a physiological horror title, a very Finnish adventure and nine days of preparation.

WWE 2K24 / This week's major release / Friday 8 March
WWE 2K24 boasts a star-studded roster featuring WWE Legends like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Andre the Giant, alongside current WWE Superstars like "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Roman Reigns, whose larger-than-life entrances and signature moves are heightened by ultra-realistic graphics. WrestleMania is the biggest event in sports entertainment, where Superstars become WWE Legends. Experience a gripping retelling of WrestleMania's greatest moments in 2K Showcase of the Immortals, where you can relive a collection of some of the most unforgettable, career-defining matches. Steam Link

Get ready to embark on a thrilling scientific odyssey! Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, the latest creation from Saber Interactive, the renowned studio behind MudRunner and SnowRunner, reveals Runners of the Lost Ark, a new action-packed trailer paying tribute to legendary tales of exploration and to adventurers from all around the world. The perfect way to pack your bag for Expeditions' arrival on March 5, 2024 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC. Feel the excitement of adventure in a journey filled with gripping moments and spectacular sceneries. Become a famous explorer trading a whip for a winch and a hat for a roof rack. In a pitiless wilderness, avoid all the traps, look danger straight in the eye and discover all the secrets of a thrilling world.

Your itinerary, your odyssey
You're not alone facing sharp cliffs and muddy terrain in Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, as you can always count on your equipment. Whip out your incredible tools and make your way in these gorgeous landscapes. Whether you're defying the law of physics with your winch, conquering the biggest precipices with your self-deploying bridge or scouting your path with your drone, you and your gadgets form an unbeatable team. Drive until the sun sets and make every bend an adventure.

As we enter the end of the month of February and transition into March, we have a somewhat slower week, with a pair of remakes of a couple of classics being the headline titles and both are released on the same day. The rest of the games this coming week consists of a rather bizarre mix between a beat 'em up and tower defence game, a bunch of Greek things, a slightly different take on the zombie game genre and finally a rather good side scroller on an alien planet. In other words, no big releases, but hopefully something interesting nonetheless.

STAR WARS: Dark Forces Remaster / This week's first remake / Wednesday 28 February
The evil Empire is currently creating a doomsday army behind a veil of secrecy. However, they are no match for the Rebel Alliance's covert operations division. Your mission is to infiltrate the Empire and put an end to their plans for terror and domination.

Hello! Nick Suttner here. You may have seen my name on PlayStation Blog before in various guises (most recently, as the writer behind Carto), but I'm super excited to be coming to you today as co-founder of the small studio Furniture & Mattress, to reveal our debut game Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. What the heck is role-puzzling, you may ask? Well, we've spent the past few years building the kind of world that you'd expect to find in a role-playing game: curious towns and moody wilderness areas to explore, quirky characters to meet, and weirdo monsters to battle in dungeons. But in Arranger, everything is expressed through the language of a puzzle game. Hence: role-puzzling!

The entire game world exists on a sprawling, interconnected gameplay grid, and as our protagonist Jemma moves around, everything on the same row or column moves with her. She can also loop herself - or other objects - from one edge of the grid to the other. Over the course of our 8-10 hour, single-player adventure, we regularly twist and subvert these simple mechanics in a host of interesting ways, trying to keep things breezy while still providing some satisfying head-scratchers. (And several assist options to skip past them if you're not in the mood.)

It's finally (almost) here! With Nightingale's Early Access launch just a few days away on February 20th, we (Inflexion Games) wanted to share with you some gameplay and feature updates before we open the portals to the Faewilds. If you have any questions or feedback on the topics below then jump into our official Discord and join the discussion. Set out on a journey of survival and adventure, into the mysterious and dangerous Fae Realms of Nightingale! Become an intrepid Realmwalker, and venture forth alone or with friends—as you explore, craft, build and fight across a visually stunning Gaslamp Fantasy world.

FSR 3 Removal
After reviewing crash data from the Server Stress Test, a significant number of them seemed to point to FSR 3 integrations, whether or not users had the setting turned on. To ensure better stability, we temporarily have removed FSR 3 from the launch build and are working with various external and internal teams to see if we can implement it, or an older FSR version, in future updates. We've added an update to our Performance Expectation blog to reflect this change. For those who wish to use XeSS or DLSS, these will still be available at launch.

A boundless sea of adventure and discovery awaits you in Ys X: Nordics! Join Adol Christin and his unlikely ally, the pirate Karja Balta, as they learn to work together to save the people of Obelia Gulf from the mysterious immortal monsters known as the Griegers. Exhilarating, fast-paced combat, a moving story of unexpected bonds, and naval exploration await you! Coming Fall 2024 to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC!

About Ys X: Nordics
This journey takes place in the northern islands collectively known as Obelia Gulf. In this harsh land, the young adventurer, Adol Christin, encounters the Normans, a seafaring tribe, and is quickly drawn into the conflict between them, the townsfolk of Obelia Gulf, and the Griegr, undying monsters with mysterious agenda. Partnering up with the Norman warrior, Karja, Adol must take to the waters of Obelia Gulf, navigating vast stretches of ocean, consulting maritime maps, and even getting into naval battles with enemy ships. This latest title in the Ys series takes us back to a younger Adol, as he sets out on the open sea. Join him in his pursuit of the thrill of adventure!

As we enter the year of the dragon according to the Chinese zodiac, we have a week full of new game releases to look forward to, although none of them are unfortunately dragon themed. This week's AAA release has a more caribbean theme and has been a long time coming. As for the remaining releases, we're looking at a dash of phobia, banishment, some insight, dwarves, colonisation and a dark town.

Skull & Bones / This week's AAA release / Friday 16 February
Enter the perilous world of Skull and Bones, a co-op pirate open world action RPG experience, to become the most infamous pirate kingpin. Engage in thrilling naval battles, craft a variety of unique ships, forge unlikely alliances as you overcome the odds, and bring mayhem on the seas. Be part of an immersive world that introduces new challenges and features every season

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the newest installment in the Final Fantasy VII remake project and one of 2024's most-anticipated games, tells the tale of main protagonist Cloud Strife and his loyal companions who explore a massive world outside Midgar, the city of Mako, as they pursue Sephiroth, one of the most iconic antagonists in video game history.

Ahead of the full game's release on February 29, the demo releasing today allows you to not only take control of the protagonist, Cloud, but take full control of the legendary swordsman Sephiroth in battle. You will be able to play as Sephiroth as part of the extended flashback section, as Cloud recalls an earlier mission in his career as a Soldier - the Nibelheim incident. Taking place several years before the events of the game, this will set the stage for several important moments within Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. What's more, we're planning to release an update later this month that will allow you to explore part of the Junon region before the release of the full game on February 29. We hope you'll take this opportunity to venture into the world of Final Fantasy VII!

Welcome to February proper, a week that brings one fairly big AAA release, followed by a few lesser titles. We have sparky tales, a remake by MicroProse, dungeons, inquisitors and a space based RPG game for you, none of which can be considered major releases, but might still be fun to play.

Helldivers 2 / This week's AAA release / Thursday 8 February
Helldivers 2 is a 3rd person squad-based shooter that sees the elite forces of the Helldivers battling to win an intergalactic struggle to rid the galaxy of the rising alien threats. From a 3rd person perspective, players use a variety of weapons (pistols, machine guns, flamethrowers) and stratagems (turrets, airstrikes, etc.) to shoot and kill the alien threats. Players can also aim down the sights for a more accurate 1st person camera view. Combat is accompanied by frequent sprays of blood and dismemberment as players exterminate the alien forces or players and squad mates are hit by environmental explosions or friendly fire. Enemy encampments and battlefield environments depict bloodstains and dismembered corpses.

Hey, everyone! We're excited to bring you some big (and heartwarming) news today! Today is the day! Get ready to trade in John's bang-bang gun for a watering can, and embark on a tranquil new life in Octopia. (Don't worry, you'll still need that frying pan 🍳). In Eastward: Octopia, Sam and John return in a parallel world adventure, leaving the miasma and monsters behind them, to start a simpler life, living off the land. Get ready to trade swords (or may we say rusty pans?) for shovels and embark on a tranquil world of rural life, fishing, and culinary magic in Octopia, the brand-new DLC for Eastward, landing on Steam and Nintendo Switch TODAY at $5.99 / £4.99 / €5.89 / 700円 / ¥22 CNY, with a special launch offer of 15% off the DLC running from today until February 14th! We're also running special limited-time offers on the base game & bundle too.

"I haven't played Eastward! Do I have to play the base game to get the most out of the DLC?"
Eastward: Octopia takes place in a parallel universe, so there's no need to have finished (or even started) Eastward's base game story to enjoy the simple life—you can even play it straight from the menu. However, please note that a copy of Eastward is required to access the DLC. Although many familiar faces appear in Eastward: Octopia, the plot, gameplay and character 'settings' will be a completely new experience. Once you've purchased and downloaded the DLC, make sure the DLC is 'checked' in the base game properties. After starting the base game of Eastward in your Steam Library, you can then travel to the pastoral time and space of Eastward: Octopia is a single click from the main menu interface! 🚞

The kingdom of Stormwind lies in ruins. The greatest strategists of the Alliance and the Horde race towards a terrifying clash as war continues to rage across Azeroth. It's up to you to defend this world and its people…or crush these pitiful weaklings and claim their realm for the Horde! You can now add 1995's Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and its expansion, Beyond the Dark Portal, to your catalog of games right from the Battle.net Shop. This game took the series' real-time strategy to new heights and added greater tactical depth, expanding your armies with flying and even seafaring units. With bigger maps and more diverse armies, Warcraft II will challenge your strategic and tactical skills. Think fast and act decisively; the fate of your people depends on it!

This release includes:
28 missions across two epic campaigns: Follow the Horde and Alliance campaigns and decide the fate of Azeroth. Visit key historic locations such as Dalaran or Stratholme, and see how they were first introduced.
Even more adventure awaits Beyond the Dark Portal: Once you've beaten the Tides of Darkness campaign, embark on the final chapter of Warcraft II with the Beyond the Dark Portal expansion. Conquer the shattered realm of Outland, and end the orcish threat once and for all!
More maps, more players, more mayhem: Fight against up to seven computer-controlled opponents or other players across an even bigger selection of online multiplayer battlefields. Take to the field as a team or try to seize victory on your own, and prove your worth as a master tactician.
Get creative with the Warcraft II map editor: Use the mapmaking tool to create your own multiplayer maps, then challenge your friends to epic battles on your turf!

Brews & Bastards, the co-op dungeon crawler with magical brews and drunken demons from developer Mune Studio, stumbles into the vast underbelly of Muneshine Tavern on PC via Steam in Spring 2024, and pregames with its first Steam demo, available now on PC ahead of February Steam Next Fest. The game will hit the bars on consoles at a later date.

Embark on an intoxicating quest to recover the enchanted Brew Stone from thieving demons and return endless alcohol to the masses! Navigate the unfathomably large dungeons beneath Muneshine Tavern solo or with a party of up to 4 dubious heroes wielding liquor-charged weapons. Take on this most urgent mission and become the bar's most pie-eyed legend!

As we're about to enter February, there are a bunch of new releases to look forward to this coming week, oddly enough many of them Japanese, just like this past week. This week's major release is based on a DC comics movie, which may or may not be appealing. As for the rest of this coming week's releases, we got a turn-based roguelike, some corsairs, punching, but only once, a fantasy action RPG, an anime 3D fighter and a JRPG. Hopefully there's something here for almost everyone.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League / This week's major release / Friday 2 February
From Rocksteady Studios, the creators of the Batman: Arkham series, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a genre-defying third-person action shooter where the ultimate band of misfits must do the impossible to save the world: Kill the Justice League. Join the newly "recruited" members of Amanda Waller's infamous Task Force X (aka the Suicide Squad), Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and King Shark, as they set out on an impossible mission to Kill the Justice League. Drop into an expansive and dynamic open-world Metropolis ravaged by Brainiac's invasion and terrorized by the heroes who once protected it.

Get ready to embark on a thrilling scientific adventure in Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. Saber Interactive, the renowned studio behind MudRunner and SnowRunner, has revealed an exciting new trailer that gives an overview of all the ways to overcome the immense wilderness awaiting you on March 5, 2024 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. To overcome all the challenges, select carefully the tools that will accompany you. Each successful mission also earns you a sum of money, which you can invest in new, even more efficient vehicles, or in a wide range of parts to improve them. Be forward-thinking and creative!

Pre-order the Supreme Edition, Year 1 Edition, or Standard Edition now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam or Epic Games Store for exclusive content. For more information, visit the official Focus Store page. Players getting the Supreme Edition or the Year 1 Edition will be able to play ahead of the release on March 1st.Embark on scientific expeditions with this new off-road adventure from the creators of MudRunner and SnowRunner. Lead research missions as you drive a variety of all-terrain vehicles, using high-tech tools and managing your camp and crew to ensure your success in the wild.

If you like Japanese games, then the fourth week of the new year is for you, as we have no less than four new Japanese games being released this week, which almost has to be something of a record for simultaneous releases in a week. The AA title this week is one of the famous 3D fighting titles and if that's not your cup of matcha, then we have plenty of other games on offer for you. As for the rest of this week, we have some pirates, gates to other worlds, an open world co-op RPG and the aforementionedJapanese games.

Tekken 8 / This week's AA Title / Friday 26 January
Get ready for the next chapter in the legendary fighting game franchise, Tekken 8.
Completely redesigned character visuals. Elaborate, highly-detailed models built from the ground and high-fidelity graphics break the limits of new-generation hardware by adding a new weight and atmosphere to Tekken's signature battles. Vivid environments and destructible stages combine to create an overwhelming sense of immersion, creating the ultimate play experience.

As we enter the third week of the new year, we have the first major release of the year, although it might not quite be a AAA release it combines something old with something even older to try and make it into something new. As for the rest of this coming week's releases, we have a steampunk RPG set in the Victorian area, a co-op FPS, a turned based 4X god game, a city builder with a twist and a world full of your pals.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown / This week's major release / Thursday 18 January
Dash into a stylish and thrilling action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world where the boundaries of time and space are yours to manipulate. Play as Sargon and evolve from sword-wielding prodigy to extraordinary legend as you master acrobatic combat and unlock new Time Powers and unique super abilities.

Welcome to the first week of new games of 2024, although the first week of the year isn't exactly starting with a bang. In fact, there are so few new releases that we couldn't even get one per day, but luckily there were enough new games being released on other days for a full roundup. We got everything from bootleggers to tiny cars and a point and click adventure to keep you busy this coming week.

Bootlegger's Mafia Racing Story / Monday 1 January
Step back in time to the roaring 1930s and immerse yourself in the high-stakes world of bootlegging during America's Prohibition era. Get ready to join John Hamerton, a retired car engineer and mechanic, as he embarks on a daring journey to save his house and pay off his tax debt.

As we enter the second full week of December, it's pretty clear that we don't have any more AAA releases to look forward to this year, but at the same time, it doesn't mean that there aren't any interesting game releases. This week's biggest release is a colony sim type game which we covered in the news a few months ago. The rest of this week's releases involves robot detectives, gates to other worlds, prisoners that can't die, mechs and a touch of paranoia.

Pioneers of Pagonia / This week's major release / Wednesday 13 December
In a world of countless islands populated with scattered tribes, you travel and lead your people as a visionary to forge alliances with the inhabitants, after helping each other and gaining their trust. Send out your pioneers to discover untouched soil, find hidden resources and explore secret places.